The Evil of Frankenstein (1964)

Peter Cushing returns in the third addition to Hammer's Frankenstein series in The Evil of Frankenstein, a film that's quite often condemned by critics and Hammer enthusiasts for it's straying from the what many thought was a unique direction the production company seemed to be taking series in.  Ironically enough The Evil of Frankenstein is my favorite of the series thus far and adds another sorely criticized Hammer creation to the list of under-appreciated ones I've enjoyed.

A foiled experiment on a corpse forces Baron Frankenstein (Peter Cushing) to once again flee, this time he decides to return to his abandoned chateau outside of Karlstadt with his assistant Hans.  It's there he begins to recount the series of events that lead to the creation of the Creature and his eventual exile.  In visiting the small village outside his estate, Frankenstein discovers that the town's Burgomeister has taken possession of all his belongings.  Confronting him turns out to be a sloppy decision and Frankenstein and his assistant are forced to flee, taking refuge in the mountains where they discover the original Creature perfectly preserved in ice.

Removing him from his icy prison Frankenstein is able to revive the Creature's body, but not the mind.  To accomplish this task he enlists the help of Zoltan, a hypnotist performing in the local carnival.  Zoltan is able to awaken the Creature's mind but he also takes control of him, using him to rob the village and seek revenge on the authorities who have tried to run him out of town.  Eventually the Creature begins to lose all control and Frankenstein must attempt to prevent his creation from causing mass destruction.

The Evil of Frankenstein is a rather odd sequel, which is probably why I tend to find it the most enjoyable of the series so far.  It's odd in the sense it's not a direct sequel to the prior two films, but more of a hybrid sequel/reboot as it changes a lot aspects of the prior films in Frankenstein's retelling of the events to his assistant Hans.  The changes were due to Hammer's acquisition of the rights to Universal's horror library in 1959 (one year after the release of The Revenge of Frankenstein) which then gave Hammer the ability to take aspects of Universal's films and the Creature makeup and adapt them into their own series.  Thus the reason behind the dramatic difference in the look of the Creature from the first film and the alteration in prior events of the first two films.

This merging of the two styles in the Frankenstein franchise and the strange re-telling of the past two entries is ultimately what seems be the main complaint of most Hammer enthusiasts.  Although for myself, who wasn't particularly a fan of the first two entries, I enjoyed the rather bizarre re-telling and and Hammer's incorporation of a lot of the classic aspects of the Universal films such as Zoltan (loosely based on Ygor played by Bela Lugosi in The Son of Frankenstein), and the drunken Creature (also seen in Bride of Frankenstein).  I also liked the new look of the Creature, compared to that of the Christopher Lee version in the first film, another aspect most fans would probably disagree with me on.

Overall, I quite enjoyed The Evil of Frankenstein as it pushed past the rather bland and repetitive storyline of the first two films and set itself apart in the series.  At the same time I completely understand the disappointment from fans of the first two entries, who see this film as a diversion from Hammer's unique take on the series.  It definitely stands out as more of an over-the-top entry than the prior two, but I've found more entertainment in some of Hammer's cornier films than I've found in some of the ones they're better known for.  So I guess The Evil of Frankenstein will join Slave Girls, Lust for a Vampire and Blood from the Mummy's Tomb as another one of my Hammer guilty pleasures.

7/10