frankenstein

THE FLICK: There’s no use trying to explain one’s affection for the “rubber monster” genre. Like true love, it’s just a connection you feel deep in your soul. And the more misguided, corny and downright goofy the movie, the more fans tend to embrace it. Case in point, Frankenstein Conquers the Word (aka Frankenstein vs. Baragon on the international circuit), a true oddball even within the cannon of Toho Studios other giant monster films, whose final battle consists of a 100-foot tall Frankenstein monster in a loin cloth battling a one-horned, fire-spewing dinosaur. Who the hell wouldn’t pay to see that? Producer Samuel Z. Arkoff, who bought U.S. theatrical rights, thought it could use a little help, so he chopped off a few minutes here and there, including a final fight between Frankenstein and a giant octopus – the footage of which became as legendary as the supposed alternate King Kong vs. Godzilla ending where the big lizard walked away the winner. Now, Media Blasters comes through in a big way with a two-disc set that not only rescues the aforementioned scenes, but provides fans their first OAR, subtitled look at one of the loopiest monster movies in history. After a silent movie-style opening in which Japan comes into possession of the undying heart of Frankenstein’s monster, smuggled out of Germany during the end of WW2 then accidently exposed to the radioactive blast at Hiroshima, scientists discover a feral orphan boy amongst the wreckage. The boy grows to gigantic proportions, escapes, then wanders the countryside in search of food. Meanwhile, Baragon (who goes unnamed throughout the film) burrows up from the depths of the Earth to feed on livestock and villagers, acts which are blamed on the fugitive Frankenstein. Just as the military plans a massive retaliation, the two monsters go at it amidst a raging forest fire. Despite the off-the-wall premise, Frankenstein vs. Baragon follows the usual Toho formula, with the sympathetic monster used similarly to Kong in his kaiju appearances. The boy even expresses an infatuation with his doll-sized doctor and rushes to the rescue of any human in need (a trait which would be emphasized even more in the sequel War of the Gargantuas). But the unusual plot elements help things feel fresh, not to mention the presence of American actor Nick Adams, whose street-punk intensity has a charm all its own. The miniature effects, a kaiju calling card of most film of this type, are actually not quite as effective as the Godzilla films, mainly because the use of a non-suited actor plays havoc with the proportional perspective. It’s still terrific fun, however, and moves along at a fast clip, eschewing the normal space alien / Earth conquest plot to blend elements of Hammer horror films and giant monster action. In short, it’s just different. And in a genre as predictable as kaiju can be, that’s something special. THE FEATURES: Media Blasters adds another great Toho special edition to their library, presenting both the International and American cuts of the film along with deleted scenes, a photo gallery, trailer and audio commentary by Sadamasa Arikawa. There’s been some controversy over whether the American version as presented on the DVD is complete, however it would take an expert with better credentials than myself to go into that argument. It looks just like I remember it from the dozen times I watched it on TV as a kid. However, the international cut is definitely the way to go when it comes to viewing the film, since it includes the much sought after (and previously mentioned) octopus scene among others. The only thing lacking here is perhaps a commentary track with a kaiju expert like those used on the Classic Media Godzilla titles. Although Mr. Arikawa provides a wealth of on-set information, his commentary is missing out on of some of the distribution details fans are dying to know.