THE EROTIC RITES OF FRANKENSTEIN (original title: ‘Maldición des Frankenstein’, aka ‘Les Experiences Erotiques de Frankenstein’, ‘The Curse of Frankenstein’) was filmed in 1972, for French producer Robert de Nesle. 1972 was a busy year for Franco – he also directed seven other films including LES DEMONS, SINNER (AKA ‘Diary of a Nymphomaniac’) and LA FILLE DE DRACULA. Many of Franco’s best films were made during the "de Nesle" period in the early 70’s; other notable de Nesle productions include the aforementioned SINNER and LES DEMONS, plus DRACULA VERSUS FRANKENSTEIN (1971), LA COMTESSE PERVERSE (1973), THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MIRROR (1973) and LORNA THE EXORCIST (1974).

EROTIC RITES… is almost certainly one of Franco’s oddest films, but it also contains such a surfeit of weird ideas and memorable images that they can’t fail but make for a winning combination. The film can be regarded as one third of a loose trilogy of "creature feature" films, the other films in the trilogy being DRACULA VERSUS FRANKENSTEIN and the little-seen LA FILLE DE DRACULA. EROTIC RITES… is by far the best of the three in my opinion, though that may have something to do with the more sleazy, demented feel of this film with respect to the other two. All three films were shot using pretty much the same cast, crew and locations, which results in a strange sense of déja-vu if they are all watched close together.

EROTIC RITES… opens with classic horror film imagery; a castle at night; a brain in a jar; a mad scientist and his servant; a monster on a slab... Doctor Frankenstein (bizarrely, this role is played by Dennis Price, who also featured in Franco’s other two "creature feature" films in addition to roles in VENUS IN FURS (1969), VAMPYROS LESBOS (1970) and Franco’s second WIP film, QUARTIER DES FEMMES (1970, aka ‘Lovers of Devil’s Island’)) is preparing to give his creature life. His creepy servant (Franco’s cameo) flicks the switch and the creature (played by Fernando Bilbao) comes to life, moaning “it hurts… my head hurts…” The Doctor is ecstatic, but then two intruders arrive. One is a strange, blind, half-bird woman called Melissa (Anne Libert/Josiane Gibert) and the other is Caronte (another Franco regular Luis Barboo). The bird woman attacks the Doctor, savaging him, whilst Caronte kills Franco’s character. The two escape with the monster, eventually arriving at the castle of Cagliostro (who else but Howard Vernon, replete with an appalling fake goatee beard!), a demented sorceror. We are introduced to Cagliostro as he watches his servants bring the monster up the steps of his castle on the beach in a coffin. Two naked women recline on a bed – “Get these vermin out of my sight”, he tells two black-robed guards. When he sees the monster he is delighted; “this is the work of a genius… a work of art”, he declares. Cagliostro uses ‘magnetic powers’ to control people, and Melissa has to act as a sort of intermediary for him, frequently giving weird, rambling speeches.

Dr Frankenstein is meanwhile dying at the surgery of Dr Seward (Alberto Dalbes). He tries to tell Seward about the creature and the people who have taken him, but dies. He is buried, and his daughter, Vera Frankenstein (Beatriz Savon), turns up. She wants to continue Frankenstein’s work and the first thing she does is to take Frankenstein’s body back to his castle, where she brings him back to life. He tells her about the creature and the fact that it was taken away, but they are interrupted by the arrival of Dr Seward. When he has gone they reanimate Frankenstein once again, and find out who has the monster. The monster is sent out with Melissa to get a woman. They kidnap a girl and take her back to the castle, where she is beheaded before an audience of strange ghouls and zombies. We learn that Cagliostro is centuries old and is reborn again and again. To this end, he wants to create a new race and intends to build a female creature that the monster can mate with, and this is why he needs the best bits from various beautiful women. Frankenstein’s daughter is captured and tied to Caronte. They are made to stand naked on a bed of poisonous spikes and are whipped by the monster until one of them (Caronte) falls onto the spikes. Vera agrees to do Cagliostro’s bidding and help in the creation of the female monster. Vera’s servant, Abigail (Doris Thomas) escaped from the castle grounds and somehow ends up at Dr Seward’s. From her he finds out what has happened to Vera and sets off to the castle, with Inspector Tanner (played by none other than Daniel White, Franco’s regular composer), but not before stopping off at Frankenstein’s castle, where his body still lies connected to the equipment. Apparently it’s very easy to use, as Dr Seward revives Dr Frankenstein once again. However, three times is too much, and Dr Frankenstein turns into a zombie, attacking Dr Seward. Eventually, the two arrive at the castle as Cagliostro is preparing to have the two creatures mate; “Your progeny will reign on the planet of Earth!” he tells them. Will the creatures get it on? Will Dr Seward save Vera? Will Cagliostro escape? Well, you’ll have to watch it to find out!

I’ve given the rather lengthy plot summary above in order to illustrate just how full of weird ideas this film is. Where else can you see a blue/grey-painted Frankenstein’s monster whipping two naked people in a pit of spikes? Or Frankenstein being reanimated (three times!) and turning into a zombie himself? Or a naked, feathery bird woman? Many scenes in the film are slow moving, and there’s some really terrible dialogue but there are still several stand out sequences, and the brilliant chirping bird woman (very well played by Libert), one of the strangest creations to grace a Euro-cult film that I can think of, steals every scene that she is in. The film also features better looking females than were common in many other Euro productions at the time. The first woman to be kidnapped by the monster and the female monster are particularly appealing, though somewhat under-used. Barboo’s full frontal nudity was fairly unusual in the early 70’s (and still is now I guess) and perhaps gives an indication of what was to come in the following year’s FEMALE VAMPIRE.

The version of the film that I watched was a copy of the long unavailable and very rare Go! UK VHS release, which is letterboxed (somewhat wonkily, it has to be said) at approximately 1.7:1. This is the shorter version of the film, which apparently complies best with Franco’s original vision. A longer version of the film was released in Spain and this featured a subplot involving a gypsy woman, played by Lina Romay, and alternate ‘clothed’ takes of the nude scenes in the film. If you like Franco’s early 70’s work then you’ll definitely like EROTIC RITES – it’s a highly unusual film and one that deserves to be much more widely seen - just don’t go expecting the plot to make any sense whatsoever!