Classic Horror meets Sixties sexploitation in this unusual and entertaining 8mm sex film.
Before home video, there was 8mm film, and this was the only option for all but the wealthiest collectors to enjoy sexy movie entertainment at home. At first a clandestine industry, by the early 1960s the market for softcore titles was a thriving one pioneered by the likes of George Harrison Marks, Pete Walker and Stanley Long. By the end of the decade, these filmmakers had been joined by a plethora of glamour photographers branching out and filmmakers honing their craft, and a lot of interesting work began to emerge. The real challenge for the 8mm filmmaker with a bit of ambition was crafting a storyline into a film than might only be five minutes long, while still ensuring that it contained enough nudity to satisfy the punters.
Miss Frankenstein R.I.P. (or simply Miss Frankenstein if you are less literal about title cards) is a horror-themed nudie that seems intent on emphasising the chills as much as the bare flesh, as Dr Frankenstein‘s hunchbacked assistant (let’s call him Igor) sneaks in the lab to reanimate the Doctor’s latest creation – a cut above the usual, we might say, in the form of Lisa Brent. There’s a twist in the story, one that suggests that the filmmakers were actually using sex as the pretext for making a mini horror film rather than the other way around – certainly, the nudity is pretty brief by the usual standards of such things, and while this may have been hot stuff at the time, it’s hard to imagine anyone getting hot under the collar watching it now.
The film was supposedly the production of The Collectors Club, a London-based movie distribution company that dabbled in sexy films as money-making sideline – hence the emphasis on classic horror tropes. And it’s pretty well done for the most part – while Frankenstein’s lab is a bit ramshackle, the other horror elements are pretty solid, and the film has more atmosphere than you’d expect from such a basic production. This is helped by decent lighting and editing, solid make-up effects and the use – with or without permission we might never know – of West Hampstead building Sarum Chase for the scene-setting opening shots. The poor man’s Oakley Court, this mansion was also used effectively by American low-budget filmmaker Andy Milligan for a couple of his films (The Body Beneath and The Werewolves Are Coming, The Rats Are Here), which has led to unconfirmed suspicions that Milligan actually shot this short on the side; it also features as a backdrop for the Rolling Stones’ Beggars Banquet photo shoot and would later serve as Cruella DeVil’s house in the live-action 101 Dalmations films.
The mystery, of course, is just when this film was made. Brent’s pubic display suggests the late Sixties at least, but it’s entirely possible that the film was made at the start of the 1970s. Given the lack of any official copyright notices or additional information and Ms Brent’s absence from any other credits, we might never know unless one of the people responsible cares to step up.
Here’s the full film to enjoy.
Thanks to Movies and Mania
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