I had the unique opportunity of watching two cult classics originally released in the early 1970s. Both of these films were produced by Andy Warhol and created in the studios he had at that time for film projects pushing creativity. They were Flesh for Frankenstein(1973) and Blood for Dracula (1974). I wouldn’t be surprised if you said you haven’t heard of either of these flicks.They are billed as horror because genre identification is usually required for marketing and placement. However, these two films are dark comedies in a horror setting attempting to be light pornography. The mashup works if you are looking for a movie to share with a group of friends who are already into the campy and are not easily offended.
Both Movies
More blood comes out of single wounds than a body should hold. This is one of the over-the-top aspects used in these films. It is clear they were made to push boundaries from the use of full frontal nudity, shocking statements, and use of sexual premise for the basis of the stories. Of course, this fits with the other films from the studio and the writer/director.
Written and Directed by Paul Morrissey, these were his last two films made in conjunction with Warhol Studios before he left in 1975. Frankenstein and Dracula were his more main stream releases and by some standards considered his best successes during the entirety of that period of work. He no longer makes films due to not being able to maintain an independent stance free of outside influences.
Three actors star in both movies in similar roles: Udo Kier plays The Baron and The Count, Arno Jurging is his assistant, and Joe Dallesandro is the sexual interest.
Udo Kier didn’t start his career with these movies, and has been productive ever since. Kier is an actor many people have seen and don’t recognize with nearly 250 acting credits for both the big and little screen. This includes 12 movies scheduled for release during 2018 and more after that.
Arno Jurging played Otto and Anton, the assistant to the title character in each movie. His ability to play off the lines and acting of Udo Kier was something to watch. I believe a major reason for getting these roles was the use of his eyes. He continued acting for another 10 years in Europe.
Joe Dallesandro was part of the Warhol movie factory experiment with a number of movies. In both of these movies he was given lead billing. His participation was most likely due to his popularity at the time. He has maintained a presence in front of the camera since that time, even if his star power wasn’t brought forward. At the time of this writing he has a movie in post-production due in 2019.
Both movies are testaments to the time period in which they were made. There are scenes that probably wouldn’t be allowed today, and if they were would create a backlash. Our standards have progressed to which some of the scenes which were clearly made to be shocking aren’t and others that make people feel uneasy about what they are seeing.
Flesh for Frankenstein
Baron Frankenstein is out to create his own race of humans/zombies. The man and woman are his first step, with his eventual goal being their children. Those will be his perfect children. He is assisted by Otto, a man who wants to emulate the baron.
The Baron is married to his sister and they have two children. Early in the movie, while at dinner, the adults talk to set the facts of their parentage. The Baroness complains about how bad their parents were and their peculiarities including how bad their mother was due to her sexual appetite. Which you find out is very much the same for the Baroness. The children sit and watch (between them only one word is spoken in the entire film).
Because the Baron and Otto are working to create a new race of humans, the Dr. must find the perfect head for his male. He explains to Otto how they need a man with an unmatched sexual appetite, which is located in the head, so they go stake out the nearby brothel. Unfortunately they mistake the movies sexual interest with his friend, who at the best is nonsexual and ready to go join a monastery, or is homosexual and interested in his friend and ready to join a monastery.During his working in the lab, the good doctor has a close brush to necrophilia. After a scene where he is on top of the female cadaver with his hand inserted through an incision into her abdomen he delivers one of the strangest lines I’ve heard, “To know death, Otto, you have to fuck life... in the gall bladder!” Of course Otto ends up killing the maid and the female zombie as he attempts to do just that in his attempt to be like the great doctor.
There is a pile of bodies and a lengthy death scene at the end. Our sexual hero is left hanging from a chain with the two children in the laboratory. And, if you want to know what happens next, then you will have to decide how to watch it.
The look of the laboratory seems to have influenced the laboratory in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which came out a couple of years later.
Blood for Dracula
As with its predecessor, this movie focuses more on challenging the societal norms of the times. The sexual theme is pretty much the same. Some are disturbing based on a different approach.
The opening sequence is Dracula applying makeup and hair dye. An interesting touch showing he is old. Soon we learn he is dying because vampires need virgin blood. We learn this when Anton explains his plan to save the count, the last remaining vampire because they go and place Dracula’s sister in her coffin. As you can tell by now both of these movies use a lot of maid and butler dialogue to convey the story.
The locals have become wise of the Dracula family and there are no virgins in the area. Anton has developed a plan to save the Count by traveling to Italy where there must be virgins because of the Vatican and influence of the Catholic Church. His cover story is the Count is looking for a new wife who, according to family tradition, must be a virgin.
They end up at an estate that is going bankrupt with four daughter, and the hired woodsman. The oldest daughter is considered off the market because she is considered tainted and ugly. The next two are of marrying age. And, the youngest, at fourteen, is too young. The parents believing they have the opportunity of regaining some of their wealth gladly invite the two men into their home.
Of course the two of marrying age are having at it with the hired hand. This is shown as a controlling/abusive relationship with him having, literally, the upper hand. The oldest daughter is more directed than her next two younger sisters and is working at maintaining the household as best as possible from going into ruin. While the youngest is naive.
Dracula attempts to feed on the two middle daughters which makes him violently ill. Using his control over the two bitten women, he has them go to fetch their youngest sister. The planned kidnapping goes badly and the woodsman figures out the visiting noble is a vampire. To protect the youngest sister he rapes her against a wall, which she decides she likes.
The woodsman goes after Dracula and cuts of his arms and legs one at a time during the chase. While lying on the ground the eldest sister comes running to Dracula’s rescue. When the axe handle is forced through his chest she throws herself upon it to be with him.
Dracula is a wimp. The movie actually does a pretty good job of getting you to start feeling sympathetic for a vampire because he is so physically sick. The only power he is seen to have is a little bit of control of the two daughters after they are bitten.
Final Note
Again, both of these movies are for those who are into campy “B” flicks. They are offensive to some modern ideals. And, they are not family movies.
On the other side they are dark comedies that won’t really make you laugh, except at the absurdity of what you’re watching, but at how they were using horror to mock the prevailing/ruling culture of the time.
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