Baron Victor Frankenstein(Cushing never more sadistic or cruel as the Baron;he's completely evil)forces an asylum Doctor, Karl Holst(Simon Ward)assist him in his efforts to secure a certain formula from the insane mind of a patient, Frederick Brandt(George Pravda), once a great doctor driven crazy essentially from his own experiments with brain transplantation. Baron had eavesdropped on Karl's conversation with his lover Anna(the beautiful Veronica Carlson)about robbing his asylum of certain medical items and uses this corrupt info for black-mailing purposes. In other words, Baron has Karl caught between a rock and a hard place for the asylum doctor just was helping Anna's sick mother due to their lack of monetary funds in retrieving medicine. Baron first has Karl steal various equipment so that he can re-start a lab in Anna's hotel cellar while also planning to kidnap Brandt from the asylum. The kidnapping goes awry when Brandt reacts violently trying to escape Baron and Karl's clutches as another mental patient, who sees hallucinatory spiders crawling on her skin, roars with terror which can be heard very well. During their struggle to regain Brandt, he has a heart-attack leaving the body severely damaged and dying. So Baron decides to kidnap Professor Richter(Freddie Jones), a renowned medical mind who often sought after for advice regarding the mentally handicapped, and transplant Brandt's brain to his body..which means Richter's imminent death. Burying the corpse of Brandt in the flower garden outside, they are successful at transplanting his brain to Richter's skull while also eliminating the insanities pressuring proper function. Things begin to unravel as Frederick's wife, Ella(Maxine Audley)will not cease to search for her husband's body, Inspector Frisch(Thorly Walters)gruffly pursues the person responsible for a series of crimes in his district by following Baron's trail to his new locale, the water main near where Frederick's body was buried busts, and the sleeping body of Richter's awakens while Baron is away.
Sadistic, cruel sequel in the Hammer franchise leaves a rather sour taste because Baron is presented as a cold-hearted bastard. Seeing Cushing's Baron viciously attack poor Anna, subsequently raping her, is quite horrifying. Not only that but just watching Baron torment Karl, constantly forcing him to do his bidding. We see Baron's twisted obsession to retrieve the secret formula at all costs. Anna's tragic fate at the hands of Baron leaves a foul feeling of distaste where you just hearken in disbelief that the man portraying him is the same person that was the heroic Van Helsing in the Dracula pictures. Freddie Jones is terrific at displaying the haunted person behind the new body..seeing Brandt in anguish at what Baron has done to him, and later confronting his wife only to be threatened by her as well, he shows so much in his limited screen time. You have the tragic helpless victim, Karl Host, portrayed by Simon Ward as weighed and burdened with guilt of what he's been a reluctant part of. The film itself is quite well made, and paced..but so harsh and vile, many might be dismayed at it.
Sadistic, cruel sequel in the Hammer franchise leaves a rather sour taste because Baron is presented as a cold-hearted bastard. Seeing Cushing's Baron viciously attack poor Anna, subsequently raping her, is quite horrifying. Not only that but just watching Baron torment Karl, constantly forcing him to do his bidding. We see Baron's twisted obsession to retrieve the secret formula at all costs. Anna's tragic fate at the hands of Baron leaves a foul feeling of distaste where you just hearken in disbelief that the man portraying him is the same person that was the heroic Van Helsing in the Dracula pictures. Freddie Jones is terrific at displaying the haunted person behind the new body..seeing Brandt in anguish at what Baron has done to him, and later confronting his wife only to be threatened by her as well, he shows so much in his limited screen time. You have the tragic helpless victim, Karl Host, portrayed by Simon Ward as weighed and burdened with guilt of what he's been a reluctant part of. The film itself is quite well made, and paced..but so harsh and vile, many might be dismayed at it.