Can there be such a thing as intentionally intelligent intentional kitsch? If by kitsch we mean that which is unintentionally funny then probably not. But as for things which provoke deep thought even as they make us laugh at their own over the top sensibility the possibility of kitsch seems to transcend the boundaries of mere satire. The concept of Victorian scientists animating stitched together body parts is melodramatic at it’s best but the cautionary aspects are, unfortunately, timeless. Consider Frankenstein Unbound which marked kitsch-meister Roger Corman’s return to directing after a thirty year absence. A wildly improbable plot involving time travel, the Frankenstein legend and romantic notions of utopia and dystopia meets a hilariously grotesque makeup for the creature and a cast that includes John Hurt the late great Raul Julia and the late (not so great actor) Michael Hutchence of INXS fame. Of course like any good B movie it’s also wonderfully entertaining. But my bet is it will leave you with an unsettling series of questions about the role of technology in creating that better world we sin ridden human beings say we want so bad. The lack of extras here is a real shame. This is certainly one of the great modern Frankenstein films and deserves a commentary to place it within the context of the legend. But the film is finally vailable and just in time for those whod love to mix in a little of the old school with their modern Halloween.
