Monster Hospital

I thought that Mark Blankfield was fairly amusing in horror comedy Jekyll and Hyde... Together Again (1982), but in Frankenstein General Hospital he provides about as much laughs as a children's oncology ward.

A blatant attempt at trying to mimic the madcap humour of Mel Brook's Young Frankenstein, this woeful medical mess is really hard going: Blankfield is no Gene Wilder, director Deborah Sahagun is no Brooks, and writers Robert Deel and Michael Kelly clearly recognised their lack of talent soon after and gave up the film biz.

The film sees Dr. Bob Frankenstein (Blankfield), great-great-grandson of the legendary monster-maker, continuing his ancestor's experiments in the basement of a general hospital, which provides all of the necessary equipment and body parts; aiding him in his work is his diminutive loyal assistant Iggy (Leslie Jordan). The pair continuously run the risk of being discovered by hospital boss Dr. Frank Reutgar, who wants to find out what Bob's 'secret experiment' (cue godawful running gag) is all about.

I can honestly say that I never laughed once, but I groaned more than someone with a ruptured appendix. All of the jokes flat-line; there's no injecting any life into the movie, no matter how hard the cast try. To rub salt in the wound, just when I thought the film was over, it turns out that it's not quite the end: jeez, haven't we suffered enough?

Oh well, at least there's three hot women on duty to help ease the pain, two of whom go topless for their art (including Playboy Playmate Kathy Shower).

This is a comedy movie about Frankenstein. So comedies about Frankenstein are very funny. Like Abbot and Costello meet Frankenstein and Young Frankenstein. Young Frankenstein is the movie that probably influenced this movie. Unlike Young Frankenstein this movie is not funny at all. There are to many comedy is movies that are not funny. I would say that 95% of all comedy movie are not funny. And this is one of that 95%. If a Frankenstein movie it not going to be funny than is should be scary. This movie is not scary. Mind it is not met to be it met to funny. It' not. Don't wast your money. This movie as awful story line. There best joke were the ones they took from Young Frankenstein. And there were worst jokes in Young Frankenstein. And the acting is awful.

It's alive! Not quite. Frankenstein is an often used tale. Sometimes it hit's the spot, other times it's a flat-line. "Frankenstein General Hospital" is more the latter with it taking the old age mad doctor story and setting it in modern times.

The great, great, great grandson of Baron Victor Frankenstein works under an assumed name in a general hospital. In a secret laboratory in the hospital basement he is recreating his famous ancestor's life- creating experiment.

It's goofy, low-brow and dumb comedy horror that's really on the cheap. A clever technique used is when the action is staged in the basement laboratory it's done in black-and-white. But what really kills it is its loathsome nature and mocking humour. It tries too hard for laughs that it becomes tired and unfunny with it using the same running gag over and over again. *Cue laughter*. Sure it did have its moments, just not enough with its witless script simply meandering. The farcical plot is episodic and self-knowing with it being strung along by clumsy and noisy slapstick set-pieces. The monster really doesn't come into play until the dying stages when it goes on the rampage in the hospital.

The dramatic comical performances fare up a little better with Mark Blankfield's dry, straight-up turn as Bob Frankenstein and Leslie Jordan's twitchy Igor-like character ("Who's that tiny man"?!). The combination between the two works. Jonathan Farwell is amusing, so are Kathy Shower's dominatrix doctor and Irwin Keyes in the monster role. Also showing up in minor support is Hamilton Mitchell, Lou Catell and Katie Caple in few memorable encounters with doctors.

"Everyone spoils their first monster".

I'll put it simply: this Frankenstein spoof (actually more of a Frankenstein travesty) doesn't offer enough laughs to merit a recommendation. There is no plot, and there isn't enough material for a feature-length film; as a result, there are some scenes where the actors are just sitting in front of the camera doing almost nothing, because nobody gave them something to do. The script is lame and the treatment of the Frankenstein Monster is demeaning. (*1/2)

This feels like an indirect sequel to Jekyll & Hyde...Together Again(1982). It's similar that they both star Mark Blankfield and take place mostly in a hospital setting. This feels alot like Jekyll but with less drug humor and more sex humor. Some genuine light horror scenes,and some scenes are very hilarious. Love the appearance of the actress Bunky Jones,she is my favorite B-movie horror actress I think. The low budget is the only thing that hurts this,otherwise a really underrated late 80's comedy!