The Hell of Frankenstein

THE HELL OF FRANKENSTEIN (1960, original title Orlak, el infierno de Frankenstein) is a Mexican potboiler whose main character is Jaime, a criminal who is released from prison at the film's outset. He busts Dr. Frankenstein from the clink and aides him in the creation of a new man with the aide of a horrifically-scarred assistant desperate for a new face. Soon, the box-headed monstrosity has a metal skeleton a la Wolverine and is busy taking down rivals and committing acts of larceny and murder...

Like many low budget Mexican features of this era, this is a cheap and cheerful effort, and very slow for the most part which stops it being hugely entertaining. It turns into a doppelganger movie halfway through, giving the antagonist a perfect alibi for the many crimes that take place, and is more thriller than sci-fi or horror. Some of the staging and characters favourably recall the Universal greats, and it does pick up for a traditional rooftop chase climax that doesn't disappoint, but overall this is one for hardcore fans only.