[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1969)

This is now my new favourite Hammer Frankenstein film. Following on from creating a woman only to see her sacrifice herself and mucking up his experiments, Peter Cushing's Frankenstein takes it out on lovely Veronica Carlson, raping then murdering her.

Frankenstein is no longer the lovable rogue from the earlier films. Here he's quite mad and in a tense prologue is proved to now be the monster as he fights with a burglar who escapes as Cushing tears off a monstrous mask before kicking a severed head across the floor. Freddie Jones playing the real monster of sorts, the result of Frankenstein's experiments, is quite superb and evokes much of the viewers sympathy.

Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed is grim and cynical and an ideal accompaniment to the previous years Corruption in the nasty Peter stakes, especially if you have a hankering to see Cushing's hair take on a life of it's own in a fight.

The Masque of the Red Death (1964)

Vincent Price, decadence, death and deceit. luscious visuals, Hazel Court and a deal with the devil, costume balls, virulent plague...

...One of the best in Roger Corman's Poe cycle. (I'm sure i say that about all of them).