Power Records and Marvel Comics- The Monster of Frankenstein
“The Monster of Frankenstein”
Previously I poster “Dracula, Sovereign of the Damned”, of of two Marvel Comics titles adapted by Toei before the licensing deal they had ran out. Instead of the Avengers or the X-Men, Toei decided to shell out the big bucks to license two characters that were in the public domain.
Whereas “Dracula, Sovereign of the Damned” used character designs, supporting characters and story lines from the Tomb of Dracula” comics, this one dispenses with all that and goes of a straight rehashing of the Universal films of the 30s and 40s. Baron Frankenstein creates a monster, more for personal curiosity than personal tragedy he experienced, it is a grunting, growling, cube headed monstrosity that breaks loose and mayhem ensues.
It even has a kindly blind man that takes pity on the creature. Even defending him from his pursuers by yelling “No! He is innocent!”
Except for all the people he killed after he escaped the castle. It is even mentioned that he ate one of them!
There is a heavy handed motif of comparing the monster to Christ. I’m no biblical scholar, but I am pretty sure that Jesus didn’t body slam people to death for interrupting his stolen meals, or throw huge boulders at his pursuers. If he had the Romans wouldn’t have caught him so easy.
So, in this film you get,
Frankenstein Jesus
Severed animal heads
Lots of murders and accidental deaths
Cannibalism
Little kids with revolvers and really bad aim
and a suicide by Baron Frankenstein in front of his own daughter
Cause, y’know… for the kids!
“RRRRR! Fire bad! MOVIE! BAD! RRRR!”
“Dracula: Sovereign of the Damned”
This is one outrageous film that’s supposed to have been adverstised “for kids” in the US and UK.
A bit if history. In the early 80s, Toei Animation of Japan made a deal to adapt several Marvel Comics properties into anime films. After dragging their feet, Toei only produced two films. Now instead of popular Marvel comics like Spider-Man or The Hulk, they spent a whole pile of money to license two characters in the public domain, Dracula and Frankenstein.
Specifically Marvel’s “Tomb of Dracula” and “The Monster of Frankenstein”. I will say more about Frankenstein when I post about that one. Anyway, the plot comes from “The Tomb of Dracula” comic about Dracula running around in modern times and being hunted by descendants of Abraham Van Helsing and, strangely enought, Soloman Kane. Along the way, Dracula kidnaps and falls in love with a woman promised to Satan, snatching her up from a ritual being carried out by devil worshipers. They have a baby together, the baby is accidentally shot dead and is brought back to life as a full grown angel dressed like a 70s super hero to kill his own dad. (Y’know… for the kids)
So for this movie you get:
Satan worshipers and satanic rituals
Dead babies
Special guest appearance by Satan himself
Gory medieval battles
Crow-pecked, impaled corpses
Bloody neck bites
Heroes wandering around aimlessly
and Wheelchair-Fu!
There is no level to how batshit crazy this movie is. Its lots of fun.
That time in 1978 when Godzilla was shrunk down and dressed up like a private eye…. Godzilla #19 (1978)
The Marvel Movie Vs DC Movie Debate
I know that a lot of people have gone after DC and Warner Bros. for their lack of action and vision in terms trying to compete with Marvel and Disney and the flood of super hero films that they are cranking out. I think that DC/Warner Bros. are fucking stupid for saying that a Wonder Woman film would “confuse” audiences, but that incredibly moronic statement aside, I think that Marvel/Disney is actually playing a bit of catch up.
I know that at first on the surface, Marvel has DC beat in terms of the super-hero genre. DC has only “Man of Steel” and the Christopher Nolan Batman films so far with vague plans of doing more. But in the past DC has made a ton of films of other genres based on comics from its subsidiaries. Examples:
V for Vendetta
Watchmen
RED
Constantine
A History of Violence
Road To Perdition
The Spirit
Of course they have also had some major disappointments like “Jonah Hex”, “Catwoman” and “Green Lantern”; but they remain competitive in other areas. Their DC Universe animated films are excellent. Films like “Under the Red Hood”, “The Flashpoint Paradox” and “Superman/Batman: Apocalypse”. And, DC is excelling in television programs like “Arrow” and “Smallville”, with “Gotham” set to go. Against say, “Agents of SHIELD”.
Even though DC is lagging in theatrical releases, they situation is a bit more even than it appears.
But seriously though, DC, what the fuck were you strung out on when you decided against a Wonder Woman movie?
