View source for Frankenstein '80

{{Infobox film
| name           = Frankenstein '80
| image          = Frankenstein-80-poster.jpg
| alt            = 
| caption        = Italian film poster
| native_name    = <!-- {{Infobox name module|language|title}} or {{Infobox name module|title}} -->
| director       = Mario Mancini
| producer       = 
| writer         = 
| screenplay     = {{plainlist|*Ferdinando De Leone
*Mario Mancini}}
| story          = Ferdinando De Leone{{sfn|Curti|2017|p=69}}
| based_on       = <!-- {{Based on|title of the original work|creator of the original work|additional creator(s), if necessary}} -->
| starring       = {{plainlist|*[[John Richardson (actor)|John Richardson]]
* Xiro Papas
* Renato Romano
* [[Dalila Di Lazzaro|Dalila Parker]]
* Anna Odessa
* Bob Fiz
* Renata Kasché
* [[Dada Gallotti]]
* Marisa Traversi
* Enrico Rossi
* [[Fulvio Mingozzi]]
*[[Gordon Mitchell]]
*[[Luigi Bonos]]}}
| narrator       = 
| music          = Daniele Patucchi{{sfn|Curti|2017|p=69}}
| cinematography = Emilio Varriano{{sfn|Curti|2017|p=69}}
| editing        = Enzo Micarelli{{sfn|Curti|2017|p=69}}
| studio         = M.G.D. Film{{sfn|Curti|2017|p=69}}
| distributor    = [[Variety Distribution]]
| released       = {{Film date|df=yes|1972|12|12|Italy}}
| runtime        = 89 minutes{{sfn|Curti|2017|p=69}}
| country        = Italy{{sfn|Curti|2017|p=69}}
| language       = 
| budget         = 
| gross          = 
}}
'''''Frankenstein '80''''' is a 1972 Italian film directed by Mario Mancini.

== Plot summary ==
By day, [[Dr. Frankenstein]] (Gordon Mitchell) works innocuously in his lab.  But at night, he works to perfect Mosaic (Xiro Papas), a monstrosity pieced together from dead bodies.  Once completed, the behemoth escapes from the lab and embarks on a killing spree.  Local beauties begin popping up dead, murdered in a variety of gruesome ways, as authorities attempt to stop Mosaic's rampage.

== Cast ==
{{castlist|
*[[John Richardson (actor)|John Richardson]] as Karl Schein
*[[Gordon Mitchell]] as Dr. Otto Frankenstein
*Renato Romano as Inspector Schneider
*Xiro Papas as Mosaic - [[Frankenstein's monster|the Frankenstein Monster]]
*[[Dalila Di Lazzaro]] as Sonia
*Roberto Fizz as Professor Schwarz
*[[Dada Gallotti]] as Butcher
*Marisa Traversi as Second Prostitute
*Lemmy Carson as Head Nurse
*Marco Mariani as Track Spectator
*[[Luigi Bonos]] as Hobo
*Enrico Rossi as First Investigator
*[[Fulvio Mingozzi]] as Second Investigator
*Umberto Amambrini as Vice Straus
*Luigi Antonio Guerra as Agent
* Anna Odessa as Stripper
* Renata Kasché as Redhead}}

==Production==
Despite the film's title alluding to [[Mary Shelley]]'s character, the film has little in common with her creation.{{sfn|Curti|2017|p=70}} The inspiration of Ferdinando De Leone and Mario Mancini's script was from the adult only comics such as ''Oltretomba''.{{sfn|Curti|2017|p=69}}{{sfn|Curti|2017|p=70}} Future [[Academy Awards]] winner [[Carlo Rambaldi]] provided the special effects in the film such as the monster named Mosaic.{{sfn|Curti|2017|p=70}}{{sfn|Celli|Cottino-Jones|2007|p=106}} Curti referred to the special effects as "crude"  and was an "early hint of the tendency towards excess that will characterise Italian genre cinema of the decade"{{sfn|Curti|2017|p=70}}

[[Lou Castel]] was originally going to act in the film but was not allowed after being expelled from Italy in April 1972 due to his political views.{{sfn|Curti|2017|p=71}}
Actor [[Gordon Mitchell]] stated that parts of the film were possibly shot in [[Bavaria]], but not any of the scenes he was involved in.{{sfn|Curti|2017|p=71}} The rest of the film was shot in Munich and Rome.{{sfn|Curti|2017|p=69}}

==Release==
''Frankenstein '80'' was released in Italy on 12 December 1972 where it was distributed by Les Films 2R Roma.{{sfn|Curti|2017|p=69}} Film historian Roberto Curti stated that the film "passed almost unnoticed in Italy at the time of its release"{{sfn|Curti|2017|p=71}} A [[photonovel]] version of the film was released in the Italian issue of ''Cinesex'' in May 1973.{{sfn|Curti|2017|p=71}}

As of 2017, the film is in the [[public domain]] in the United States.{{sfn|Curti|2017|p=71}}

== Reception ==
{{expand section|date=July 2015}}
From retrospective reviews, [[AllMovie]] called the film "stupid, sickening, and obscene", but "seekers of psychotronic cinema will have a field day with this ridiculous Italian exploitation product."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://allmovie.com/movie/frankenstein-80-v18482/review |title=Frankenstein 80 (1972) |author=Fred Beldin |work=[[AllMovie]] |access-date=30 June 2012}}</ref> 
In his book on Italian horror film directors, Louis Paul referred to the film as "strange" and "a lurid sex film dressed as a horror movie."{{sfn|Paul|2005|p=28}}

== References ==

===Footnotes===
{{reflist}}

===Sources===
{{Refbegin}}
* {{cite book |last1=Celli |first1=C. |last2=Cottino-Jones |first2=M. C |title=A New Guide to Italian Cinema |publisher=Springer |date=2007 |isbn=978-0-230-60182-6 }}
* {{cite book
 |last=Curti
 |first=Roberto
 |title=Italian Gothic Horror Films, 1970-1979
 |publisher=[[McFarland & Company|McFarland]]
 |isbn=978-1476629605
 |year=2017
 }}
* {{cite book | last= Paul | first= Louis | title= Italian Horror Film Directors |publisher= McFarland |year= 2005 |isbn= 978-0-7864-8749-3}}
{{Refend}}

== External links ==
*{{IMDb title|id=0071518}}
*{{Internet Archive film|id=MarioMancinisFrankenstein801972}}
*[https://www.varietydistribution.it/en/catalogue/frankenstein-80/ ''Frankenstein '80''] at [[Variety Distribution]]

{{Frankenstein}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Frankenstein 80}}
[[Category:1972 horror films]]
[[Category:1972 films]]
[[Category:Italian science fiction horror films]]
[[Category:1970s Italian-language films]]
[[Category:Frankenstein films]]
[[Category:Films shot in Rome]]
[[Category:Films shot in Munich]]
[[Category:1972 Italian films]]


{{1970s-horror-film-stub}}
{{1970s-Italy-film-stub}}

{{Wikipedia attribution|original_title=Frankenstein '80|access_date=2026-03-03}}