When Professor Schwarz invents a new serum that helps transplant patients better accept their new organs, Dr. Frankenstein quickly steals it to bring to life his greatest creation… Mosaic! Once alive, Mosaic is uncontrollable and escapes from the lab nightly to solicit prostitutes and leave a trail of corpses across the city that only seems to baffle the police and create a wave of fear. Mario Mancini’s (camera operator on Mario Bava’s Blood and Black Lace and Black Sunday) only film as director is a stylish, gory, and sleazy take on the Frankenstein story in true Italian exploitation fashion. With nods to giallo films, a streak of dark humor, featuring gruesome special effects by Carlo Rambaldi (E.T., Bay of Blood) and starring Gordon Mitchell (Shanghai Joe), Xiro Papas (Black Killer), John Richardson (Black Sunday), Renato Romano (The Fifth Cord) and Dalila Di Lazzaro (Flesh for Frankenstein).

For thoughts on Frankenstein ’80, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/mpIRV9Y4wVs?si=Em221v85HuUYd0CU&t=1780]

Video Quality

Frankenstein ’80 arrives on Blu-Ray courtesy of Cauldron Films with a really great 1080p master sourced from a 2K restoration from the uncensored negative. Cauldron Films continues to impress more and more with each sumptuous transfer that brings fresh life to this grotesque motion picture. The photography captures the intended lurid aesthetic well in high definition with natural grain intact and resolved without issue. Even some more delicate moments refrain from spiking when it comes to darker moments. The contrast is firmly defined, and print damage is a rare sight with only a minor amount of small specks making it through the restoration gauntlet.

Black levels show very little in the way of black crush or compression artifacts, and highlights are not overly hot or blooming. There is a strong amount of detail present within the grimy production design and some of the clothing. What stands out most is the oozy nature of the disgusting special effects which burns itself into your brain. The transfer retains a pleasing amount of depth with close-up shots standing out in particular. There are elements within this presentation which truly wow in their clarity. This particular release is a standard version of an exclusive release from the label earlier this year. Cauldron Films has done a top notch job with this transfer on all fronts.

Audio Quality

The film comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mono track in the original Italian with an additional English language option for those who do not care for subtitles. We always advocate sticking with the original intended audio for creative purity, but both tracks hold up admirably no matter what you choose. These tracks evoke the soundscape of the world in a dynamic manner with everything maintaining a surprisingly good fidelity.

The score establishes a distinct atmosphere that is represented well in the mix. Nothing ever sounds distorted, thin or boxy, staying mostly free of any hiss or other age-related wear-and-tear. There are a few different environments which establish a din of sound that provides some excellent ambient details. Dialogue comes through clearly without being drowned out by any other element. The violent moments mostly come in the form of mutilation instead of big, commanding gunshots, so the low end is not providing too much in the way of texture. Cauldron Films has supplied a good experience for fans. There are optional English SDH and English subtitles provided.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Film historian Heather Drain provides a very amusing and enlightening commentary track in which she discusses the release history of the film, the unique identity it has within the genre, the work of Mario Mancini, the background of the performers, the insane logic of the plot and much more.

Dalila Forever – The Recorded Memories of Dalila Di Lazzaro: A 28-minute audio interview with the actress in which she discusses her early interest in entertainment and her path to becoming a performer, memories of her fellow performers, the behind-the-scenes details that are worthy of a movie of their own, working on Flesh for Frankenstein, her work in the Italian film industry and more.

Little Frankensteins – History of Italian Frankenstein Films with Domenico Monetti and Eugenio Ercolani: A nearly 39-minute featurette which discusses the place of the Frankenstein mythos in the Italian film industry and how Italian sensibilities impacted the various adaptations. This is a really well-rounded piece that will have you wanting to write down all the titles you haven’t seen and catch up.

Final Thoughts

Frankenstein ’80 is a very mean-spirited and grotesque take on the classic story structure as Mario Mancini indulges in sex and extreme gore. While the film does have some squirm-inducing fun moments, the narrative really lacks cohesion or a sense of drive to make this more than just a passing curio. Some of the performances, namely Dalila Di Lazzaro, elevate this sleaze-fest, but mostly this will be enjoyed by fans extremely into trashy cinema. Cauldron Films has released a Blu-Ray with an excellent A/V presentation and enlightening special features. If you know you enjoy this movie, this presentation is sure to thrill.

Frankenstein ’80 is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Cauldron Films has supplied a copy of this set free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.