Frankenstein’s Army is a B-movie in every sense of the word. Not without laughs, moments of blood, gore and primitive surgery as its name suggests, the film unfortunately takes on a found-footage approach that doesn’t always work. We are introduced to Sergei (Joshua Sasse), a young filmmaker from the Soviet National Film School who shoots with what looks like a bolex (the camera even has a hand crank). It’s so high quality that it looks like footage shot on a DSLR or Red One and manipulated in after effects with “grain.” His sound is excellent too, and he’s certainly lucky to have nice lighting, even the in the creepiest of settings.
Coming from conceptual artist-turned-filmmaker Richard Raaphorst this genre mash-up proves he’s no Quentin Tarantino, but who is? Like Tarantino’s Inglorious Bastards, he’s created an alternative fictional history for the sake of horror. Towards the end of World War II the Soviets push inwards towards eastern Germany and stumble upon a rouge group of monsters with swords for hands. They keep them at bay until the group gets curious, thinking only the Nazis could make killing monsters like these. They’re half right.
Raaphorst’s saving grace for an otherwise overtly schlocky horror aesthetic, including the fake “16MM footage,” is the film’s witty moments, especially when we get into this mysterious lab (I’m probably not giving away more than the film’s ads would). Still, the aesthetics are bothersome, as is the story. We rarely get to know these folks — then again, I have a theory about that in horror. If we were to get to know and sympathize with characters in a horror film, the material would instantly transfer from horror to psychological drama, something Michael Henkee has proven time after time.
But that’s not what kind of movie this is. It’s a gory splatter-filled bloodbath, and that may be your thing. A wise women once said, “if it makes you happy, it can’t be that bad.” If you want more laughs, more wit,and more thrills, I’m sure you can pick up a Tarantino box set. But as a midnight movie it works. After a day of intense movie going (or work), your critical functions start to shut down and you can’t handle the heavy stuff. Here’s a movie that knows exactly what it is, and it comes just shy of delivering the goods.
Frankenstein’s Army is currently screening at the Tribeca Film Festival.