In the year 2031, Joseph Buchanan (John Hurt) is a scientist working with his team on a new weapon and energy source. Designed to be the ultimate weapon, the devise has some prohibitive side effects such as changes in the weather, time slips, and some disappearances. The energy beam tears a hole in the space time continuum. Buchanan gets sucked up into the rift from America and is deposited in 1817 Switzerland along with his futuristic car.
In a small village, Buchanan meets Victor Frankenstein (Raul Julia). Buchanan learns that Victor’s brother, William, was killed. A young woman, Justine Moritz (Catherine Corman), has been accused of killing the 6-year-old child and is put on trial. At the trial Buchanan sees Marry Shelly (Bridget Fonda) and engages her in conversation. Justine is found guilty and is sentenced to death.
Buchanan follows Frankenstein and ends up face to face with the monster (Nick Brimble). He then finds out that the monster wants Frankenstein to make him a mate. Victor refuses. Buchanan pleads for Frankenstein to come to Justine’s aid and admit that the monster exists and that he did the killing. Again, Frankenstein refuses. The monster tells Frankenstein that if he refuses to make a mate for him, that he will kill everyone in Frankenstein’s life. He starts with Elizabeth Lavenza (Catherine Rabett), Frankenstein’s fiancé.
Frankenstein decides to reanimate Elizabeth and wants Buchanan’s help.
“Frankenstein Unbound” was released in 1990 and was directed by Roger Corman. It is a science fiction horror film. This was the last film that Roger Corman directed, at least so far. The film was based on the 1973 Brian Aldiss novel of the same name.
The movie is an unusual blend of real and fictional characters. Bringing into the story the creator of the original Frankenstein tale is a clever way to advance the plot of the film. Unfortunately, it does nothing more than that. Mary Shelley, the writer of the original Frankenstein story, Lord Byron and Percy Shelley are an interesting sideline in the movie, but they have nothing to do with Victor Frankenstein or the monster. In addition, the time travel aspect of the film adds another dimension. All of this makes it easy to slip in a moral that would do Mary Shelley proud, creation should be left to the gods.
One of the more impressive parts of the film is the music score. It put what would normally be a low budget film into a higher class. Add in some nice acting performances and it is an easy and fun watch.
Roger Corman’s daughter, Catherine, has a part in the film as Justine Moritz, a young woman accused of murder. The voice of the car computer was Terri Treas. She played Cathy Frankel in the “Alien Nation” series and television movies.