B-Movies are the heart of cinema. This may seem like an odd thing to say but it is true. What is the biggest movie franchise around right now? The Marvel Cinematic Universe of course, and what convinced Marvel to go all in on films was the success of Spider-Man and the X-Men. And those films are about mutants with powerful abilities and a guy who gets powered from being bitten by an experimented-on spider. What we have right there, are plots for what would have been B movies in the ‘50s.
Comics took heavy influence from B-movies to get where they are today, and B-movies never really went away. Low-budget movies have had a major impact on pop culture such as Halloween and Friday the 13th, and at the time of its production, many would have regarded the original Star Wars as just another B-movie. When direct-to-video and later direct-to-DVD became a thing, B-movies took on new life as filmmakers had new opportunities to get their products to audiences and today B-movies are a major part of many streaming services.
So, with this in mind, why not discuss a film designed to mimic a cheesy B-movie, complete with all the cheap editing, low-budget effects and general low-quality feel, but done well? Thus, I introduce to you Frankenstein vs. The Creature from Blood Cove, a loving tribute to the best of low-budget films that we have seen over the years. The film contains numerous cameo appearances from people like Lloyd Kaufman, Butch Patrick, Ron Jeremy and more, and genuinely has a feeling that the filmmakers enjoyed getting to see their tribute be made.
The plot involves a photography crew stumbling across a lab where a scientist has resurrected the Frankenstein monster, but at the same time, a monstrous sea creature is attacking people as well. The gratuitous shots of beautiful women are included, just like older films would have, but it is done with a nudge and a wink here that makes it clear, this is not just using sex to sell. What also helps is the soundtrack full of throwbacks to classic monster movies, such as its use of the Swan Lake theme to set the mood, which calls to mind Dracula and The Mummy.
Is it a good movie? Well, not if you are expecting an Oscar worthy performance from the cast. These actors deliberately overact as part of the tribute and the plot is rather nonsensical. And yet it works well because the movie manages to capture what we all loved about classic B-movies and even the direct-to-video scene.
Frankenstein vs. The Creature from Blood Cove is easy to find online as the director has made it available in full on YouTube and when you see it yourself, you will understand why it works so well as a tribute to B horror films. The goal was not to be a masterpiece here, no it was to show love to older films. And in that regard, the film accomplished its goal and then some.