Dennis Price (HORROR HOSPITAL) stars as Dr. Frankenstein, a quiet yet brilliant scientist who has succeeded in bringing the dead back from the grave. One day, while conducting further experiments on his "monster", a group of henchmen (led by A VIRGIN AMONG THE LIVING DEAD's Anne Libert) break into his inner sanctum, slay him and abduct his prize monster. Seems a rival mad scientist by the name of Cagliostro (played by the immortal Howard Vernon) finds Frankenstein's creature just the specimen to help create his master race. But Cagliostro did not count on Frankenstein's vengeful daughter (and scientist), Vera (Beatriz Savon). Soon, Frankenstein's monster becomes a pawn for both scientists, and the conclusion can only end in tragedy.

Although Franco only serves precious few minutes onscreen (in a funny homage to his recurring "Morpho" archetypal role), EROTIC RITES is without a doubt an exemplary Franco experience. Another Robert de Nesle production, Franco's 1972 film has all his flagship elements (sex, violence, and perversity) tossed into his cinematic Cuisinart. Unfortunately, the disparate ingredients aren't treated with equal aplomb, creating a disjointed, often infuriating but always-distinctive viewing. Franco seems to be a used car salesman here, hard-selling his film with bursts of truly mad setpieces to offset astonishingly boring "down time" interludes. Is the audience buying? Well, that all depends on one's personal opinions on the man and his films.

But regardless of one's personal opinions of the man, it would be hard to dislike the decidedly manic performances of the film. A bearded Howard Vernon towers in his modified Orlof role (another archetype role of Franco's, ever since the character's birth in his groundbreaking 1959 erotic horror THE AWFUL DR. ORLOF). While Vernon fits the crazed doctor's robes quite well, Anne Libert (playing Melissa, the mysterious "Bird Woman") seems tailor made for her role. The nearly impossible task of playing a blind half woman/half bird hybrid (!) seems eerily easy for Anne, as she caws and chirps in a strangely convincing manner. Vernon and Libert contribute the film's two best roles, as the remainder of the cast seem to be going through the motions and thus spend little screen time (although Beatriz Savon is good as Vera Frankenstein).

Most interesting of all, however, is how Franco takes a familiar horror tale and makes it his own, largely by indulging in his constant fascination with the female sex. It is interesting to note that the film is very "female" resulting in women playing the dominant roles. Melissa is indeed a sadistic and frightening character (in fact, she is the most bloodthirsty of the bunch), but no less essential since she is able to allow Cagliostro and the monster to communicate by channeling Cagliostro's wishes to the monster and vice-versa. She also commands much of the film's most remarkable scenes. One such scene, where Cagliostro treats her to a "game" in which a nude and captive Vera Frankenstein and former henchman Caronte (FEMALE VAMPIRE's Luis Barboo) are whipped by the monster (next to a bed of poisoned needles, no less) is destined to stay burned in any viewer's mind long after the credits have faded. Melissa also single-handedly contributes the (minimal) gore scenes in the film, attacking victims (or is that pecking?) and eating their flesh. Those hoping for a gore extravaganza from the likes of FLESH FOR FRANKENSTEIN are advised to steer clear, as aside from these brief sanguinary interludes, the film stays rather dry. Finally, Vera Frankenstein is also a commanding woman, but in a wholly different way: she is intelligent (carrying on her father's research), resourceful and most of all, vengeful.

Some of Franco's traditions, however, don't fare nearly as well. His habit of "cooling off" after especially intense scenes ultimately proves to be infuriating here. After such a startling scene of unholy sacrifice bathed in gel lighting and swathed with the undead (recalling the frightening undead processions in the previous year's VIRGIN AMONG THE LIVING DEAD) the inevitable pit stop scene brings the accumulative momentum to a screeching halt. Such scenes are not uncommon in some of Franco's best films, but here it's the difference between an excellent film and merely a good one. Other Francoisms, such as long probing pubic shots and zooms are in attendance but aren't overused. In fact, the camerawork is above average, as Franco's lens fish eyes over Vernon's wildly wide eyes (looking something like olives on dinner plates). Director of photography Raoul Artigot's compositions of Spanish castles are quite good, as is the effectively tacky red lighting (sticking quite well on the Eastman color stock).

Perhaps because of the film's density the main attraction, Frankenstein's monster, gets the least screen time! Despite the plot arguing otherwise, the bolted one is all but written off in the bulk of the film. When he is onscreen, however, it is a sight to behold; Franco's Frankenstein is like no other. Coated in crylon gray body paint (and actually bereft of his trademark bolts!) this monster seems to have shambled from a fetish nightclub than a musty dungeon! Jess' fancy of body paint (continued to this day, in such films as 1997's TENDER FLESH) bodes well here, producing one of cinema's most memorable renditions of a favorite monster.

A sort of checkpoint film in his career, where his perversions and fascinations seemed to stop and look at one another, EROTIC RITES is a more important historical document in his filmography than a good film. It is imperfect, like all Franco films, but provides an especially strong insight into the passions and obsessions of this complex and often misunderstood man.