Gorgeous Frankenstein

For the uninitiated, Gorgeous Frankenstein ― the current project of former Misfits guitarist Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein ― are an original horror punk/rockabilly outfit featuring the muscle-bound axe man and wife Stephanie Bellars as a dancer. Under the guidance of producer Glenn Danzig, the band's 2007 eponymous debut struck up much interest despite not attaining the overall prominence someone of Doyle's stature and history might desire. Still, thanks to his fiendish legacy and Bellars' appeal, an immediate cult following developed, urging Danzig's Evilive crew to create a pseudo-documentary in their honour. To that end, You Must See It To Believe It!!! utilizes a "day in the life of" narrative structure, following the band from arriving at a gig through to sound check, daily regimes and rituals such as make-up and working out, culminating in the inevitable show. All of this is interspersed with two videos ("Gorgeous Frankenstein" and "Man or Monster," respectively), along with titbit interviews about the their origins and fan praise. While interesting and informative ― most notably when Doyle answers the burning question as to why he left the second-generation Misfits and struck out on his own, under guidance from the rival Danzig camp ― there is an inescapable air of "bonus material" that permeates much of this supposed feature. This happens mainly due to the plethora of follow-the-star camerawork, behind-the-scenes footage and fan raving that makes up the majority of You Must See It To Believe It!!!'s half-hour, angles that are usually reserved for extras on other deeper films. However, because the band are so new and lacking in history, there's little else to be done. While You Must See It To Believe It!!! does feel a bit rushed and B-filmy, at least there's enough substance in the candid interviews and quality videos to keep it interesting, even if there are no extras.