Grade: D-
Synopsis: A psychiatrist uncovers sinister goings on at a reform school for girls.
The Man Who Turned to Stone has a pretty good premise: A group of 18th century scientists discovers a way to prolong life that, unfortunately, requires the death of a young girl every few years to maintain the effect. They’ve worked lifetimes to find a way to synthesize the needed chemicals but, in the mean time, require a steady supply of suitable girls.
Unfortunately, instead of exploring the ethical issues of science versus nature, or the humane treatment of prisoners, or even society’s treatment of the elderly, the script by Bernard Gordon serves up a route, monster in a prison story that ignores the ripe potential of the premise’s vampire-Frankenstein cocktail.
Compounding this is some truly horrible makeup work that represents the extent of the film’s special effects. While Friedrich von Ledebur cuts an imposing figure as Eric, an early casualty of the scientist’s work, the cheap make-up job reduces him to a laughable clone of Frankenstein’s monster.
Bottom Line: A potentially good idea wasted on a B-movie.
