Dunnottar Castle is one of the north-east’s most iconic locations.
And the region in general is becoming increasingly well regarded by film-makers from across the globe.
The castle, situated close to Stonehaven, has either appeared in such films as “Romeo and Juliet”, featuring Mel Gibson, or been the inspiration for the Pixar smash hit “Brave”.
But now, it appears to have hit a hump with the release of the new movie “Victor Frankenstein”, staring Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe and award-winning James McAvoy.
Parts of the production were shot at Dunnottar by director Paul McGuigan, of “Sherlock” and “Lucky Number Slevin” fame and expectations were high.
And it is being released on Thursday, a day before Terence Davies’ acclaimed adaptation of “Sunset Song” – which was also partly filmed in the north-east of Scotland – is unveiled to the public.
However, the initial reviews for “Victor Frankenstein” have aroused horror of a kind which surely wasn’t anticipated by the cast or crew.
The Guardian’s critique concluded: “It’s the worst kind of bad movie. Its badness isn’t flamboyant, it is in the utter doldrums.”
Rotten Tomatoes’ capsule summation, meanwhile, said it was “a re-imagining without the imagining.”
And Roger Ebert.com described it as: “all kinds of obnoxious and pointless.”
“Frankenstein” is famous for the phrase “It’s Alive…”. But this film seems to contradict that very statement.
The trailer is below. What do you think?