dr. hackenstein begin at the turn of last century and 1909 the dawn of modern medical science to be exact . dr. eliot hackenstein ( david muir ) be in the early stage of his rejuvenation of live tissue experiment and dr. hackenstein manages to bring a skinned rat back to life which confirm he have succeed in bring the dead back to life . it now three year later and dean slesinger ( micheal ensign ) be round the doc house for dinner . a dean slesinger and dr. hackenstein eat they talk about hackenstien experiment which dean slesinger have always be oppose to and dr. hackenstein show dean slesinger his laboratory in his attic where he keep the severed head of his wife sheila ( sylvia lee baker ) who die in an unfortunate accident and can telepathically talk to him ( christy botkin provide sheila voice apparently ) . dr. hackenstein also show dean slesinger a skinned chicken run around in a cage and explain that with the process he have develop he will bring sheila back to life . the dean have some sort of seizure and apparently dy . meanwhile sister wendy ( bambi darro a dyanne dirossario ) and leslie trilling ( catherine davis cox ) plus their brother alex ( john alexis ) and their cousin melanie victor ( stacey travis ) be drive along near hackenstein house when they crash and they seek shelter and assistance and arrive upon hackenstein doorstep . dr. hackenstein invite the four strand traveller to stay for the night . later on dr. hackenstein be visit by two grave robber and xavier ( logan ramsey ) and ruby rhodes ( ann ramsey ) who deliver a male body when hackenstein actually need female part for sheila . dr. hackenstein be the genius that he be decide not to waste the opportunity of have three young beautiful specimen available and start to borrow the bit n piece he need to complete sheila . write and direct by richard clark i be pleasantly surprise by dr. hackenstein and i will state right now that it ain not brilliant by any stretch of the imagination but for what it be i actually quite like it . it move at a reasonable pace even if it do tend to drag a little bit during it middle a thing settle down . the script try to mix slapstick humour like a scene when dr. hackenstein be try to restrain melanie and she try to gain the attention of his deaf housekeeper yolanda simpson ( catherine cahn ) by kick out and hackenstein keep melanie behind yolanda back who be seemingly oblivious to what happen and with a touch of gore but i would say dr. hackenstein be more of a comedy than horror in conception and feel throughout . there be some tacky pun and sexual innuendo a well which be always good for a laugh and dr. hackenstein to wendy would you like to see my instrument a an example . i also think the scene when mr trilling ( phyllis diller ) report her missing daughter to the bemuse detective olin ( william schreiner ) be a pretty amusing sequence go round in circle talk about why he isn not look for them even though he have only just be tell and why the cell doesn not have a prisoner in it and that if he do not find the cousin not to worry about it . none of it flat laugh out loud but i must admit i find myself smile on occasion and find the film a whole to be quietly amuse . there isn not a lot of on screen gore and a few severed limb and sheila decapitate head and some medical stitching and those skin animal which be definitely fake by the way . i like the character in dr. hackenstein too and which be surprise in itself . the act isn not brilliant but to give everyone credit they put some effort into it and lot of exaggerated facial movement and some serious overacting mean it never dull and oh and the three bird in dr. hackenstein be fit if you know what i mean . technically the film be ok as well and once again it ain not go to win any oscar but i have to give the filmmaker at least some credit for try to pull off a turn of the century period set . it doesn not always work and the clothes be at odds with each other at time and the girl look like their from victorian england while the guy look like their from a western . the house look a if all the filmmaker do be remove any modern object from the room and stick a few candle in there . it come across a a little bit on the cheap side but it really isn not a bad look film at all consider . could have do without the comedy music though . overall i end up enjoy dr. hackenstein much more than i think i would and although that in itself isn not a recommendation . it certainly be not the best comedy horror film ever make and it certainly be not the bad either . a watchable enough piece of harmless fun .