Customer Reviews

Dracula, Prisoner of Frankenstein

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is one of Jess Franco's "period" gothics where you still might see a peasant wear go-go boots or Frankenstein pull up to the castle in a limo when everyone else is in horse and buggy. Frankenstein and trusty monster zip up to Dracula's castle to revive the staked count, and create an army of electrified zombie-vampires who will obey and help him rule humanity. However the local gypsies are fed up with this stuff, and send a pasty-faced werewolf the doctor's way to mix things up.

Full of Franco's slap-dash, choppy, stream-of consciousness technique, the film nonetheless delivers the delirium Franco-fans savor. So turn a blind eye to that plug-socket on the wall of the vampire's crypt, those dime-store rubber bats, and all that day-for-night photography, and have a little fun.

I don't bemoan spending the 15 bucks on this DVD even though it lacks the repeatability factor of other Franco bang-outs. More a snooze-fest than a monster mash, Dracula, Prisoner of Frankenstein surprisingly wastes its cast of sexy actresses, unusual for Jesus, who has been filming the same sado-erotic fantasies over and over for more than 40 years. The best part is the sensational Nicolai/White music, a retread of the score from Franco's Dracula bomb with Chris Lee. The only interesting characterization is the Howard Vernon Dracula, portrayed as a mindless, animated cadaver who does nothing but sleep or feed on both male and female victims. His unblinking stare and frozen, wax dummy stiffness is actually pretty scary because it reminded me of the medium in Mario Bava's Black Sabbath, a depiction of Dracula never seen in any other film. The werewolf make-up is the absolute worst in movie history. How he could have approved it is beyond me. But even bargain-basement Franco is more entertaining to me than 75% of the boring, expensive dreck on cable.

Many things have been written and said about Mr. Franco...some true some well..who knows...what I can say is this particular film stands with the best of Jesus's works. His approach to imagery and abstraction in this particular film is in a word remarkable. It's a film whose story is secondary to the atmosphere and dialogue. Simply put it's a film whose visual importance and potentcy is absolutely under appreciated. I would consider this film to be one of the top 5 Franco works. Essential to any fan of the more off beat kind of horror films.

THE DVD I RECEIVED FROM AMAZON, DRACULA, PRISONER OF FRANKENSTEIN, DOES NOT APPEAR TO HAVE A DVD OPTION WHERE YOU CAN VIEW THE FILM WITH ENGLISH DUBBED VOICES, WHICH WOULD HAVE MADE THIS FILM MUCH MORE ENJOYABLE. THE START OF THE FILM IS SO SLOW-PACED, THAT SOME DIALOG WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE TO HEAR, DIALOG THAT I CAN UNDERSTAND IN ENGISH, WHY CAN'T THEY RE-DESIGN THIS DVD AND MARKET IT WITH DUBBED ENGLISH AS AN OPTION????
IN THE BEGINNING OF THE FILM, IT APPEARS AS THOUGH YOU WOULD HAVE AN OPTION TO AT LEAST SEE THE MOVIE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES BUT THAT FEATURE DID NOT WORK ON MY DVD VERSION OF THIS FILM SO I WAS STUCK WATCHING IT IN SPANISH AUDIO AND I DON'T COMPRENDE SPANISH. I WILL SAY, THAT TOWARD THE END OF THE MOVIE, THE FUNNIEST 5 MINUTES IN FILM HISTORY TOOK PLACE WHEN THE FRANKENSTEIN MONSTER BATTLED THE WEREWOLF IN A HILARIOUS FIGHT THAT ONLY THE THREE STOOGES COULD HAVE STAGED. I NEARLY GOT A HERNIA FROM LAUGHING!