Dracula jagt Frankenstein

One has to question the basic premise of the film: creating monsters to destroy Earth so the aliens can take over. Why not just create a bunch of zombies to do the job faster?

This low budget science fiction/horror film is significant for two reasons.

It is the third in the Waldemar Daninsky/Werewolf series, and the only one were the Count plays a supporting role. It stars Paul Naschy as the Count, and he also wrote the story. Patty Shepard, who plays Ilsa in the film, also starred with Naschy in two other Daninsky features. An American who moved to Spain to star in over 50 Spanish films, she died this year.

It is the last film of Michael Rennie, who played Klaatu in The Day the Earth Stood Still (The 1951 original).

I don't know where the title Frankenstein vs. Dracula comes from, as Frankenstein was busy killing the Count over and over, even when he was in bed with one of Dr. Warnoff's (Rennie) assistant. At the end, Frankenstein takes on the Count after he transforms into the Wolfman. Place your bets as to the outcome.

Inspector Toberman (Craig Hill) seems to know all the tricks against the monsters in his mission to save Ilsa.

I first saw this movie on t.v. almost 20 years ago as Assignment Terror, and was excited when it first came out on video. Unfortunately, the video cut about 9 minutes of total running time from the film, retitled it as Dracula Vs. Frankenstein and left it as a jumbled, incoherent mess. Most fans will also be confused because Dracula and the Monster never fight in the entire film.

I'm not saying this was a great film to begin with, but some of the editing complaints seen in earlier reviews come from the video version, not the original release. In its original form it was a strange yet fun action/horror movie in Paul Naschy's Werewolf Waldemar series. Naschy also plays the Vampire (Count de Mierhoff), Mummy (Tao-Tet) and Franksollen monster whenever possible.

Michael Rennie is one highlight, and gives his best possible attempt at making a profound statement in his last speech in the film. I'm surprised they even left that in, since most of what they took out was the plot. Apparently the video production figured no one pays attention to plot in a movie like this anyway. And yes, that's the same Karin Dor who appeared in Hitchcock's Topaz in the same year.

Hopefully, when this comes out on DVD they'll get it right.

Start with aliens coming to Earth to find the Earth's monsters and use them against humankind. These aliens are nothing more than humans "acting" like they are aliens and looking just like anyone else. Total special effects cost: $0.00 Add a Dracula - found at a carnival no less - just waiting to be brought back to life. He has a cape and fangs but no acting talent. Total special effects cost: $50.00(maybe) Put in a wolf-man - not just any wolf-man but Waldemar Danisky no less - he too just waiting around for someone to find a way to bring him back to life while he reposes in a church. This monster comes off the best because Paul Naschy plays him once again and the hairy makeup is pretty decent overall. Total special effect cost: $500(not counting Naschy's salary of course). Next, stir in the cheesiest Frankenstein's Monster out there - who looks like a hefty Ricardo Montalban in makeup. He has a square box head and looks decidedly unconvincing lumbering around. Total special effects cost: $100 Just for added flavor, put in an anorexic, slower-than-slow mummy. The mummy does a lot of eye rolling though. Total cost for bandages: $10. Having aliens, a vampire, a lycanthrope, a mummified monster, and a powerful creature made from the dead all in one film - NOT PRICELESS! This film is bad but enjoyable none the less for it is entertaining to see and hear the ineptitude that abounds. The film is based in a house rented by "aliens" who are gathering all the monsters and prodding them until they can discover the secrets within them and unleash these secrets on mankind so they can take over the planet. Where have I heard something along these lines before? Oh, that's right in dozens of movies predating this one. The film is a Spanish production and part of Paul Naschy's Waldemar Danisky cycle. Naschy is competent and one of the better parts of the film, but the other monsters look so ludicrous and are used so laboriously that none come off as really anything more than poor foreign knockoffs(which of course they are). Veteran British actor Michael Rennie, in his last "major" film before succumbing to emphysema, is unquestionably the best thing in this whole mess. While giving the film some class, Rennie sounds just too absurd with the witless dialog he has to utter. Helping him along are the beautiful Karin Dor, Helga Geissler, and Patty Sheperd - all looking quite appealing but lacking any real talent. Special effects are atrocious and the ending has to be seen to be believed. My favorite scene in the whole film is the one in the crypts of the house/laboratory where Danisky fight off the monsters one by one. He battling the mummy is a real hoot! The set designs; however, are fairly authentic, and the film would have been so much better with a more cohesive plot and some more realistic monsters. The film is fun though and should provide many unintentional laughs.

An alien (Michael Rennie's final film) schemes to conquer earth bringing a doctor (Karin Dor) and a surgeon (Angel del Pozo) back to life . The alien from a dying world uses his knowledge to re-animate various earth monsters . Later on , the trio goes to the ¨chamber of horrors Showside¨ containing the skeleton of count Meirhoff (Manuel De Blas who married the co-protagonist Patty Shepard , recently deceased) , Dracula-like , and he then relives . The doctor alien tries scientific experiments to bring life various monsters but results that their bad habits to emerge , including the werewolf Waldemar Daninsky (Jacinto Molina or Paul Naschy), Frankenstein's monster , the mummy Tao-Tet , and the vampire Count De Meirhoff . Meantime , a Police Inspector named Tobermann (Craig Hill) is investigating the strange deeds . While, Waldemar falls in love and the events get worse .

This is a humdrum adaptation based on Universal monster movies from a story and screenplay by Paul Naschy or Jacinto Molina Alvarez . As always , Naschy repeats his classic role , here the third performance as Waldemar Daninsky, and the only one that the character was a supporting role , the fourth would be the successful "Night of Walpurgis" . It's a particular version from ¨House of Frankestein¨ in which a doctor tries scientific experiments to be born and cure various Universal monsters as Dracula(John Carradine) , hunchback (J.Carroll Naish) , werewolf called Larry Talbot(Lon Chaney) , monster Frankestein( Glen Strange) , among others . ¨Monstruos de terror¨ is an atmospheric , slick terror film , an amusing monsters mixture , creaky at times but it's still acceptable . Fim displays passable set design , ambitious screenplay with too many monsters and average interpretations of all casting . This is a pretty entertaining European horror movie though packs absurd situations and cheesy frames . US distributor Samuel M.Sherman chose "The mark of the Wolfman" for his pre-booked 'Frankenstein' title, passing on the opportunity to showcase this film, which actually features a 'Frankenstein' monster ; he also believed that this film's European distributor ripped off his Al Adamson title "Dracula vs. Frankenstein." Little budget film though produced by Jaime Prades who was associated to Samuel Bronston , both of them financing blockbusters as ¨El Cid¨ and ¨The fall of the Roman empire¨. ¨Monsters of terror¨ is an atmospheric as well as eerie movie that contains bemusing scenes when appear the various monsters and take place their confrontations each other in some ridiculously made scenes , including primitive special effects . The picture has numerous "older technique" FX such as transparency , ancient computers fulls of buttons and lights , matte paintings, blood similar to tomato , reverse-footage , excessive make-up ; all of them were made by FX expert Antonio Molina and make-up artist Ramon Ferrer . It's a slight fun with professional make-up , naive special effects , appropriate set decoration and functional art direction . You will watch it and think it is either awful , hilarious, a masterpiece, or all three . It's a simple entertainment with embarrassing images , naive special effects , campy production design and evocative setting . Although critics do not appreciate much this picture ; however has a kind of loopy , Ed Wood quality that must be endured to be totally considered . The fable is sometimes silly and laughable , though a few Naif effects and action are professionally made . Some illogical parts in the argument are more than compensated for the excitement provided by the monsters appearance though some scenes are a little bit cheesy . Thrilling and frightening musical score by Franco Salinas . Colorful cinematography by Godofredo Pacheco , but being necessary an urgent remastering and filmed on location in Casa Campo, Madrid, San Martín Valdeiglesias, Madrid, Ermita San Frutos hermitage, Sepúlveda, Segovia and Munich, Bavaria, Germany . While not a hit during its original run, the film became a limited success when reissued many years later considered to be one of the best worst terror films of cinema history .

The Argentinian , nationalized Spanish writer/filmmaker Tulio Demicheli so consistently mixed the good with the mediocre that it became quite impossible to know what to expect from him next . He directed Gazpacho Western as ¨Tequila¨, ¨Arriba Sabata¨ and ¨Man and a colt ¨ . Demicheli had a long , prolific career , working from the 40s , he directed all kind of genres as drama as ¨Herida Luminosa¨ , Thriller as ¨Ricco¨ , adventures as ¨Son of Captain Blood¨, ¨First adventure¨ , Spy sub-genre as ¨¨Il Nostro Agente a Casablanca¨, ¨Dirty game in Panama¨ , ¨Misión Lisboa¨ , Giallo as ¨Coartada en Disco Rojo or Two faces or fear¨ and Horror as ¨Monstruos De Terror or Assignment Terror" ¨

The US print of "Dracula vs Frankenstein" begins by introducing us to an alien species who intend to invade and dominate the human race. At a travelling circus, they encounter the real-life skeleton of a vampire count. Apparently all you need to do to revive this vampire is to remove a flimsy wooden stake from it's heart (I'm surprised it hadn't just fallen out already). The police detective quickly clocks on to what the aliens are trying to do, and launches an investigation. The aliens manage to resurrect Daninsky the werewolf, the mummy Tao-Tet and the monster created by Farank ... Frankstele ... oh, let's just call him Frankenstein. Anyway, the aliens begin to succumb to human emotions and Daninsky turns against them, and thankfully the monsters all turn out to be complete wusses and are easily defeated. Yay! And, of course, it's all rounded off with a nice moral to the story (that doesn't actually make a whole lot of sense in context), and a suitably apocalyptic ending.

Mini-skirts, dancing, cheesy music, flashing lights ... yes, this movie is a product of the swinging sixties alright. Although it was titled "Dracula vs Frankenstein" in the US, the vampire isn't Dracula and there's no sign of Victor Frankenstein -- and at no point do the two of them fight against each other. "The Werewolf vs the Mummy" might have been worked, but I would have gone with something like "The Werewolf vs the Monsters of Terror". Heh. Frankenstein's monster and Waldemar Daninsky are both played by Jacinto Molina, which is impressive but not as much as his multiple roles in the later movie "Howl of the Devil". The lead actor is the brilliant Michael Rennie who famously played Klaatu in "The Day the Earth Stood Still", although here looks like he's at death's door (and unfortunately, he was).

In the innocent, charming style of filmmakers such as Ed Wood, the plot here mixes horror and science fiction elements together in a way that makes absolutely no sense. The aliens are wonderfully B-movieish, with all the obligatory coloured lights and disembodied robotic voices present. In a way it's more conventional than most of the Daninsky movies, adhering to as many B-movie stereotypes as is humanly possible to cram into one film. In a sense, it's the ULTIMATE B-movie, so it should be very popular among that crowd -- it has everything they could ask for. The acting is pretty much what you'd expect and the dubbing is particularly good comparatively. The makeup for the four monsters isn't great, but certainly not the worst I've seen. The mummy inparticular has a great death scene ...

It's a very, very silly movie, but if you're a fan of bad B-movies, look no further. Aliens, vampires, zombies, werewolves ... how could they go wrong?