Operación terror

Known by various names such as "The Monsters Of Terror", "Assignment Terror" and "Dracula Jagt Frankenstein", this is a Spanish-German-Italian monster concoction featuring American actor Michael Rennie in his last desperate movie role. Rennie plays the leader of a group of aliens from a planet called Ummo who target Earth as the perfect place to re-populate their dying world. Along with his female assistant (Karin Dor, who starred in Hitchcock's TOPAZ!) he sets out to destroy man by reviving all of the Earth's historic monsters: Waldemar Daninsky, the Werewolf (Paul Naschy), a male vampire, a mummy, and a Frankenstein-like creature (all of whom look ridiculous except for the werewolf). Naschy also scripted this bizarre hodgepodge, influenced by the old Universal monster classics (and, presumably, HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN in particular). The highlight is when Naschy's heroic wolfman battles other monsters. If you're a fan of those old films it's worth watching just for the nostalgia, but be forewarned it's a messy ride and will vary depending on what copy of the movie you happen to watch. This review is from a German-dubbed widescreen DVD called "Dracula Jagt Frankenstein" with English subtitles, but there are edited variations under different names (among them: the inferior English "Dracula vs. Frankenstein" copy, which utilizes Michael Rennie's own voice but is missing footage, and is not to be confused by the 1971 Al Adamson movie of the same name). As of this writing there is no acceptable English-dubbed version. Still some offbeat fun for monster lovers, but you have to wonder what Michael (THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL) Rennie was thinking while he had to act in this. *1/2 out of ****

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" ¨

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.

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.

Enjoyably stupid. Aliens take control of several dead human bodies, and then go about reanimating several monsters using Dr. Farancksollen's Anthology of Monsters. The idea is evidently to study the monsters, create more, then use them to destroy all humans. The monsters have no hearts (the aliens think) and can be controlled, unlike humans. Plan 9 from Outer Space has a similar plot, I think?

They find and reanimate a vampire, a mummy, Farancksollen's monster, and the werewolf Waldemar Daninsky. The book mentions the Golem, but they don't mention him again as with Renaldo Renaldini in Das Wachsfigurenkabinett (1924); maybe like that film they ran out of money to add him.

The head alien tortures some of the women aliens with sound and lights to punish them for starting to develop human tendencies. He also uses the monsters on his own people for the same reason. The police investigate.

The Gemstone Entertainment DVD titled Dracula vs. Frankenstein is poor. It runs only 77 minutes full-frame. Particularly in the opening scene, there are some jump cuts and words and phrases drop out.