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DRACULA, PRISONER OF FRANKENSTEIN
(1972)
aka THE SCREAMING DEAD
aka DRACULA CONTRA FRANKENSTEIN
Directed by Jess Franco
Image Entertainment DVD
Reviewed 10.12.06
Review by Joseph A. Ziemba
THE FILM
John Lennon opened the caustic and
cleansing "Plastic Ono Band"
with the library sound effect of
a solitary church bell. The early
minutes of Jess Franco's Dracula,
Prisoner Of Frankenstein utilize
the exact same cue. Jess Franco
is no John Lennon. As luck would
have it, he doesn't need to be.
With a few dozen lines of dialogue,
mounds of greasepaint, and a wall-of-sound
approach to all things spooky, Dracula,
Prisoner Of Frankenstein does
something special. In essence, it
clears out the pores; sticking to
its guns no matter what. The film
makes a stand for slapdash eccentricity,
swabbing illusory "take it
or leave it" brashness in the
face of anyone who wishes to peek
behind the velvet curtain. Placing
the film in context within Mr. Jess's
own sprawling, international filmography
is a waste of time. You don't need
to do that. Just like the previous
decade's The Diabolical Dr.
Z, Dracula stands
alone. Alone and fearless. Prepare
to get lost for 82 minutes.
Castles are crumbling. Wind never
stops whipping. Girls are constantly
writhing. This is where Dr. Frankenstein
(Dennis Price) lives. And works.
The doc has a big plan. It involves
a "new and unusual army".
Thanks to the resurrection of his
Monster, that army soon consists
of a top-hatted, hypnotized Dracula
(Franco right-hander Howard Vernon)
and a few sultry vampiras (including
Britt Nichols, a Franco regular
from 1972-74). They're about to
take over the world when Dr. Seward
and his guardian gypsy disagree.
Is that a full moon I see?
Dracula's gaunt plot-line
reads like it was pieced together
by an eleven year old. Most foreign
monster-rallies (Assignment
Terror, Santo y Blue
Demon Contra Los Monstruos)
tend to leave that impression. However,
something more seeps from the splinters
of Dracula's cheap-yet-creepy
frame. Something naturally surreal.
Here's where Jess Franco cleans
house -- just by being himself.
The camera constantly probes, zooms,
and searches. We don’t know
why. Scenes unfold at random. Compositions,
whether intentional or not, are
never less than captivating. There's
no method to how the film moves,
yet that undetermined wandering
becomes the method. It's like a
catchy concept album delivered in
a made-up language; hooks without
function. Thankfully, even with
all of the dauntless screwing around,
the film never loses sight of what's
important. A Brillo-pad werewolf.
Bubbling sex that never boils over.
Four-star, no budget vampire attacks.
The expected Jess Franco Nightclub
Sequence. A strange focus on frantic
bats (both rubber and real). Dracula,
Prisoner Of Frankenstein is,
quite literally, a pleasant dream.
Upon regaining your wits, you're
left half-asleep, yet ready to conquer
the world. Or, at the very least,
your insomnia.
Perhaps John Lennon and Jess Franco
had more in common in their 1970s
creativity than a coincidental sound
effect. Perhaps not. Either way,
they both had a thing for good instincts.
AUDIO AND VIDEO
Presented in 1.85:1 non-anamorphic
widescreen, Dracula looks
fine, but not exceptional. The print
is extremely clean, aside from a
few white emulsion lines. Clarity
and colors are a little muddy during
flurry movement. The mono sound
hit like a brick wall; loud, moldy,
and satisfying. The little French,
Spanish, or Italian dialogue that
was present came through loud and
clear. According to Tohill and Tombs’s
Immoral Tales, the film
was shot in CinemaScope (which the
credits appear to be presented in),
so some of the compositions may
appear tight on this release. To
my eyes, maybe two constrictive
instances popped out. Didn’t
bother me.
EXTRAS
Take your pick. English subtitles?
No English subtitles? Terrific cover
art showcasing the film's slightly
modified, original theatrical poster?
You get it all.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Dracula, Prisoner Of Frankenstein
is one for the books. Dreamy. Artsy.
Cheap. Distinctly confident monster-trash.
Finally available on legitimate
Region 1 DVD, this one makes for
excellent October viewing. Buy it. |
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