Dollar Store Monster Mash!
The Spanish Frankenstein monster (Fernando Bilbao). Look closely at those scars!
Where did you get those fangs, Howard?
What are your favorite Jess Franco movies to watch during the Halloween season?
One of my favorites is DRACULA CONTRA FRANKENSTEIN aka DRACULA, PRISONER OF FRANKENSTEIN aka THE SCREAMING DEAD aka DIE NACHT DER OFFENEN SARGE aka SANTANA CONTA DR EXORTIO [!. This 1971 no-budget monster rally offers an uncanny representation of the spirit of Halloween with its prowling famous monsters of filmland, mad scientists and weird atmosphere crackling with inhuman shrieks.
The costuming and make-up of the Frankenstein monster, Dracula and the werewolf actually look like Halloween costumes quickly executed by some kids with garage-sale clothing, crackerjack box fangs and some handy magic markers used to draw the surgical scars onto the face of Frankenstein monster actor Fernando Bilbao. All this makes it all the more fun to watch for me. It's bargain basement Gothic.
In a way it's the director's critique of the then-popular Hammer horrors and his cut-rate homage to the Universal horror movies of the 1930s and 40s (cf HOUSE OF DRACULA). I can understand how horror genre purists could dismiss it and take offense but it all brings a smile to my face every time I watch it.
I read in an interview with Franco that this film is his personal favorite of all the horror films he made! It's a shame that the U.S. DVD from Image is such a poor PAL-NTSC conversion and is riddled with ghosting problems. Any idea if the UK Tartan DVD is any better quality?
ReplyDeleteStrangely enough I was just about to order myself a copy of Dracula contra Frankenstein. But i wasn't sure if the Image Entertainment DVD was the way to go or not?
ReplyDeleteread in an interview with Franco that this film is his personal favorite of all the horror films he made! It's a shame that the U.S. DVD from Image is such a poor PAL-NTSC conversion and is riddled with ghosting problems. Any idea if the UK Tartan DVD is any better quality?
ReplyDeleteI agree about the Image DVD, Gary. And it's not framed correctly! Franco himself confirmed to me that the original 2.35:1 aspect ratio was a carefully thought-out visual plan. The DVD is cropped to about 1.90:1 or something and it does not have good colors, definition and luminosity. I don't know about the UK.
i wasn't sure if the Image Entertainment DVD was the way to go or not?
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't go with the IMAGE because it is cropped and doesn't have good color, sharpness and is too dark.
So what's the best DVD version to get? I can't find anywhere that has anything other than the Image DVD. Neither amazon nor amazon.co.uk have any other editions listed. I need to find a better source for obscure eurohorror DVDs!
ReplyDeletedfordoom said...
ReplyDeleteSo what's the best DVD version to get
Good question, dfordoom. Unfortunately there's no satisfactory answer. The Spanish DVD has the exact same issues. It's also out of Japanese DVD, but I'm not sure of the AR or video quality on that one. The only video presentation I know which approaches the proper OAR is the English lang DRACULA PRISONER OF FRANKENSTEIN. But that is the English dubbed version which has narration and footage of Dr. Seward's diary done in post-production and not by the director.
I think there's a grey market DVD of the English dubbed DRACULA, PRISONER OF FRANKENSTEIN. I wasn't sure whether to go for that one or the Image Entertainment one, but it sounds like neither is particularly satisfactory.
ReplyDelete