Dracula vs. Frankenstein (1971)

[roddmatsui]

This is a film that is known as a "bad" film, but I have seen it many times and I always enjoy it.  Not only is it entertaining in a crazy early 70's way, but it features several interesting performers, including Lon Chaney Jr. and J. Carroll Naish, and original Universal mad lab equipment created by Ken Strickfaden.   It's got a biker gang led by Russ Tamblyn!  And a Forry Ackerman cameo to boot.  The Dracula in this movie (portrayed by Zandor Vorkov) was featured on the cover of Famous Monsters #89, a sought-after issue.  For fans of the Collegeville/Imagineering Halloween makeup products, Vorkov appears to be wearing their famous glow-in-the-dark vampire fangs in the Famous Monsters cover photo!

[MegoGeek]

I haven't seen this movie in eons.

I do remember it really creeping me out when I was young, not in a scary way but in a weird way. I was watching all the old B&W films back then so this modern color film gave me a weird vibe.

[roddmatsui]

For movie fans who enjoy the rough-around-the-edges style of late-60's and early 70's horror budgeters, this one is really very watchable.  Can generally be bought for a dollar or two from Amazon or Half.com...I asked a couple of people I know to be patient and sit and watch it, despite their concerns about the obvious badness, and now they own copies of it.

Dracula and Dr. Frankenstein team up to revive the Monster...there is some business about the "Zorna comet" giving off some cosmic rays that facilitate the Monster's revival...during the mad lab scene, Dracula looks out the window and sees a flashing light bulb traveling across the sky.  "ZORNA COMET HAS RETURNED!" he shouts. 

It's almost like a Spook Show on film, if that makes any sense.  Ultra cheesy, blood and gore, questionable monster make-up.

Dracula magically appears in the car of Dr. Beaumont (Forry Ackerman). 

"Who are you?" Beaumont gasps.

"I am known as the Count of Darkness--Lord of the Manor of Cor-Pathia.  Turn here," Dracula says.

[Tom Smith Monsternut]

It is pretty bad but fun never the less.

Best..
Tom

[raycastile]

I selected Dracula vs Frankenstein as my Halloween night viewing this year.  I love that goofy movie.  It has a real trick-or-treat sensibility.  I saw it on TV as a child and was freaked out by it.  It seemed soooo scary back then.

[The Phantom Creep]

This movie is great "bad" fun I agree. i was lucky enough to see a great print in the theater years ago at a multiplex in a mall!! Now THAT was weird.

[Mego73]

It's of the color monster movies I remember seeing on TV in the 70's (another is Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things). I think it's a hoot and Roger Engel (Zandor Vorkov's real name) actually did a good job with Dracula for being an amatuer actor to begin with. Actually have seen a couple of Al Adamson "classics" lately "Brain Of Blood" and "Horroe Of The Blood Monsters" through netflix.

[1975]

I crank out my VHS of this every year, in the "Drive In Madness" tape Sam Sherman explains how this started out as a horror film called "The Blood Seekers" and mid way through filming they decided to add the classic monster element.

I love how Vorkov's makeup changes at the end becoming pancake white, I've heard this is because of reshoots.

A good friend of mine and I  used to love to do imitations of the Forry scene while on long car rides.

[raycastile]

The release of the Mad Doctor of Blood Island soundtrack CD gives me hope that someday we will have a Dracula vs Frankenstein album.  I love that music, both the original score and the library cues.  Is anyone here friends with Sam Sherman?

[hhwolfman]

This Movie only showed at the Texas Theater in San Antonio. This was a very bad theater and bad part of Down Town. I remember seeing the previews, Then the Dreaded Texas theater emblem after. When you saw that, you knew,  Dad would not bring you nor anyone. It was only showing there, no where else.  Finally got a copy 20 years later. I love it. Maybe it is just he nostalgic Factor. HHW

[roddmatsui]

I love that goofy movie.  It has a real trick-or-treat sensibility.  I saw it on TV as a child and was freaked out by it.

"Trick or treat sensibility"...that's a very good way of putting it.  It's gruesome--or it's trying to be--but everything is so fake that I can't take it seriously.  When I was seven...well, things were different!

[Grape]

I saw this on latenight TV when I was probably about 14 and I remember being absolutely appalled by it. I guess with Dracula and Frankenstein in the title and Chaney in the cast I was expecting some sort of attempt to emulate the Universal classics. I do believe it was the worst film I'd ever seen at that time! And I remember that Chaney looks like Hell in it. Of course in the years since then I've lowered my standards considerably. I think I'll probably enjoy this if I ever get around to seeing it again.

Speaking of "Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things", is that the one where the two little kids turn their father into a zombie?

[The Drunken Severed Head]

When I was your age, Grape, I saw in its release with FRANKENSTEIN'S BLOODY TERROR,  a Naschy werewolf movie with no Frankenstein! A double helping of disappointment!

I remember being glad that old stars were on the screen and getting work, but it was low-caliber work.

Worst. Dracula. Ever.

[Mego73]

I saw this on latenight TV when I was probably about 14 and I remember being absolutely appalled by it. I guess with Dracula and Frankenstein in the title and Chaney in the cast I was expecting some sort of attempt to emulate the Universal classics. I do believe it was the worst film I'd ever seen at that time! And I remember that Chaney looks like Hell in it. Of course in the years since then I've lowered my standards considerably. I think I'll probably enjoy this if I ever get around to seeing it again.

Speaking of "Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things", is that the one where the two little kids turn their father into a zombie?

Nope! This is it:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068370/

In particular I liked the stylized look of the Zombies in this movie. I'm probably reading too much into it because I liked the way the zombies looked "Halloweeny" and not realistic. It could be more of a budget choice than an artistic one.

Also this has good campy acting, especially by Alan Ormsby

[neonnoodle]

Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things has long been a big favorite of mine.  I mentioned it in this interview here...

http://www.cinefear.com/rodd.html

And this year, I got to see it projected, in a real movie house in Hollywood...a faded, scratchy old print, but the audience members were all fans of the film.