Brax0r Reviews

Dracula vs. Frankenstein (1971)

B-Movie Vs. Continuity

[3/10 · 10 February 2005]

I bought "Dracula Vs. Frankenstein" on DVD under the Troma digitally remastered release of some of Al Adamson's "classics" (such as "Satan's Sadists" and "The Blood of Ghastly Horror"). I'm somewhat of a fan of B-quality horror pictures if -- and only if -- they are entertaining (like Ed Wood's work). This one is pretty entertaining... but makes up for itself in way of how astonishingly brain-numbing the storyline is (or lack thereof). Inept? Yes. Continuity gaps galore? Yep. Uneven and absurd? Oh, yeah! I haven't seen the movie in a couple of years, so I can't do too good of a job explaining the storyline... then again, even if I saw it ten seconds ago, I don't think I could explain it. If you're thinking this movie is a battle of two great Universal Studio monsters, well... you're wrong. Dracula looks EXACTLY like Screech off of Saved by the Bell and Frankenstein looks like a hybrid mixture of a Cabbage Patch Doll and an actual farm cabbage.

The epic battle of monsters isn't until the end of the film, which wasn't even worth the long, long wait. Simply put, the battle goes as follows: Dracula and Frankenstein are in the woods. Dracula easily pulls off Frankenstein's arms as if they were bolted on with Legos. Then, if memory serves me right, Dracula pulls off Frankenstein's head just as easily. Dracula realizes the sun is about to rise and he makes a fruity run to his castle... but before he can even make it to the door, he's fried by daylight right on his welcome mat! So, basically, the ending is a cinematic train wreck.

The movie is amazingly uneven and often feels like a different sci-fi or horror movie every 10 minutes. The first 7/8 of the movie really isn't about anything other than a couple of people running away from Dracula and his magical death lighting bolt ring which lights people on fire... And there's some sort of weird-science thing at a Coney Island haunted house ride that involves a midget getting killed by an ax, some strange scientist and a couple naked women.

I dunno... I don't get it.

Funny movie, but I don't think anyone will really like it unless they're a fan of schlock.

3/10

Invisible Ghost (1941)

Hitchcock-lite

[4/10 · 16 January 2005]

The "Invisible Ghost" isn't exactly terrible or B-quality camp, but it isn't great, either. As said by other reviewers, the film moves very slowly, even at the points of suspense and climax. The story doesn't seem to reach a level of intensity in which would put the viewer at the edge of his seat... and the story is a little absurd. A lot goes unexplained (or seems unnoticed, in this case).

(MILD SPOILER in this paragraph.) I think the story would have been a lot better if the entire story kept the fact that Lugosi's character was the murderer a mystery, because not even he knew who was the culprit. However, the viewer does, as it all plays out in front of our eyes.

But, as usual, like any other Lugosi vehicle, he gives it his all. In this picture, his character is a tad more mellow and not as out there and intense as he is in other pictures. And it's a little nice to see him play just a regular guy for a change. So he's not type-casted TOO bad in this one.

If you're a big Lugosi fan, this is one to put on the bottom of the must see list. If you're not a fan of Lugosi, this movie might not do much for you. Like I said before, it's not campy or, on the other end of the spectrum, it's not a "Citizen Kane" or "Godfather", either.

I don't think there are any good quality reproductions of this movie on DVD anywhere. I got a copy on DVD from a local grocery store on DVD for $2.00 and it's a little less than average (especially on the audio front). So, good luck finding a copy if you REALLY need it.

4/10.

Have Gun - Will Travel (1957–1963)

Have Gun - Have Fun

[1 July 2004]

I recently bought season one of "Have Gun - Will Travel" on DVD. I'm only twenty years old, but I've always had an interest in the golden age of television and westerns. I've never seen this show before purchasing it... but I've heard my father talking about it before and it sparked an interest.

Unlike "Gunsmoke" and "Bonanza", "Have Gun - Will Travel" is a lot darker (for it's time, especially) and a lot more in-depth - story-wise and moral-wise -- but not too dark, mind you. It's tasteful and holds important morals. Richard Boone, who plays the jack-of-all- trades hero Paladin, does a terrific job playing the classy scholar gun-for-hire who often quotes Shakespeare. The show relies more on character interaction and story, as opposed to the cliché gun slingin' and horse riding (although they are included tastefully into the story lines).

Overall, this is an extremely fun show. If you like the '50s Disney "Zorro", starring Guy Williams, than you'll love this. Amazing for any Western and Drama fan, too.

4.5/5, quality entertainment, writing, production and acting.