Dracula, Prisoner of Frankenstein – Severin Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Spain/France, 1972
Director: Jesús Franco
Writers: Jesús Franco, Paul D’Ales
Cast: Dennis Price, Howard Vernon, Paca Gabaldón, Alberto Dalbés, Carmen Yazalde, Geneviève Robert, Anne Libert, Luis Barboo

Release Date: March 26th, 2024|
Approximate running time: 83 Minutes 16 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English, DTS-HD Mono Spanish, DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono German, DTS-HD Mono French
Subtitles: English, English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $29.98

"Inspired by Universal’s 1940s monster mash-ups, writer/director Jess Franco instead delivered “a weird and wonderful masterpiece that transports you to a world like no other” (Scream Magazine): With minimal dialogue and maximum gothic atmosphere, Franco crafts a fever dream of erotic horror in which Count Dracula (Howard Vernon of Delicatessen), Dr. Frankenstein (Dennis Price of Twins of Evil), his assistant Morpho and Frankenstein’s monster battle gypsies, showgirls, Dr. Seward and a wolfman." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3.75/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "now scanned in 4K from Spanish, French and German release prints to create the longest and most comprehensive version known to exist."

Dracula, Prisoner of Frankenstein comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 34 GB

Feature: 24.1 GB

Compiled from multiple sources This transfer does have some source-related damage that is fortunately not distracting. That said, the source damage is heaviest during the opening credits, and things get considerably better as the film progresses. And though there is an inconsistency when it comes to image clarity, black levels, and colors, this transfer is still the best Dracula, Prisoner of Frankenstein, has ever looked at on home video. Also, there are no issues with compression, and the image always looks organic.

Audio: 4/5 (DTS-HD Mono Spanish), 3.75/5 (DTS-HD Mono English), 3.5/5 (DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono German, DTS-HD Mono French)

This release comes with five audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in English, a DTS-HD mono mix in Spanish, a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian, a DTS-HD mono mix in German, and a DTS-HD mono mix in French. The strongest of the five audio tracks is the Spanish-language track; it is in great shape and sounds more robust than the other tracks. The next best track is the English language track, which sounds clear, balanced, and range-wise very good. The other three tracks are comparable; the dialog comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced. Included are removable English SDH for the English language track, removable English subtitles for the Spanish language track, removable English subtitles for the Italian language track, removable English subtitles for the German language track, and removable English subtitles for the French language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 20 seconds, DTS-HD Mono Spanish with removable English subtitles), a deleted scene from English language version (1 minute 12 seconds, Dolby Digital mono with English text), Spanish opening credit sequence (2 minutes 10 seconds, Dolby Digital mono, Spanish text with removable English subtitles), a locations featurette titled In the Land of Franco Part 10 (18 minutes 26 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an interview titled Prisoner of Franco-Stein with Stephen Thrower, author of Murderous Passions: The Delirious Cinema of Jesús Franco (42 minutes 12 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles).

Summary:

There is no denying Universal’s monsters' influence on Jess Franco. And, despite the fact that their influence on him as a filmmaker was already visible in Jess Franco's black and white horror films from the early 1960s, by the early 1970s, he would make a series of films that were clearly inspired by the Universal Monster films. These films include Count Dracula, Daughter of Dracula, The Erotic Rites of Frankenstein, and Dracula, Prisoner of Frankenstein.

Very early in his career, Jess Franco abandoned conventional cinema. And though his films are known for their anemic plots, the bulk of the films that he made after the 1960s all have an abstract quality to them.

With Dracula, Prisoner of Frankenstein, Jess Franco would make what is arguably his most experimental film out of the four films that were loosely inspired by characters from the Universal Monsters films. And nowhere is this clearer than when it comes to the sparseness of dialog. There is no dialog during the first seventeen minutes. With these seventeen minutes consisting solely of a series of images reinforced by music composed by Bruno Nicolai, it should be noted that the music selections composed by Bruno Nicolai come from recycled scores he composed for Marquis de Sade’s Justine and Count Dracula.

Besides music cues that offer up a feeling of déjà vu, another area where Dracula, Prisoner of Frankenstein, is overflowing with familiarity is the cast. Notable cast members who have appeared in many Jess Franco films include: Carmen Yazalde (A Virgin Among the Living Dead) under the pseudonym Britt Nickols; Anne Libert (The Erotic Rites of Frankenstein); Dennis Price (Vampyros Lesbos) in the role of Doctor Frankenstein; Luis Barboo (Female Vampire) in the role of Doctor Frankenstein’s faithful hunchback sidekick Morpho; and Howard Vernon (The Sadistic Baron Von Klaus) in the role of Dracula.

When discussing the cinema of Jess Franco, eroticism is a key element that has dominated the films that he has made since the late 1960s. And yet, when it comes to nudity or eroticism, these are two elements that are non-existent in Dracula, The Prisoner of Frankenstein. The focus is on the characters and the fantastical nature of the story at hand.

Visually, Dracula, Prisoner of Frankenstein features techniques that have since become synonymous with the films that Jess Franco was making during this era of his career. Notably, the overuse of zoom shots Standout moments include the scene where Doctor Frankenstein uses the blood of a nightclub dancer to resurrect Dracula and a scene where the Frankenstein monster battles the Wolfman.

Severin Films’ Dracula, Prisoner of Frankenstein’s is the longest version of this film; it comes with multiple audio and subtitle options and a pair of exceptional extras, making it Dracula, Prisoner of Frankenstein’s best release to date, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer