I wish that Hollywood today had more producers and directors of the caliber of Sam Sherman and Al Adamson. Frequently derided as hacks, or worse, their only sin was producing extremely entertaining drive-in exploitation movies for young people. Much fun has been made of the numerous permutations that Dracula vs. Frankenstein and other Independent International pictures went through before reaching the big screen; instead, Sherman and Adamson should be applauded for their dedication and persistence in sticking with these films and working on them until they got them right. Yeah, the budgets were tiny, the productions were unpolished, and the stories were ridiculous; nonetheless, all involved took the films very seriously, and produced something that is still being enjoyed 35 years later. I can bet you a chunk of change that no-one is going to be putting out a special edition DVD of Munich, or The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, in 2041.
Dracula vs. Frankenstein is lots of fun. It was one of my favorites 30 years ago when I caught it on the tube, and I think it still holds up. Adamson's direction is rough and harried, but he keeps up the pace and never slides into condescension, irony, or parody, which is the easy way out for a director who thinks he is "above the material". J. Carrol Naish and Lon Chaney Jr., both old, sick, and at the end of their careers, and having every reason to walk through their parts, perform like troupers, and lend Dracula vs. Frankenstein their significant talent, and their tarnished but still formidable charisma. Zandor Vorkov looks ridiculous in his afro, goatee, and white greasepaint, but he gives a unique and interesting performance as Count Dracula, and one that is not to be ashamed of. Likewise Regina Carroll, Jim Davis, Angelo Rossito, Russ Tamblyn, and the rest of the cast, do their best to give this essentially silly patchwork a credible aura. Compare any of these actors with, say, the bored, listless Brad Pitt in the abominable Troy, for which he probably took home a 10 million dollar paycheck, to see what I mean.
Producer Sam Sherman, a witty, intelligent, and erudite man, provides one of the best audio commentaries that I have ever heard on the DVD of Dracula vs. Frankenstein. He readily admits that both he and Adamson did not make the kind of movies they would have preferred to make; but, given the budgets and conditions under which they were compelled to work, tried to give their audiences the biggest possible bang for their buck. There is no shame in that.
Dracula vs. Frankenstein is lots of fun. It was one of my favorites 30 years ago when I caught it on the tube, and I think it still holds up. Adamson's direction is rough and harried, but he keeps up the pace and never slides into condescension, irony, or parody, which is the easy way out for a director who thinks he is "above the material". J. Carrol Naish and Lon Chaney Jr., both old, sick, and at the end of their careers, and having every reason to walk through their parts, perform like troupers, and lend Dracula vs. Frankenstein their significant talent, and their tarnished but still formidable charisma. Zandor Vorkov looks ridiculous in his afro, goatee, and white greasepaint, but he gives a unique and interesting performance as Count Dracula, and one that is not to be ashamed of. Likewise Regina Carroll, Jim Davis, Angelo Rossito, Russ Tamblyn, and the rest of the cast, do their best to give this essentially silly patchwork a credible aura. Compare any of these actors with, say, the bored, listless Brad Pitt in the abominable Troy, for which he probably took home a 10 million dollar paycheck, to see what I mean.
Producer Sam Sherman, a witty, intelligent, and erudite man, provides one of the best audio commentaries that I have ever heard on the DVD of Dracula vs. Frankenstein. He readily admits that both he and Adamson did not make the kind of movies they would have preferred to make; but, given the budgets and conditions under which they were compelled to work, tried to give their audiences the biggest possible bang for their buck. There is no shame in that.