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LOS MONSTRUOS DEL TERROR/THE MONSTERS OF TERROR
1969
Director: Tulio Demichelli and Hugo Fregonese
Screenplay: Jacinto Molina
Music: Franco Salina
Cast: Michael Rennie (Odo Varnoff), Karin Dor (Maleva), Paul Naschy (Waldemar Daninsky), Craig Hill (Tobermann), Patty Shepard (Ilse), Angel del Pozo (Doctor Kirian), Maneul de Blas (the vampire), Ferdinando Murolo (the Feranksollen monster), Gene Reyes (Pha-Ho-Tep, the mummy).
Running time: Various listed. Phil Hardy lists a running time of up to 89 minutes.
Dracula
vs. Frankenstein. A mess. (At least the version under
review here.) Direction was split between two people, Tulio Demichelli and
Hugo Fregonese, and the filming was interrupted because of financial
difficulties. Financial difficulties also resulted in the script not being
fully filmed. As screenplay writer, Naschy overextends himself, gathering
together aliens, a vampire, a Frankenstein-type monster, a mummy, and, of
course, a werewolf--Waldemar Daninsky. Aliens and gothic horror do not mix,
and the best moments in the film occur at the mostly gothic-tinged end, where
the monsters roam the subterranean vaults of the castle to attack whomever
is in their way. The fight between the Wolf Man and the mummy is a highpoint,
but there is no battle between Dracula and Frankenstein, as the title suggests.
Not a problem, since both of these "monsters" look ridiculous, particularly
the Frankenstein-type monster (called a creation of "Dr. Feranksollen," due
to fear of a lawsuit from Universal). The Daninsky character is not really
explored. He is just one among many of the nightmarish ghoul group. Did I
forget to mention that the underlying message is that man with his hot passions
is superior to cold-hearted aliens? Okay, but the concept could have been
given extra juice by Naschy and the two directors. This is not a good
introduction to Naschy's work.
[Source print: United American. Recorded in LP speed, this print is filled with splices, and United American squeezes the sides in, to get more of the scope film into the frame; color quality is tepid. What's worse, there are cuts in the film (the source print is actually the British version of the movie.) An American TV version, Assignment Terror, apparently restores these cuts, but it's unclear whether there's even a better version around. Phil Hardy's Encyclopedia of Horror Movies lists a time of 89 min.; the United American version is listed as 77 min. Twelve extra minutes could make some difference, particularly if they deal with the Daninsky character. Some difference, but probably not much. A complete, fine copy of this film, with scope dimensions intact, will necessitate a reappraisal, however.]
Assignment
Terror. What a difference a tape makes! This version,
from Luminous Film & Video Wurks, is the most complete print of Los
Monstruos del Terror currently available. Actually a French print layered
with English-language dubbing from another print, Assignment Terror
is presented in the fullest widescreen ratio I've yet seen, and sans the
cuts found in the United American version. Additionally, the beginning is
now complete and relatively healthy, unlike the splicy, erratic jitters that
so marred the UA print. The result of all of these differences is that we
finally get a good taste of what the film might have been like on the screen
and, more importantly, what the artistic intentions were of the filmmakers.
Indeed, this time around, I wasn't bothered by the "alien" angle--in fact,
it became apparent that the film emotionally centered around the aliens
and the Michael Rennie character, Odo Varnoff. (No surprise now, that
the film once had a working title of El Hombre que Vino de Ummo/The Man
Who Came from Ummo.) A sequence missing from the United American print,
with Rennie looking upon go-go dancers with distaste but maybe some stirring
of erotic feelings and then going over to the bar for a drink, underlines
the conflict in controlling emotions that are considered at time human
"weaknesses," yet which are ultimately powerful and undeniable. You walk
in our human shoes and you cannot but help to be effected. Another
important sequence, which has Rennie shedding tears while punishing
the Karin Dor character, was lost in the full screen UA print but is clearly
seen in the Luminous version. Then there's the look of the film. In widescreen
the movie just looks better, gathering more information at the sides and
presenting a more aesthetic sense of composition. Not to say that we have
a perfect film here. There should have been more development of the Daninsky
character and, particularly, the love affair that seems almost instantaneous
between him and a female assistant of Varnoff. Perhaps some footage exists
somewhere that elaborates these points, perhaps not. Whatever the case, the
film cries out for such exposition. The worse thing about the movie, though,
can never be altered. The makeup on the "Frankenstein Monster" character
is simply awful, awful, awful! Even Jess Franco had better looking "Frankenstein"
monsters, and that's saying a lot!
[Source print: Luminous Film & Video Wurks. Widescreen, with a minor reddish vertical line along the right edge and some information still missing along the left (no wonder, the film was originally presented in 70mm!), recorded in SP speed, this is a French print with added English-dubbing from another print; at times this video surgery works quite well, but there are instances of faulty synchronization (due to PAL/SECAM conversion?) where one character's speech overlaps another character's moving lips. Even with these difficulties, this is the best version I've seen of this film, and Luminous should be commended for putting it together. Running time ca. 83 minutes.]
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