My name is Scott MacDonald, and I am a Jess Franco-phile. I have more films in my collection by Franco than any other director, granted most directors do not have 207 films plus alternate versions to their name, and thus it is easier to have a lot of Jess Franco films than say Stanley Kubrick who in comparison directed a paltry 13. This month Severin Films who have taken on the legendary Spanish auteur as a semi-patron Saint, are releasing the director’s under-seen Dracula, Prison of Frankenstein to domestic Blu-ray. This is not the film’s first Blu-ray release. It had a European release, that was not of any significant quality. Fortunately, that has been fixed here.

Dracula, Prisoner of Frankenstein is the heart-warming tale of…. OK, so it’s a non-sensical bit of Spanish horror that opens with Dracula (Howard Vernon, Daughter of Dracula) being staked in his castle by Dr. Steward (Alberto Dalbes). Dracula’s Castle now abandoned, Dr. Frankenstein (Dennis Price) and his assistant Morpho take over the space which is perfect for his experiments. The first thing he does is resurrect his monster (Fernandao Bilbao), before experimenting on a lounge singer. Finally, resurrecting Dracula and turning him into his prisoner (see the title works). He then uses Dracula as a murderous slave to kill townspeople to create a vampiric army.

This film makes no sense in the most glorious way possible. While it does have the dreamlike sensibilities of something like Nightmares Come at Night of Virgin of the Living Dead, it is inherently more grounded than anything I’ve seen from that era. It also lacks any of the stereotypical Franco sex and nudity though kink is implied. He would cast the same Frankenstein (Fernandao Bilbao) in the more sexually extreme Erotic Rites of Frankenstein. The cast itself which also includes Britt Nichols (Tombs of the Blind Dead) is not just a mash-up of Jess Franco actors, but a whose who of great Spanish horror elites. The film itself is a joy to watch as viewers can follow it go from one absurd moment to the next. It may not push the normal Franco buttons, but it is a fun one from the director.

The Severin Films version is a 2:35:1 1080p restoration which compiles Spanish, German, and French versions into an all new super-complete cut. There is damage and speckling in various points, but it is filmlike, and nicely detailed throughout. Audio is presented in a variety of languages (English, Spanish, Italian, German, French) in mono tracks that comes through nice and clear . Extras include an interview with Stephen Thrower that is in depth and informative, In the Land of Franco 10 which explores more fantastic Franco locatios, the Spanish opening sequence, and a deleted scene plus the trailer. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED