Frankenstein's Bloody Terror 3D - Kino Cult #35

You gotta appreciate a guy who just loves being a werewolf! A lover of the Universal Classics, Paul Naschy was viewed as “the Spanish Lon Cheney,” donning the makeup for monstrous interpretations of Frankenstein's Monster, Dracula, the Mummy, and even a trip as Quasimodo. Through numerous credits as an actor, writer, and director (sometimes all three at the same time), it’s his cursed run as a fur-covered lycanthrope in a turtle-neck that gets the most attention. Of his legion of monster flicks, it’s his first, La Marca del Hombre Lobo, or better known Stateside as Frankenstein’s Bloody Terror, that is the most infamous. 

For newcomers, the film is something of a homage to the Universal Classic Monsters films of the 1930s and 1940s, with some 1960s Hammer atmosphere flair through the lens of a Spanish-German co-production. We have hapless gypsies sheltering in the ruins of an abandoned castle who unwittingly unleash a terrible beast while robbing the crypts. We have a werewolf that stalks the night, and it is while on a hunt that Waldemar Daninsky (Naschy) is attacked, bitten, and cursed to transform into a Werewolf at nightfall. Desperate for a solution, the mysterious Dr. Mikhelov (Julian-Ugarte) and his wife (Aurora de Alba) are called in to find a cure. Only their cure is to cement the demon inside Waldemar, as they are actually vampires and want the beast under their control! 

Now, the question as to whether or not Frankenstein’s Bloody Terror is any good or not is a bit difficult to answer. If you noticed from the plot description above, there was no mention of Frankenstein or the Monster. That’s because neither appears in the film. When the film came to the U.S., Sam Sherman was under an obligation to deliver a second Frankenstein film to fit a double feature contract. So this Werewolf vs Vampire mashup was reedited, retitled, and given a bizarro prologue explaining how the Franlenstein namesake became “Wolfstein” or some such hokum, and we now have a Frankenstein-free Frankenstein film. 

Now, this is the only version of La Marca del Hombre Lobo I’ve ever seen. The proper runtime is around 93 minutes, and this edition, with the silly opening, runs a scant 78 minutes. And you can feel it. Edits are nonsensical, often stumbling into plot beats or conversations that are already underway. Characters come and go without any introduction. But, even through this truncated, sloppy edit, you can see the sense of style and gothic atmosphere the film was aiming for. The moody sets and creepy atmosphere set the stage for an ornate monster flick. Naschy stands tall in his starring role as the cursed werewolf, setting the stage for his future monstrous career. He's obviously still an amateur performer at this time, but the zeal is there that would carry him in later, better performances. 

It’s in this truncated form that I have a difficult time judging the entirety. How do you rate a film that’s clearly missing a lot of character development and plot? As it stands, I’ll say this is a very entertaining feature, even if, in its current form, it’s not as coherent as it would likely be otherwise. What it thrives on is the obvious energy and appreciation of its genre. This isn’t a cheap cop-out production. It was originally shot on 70mm 3D! The sets are expansive and intricate. The staging is elaborate and careful. They clearly invested a significant amount of money to create the best film they could, and for the most part, it's a very entertaining flick.

Vital Disc Stats: The Blu-ray 3D
Thanks to 3-D Film Archive and Kino Cult, Frankenstein’s Bloody Terror reigns over 1080p Blu-ray 3D collections with a single-disc release. The digital 3D and Anaglyph 3D presentations are pressed on a Region A BD50 disc. The disc is housed in a standard blue case, with reversible insert art and slipcover. If you have a digital 3D projector or television, the 3D will kick on automatically. If you don’t have a 3D setup, you can turn on the Anaglyph right there in the main menu. A single pair of red/blue Anaglyph 3D glasses are included. 

This U.S. cut of La Marca del Hombre Lobo, Frankenstein’s Bloody Terror in 3D, is an unfortunate case of “it is what it is.” There is a LONG, unfortunate release history for this film in the U.S., and even sadder for the 3D version of this cut that will offer a lot of perspective for the 3D presentation we see on disc. To that point, there is a bonus feature on this disc with historian Tim Lucas, titled 'About the 3-D Restoration,' that I think is essential viewing before watching the main feature. 

As explained in that featurette, the elements for this stereoscopic presentation was in terrible shape before 3-D Film Archive got to work on it. In addition to the cut-down edit, this 3D presentation was already multiple 35mm generations removed from the original 65mm negative elements. Between age-related damage, wear and tear, and severe color fading, the results of this restoration are something of a miracle. Not only is it watchable, but often we can experience some truly great three-dimensional setups. There are stretches where the damage and color shift were more dramatic, leaving their marks; there are also some impressively clean moments to enjoy. Throughout the good and the bad, we gain a great sense of depth, with clear intention behind the foreground, middle, and deep background objects. Detail clarity is also subjective in that regard; depending on the scene, things can appear rather crisp and nicely detailed or be a bit muddy. As the film progresses, my impression is that the visual stability improves, becoming more watchable and exciting to see in three dimensions.  

Apparently, the original 65mm negative still exists but is being held hostage at a film lab in Spain, the owner of which won’t let those elements out of sight unless specific conditions are met. Perhaps someday that negative will be restored, and we can see another attempt at this classic in its full original length in 3D, and possibly even a 4K 2D release. It deserves that treatment. In this form, this is still a worthwhile three-dimensional experience for Naschy’s first transformation as a werewolf. If I had to square this against other 3-D Film Archive restorations from troublesome assets, I'd say this is on par with the likes of Dynasty 3D where there were a number of obvious hurdles to overcome but we still have an enjoyable experience on disc.

Now speaking of the Anaglyph presentation, it’s another impressive piece of red/blue work from 3-D Film Archive. Similar to the digital 3D version, when the elements are in the best shape, the Red/Blue 3D experience looks great. Even when we’re only getting little flickers and glimmers of its full potential, the Anaglyph holds up nicely. I’d mentioned in past reviews that Anaglyph could sometimes trigger my migraines, but I’ve never had that issue with any 3-D Film Archive red/blue presentations. Not the most ideal way to watch, but if you’re a 3D junkie with limited viewing tech, it’s a fun way to watch this creature feature.

On the audio side, we have a solid DTS-HD MA 2.0 mix to enjoy. Overall, this is a clean track that offers up strong dialog exchanges and suitably moody sound effects. The original score was replaced with library mood music, and the dialogue was dubbed, so there are the typical limitations that come with that kind of mixing. Some of the hard edits lead to a bit of a jump effect, where it sounds like a conversation or music cue is suddenly cut short. Overall, it’s a solid track, nothing too out of the ordinary or distracting, considering all things involved with this restoration. Some slight hiss is present, but it’s not distracting.

On the bonus features front, we’re treated to a great number of tidbits. In addition to the previously mentioned Restoration featurette, historian Tim Lucas provides a deep-dive, informative commentary for the film, filled with even more material about the film's production. Added to the mix for a very engaging conversational and just as informative audio commentary are historians Troy Howarth, Troy Guinn, and Rodney Barnett. This is more of an entertaining and fun track; it also helps if you’ve seen other Naschy monster movies because these guys reference a number of other features, but it’s well worth your attention. Of the rest of the film, the deleted scenes are interesting because it’s basically the first 15 minutes of the original version of the film before it got cut to ribbons and incorporated into that daffy opening prologue. 

• Audio Commentary featuring Tim Lucas
• Audio Commentary featuring Troy Howarth, Troy Guinn, adn Rodney Barnett
• About the 3-D Restoration with Tim Lucas (HD 25:28)
• Alternate Opening Title Sequence (HD 2:15)
• Deleted Scenes (HD 15:41)
• Theatrical Trailer
• Radio Spots

Frankenstein’s Bloody Terror is an oddity of U.S. release marketing history. Just because a guy had a contract to fill, we have a Frankenstein film without Frankenstein. There’s nothing to do with Shelley’s classic creature anywhere in this film. Instead, it’s actually Paul Naschy’s tribute to Universal Classic Monsters as a Wolfman/Vampire monster mashup. Written by and starring Naschy, the film is drenched in gothic atmosphere, delivering some solid frights and a good bit of gore and makeup work. Due to the unfortunate release circumstances here in the States, this Blu-ray 3D is a case of making the best of a terrible situation. It was a long process for the team at 3-D Film Archive to undertake, and they certainly did the Lord's work here. As the best elements continue to be held hostage, this disc is something of a restoration miracle. Not only is it a watchable experience, but we also get a great sense of how strong the 3D could look. As is, I had a blast with this film in 3D, even in its current state. Complete with some terrific extras, including two very informative and fun commentaries, I have to call this Blu-ray 3D Recommended.