Tied for the best movie I have ever seen

How sad is this?

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

Buxom blonde Vegas showgirl Judith (Regina Carrol) goes looking for her missing sister Joanie (Maria Lease), her search leading her to a fairground sideshow run by Dr. Duryea (J. Carrol Naish), the last of the Frankenstein family, who is working on a serum that can revive the dead. Helping Duryea in his work is hulking axe-wielding dope Groton (Lon Chaney Jr.) and midget barker Grazbo (Angelo Rossito). Also joining in with the fun are Count Dracula (Zandor Vorkov), who believes that the scientist's serum will make him invincible, and Frankenstein's monster, who has been exhumed by the vampire.There's no denying that Dracula vs Frankenstein is a lousy film, shot and acted with zero semblance of skill or talent, but it's also fairly entertaining for that very reason. With a 'make it up as they went along' script, inept special effects, laughable performances, and random guff involving hippies and bikers, this is grade-Z drive-in nonsense that fans of trash cinema will lap up. Among the film's hilarious highlights are Judith's awful musical number (her ample chest barely contained by her outfit), the axe-swinging Groton lopping off Joanie's head, Judith having a bad acid trip, the unexpected death of a major character (zapped by Dracula's deadly laser ring), and the unforgettable sight of Dracula ripping off the monster's arms.

Nobody watches an Al Adamson film in the expectation of seeing a masterpiece, but he occasionally rose above the schlock margin to craft a neat little flick ("Nurse Sherri") or at least a couple of interesting scenes ("Blood of Ghastly Horror"). "Dracula vs. Frankenstein", however, was not one of those occasions. Producer Samuel M. Sherman has noted that this is the most popular of the many horror and exploitation films that he and Adamson made together, and I have no reason to doubt him...but god, it's one jumbled mess of a movie. Mute, sweaty Lon Chaney Jr. and glass-eyed J. Carrol Naish looking as old and sickly as they were, Anthony Eisley in ludicrous hippie garb, a Dracula (Zandor Vorkov) with all the charisma of a garden hose, and the absolute worst-ever makeup job for Frankenstein's Monster (played by two different actors, John Bloom and Shelly Weiss): these are just a few of the tidbits that will delight fans of grade-Z cinema. It has in spades the vibe that permeates all of Adamson's work, but "Dracula vs. Frankenstein" lacks a certain something which the director was able to conjure from time to time.

Al Adamson's Dracula Vs. Frankenstein is a monster mash that is more horrible than horror. However, this shoddily made piece of sholock is amusing and memorable. Dracula Vs. Frankenstein is a real bad and cheap exploitation film, but it still is fun and delivers the goods for some extremely campy entertainment. J. Carrol Naish and Lon Cheney Jr. are actually good in this as Dr. Frankenstein and his henchman. This is also their final appearances in film. Zandor Vorkov is hilarious as Count Dracula and brings an ultra cheesy and awesomely bad performance that must be seen to believe. He certainly camps it up big time and is hilarious to watch. The rest of the cast is real bad and very funny as well. This cult classic combines (then contemporary) hippie and biker culture and still tries to sell this as a Gothic horror picture. Dracula AD this is not, or a good a cohesive film it isn't either. Al Adamson was a terrible film maker and like the rest of the films of his I have seen, they are of similar quality. However, this garbage does have an appeal. It has a modern remastered DVD and is more memorable and entertaining than a whole lot of stuff.

Dr. Frankenstein (J. Carrol Naish) is continuing his experiments deep inside a local funhouse (!) under the moniker Dr. Duryea. For some reason, Dracula hits him up to make him invincible and offers a re-animated monster from Frankenstein's past to do the doctor's bidding. Meanwhile, Judith (Regina Carrol) is looking for her missing sister, who has disappeared on the boardwalk where Frankenstein is operating. This one doesn't make much sense but it is pretty enjoyable. It certainly delivers on the title's promise. Dracula does indeed fight Frankenstein. Unfortunately, it is the wimpiest Dracula taking on the goofiest looking Frankenstein's monster. Al Adamson handles the whole thing with the kind of directorial flair that only he possesses. Naish is fun as the good doc. The pseudonymous Zandor Vorkov looks like Sasha Baron Cohen dressed up as Dracula. The highlight of the film is Lon Chaney, Jr. as the doctor's puppy-loving assistant Groton. This was his last film.