Review of Frankenstein's Bloody Terror

Despite my summary, the DVD version from Rareflix may be worth buying only for the extras: Sam Sherman's interesting commentary on film distribution rigors to drive-in theaters during the 1960's and early 1970's, and the added original promotional trailers and a copy of the original movie poster inside the DVD box. We learn the reasons Sherman fraudulently hyped this movie as a "Frankenstein" film, as even the title would suggest, despite the fact Frankenstein appears nowhere in the film. I recall when this theater played at the local drive-in in Madison, WI in 1971 when I was a kid. My neighbors, who went to the film, which was on a triple bill with two Hammer Dracula pictures, endlessly complained how the advertising was a complete "rip off" as it was an lousy werewolf movie containing no Frankenstein. Obviously, they did not recommend it, but I remained intrigued all these years only due to that great movie poster referenced above. Sherman states on the commentary that he believed at the time people would see what a good film it was and "forgive him" for the misleading Frankenstein promotion. After buying and viewing the DVD a few weeks ago, I disagree. The film itself is a complete bore, with a plot about as interesting as it is comprehensible. Like many Euro horror pictures of the time, we have a constant repetition of a few seconds of action abruptly interrupted by more inane plot. I'm sure many people's heads were nodding inside of their cars trying to stay awake while attempting to watch this flick at U.S. drive-ins in the 1970's. Again, only interesting as a period piece to catch the kind of unambitious, over-hyped trash all too often once shoveled into drive-in theaters by distributors like Independent-International. Sam Sherman's company nonetheless did bring a handful of good movies to the drive-ins. "Satan's Sadists" comes to mind. This surely ain't one of them.