Bram Stoker and Mary Shelley would certainly raise a toast to their characters in Jose Prendes’ Monster Mash. Victor Frankenstein sends his creature Boris to abduct Count Dracula’s daughter, Elisabeta. Dracula gathers a few old friends who are victims of Frankenstein to stop him from creating a monster that can be the end of the world. A fright warning before the climax is one of the funniest things in this crazy rollercoaster of a movie.
Spoilers Ahead
What Happens In The Movie?
Count Dracula finds her daughter missing from her chambers. Elisabeta’s attendant Pia leads Dracula to his daughter’s lover, Mila. Mila is a witch who is into necromancy when she’s not at the bar. A remnant of a fake Egyptian relic leads the Count to pursue Ramses. Frankenstein sends Boris to collect Ramses’ immortal heart, along with the skin of the invisible man, Griffin. Dracula revives Ramses, and they soon discover that the monster that took Elisabeta is also collecting body parts of his foes, and he assembles them together to take down Frankenstein and his monster.
Is Boris Really A Monster?
Boris is hideous and big, and we can assume he’s a version of Frankenstein’s monster. The similarity in the depiction of the creature and Boris is uncanny. Boris does whatever Frankenstein orders him to do, but he gets no appreciation for his efforts. As soon as he’s done serving him, the doctor asks him to go away. Boris grows fond of Elisabeta, who’s kind and listens to his half-finished sentences. Elisabeta can read minds, and she sees how Frankenstein created Boris. Boris’ personality is that of a baby who just wants to be heard and cared for; it’s more obvious when he asks Elisabeta to read his book. He’s an unloved kid asking for his father’s validation while Frankenstein repeatedly abuses him for his own benefit.
Why Is Frankenstein Targeting The Supernatural?
Forget everything you know about the original Frankenstein. This doctor has lost it and wants to piece together a body with the unreal qualities these men possess. Frankenstein uses Boris to fetch him whatever he needs—even an arm and a leg—from the man-wolf Charles. Frankenstein’s wish to make death obsolete and defy his fate is driving him crazy, and Boris is also helping him fulfill his goal. His reason for abducting Elisabeta is only to use her as bait to capture Dracula.
How Does Dracula Find Frankenstein?
Mila uses her voodoo to resurrect Browning, a dead medium who made a name for herself. Browning reveals the identity of Frankenstein and also tells them how his intentions of defying death could be the end of it all. He plans to create a homunculus from Immortals and that’s bad news. After Boris attacks the Invisible Man and rips his skin apart, Ramses, Griffin, and Dracula join forces to take Boris and his father out. They approach the man-wolf, Charles Conliff, but soon Boris arrives at his house. Despite the 4 legendary beings fighting Boris, he gets the better of them. Boris cuts the arms and legs off Charles, but thankfully, he grows them back pretty soon after he leaves. Boris leaves his ax behind, and Count Dracula figures that steel holds memories and can be traced back to it’s owner using blood magic. Mila uses her magic to find Frankenstein’s hideout, the Candlewood Castle.
How Do Dracula And His Team Infiltrate The Castle?
Dracula and Co. march in the cold to reach the gates of the Candlewood Castle. He speaks to his daughter using his senses, and Elisabeta tells Boris that her father has arrived. Boris doesn’t prove to be much trouble this time when Griffin shoots him down with silver bullets. The castle is filled with Egyptian ways of defense—booby traps, as we call them nowadays. Each individual show off their abilities to breeze through the traps, and Dracula finally reunites with his daughter. The reunion is not happy, as Frankenstein already has her in captivity. Frankenstein’s giant cross neutralizes Dracula’s powers, and he manages to tie Dracula down to a chair.
How Does Dracula Defeat Frankenstein?
Frankenstein drains some blood from Dracula’s body to finish his Magnum Opus. Frankenstein’s body can no longer survive on its own, and he needs this new body to survive. Griffin, Charles, and Ramses arrive to stop him, and Elisabeta uses the distraction to stab Frankenstein with his own cross. Meanwhile, Dracula changes his form to mist and disappears into thin air. Frankenstein transfers his consciousness into the body he created, and he’s now turned into a beast as tall as a four-story building. When all hope seems lost, Dracula returns in a true heroic fashion. He shapeshifts into a giant bat to take Frankenstein down. Boris finally sees Frankenstein as the monster he truly is, quite literally, and helps to keep him engaged for long enough. Dracula uses the opportunity to split himself into an army of bats, and Frankenstein swallows them all. The bats rip him apart and take the immortal heart out of him. Dracula doesn’t only look hot; the way he fights is kind of hot too, despite the low-budget CGI of the movie.
What’s Next For The Horror Legends?
Elisabeta’s disappearance helped Dracula reconnect with his old friends. The man who is feared for his wrath now sits in a bar, surrounded by friends and family. Elisabeta understands her father’s love for her, and both of them acknowledge their importance to each other. The group now plans to save the world and fight evil forces on a regular basis, and Dracula raises a toast to new beginnings.
Monster Mash reminds you of the classic campy horrors, which are nothing but sheer fun to watch. The funky over-the-top color grading, bad visual effects, and cheesy dialogues never put one off but does the exact opposite. A sequel might be on the cards, as this has a great potential to turn into a franchise. Until then, give this movie another watch when life seems dull.
