Dr. Orloff's Monster Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		3.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.0

Dr. Orloff's Monster Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf February 13, 2017

Jess Franco is an acquired taste. The genre filmmaker has his devoted fans, most drawn to his most popular offerings of horror, conveniently forgetting just how insanely prolific the helmer was, diluting whatever creative drive was there to begin with. Franco is a difficult director to place, as he clearly has love for chillers, spending most of his career on eerie endeavors that toyed with classic monsters and often veered unsteadily into sexploitation territory.

Franco and his questionable talents return for 1964’s “Dr. Orloff’s Monster,” which is titled as a sequel to 1961’s “The Awful Dr. Orloff,” but apparently has little to do with the original picture. Armed with a brand name and a slightly bizarre story about the recently deceased zombified through sound waves, Franco forges ahead with a mad scientist saga that touches on family horror and gothic accommodations. It’s not especially accomplished work, but Franco rarely has the time and money to spend on such frivolous things such as second takes and actors. Instead, “Dr. Orloff’s Monster” is a slow drive with no suspense, though, to be fair to Franco, the singular image of Andros, the monstrous villain with flaky skin, is bizarre enough to make an impression.

Dr. Orloff's Monster Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Wear and tear is prevalent during the AVC encoded image (1.67:1 aspect ratio) presentation. The source has plenty of rough patches, including chemical damage, scratches, and debris. This isn't a restoration of "Dr. Orloff's Monster," just an HD offering of it, and with lowered expectations, it's a passable effort, delivering passable detail throughout, best with make-up work and tight close-ups. Interiors are also textured, preserving the allegedly macabre mood of the picture. Black and white balance is comfortable, with adequate delineation. Grain is filmic.

Dr. Orloff's Monster Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix is also hit with age-related issues, with hiss and pops detected throughout the listening event. The feature is dubbed, making dialogue exchanges easy to follow, presented loud enough. Scoring isn't precise but it's understood. Sound effects are pronounced, retaining their artificial origin.

Dr. Orloff's Monster Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features film historian Tim Lucas.

• Alternate Footage (11:27, SD) is actually just a collection of excised nudity, watching exotic dancers boogie and supporting characters undress. No sound is offered.

• And a French Trailer (2:06, SD) and an Italian Trailer (2:05, SD) are included.

Dr. Orloff's Monster Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Franco employs his usual arrangement of filmmaking tools, including snap zooms, dark cinematography, and periodic bursts of semi-naked women, wedged in here (along with night club performances) to help with wandering attentions spans. Franco doesn't elevate the material, sticking close to his to-do list for horror productions, putting in a basic effort to hit all the required moments of shadowy encounters and more aggressive violence. The rest is just a bore.