Blacula (1972)

Director:

William Crain

Writers:

Raymond Koenig (writer)
Joan Torres (writer)

Release Date:

25 August 1972 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

Rising From the Echoing Corridors of Hell, An Awesome Being of the Supernatural - With Satanic Power of Sheer Dread. Chained Forever to a Slavery More Vile Than Any Before Endured...

Plot:

Interior decorators buy the coffin of an African prince bitten by Dracula centuries before and bring it back to Los Angeles...

Plot Keywords:

Dracula | Animated Credits | Target | Tense | Undead

Awards:

1 win

Cast

William Marshall	...	Mamuwalde / Blacula
Vonetta McGee	...	Luva / Tina
Denise Nicholas	...	Michelle
Thalmus Rasulala	...	Dr. Gordon Thomas
Gordon Pinsent	...	Lt. Jack Peters
Charles Macaulay	...	Dracula
Emily Yancy	...	Nancy, Photographer
Lance Taylor Sr.	...	Swenson, Undertaker
Ted Harris	...	Bobby McCoy
Rick Metzler	...	Billy Schaffer
Ji-Tu Cumbuka	...	Skillet
Logan Field	...	Sgt. Barnes
Ketty Lester	...	Juanita Jones, Cabbie
Elisha Cook Jr.	...	Sam (as Elisha Cook)
Eric Brotherson	...	Real Estate Agent

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Sweden:15 | UK:15 (re-rating) | USA:PG | Australia:M

Company:

American International Pictures (AIP)

Trivia:

The group performing in the club is The Hues Corporation.

Quotes:

Waitress: [to Mamuwalde] Hi! What'll you have?
Mamuwalde: Make it a Bloody Mary.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror VIII (#9.4)" (1997)

One of the better "blaxploitation" horror films of the 70s

Given the cheesy title, any viewer would go into "Blacula" expecting a laughable blaxploitation flick. But in fact, not only is "Blacula" well-made, it ranks as one of the best vampire films of all time.

"Blacula" certainly doesn't age very well; the music, clothes, and Afros alone drive a stake into the movie's hip status! But the movie is a lot of fun to watch. William Marshall is a great vampire, with a suave deep voice and quite a brooding presence on screen. He definitely challenges Christopher Lee as most memorable screen vampire. Vonetta McGee and Denise Nicholas provide screams and a love interest and both became very popular in the blaxploitation film industry. I loved them both!!! Everyone else in the cast does a rather good job; one noteworthy bit part is Ketty Lester as the cabbie Juanita Jones. She is great and is only on-screen (alive, that is) for a few minutes! She, too, would continue in a prosperous blaxploitation career!

The Hues Corporation ("Rock the Boat") provide some pretty good music in a club; their three songs and the "Blacula" theme song are good excuses for buying the soundtrack CD! Overall, "Blacula" does deliver the goods. It's got some nice campy parts (jive talk, the forementioned Afros and fashions), but is also filled with hair-raising scare scenes (Juanita Jones attacking the undertaker Elisha Cook, Jr., the warehouse filled with vampires). The ending is certainly a surprise and finishes off a great moviegoing experience. Skip "Blackenstein" and get this, it is certainly worth any horror fan/psychotronic fan's money!

P.S., The term "Blaxploitation" does not mean the exploitation of black actors/actresses, it means advertising schemes exploiting the fact that black people are in the films to lure black moviegoers into the theatres!