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Blacula (1972)

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15 out of 17 people found the following comment useful :-
William Marshall lifted this film..., 25 September 2004

Author: Look_The_Other_Way from United States

...from the standards of Blaxploitation movies of the time. The movie itself is more comical than scary (which is why I love it), but William Marshall brought a sense of dignity to his role of Mamawalde. In fact, it was his idea to change the main character from a jive-talking Black vampire to a tormented former king with a rich and tragic past. In the end, you actually feel sorry for him. This is an underrated film that is much better than it's avertizements would suggest. Though it may not be the best vampire/horror flick in the world, and it takes liberty with historical facts (a slave trade in Transylvania?!) it does contain a rather touching love story. With that being said, I have to admit that this movie also contains some of the most hilarious dialogue I've heard in a monster movie.

"Hey, man, that's a baaad cape!"

"A bat! A BAT! A GIANT BAAAT!!"

"Hey, where's that big dude with the cape?......AAAAH!"

"Suddeny I find your Congnac to be as...distasteful as your manner!"

And a load of others that, for censorship reasons, I probably cannot repeat here.

I recommend this movie to anyone who wants to have a spooky, retro good time.

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13 out of 15 people found the following comment useful :-
There is more to this film than meets the eye..., 22 March 2002
Author: Molly

Yeah, I know, it sounds ridiculous. There is, however, quite a lot beneath the hilarious surface of "Blacula." This is a unique take on the vampire legend. It is the first Dracula film I have seen in which the lead vampire is driven by rage, not by lust or blood lust. Blacula is a tragic figure, a man who is angry about his condition. One could even view this film as a microchosm of race and civil rights issues in the seventies. Yes, I know, that's pushing it. Oh, well, even if you don't go in for the sociological aspects of Blaxploitation horror, check this movie out. It's funny and campy--a great party movie. Also, believe it or not, there is a film called "Blackenstein" though I have been unable to find a cop

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10 out of 10 people found the following comment useful :-
Groovy blacksploitation classic., 30 April 2006

Author: HumanoidOfFlesh from Chyby,Poland

In 1780,African Prince Mamuwalde visits the castle of Count Dracula in Transylvania seeking his support in ending the slave trade.Dracula curses his noble guest,murders his wife and transforms Mamuwalde into a vampire,imprisoning him in a coffin to suffer the unending thirst of the damned.Released nearly two centuries later by a pair of homosexual interior decorators,Mamuwalde emerges as Blacula,a vampire with a strong urge to kill.On a nightly quest for human blood he meets and fells in love with Tina,the woman who reminds him his long time dead wife..."Blacula" is a campy and enjoyable horror flick.William Marshall is perfect as a lonely and sympathetic vampire Blacula.The acting is fine and there are some nice scares including slow-motion attack on Sam,the morgue attendant.Overall,"Blacula" is an ultimately satisfying blacksploitation flick that is surely destined to be a cult classic.8 out of 10.

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11 out of 12 people found the following comment useful :-
Pure Marketing Genius, 30 December 2002

Author: Stuart Mcdowall (stuart321@attbi.com) from Seattle,USA

At the time of Blacula's release, studios such as American International and Hammer were pumping out cheap horror flicks for an ever-thirsting legion of young fans (myself included). At the same time, blaxploitation films were also making big bank . . . so why not combine the two genres? It was pure marketing genius, backed by some of the biggest box office of 1972. The great Shakespearean actor William Marshall (Dr. Daystrom to you original Star Trek fans) plays the tormented African prince magnificently; asleep for 200 years, he awakes to find an African-American culture riddled with blaxploitation cliches. It's bad enough such a dignified man has the hunger -- he also has to deal with these people in giant heels and 'fros. The juxtaposition works as a statement about what slavery did to African culture, but is never overtly mentioned. . .after all, this is a horror flick too! Extra points for a musical appearance by The Hughes Corporation (before their big hit, "Rock the Boat") and a fine supporting performance by Denise Nicholas, a wonderful actress who should have had a bigger career. More silly than scary, Blacula endures as a unique film and pop-culture time capsule worth seeing.

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7 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :-
Not as scary as I remembered, 31 October 2001
Author: Michelle from Washington, DC

I saw Blacula in the theatre when I was 5 or 6 years old. It scared the bejeesus out of me!!! I had nightmares for weeks, and my mother was very angry at my cousins for taking me to see it. I wasn't allowed to watch a horror flick again until I was old enough to go on my own and buy my own ticket (and even then I stayed away for a while. . . the next one I saw was Nightmare on Elm Street when I was in highschool!!!).

Anyway, I saw the movie for the second time two nights ago, 29 years later.. . and it was not as scary as I remembered. However, I can see how my young mind was terrified at the time. AND, I can see how my teenaged cousins loved it so much. In 1972, this movie was at the early end of the blaxploitation era, and besides the fact that the main character was a bloodsucker, the characters were generally positive (i.e. no pimpin' drug-dealin' gangstas) You'll be hard pressed to find another early seventies black movie that can say that!

I think, for the time, it was a pretty good low budget horror movie. They deserve their own category, you know.

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7 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :-
About BLACULA..., 10 June 2001
Author: DisqoVlad from WCW Special Forces

BLACULA has always been a favorite flick of mine. Two of my biggest intertests within pop culture are the "blaxploitation" film era and gothic subculture. BLACULA makes a perfect melding of these two genres. I also love the fact that it's unique to all other "blaxploitation" movies in the sense that it has a story with true backbone, and the film's main player, William Marshall, gets so into the role he plays and isn't just another Afro-American leading man that talks the lingo and prances around in a fur. He seems well-dignified and intelligent. I thoroughly enjoy this movie and recommend it highly.

And where the hell is the DVD??!!?

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8 out of 9 people found the following comment useful :-
One of the better "blaxploitation" horror films of the 70s, 30 April 2000

Author: Casey-52 from DVD Drive-In

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!

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13 out of 19 people found the following comment useful :-
One of the best Vampire films ever!, 20 March 2002

Author: chet19 from l.a.

I'm a vampire purist. I prefer vampire movies where the vampire IS afraid of crosses, CANNOT come out in the daytime, and is generally scarey. Vampires are not cool surfer dudes like in the Lost Boys nor misunderstood hemopheliacs like in Blade. They are Satanic beings.

Blacula has it all. I saw this one at a drive-in in the early 70s (a double feature with Frogs) and I fell in love with it even though I was just a kid and had to close my eyes several times cos I was so scared. In the 1500s, Count Dracula gets p***ed at an African Count and they argue about slavery. Next thing you know, Dracula dubs the African "Blacula" and bites him. Great stuff!

Also, this film has one of the more unique endings to any vampire movies. It's original all-around.

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4 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
Classic love story..., 30 March 2002

Author: poe426 from USA

William Marshall's performance alone elevates this one to classic fright film status: his character is noble and carries himself with a regal bearing befitting his position as a leader of his people, and Marshall never allows him to degenerate into a campy parody of a vampire. This film is a love story (of the "long lost" variety, an approach also used by the DARK SHADOWS tv show of the same era), but it definitely has TEETH: The slo-mo attack on Elisha Cook, Jr., for instance, helps make BLACULA one of the scariest horror movies of its era. Much has been made of the alleged production values. Keep in mind that this was 1972- 3 decades ago. The production values were superb for the time. (Trust me on this: I've seen some movies whose production values would make BLACULA look like THE GODFATHER by comparison.) Sure, it's dated- but the love story at its heart is timeless.

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5 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
"I curse you with my name. You shall be...BLACULA!!", 17 January 2003
Author: Backlash007 from Kentucky

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

~Spoiler~

I've been watching some unconventional vampire flicks lately, but this one takes the cake. Blacula mixes my two favorite genres, horror and blaxploitation. Here's the storyline: Count Dracula turns an African prince into a vampire and buries him alive inside his castle over a dispute about slavery. In present day 1972, two gay interior decorators buy Drac's castle and bring the antique coffins to America and unwittingly unleash Blacula. William Marshall (King of Cartoons from Pee Wee's Playhouse) says "Eddie Murphy eat your heart out." Blacula is everything that Vampire in Brooklyn wanted to be. I just wish Rudy Ray Moore had a part in this. "Chasin' tale could get you killed, y'know." That's the obvious moral of this love story. Blacula goes after the reincarnation of his dead wife and it all leads to his own suicide. Some odd occurrences include a widow's peak afro, a very memorable opening credit sequence, and a PG rating. Some great moments and about a laugh-a-minute make this one hard not to enjoy. Now I have to find Dr. Black, Mr. Hyde and Blackenstein.

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