MOVIE REVIEW: 'BLACULA' Lives Again on Blu-ray

Two of the worst horror movies of the 1970s find eternal life on Blu-ray.

REVIEW: BLACULA and SCREAM BLACULA SCREAM

Both "Blacula" (1972) and, thankfully, its only sequel "Scream Blacula Scream" (1973) are a pair of horror films that cashed in on the unique genre movement known as Blaxplotation. This specific subgenre was a racial reflection of the exploitation movies that capitalized on gore, sex, violence, drugs and special effects rather than storytelling.

But Blaxplotation flicks were produced specifically for African American audiences. However, most of these motion pictures found mass appeal with multiple races and ethnicities.

Some of the more popular projects during the 1970's Blaxplotation craze include "Blazing Saddles" (1970), "Shaft" (1971), "Super Fly" (1972) and "Foxy Brown" (1974).

The subgenre continued to influence more modern day filmmakers, too. Films like "The Last Dragon" (1985), "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka" (1988) and "Jackie Brown" (1997) all continued the Blaxplotation tradition.

"BLACULA" (1972)

"Blacula," an intended mixture of horror and Blaxplotation, is just what it sounds like, which is the subgenre's take on the Prince of Darkness -- Dracula. In the original film, Prince Mamuwalde (William Marshall) seeks the council of Count Dracula (Charles Macaulay).

The African Prince gets more than he bargains for though when Dracula curses Mamuwalde to a life of torment, imprisoning him in a coffin with an unquenchable thirst for human blood. Dracula dubs his hapless victim Blacula, as the coffin and the fate of its new tenant are sealed.

Nearly 200 years pass, before Blacula is woken by, of all people, interior decorators.

Blacula's reign of terror begins immediately with their demise, but Dracula's soul brother soon finds himself face to face with the lovely temptress Tina (Vonetta McGee), and she bears a striking resemblance to Mamuwalde's true love lost at the hands of the sordid Dracula.

Obsessed with having Tina, Blacula transforms her into a vampire, so that they can share eternity together. His obsession with her turns out to be his undoing though.

When Tina is slaughtered at the film's conclusion, Blacula surrenders himself to the sunlight, as an act of suicide. He burns into oblivion heartbroken over losing his true love twice in his lifetime.

"Blacula" features a pair of cameos by veteran character actors Elisha Cook Jr. and Charles Macaulay. Obviously, the horror and sci-fi genres have a shared genesis, so it's worth mentioning that Marshall, Cook and Macaulay all appeared on the Star Trek T.V. show prior to their work on "Blacula." Macaulay appeared twice, as Jaris in the Jack the-Ripper-inspired episode Wolf in the Fold and as Landru in The Return of the Archons.

Elisha Cook Jr. was no stranger to the horror genre with appearances in "House on Haunted Hill" (1959) and "Rosemary's Baby" (1968). Cook portrayed attorney Samuel Cogley in the Star Trek episode Court Martial, while Marshall played the part of Dr. Daystrom in The Ultimate Computer.

Sadly, this brief history lesson, focusing solely on these three actors' connection to a famous science fiction television program, is one of the only redeeming factors about "Blacula."

However, the final scene that features the demise of the Black Prince is beautiful piece of horror. Blacula's skin disintegrates in the harsh reality of the sun, and his exposed skull is smoldering and rots away. It's disgustingly alluring.

"SCREAM BLACULA SCREAM" (1973)

"Scream Blacula Scream" (1973) begins with a disgruntled voodoo worshiper Willis Daniels (Richard Lawson) furious over the fact that he has been overlooked by a powerful Voodoo Queen to succeed her.

Instead, Lisa Fortier (Pam Grier) is chosen to lead the religious faction. Furious, Willis uses his mysterious voodoo powers to resurrect

Blacula from the dead to do his bidding, and get his revenge on the Queen and Lisa, but it is Willis that is enslaved by Mamuwalde.

In a desperate attempt to rid himself of Dracula's curse, Blacula eventually meets and implores Lisa to use her knowledge and voodoo powers to help free him from the hex he is forced to endure for all eternity.

Lisa agrees to help Mamuwalde, but quickly realizes that death is the only recourse she can take with Blacula, after she witnesses his bloodthirsty and murderous rage. Lisa stabs a voodoo doll, of Blacula's likeness, which kills Dracula's soul brother for good.

Neither film is worth writing home about, nor do the pictures warrant any place in the horror genre. They're just not scary by today's standards or the 70's. While both films try to be overtly violent and bloody, the only thing horrifying about either is the unfathomable fashions and disco-inspired music of that bygone decade.

By today's standards, the "Blacula" movies are ineffective in both terms of being frightening or just splatter vehicles. Their exploitative natures are lost in our modern world of the macabre, and without any cohesive storytelling, both films are about as pleasurable as picking at an infected sore.

"Blacula" is just unwatchable. And while "Scream Blacula Scream" is the better picture, of the two movies, it also relies almost solely on horror, violence and sexuality to carry the film. The narrative is like a small child lost by his or her mother in the woods -- nowhere to be found.

It's a shame that the filmmakers couldn't give two charismatic actors like Marhsall and Grier something substantial to do. They are both A-List talents submerged in an awful B-like movie. It's hard to fathom the waste of talent and chemistry on such a sub-par screenplay.

The one truly redeemable aspect from both pictures is the character of Blacula, and he is clearly the intended villain of the films. Regardless of the fact that he is intended to be the antagonist, Blacula comes across as the protagonist. Unlike Dracula, who is more monster than man, Prince Mamuwalde is a very sympathetic character full of complexity, human emotion and unimaginable pain. It's easy to relate and root for Dracula's so-called soul brother.

William Marshall gives a virtuoso performance, as the cursed Black Prince, which engenders empathy in the film's viewers. It's hard to feel good at the end of either movie when the person you care the most about dies. It's a shame that Marshall wasn't simply cast as Count Dracula at some point. He would definitely have presented the most intriguing and interesting version of Vlad after Bela Lugosi and Christopher Lee's Draculas.

"Blacula" spawned yet another horror/Blaxplotation venture in 1973 -- "Blackenstein." There are no words for how bad that film is. Both the Blacula pictures look like Academy Award worthy projects when compared to this piece of rubbish. You'd probably feel better running your elbow across a cheese grater then you would after viewing "Blackenstein." Stay away at all cost!

The good news, if you really want to waste your time with these films, is that "Scream Blacula Scream" and "Blackenstein" can be found in a number of places online to view for free. The bad news is that you're probably going to have to pay to watch "Blacula."

SEE or SNUB

BLACULA -- sNuB

SCREAM BLACULA SCREAM - sNuB

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS:

Urban action and fatal attraction give rise to a groove from beyond the grave in this funkadelic, fangadelic Soul Cinema sensation! The eternally cool William Marshall puts a fresh spin on the age-old legend of the vampire, condemned to wander the earth with an insatiable lust for blood. Featuring Blacula and Scream, Blacula, Scream

In 1780, African Prince Mamuwalde (Marshall) pays a visit to Count Dracula in Transylvania, seeking his support in ending the slave trade. Instead, the evil count curses his noble guest and transforms him into a vampire! Released from his coffin nearly two centuries later by a pair of luckless decorators, Mamuwalde emerges as Blacula, one cool, dressed to kill, dude strollin the streets of L.A. on a nightly quest for human blood and fine women!(/em)