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Customer Reviews of Blacula

"Wow, man, nice threads. Dig the fangs bro...NOOOOOOO!!!"
The 1972 film "Blacula" is a much better example of the Blaxploitation period, which began with the success of "Shaft" the previous year, than it is as a vampire movie. William Marshall, with his booming voice, plays the title character and gives the film a sense of credibility that probably only James Earl Jones could have matched. Without Marshall's sense of dignity, "Blacula" would have been reduced to slapstick. The story is that interior decorates buy the coffin of Prince Manuwalde andbring it back to Los Angeles, unaware that the African prince had been bitten by Dracula (Charles Macaulay) centuries before and locked inside. While wandering the nights in his eternal search for human blood, the prince sees Tina (Vonetta McGee), a woman who looks like his dear departed wife, Luva, and he is convinced she is his beloved reincarnated. While Blacula woos Tina, her friend Dr. Gordon Thomas (Thalmus Rasulala) figures out that this guy is a blood-sucking fiend and tries to hunt the vampire down.

Today the racial humor of this film seems dated, but in 1972 this movie was hip in being self-conscious about its blackness, which was the whole point of the Blaxploitation movement: to black movies made by black casts and crews for black audiences, instead of leaving it to Hollywood to ignore and denigrate blacks in the films that had been produced up to that point. The horror scenes are hokey in the extreme, but since they are basically being done for fun by director William Crain, it is hard to complain. Some critics have bemoaned the miss opportunity to make a telling critique of sexual hypocrisy in society, the way Bram Stoker's original novel did for the Victorian era (if you are inclined to read it that way), but the social agenda here is clearly race and not sex, which is totally appropriate as far as I am concerned. In addition to the 1973 sequel, "Scream, Blacula, Scream," other Blaxploitation horror films that followed this one included "Blackenstein," "Dr. Black and Mr. Hyde," and "The House on Skull Mountain." However, none of them would enjoy the reputation of "Blacula," which remains the defining film of this particular genre.

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Blacula Bytes!
A 1970's twist on the vampire cliché, BLACULA (1972) rises above its modest budget and "blaxploitation" genre to become a well-made cult-movie horror flick that has its share of the shocks, scares, and cheesy gore that endear movies of the era to contemporary horror fans. And fans of cult films and B-movies can now rejoice, as Dracula's "soul brother" has been resurrected once again--this time getting his "bytes" in digitally via DVD from MGM.

18th-century African prince Mamuwalde and his wife meet with the original Count Dracula to seek his aid in abolishing the burgeoning slave trade. But Dracula isn't the least bit interested in aiding the oppressed, and he instead puts the bite on Mamuwalde and turns HIM into a vamp--it is the Count himself who dubs Mamuwalde with the moniker BLACULA--then seals the prince in a coffin so that he will suffer through eternity with his new, and now unquenchable, thirst for blood. Fast forward nearly two centuries, where a couple of Los Angeles antique dealers are examining a batch of recent acquisitions, one of which is the "box" in which Mamuwalde is imprisoned. As expected, the two inadvertently free Mamuwalde and loose the bloodsucking brother to the ghettoes of L.A. (i.e., L.A. á la the 1970s). For the most part, Mamuwalde's "meals" are comprised of the city's low-lifes, but when he encounters a woman who resembles his long-dead wife and tries to win her affections, he crosses swords with mainstream society and starts down the path towards his inevitable defeat and destruction.

The film is elevated above its meager budget and exploitative script by the excellent and believable title-role performance of the late William Marshall. The deep, rich voice and Shakespearean training of this dynamic African-American actor brings dignity and intelligence to any role he plays, even an off-beat character like the vampire Blacula. Horror and SF fans are likely to recognize Marshall in guest-star parts on TV shows like the original THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E., classic STAR TREK (Dr. Richard Daystrom in the episode "The Ultimate Computer"), and THE WILD WILD WEST; and in starring or supporting roles in other genre films such as SKULLDUGGERY (1970), ABBY (1974), AMAZON WOMEN ON THE MOON (1987), and SORCERESS (1995). Those who spend time in front of "the tube" on Saturday mornings might also remember seeing Marshall on PEE-WEE'S PLAYHOUSE, on which he portrayed The King of Cartoons from 1987 to 1991.

Some of the actors filling supporting roles in BLACULA also add to the film's quality and charm. These include Thalmus Rasulala, a ubiquitous character actor of TV and film; the lovely Denise Nicholas, probably best known for being one of the stars of the 1970s TV comedy-drama ROOM 222; Gordon Pinsent, a Canadian actor who has appeared on numerous TV shows and films; Vonetta McGee, who has starred or guest-starred in numerous TV shows and several films, including the genre flick REPO MAN (1984); and Elisha Cook, Jr., a familiar character actor who is often recognized from his portrayal of hoodlum Wilmer Cook in the classic noir film THE MALTESE FALCON (1941).

The DVD from MGM--released as part of the company's "Soul Cinema" line, though it could have just as easily fit in with their "Midnite Movie" series--offers an anamorphic widescreen copy of BLACULA in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, and it appears that the print used for the transfer was in great shape. No extras are offered other than the theatrical trailer, but the very reasonable price makes BLACULA painlessly accessible to any horror-film collector.

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Great movie!
i saw this for the first time on Black stars back in october and i been inticipating to see it for years! its a very good movie! i love vampire movies from the 30's 40's 50's 60's and few from the 70's which is the only type ill watch!!! only 5 movies vamp movies from the 70's is what i like which includes this! Yorga! Satanic rites of dracula! love at first bite and Nosferatu The Vampyre's remake!

considering im only 16 years old this movie is a action pack classic 70's african american classic!!!!!!!!!!!!

i hope the KKK dont read this review considering im white! Lol