Disc Reviews

Blacula – The Complete Collection Review

• 2nd Nov 2014

If ever two syllables from two words were joined together to create a magic cinema title this would be it. A potted history lesson: in the late 1960s the Civil Rights Movement gave more rights to the sizeable black population in the United States. Racial tensions continued culminating in the death of Martin Luther King. Yet there was a ground shift in black culture and sub-cultures in which black culture continued to assert its own identity. In 1970 a film with a mostly black cast dealing with black urban issues was made as a kind of black gangster/crime film. That film was Cotton Comes to Harlem. This was followed the next year by the first of the Shaft franchise of films about a maverick New York cop who knows the street and the language of his brethren.  Out of these films, and especially the former a new sub-genre emerged: Blaxploitation. It has to be remembered though that many of these films were still being made and produced by white directors. AIP (American International Pictures) who made the two Blacula films were the chief exponents of the Blaxploitation film. Blacula, made in 1972 of course puts the BLACK into Dracula. The film, like many Blaxploitation films (but unlike Shaft) doesn’t take itself seriously yet still targets its intended black audience with in-jokes and humour.

The story begins in 1780 with African prince, Prince Mamuwalde (TV actor William H. Marshall) staying at Count Dracula’s castle in Transylvania as the Prince seeks the help of Dracula to bring an end to the cross Atlantic slave trade. But after the charm Dracula reveals his racist intent and has no intention of helping Mamuwalde and instead vampirises him and his wife. Jump ahead to 1972 and Prince Mamuwalde estate has been sold and his coffin is brought back to Los Angeles when Dracula is awoken by split blood and immediately proceeds to attack and vampirise two painter and decorators. Mamuwalde, otherwise known as Blacula is now walking modern day LA in his long flowing cape and charming the society circles he begins to move on. Blacula is the personification of charm but when he needs blood, he needs blood. One such person he comes across is the beautiful Tina (Vonetta McGee) whom he believes is the reincarnation of his long dead wife. He pursues and charms Tina and tries to lure her to him but Blacula wishes for her vampirisation to be by choice. In the meantime he chews away at taxi drivers, policemen and other poor unfortunates.

Blacula is of course tongue-in-cheek but never the less also delivers some genuine scares and is not shy on the blood. Added to this, Marshall does bring a great deal of class to the role with his deep baritone voice and clear delivery, clearly identifies him as a black Christopher Lee. He also had input into the script and wanted at least a modicum of authenticity brought into this B movie. Also it is not shy on using the N word but the film proved to be a big hit on its release and gained instant cult status. There are holes in the plot and many of the performances (not Marshall’s) are wooden and stilted but the film does have a modicum of style, albeit cheap style best seen at Blacula’s demise at the end. Such a success was it that it spawned a sequel the following year, Scream Blacula, Scream which gains in a similar but at the same time predictable direction. Scream Blacula, Scream goes down the route of Blacula being revived by voodoo but otherwise follows a similar storyline. What it does have though is the wonderful and sexy Pam Grier, the queen of Blaxploitation, especially in the wake of Foxy Brown in 1974. Like Blacula, Scream Blacula, Scream has a similar funky soundtrack but keeps Blacula in modern day LA. This film does have a few slight improvements on the original in tat Blacula no longer growls like an angry wolf when attacking his victim but instead does the killing quietly. In Britain Hammer too would exploit this modern urban vampire in its own Dracula AD 1972 and The Satanic Rites of Dracula (which was billed on a double with Scream Blacula, Scream). The Blaxploitation film would continue in this vain in creating classic monsters for black audience with such amusing titles as Blackenstein (1973), Dr. Black and Mr. Hyde and Voodoo Black Exocist (both 1974) By 1975 the Blaxploitation had all but burnt itself out but the Blacula films gained a grown cult popularity.

That doyen of horror cinema Kim Newman presents the films in a 25 minute talk on both Blacula films and he is always interesting to read and listen to thanks to his passion for the horror film. Eureka! have released the set in a double edition Blu-ray/ DVD but there is little reason to really watch in Blu-ray as the film is quite grainy. But, as ever it is great that both rarefied treats are together.

Chris Hick