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Blacula
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Wikipedia article
{{Infobox film
| name = Blacula
| image = POSTER - BLACULA.jpg
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = William Crain
| producer =
| screenplay =
| starring =
| music = Gene Page
| cinematography = John M. Stephens
| editing = Allan Jacobs
| studio =
| distributor = American International Pictures
| released =
| runtime = 92 minutes
| country = United States
| language = English
| budget =
| gross =
}}
'Blacula' is a 1972 American blaxploitation horror film directed by William Crain. It stars William Marshall in the title role about an 18th-century African prince named Mamuwalde, who is turned into a vampire (and later locked in a coffin) by Count Dracula in the Count's castle in Transylvania in the year 1780 after Dracula refuses to help Mamuwalde suppress the slave trade.
'Blacula' was released to mixed reviews in the United States, but was one of the top-grossing films of the year. It was the first film to receive an award for Best Horror Film at the Saturn Awards. 'Blacula' was followed by the sequel 'Scream Blacula Scream' in 1973 and inspired a wave of blaxploitation-themed horror films.
Plot
In 1780, African prince Mamuwalde goes to Transylvania to seek the help of Count Dracula in suppressing the slave trade. Dracula refuses, however, and insults Mamuwalde by making a pass at his wife, Luva. After a scuffle with Dracula's minions, Mamuwalde is bitten by Dracula and transformed into a vampire. Dracula then curses him with the name "Blacula" and imprisons him in a sealed coffin in a crypt hidden beneath the castle while leaving Luva to die in the chamber with Blacula.
In 1972, two interior decorators, Bobby McCoy and Billy Schaffer, purchase the coffin and ship it to Los Angeles. Bobby and Billy open the coffin, only to become Blacula's first victims. At the funeral home where McCoy's body is laid, Blacula spies on mourning friends Tina Williams, her sister Michelle, and Michelle's boyfriend, Dr. Gordon Thomas, a pathologist for the Los Angeles Police Department. Blacula becomes obsessed with Tina, believing her to be the reincarnation of Luva. Thomas notices oddities with McCoy's death that he later concludes to be consistent with vampire folklore. Blacula follows Tina after leaving the funeral home but unintentionally frightens her. Tina runs away from him, and Blacula loses her when he is hit by a cab. He then kills the cabbie, Juanita Jones, turning her into a vampire.
Thomas, Michelle, and Tina celebrate Michelle's birthday at a nightclub, and Blacula shows up to return Tina's purse she dropped the night before. Thomas answers a phone call from the funeral director, who informs him that McCoy's body has gone missing. Blacula asks Tina to see him again the following evening, but they are interrupted by Nancy, a photographer who takes a photograph of them together. Soon after, Blacula kills Nancy and destroys the photo she just developed, which shows Blacula conspicuously absent. The next evening, Blacula visits Tina at her apartment and shares how Dracula enslaved him and Luva and how he was cursed with vampirism. He and Tina then spend the night together.
Thomas, Lt. Jack Peters, and Michelle are meanwhile following the trail of murder victims, as Thomas begins to suspect a vampire of being the perpetrator. After Thomas digs up Schaffer's coffin, the corpse rises as a vampire and attacks Thomas, who fends him off and drives a stake through his heart. Thomas calls the morgue and alerts Sam, the attendant, to take Jones' body out of deep freeze and leave. Sam rolls her body out but neglects to lock the door. Jones rises and immediately attacks and kills him. Thomas and Peters arrive at the morgue to find blood smeared on the corridor wall near the payphone where Sam answered the call, but no sign of Sam himself. They walk into the exam room by the freezer, where Peters sees a sheet-covered body lying on a gurney and pulls the sheet back to reveal Jones rising to attack him. Thomas keeps her at bay with a crucifix long enough to open the window blinds and expose her to sunlight, destroying her.
That evening, Thomas, Michelle, and Tina are enjoying drinks at the club when Blacula arrives to pick Tina up. Thomas questions Blacula about vampires and makes it known that the police are planning a search for the vampire's coffin, provoking an uncomfortable Blacula and Tina to leave. Soon after, Thomas searches Nancy's house and finds a photo negative of Tina standing in front of the invisible Blacula. He correctly deduces that Blacula is the vampire they seek and that Blacula and Tina are still together. Thomas rushes to Tina's apartment, finding them embracing. Thomas and Blacula briefly struggle, but Blacula knocks Thomas unconscious and flees, killing a police officer in a nearby alley as he escapes. After McCoy is seen walking the streets of Los Angeles, Thomas, Peters, and several police officers track Blacula to his hideout. They locate a nest of several vampires there, including McCoy, and destroy them, but Blacula escapes.
Blacula hypnotizes Tina into going to his new hideout at a nearby underground chemical plant while Thomas and the police pursue him. Blacula dispatches several of the officers, but one of them accidentally shoots and mortally wounds Tina. To save her life, Blacula transforms her into a vampire. Blacula fights the police, one of whom locates the coffin and alerts Thomas and Peters. However, Peters kills Tina with a stake, believing that Blacula would be in the coffin instead. Devastated, Blacula climbs the stairs to the roof, where the morning sun destroys him.
Cast
Production
Many members of the cast and crew of 'Blacula' had worked in television. Director William Crain had directed episodes of 'The Mod Squad'.Lawrence, 2008. pg. 49 William H. Marshall's Mamuwalde was the first black vampire to appear in film. Marshall had previously worked in stage productions and in episodes of 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.', 'The Nurses', 'Bonanza', 'Star Trek' and 'Mannix'. Thalmus Rasulala, who plays Dr. Gordon Thomas, is best known for roles in episodes of 'The Twilight Zone', 'Perry Mason', 'Rawhide', 'Roots' (1977 miniseries) and 'What's Happening!!'.
'Blacula' was in production between late January and late March 1972. While 'Blacula' was in its production stages, William Marshall worked with the film producers to make sure his character had some dignity. His character name was changed from Andrew Brown to Mamuwalde and his character received a background story about being an African prince who had succumbed to vampirism.Lawrence, 2008. pg. 50 'Blacula' was shot on location in Los Angeles, with some scenes shot in Watts and the final scenes taken at the Hyperion Outfall Treatment Plant in Playa del Rey.
The music for 'Blacula' is unlike that of most horror films as it features a funk soundtrack, as opposed to haunting classical music.Lawrence, 2008. pg. 55 The film's soundtrack features a score by Gene Page and contributions by the Hues Corporation and 21st Century Ltd.
Release
'Blacula' opened in Washington, Dallas, Seattle and Oklahoma City on July 26, 1972, and in Chicago two days later. Prior to its release, American International Pictures' marketing department wanted to ensure that black audiences would be interested in 'Blacula'; some posters for the film included references to slavery.Lawrence, 2008. pg. 56 American International Pictures also held special promotional showings at two New York theaters; anyone wearing a flowing cape would receive free admission. 'Blacula' was popular in America, debuting at #24 on 'Variety's list of top films. It eventually grossed over a million dollars, making it one of the highest-grossing films of 1972.
Scream Factory released the film on Blu-ray as a double feature with 'Scream Blacula Scream' on March 2, 2015.
Reception
'Blacula' received mixed reviews on its initial release.Lawrence, 2008. pg. 57 'Variety' gave the film a positive review praising the screenplay, music and acting by William Marshall. The 'Chicago Reader' praised the film, writing that it would leave its audience more satisfied than many other "post-Lugosi efforts". Gene Siskel of the 'Chicago Tribune' awarded three stars out of four, calling it "well-made and quite frightening." A review from Roger Greenspun in 'The New York Times' was negative, stating that anyone who "goes to a vampire movie expecting sense is in serious trouble, and "Blacula" offers less sense than most." In 'Films & Filming', a reviewer referred to the film as "totally unconvincing on every level". The 'Monthly Film Bulletin' described the film as "a disappointing model for what promised to be an exciting new genre, the black horror film." and that apart from the introductory scene, "the film conspicuously fails to pick up on any of its theme's more interesting possibilitiescinematic or philosophical." The film was awarded the Best Horror Film title at the first Saturn Awards.
Among more recent reviews, Kim Newman of 'Empire' gave the film two stars out of five, finding the film to be "formulaic and full of holes". 'Time Out' gave the film a negative review, stating that it "remains a lifeless reworking of heroes versus vampires with soul music and a couple of good gags." Film4 awarded the film three and a half stars out of five, calling it "essential blaxploitation viewing." Allmovie gave the film two and a half stars out of five, noting that 'Blacula' is "better than its campy title might lead one to believe...the film suffers from the occasional bit of awkward humor (the bits with the two homosexual interior decorators are the most squirm-inducing), but Joan Torres and Raymond Koenig's script keeps things moving at a fast clip and generates some genuine chills." 'The Dissolve' gave the film two and a half stars, stating that "The placement of an old-fashioned, Bela Lugosi-type Draculaalbeit much, much sweatierin a modern black neighborhood is a great idea, but the amateurish production leaves Marshall as stranded in the film as his Mamuwalde is stranded in the times."
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 48% based on , with a weighted average rating of 5.3/10.
Aftermath and influence
The box office success of 'Blacula' sparked a wave of other Black-themed horror films.Lawrence, 2008. pg. 58 A sequel to the film titled 'Scream Blacula Scream' was released in 1973 by American International. The film also stars William Marshall in the title role along with actress Pam Grier. American International was also planning a follow-up titled 'Blackenstein', but chose to focus on 'Scream Blacula Scream' instead. 'Blackenstein' was eventually produced by Exclusive International Pictures.Lawrence, 2008. pg. 59
The 2021 documentary 'Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror,' 'Blacula' is considered an important film in black cinema, with the tackling of systemic racism, the history of affluent black men being killed for "not knowing their place" and portraying 1700s Africans as regal, diplomatic and active in global affairs.Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror Marshall's performance is also highly regarded, and is seen as a highly positive representation of African-Americans in film, due to his regality, commanding presence and Marshall's own input of the character. Director William Crain revealed in the documentary that during the nightclub scene, his 1st A.D. had segregated the dancing couples. Despite knowing he could lose his job, Crain made him switch couples up, so whites and blacks would be seen dancing together.
Despite featuring it in their Bad Movie Roast segment, the black-owned podcast 'Double Toasted' defended the film; saying the only elements that make the film "bad" are its low budget and its adherence to the blaxploitation subgenre (singling out the character of Skillet as a prime example of stereotypes in blaxploitation). "'Blacula' is a good film stuck in a bad format, and that format is blaxploitation." They also noted that Dr. Gordon, the film's Van Helsing stand-in, is not afraid to call the police he works with out for the mistreatment of Black people by law enforcement.
On June 17, 2021, it was announced that a reboot was in development. The film will be a co-production between MGM, Bron Studios and Hidden Empire Film Group with Roxanne Avent producing and Deon Taylor and Micah Ranum co-writing. Taylor will also direct the film.
See also
* List of American films of 1972
* Blaxploitation
* Vampire films
* 'Dracula A.D. 1972'
Notes
References
**
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