“Blacula” (1972)

Studio: American International Pictures (AIP)
Starring: William Marshall, Vonetta McGee, Denise Nicholas, Thalmus Rasulala
Directed by: William Crain
Rated: PG
Running Time: 93 min.

Synopsis: An African Prince is bitten by Dracula in the 18th century and is locked away until 200 years later where the Prince is unleashed and becomes Blacula.

REVIEW

Chris Woods

Blacula was always one of those films I’ve wanted to see for a long time. Back in the day, roaming through the video store and looking down the horror aisle, I use to always see Blacula, but never rented the film. So, it became one of those titles that I’ve always wanted to see for years, but never got around to viewing it. Recently I bought Blacula in a double disc set that included the sequel, Scream, Blacula, Scream, and I finally got to see the movie. Overall I was disappointed with the film and thought it could have been so much better.

Probably one of the best-known blaxploitation titles from the 70’s and a popular horror film as well. The movie starts off in 1780 with an African Prince (played by William Marshall) and his princess going to Transylvania to get Count Dracula to help them stop the slave trade. (Of course they have no idea he’s a vampire.) Dracula cannot help them and asks the Prince for his wife. The two try to leave the castle, but are confronted by Dracula’s minions and Dracula bites the Prince. The Count locks him in a coffin where he’ll suffer for all eternity without drinking blood from the living. His princess is put in a crypt with the coffin and is locked away forever. After Dracula curses him he proclaims him as Blacula, The Black Prince of Darkness.

Fast-forward to present day (well, 1972) where two gay antique dealers buy everything in the Castle of Dracula, along with the coffin with Blacula in it. All the items are shipped to L.A. and as the dealers are looking through all their new stuff, they open up the coffin and Blacula pops out and feast on their blood for the first time. The rest of the film Blacula wanders the streets of L.A. and tracks down a woman who looks just like his princess.

When I was watching this film I was thinking about how good it could have been. Most of the film is very boring and the characters are lame. There was a strong opening with the film. The parts at Dracula’s castle were very good and creepy, but after that the film became very dull. I also noticed when the gay couple goes into the crypt to take the coffin, there’s no sign of the princess’ bones, since she was left there with the coffin. Most of all the vampire scenes were done very well and were eerie at times. Especially the part when Blacula rises out of his coffin and attacks the gay antique dealers and a scene where one of Blacula’s victims, who is at the morgue, becomes a vampire herself and attacks the attendant there are really good and scary.

It’s funny that when Blacula awakens in the year 1972, it doesn’t faze him that he’s in a whole new time and a whole new world. I wish they had him wonder where he was and what year and century he was in. He never even questioned those crazy machines on the roads with wheels or those tall structures throughout the city or even those funky clothes that people were wearing. Another thing is that he never questioned what he has become. He automatically knows that he’s a vampire. Before he was bitten and even after he was, he didn’t even know what kind of a creature that was. There’s also a part where someone takes a picture of Blacula and he gets pissed, then later he bites the woman who took his picture after she develops it and sees he’s not in the photo. Like he knew what a camera was and that he knew he wouldn’t show up in the picture. The filmmakers should of spent more time fleshing out the character.

Also, the rest of the cast was very weak and didn’t add anything to the film. They were not likable at all, even Blacula. I also use to hear that this film was part comedy and part horror, but I was glad to see that it was a straight up horror film with a few one-liners for comic relief, but that’s all. I wish the film would have been much better and I’m hoping Scream, Blacula, Scream will be more entertaining when I check that out.