Blacula
Blacula | |
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Directed by | William Crain |
Screenplay by |
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Produced by |
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Starring |
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Cinematography | John M. Stephens[1] |
Edited by | Allan Jacobs[1] |
Music by | Gene Page[1] |
Production companies |
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Distributed by | American International Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 92 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Box office | $1,980,000[3] |
Blacula is a 1972 American blaxploitation vampire 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 (from either suffocation or starvation) with Blacula.
In 1972, two
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
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 due to a distracting phone call. Suddenly the door opens, and an undead Jones rises and immediately attacks and kills him. Moments later 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 Christian cross 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 of Tina standing in front of a invisible Blacula. He correctly deduces that Blacula is the vampire they seek and that Blacula and Tina are 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 warehouse 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 a newly turned vampiric Tina with a stake, having believed Blacula would be in the coffin instead. Devastated and feeling he has no purpose to live after losing Luva again, Blacula commits suicide by climbing the stairs to the roof where the morning sun destroys him. Thomas and Peters witness Blacula's flesh melting away with maggots coming out of his face until all his flesh is gone and he is a skeleton.
Cast
- William Marshall as Prince Mamuwalde / Blacula
- Denise Nicholas as Michelle Williams
- Vonetta McGee as Tina Williams / Luva
- Gordon Pinsent as Lieutenant Jack Peters
- Thalmus Rasulala as Dr. Gordon Thomas
- Emily Yancy as Nancy, The Nightclub Photographer
- Lance Taylor Sr. as Swenson, The Funeral Director
- Logan Field as Sergeant Barnes
- Ted Harris as Bobby McCoy
- Rick Metzler as Billy Schaffer
- Ketty Lester as Juanita Jones / Taxi Cabbie
- Charles Macaulay as Count Dracula
- Ji-Tu Cumbuka as "Skillet"
- Elisha Cook, Jr.as Sam, The Morgue Attendant
- Eric Brotherson as Real Estate Agent
- The Hues Corporation as Themselves, The Performers At The Nightclub
Production
Many members of the cast and crew of Blacula had worked in television. Director
Blacula was in production between late January and late March 1972.
The music for Blacula is unlike that of most horror films as it features a funk soundtrack,[6] as opposed to haunting classical music.[7] The film's soundtrack features a score by Gene Page and contributions by the Hues Corporation and 21st Century Ltd.[6]
Release
Blacula opened in Washington, Dallas, Seattle and Oklahoma City on August 25, 1972, and in Chicago two days later.[2] 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.[8] American International Pictures also held special promotional showings at two New York theaters; anyone wearing a flowing cape would receive free admission.[8] Blacula was popular in America, debuting at #24 on Variety's list of top films. It eventually grossed over 1 million dollars, making it one of the highest-grossing films of 1972.[9]
Reception
Blacula received mixed reviews on its initial release.
Among more recent reviews,
On
Aftermath and influence
The box office success of Blacula sparked a wave of other Black-themed horror films.[9][20] 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.[20] American International was also planning a follow-up film titled Blackenstein, but chose to focus on Scream Blacula Scream instead. Blackenstein was eventually produced by Exclusive International Pictures.[21] In a 2004 episode of The Simpsons, Homer, Marge and Lisa watch part of a film called "Blacula Meets Black Dracula" that had fun with this central idea; after the two leads drain an evil businessman who plans to tear down their favorite disco to make way for a hockey rink, Homer says affectionately "You know, Black Dracula is now a Congressman from Virginia."
On June 17, 2021, it was announced that a
See also
Notes
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Blacula". American Film Institute. Archived from the original on 2 January 2022. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
- ^ BoxOffice: 8. 1972.
...opens for the first time Wednesday (26) in Washington, D.C., Dallas, Seattle and Oklahoma City...
- ISBN 9780835717762. Please note figures are for rentals in US and Canada
- ^ a b c d Lawrence, 2008. pg. 49
- ^ Lawrence, 2008. pg. 50
- ^ Allmusic. Archivedfrom the original on August 22, 2021. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
- ^ Lawrence, 2008. pg. 55
- ^ a b c Lawrence, 2008. pg. 56
- ^ a b c d e Lawrence, 2008. pg. 57
- ^ a b Tobias, Scott (March 2, 2015). "Blacula Scream Blacula Scream". The Dissolve. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 3, 2015.
- ^ Siskel, Gene (July 31, 1972). "Blacula". Chicago Tribune. p. 15.
- ^ Greenspun, Roger (August 26, 1972). "Blacula (1972)". The New York Times. Retrieved February 5, 2011.
- Monthly Film Bulletin. 40 (468). London, England: British Film Institute: 188–189.
- ^ "Past Saturn Awards". Saturn Awards. Archived from the original on May 11, 2008. Retrieved February 5, 2011.
- ^ Newman, Kim. "Blacula Review". Empire. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved February 5, 2011.
- ^ "Blacula Review". Time Out. 10 September 2012. Archived from the original on 26 February 2010. Retrieved February 5, 2011.
- ^ "Blacula (1972)". Film4. Archived from the original on March 24, 2012. Retrieved February 5, 2011.
- ^ Guarisco, Donald. "Blacula: Review". Allmovie. Archived from the original on January 18, 2022. Retrieved February 5, 2011.
- ^ "Blacula (1972) - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixer. Archived from the original on 3 December 2017. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
- ^ a b Lawrence, 2008. pg. 58
- ^ Lawrence, 2008. pg. 59
- ^ Jackson, Angelique (June 17, 2021). "'Blacula' Reboot in the Works From MGM, Bron and Hidden Empire Film Group (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on November 3, 2021. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
References
- Lawrence, Novotny (2008). Blaxploitation films of the 1970s: Blackness and genre. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-96097-7. Retrieved February 5, 2011.
- Kane, Tim (2006). The Changing Vampire of Film and Television. McFarland & Co. ISBN 0-7864-2676-4. Retrieved February 5, 2011.
External links
- Blacula at AllMovie
- Blacula at IMDb
- Blacula at the TCM Movie Database
- Blacula at the American Film Institute Catalog
- Blacula at Rotten Tomatoes
- Official Trailer #1 on YouTube