Blacula (1972)

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 8/28/08 at 11:33pm

Ok, so I just watched this on Hulu.com, and how amazing is this film?

Marshall gives an almost Shakesperean performance, amongst the total camp that are the rest of the vampires.

And what was up with the overt gay stereotypes?

Are most of the blaxplotation films like this?

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 8/29/08 at 7:09am

Blacula has a sequel. Another one to watch is Blackenstein.

[best12bars]

Posted: 8/29/08 at 9:18am

Blacula was way better than the usual blaxploitation film. And most of it had to do with William Marshall. But the rest of the cast is very good, and it's genuinely creepy. I still think it has one of the most surprising endings. Very romantic, and very sad. (and I won't say more without spoiling it)

The sequel (Scream, Blacula, Scream) isn't bad, but isn't nearly as good as the original.

And Blackenstein, despite my friend's participation in it (at an all-time career low), is terrible!

But Blacula is a good one! And it did surprisingly well at the box office too

As far as the gay stereotype, that's typical of the era, not the genre, unfortunately. They turn up as often as a Mickey Rooney or Vito Scotti did in doing bad Japanese.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 8/29/08 at 9:49am

Good old Vito Scotti. Loved him on GILLIGAN'S ISLAND, his little appearances as Dr. Balinkoff were always good for a laugh.

I remember seeing BLACULA at Film Forum, part of a great Blaxpoitation series they had some years back. Good fun, for the most part. Still kind of sad to see that incredibly distinguished William Marshall stuck in a movie like that. What a voice he had. He has a great cameo in AMAZON WOMEN ON THE MOON, as Video Pirate.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 8/29/08 at 12:07pm

I loved Marshall in Blacula, but he was truly terrible as the King of Cartoons on Pee Wee's Playhouse. I wonder if that was alzheimers, of which he died.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 8/29/08 at 12:16pm

That was him on Pee-Wee? I had *no* Idea.

[best12bars]

Posted: 8/29/08 at 12:21pm

All I know is he rocked as Blacula. That's good enough for me.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 8/29/08 at 12:24pm

This is officially one of those movies I have to buy.

Was a soundtrack released?

[best12bars]

Posted: 8/29/08 at 12:27pm

I have the DVD, and I watch it around Halloween time!

Looks like there's an import CD available from Amazon of the score...
LINK

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 8/29/08 at 12:50pm

I am so ordering it!

[Jon]

Posted: 8/29/08 at 12:52pm

Besides Blackula and Blackenstein, don't forget the other Blaxploitation horror flicks:

THE BLUMMY

THE BLUNCHBLACK OF BLOTRE BLAME

THE BLEATURE FROM THE BLACK BLAGOON

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 8/29/08 at 7:56pm

I originally saw "Blacula" as a kid at a drive-in movie. Perfect! Scared the sh!t out of me. I haven't seen it since, you all have inspired me.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 8/29/08 at 8:36pm

Old time Black films were Black Westerns made in the 30's & 40's . The hero was called, I kid you not, "The Bronze Buckaroo"
The only title that comes to mind is "Harlem On The Prairie"

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 8/29/08 at 8:37pm

"The Bronze Buckaroo" sounds pretty hot, oddly.

[MrMidwest]

Posted: 8/29/08 at 8:46pm

"And what was up with the overt gay stereotypes?"

At least it doesn't have a scene where a gay guy gets raped with a curling iron like in Black Shampoo.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 8/30/08 at 1:05am

He gets raped with a curling iron? Why?

[MrMidwest]

Posted: 8/30/08 at 10:11am

Sheer entertainment value, perhaps?

[best12bars]

Posted: 8/30/08 at 10:17am

Okay, that's really horrifying.

Almost as horrifying as the fact that Skip E. Lowe is in it.

Ah, the good ol' days. They just don't make fun of gays like they used to!

Nothing like one minority group putting another minority group down, just for laughs.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 8/30/08 at 10:59am

Artie has a nice butt though.

Sometimes, I think the 70s were an easier time to live in.

[best12bars]

Posted: 9/20/08 at 11:16pm

Just watched it again tonight, and it holds up beautifully.

One of the better film versions of this story, and it's really because of the acting. As "blacksploity" and dated as the movie is, the acting all around is genuinely good and effective.

I think the low budget quality adds to the creepiness too, particularly in the audio (which almost sounds like a bare-bones documentary, as far as quality).

And I love the funkadelic music throughout, particularly as performed on camera by the (then unknown) Hues Corporation.

'Tis the season soon, too. Check it out, y'all!