Blacula

Blacula
by William Crain

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DVD Reviews of Blacula

DVD Review: Blacula Bytes!
Summary: 4 Stars

18th-century African prince Mamuwalde and his wife meet with the original Count Dracula to seek his aid in abolishing the burgeoning slave trade. But Dracula isn't the least bit interested in aiding the oppressed, and he instead puts the bite on Mamuwalde and turns HIM into a vamp--it is the Count himself who dubs Mamuwalde with the moniker BLACULA--then seals the prince in a coffin so that he will suffer through eternity with his new, and now unquenchable, thirst for blood. Fast forward nearly two centuries, where a couple of Los Angeles antique dealers are examining a batch of recent acquisitions, one of which is the "box" in which Mamuwalde is imprisoned. As expected, the two inadvertently free Mamuwalde and loose the bloodsucking brother to the ghettoes of L.A. (i.e., L.A. á la the 1970s). For the most part, Mamuwalde's "meals" are comprised of the city's low-lifes, but when he encounters a woman who resembles his long-dead wife and tries to win her affections, he crosses swords with mainstream society and starts down the path towards his inevitable defeat and destruction.

The film is elevated above its meager budget and exploitative script by the excellent and believable title-role performance of the late William Marshall. The deep, rich voice and Shakespearean training of this dynamic African-American actor brings dignity and intelligence to any role he plays, even an off-beat character like the vampire Blacula. Horror and SF fans are likely to recognize Marshall in guest-star parts on TV shows like the original THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E., classic STAR TREK (Dr. Richard Daystrom in the episode "The Ultimate Computer"), and THE WILD WILD WEST; and in starring or supporting roles in other genre films such as SKULLDUGGERY (1970), ABBY (1974), AMAZON WOMEN ON THE MOON (1987), and SORCERESS (1995). Those who spend time in front of "the tube" on Saturday mornings might also remember seeing Marshall on PEE-WEE'S PLAYHOUSE, on which he portrayed The King of Cartoons from 1987 to 1991.

Some of the actors filling supporting roles in BLACULA also add to the film's quality and charm. These include Thalmus Rasulala, a ubiquitous character actor of TV and film; the lovely Denise Nicholas, probably best known for being one of the stars of the 1970s TV comedy-drama ROOM 222; Gordon Pinsent, a Canadian actor who has appeared on numerous TV shows and films; Vonetta McGee, who has starred or guest-starred in numerous TV shows and several films, including the genre flick REPO MAN (1984); and Elisha Cook, Jr., a familiar character actor who is often recognized from his portrayal of hoodlum Wilmer Cook in the classic noir film THE MALTESE FALCON (1941).

The DVD from MGM--released as part of the company's "Soul Cinema" line, though it could have just as easily fit in with their "Midnite Movie" series--offers an anamorphic widescreen copy of BLACULA in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, and it appears that the print used for the transfer was in great shape. No extras are offered other than the theatrical trailer, but the very reasonable price makes BLACULA painlessly accessible to any horror-film collector.

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