#14 - Blacula (1972)
(dir. William Crain)
As should be obvious from the title, this is a blaxploitation adaptation of Dracula. In 1780, African prince Mamuwalde is turned into a vampire by Count Dracula and imprisoned in a tomb. Nearly two hundred years later, a pair of interior decorators purchase Dracula's former castle and uncover Mamuwalde's resting place. They bring his casket back to Los Angeles, where he finally escapes and goes on the hunt for blood! He also encounters Min... err I mean Tina, a young woman who looks uncannily like his long-dead wife, and strikes up a romance with her.
This movie is kind of a mixed bag. The production values are low, the acting is mostly lousy, and the sound is often so bad that you can barely make out what they are saying. On the other hand, William Marshall is great in the lead role (despite not having much to work with), the story moves along at a good pace, the music is fantastic, and there are some memorable scenes scattered throughout. I especially liked how Mamuwalde would transform into a cartoon bat and fly away. Marshall's performance is very reminiscent of Christopher Lee's Dracula, which may be intentional (as the Hammer horror films were very popular at this time) or just a byproduct of the fact that both actors are physically imposing and have rich deep voices.
Hammer's Dracula A.D. 1972 came out around the same time as this one, and is the superior modern-day Dracula film in my opinion, but this is still a fun movie and well worth watching. Plus this one has way cooler music. There are a couple of cheesy and/or cringe-worthy moments, but overall I recommend this one. Dig it.
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