Blacula.

Review #2124: Blacula.

Cast: 

William Marshall (Prince Mamuwalde / Blacula), Denise Nicholas (Michelle Williams), Vonetta McGee (Tina Williams / Luva), Gordon Pinsent (Lieutenant Jack Peters), Thalmus Rasulala (Dr. Gordon Thomas), Emily Yancy (Nancy, The Nightclub Photographer), Lance Taylor Sr. (Swenson, The Funeral Director), Logan Field (Sergeant Barnes), Ted Harris (Bobby McCoy), Rick Metzler (Billy Schaffer), Ketty Lester (Juanita Jones / Taxi Cabbie), Charles Macaulay (Count Dracula), Ji-Tu Cumbuka ("Skillet"), and Elisha Cook, Jr. (Sam, The Morgue Attendant) Directed by William Crain.

Review: 

The story of Dracula or stuff with vampires can go anywhere, particularly if the hands of American International Pictures had anything to say about it. Samuel Z. Arkoff obviously had a motivation, to, well, make money, so why not do a black vampire movie? AIP had already started with 70s stuff such as Count Yorga, Vampire (1970), so it only makes sense to make a different turn. Probably the only notable horror film with black actors before this one was Son of Ingagi (1940), three decades prior. This was the debut feature for William Crain, who had directed a bit of television along with serving as an apprentice director on Brother John (1972) before being selected to direct this film. The Columbus native (and UCLA graduate) would go on to direct exactly one more feature with Dr. Black, Mr. Hyde (1978). The film was written by Joan Torres, Raymond Koenig, and Richard Glouner, although when it comes to the title character, Marshall went to great lengths to make sure his character had some sort of dignity, complete with having a backstory involving being an African prince converted into a vampire (as opposed to the original proposal by AIP of "Count Brown’s in Town", according to Crain). Evidently, Crain was not too big on the idea of filming the final scene of the film to go along with having conflict with Bob Kelljan (director of the aforementioned Yorga films), who ended up directing the sequel Scream Blacula Scream (1973), which retained only Marshall from the original cast. The name really does stick like calling the film part of blaxploitation, even if Crain has stated being "a little embrassed about it". AIP would do a handful of black horror films in the following years, such as 1974's Abby (dealing with possession that had Marshall as one of the stars), Sugar Hill (dealing with zombies), or J. D.'s Revenge (1976; a restless spirit film).

Well, someone was going to be first as the first black vampire movie, because Ganja & Hess (1973) would come out just a year after this. The actors in support of Marshall are all pretty standard stuff when it comes to ones to setup for death or do exposition (minus the interracial gay couple in the beginning who play the stumbling device that starts a good deal of these films). McGee at least makes a suitable doomed lady of love in that same manner that follows the tradition laid in certain other horror films about similar looking ladies falling with creatures. The film can either be taken seriously or ham-handedly, I'm fine with it either way. Who better to act out the main role than William Marshall? The Indiana native had done a handful of Shakespearean plays on the stage across the world to go with steady work in television along with time spent teaching acting in universities. If anyone looked and sounded the part of a devastating man of the night, Marshall would be a good choice. He is the one who lifts the film to the heights that it goes to, because he dominates the screen in charisma and calm patience that never seems to treat the material as just "Black Dracula". The very first scene even has him confront Dracula on the idea of trying to be an advocate against the slave trade only to find the exact opposite of what he desired. In effect, he is an ideal tragic anti-hero, wandering the earth forever that basically becomes just like Dracula with his intent of, well, turning people into vampires. It is ferocity that works far more for our interests of watching him that folks probably found with Shaft [1971] (hell, can you think of anything the authorities do in either film?). The fright levels are moderate, although the production value is okay at best in that certain type of AIP way. Whether taken as a pioneer for black horror or as an AIP showcase, one will find something interesting with what they see here in terms of one vibrant performance in Marshall that gives the film all the dignity and bloody resolve that one would ever need.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

Next: Oh hell. Blackenstein.

Abby.

Review #1636: Abby. 

Cast: 

William Marshall (Bishop Garnet Williams), Terry Carter (Rev. Emmett Williams), Austin Stoker (Det. Cass Potter), Carol Speed (Abby Williams), Juanita Moore (Miranda 'Momma' Potter), Charles Kissinger (Dr. Hennings), Elliott Moffitt (Russell Lang), Nathan Cook (Tafa Hassan), Nancy Lee Owens (Mrs. Wiggins), and William P. Bradford (Dr. Rogers) Directed by William Girdler.

Review: 

"Sure, we made 'Abby' to come in on the shirttail of 'The Exorcist."

There are plenty of hands responsible for such an interesting piece of horror curiosity that fits its era like no other. The first step is to cite the director in William Girdler. The Kentucky native made nine films before his tragic death in 1978, with the films specializing in horror and action. Girdler's films were never considered great pieces of entertainment, but they certainly had a place, whether involving killer nature like Grizzly (1976) or blaxploitation action like Sheba, Baby (1975). However, it was this film that helped bring him into attention, for good and bad reasons. Of course, one needs a good cast to drive a horror film, so why not have an actor familiar with scares - enter William Marshall. The Indiana native went to New York University initially for art, but he found himself interested into theater, and his study at the Actors Studio among other playhouses led to a debut on Broadway in 1944. He would receive notice for his work in theater work such as The Green Pastures and Shakespearean performances such as Othello. His first film role was Lydia Bailey (1952), and blacklisting could not keep him down from keeping busy with television as well to accompany his voice and stature. One of his most notable roles came within horror: the title role in Blacula (1972), for which he would reprise for the sequel a year later. Relating in all of this is American International Pictures, who distributed both Blacula and this film. Marshall reportedly was disappointed by the script's lessened focus on the spiritual aspects of the West Africa Yourbas (which he had suggested in the first place), with Girdler and Gordon Cornell Layne co-writing the film together.

So, coming on the heels of films inspired by horror movies like Blacula and Blackenstein, Abby proved to be quite a hit on release, making back its reported $100,000 budget with at least $4 million in box office sales, while Girdler would continue on to do numerous films in the decade that involved blaxploitation and/or horror. Of course, that is not all of the story. Abby quickly met an end to its theatrical release days when American International Pictures was sued by Warner Brothers because the studio believed that they had infringed on their film in terms of plot, which happened to be The Exorcist. Believe it or not, this was not the only time that Warner Brothers had targeted a film believed to have infringed on their film, since Beyond the Door (1974) was also targeted for its supposed similarities. The lawsuit drove AIP to take the film out of distribution (as AIP and WB apparently made a deal involving unfreezing revenue) and it would take until 2006 for there to be a release on home media, and the version I saw was one with plenty of grime to see in all of its 16mm glory (in other words, on certain Internet channels). Honestly, the lawsuit is absurd, because viewing Abby would reveal the obvious differences between the two. The Exorcist was a solemn, chilling film that took its time to develop terror with a child possessed (of course, I've only seen it once) in a house. 

Abby is a funky film that sets itself up with clunky exposition involving a fertility spirit, a mix of soul music to go alongside occasional subliminal shots of its demon that takes hold of a woman and leaves her craving folks across the town to terrorize in various ways, which climaxes with a fight in a bar. Without Marshall and a semi-interesting mish-mashed performance from Speed and voice artist Bob Holt, the film would collapse in on itself as a hilarious joke, honestly. There are quite a few scenes of clunky exposition, this much is for sure. From the opening involving students talking about the talents of our archeologist/priest right down to talk about just how Abby is so sweet (marriage counsellor, youth leader, AND working with the junior choir). But don't worry, you won't have to wait long for antics with a demon, whether involving trouble with a distracting knife or singing to a crowd of indifferent congregation members (okay, actually Speed did the song herself, but the editing doesn't help) to coughing/attacking fits that leave a few people gasping for air...and some of that is out of laughter, particularly with a chase sequence that starts with one carjacking that leads to another (from a reverend!). A climax involving a colorful triangle and foaming at the mouth with an exploding bar makes this seem like a film with confused inhibitions about exactly what it is: it certainly is more interesting when trying to focus on either spirituality within a game Marshall or the conflict between Carter and Speed, but its attempts at scares are no better than dressing up in a Halloween mask and going "BOO!" at them, and calling it an imitator of The Exorcist is generous at best. It might have been a move to try and bully a less prominent studio (or a ploy by AIP to get money), but I would at least say this is a film worth a curious glance, if only because it is interesting to see Marshall in a lead role alongside a moderate effort from others like Girdler in sweet deliverable trash horror cinema.

Next Time: Drop in for a laugh with Michael Schultz and a diverse group of characters in Car Wash (1976).

Overall, I give it 6 out of 10 stars.