American International Pictures brought Blacula to American audiences on 25 August 1972.
When I first heard of Blacula as a kid, I thought it was a joke. A Black vampire movie made sense but the title? It sounded like a parody. I only managed to watch it as an adult. And it provided a welcome surprise. It wasn’t just serious (but with humor). It was a great film!
Vampire films often present them as dignified and aristocratic. I generally hate that. But it works here. In fact, it adds to the story. From the first frame, Blacula screams Afrocentrism.
And the ending is heartbreaking and beautiful. Plus, we get a pretty awesome make-up effect.
When it first came out, Blacula received mixed reviews. But over the years, “critics” have reappraised it. Now it receives mixed reviews. I don’t think this says anything about the film. There are two primary reasons. First, “critics” don’t much like horror. Second, white “critics” have not been told they are supposed to like it in the way they have Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song. (But even today, “critics” like Shaft way more than Sweetback.)
Another good thing about Blacula is that its sequel the following year, Scream Blacula Scream, was just as good. The two make an excellent double feature. So I highly recommend you make a night of it. Here is the original:
And here is the follow-up:
Blacula (1972) poster via Wikipedia under Fair Use.
