a_baron Fortunately, this cult horror movie is nowhere near as bad as its title suggests, nor is it really a blaxploitation film in the proper sense of the word, rather it is a typical reworking of the vampire genre. Here we see an African Prince of Darkness who turns up in America biting people's necks as his kind usually do, only he is not happy being cursed to walk forever in darkness, he wants out. How can he achieve this? A voodoo exorcism, and he has found the priestess he hopes will perform it, if he can convince her not only that he could never harm her but that he is really a thoroughly decent chap who has no free will. How can it not be so if he despises what he does? This is in stark contrast to the pleasure he exhibits when murdering a couple of pimps, but heck, if you call the guy a faggot, what else can you expect?There are complications of course, and these are entirely of his own making, he has left so many bodies in such a small geographical area in such a short period of time that even the Keystone Cops would figure out something big was happening in that mysterious house in the 'hood. The final scene sees the police turning up at the house to do battle with the powers of darkness, but this isn't so much a shoot-out as a stake-out. All good clean fun, but if this one scares you, whatever you do, don't watch "The Omen".

bkoganbing William Marshall makes a second and final appearance as the vampire Blacula whom you thought might have been killed off. But he returns in this film to become part of a power play in a voodoo cult.As the queen of a cult lays dying her last act is to select Pam Grier as her successor passing over her son Richard Lawson. Lawson ain't about to have anything of that so obtains the bones of the now legendary Blacula and with a few incantations Blacula reappears. But he lets Lawson know that as a vampire and an African prince he ain't about to be doing his bidding.In fact when he hears that Grier has powers and abilities far beyond the usual voodoo black arts practitioner and she might even cure his vampirism Marshall starts seeing thing her way in the power struggle. Marshall wants Grier to start doing the voodoo she does so well. In all of this former police detective and now writer of the occult Don Mitchell tries to be the Van Helsing of the film. But he's not up to the task as Thalmus Rasulala was in the original Blacula.I guess there were no more demands for future Blacula sequels so with these two films Marshall got one of his two career roles, the other being Dr. Dengstrom in a Star Trek episode. Scream Blacula Scream was an enjoyable piece of entertainment in the horror genre.But as I said before Marshall came along too soon or he would have been James Earl Jones.

MARIO GAUCI The revived Prince Mamuwalde yearns to be cured of his bloodsucking habits and, to this end, seeks the help of a voodoo-practicing young woman. The raison d'etre behind this inferior sequel (directed by the man behind the two "Count Yorga" movies) to a surprisingly successful "Blaxploitation" take on the vampire myth only comes to the fore during the last fifteen minutes of the film; the rest is taken up by standard thrills, even more humdrum detection and, hilariously, copious use of – no pun intended – colorful slang: at one point, 'Blacula' himself is described as "an interesting dude"; met by a "What's happenin'?" greeting when he overhears the intentions of one of his newly-fanged acolytes to go against his direct orders – who also pleads with his master to tell him if he looks good now that he can no longer cast a reflection in the mirror!; and dismissed as an alcoholic hallucination by an inebriated partygoer with a cry of "Shiiiiiit!" As intimated earlier, the pacing is a bit off for most of the film's running time and, while William Marshall is as commanding in his role as the first time round, the welcome appearances of Pam Grier (as Blacula's would-be savior) and an unrecognizable Bernie Hamilton (as a tramp whose actions set the narrative in motion) do not help matters much.

BaronBl00d I actually liked this a bit more than the original Blacula. While that film was very fun and had some real pathos to it in William Marshall's performance, this one really does not have all the racial content(and intended stereotypical "humour") of the first film. As I watched the film I kept thinking how familiar it was...it should be as it was directed by Bob Kelljan who directed the Count Yorga films of the 70's. This film is very like those in style, mood, pace, and I wonder if the house in this movie was used in the Yorga films? Anyone? Anyway, we again have William Marshall as the victim of Count Dracula and cursed as Blacula. This time I think in Louisiana though setting really does not matter. The film opens with a groovy soundtrack(keeping with the times here) where we find an old voodoo woman die and the cult wants new leadership to fall to Pam Grier rather than her own spawn - Big Willis played by then newcomer Richard Lawson. So what does Big Willis do...bring back to life a force he does not understand as he is a complete idiot - a fun idiot - but an idiot nonetheless! He brings Blacula to life, has his neck bitten into, and then gives some great one-liners about how he never wants to go out again if, in his words, "a brutha can't see himself." Lawson does a good job. Then we get all kinds of people that wander up to this huge, dark mansion at the wee hours of the morn only to be chased and erased as human beings but soon to be badly decorated vampires by association. One of these early treats is a real treat for the eyes - Barbara Rhoades. She is just lovely though her time is short-lived. Well, Blacula goes to a party and finds voodoo priestess Pam Grier and her boyfriend and former cop Justin(Don Mitchell of Ironsides fame) and we have the ever urbane William Marshall chatting her up with his eyes and charm. Marshall plays this role with restrained gusto and a sophistication really not seen with most vampires. He utters his lines with particular articulation and is easily the best thing to see in this film(yes, that is with Rhoades, Grier, Lynne Moody, and many other beauties in the reckoning as well). Michael Conrad of Hill Stree Blues plays a detective and we get the inevitable meeting of many people being attacked by a horde of undead(like in The Return of Count Yorga). The movie has loads of style, atmosphere, fun moments like when Marshall is walking down a street at night and kills two pimps after warning them not to mess with them in his suave manner, sit-on-the-edge-of-your-seat moments, and good, solid acting. It is cheesy fun to be sure. Heck, it is called Scream, Blacula, Scream. For what it is though it is done exceedingly well in my opinion. Where can you get vampirism, voodoo, a voodoo doll of Blacula(Dracula), great one-liners, creepy house with candles in seclusion, and a bevy of beauties even with the bad make-up jobs. The make-up in the film, on the minus side, is the most horrifying thing in the whole film. The soundtrack and titles are wonderful as well. I miss the 70's - indeed I do!