SATAN'S SCHOOL FOR GIRLS (1973)

David Lowell Rich, 1973

Starring: Pamela Franklin, Kate Jackson, Lloyd Bochner, Jamie Smith Jackson, Cheryl Ladd

A pretty young student, Martha, is on the run from something unseen and leaves her exclusive boarding school, the Salem Academy for Women, to flee to her sister Elizabeth’s apartment. Elizabeth and the police find her dead and hanging, but Elizabeth refuses to believe it’s a suicide. When the police won’t help her, she enrolls in Martha’s school to learn more. She immediately notices odd things: Martha’s old roommate warns her not to go, one of the girls at the Academy has a breakdown, and soon commits suicide. She finds a strange room in the school and convinces another girl, Roberta, that something is going on and they believe the strange psychology professor may be responsible. Elizabeth doesn’t realize that she is in far over her head and the conspiracy is more malevolent than she fears. 

Produced by television schlockmeister Aaron Spelling, Satan’s School for Girls has an almost equal balance between chills and cheesiness. In many ways, this is the poor man’s made-for-TV version of Dario Argento’s Suspiria mixed with a hefty dose of Brotherhood of Satan. As with Suspiria, there’s a girls boarding school, though focused on art instead of dance, a girl who runs away from school to her sister’s apartment and is hanged by a mysterious intruder, a death in a creepy attic, and more. There’s some nice imagery in the school, including cluttered basements and attics, candlelight, storms, blackouts, and a heavy Gothic feel, though this is obviously nowhere near the same level as Suspiria in terms of visuals. 

The early ‘70s was a great time for TV horror, including the two Kolchak films, Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, Bad Ronald, Trilogy of Terror, and others, as well as a bevy of successful horror-influenced shows like Twilight Zone and Dark Shadows. As with the other acclaimed horror TV productions of the ‘70s, Satan’s School for Girls has no nudity and little on-screen violence, but there are several murder-suicides, a satanic plot, and cult full of ‘70s babes. 

There is some average, TV-quality cinematography and lousy editing, but there are surprisingly good performances and a very entertaining conclusion. Yes, there are some cheesy and unintentionally hilarious moments, but that just adds to the charm of Satan’s School for Girls. Though the title is outrageous and wonderful, it does sort of give away the direction in which the film is heading, but isn’t quite as Russ Meyer-like as I would have hoped. 

Lovely British horror actress Pamela Franklin (And Soon the Darkness, Legend of Hell House) stars and gives a solid performance as the curious and driven, though innocent Elizabeth. She’s accompanies by Charlie’s Angels Kate Jackson (also Dark Shadows) and Cheryl Ladd, who are both lovely to look upon and convincing in their roles as somewhat naughty school girls. Lloyd Bochner (Point Blank) and Roy Thinnes (Dark Shadows) co-star as the two professors with opposing philosophies.

Director David Lowell Rich does a competent, if workmanlike job and also directed Eye of the Cat (1969), A Lovely Way to Die (1968), The Horror at 37,000 Feet (1973), etc. Interestingly, the film was written by Arthur A. Ross (Creature from the Black Lagoon), who introduces some intriguing plot points that aren’t really played out to the fullest, such as the fact that none of the girls admitted to the school have any real family members. Something about this and the suicides feel a little like the superior Seventh Victim — a masterpiece of female isolation and suicide — and should have been further explored. 

Satan’s School for Girls is available on DVD in two different editions. Though it doesn’t completely succeed as a work of ‘70s satanic horror, it’s still a worthwhile entry in the ‘70s TV horror canon and comes recommended. The film was also remade in 2000 with Shannon Doherty, adding another layer to the strange Aaron Spelling connection.

THE NIGHT STRANGLER (1973)

Dan Curtis, 1973

Starring: Darren McGavin, Simon Oakland, Jo Ann Pflug, Richard Anderson

Having relocated to Seattle, tenacious reporter Carl Kolchak is re-hired by an old editor, Tony Vincenzo, to investigate a recent series of killings where exotic dancers have been found strangled to death. When it is discovered that they each have a few ounces of blood missing, Carl thinks another vampire may be responsible. He works with a police researcher and learns that similar killing have occurred at a 21-year cycle as far back as 1889. The police try to suppress his findings and some of the crime scene evidence, but he doggedly carries on and begins investigating a Civil War doctor with a suspicious link to the present…

The Night Strangler is another entertaining entry in the Kolchak series, but it’s too repetitive of The Night Stalker to come highly recommended. It is easy to see how the character and themes lent themselves to a TV show and it’s a shame that Kolchak only lasted one season. Again written by Richard Matheson, there are some good performances and some very nice visuals, particularly of the creepy Seattle underground system. Though the film quality is a bit dark, the scenes of Kolchak exploring the underground are some of the finest and most suspenseful in the film, particularly when he finds what he’s looking for at the conclusion. This time producer and Dark Shadows creator Dan Curtis took up the directorial reins and does a decent job with the material.

Based on the legend of the Count of St. Germain, I enjoyed Matheson’s plundering of occult myths, but I think they could have been used more effectively, rather than recycling much of the material from The Night Stalker. The mystery in The Night Strangler follows almost the identical plot points of The Night Stalker, but there is more filler in this second entry in the series and more dull moments. It seems insane that after the success of the first film, the second is another tale about dead girls missing blood.  They really couldn’t have thought of any other occult crime scenarios? Sure, some of the mystery was spoiled because it was revealed that the serial killer in the first film was actually a vampire. The killer in this film is a scientist who discovered the secret to eternal life, but that detail is really the only way he differs from the vampire in the first film, which is truly a shame. Kolchak gets into virtually the same fights with his editors and the police. Disappointingly, very little new ground is tread here.

Despite some of the writing issues, the compelling performance from Darren McGavin is the reason to The Night Strangler. He gives an even better performance in this film than in the first, thanks in part to more humor in the script. There’s a nice cameo from horror veteran John Carradine as Kolchak’s miserly publisher and there are welcome appearances from Al Lewis (The Munsters) and Margaret Hamilton (The Wizard of Oz). Richard Anderson (The Six Million Dollar Man) is great as the long-living doctor and it’s really a shame he didn’t get more screen time.

There was supposed to be a third film with a science-fiction angle, but that was abandoned and Kolchak: The Night Stalker television series was created, sadly without the input of Dan Curtis or Richard Matheson. Fans of Darren McGavin or The Night Stalker will want to check this out, but if you were unimpressed with the first film, there’s no need for a repeat performance. The Night Strangler is available on a double-feature DVD with The Night Stalker. 

THE NIGHT STALKER (1972)

John Llewellyn Moxey, 1972
Starring: Darren McGavin, Simon Oakland, Carol Lynley, Barry Atwater

Unconventional reporter Carl Kolchak has written a book about recent events in Las Vegas that he witnessed first-hand, but were covered up by the local police. A series of women are found dead with their blood completely drained. Kolchak and the medical examiner believe the deaths to be connected, though the police commissioner hopes otherwise and wants the story repressed. Kolchak’s boss at the newspaper refuses to allow him to write about the murders. He discusses the case with his young girlfriend, believing the murderer to be a serial killer who thinks he is a vampire. She encourages him to read up on vampire lore.

Soon after, Kolchak happens to be present when the police attempt to apprehend the leading suspect, Janos Skorzeny. Despite being shot multiple times, he exhibits superhuman strength and escapes. Kolchak tracks down Skorzeny and is the first to find his basement hide out, where the latest victim is tied up and suffering from blood loss. Can Kolchak free her in time? Is Skorzeny a vampire or just a psychopathic killer?

Written by the late great horror and sci-fi writer Richard Matheson, The Night Stalker is based on a novel by Jeffrey Rice, The Kolchak Papers. The Night Stalker was ABC’s highest rated original film, resulting in a sequel and follow up series. For its time, The Night Stalker was a fairly original experiment. It also came during a time of some truly great horror television, including movies like Trilogy of Terror, Bad Ronald, and Salem’s Lot, as well as shows such as Night Gallery, Twilight Zone, Dark Shadows, and The Outer Limits.

The Night Stalker’s producer, Dan Curtis, also created Dark Shadows and clearly had an interest in experimenting with vampire characters and the world of the occult. He and Matheson would also go on to do a Dracula film adaptation with Jack Palance. While Dark Shadows is essentially a supernatural soap opera, The Night Stalker is a much darker cross between horror and the detective story. As with Dark Shadows, there is no gore or nudity, just compelling writing and well-used horror elements. Some aspects of the film have not aged well and there are a few cheesy scenes, but I think this adds to the overall charm. Director John Llewellyn Moxey did solid work on The Night Stalker and is also remembered for British horror films Circus of Fear and Horror Hotel, both of which starred Christopher Lee, another man famous for his involvement with vampires.

The Night Stalker was part of the ABC Movie of the Week series, which also included Trilogy of Terror and the Richard Matheson-penned Duel. Due to Stalker’s success, it was followed by a sequel, The Night Strangler, and a single-season TV series, Kolchak: The Night Stalker. An undeniable influence on The X-Files, The Night Strangler will appeal to anyone who enjoys a mixture of mystery and the occult, crime and horror.

The film takes itself utterly seriously, making it more effective than something like Count Yorga, Vampire, the first American film to put a vampire in a modern day setting. Like Yorga, Janos Skorzeny seems to be of Eastern European descent, but the similarity ends there. Skorzeny (played by Barry Atwater from Kung Fu and Night Gallery) is far more menacing than Yorga. In addition to his appearance – blood red eyes – he is also frighteningly practical, both killing women for blood and stealing from hospital blood banks. Unlike the aristocratic Yorga or Barnbabas Collins (a modern day vampire from Dark Shadows) who both rely on wealth, servants, or some sort of entourage, Skorzeny is a solitary hunter living a base existence made up solely of blood and survival. He is not overtly supernatural, at least not until he reveals his super strength and aversion to sunlight at the end of the film.

The Night Stalker is really worth watching because of Carl Kolchak’s excellently written character. Following somewhat in the Sam Spade mold, Kolchak is clever, intelligent, and unconventional. He might appear sleazy at first, but he has a well-defined moral center, certainly more so than the cops, newspaper moguls, and lawyers he deals with throughout both films and the television series. Like Sam Spade, he is eager to ignore rules and laws when they inconvenience him, but has an unshakable personal idea of justice. Again, like Spade, he is also somewhat of an anti-hero and things never go his way. He might solve the crime, but he winds up poor, fired, nearly arrested, and accused of murder. And as Sam Spade would say, he has no luck with dames.

The sarcastic, charismatic Darren McGavin is perfect as Kolchak. Younger generations might be surprised to see Ralphie’s dad from A Christmas Story taking on supernatural crime, but Kolchak is one of the best and most beloved on-screen detectives of the ‘70s. His trademark wit is here in spades, though he may not unleash as much profanity.

There is a great supporting cast made up of almost solely B-movie and horror actors, including Simon Oakland (Psycho), Kent Smith (Cat People), Claude Akins (Twilight Zone), Ralph Meeker (Food of the Gods), Elisha Cook Jr (Rosemary’s Baby), and Charles McGraw (The Birds). Carol Lynley (The Poseidon Adventure) is the weakest link as Kolchak’s young, flighty girlfriend, but even she is tolerable.

The Night Stalker comes highly recommended and is available on a double-feature DVD with its sequel, The Night Strangler. If you enjoy a blend of crime, police procedurals, and/or detective fiction with horror and the occult, The Night Stalker is definitely worth watching. 

SUGAR HILL (1974)

Paul Maslansky, 1974

Starring: Marki Bey, Robert Quarry, Don Pedro Colley, Zara Cully, Charles Robinson

After Sugar Hill’s boyfriend is murdered by local gangsters who want to take ownership of his popular night club, she decides to get revenge. A voodoo queen, Mama Maitresse, helps her contact Baron Samedi, the Lord of the Dead and a trickster spirit. He agrees to help her kill all the gangsters, including their leader, Morgan, with the help of some slaves raises from the dead in zombie form.

Sugar Hill was one of American International Picture’s last blaxploitation films and its last production featuring Robert Quarry (Count Yorga, Vampire). He was intended to be the new AIP horror star after Vincent Price retired, but AIP’s horror run didn’t last further than 1974. 

The plot is essentially a tamed down version of Coffy with zombies and voodoo. It’s a tale of female vengeance against organized crime, but Sugar is never in any physical danger, where Coffy puts a lot more at stake and is beaten and raped. That isn’t to say that Sugar Hill lacks sleaze, it’s just lighter on the nudity and on-screen violence. Though most of the kills take place off screen, a lot of them are creative. Including death by hog and voodoo doll, one man is put in a coffin full of poisonous snakes and another is massaged to death by zombies.

This is Marki Bey’s only starring role. Though she isn’t quite as charismatic as other blaxploitation stars like Pam Grier, she does well as Sugar. One thing the film fails to explain is why her hair switches back and forth from dark reddish brown and straight to an afro. Once Sugar’s vengeance begins, the film does become overly predictable. She never fails or falters and she is never put in any physical danger.

This was Paul Maslansky’s first directorial effort, which shows. The film is colorful and has some stylish scenes, but is very workmanlike. He made his career producing Castle of the Living Dead, Race with the Devil, Raw Meat, First Blood, and may more, as well as creating Police Academy. In some respects, Sugar Hill is cheesy, dated, and has some awful dialogue and a script with no complexity or mystery whatsoever. It does, however, have it’s own theme song, “Supernatural Voodoo Woman,” and some convincingly creepy zombies. Designed by Hank Edds, these unusual looking zombies are covered in dirt and cobwebs and have strange, silver eyes. The fact that they are also unearthed slaves is an effective detail. 

One of the best things about Sugar Hill is indisputably Baron Samedi. He takes on various roles — scarecrow, bartender, groundskeeper, cab driver — in order to kill Morgan and his henchmen. Actor Don Pedro Colley (THX1138, Beneath the Planet of the Apes) fully immerses himself in the role and seems to be having a great time with bulging eyes an a blindingly white smile. There are some other decent performances and  you should keep your eyes peeled for the voodoo priestess Mama Maitresse, plead by Zara Cully (The Jeffersons).

Robert Quarry is decent as Morgan, the slimy lead gangster. His character is a charming backstabber, but Morgan is woefully under-written in the script. He is able to take quite a lot of liberties with his mostly black crew, particularly his wonderful henchmen Fabulous (Charles Robinson from Night Court). I sorely wish Fabulous had a larger role and got some sort of revenge on his racist, despicable boss. Morgan’s girlfriend (Betty Reese from Deathmaster) has a particularly unfortunate end. One of the things I enjoy most about Sugar Hill is that Sugar never suffers, is never judged or punished for getting revenge.

Sugar Hill was difficult to get a hold of for some time and was shown in a cut version titled The Zombies of Sugar Hill. The uncut version is available on DVD. The film is a lot of fun and comes highly recommended to fans of blaxploitation and B-grade ‘70s horror. It may not be complex or thoughtful, but if you want to see vengeance via zombie, Sugar Hill is for you.

GANJA & HESS

Bill Gunn, 1973

Starring: Marlene Clark, Duane Jones, Bill Gunn

The wealthy Dr. Hess Green, who studies African art and anthropology, hires an assistant. Unfortunately the man turns out to be disturbed and stabs Hess today with an antique ritual dagger before shooting himself in the heart. But Hess wakes up with his wounds healed and an irrepressible thirst for blood. He must begin stealing from blood banks and killing to fulfill his thirst. His assistant’s wife, the beautiful Ganja, eventually comes to find her husband, but she and Hess begin an intense relationship. Though she discovers her husband’s dead body in Hess’s freezer, she and Hess marries and he introduces her to an eternal life of pleasure… and thirst. 

Ganja & Hess was initially intended to ride on the coattails of Blacula’s success, but it is a far different and more original film. Where Blacula is essentially Count Yorga, Vampire with a black cast instead of a white one, Ganja & Hess is entirely its own animal. Part dreamy Gothic romance, part vampire film, and part commentary on African-American life, there is really nothing else like it. This is writer and director Bill Gunn’s masterpiece, though he was also known as a playwright and stage director. He had a number of other controversial films, including the X-rated Stop (1970), which focuses on homosexual relationships between both men and women.

Though Ganja & Hess is loosely described as a horror film — it is about vampires, after all — it does not use any conventional horror tropes. The word “vampire” is never mentioned and Hess’s affliction is looked at as an addiction or a disease. The film explores identity, culture, gender, race, and religion all in one hazy, dreamlike narrative. The church doesn’t play a major part in the central plot, but the film is introduced by Hess’s chauffeur, who is also a preacher, and Hess self-inflicted downfall happens in the shadow of a cross.

The film deeply examines tensions within African-American life, including the divide between African versus American culture, Christian present versus pagan past, male versus female experience, and rich versus poor. Gender is explored through Ganja’s character. Though at first abrasive and unlikable, the film allows more of her character to unfold. Marlene Clark (Switchblade Sisters, The Beast Must Die, Enter the Dragon) gives a strong, compelling performance.

Hess is a fascinating character within the larger context of blaxploitation films, because he is not a cop or criminal, he is a wealthy, educated, and cultured doctor of anthropology. He lives in a large home with servants and is otherwise completely separate from the stereotypical blaxploitation characters. Duane Jones (Night of the Living Dead) is excellent and sympathetic as Hess. He manages to capture a certain allure that more literal cinematic vampires fail to achieve.

In other ways, this is clearly a film from an inexperienced director. Some moments lag and it is necessary to be patient and allow things to unfold at their own pace. There are hallucinations and visions layered with a harsh buzzing and African tribal music. Ganja & Hess is not perfect, but it is a rewarding experience if you can shed your expectations, embrace the film’s ambiguities, and give it a chance. 

The film received a standing ovations at Cannes, though it was hated in New York and quickly pulled from the theater. The distributor drastically recut the film, stripping it of its magic and lyricism, and gave it ridiculous new titles like Blood Couple or Black Evil. After the film was essentially lost, a surviving copy remained at the Museum of Modern Art, where it was highly sought after. Fortunately, it is now available on a complete, uncut DVD with a number of nice special features and a commentary track from Marlene Clark. 

ABBY

William Girdler, 1974

Starring: William Marhsall, Terry Carter, Austin Stoker, Carol Speed

Abby — essentially the stereotype of a good Christian housewife — is an active member of the church and local community and she does everything she can to make her husband Emmett happy. Meanwhile, her father-in-law is on a dig in Africa exploring artifacts of the Yoruba religion when she begins to act strangely. Her transformation is gradual: she masturbates in the shower and either accidentally or purposefully cuts herself while preparing yet another family meal of fried chicken. She graduates to almost constant profanity and becomes a full blown sexual predator, beating and raping her own husband, having sex with various strangers, nearly instigating a gang bang, and killing a man who refuses her. Presumably she has sex with his corpse afterwards. She is also responsible for a neighbor’s death by heart attack, among other minor infractions.

Though her desperate husband is a reverend himself, he reaches out to his father, Bishop Williams, for help. Williams returns from Africa and comes to believe that Abby is possessed by the spirit of Eshu, a Yoruba god who rules over trickery and sexuality. Emmett and Williams do everything they can to free Abby of the spirit before she can do anymore harm to herself — or others.

If you’re expecting nothing more than a blaxploitation version of The Exorcist, Abby may surprise you. The film’s main issue is unsurprisingly, its similarity to The Exorcist, which inspired Warner to sue after Abby had unexpected success in the box office. Despite the numerous rip-offs of The Exorcist being made at the time, few were legally targeted outside of Abby or Beyond the Door. As a result of the lawsuit, Abby was pulled from theaters and remained unavailable for many years. Director William Girdler’s wonderful Grizzly (coincidentally a Jaws rip-off) nearly experienced the same fate.

William Girdler is one of my favorite low budget directors. Though he had a short career – cut sadly brief by a helicopter accident that claimed his life – nearly all of his horror and exploitation films are delightful: Three on a Meathook, Day of the Animals, Sheba Baby, and his final film, The Manitou, which treads some of the same ground as Abby. Read my brief retrospective of William Girdler to learn more about his work. 

Some scenes are taken directly from The Exorcist – the levitation scene and quick shots of Eshu’s deformed face – but plenty about Abby is original, including an incident with a disco ball and the significant time spent in night clubs. The inclusion of Yoruba was apparently actor William Marshall’s idea and it certainly gives the film a fresh, original feel. Apparently Marshall was something of an expert on the subject and lectured about it at various colleges and universities. Having taken an in-depth class on Santeria and Yoruba back in college, I can attest that the details present in the film are relatively faithful.

There are some cheesy, but amazing effects when Abby is fully possessed by Eshu, and keep your eyes peeled for when she looks like She-Hulk. Girdler, never known for his large budgets, always made the best of whatever was available to him. The fact that he didn't call the film The Blaxorcist is perhaps a testament to how seriously he took his movies regardless of the often absurd subject matter.

Plenty of scenes are unintentionally hilarious, such as when Abby breaks out of the hospital and confronts her husband and father-in-law. After taunting them, she runs away and her husband chases her. In order to catch up, he car-jacks a random white woman. And Abby’s possession dialogue must be heard to be believed.

The film relies less on blaxploitation tropes than you may think, though there are some club scenes bursting with afros, jive talk, and outrageous ‘70s clothing. The most hilarious blaxploitation moments actually involve Eshu-Abby, where she lets loose some delightful dialogue in a deep, otherworldly voice that either sounds like she’s a life-long heavy smoker or has been gargling broken glass.

Carol Speed (The Big Bird Cage, Disco Godfather, Black Samson) is great and effectively carries the film as the sweet, religious Abby and the sexual, violent Eshu. She even manages to surpass William Marshall (Blacula, Star Trek), though he holds his own as the film’s hero with his booming voice, obvious acting talent, and commanding presence. Terry Carter (Battlestar Galactica, Foxy Brown) is also a welcome presence as Abby’s long suffering husband.

Certainly one of the weirdest and most over the top blaxploitation or possession films, Abby comes highly recommended to a wide variety of film fans. Anyone who love B-grade horror, exorcism films, and blaxploitation will find a lot to enjoy here. Though unavailable for decades, Abby was released on DVD. I believe it is out of print, but still easy to get a hold of through Amazon. It is also streaming online.

SCREAM BLACULA SCREAM

Bob Kelljan, 1973

Starring: William H. Marshall, Pam Grier, Don Mitchell, Michael Conrad,Lynne Moody

“Your only justification for crawling on this earth is to serve me.”

When Lisa, a Voodoo priestess, is elected to replace the recently dead Voodoo queen, the queen’s less talented son, Willis, vows revenge. He gets a hold of the bones of the vampire Mamuwalde and revives him. Mamuwalde responds by biting Willis and turning him into a subordinate member of the undead.  Soon there are other murders as Mamuwalde and Willis begin to feast on the locals.

Mamuwalde meets Justin, a police officer who is investigating the strange murders, and his girlfriend Lisa. He learns that she is a voodoo priestess and wants her to perform an exorcism to drive out his vampiric nature and effectively cure him. She reluctantly agrees and creates a voodoo doll, but will her ritual work before Justin and the police close in on Mamuwalde?

American International Pictures followed up the success of Blacula with this sequel. I enjoy AIP’s other horror sequel efforts from the same period, such as The Return of Count Yorga and Dr. Phibes Rises Again. Scream Blacula Scream fits nicely in with this group, as it’s formulaic and tries a bit too hard, but is fun and interesting overall and will please fans of B-grade vampire films.

Director Bob Kelljan, who helmed Count Yorga, Vampire and its sequel takes the reigns here and makes a concerted effort not to have this be a direct repeat of Blacula. The first film is referenced in flashback sequences early on and Mamuwalde mentions his long-dead wife, the Princess Luva. The script steers away from the romance of the first film and makes Mamuwalde more violent and terrifying, but ultimately still a tragic figure.

Likely due to Kelljan's involvement, there are some definite similarities between Scream Black Scream and the Count Yorga films. In some ways, both Blacula films were an attempt to follow the Yorga formula, replacing a European vampire with an African one. Mamuwalde and Yorga are similarly charismatic, aristocratic, and romantic. There are even some overlapping scenes, such as when a female vampire rises unexpectedly from a coffin and the concluding showdown at the vampires’ mansions.

Scream Blacula Scream is quite campy, probably more so than its predecessor, with even more instances of ridiculous jive talk and a wince-inducing scene where the two heroes figure out that a vampire is responsible for recent deaths. This is balanced with a decent number of scares and some spooky set pieces. One of my favorite scenes involves Mamuwalde sneaking up on a victim because she can't see his reflection in a mirror.

The script is more promising than many '70s horror sequels, but fails to execute some of the great ideas it introduces. Primarily there is the issue that Scream Blacula Scream begins as a revenge film when voodoo practitioner Willis raises Mamuwalde from the dead to get vengeance against the cult that failed to name him his mother's successor. This goes absolutely nowhere and it would have been interesting to see the further development of that concept.

Similarly, Pam Grier's Lisa is wasted. She is supposed to be a powerful voodoo priestess, but, except for the conclusion, this idea is basically neglected. Grier is largely kept to the sidelines of the film, a major mistake, though we are fortunately spared the romantic pairing of Lisa and Mamuwalde. Her big hit, Coffy, was also produced by American International Pictures, and it seems strange that they didn't insist on a more substantial, interesting role for her.

There are some lousy effects and a few scenes where we see Marshall's reflection in a mirror or windows, even though there's an important scene early on establishing that vampires don't have reflections. Scream Blacula Scream is an absurd title that the film mostly manages to overcome, particularly when you consider that it was almost known as Blacula is Beautiful.

William Marshall (Blacula, Abby) returns as Mamuwalde and is once again great in the lead role. He's thoroughly compelling, elevating the film to a level of seriousness that it would otherwise lack. Mamuwalde himself has less to do in this film other than the contradictory desires to create new vampires and to cure himself of his affliction, but Marhsall is so watchable that this hardly matters. It’s a shame he didn’t start in more horror films. There are some good supporting performances from Don Mitchell (Ironside), Michael Conrad (Hill Street Blues), and Janee Michelle (The House on Skull Mountain).

Scream Blacula Scream comes recommended to fans of Blacula and other ‘70s AIP movies or vampire films. It’s out on double-feature DVD with Blacula and a few special features.