Scream Blacula Scream
Scream Blacula Scream is a 1973 American blaxploitation horror film directed by Bob Kelljan and produced by American International Pictures, serving as a sequel to the 1972 vampire film Blacula.[1][2] Starring William Marshall reprising his role as the cursed African prince Mamuwalde—known as Blacula—the movie features Pam Grier as voodoo priestess Lisa Fortier and Don Mitchell as police investigator Willis Daniels.[1] Released theatrically on June 27, 1973, the film runs 96 minutes and blends vampire lore with voodoo rituals in a contemporary urban setting.[1] The plot follows Willis Daniels, who, overlooked as successor to his late mother's voodoo cult in favor of rival Lisa Fortier, purchases Blacula's skeletal remains at an auction and enlists a former slave descendant to resurrect the vampire for vengeance.[3] Blacula, once revived, turns victims into vampiric "nosferatu" servants, leading to a confrontation involving police investigation and cult intrigue, culminating in attempts to destroy the undead prince using voodoo counter-rituals.[3] This narrative extends the original Blacula's themes of racial injustice and supernatural curse, incorporating blaxploitation elements like empowered Black characters navigating horror tropes.[2] Critically, the film holds a 5.7/10 rating on IMDb from over 3,500 user votes and a 29% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes based on seven reviews, reflecting mixed reception for its low-budget effects and formulaic scares despite praised performances, particularly Marshall's dignified portrayal of Blacula.[1][4] Commercially, it contributed to the blaxploitation horror subgenre's brief popularity in the early 1970s, though specific box office figures remain sparsely documented beyond estimates of modest profitability akin to its predecessor.[4] Notable for Grier's early starring role before her Coffy fame, the movie exemplifies 1970s exploitation cinema's fusion of genre horror with cultural representation, influencing later Black-led vampire tales.[1]Production
Development and pre-production
Scream Blacula Scream served as a direct sequel to the 1972 film Blacula, developed by American International Pictures (AIP) to exploit the original's commercial success in the blaxploitation horror genre, which had grossed significantly despite its modest production costs.[5] AIP, known for low-budget exploitation films, aimed to blend vampire mythology with urban African American themes to target Black audiences seeking representation in horror narratives.[6] The project was greenlit shortly after Blacula's release, with producer Joseph T. Naar overseeing development and AIP tapping director Bob Kelljan—previously known for The Return of Count Yorga (1971)—to helm the sequel, as original director William Crain declined due to exhaustion.[7] The screenplay, credited to Joan Torres and Raymond Koenig with additional contributions from Maurice Jules, centered on a voodoo ritual resurrecting the vampire Prince Mamuwalde (Blacula's true identity) in a contemporary Los Angeles setting, incorporating elements of African spiritual traditions alongside 1970s street culture to heighten cultural resonance.[8][9] Casting prioritized continuity and genre appeal, retaining William Marshall to reprise his role as the dignified yet tormented Mamuwalde, leveraging his Shakespearean background for dramatic gravitas.[10] Pam Grier was cast as Lisa Fortier, a voodoo priestess central to the resurrection plot, capitalizing on her rising stardom in blaxploitation films like Coffy (1973) to draw horror and action fans.[11] Pre-production adhered to AIP's cost-conscious model, with an estimated budget of $500,000, emphasizing practical sets and genre tropes over elaborate effects to ensure profitability.[12]Filming and technical aspects
Principal photography for Scream Blacula Scream occurred primarily in Los Angeles County, California, incorporating urban exteriors in neighborhoods such as Watts for chase sequences and establishing shots that evoked blaxploitation grit.[6] Soundstages were employed for controlled interior scenes, including voodoo rituals, allowing efficient staging amid the film's modest resources.[13] Filming commenced on February 19, 1973, adhering to American International Pictures' (AIP) standard of abbreviated schedules—typically 20-30 days—to minimize costs on low-budget productions.[14] [15] Special effects emphasized practical techniques, with makeup artists applying prosthetics for vampire fangs, pallid skin, and transformation sequences, supplemented by restrained bloodletting props rather than elaborate gore.[16] [17] These methods, executed by crew including hair stylist Ruby Ford and special effects technician Jack De Bron Jr., prioritized atmospheric suggestion—shadowy lighting and implied violence—over visual excess, as AIP's financial limits precluded advanced optical work or extensive sets.[16] This approach heightened tension through pacing, where off-screen implications and rapid cuts substituted for budgetary spectacle, aligning with the era's horror conventions before digital enhancements.[15] The score by composer Bill Marx integrated funk bass lines, soulful horns, and percussive rhythms to underscore action and supernatural dread, recorded simply to fit AIP's streamlined post-production.[18] [19] Production hurdles, such as coordinating William Marshall's central performance across resurrected and vampiric states, demanded precise scheduling to reuse costumes and makeup applications efficiently.[20] Overall, these technical constraints fostered resourceful improvisation, yielding a film that leveraged implication and genre familiarity to sustain engagement despite evident economies.[17]Plot
After the death of voodoo priestess Mama Loa, her cult designates adopted daughter Lisa Fortier as leader, bypassing biological son Willis Daniels, who reacts with fury and acquires a shrunken head containing the remains of 18th-century African prince Mamuwalde for a resurrection ritual intended to undermine Lisa.[4][21] The ritual succeeds in reviving Mamuwalde as the vampire Blacula, who immediately bites and enslaves Willis as a vampire minion, then proceeds to expand his undead cadre by transforming victims in urban Los Angeles, such as partygoers and street encounters, while recognizing in Lisa a likeness to his long-lost wife Luva and soliciting her voodoo expertise to revoke his curse.[21][20] As murders mount, drawing scrutiny from detective Justin Carter—Lisa's romantic interest—and police amid growing vampire incursions from an abandoned mansion base, Blacula sustains operations by day in coffins and nocturnal feedings.[21] The narrative culminates in a disrupted voodoo ceremony at the Anderson House aimed at curing Blacula, where a law enforcement raid precipitates violent clashes, including Blacula dispatching officers; Lisa counters with a crafted voodoo doll to enfeeble and stake him, culminating in sunlight exposure for his demise, though she retains the doll in an open-ended close.[20][3]Cast and characters
William Marshall reprises the role of Prince Mamuwalde, the aristocratic African prince cursed as the vampire Blacula, lending the character a commanding presence shaped by Marshall's training in Shakespearean theater and opera, where he performed roles like Othello.[22][23] Pam Grier plays Lisa Fortier, a voodoo priestess drawn into the vampire's domain, reflecting Grier's early 1970s transition toward lead roles blending action and supernatural elements in Black-led cinema.[24] Don Mitchell stars as Justin Carter, a former Los Angeles Police Department officer navigating the occult conflict, drawing on Mitchell's prior television work in procedural dramas.[25]| Actor | Role | Characterization |
|---|---|---|
| Richard Lawson | Willis Daniels | Ambitious son of a voodoo leader who experiments with resurrection rituals to gain supernatural influence.[4] |
| Michael Conrad | Sheriff Harley Dunlop | Local law enforcement figure investigating eerie disturbances tied to voodoo and vampirism.[2] |
| Lynne Moody | Gloria | Associate entangled in the group's voodoo practices and vampire encounters.[24] |