Scream Blacula Scream (1973)    American International/Horror    RT: 96 minutes    Rated PG (vampire violence, language, some sexual innuendo)    Director: Bob Kelljan    Screenplay: Joan Torres, Raymond Koenig and Maurice Jules    Music: Bill Marx    Cinematography: Isidore Mankofsky    Release date: June 27, 1973 (US)    Cast: William Marshall, Pam Grier, Don Mitchell, Michael Conrad, Richard Lawson, Lynne Moody, Janee Michelle, Barbara Rhoades, Bernie Hamilton, Arnold Williams, Van Kirksey, Bob Minor, Al Jones, Eric Mason.    Box Office: $2.1M (US)

Rating: ***

 Strange as it sounds, Scream Blacula Scream is on the short list of sequels that are better than the original. I just had more fun watching it than its predecessor. Director Bob Kelljan (Count Yorga, Vampire) ups the ante by throwing voodoo into the mix. Shakespearean actor William Marshall returns as Mamuwalde, the African prince also known as Blacula. This time around, the foxy Pam Grier (The Big Bird Cage) plays the title character’s love interest. If that’s not an added incentive, I don’t know what is. It all adds up to a fun blaxploitation horror flick.

 Scream Blacula Scream hit cinemas less than a year after the original. You can see that it was made in a hurry. Producer Samuel Z. Arkoff didn’t want to waste any time in getting the sequel into theaters while the first movie was still fresh in the minds of audiences. The reviews weren’t kind, but that didn’t keep urban audiences away. Made on a low budget (sorry, I don’t have an exact figure), it made its money back. That’s the beauty of exploitation movies. They’re cheap and almost always turn a small profit.

 As you may recall, Blacula took his own life at the end of the first movie, deliberating stepping outside into the sunlight after the reincarnation of his beloved princess gets a stake through the heart. His death is only temporary. He’s brought back to life by Willis Daniels (Lawson, Poltergeist), the son of a recently deceased voodoo queen. He’s angry because he wasn’t chosen as her successor. Instead, she named adoptive daughter Lisa (Grier) to take over the role.

 Seeking revenge, Willis buys the remains of Blacula and uses voodoo to bring the vampire back to life. It works, but success comes at a great cost in this case. The newly risen bloodsucker immediately puts the bite on Willis turning him into his slave. His first reaction upon realizing his new station in life/undeath is one for the books: “Hey, look here, man. I don’t mind being a vampire and all that s***, but this really ain’t hip.”

 Blacula crashes a party where he schools some of the guests about the African artifacts on display in the host’s home. Said host is Justin Carter (Mitchell, Ironside), an ex-cop and member of Lisa’s voodoo cult. As it so happens, Lisa is his girlfriend. That is, until she falls under the spell of Blacula. He really does have a way with the women. For her part, Lisa doesn’t freak out when she learns her new man is a vampire even though he bites her friend Gloria (Michelle, The House on Skull Mountain) at the party. She even agrees to use her voodoo to help remove the curse that made him who he is today.

 Meanwhile, Justin returns to the LAPD fold to aid in investigating a series of murders. Working with his old partner Lt. Dunlop (Conrad, Hill Street Blues), he soon comes to realize the killings are the work of a vampire. Dunlop doesn’t believe him at first, but you know how these things go. By the end, he and a team of cops arm themselves with wooden stakes for the final showdown with Blacula and his bloodsucking army.

 I’m sure I would have discovered Scream Blacula Scream on my own eventually. However, it was Harry and Michael Medved who turned me onto it in their 1980 book The Golden Turkey Awards. In it, they vividly describe the experience of watching it at a grungy Skid Row cinema at 4:40am. They talk about the rowdy audience, the burly security guard who kept order with a Billy Club, the big rat that ran down the aisle during the show and the wino singing along to the closing theme as they exited the theater. It sounds like a real hoot.

 I wish I had seen Scream Blacula Scream under similar circumstances. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be. I saw it at some point in the early 00s in the safety of my bedroom. My second viewing this past Saturday night took place in my living room. I did a Blacula double feature while my infinitely patient wife watched one of her shows on her phone. It’s definitely not the same as sitting next to a potentially dangerous person with the smell of stale popcorn and mold wafting through the theater, but I’ll take it. Besides, it’s always awesome to see a young Pam Grier in action.

 I heard the term “terrifying dignity” applied to Marshall’s performance as Blacula. That’s a fair assessment. He’s a frightening figure who acquits himself with dignity. He has a regal quality to him which is fitting since he was an African prince before the whole situation with Dracula. Grier does great as the voodoo priestess who falls for Blacula and tries to help him. There’s a reason she’s regarded as the Queen of Blaxploitation. Mitchell makes a fine hero. It’s interesting to see a 70s black-themed movie that isn’t anti-police. Instead of fighting the cops, he works with them. Granted, Dunlop has racist tendencies, but he’s not a bad guy either.

 Scream Blacula Scream isn’t as serious as its predecessor. On the contrary, it has fun with its premise. Some of it, like Blacula’s encounter with a pair of pimps, is played for laughs. Check out this exchange:

Pimp: “Your bread, man, all of it! Or are we gonna have to become anti-social and kick your ass?”

Blacula: “I’m sorry, I don’t have any “bread” on me, and as for “kicking my ass”, I’d strongly suggest you give it careful consideration before trying.”

You gotta love dialogue like this. While humorous, Scream Blacula Scream doesn’t skimp on the vampire horror. The makeup effects are quite good and the final showdown is cool.

 I’m not going to try and convince you Scream Blacula Scream is some kind of lost horror classic. It’s a B-movie (B for Blaxploitation) through and through. It’s made to be seen on double and triple features. It’s made to be watched with friends who enjoy schlocky movies. It’s just fun!