Blacula

Blacula is a 1972 blaxploitation horror film produced for American International Pictures. It was directed by William Crain and stars William Marshall in the title role.

It's plot is simple. In 1780, Prince Mamuwalde (Marshall), the ruler of an African nation, seeks the help of Count Dracula (Charles Macaulay) in suppressing the slave trade. Dracula, who along with his other evils, is revealed here as a racist, not only refuses to help but also transforms Mamuwalde into a vampire ( denigrating him with the name "Blacula" into the bargain, the cad ) and imprisons him in a sealed coffin to suffer the un-ending thirst of the damned. Mamuwalde's wife Luva (McGee) is also imprisoned but, not being a vampire, dies in captivity. Almost two centuries later, in 1972, the coffin has been purchased as part of an estate by two gay interior decorators, and shipped to Los Angeles. The men open the coffin, becoming the vampire's first victims and starting the ball rolling, cinematically speaking.

The film was not reviewed by most mainstream critics of the time, but those that did were typically unfavorable toward the film. Despite this, the film has a strong cult following, and Marshall's performance in the lead has been widely praised. It was a financial success when it was originally released, and was immediately followed by a sequel, Scream Blacula Scream (1973), in which the vampire is made corporeal again by a Voodoo practitioner played by Pam Grier. Voodoo? Pam Grier?? Blacula??? Yes, this is as good as it sounds.

The success of the film also inspired the making of several other blaxploitation/horror crossovers in the mid-seventies, including Abby, Blackenstein, Dr. Black and Mr. Hyde, Ganja and Hess, The House on Skull Mountain, J. D.'s Revenge and Sugar Hill, although none of these films were as successful commercially as Blacula. Rumors circulated that Brides of Blacula and Son of Blacula were to have been made as well. But it was not to be.

Not only a look back into the kitschy 70's. These films remain enjoyable, and surprisingly well acted, with especially good performances from Marshall who at times is working with far from the best material. Even with the script sometimes letting him down, he is picture perfect as the lonely and sympathetic Mamuwalde. The plot might not break too many horror conventions, but then again, it doesn't have to. These films are well worth the hunt.

As one character says during the film, "Hey, man... that's a baaad cape!"

Blood The Last Vampire (2009)

Could it be that I have seen too many Japanese movies about a girl with a sword killing people. I liked Onechanbara, Zombie Self Defense Force, and quite a few others, but the this live action remake of the previous animated film bored me. The lead character, Saya, is like Marvel Comics’ character Blade, a half-human half-vampire who kills blood suckers, but she does it in a school uniform with only a sword. It’s all very dull with unoriginal fight scenes and unconvincing CGI.

It probably doesn’t help that too many non-Japanese people were involved in the production.

Whip It (2009)

Roller Derby is back and growing in popularity, so it was inevitable that someone would make a movie about it. Better that it is Drew Barrymore (in her directorial debut) rather than Disney looking to replicate the “success” of the Mighty Ducks. Roller Derby peaked in the middle of the 20th century before almost disappearing in the seventies. The glamorous, high profile, full contact women’s sport has been reborn (on basketball courts and in warehouses) with less hype, but a lot more soul, fashion sense, and DIY ethic. The new sport wears the old school quad skates and often appeals to girls who have no interest in more traditional sport. Whip It is based on the semi-autobiographical novel of just such a girl, Shauna Cross (aka Maggie Mayhem of the Los Angeles Derby Dolls.

Ellen Page (Juno) has had enough of her parents demands that she enter beauty pageants and finds a sport that lets her express her real self, roller derby. Page’s new identity as Babe Ruthless is wonderful for her until she falls out with her parents and best friend, and then her new romance goes sour. But, in typical Hollywood style, all things are better by the film’s end. It is disappointing that the movie is so cliched, with very little variation on the standard teen sports/coming of age movie. Why isn’t it okay to make a movie about a girl finding pastime she likes and becoming empowered without everyone being against her for doing so? Page is great and the scenes involving the derby girls (Juliette Lewis, Drew Barrymore, Zoe bell, etc) are good, but the rest of the film is mediocre and formulaic. The real derby is much more exciting.

Ellen Page does derby...

As does Raquel Welch in Kansas City Bomber in 1972...

And the Sydney Roller Derby League in a promotional bout at Sleaze Ball 2009...

The Machine Girl (2008)

Japanese schoolgirl Ami is upset when the Yakuza kill her brother and chop off her arm.

Revenge is quick in coming when Ami meets a couple that are keen to help her…
“It must be pretty tough to fight with just one arm. Don’t worry, I can design you a new one. One made of steel”, says the husband who makes her a prosthetic machine gun arm.

Does her plan to exact revenge on the Yakuza upset this couple? Apparently not, as the wife justifies the upcoming violence, “If you can think of a good way of getting revenge without killing people that desperately deserve it, let me know”.
“Okay, let’s kill, kill them all”, replies our heroine with perhaps a little more glee than is healthy.

As the story unwinds or, more accurately, unhinges we experience Ninjas in tracksuits, a yakuza that looks like a giant garden gnome, ‘Super power bullets’, a drill bra, Japanese fetishes (school uniforms, white panties, and faux lesbianism), and a lot of dismemberment and spurting blood. A LOT of dismemberment and spurting blood. The English dubbing helps to make it even more entertaining.

This may be the greatest Japanese movie ever.

Caprica pilot (2009)

The wonderful Battlestar Galactica finished on a low with a dull, drawn out finale, but that doesn’t mean the show is dead. In the tradition of other science fiction shows (eg Babylon 5), it continues to live in one form or another. The first continuance is the series Caprica.

Caprica is set 58 years before Battlestar Galactica and the attack on the human colonies by the robotic Cylons. Caprica is a planet living in luxury and excess, much like ancient Rome, but with virtual reality and better sanitation. It’s a world of technological marvels, religious fanaticism, political rivalries, family squabbling, and all the other usual ingredients for a prime time soap opera. Eric Stoltz is Daniel Graystone and he is on the verge of creating Cylon technology. Esai Morales is Joseph Adama, father of William Adama (commander of Battlestar Galactica) and a political mover and shaker. These two men represent the families that are the centre of the story.

The bleak war scenario of Battlestar Galactica is replaced with a drama focused on a society on the verge of change (and destruction, but only the viewer knows that). The pilot is promising, and gives a clear indication of where Cylon technology comes from, and provided some clever jabs at monotheism and the war on terror. It will be interesting to see if the series can maintain the freshness of the pilot, and not disintegrate into trivial family rivalry (eg Dallas).

Dollhouse Season 1 (2009)

Joss Whedon (Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Dr Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog) returns to the small screen with his much anticipated new series. Especially anticipated because it stars the popular and spunky Eliza Dushku (Faith from Buffy).

The secret Dollhouse organisation programs dolls (male and female) and hires them out to wealthy clients to do with what they will. The dolls (including Dushku as Echo) return and have their brains wiped until the next mission. The season starts without much focus and mostly seems like an excuse to put Eliza in a variety of provocative clothing, until episode 6 when the story starts going somewhere.

FBI agent Paul Ballard (Tahmoh Penikett from Battlestar Galactica) is obsessed with finding the Dollhouse and rescuing Dushku, but all he has is a photo and rumours. Penikett is the real star of the show, because his is the only character that has a goal. Dushku has a new persona each week, which is not very engaging, and the Dollhouse staff are fairly one dimensional. Alpha, a doll who caused trouble in the past, is a more interesting character and the cause of much concern in the organization. It’s a Whedon program, so you know there are motives and complex back stories but they aren’t obvious or explored in Season 1. It’s also a bit annoying being told how outrageously beautiful Dushku is. She’s good, but not that good.

The Pretender used a similar scenario (secret organisation with people who could change character) but had a more coherent story and relatable characters. Dollhouse lacks an angle to grab the attention, and normally Whedon is extremely good at creating a novel angle. Dollhouse is still better than a lot of what is on television, but the bar has been raised for dramas with the complex moral and social dilemmas and back stories in shows like Battlestar Galactica, Dexter, The Shield, etc. Hopefully Season 2 will change the direction for the best.

Episode 13 was filmed especially for the DVD release and/or overseas market. It takes place after the events of season 1 and is set in the near future where the Dollhouse technology is widespread and has lead to worldwide panic and fighting. It is an interesting scenario. Maybe more interesting than the series.