Blacula

Disappointing black horror movie which followed in the successful wake of Shaft. The script by Joan Torres and Raymond Koenig seems to be the real problem: apart from a garbled opening in which Blacula is vampirised while trying to liberate his people, the plot simply turns away from all the obvious political/social/sexual implications, even on the level of action. Instead, Blacula becomes a less than impressive lovesick vampire chasing his reincarnated wife through LA (one of the dullest plot mechanisms of all), and the film remains a lifeless reworking of heroes versus vampires with soul music and a couple of good gags. Not a particularly promising debut for Crain, whose TV background is all too obvious in the cramped over-emphatic style.