Booming Voices Double Feature: Blacula (1972) and Truck Turner (1974)

I popped by Hollywood Express last week (very cool spot- the last remaining video rental place that I know of) and was delighted to find several blaxploitation films in their Cult Movie section that are unavailable on netflix. Take THAT, movie rental monopoly! I picked up Blacula and Truck Turner for a fun double feature when I had the night to myself. While both are fixtures of the blaxploitation genre, to me the main unifying theme was wonderfully deep-voiced actors leading both films!

Drawing from Bram Stoker's ever-popular Dracula, the ridiculously-titled Blacula focuses on the African prince Manuwalde (William Marshall) who is turned into a vampire by Count Dracula himself and locked in a coffin for centuries. He awakes when a cute gay couple buys his coffin and brings it back to LA, launching a fang-tastic killing spree. He meets a beautiful woman (Vonetta McGee) who looks exactly like his long-dead wife, whom he charms into dating while murdering a lot of people around her. Dr Gordon Thomas (Thalmus "I Have An Amazing Name" Rasulala), a police consultant (or something? I never quite caught on to his regular job- something... doctory? Was he a coroner?), begins to suspect the vampiric nature of the killings and works to bring down the culprit.

I'll admit, I pretty much only wanted to see this movie because I liked the silly title, and I'm into seeing more blaxploitation in general because I find the genre interesting. I had always heard it wasn't all that good. I found it pretty decent, but nothing to write home about. William Marshall is great in the title role, emitting an air of royal dignity even as he tears apart nubile women's flesh, donning a cape just for the hell of it. It's appropriately gory, and I dug some of the visual effects- like how all of the recently-turned vampires looked like wacky zombies, and the weirdly maggoty ending. The story is fairly predictable and the characters are stock (though Dr Thomas is a more intellectual character than I've seen, which was nice), but it's enjoyable enough as a genre crossover and I enjoyed the fashions and performances. Some very cool killing sequences, as well, especially at the end!

3.5/5

Then it was time for Truck Turner, a movie with all the requirements for a solid evening: smooth theme song, big guns, scantily-clad women, and kitties. Isaac Hayes stars as the titular bounty hunter, who goes after a powerful no-good pimp and catches him pretty quickly. In the aftermath he gets caught between a rival crime lord (Yaphet Kotto) and a strong-willed brothel matron (Nichelle Nichols), both of whom want him dead.

There are so many reasons this movie is awesome. Isaac Hayes is there. He sings a theme song. He sleeps with his gun strapped on. He has a cat. He likes Johannes Vermeer. Nichelle Nichols yells a lot and wears crazy outfits that aren't minidresses. There's a car chase within the first 5 minutes. There's so much shooting and a huge body count. The adorable Alan Weeks from Black Belt Jones is there (and he's the best character, actually) AND Scatman Crothers. Yaphet Kotto is a badass. Isaac Hayes is even more badass. It features the most glammed-out, fashion-crazy funeral I've ever seen. There's another kitty. I mean, TRUCK FUCKING TURNER, you guys!

Yeah sure, it has its drawbacks. There's a lot of derogatory language against women and the plot and pacing are a bit uneven. It's got some really fun action sequences and a few silly parts but does drag a bit since the story's thin. BUT whatever, this movie is a ton of fun and overall I really enjoyed it. Pow.

4/5