Spirit of ’76 Month Quick Picks and Pans

 

Mad Dog Morgan (1976) Dennis Hopper plays Daniel “Mad Dog” Morgan, an Irish immigrant turned outlaw in 1860s Australia. He roams the countryside with his trusty indigenous companion Billy (played by the always reliable David Gulpilil), robbing from the settlers. Despite a reportedly troubled production (due to a problematic Hopper), co-writer/director Philippe Mora’s outback western is a fascinating but sympathetic portrait of one of Australia’s most notorious criminals. In stark contrast to his pursuers and local lawmakers, Morgan possesses a code of honor and sense of fair play, transforming him into a cult hero of sorts. 

Rating: ***½. Available on Blu-ray, DVD and Kanopy

Who Can Kill a Child? (1976) Narciso Ibáñez Serrador’s Spanish horror-suspense film is a potent mixture of Lord of the Flies with Children of the Damned. English tourists Tom and Evelyn (Lewis Fiander and Prunella Ransome) decide to leave the hustle and bustle of a crowded Spanish coastal town, for the promise of peace and quiet on a nearby island. They soon discover the conspicuous absence of adults in the island village, which seems to be populated by roaming packs of sadistic children. We never learn what causes their vicious behavior (Is it a social or biological disease?), but the implication is that some sort of judgment day is at hand for the grown-ups. It’s a truly relentless, unnerving experience that will stay with you long after you’ve watched it.

One warning: The film’s only sour note (and it’s a big one) is the opening credit sequence, presenting a tasteless litany of atrocities against children (including concentration camps and famine). My recommendation: fast-forward through it. 

Rating: ***½. Available on Blu-ray and DVD

Black Magic 2 (1976) This Shaw Brothers sequel to the 1975 original promises more sex, gore and sorcery than you can shake a severed limb at. An 80-year-old practitioner of the dark arts keeps his youthful appearance by drinking the breast milk of young women under his spell. He keeps an army of zombies in his basement, who obey his every whim. When three doctors investigate the veracity of claims about him, they try to stop his reign of terror. Can they stop him, or will they join the ranks of his victims? Watch and find out. 

Rating: ***. Available on Blu-ray and DVD

Creature from Black Lake (1976) This low-budget independent production, filmed in Louisiana, is surprisingly engaging, thanks to colorful characters and a terrifying beast.  Pahoo and Rives (Dennis Fimple and John David Carson), two grad students from Chicago, travel to bayou country in the hopes of tracking down a legendary missing link. Although the scenes with the redneck sheriff (Bill Thurman) won’t surprise anyone, it’s a notch above many of its contemporaries (I’m looking at you, Legend of Boggy Creek) thanks to better acting (featuring appearances by stalwart character actors Jack Elam and Dub Taylor) and (for once) a decent view of the enraged hominid.   

Rating: ***. Available on Blu-ray, DVD, Tubi and Amazon Prime

The Human Tornado (1976) Rudy Ray Moore returns as everyone’s favorite kung fu-fighting pimp Dolemite, in his sequel to the character’s eponymous 1975 debut. Dolemite and his pals flee a trigger-happy hillbilly sheriff with an axe to grind for the glitz and glamour of Los Angeles. He runs into more trouble when he tries to rescue his pal Queen Bee (Lady Reed) from the clutches of a local kingpin. It’s cheap, with iffy acting, fake kung fu, and a scene that stops the plot cold, solely for an opportunity to showcase his routine in front of an audience. Is it good? No, but that’s not the point. The Human Tornado was made to entertain, and entertain it does, with Moore’s signature one-liners and over-the-top mayhem. 

Rating: ***. Available on Blu-ray, DVD, Amazon Prime, Kanopy, and Tubi

 

Death Machines (1976) Madame Lee (Mari Honjo) manages a trio of unstoppable assassins (aka: the “Death Machines”), while the bumbling cops attempt to thwart a series of contract killings. Meanwhile, a survivor of a karate studio massacre vows revenge against the people who killed his master and left him for dead. Filled with laughable dialogue, questionable acting, and haphazard directing, Death Machines is a textbook example of a film that’s so bad it’s good. Enjoy. 

Rating: **½. Available on Blu-ray and DVD

 

The Town that Dreaded Sundown (1976) This odd pseudo-documentary style thriller (and I use the term “thriller” loosely) chronicles a 1946 murder spree, by a killer with no apparent motive. The tone is wildly inconsistent, ranging from a serious police procedural to slapstick hijinks. Probably the most annoying aspect of the movie is its reliance on unnecessary narration, which either describes what already happened on screen, or provides exposition that could have been dialogue. You’ve been warned. 

Rating: **½. Available on Blu-ray and DVD

Futureworld (1976) This forgettable sequel to Michael Crichton’s 1973 film manages to underwhelm at every turn, lacking the novelty or suspense of its predecessor. The Delos Corporation picks up the pieces from the disaster depicted in the first film, rebuilding their resort and replacing their problematic androids with new models. In an effort to boost public relations, they invite TV reporter Tracy Ballard (Blythe Danner) and newspaper reporter Chuck Browning (Peter Fonda) to an all-access experience at the luxury theme park. All isn’t as it seems at the new, “improved” resort, as the snooping reporters discover a sinister conspiracy at work (a theme that would be beaten to death in the exasperating HBO TV series). The cut-rate Samuel Z. Arkoff production fails to impress, riding the fumes of the original (Yul Brynner revises his role as the Gunslinger, in an ill-advised dream sequence cameo). The seemingly endless scenes of Chuck and Tracy running around in the underground bowels of the resort are an apt metaphor for the film, running in circles with nowhere to go. Yawn. 

Rating: **. Available on Blu-ray, DVD and Tubi  

 

May Quick Picks and Pans – Exploitation Month

Black Belt Jones (1974) Director Robert Clouse’s follow-up to Enter the Dragon is a real hoot, starring Jim Kelly (who also appeared in Enter the Dragon) as the kick-ass, take-no- prisoners title character. He’s a one-man wrecking crew, working with the cops to take down a powerful mafia don. When the crime lord’s goons rough up and accidentally kill Black Belt Jones’ mentor, Pop Byrd (Scatman Crothers), you know there’s going to be hell to pay. Byrd’s estranged daughter Sydney (Gloria Hendry) shows up, to join in on the chop-socky action. Kelly strikes the right balance between charisma and conceit, to keep us engaged throughout. Black Belt Jones is full of fast-paced, high-energy fight scenes from start to finish, leading up to an inventive soap suds-infused climax in a truck wash. Check it out!

Rating: ***½. Available on DVD

Thriller: A Cruel Picture (aka: They Call Her One Eye) (1973) This might just be the consummate grindhouse flick, with its combination of sleaze, sex, blood and revenge. Christina Lindberg plays Frigga, a young woman who was left mute after a traumatic childhood incident. She misses her bus into town, and unwisely accepts a ride from Tony, a con man posing as a business traveler. He separates Frigga from her family, gets her hooked on heroin and puts her to work as a prostitute. When Frigga shuns one of her customers, Tony gouges her eye out (Not so fun fact: a real cadaver was used for the scene).

The second half of the movie concerns Frigga plotting to get even with Tony and the other people who destroyed her life. We witness her training in karate, shooting and driving, which leads to the film’s satisfying conclusion. Thriller is marred by some gratuitous hardcore sex scenes (depending on which version you see), and it’s definitely not for the squeamish, but it really delivers the goods. It’s Swedesploitation at its finest.

Rating: ***½. Available on DVD

Scream, Blacula, Scream (1973) Director Bob Kelljan’s quickie follow-up to the surprisingly entertaining Blaxploitation horror Blacula never quite reaches the levels of its predecessor, but it’s mildly entertaining. Mamuwalde, the titular vampire, is revived through black magic, unleashing his wrath once more. He’s torn between his bloodsucking ways and trying to lift the centuries-old curse. Pam Grier co-stars as Lisa Fortier, a voodoo practitioner who attempts to help. Nothing seems quite as novel as the first time around, and the production seems even cheaper than the last (most of the story is confined to one house), but Marshall gives it his all in the main role.

Rating: ***. Available on Blu-ray and DVD

 Caged Heat (1974) With so many women-behind-bars flicks preceding it to form a template, Caged Heat probably could have written itself, but producer Roger Corman had an ace up his sleeve with writer/director Jonathan Demme. Demme brought a personal touch to the story, humanizing the prisoners, despite the requisite T&A shots that the sub-genre demanded. Cult film icon Barbara Steele is good as the repressed Superintendent McQueen, who preaches a policy of tough love for the inmates. Warren Miller is suitably creepy as the warped psychiatrist Dr. Randolph. Caged Heat never quite rises above the clichés and conventions of women behind bars movies, but gives us a little bit more to chew on.

Rating: ***. Available on DVD

Multiple Maniacs (1970) Produced on a budget of $5,000, John Waters’ second feature film leaves no stone unturned in its quest to offend. Shot around his native Baltimore on 16 mm black & white reversal stock, Multiple Maniacs captures a moment in time for Waters and his Dreamland crew, satirizing religion, the Manson murders, arthouse sex flick and hippies. Lady Divine and Mr. David (played by Waters regulars Divine and David Lochary) run a traveling sideshow, the Cavalcade of Perversion, which is nothing more than a front to rob middle-class suburbanites. I can’t say this is a “good” movie in any sense of the word, but for better or worse, it held my attention (think of it as a dress rehearsal for Waters’ next movie, Pink Flamingos). Even if it left me scratching my head on more than a few occasions (Divine is raped by a giant lobster), you have to applaud Waters for his chutzpah (be sure to listen to his articulate and funny commentary on the Criterion disc).

Rating: ***. Available on Blu-ray and DVD

The Terror of Tiny Town (1938) On the surface, there’s nothing particularly special about this western, with its clichéd story about a puppet sheriff caught in a feud between two factions,* but I’d wager you’ve never seen anything quite like it. The Terror of Tiny Town stars a cast comprised entirely of little people, billed as “Jed Buell’s Midgets” (as if they were his personal property). You’ll probably wonder why someone felt this one-note gimmick was enough to sell tickets, but thanks to the 62-minute running time, you won’t have much time to be bored.

 * Watch for the bandits with an endless supply of bullets (“Did I fire 50 shots or only five?”).

Rating: **½. Available on DVD and Amazon Video

Cannibal Girls (1973) Director Ivan Reitman’s Canuxploitation cheapie keeps its narrative tongue firmly planted in its proverbial cheek. Cannibal Girls’ biggest claim to fame was its “warning bell” that would sound in the theater when something of an “especially erotic or gruesome nature” would appear on the screen. Oh, promises, promises. Pre-SCTV alumni Eugene Levy and Andrea Martin star as newlyweds vacationing in a small town outside Toronto. Somehow, their lives become intertwined with an urban legend about three women in a farmhouse who lure lonely men to their doom. In the DVD interview, Reitman confided that he and his crew weren’t working from a complete script, and it shows. The plot, if it could be called that, is uneven at best, but the film has its moments. The best scene involves Ronald Ulrich as the Reverend Alex St. John, a shifty backwoods restaurant proprietor, who spins morbid stories about the establishment’s history. Levy and Martin also have good chemistry together, but the movie just doesn’t quite gel. It’s not funny enough to be a comedy, nor scary enough to be a credible horror film.

Rating: **. Available on Blu-ray and DVD

The Wizard of Gore (1970) A more apt title for this Herschell Gordon Lewis film could have been The Wizard of Bore. Montag the Magnificent (Ray Sager) runs a show that requires audience participation for his macabre illusions. The only trouble is, the volunteers end up dead several hours later. Sherry Carson (played by Judy Cler in her only film role) hosts a local TV show, and her newspaper reporter boyfriend Jack (Wayne Ratay) discover there’s more to Montag’s story than meets the eye.

Lewis seemed to have cribbed the plot from a shampoo bottle (the “lather, rinse, repeat” part), with its drawn out set-up and repetitive torture scenes. When Jack balks at having to go back to watch Montag’s show, all I could think was, Yeah, I’m right with ya, pal.”

Compared to the movies from the director’s “Blood Trilogy,” the killer has no apparent motive. In Blood Feast, Fuad Ramses killed to fulfill an ancient Egyptian prophecy. In 2,000 Maniacs, a small Southern town came to life (sort of like a homicidal redneck version of Brigadoon) to wreak vengeance on visitors from the north. Hell, even Adam Sorg, the tortured artist in Color Me Blood Red was motivated by the promise of notoriety. Montag just kills because he can. I give the film brownie points for its half-assed attempts at being mind-bending, but it doesn’t redeem it from eliciting yawns.

Rating: **. Available on Blu-ray and DVD

Blacula

(1972) Directed by William Crain; Written by Joan Torres and Raymond Koenig; Starring: William Marshall, Vonetta McGee, Denise Nicholas, Thalmus Rasulala and Gordon Pinsent; Available on Blu-ray and DVD

Rating: ***½

“Well, we can’t ignore what the world characterizes as the black arts, now can we? I think that there’s some truth to all of it.” – Mamuwalde (William Marshall)

“Tina, this isn’t some nut from a Halloween party, that man is the real thing.” – Michelle (Denise Nicholas)

I owe a debt of gratitude to the cinematic hosts with the most, Kristina of Speakeasy, Ruth of Silver Screenings, and Karen of Shadows & Satin for organizing the latest iteration of The Great Villain Blogathon. Be sure to check out the other entries for this massive five-day event. Today’s post is a 2-for-1 deal of sorts (Who doesn’t like a bargain?). Technically, Exploitation Month isn’t until next month, but I’m kicking it off a couple of days early, because the opportunity to discuss the eponymous villain was too enticing to pass up.

Blacula falls into the thriving Blaxploitation era of the 1970s, a loose mélange of low-budget films in multiple genres, focusing on African American characters and urban settings. It emerged as an answer to cinema dominated by white characters, albeit often featuring less than flattering portrayals (hence, the exploitation factor). But many of the films also played with stereotypes, serving as a platform for social satire. Blacula helped pave the way for a small but significant wave of black-themed horror films, including Blackenstein (1973), Abby (1974), and Sugar Hill (1974). But you need to look no further than the original film for one of the finest villains of the era.

In the film’s prologue, set in Transylvania, circa 1780, Count Dracula (Charles Macaulay) is host to Mamuwalde (William Marshall), an African prince, who’s traveled to Eastern Europe to protest the slave trade. Relations turn sour in a hurry when Dracula offers to purchase Mamuwalde’s wife Luva (Yep, not only is Dracula a demonic nocturnal bloodsucker, he’s also a flippin’ racist!), played by Vonetta McGee. Naturally, this doesn’t sit very well with Dracula’s guest, and a fight breaks out. Unfortunately, they’re subdued by Dracula’s minions, and the vampire count bites Mamuwalde, thus starting his transformation into one of the undead. Before the transformation is complete, the sadistic count seals the African prince in a coffin, while his wife is left to die, locked away in a dungeon.

Nearly 200 years later, a pair of gay interior designers (Nope, this movie didn’t win any GLAAD awards) end up in Dracula’s castle. Spotting a potential to make a proverbial killing, they purchase the furnishings for cheap, along with Mamuwalde’s coffin. The whole lot is shipped back home to a Los Angeles warehouse, and while the men proceed to catalog the items, the coffin is opened, inadvertently reviving Mamuwalde (aka: Blacula). Being locked away for two centuries tends to builds up a powerful thirst, and Mamuwalde makes up for lost time by draining his two unwitting benefactors and a cabdriver of their blood. As he enjoys his new-found freedom, he becomes fixated on Tina (also played by McGee), a woman who happens to be the spitting image of his wife from yesteryear. He concludes that Tina is Luva, in reincarnated form (similar to Mina in Bram Stoker’s story).

With his deep voice, commanding stature, and handsome looks, Marshall rises above the admittedly shaky material, creating a believable, intimidating presence. An essential element for any good villain is that he must be relatable on some level, and Mamulwalde is no exception. Although he kills anyone who stands in the way, there’s a part of me that wanted him to succeed. In his tragic past, the love of his life was ripped away from him, and all he wants is to re-establish that bond. Besides, life as a vampire really doesn’t seem that bad, if you can put up with the atrocious ‘70s fashions.**

* If his voice sounds familiar, you might remember Marshall from another memorable, but more benign role, as the amiable King of Cartoons on Pee-wee’s Playhouse.

** Seriously, even he can’t believe the size of this dude’s collar.

Dr. Gordon Thomas (Thalmus Rasulala) stands in for the Van Helsing role. He’s a true believer in a world of cynics, fighting the good fight on his own. After he discovers the same distinctive bite marks on two corpses, he begins to formulate a hypothesis about who (or what) is perpetrating the bizarre murders. His biggest hurdle, however, is trying to convince a skeptical police department and his girlfriend Michelle (Denise Nicholas) that something supernatural is afoot. Thomas is a formidable opponent to Mamuwalde, and has good chemistry with Michelle (and I’m not just referring to the fact that they work together in a lab). In addition to Rasulala’s good supporting performance, classic movie buffs will appreciate the nice little role by veteran character actor Elisha Cook, Jr. (sporting a hook hand) as Sam, a county coroner.

Considering the army of the undead Mamuwalde has assembled, they’re dispatched far too easily. The vampires go up in flames without much fuss (Then again, it was the ‘70s, when fire-retardant clothing wasn’t much of a priority). Of course, you’re barking up the wrong tree if you’re looking for a subtle script or anything that isn’t told in broad strokes, but what Blacula does, it does quite well. If you’re searching for an entry level film into the wild, weird and wonderful world of Blaxploitation, or its horror variant, look no further than Blacula, which is elevated, in no small part, by Marshall, who treats schlock like a Shakespearean tragedy. It’s an ideal choice for B-movie night. Try it. I think you’ll be surprised. Just tell ‘em Barry sent ya.