This was another fantastic and fun week in class. Our screening of the week was Blacula, a progressive and funny horror film. Tallula and Chris summarized the readings with great care, moved in a smooth manner, and they held our attention well.  Sam led a wonderful presentaion on Paranormal Activity, he kept us entertained, answered all of our questions with enthusiasm, and was clearly excited and education on the film. Just a lovely week! Go team!

Blacula was the most valuable blaxplotion movie of its time, considering classic tropes were bashed and reversed. This movie set the scene for other blaxploitation films, first seen as a way to stomp stereotypes and give their life values and concepts some recognition, but then vanished in the film industry because their culture was evidently romanticized and merely uses “blackness for profit while subtly reinforcing the white heteronormative patriarchy,” as stated in the reading Rethinking Blacula. As we saw in the film, where whiteness was the ultimate evil (differing from norms at the time). Blacula was one of the first movies to show African Americans with dignity and respect and not hyper sexualize relationships. The marketing, funding, and niche promotion was prevelant in relation to the screening, the reading on the Cult Cinema Marketplace being extremely important this week. There was a great deal of self-awareness and dedication under strict finical budgets in Blacula and other exploitation b-movie cult cinema.

Dracula post cursing and biting Mamuwalde

I found the underlying associations in the movie interesting such as the obvious relation to slavery and homosexuality. Vampirism in Blacula is a direct correlation to the slave trade, such as when Mamuwalde gets bit by Dracula a demise from his masculinity. When he gets bit and cursed it is clearly referencing the lingering of racism and salvery in the present day (1970) and the superior white male power.  He strictly bites black people, trying to regain his masculinity and have power once again– Though he did bite Billy, the partner of Bobby McCoy, as though Mamuwalde was making a vampire empire of oppressed groups of people in America. It’s interesting because the movie was so progressive and even anti stereotypical for the exception of the flamboyant gay couples depiction and Skillets role. He lost his wife as well when he was cursed, and he was persistent with her being with him forever, but never forceful. Until the end when he bites her after being shot, so they can, yes, be together forever. He then commits suicide because his life without his supporting role is useless.

Above is my favorite scene, the shoe tit tat and the music… so groovy!

All in all this was a great film to have watched and studied in cult films class– with an upbeat yet spooky sound track, and a great attitude towards gender. Im glad we had such fun time analyzing this film, especially considering Schlegel disclosing that he was foggy during class due to a recent accident. Peace out film groupies xx