Saturday 19 November, 2022 at 7 p.m.
In the late 18th century, Prince Mamuwalde (William Marshall) travels from Africa to Transylvania to seek Count Dracula’s help in ending the transatlantic slave trade. Instead of helping, Dracula condemns Mamuwalde to eternal life as a vampire. When, a few centuries later, a pair of unwitting interior designers uncover his bones, the streets of 1972 Los Angeles won’t know peace until Blacula has his revenge!
2022 marks the 50th anniversary of the very first Blaxploitation horror film, Blacula, as well as the first ever appearance of an on-screen Black vampire. Initially an attempt by AIP to cash in on the burgeoning Blaxploitation scene of the early 1970s, it was notable for being the first studio-backed horror film by a Black director, William Crain. It kicked off a memorable trend in which the genre reimagined familiar horror tropes for the African-American audiences of the 1970s. At a time when even films aimed at Black audiences were predominantly made by white filmmakers, Blacula overturned that trend and set a precedent in horror history.
Wales’ International Horror Festival, Abertoir, and Bristol Black Horror Club, will be presenting a special 50th anniversary screening of Blacula, followed by a live panel discussion from the festival, with director himself, William Crain, participating. Audiences across the country will also be able to take part by asking questions via their mobile phone.
Screening as part of In Dreams Are Monsters: A Season of Horror Films, a UK-wide film season supported by the National Lottery and BFI Film Audience Network.
Glasgow Film Theatre, 12 Rose Street, Glasgow G3 6RB
Box Office 0141 332 6535
Publisher of Pat's Guide to Glasgow West End; the community guide to the West End of Glasgow. Fiction and non-fiction writer.
