Transcript
Speaker: I'm loving earrings as well. Oh my, aren't they so like, um, gay art teacher? Yes, they are. The podcast mug! Yes, I feel like this is now the podcast mug. It's my dino mug. With vanilla tea this time. Ooh, I've got Caliphia! Ooh, that is so good. I love their markers.
Speaker: I was like, you know what, because I don't get iced coffees regularly. Yeah. And then I was talking to my friend, same friend, I only have one friend at work. Now I have two, the other one stops going home with us. But she was telling me about how she had three star boxes in one day.
Speaker: And I was like, you know what, maybe I am allowed to have one iced coffee every now and again. But three iced coffees, wow, that's the dream. I know if I go out for like a brunch with my friends or something, and we might be there for a few hours, there's definitely a minimum of two iced coffees. I feel like depending the route, yes.
Speaker: I feel like, yeah, are you talking like hang sessions in one place where you, because you like crochet hang sessions? Yeah, like we'll just be there in the cafe, we might have something to, we'll start with the drink, and then once you decide on the food, the food, and of course, sometimes you need another drink with your food. You need another drink? And then a drink afterwards, but yeah, we'll be there crocheting at the same time. I'm more of a coffee and a wok. Like a, like a storm in a cup.
Speaker: Yeah. Oh, so good. You know what? I just, I'm taking out these earrings because they're bouncing against my headphones. Slightly annoying, sensory nightmare. Oh, that was the reason for the free iced coffees. It wasn't like a, I'm having a free iced coffees moment. It was like a neurodivergent drain point where she was just like,
Speaker: if I don't buy a cold brew and tag team it, I can't get through with a day. But these earrings I actually got yesterday at a pop -up market in, oh my gosh, am I gonna dox myself in Brixton? There's lots of places in Brixton. And it was, do you know what? Because here's the thing, this is a rerecord
Speaker: of an episode because we completely shambled the audio. I want to hear about your weekend and what I was going to say is about my weekend. We'll have to edit all that out but the Sunday alone again I went to a pop -up market because I was just wandering through Brixton and they were like hey pop -up market free entry and you know what
Speaker: I'm going to reuse the joke that I was using to everyone in that pop -up market. It's free entry, but it is not free exit. You know, as in... Oh, because as I said, nobody leaves empty handed. There is no way you're getting out of that shop, like that market alive, because without buying several things, I got like, I got these earrings and I'm going to, you know what? These people deserve shout outs. Field .st is to handle.
Speaker: She made all these earrings, they were amazing. She looked so stunning and we had a great conversation because I was talking about how it was all so bright and colourful and I was like,
Speaker: kind of golf. But we decided these ones because they're kind of ooky spooky. I also got like caps creations, shampoo and conditioner bar. She was like, tell me all the ingredients. She was like, take a picture of the ingredients. Like so you know, if you can't get it
Speaker: You can't get these again, look for these ingredients. You know, when people just like care so much about their product, they're like, I actually don't care if you buy my product.
Speaker: I just - But these are the best ingredients. Yeah. She's like, look, I just care about hair. Like, I'm not. Yeah. And she, because it's like a pop up shop in, in, in Brixton. It's like a lot of incense, a lot of Caribbean people. And she's there with like, the most gorgeous, like, afro, but then twists, but not dreadlocks. Just like twists at the end of the afro.
Speaker: And she's there with like, my very like, you know, I don't know the proper terminology of like, curl patterns, but like, white people curls. And she's there like, ask curly hair curls, we need to like, treat our hairs well. I'm like, yes, ask curly hair curls. And we tell you, your curls are far superior, but I will, I will be included right now. She was lovely. Like the amount of people I was just chatting to. And then I was like,
Speaker: Time to spend all of my money. I got this. Oh, that's so pretty. So pretty. That is very pretty. So pretty. That's from Sharon Farrow. And I also got a little notebook from the same person. Oh my gosh, you have to check her out because she also has sticker sets.
Speaker: Mushrooms. Oh, those are good mushrooms. I just, and she's on Etsy. Sharon. I had a weekend where I walked around a community garden and I ate local food and I bought a bunch of stuff. There was this guy selling rum and the rum's called chromanti because that's chromanti. This is, this is their manifesto.
Speaker: Bless up the ancestors, they deserve it, and so do you. We got their spirit inside us. It speaks to our senses, laughs when we laugh, guides us when we're lost. Why would you ever dilute it? So it's like, we want to make a sippable rum, like the same way people drink whiskey. You're not going to mix this. This is rum that you just drink straight.
Speaker: So it's like, I think Cremante was the word for like the port.
Speaker: like the Caribbean ports that like I completely blanked on that because he was drinking, he was giving me too much rum. Like it was literally like 2pm on a Sunday and I was just sipping rum. And like he's like, okay, okay, the only way that we'll like say you can mix it is like a little bit of bitters and then not like ginger beer, straight just ginger juice. Hmm.
Speaker: So it's like a bit of a dark and stormy. But it is, it was amazing. And I'm just chatting and then he was talking all about like, you know, how so much of rum culture is very linked to like slave trader culture. Because it's that kind of like Caribbean, African drink. So like, I guess also seafaring drink.
Speaker: So like a lot of like like Captain Morgan's was the slave trader. Oh. Cremante, I think he was saying is like him and his daughter make it. I always want to say brew it but I don't feel like you don't brew spirits. I don't think so. But him and his daughter like make it and they kind of were talking about like, you know, let's decolonize the rum industry.
Speaker: So I was like, okay man, I'll buy your 40 pound rum because it tastes so fucking good. And he's like... It's an investment. It's an investment. And he's like, do you know what? I'll chuck in some hot sauce. I completely blanked on the name of that guy, but that's this guy that actually is a musician, but just before his nan died,
Speaker: he got her hot sauce recipe. So he's a musician that sells his nan's hot sauce at the back of the game. It's like, you know, the merch table set up, also hot sauce, because he's like, yeah, my nan, I wanted to keep her alive in the hot sauce. Oh, so beautiful. So that was my weekend. I feel like my weekend was just literally, if someone were to make an ad for living in Brixton,
Speaker: It's like community gardens, sunshine, local culture. Just wanting to shout that out because shopping ethically is one thing, but it will never... I was saying this to...
Speaker: caps creations to hair care lady. I buy most of my hair stuff from Lush and that's like ethical. Shopping ethical is good, but shopping local is much more ethical because at the end of the day, big business is still big business. And if you're shopping locally, you're supporting the community itself and people in that community.
Speaker: How was your weekend? It was quite all right. On Saturday I went to the beach down by the observatory for a little picnic with two of my friends. It was really lovely. So we sat on the beach first and then afterwards we went inside to the observatory for a coffee and then we went and got some books. But I do have the tan line on my ankle from the sun on that day. Nice. So it was good sun.
Speaker: Yeah, good sun. Hello and welcome to today's episode where we will be discussing Blackula. Now, when I was writing my notes for Blackula, I was writing so many notes, my hand was getting cramp. And I just have like, it's just, it's just mess. You're like, I want to be able to read it. I'm like, when we do this section, I'm here going, huh? What? How? What?
Speaker: What does this mean? The thing is, I listen to podcasts with full half an hour life updates at the beginning. And it's one of those things where I feel like when you start getting into a podcast, you hate because you're like, I don't know these people.
Speaker: And then you start enjoying it. And I remember being like... And you get more clips of who the people are and you get more behind the scenes of the actual people, behind their voices. And you feel like you get to know them more. Yeah. So hopefully you think of it as that instead of like, when I think about it and I'm like, I never want to be one of those podcasts where people just have to spam the jump 15 second one until they actually start talking about what they're meant to be talking about.
Speaker: If you have been spamming the 15 second button. Hello and welcome to the episode. You don't need to press that button anymore, honey. Don't worry. We're here. But we've got you. So yeah, this episode is on Black Killer 1972.
Speaker: If we are, again, as established, we are re -recording because a recording studio that will remain nameless, it probably wasn't its fault. It's always probably our fault.
Speaker: Audio was just completely gobbled so we're having to re -record, which is a shame because the whole point of it is you're meant to be going into this blind and now we've fully discussed the episode. But, you know. I can't remember everything that was said. It's fine. It was fine.
Speaker: Let's talk about the film. Blackula from 1972 is a film directed by William Crane. An 18th century African prince turned vampire by Dracula finds himself in modern day Los Angeles. Los Angeles? Los Angeles. I just go LA. LA.
Speaker: Yeah, that way you don't have to have that internal debate of, wait, how is the pronunciation? Yeah. So the film begins in 1780. Yes. Funder. Transylvania. Lightning. Spooky castle. Yeah, as stated in previous episodes, nothing ever good happens during a thunderstorm.
Speaker: Well, I count her for her deleting Kia Patrick. Yeah, that was a... Wasn't good for them. No. But was good for... The others. For my boy Hans. Yeah. It's always dramatic. Whether good or bad, drama happens. There's drama. Thunderstorms reveal drama. Yes. So, we're in Transylvania at 1780 and we're in this castle. It's Dracula's... Doesn't say Dracula's castle.
Speaker: Or does it just say Transylvania and we all know what's what? We're watching a film called Black Killer. It's Transylvania. We know what's what. I can't remember. Well, we kind of go into the castle. Dracula is there walking with a black couple and they are discussing and Dracula mentions that they are from the dark continent.
Speaker: Yeah. And that's kind of our first wording that kind of shows what this... shows what Dracula's about. Yeah. Shows his beliefs. Because this couple, Prince Mamawalde and Luva, they've come over to try and dissuade Count Dracula from getting involved in the slave trade and to try and put an end to it. Yeah.
Speaker: to kind of get him to actively reject, not get involved, and also, I feel, is it like a petition? Are they kind of like petitioning wealthy white landowners to kind of put their name down as morally against it? Possibly. Something like that. Just to give it more holding. Basically they're like, hey, Dracula, can we have your support and end in this slave trade? Yeah, but Dracula's all for it.
Speaker: Yeah so they're talking about the evening and they're talking about obviously they've just come from a fancy soiree
Speaker: And Dracula is mentioning how many people were very impressed by Prince Momma Walde. And Luva talks about how, well of course they are. Like... Yeah. Have you met him? Of course they're going to be impressed by him. He is the pride. He is our pride. He is everything that we wish to be. And it's just so sweet because it's really good at kind of setting their relationship up.
Speaker: like one of mutual respect. Because that's what it is. Yeah, yeah. And she says that and he and he kind of looks at her and holds her hand and is like, my Louvre is too, too complimentary or not. He doesn't say that, but it's, it's like, like those vibes. And you can just tell, yeah. And it's beautiful. Also her outfit.
Speaker: Amazing. I love how she's wearing traditional garments. She's got these beautiful beads. It's kind of like a... It's very colourful. Lots of purples. Oh, I just noticed something. Okay. Lots of purples on Louvre. Gorgeous. And she's got these kind of big hoops and she just looks stunning. So she's wearing these beautiful beads. Absolutely beautiful.
Speaker: Unfortunately, I feel like mum all day is just in like a, like a regular suit. Yeah. Which, um, we do. Yeah, it fits later on, but I also would have liked to have seen him in our match and outfit. Yeah. Yeah. Cause it just, it just, one, it wouldn't be nice to kind of connect them slightly more. Yeah. To have that, um, like visual them as a pair.
Speaker: Yeah, it's very obviously for like the later plot, which is fine. Yeah, but he does look good in that suit. Oh, yeah. Gorgeous. William Marshall.
Speaker: is the actor who plays Mama Walde and he is a gorgeous man. I just love also about the thing about this scene is how Mama Walde did not come to play. Oh no, he was that, he was straight up, this is the facts, this is what we want. If you are not going to help us, if you're not going to give us any part of what we want, then we are leaving.
Speaker: Yeah, it's that thing of you know, Dracula's all like, oh, you know, kind of not like, I guess not like, it's not so much flattery, because he's not sucking up to them. And it's not so much patronizing.
Speaker: But he's kind of like, you know, like, just just empty nothings like, oh, he was impressed by you, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And my mom all day just kind of pulls it back to like, I am here because I disagree with the slave trade. Yeah. And I think it's like an affront. And that is my purpose for being here. Give me compliments. That's fine. I deserve them. But I'm not gonna
Speaker: let that distract me yeah anyway dracula basically says no no don't you think the slave trade does have merit yes to which mumble waldy is like no yeah he's like he like looks taken aback
Speaker: And then he says, Count Dracula says how he'd love to pay for Mum World Day's delicious wife and for her to become part of the household. And it's Mum World Day's response here I just absolutely loved. So, are you ill? It's just, it's just so...
Speaker: Sir, are you ill? Because it's like, he's still a guest in Dracula's house. He can't, you can tell here in Dracula, objectify and demean his wife in that way. You can tell he wants to just jump up and smack. Oh yeah, he wants to be like, no, you cannot talk to Luva this way. What do you think you are doing? But he's a guest in his house, and he's like, she's going to be respectful.
Speaker: I'm gonna give you a very polite opportunity to take a step back and say, oh, no, no, no, sorry, I don't mean what I just said. Yeah. But I'm still gonna say it.
Speaker: in a way that you know, I'm fucking pissed off. So are you ill? It's like, no. The class with which he puts Dracula back down. It's like, we're not gonna play this game. But Dracula being the 1700s racist, if he was a real person, probably would be. Unfortunately so. Doubles down. He's like,
Speaker: No, no, no. It's actually a compliment. Yeah, you should be thanking me for saying that. Because if someone of my class is attracted to someone of your colour, it's a compliment. And those are the words he uses and my world is like you were acting like an animal.
Speaker: to which Dracula, it's like he's, it's like Mama Walday is trying to one up him in class and Dracula is trying to one up him in being an absolute arse. Each time Mama Walday gives him the opportunity to be like, sorry, you're right, I'll put myself in check. He's like, no, no, I'll go one step further. So Mama Walday says you're acting like an animal. And Dracula just says, but you're the one who comes from the jungle.
Speaker: yeah it's like dad dude every single opportunity you are picking the arse root and at that point mama wall day's like i've had enough let's leave
Speaker: Luva, we are out of here because it's like exactly what you said earlier. If we're not going to get what we're here to get, there's no point in us being here. We're out. Yeah. And as well, you could notice that there were some comments that were going towards mum all day and he was taking them, but as soon as the comments started going to Luva, he was like, no, protect her.
Speaker: Yeah, yeah. He is, I was actually having this discussion over the weekend, which is like the difference between like patriarchal and the patriarchy. Because obviously, patriarchal qualities are not bad qualities. Being a strong man who would like to protect those he loves, is a beautiful thing.
Speaker: Yeah, that's not bad. Yeah, and I feel like Momo Alde is probably, particularly in this scene, one of the shining examples of how to be kind of patriarchal, positive masculinity.
Speaker: Oh, yes. Because he's he's so strong in his beliefs. And Karen in his visa to people that I care for, like, like with Luva, like, whenever anything goes towards her, it is no, you can say acceptable. Yeah, you can say whatever shit you want about me.
Speaker: but as soon as you go after my loved one this is someone i care for it's because he's because he's a prince yeah he's not a prince that's some that's some king shit right there but anyway he says we're leaving and jacula says no you're not no no yeah because i have i have a corridor filled with vampires with terrible makeup to stop you
Speaker: Yeah, in my notes I called the first guys that came over butler goons, because they looked like they were just his butlers that came over to try and stop him. Yeah, I don't know, they seemed like they weren't actually vampires, those ones were just goons that he just keeps around. Mum, all he gives them a solid run for their money. Oh yeah, he's fighting back.
Speaker: He's strong and it's not until a third one of those goons come along and actually works him on the head that he's actually gone down.
Speaker: Yeah, yeah. He's like, you know, if it were just a two of them, him and Luva would have would have made a getaway. Yeah. But as well, when Manuel De was attacking them back, he was doing it in defense. He was not doing it in a way to you attacked me, you're trying to kill me, I'm going to kill you first. He was a no, I'm only going to push you down and mobilize you so we can get away. Mm hmm. Yeah, he's very he's very much like defensive.
Speaker: as opposed to aggressive, for sure. So he's kind of, you know, held. And then Dracula comes in with a bunch of vampires. Yeah, it's bad makeup. The vampires essentially have like
Speaker: grey face paint, but sometimes it looks almost green. And their teeth, their fake teeth are terrible. It's a film from the 70s. It's a schlocky, black exploitation film. It's, I think we said last time we recorded, the people who we actually care about, their vampire makeup is fine.
Speaker: Yes. Yeah. The people, and the people who are in close -up, the people who you're supposed to notice, the people who are supposed to be there, all their makeup, it's more believable. Whereas the vampires who are just in the distance or just - Or like in the crowd. Yeah. And not really supposed to be singular doubt. Their makeup is not done so well.
Speaker: it's, you know, it's very obviously just a kind of like a reshuffle of budget. Yeah, we're gonna put the budget on the people who actually matter. And if your, you know, background vampire number four, sorry, we got green face paint. And that's all we have. Yeah. But yeah, but in Dracula,
Speaker: has Mama Walde in his kind of, he's holding him by the face and he says, I curse you, I curse you with an unquenchable thirst and all of this. He's doing this big speech and he drinks his blood. Yeah, and he says, you shall pay, Black Prince. And he says, I shall make you, oh, you got the quotes down, didn't you? It was like, I shall make you,
Speaker: yeah he says i curse you with my name you shall be blackula a vampire like myself and then later says never to know that sweet blood that will become your only desire yeah and they do this really beautiful thing with the makeup again like when it counts they do it well really yeah and it looks like he's crying the blood yeah there's like blood coming from his eye like like it's like when i don't know like when he drinks it it's so much in him but he's
Speaker: Yeah, it looked so, so good. But also, so did Cam Dracula's hair here. So good, it was so good. He's a different looking Dracula than any other Dracula we've kind of seen. He's more of a white man Dracula.
Speaker: Yes, he's he's he's blonde or at least like a kind of light brown hair. Yeah. Which is really interesting because usually Dracula is always kind of dark hair. He's well Transylvania is always kind of hand waving Lee Eastern European. Yeah, which which is kind of, you know, like darker hair and Oliver skin. And it's interesting because I feel like
Speaker: The decision to make this Dracula not that, not what we view as Dracula with the kind of olive skin, dark,
Speaker: hair. Bela Lugosi with his very Eastern European features, it kind of draws into question that kind of thing that in the concept of what white is, is only really defined in terms of history of what is acceptable.
Speaker: and so there's this thing in history where a lot of people have been considered not white because at that time they were deemed not acceptable. There's this whole thing that there was a moment in time when Irish people were deemed not white and it's such a strange concept because when you think of Irish people they know the pay list
Speaker: the palest shade of white that there is a lot of the time. Irish people were considered not white, and especially Italian people were considered not white. And so to have an Italian, or at least like Eastern European looking, Dracula almost blurs the lines between Dracula and Blackula.
Speaker: yeah and so i think that that's why Dracula here is a blonde Dracula to create more of that juxtaposition yeah he's very much a white Dracula and Luther gets a curse too
Speaker: We'll talk about Mo Walde's curse, because he's turned into a vampire. He's locked in his coffin. Coffin? Casket? Oh wait, I'm trying to remember. Yeah, it is coffin. It's tapered. It's tapered, so technically coffin. Now this will end up on the cutting room floor. Just know. We had to hold a bit. I gave Kitty a history lesson over coffin vis casket.
Speaker: The friendship nearly ended. The podcast nearly got cancelled. It was extreme. It was, it was. I totally didn't make a burn book with marks.
Speaker: So he's locked in a casket. Yeah, that's what we settled on. He's locked in a casket, so he's a vampire in there, he's first in for blood, but he can never get out and drink it, so he is very much in pain. But Louvre is essentially, it's a room that has no door, it's essentially like got this, it's not,
Speaker: Yeah, you can only open it from the outside. Yeah, she's just in there and hearing Mama Walday crying out inside and she's starving to death in there because obviously given he's a vampire he will never starve to death so it's an eternal torment but she
Speaker: Or she will. I think Dracula says the black flesh will fall away from your bones or... It's something like that. Yeah. I mean everything Dracula says he always always pulls it back to fair race, black prince, blackula. But yeah so she is
Speaker: entombed in the room. Yeah. List is only able to listen to his cries from being locked inside. So sad. And that's just how the film went. Like this film really does just like drop you in it. Straight in it, yeah. I love it when a film does that. Yeah, yeah. I realised I didn't actually ask you
Speaker: what you thought of a film because the thing is, I know. Podcast me doesn't, but I do. Now, Mum, what did you think of this film?
Speaker: I loved this film. I thought it was so beautiful. And if I was not writing... Another success for Kitty. Yeah, another success for Kitty. Gosh darn it. But I know when I was watching this film, if I was not typing out my notes, I would have cried at the ending. Because it is so sad.
Speaker: it is a beautiful film. It's so beautiful, it's romantic, it's just oh it's so sad. So hey if you're actually this is a good point because this is right before the opening credits if you're listening to this episode and you do want to dabble into horror films because I know like
Speaker: The thing is, so many of our friends are like, oh, that's so great. I don't watch horror though. So I don't even know how much I'll listen. But like, I know that there are some people who listen even though they don't watch horror. And instead of kind of watching the film, they just listen to us explain the plot. If you do want to dabble into horror. This is a film. Spoilers ahead. Yeah. You knew that. The opening credits are so funky.
Speaker: They are the music, so funky. It's so good. You've got about 70s detective disco music playing. And it just reminded me, because it's like cartoon of a bat chasing a blood woman.
Speaker: Yeah, it's like silhouette of a bat and silhouette of like the shape of a woman and she's red, so she's kind of blood and then the bat. Yeah, the bat's chasing her and it just reminds me of a game of Pac -Man.
Speaker: But I just loved it. I loved it. It's so good and yes, it's just so kind of funky and you kind of have this kind of, you start with Dracula being so incredibly racist and this person being locked away for all eternity and his wife starving to death and the drama of it and then it's like disco.
Speaker: just kind of puts you in the headspace of what the film is. Yeah. And it puts you in this space of where the rest of the film, the timing of where the rest of the film is set. Yes, if there is any background noise, treat it as, oh, WhatsApp, like those rainy mood websites where, or on over one that sounds like a like a coffee shop. It's just like nondescript mumbling, you know?
Speaker: No. Those kind of websites where you just put on background music. I used to put on a rainy mood one when I was like low fi or low fee, whoever it's pronounced. Not music though. It's literally just like sounds like you can put on like crackling fire or like rain sounds or like, Oh, like this, those sleep apps that'd be like, Hey, do you want to listen to a whale? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. There are a couple that are like coffee shop, like talking.
Speaker: We are providing a free service of that if there is any background loads. Yes. So, credits, funky, and then we have... We fast forward in time. Still in Transylvania, it's the same castle, but now it is the modern age, the 70s. Yes, it's 200 years later.
Speaker: There is a interracial gay couple. Yeah, there is. Which I love. Yeah, they are essentially like buying Dracula's castle. Yeah, they're buying all the antiques inside because they sell antiques.
Speaker: And so they're all like, oh, these antiques in here would be very cool. We're going to buy them. And then there's an old gentleman there selling it. Yeah, he's selling the stuff to them. I think he's from that town, maybe. Well, he he's very much kind of like he owns the castle now.
Speaker: and he is very afraid of Dracula, like he still mentions that this is Dracula's castle and he takes it very seriously. Yeah and he even states how that Dracula and everyone within the household was destroyed 150 years prior by Van Halston and the couple, they kind of like laugh it off
Speaker: And they're not taking him seriously. That's a myth. And Bobby is like, what a pity I've never met a vampire. And then the antiques, the guy who owns their house, the older gentleman, he's just very hounding it down into them. No, this is no laughing matter. This is serious. Very seriously. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. He's like, Count Dracula was no legend. He was terribly real.
Speaker: There's Bobby and there's Billy. And Bobby is a black man. He's got like an afro the size of his shoulders. Is it even further than his shoulders? It's like a proper big 70s afro. And he's got like the wide collars and the waistcoat and the kind of flares.
Speaker: Um, like the tight flares, like a lot of leg. Um, and then Billy, his boyfriend, is like, it's like a suit, but like, again, that kind of like very 70s color scheme. Um, and he's got like a shoulder length.
Speaker: blonde hair that actually a lot of people bring them back now. I feel like that kind of shape of hair is very much like the indie boy hair. Actually, to be fair, it probably was the indie boy hair of like two years ago. Yeah. Or maybe a year ago. I don't know. Don't talk to indie boys anymore. I don't know why. Yeah, you know, they can stay over there. I'll stay over here. Yeah. Well, if they're okay without them.
Speaker: Um, so they're like, Oh my goodness. Like if it's Dracula's castle, like that changes everything. Like we couldn't possibly pay what we were going to pay before. Cause obviously for risk. And so he like drops the price. Cause they're like playing into it of like, Oh no, no, this is Dracula's castle. You didn't tell us that like you've ruined the deal. You were like selling it.
Speaker: to us under false pretenses and all of that. But actually, they're really excited. Yeah, because they want to use it to spin it to be like, hey, they're selling it for more because they're going to be like, hey, yeah, this is the real deal. This belonged to Dracula.
Speaker: Yeah, yeah. And it's got that kind of like uki -spookiness that they can drum up. So then they say like, oh, are there any hidden rooms, secret passages? And they come across a room that Mama Walde was imprisoned and Luva was imprisoned. Yeah. But what I was, when I was watching this, I was trying to find Luva in the room, but you couldn't see her.
Speaker: No, no. And it's so strange because I have such a clear memory of seeing like a skeleton wearing her beaded dress. And I don't know, my brain must have, I don't know if it's a different version, or my brain must have just put it in. We know about the different versions of how it affects watches. But maybe my brain did just put that in. To be fair,
Speaker: If he's showing them these secret passages, maybe this old dude does know, like hasn't checked out. Yeah, maybe this one had been, yeah. Because I know he did mention that secret passages have been found, that they'd gone through them. So maybe then they'd like moved her skeleton. Yeah. But I was still like, oh. It would have been nice because it would have kind of had that continuity. They do save it, it smells like death in there. So. Yes.
Speaker: And it's 200 years later, so we can assume what has happened to Luther. Yeah, I think we can call her dead. Yeah, they go in the room, they love him what they see, they notice the coffin and both Billy and Bobby, they love it. They're like, well, can we take this too? And the older man, he's like, well, yeah, you can, if you want that, you can take that too. So they ship it back to LA with them. And it's like,
Speaker: Los Angeles docks and and then they're in a warehouse. Yeah and I love how in the warehouse it starts off dark and barbie lights a greasy lamp and later on that lamp is still lit. Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah, but there's all these kind of old lanterns that they took from the castle as well. So Bobby, he likes the lamp and Billy turns as Bobby's doing this and is saying how he's dying to open the coffin.
Speaker: Bobby replies and how he's not. I love the phrase in there, how he said that he's dying to open the coffin. Yes, it's very, it's like, I love when horror movies do that. It's somewhat cheesy, but whenever it's like, oh my gosh, like I just simply die. And it's like, yeah, yeah, you will. Yeah, you're gonna die. And then I love how also Billy, he's the one who said he's dying to open the coffin. Yeah, he's trying to get, he gets Bobby to do it for him instead. Beautiful boyfriend, you can do this job.
Speaker: Yeah. And so Bobby, he picks up a... A bolt cutters? I thought it was like a tire iron. Potentially. But he basically... He picks up a tool and goes to the lock to try and do it. Yeah. But he's only just kind of managed to unlock it when... Billy cuts his arm on the crepe, but he's trying to open. And it's like blood everywhere.
Speaker: I don't know how Billy managed to cut himself that dramatically but hey, Billy is a disaster gay. There's always a disaster gay. Like me. I need to die.
Speaker: Sorry, I just keep remembering that video of going through when me and Megan completely, absolutely matched outfits without having to. And then that video of me going through parts and being like, oh yeah, yeah, that's because I'm straight, that's because I'm straight. And then she's like,
Speaker: And your green hair? That's because I'm gay. Yes, so Billy cuts his arm all up.
Speaker: And so Bobby turns from the coffin and is helping kind of like try and put pressure on it, trying to wrap it up. Yeah. And then you get a shot of the coffin slowly opening. Then we get a shot back to Billy and Bobby.
Speaker: and then you get a shot back to the coffin where mum Walday sits up with that Abs of Steel straight back. What was it that you said? The Michael Myers. Yeah that was it. The Michael Myers sit up. There's a podcast that I listen to that call it a Michael Myers sit up because it is just that very Halloween. To be fair we probably should be calling it a count all up.
Speaker: sit -up because he did it first all the way back in 1922 yeah we're gonna call it an Orlock sit -up actually no I think Orlock does it with his ankles like he goes up he's not sitting but um yes and then he is drawn by the blood across the room yeah and then you get a shot back to Bobby and Billy as they notice their heads turn and you just get this growl from them all day
Speaker: And then, and then there's a, I know how much Mogg likes Continuity Eric. There's a moment where my wardie grabs hold of Billy and is going to drink the blood from his arm. And, you know, when, when Bobby is trying to tend to his arm, it's covered in blood. And the second my wardie actually has it and he's about to drink. There's hardly any. Yeah, you can't really see anything. He drinks.
Speaker: Billy's blood and then and Bobby's kind of trying to attack him and try to yeah Bobby tries to intervene to save Billy but mum world he just throws him against these crates in the wall and they collapse onto him yeah and then once he's finished with Billy Bobby I think is like recovered and he goes back yeah yeah Bobby's starting to gain consciousness and mum world he goes over to him he's still amongst the crates and then that's when
Speaker: He kind of grabs his face. It's almost like he strangles them before he actually drinks their blood.
Speaker: they just like is subduing them and then goes to bite. And incapacitate them. But there is music in this scene that is happening and it's good music and you do feel suspense but whilst this scene continues on it's more of a suspenseful fairy music going on. You've got that little
Speaker: got a tinkling of like metallic instruments going on yeah yeah it's it's um the soundtrack to this film is really good there's really kind of like dramatic moments and then there's yeah funk and disco but then every now and again it's kind of like very light and you're kind of like yeah okay
Speaker: Hey, I'm here for it, but I just wasn't expecting it like that. And then after he's taken both Billy and Barbie, the music changes to more of a metallic ringing type. It reminded me of the original Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It sounded similar to that, I thought.
Speaker: And then he returns to his coffin. Yeah, he finds a cloak, he picks it up, adorns it upon himself. It really does suit him. And this is why he wasn't wearing more kind of tribal -style clothing, because these are the clothes that he died in, so you kind of want him to look like that Dracula in a suit -type person.
Speaker: as we mentioned earlier. He dawns himself in this cloak, he looks very good, and then he heads back to back laughing to himself. Yeah, but before that, as soon as he puts the cloak on, he suddenly remembers Count Dracula's words, and he remembers the words, I kiss you with my name, you shall be bacula, a vampire like myself, a living fiend. And then he climbs into the coffin, laughs, and closes the lid on himself.
Speaker: And what I do love is how mum Wolday, he keeps his name. He does not take the name Blackler, which was given to him by... By his murderer? Yeah. He keeps his own name. He keeps his own identity. He's like, this is who I am. You may have turned me into a vampire, but that doesn't change who I am. Yeah. Yeah. And so I know from listening to other people talk about this film a lot of the time,
Speaker: people do kind of start referring to him as black killer. We shall be referring to mum all day as mum all day throughout this whole film. Has he wanted to be referred to?
Speaker: Dracula's the name this murderer gave him. We don't support Dracula in this household, in this film. Yeah. I will say I'm a Dracula fiend. Yeah, but not of this, the Dracula within this universe. I like my Dracula's. I like my vampire, I mean I like my Dracula's not racist. Yes. It's the main issue.
Speaker: yeah and then it's the next scene and it's the funeral it's not the funeral of bobby but it's at the funeral home with the funeral director and we see mum and wolday peeking through the curtains to bobby and bobby's moving his hand and his hand goes around to the edge yeah it's like holding on to the edge of the casket um i think this one is a casket yeah this one is a casket would you like to did you explain the difference earlier
Speaker: Yeah, so a coffin's that's so typical tapered around the head and... They're better feet. Yeah. And it's more of a lifty lid. You can get some with hinges and they can be adorned with silk on the inside. That's a coffin. A casket is more of that box rectangle type. With all of the quilting and the hinges and what people kind of have nowadays.
Speaker: Yeah and like that dual lift up lid and so you can either view the top half of the person or the bottom half of the person. I'd like to just see the feet please. Yeah. Yes so Bobby's in a casket. Yes. And in war
Speaker: two women and a man and the woman is wearing a hood and she's in... A beautiful hood. Purple. Yeah. Made the connection. Yeah. I never made that connection before. They've gone like earlier. No. And we say purple like earlier because she removes her hood and it is louver. Yes. It is what used to be louver. No.
Speaker: Because Luva's dead. Because they're talking to her and she's clearly a woman from this modern era and Luva was a woman in 1782 and died. And dead. Most importantly dead. So there's two women. They're talking about Bobby, they're clearly friends with him when they were much younger. And then they turn into this man and basically say, help us figure out what happened to him.
Speaker: Yeah. So they then kind of walk off and the man is left to investigate the body. Yeah. And this man, his name's Dr. Thomas, Gordon Thomas, and he's from the Scientific Investigation Division. And he takes a closer look at the neck wound and they're the funeral home director. I can't remember his name, no, it begins with an S. I don't think I wrote it down. But yes,
Speaker: Yeah, he says how it was a rat bite. Which is crazy because it's just these two holes in the neck and it's like, I don't know man, what kind of rats are you looking at? Yeah, plus what rat just bites once will go and if a rat's gonna come for you, if a rat's hungry, it will eat you. Yeah.
Speaker: How have they killed this man if there's just two boats? But it's a rat bite apparently. They talk about Bobby's associate. They use the word associate in a very kind of way. Obviously it's the 70s, they are gay men.
Speaker: And an interracial gay couple in the 70s, so that's even harder. But Gordon is essentially asking questions like, okay, you haven't embalmed him, his veins look empty.
Speaker: Yeah, because it was mentioned that he hasn't been embalmed yet. And then he looks at his veins, realizes, but they're empty. And when you embalm someone, you drain their veins and you re -pump them up with this type of liquid, like a preservative liquid. And I do it with some other part of your body as well. Just so your body keeps its shape.
Speaker: more so you can be viewed longer or for however long as well. He hasn't been embalmed yet but he is he is drained and he's asking questions like okay was there lots of blood at the scene because yeah he's the blood had to have gone somewhere so where did it go? And then he's asking because they're talking about Bobby's associate he kind of says oh do you have
Speaker: Do you have the other man who was killed in this attack? Like, do you have Billy? The funeral director says, no, no, he was white. We don't get white people here. This is, this is like a black funeral home. Yeah. So yeah, that's kind of sad. So he can't investigate both of their bodies. And then, because it's a black exploitation film,
Speaker: after Gordon asks all these questions, which I feel he asks in a very, I mean, he's definitely kind of in a straightforward like, yeah, he's not, he's fine. The funeral director says that was the rudest n -word I've ever seen. Yeah, I thought he was rude. No, I mean, that was the most to the point.
Speaker: guy I've ever seen. Yeah I mean to a certain extent I almost feel like that's just in it so that it's it's like a black sploitation kind of cornerstone. They have this scene where Gordon is talking about that and then we cut to
Speaker: The two women. The two women. These women are Tina and Michelle. Yes. They're sisters as established. Tina's basically saying Tina is the woman who looks exactly like Luther. It's played by the same actress. And they're talking and Tina is saying how she's tired, it's getting late. Is Michelle, is she okay to go home? And is Michelle okay to go back to Bobby's mother's house to see how she's doing on her own?
Speaker: Michelle says, yeah, that's fine. And they split off and the cameras, they follow Lou, Tina's, uh, walk home. Tiva. Luna. They follow her, uh, journey home. And she starts hearing these noises behind her. So she quickens her pace and then she gets spooked. She rounds up walks straight into Mama Wilder.
Speaker: who grabs her and is talking to her like, Luva, my love, you have returned to me, all of these kind of things. And she has never seen this man in her life. No, it's the middle of the night, essentially. And she's just being cornered by this man. He's tall. And he's holding her. Yeah.
Speaker: So she likes it. Yeah, she runs in fear. And she runs very cleverly, I think, with the places she runs to. Because she goes to, she follows the street lights. She goes to where, if there were going to be any people out, they would be there, such as the subway. So she, I thought she was quite... There is a part of me that feels like subway isn't always the best option because it's enclosed. I know, I know from walking, like,
Speaker: my school, I had to go under a subway. And it was always quite nerve wracking in the winter when it was dark, because you're kind of like, there might be CCTV in the street, but there's not in the subway. So it's like, if I get abducted, it's gonna be here. But you know, she's running. Yeah. And he's following, she drops her bag, he picks it up. Yeah, she drops her bag and she's like, I am not dying over that person keeps running.
Speaker: She doesn't even like, she barely even like looks back for it. She's like, nope, nope. Yeah, so she drops her bag, he, Mamawalde, he picks it up, he carries on chasing it and then gets hit by a taxi. Gets hit by a taxi, but we also see Luva go all the way home. She runs it. No, it flips back to that bit later on. Ah, yes, yes, so. After the taxi. So Mamawalde gets hit by the taxi.
Speaker: And this woman gets out to see if he's okay, the taxi driver. We're needed Jones. Yeah, we find out later. Yeah, find out that's her name. And she is absolutely like, Oh my gosh, you okay? The second she sees that he is okay. She's like,
Speaker: what the fuck were you doing running out into the road yeah you jumped in front of this you jumped in front of my car this is not my fault and she has absolutely taken no shit from him because she he does just kind of like pick up pick up the bag and then just like walking to the road doesn't look both ways yeah obviously he has never seen a car before in his life so he doesn't know to look both ways and
Speaker: she is like you said taking absolutely no shit she's like because he's like you made me lose her like you yeah he's just blaming her and she's like um excuse me what do you think you're doing and then she slowly picks up
Speaker: on the fact that his vibe is changing, his demeanor is changing. Because he growls at her. Yeah, he growls a lot. They're very guttural growls. He goes full vamp face and he growls at her and instantly she's like, Oh, I'm sorry. No worries. She's probably she's probably just ahead of you. You know, you can probably catch her up. Like don't worry, like trying to placate him. And he just
Speaker: takes her head by the pinky side of her fingers, which I find funny, it's just those bits. He doesn't grab her neck, he just gets her by those bits. I think it just shows how strong he is. It's very kind of commanding. He's not having to grab her head, he's just kind of like holding. Yeah, he doesn't have to use his full strength, he can just...
Speaker: by his pinkies. And then he bites her neck. And then the next scene we're back to Tina. And then we're back to Tina. She runs to her flat. She doesn't have her key because obviously she dropped her bag.
Speaker: How's she gonna get in? Oh, don't worry. There's a corridor covered with the key to every flat. Yeah, which is so safe. Oh, yeah. I mean, what is the point in having a key to your own flat if the corridor covered has every single key? So she takes that key? Yeah, gets in fine. Don't know if that's a 70s thing or an LA thing or whatever. Yeah.
Speaker: It's a thing in this phone, yeah. Anyway, she gets in, she puts the chain lock on. Yeah.
Speaker: And then she gets the window side, there's a knock at the door. She picks up this very big knife. Big knife. Because and she like opens it but keeps a chain lock on. Yeah. And then there's just this voice saying like, Tina, what are you doing? It's me. It's me. Yeah. And this is where we find out their sisters because she's like, it's me, Michelle, your sister. But we're also back to the fairy music here.
Speaker: Yeah, yeah, for some reason. I just love how ready to survive Tina is.
Speaker: Oh yeah. She's like, I'm not gonna die now. A man grabs her and she's like, okay, I'm riding the whole way home. I am not stopping for my bag. I am putting my chainlock on. And the second there's a knocker door, I'm holding a knife. And it's not a small knife, it's a big kitchen knife. Yep, yep, yep. Yeah, because she says the reason she was so scared and had to go with a knife is because he now has her key.
Speaker: Yeah, and her identity, which has her address on. So Michelle walks in, she sees that Tina is stressed and asks what happened. And then she responds with that she was cornered and assaulted by this man who's taken her purse.
Speaker: And then that's kind of like, she's just kind of like, okay, we'll sort this out and then... Yeah. We get back to the coffin. Before we get to Dr. Gordon Thomas, we have mumma Walday and he's getting back into his coffin. Oh, yeah. Very sweetly, he...
Speaker: takes Tina's bag off his shoulder, and he's sitting back into his coffin, just holding this purse, like hugging it as if it's like a teddy bear. It's just so adorable. It's his connection to his liver, obviously. He doesn't know anything about her, but he's like, this is my lady. But whilst this is going on, the music has changed from the fairy music to that sexy 70s music.
Speaker: Oh yeah. Like that porn style music. Heavy on the bass, all about jazz. I mean the second mom of all days on screen, you kind of do need to put the sexy music on. Yeah, it's very well deserved. That music and him. Also that music is very fitting for Gordon.
Speaker: Yes, which is where we go to next. Yes, next is Gordon. Gordon is wearing a gorgeous turtleneck. The thing about Gordon Thomas is he knows how to wear a turtleneck. Yeah. I feel like he's wearing, he only wears turtlenecks. I think it has been mean. Yeah, he's got a turtleneck. And yeah, he's at the police station. I mean, good vampire deterrent.
Speaker: No one can bite his neck. No, because they'll have to remove it. Well, all the way up. Yeah. Yeah. He's at the police station. He's headed to the morgue to see Juanita Jones, the taxi driver.
Speaker: And he's noticing similarities. He notices the wound on her neck. He notices that her blood is drained. He is like, what is going on? And he says to Jack, the lieutenant, I need the files on Billy and Bobby's case because I need to, you know, compare it with this case.
Speaker: and Lieutenant Jack's kind of like, oh, you know. We haven't got the files. The cases have gone missing or something. Something's wrong. And Gordon is just straight to the point and says, like, sloppy police work always tends to involve black victims.
Speaker: So he's like, I am not gonna let it slide but Bobby has died and you've lost his file. Yeah. This is not a coincidence. But then Lieutenant Jack turns around and says one of the victims was a white man so this file will turn up. Yes. And it's Gordon's comment on the sloppy police work when it includes back victims
Speaker: is very hard hitting statement because that is still true now and it's like 40, did I do the maths right? 40 years on. It's 50. 50, yeah. This is where I got the maths wrong. It's half a century. Yeah. It's half a century on and this so much, I mean we'll go into it more when we talk about the context of the film.
Speaker: But there is so much of this film that feels still so relevant. Yeah. Yeah, it's half a century on and this is still very much the case. Yeah. And then the lieutenant asks why autopsies were ordered for Bobby and Juanita. And I think that's, that's before that's when he says about the sloppy police work. But he also says, are these, are these deaths Panther related?
Speaker: lots of Panther activity. And to which kind of Gordon does lose points in my heart in this moment, because it's actually Gordon who drops the F slur
Speaker: He says like the fact that it's a like a capsy driver and and two f -slurs so this isn't pamper activity like yeah because how could it be if yeah these are not these are not like high profile black victims it's designed they're not um it's like they're not media worthy
Speaker: Yeah, yeah. It's one of those things where it again, black exploitation is very kind of like provocative. We've we've had the N word we're having the F slow. It's very kind of, you know, in your face. Yeah. Gordon, you're very good turtleneck, but that does not
Speaker: Excuse that language. Excuse you. So, you know, lieutenants is like, yeah, yeah, it will show up. And that's kind of where the scene ends, I believe. Yeah. And so, yeah, the lieutenant asks why Gordon's asked for these autopsies and
Speaker: Jack's like, well, I don't particularly want to deal with the paperwork, but if you believe something else is going on, something worth doing autopsies for, I believe you call them. And it's that business they get that they have that trust. So they brought it together and they respect each other. Yeah, yeah. Jack's an ally. Yes. Yeah, no, he is kind of like, hey, man, like, if you think something's up,
Speaker: But and Gordon is playing it close to his chest. Oh, yeah, he's not revealing anything. He's he's he doesn't say what he thinks. He's just saying, yeah, I think something's up. I can't exactly tell you yet. Yeah. Yeah. We go from Jack.
Speaker: and Gordon to... Yeah, Gordon, he calls the funeral home to say an autopsy will be done and someone's going to pick up Bobby. The funeral guy, he says that that's impossible as the family is back. They're there again at the moment. So then the doctor arranges for Bobby's body to be picked up after closing time out of respect for the family.
Speaker: Yeah, which is sweet and also gives an excuse for it to happen after dark. Yes. Very useful. I can't remember what actually happened in the scene other than because at this point we're no longer in the kind of police area, we're in the lab. Now we're in the lab. Yeah. I think that conversation still happens in Jack's office.
Speaker: And then the next scene we're in the lab. I don't really know what happens in the lab other than my note that Michelle is a woman in STEM and that they were a very sweet couple. That's all I kind of have for that scene.
Speaker: Yes, it's a very short scene. Michelle and Gordon, they're being a bit lovey -dovey in the lab. And Michelle mentions that Tina went and got herself after all the yesterday afternoon. But those are the words she used. She said that Tina went and got herself.
Speaker: Oh, Michelle. I give you points for being a woman in STEM. I retract points for being a victim blaming. I'm not going to say bitch, because I'm not going to use gendered language like that. Someone who a victim blames. Yeah. Oh, Michelle. Mm hmm.
Speaker: But anyway, now it's Michelle's birthday. Yeah, and then it's the next scene. They're in the club. It's Michelle's birthday. The first shot of the club we get is a shot focusing on the singer and the... The singers. Yeah, the singers. Because I think there's technically three songs and they take it in turns. They take it in turns. Yeah, they rotate between the three.
Speaker: and she has one hell of a voice. Amazing lungs. This band, yeah this singer is amazing. They like, yeah it's like the whole song. It's suddenly like, it's a film and now it's a music video. And they're all through them, they're dancing the whole time as well as just singing their lungs out and the stamina for that
Speaker: Amazing. So good. Yeah. And then it pans across the club to the table where it's the three of them. It's Gordon, Michelle and Tina. And then the music here is very fitting to, I feel like the lyric music is very fitting to the scenes. The band's called The Hughes Corporation.
Speaker: they are very good they're very good and their outfits are amazing like she's wearing one of those kind of like very 70s i keep saying very 70s but it's like it's it was better than the 70s of course i'm thinking it's very 70s but
Speaker: It's a very 70s mini dress. It's one of those kind of like halter neck mini dresses. We've had it as a little blue. Yeah, gorgeous blue. And then the guys are wearing like the same blue kind of peasant style top and then like white flares. Yeah. Very, very good outfits. And they're singing and then Mama Walde comes in and he kind of is like
Speaker: point into someone and then someone beckons over to Tina and then she heads up to talk to him and the version that I had didn't have the audio from their conversation at this point, just had the music. Whereas I had the audio. Yeah, yeah. I literally like, I was watching it and I was like, damn, are we not going to hear them talk at all?
Speaker: probably seems like an important conversation but you know what the Hughes Corporation is good so i'll just i'll just sit here and vibe that's fine they seem to be patching it up fine yeah yeah because mum wilder he hands it back a piece
Speaker: he apologizes, says there was a misunderstanding, and then Tina invites him to join her table. So they go back, they go over to the table. And then I love how almost instantaneously Manuel Day states that how Tina looks just like Luva, the wife he lost recently. And he apologizes in front of her friends as well, again, for following her that night. And then
Speaker: I love this line. He says, enough about death to life on your birthday towards Michelle. And they all give a toast saying to happiness. But mum, all day he says to happiness forever. Forever. Yeah.
Speaker: I am a vampire and I will never end. And then the next scene is back at the funeral home and this is where I've written his name because I think this is where we actually get his name, Swenson. Swenson? Yeah, the funeral home director's name is Swenson. Swenson, yes. Yep, he's opening up Bodys Karskate and finds that no one is in there so he brings the club.
Speaker: Yeah. I just love that he rings the club. Like I know Gordon does mention, but just the idea of, because obviously no one has mobiles. Yeah. He can't ring Gordon. I just love the idea of like... Just ringing up a club for someone. Ringing up fiction in Swansea. Hi, is Mog there?
Speaker: And no, I would not be there. No, no, because you have taste. I'm not quite old enough to phone for people at the club. No, not like Swanson did. Hello, hello. Yeah, he's Gordon there. And then Gordon, in an amazing outfit, goes up to the phone.
Speaker: Yes, so he's like, what do you mean, what do you mean a body's missing? Yeah, because they're what's going on. And then he goes, they end the call, he goes back to the, Gordon goes back to the table, and states that Bobby is missing, to which Mamawaldi replies, perhaps he wasn't dead.
Speaker: I love that he doesn't hide it. He's not subtle. No, he doesn't hide it, he just states it. And he's like this throughout. One thing that I also love, I just saw my notes say, I love the fact that he mentions the whole you look like my wife who is dead. It's just such a good way to be like, I'm tortured and sad because I'm bereaved. But I'm also single.
Speaker: yeah like hi Tina I'm a widower sit a ring on my finger that's sentimental value only baby mm -hmm consider it invisible when we're making out this is a local invitation and then skillet arrives yes
Speaker: with a few others. Yes, and Skillet's just like this strange friend who's just very kind of like... He's very charismatic. Yeah, yeah. Oh, another thing that also happens is Mama Walday's like...
Speaker: Champagne, bring us champagne. Because we're the finest French champagne. Yeah. And Gordon is kind of like feeling somewhat emasculated because mum all day is a gorgeous man and Michelle is somewhat noticing that obviously. Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah, and he's kind of bringing it over champagne. And obviously Gordon is meant to be like the man of the table and he's not buying a champagne for the ladies, so feeling somewhat emasculated. So he's kind of like, we don't need champagne. And Michelle's like, fuck that. It's my birthday. I like champagne. I like doing on the champagne. I love that. I love that she's like honey, like
Speaker: I appreciate you feeling emasculated, but it's my birthday. So if you could just shout out with those feelings for half a second, I want to get my drink on. Yeah. And then I think her name is Nancy. Yes, Nancy the photographer. Yeah. She's going around. She's taken, I think she works at the club, but she's also a friend of Michelle and she's taken photos of them all. And she goes to take a photo of mum Wolday. He is not impressed.
Speaker: He does not want his photo taken, but I want to know, is it ingrained in the brain, this knowledge that you do not appear in photos? Yeah, he does seem to know but like, there's that whole moment with a taxi where it's kind of like it's almost as if he doesn't know that cars exist because he's been in a coffin so long. So how does he now know about like what cameras are? It's kind of like,
Speaker: It's one of those things where you kind of just go with it because it's a fun film. You're like, sure. But yeah, he does seem to very much know that he's beginning to not be in pictures. And he's visibly uncomfortable. Yes.
Speaker: And he gets up, he goes to leave, and then Tina gets up to follow him, asks him not to leave. And he says that he'll see her tomorrow night at the same spot. And as they're having this discussion, Nancy takes another photo of them. He goes to kiss her hand, and Nancy gets a picture of that, and then he sweeps out. And then Nancy
Speaker: is like committed to these pictures she's like right i'm going home i'm going to develop these pictures and i'll be right back yeah i love and respect it it's slightly crazy because i don't know what time it is but this is like dark of night yeah like night night and this girl's like i gotta get these pictures developed now
Speaker: like maybe go home now so that you don't have like stay up too late you get an early night you you set your alarm for 9am you develop in the morning maybe but she's like no i'm doing it right now and then i'll be right back maybe she has ADHD as well yeah possibly you know like if i if i pause for half a second this job will never get done yeah she's hyper fixated it will never come to fruition yeah
Speaker: She goes home, she's got a very cute set up in her house. Yeah, as soon as she gets in through the door she puts on some music, very good music. She puts on a record, she goes into her... She poses her kittens. To her kitchen dark room. She's got a little dark room set up in her kitchen.
Speaker: she's got the red light for the dark room, she like gets a beer out of the fridge, she's there like developing the pitches, having her beer, listening to the music. It's adorable. I love Nancy. However, a beautiful setup will not save you. I love how
Speaker: We just always record for so long and just noticing how dark it's getting around both of us. We are creatures of the night. We are, we very much are. She's developing the pictures. She hears a noise. She goes to look. She doesn't see anything. She goes back to the picture. Yeah, she turns. She looks behind her shoulder, doesn't see anything. She carries on with the photos. She notices. Yeah. Hang on a second.
Speaker: This is a picture of Justina, I swear. I swear there's somebody else there. She turns around and mum all day. As she turns around, she has to open the curtains. She does it rather dramatically with a flourish and then Blackler's just right there. Mum all day he is there. Yeah, he is in full kind of vampire look and he is going straight for her.
Speaker: E -biter. Yeah, he does. E -biter. And then in the scene you get a close -up of his hand. He takes the photo and he crumples it in his hand. Disposes of evidence. Disposes of evidence, yeah. Next scene, yeah, the next scene is a car pulling up. And he doesn't, even though he knows, he's obviously being called to the house. Yes, because of the issue. He knows something showing up.
Speaker: I think she screams. Yeah. You kind of get the assumption, I guess, is she screamed and someone called the police. Yeah. She's stumbling outside of her house. Yeah, but before that, he's just sitting in the car looking through this case file. He's no even though he's been called to a house, there's been screaming going on. Nobody knows what happens. He's just sitting in the car looking over some different. I believe that's the case file. Yeah, I believe that is the missing case file. Yeah, this is the missing one.
Speaker: So he's found it. Later on, we may as well say now, because I feel like I can't quite remember when later on. But later on, there's a bit where Jack says that he still hasn't received that case file. And that's because this cop goes to... He sees her kind of stumbling out of her house and kind of falling. And she's not looking too well. She's doing it very dizzily. He rushes over. He kind of goes to pick her up. He's kind of holding her.
Speaker: kind of bridal style. Yeah. So her head is kind of resting on his shoulder, view of the neck. She's already turned, she bites him. Yeah. It's kind of interesting how long it takes some people to turn, some people to knock. Yeah. She turns him an instant. Whereas Bobby, he didn't. Yeah. Bobby, Bobby was, you know, bitten at the start of a film pretty much.
Speaker: and we still have yet to see him rise. And she's already been and gone and you know.
Speaker: Yes, then we cut to... The next scene we're back with the lieutenant and Dr. Gordon and this is where the lieutenant asks if Gordon got the report yet, to which he says he doesn't and Gordon asks for permission to dig up Billy to do an autopsy because of course he couldn't do an autopsy on Bobby because he went missing.
Speaker: And then the lieutenant, he says that he must be crazy because of all the permissions and paperwork that will be involved. But Gordon convinces him to be like, no, we kind of need this done. Again, not telling him why, but just kind of saying like, trust me, this is important.
Speaker: Yeah. And so Jordan just trusts, sorry, so Jack just trusts him. And then it's the next scene is in the lab. Michelle answers the phone for Gordon. And it's Jack saying that he couldn't get permission. So and she's also saying our librarian's gonna think that we're freaks. Yeah. Because you've got this sudden interest in the occult.
Speaker: Yeah. And Gordon basically says, well, I asked to see if I could get permission and we don't have permission, so let's go dig up a body ourselves. Yeah. And Michelle's like, no.
Speaker: yeah i've got a response here it's ghouls vampires no bodies i take it back we're not nuts you are yeah she's like nah we're not doing this and then i can't remember how he convinces her but with kisses yes well because i just have in my notes i'm swinging girl that turtle neck i'm swimming so i'm like i can't remember how he convinces her but i'm sure it's to do with how gorgeous he is yes it's the turtle nag no he he's
Speaker: kissing her all over and she folds and is like okay yes and then it zooms in the end of the scene is it's the camera zooming in on Gordon and then he's it folds his arm down to the desk where he picks up this book entitled The Dead Ones yes and then we cut to Mama Walday yes we do
Speaker: Oh, Tina. Yes, it's Tina now. Tina is... He goes straight to her apartment and Tina's saying, I thought we were going to meet at the club and he says, I couldn't wait. Yeah, I couldn't wait. I wanted to see you now. And he asks and he does kind of take a step in before she says yes. Yeah. He's a bit preemptive there. Vampire logic aside, he does still get permission.
Speaker: I don't know. It's only one step. And he definitely does like, then ask and then goes in. But I think each time I watch it just kind of strikes me as like, Yeah, because you shouldn't have even been able to do that once. I don't know if William Marshall just got a bit excited.
Speaker: Yeah. But I love here how Tina, she just cuts straight to the chase. She's like, is it about your wife? And Mum Wolday, he's like, you are my wife. And Tina, she's saying that's impossible. Yeah. To which Mum Wolday is like, and yet you believe it. Again, we have that perfect almost, not quite mirroring, but it's the opening scene perfectly sets up.
Speaker: what Luva and Mom or Waldo's relationship was. Yeah. And it's that relationship of trust. Yeah. And trust and love. Yeah. And total kind of honesty. And so here, we kind of see that honesty and openness. He's like, yeah, this is the situation.
Speaker: yeah and you are my wife and and and she instantly believes it because it because she feels that connection too yeah we're not quite sure what the magic of it is but it is yeah it is there somehow and he says that they're of the Ebani tribe northeast of the Niger Delta yeah and which is really good because i feel like i like how they place
Speaker: yes so much of the time like in the opening scene and in the IMDB it just says Africa yeah and so much of it as a whole yes it's one of those things that like Africa is often almost seen as a country and it is not it is one of the biggest continents with many many countries inside of it with different cultures going across it extremely different cultures it's it's viewed very like monolithic
Speaker: similar to kind of how like, you know, the Far East is kind of viewed in a monolithic way. Yeah, Africa is viewed as one culture. And the fact that they kind of specified Niger Delta is really nice. It's pinpointing. Yeah, because it's kind of same. It's giving credit, giving homage.
Speaker: Yes. So... And yeah, here he reveals how it was 200 years ago that he was, that they were sent from Europe to, they were sent to Europe, sorry, in protest of the slave trade and instead ended up cursed by a current Dracula. And as soon as Dracula enters the scene, she doesn't quite believe it.
Speaker: Again, she's on the back foot of Dracula as a myth. Yeah. But I think his response to her denial on this side is rather polite. He says, I will not take you by force and I will not return. He's leaving it to her for her to come around her own way. And he says, you must come to me freely.
Speaker: which is, you must come to me freely, I think is one of those lines of the film that is iconic now. And it is just so beautiful. Like, again, like earlier, we were talking about how romantic
Speaker: this film is. It has this beautiful, and again going back to what I was saying about how Mama Walde is this kind of I guess pinnacle of patriarchal views, it's this idea that he is... he doesn't need force. And he would never give force. He is saying, you are the love of my life.
Speaker: But I will never force you. You must come to me freely. Yeah, you must do it of your own accord. Yeah, and you must come to me freely as the way William Marshall says that. That is a line that could be said in many ways. Yeah. And I feel like he's kind of talking about like turning her into a vampire. Yeah, I believe that's what he's thinking too. Yeah. And then you will join me. Yeah.
Speaker: I don't know, I guess it could also kind of, you know, in a much more kind of literal consent way. Yes. But the way William Marshall says it is, and this might be just because I think he is very hot. Which he is. Which he is. It just kind of oozes like sex appeal. The way he says you must come to me freely is just so like, oof.
Speaker: God bless a man who doesn't even need to work. He knows she's so into him. He's like, hey. He knows he doesn't have to do anything. I'm not even gonna argue my case or anything. You know you want me. Yeah. And it is gorgeous. And then he gets up to leave and he's leaving and just before he reaches the door, he turns around and this line, it hits hard.
Speaker: I have lived again to lose you twice. Because she's still like, wow, vampires, I'm not into this. Like exactly like how, what he said, you know, I will not force you and I will not come again. He's kind of like, I'm not going to keep hounding at you. He's made your decision. And I respect that. Again, he's a man who takes no for an answer.
Speaker: he's like okay but he still is I lost you twice and a heartbreak of that and she says like hey don't go yeah she asks him to stay and then they kiss and I've got she disrobes him and they hug this disrobing bit is she takes off his cloak and they hug it's not like
Speaker: Hey, stay instantly nude. He takes his cloak. Yes, and then they make out. Yeah, and then we get to the next scene and it draws music play in. And the camera pans over the graveyard to Gordon and Michelle digging Billy up. Yes.
Speaker: Gordon's digging, Michelle's there with the, like, lantern. Speaking of which, I really do need to turn my light on. Yeah, I was just thinking I need to turn mine on too. We are sat in pure darkness. Yeah. Michelle is holding the lantern. Yeah. And Gordon digs up Billy, he opens the coffin, and Billy... But he rises. He rises. He does the Aulach sit -up.
Speaker: Yeah, it all exited up. And Gordon gives him a really good right hook. It was instantaneous as soon as Billy is not even halfway up. Gordon's fist is already in the air ready to punch him back down. Yeah, it's almost as if he didn't even move his fist like Billy just sat up into it. Yeah. Like he's just like, yep, I'm here.
Speaker: And then he stakes Billy and the way that he stakes him is far more kind of in fit in with the original theology. Yes, or rather lack thereof of theology being study of God.
Speaker: And demons being vampires being demons anyway, sorry that was a little pun just for me. So essentially the idea was that you stake a vampire into the coffin.
Speaker: Yes, the idea that stakes kill vampires comes from the idea that you almost stake them pre them rising.
Speaker: So you just took the dead body, you hammered a stake in to them to keep, to basically attach them, to pin them into their coffin. So it's far less kind of buffing a vampire slayer, wooden stake, release, just like jab and go, and you hammer the stake in. And Gordon's there.
Speaker: hammering this steak into Billy's chest and Michelle is screaming. He's like, no, Gordon, don't kill him. You're killing him, you're killing him. And he just turns around like, sorry, sweetie, he was already dead. Yeah, yeah. I'm glad you led on to what that scene was because I only have in my notes
Speaker: trauma full stop. That's a little insight into the amount of notes I take. And that's because of Michelle's trauma. Yeah, that would be very traumatic for her. But I'm just like, I may need to get better at note taking because literally I just have you come to me freely quotation marks oof and then heart eyes trauma full stop. I feel like
Speaker: When we first started, you were better at the note -taking than me, and now we've switched. Yeah. Yeah. No, the thing is, the note -taking during the film, I'm trash at. The research, all in. Michelle's like, Jesus Christ, why didn't you tell me? And Gordon's like, you wouldn't believe me. And this is also the first time Gordon officially states out loud,
Speaker: that it's vampires. Yeah. And Michelle's like, you know, fair play. I probably wouldn't have believed you. But how are we going to get Lieutenant to believe? Yeah. But she also says, well, if Billy is a vampire, does that mean Bobby is one too? Yes. Yeah. And how are we going to get the Lieutenant to know? Yeah. To believe us. Gordon thinks
Speaker: we need to Jones yes because we need to Jones was also killed by Mama all day so he basically they go to a payphone and he phones up the sound the morgue attendant
Speaker: who is, who basically says, Hey, Sam, take Juanita out of the deep freeze, because we need her to like defrost. Yeah, we need to just flow out. Which is interesting vampire law for Blackula that you can freeze a vampire and they can't move. They have to be defrost to be active. Yeah, they have to be warm.
Speaker: yeah that's just kind of like interesting like black hula has like it would you know what would be really interesting getting assembling all of the kind of vampire lore from each vampire film and seeing how many
Speaker: intricacies there are kind of thing. Because I feel like it's one of those things where like Twilight, everyone kicked off about the fact that they sparkle in the sunlight. And it's like, you know what, vampires have always had intricacies depending on their film. Like, yeah, I don't think any other vampire film, but I definitely know if I can think of the top of my head, freezes vampires. And that affects how they work. Like,
Speaker: I don't know, I remember finding, I remember being all in on it when it was like, ha ha, they sparkle because you had to hate Twilight because you had to. But actually... It was just one of the different things to it. That's a really interesting idea. Yeah. Shout out to, well not shout out to Stephanie Myers because no, but shout out to Twilight. Yes, she's... Yes, so she needs her defrosted. Yeah.
Speaker: But he also says... Yeah, he's talking to Sam, being like, okay, as soon as you get her out, leave the room, lock the door behind you. You must lock the door. He says it like multiple times. Yeah. You're going to have to lock the door. We see Sam bring her in. He's got his keys. Yeah. The phone's ringing. He's going to lock the door, but the phone's ringing and he's holding the keys going, oh, that phone is ringing. And then it cuts away. Yeah.
Speaker: And we don't see what happened. No. And we go back to Gordon in his car and he's dropping Michelle off with Jack's wife as he picks up Jack.
Speaker: And they leave in the car, and then we get a shot back to Winnita Jones, and you see her slowly starting to warm up with the sweat dripping down, well, the ice melting. And then we get a shot of Sam reading his notes, and you can hear him mumbling in the background. And then we get a shot back to the car with Jack and Gordon leaving the driveway.
Speaker: And we get some twinkly music as we go back to Renita Jones and she takes a breath. Yes, it's really interesting. She is very definitely, you see her defrost and then you see her start to breathe, like her chest is rising and falling. So again, the intricacies of vampire lore for Blackular vampires breathe. Yeah.
Speaker: It's very interesting. And then we have this beautiful shot. It's kind of her and always kind of close ups of... Oh no, that's before that. We get shot back to the car on the road and then we get a shot of Sam answering the phone. And then in the distance of this, we see the morgue door open.
Speaker: And then we get a shot back to Anita and it's her shadow. Yes. And it does that. You just see her shadow do the Orlock sit up. Yeah. And it, I mean, speaking of Orlock, the fact that it's her shadow. Yeah.
Speaker: I love that it perfectly ties it back and we were saying you know it's 50 years since Blacula but from Blacula to Orlok it's 50 years since Nosferatu because obviously it's 1923 now so we've had we've had the 101st birthday it is I love the fact that they reference and you know it's that thing of how shadows are
Speaker: Was it specifically a Nosferatu reference? I like to think so. Yeah. Because it's that vampire. I like to think so too, because I mean, that's what I thought of as well when I saw that shadow was, ooh, Orlok and his shadows. And then... We get, yeah, we get a growl from her then, like a little light growl as she's starting to become weary of the surroundings. We get a shot back to Sam on the phone, and then this is the scene.
Speaker: that is amazing and so Ronita she comes running out through the door down the corridor for Sam in a frenzy with these ghoulish screens and her head is just straight at the camera yeah it's like it's centered
Speaker: on her head almost and her vampire makeup is great. Oh it is, it's that greyish tinge to her as well. And her eyes are wild and she is just screaming and the scream is like modulated somewhat to make it just so ghoulish and freaky.
Speaker: And it's just that shot of her, just slow motion shot of her running straight at the camera at Sam because he didn't lock the door. And then we get a close -up of Sam on the phone and he turns around and notices and then we need to take some down.
Speaker: Yeah. I just, I love these shots because they're only a few seconds, they're sequence. There are a few seconds each and this is going back and forth and it's our Gordon and Jack going to make it back to the morgue before we need to get Sam. Yeah.
Speaker: All of those shots of cutting back to the car and then her defrosting and cutting back. And you're like, I don't know if he locked the door or not, but he must have an evil way. I don't feel safe. And then that finale of her running is perfect. Yeah. And then I love how the suspense on how that scene is done.
Speaker: is juxtaposed with the next scene, and it's Tina and Mama while they're having sex. Oh, and the thing is, it's pure romance. Oh, yeah. Which put a pin there, because the pure romance of it is so... Yeah, it's pure romance. And it's something that I love that, you know, so often, the Dracula mythos has all tortured
Speaker: Yeah. It's all, how could you love a murderer like me? Like, hey, talking about talking about Twilight, he's always going on about how how they could never be together. And here, Mama Waldi's like, hey, Tina, you're very incarnation of my, my soulmate, my wife. Yeah, my soulmate. Do you want to fuck? And Tina's like, yeah, you know, I think I do. Yeah.
Speaker: There's no like tortured element. Do you know why? Because they communicated. Yes. They talked to each other. They were open with each other, quite literally. And again, with the communication, she is like,
Speaker: I don't know if I'm ready to become a vampire, to essentially die, because it's an eternal life, but it is also a death. And he says, we don't need to do it. Yeah, there's no rush. There's no rush. We have, what does he say? It's something like we have eternity or we... Yeah, we have an eternity to... Time is ours. And it's that like, we are in love, there is no rush.
Speaker: we will do like we will move at your pace again you must come to me freely it's that whole like you call the shots i am your man let me know when you're ready but there is absolutely no rush he is being patient with him he is being patient with her but she is also probably pre -impatient yeah she is as well yeah
Speaker: But I love the next bit. He's getting up to leave and she doesn't want him to. And then he turns around and say, to stay is to die because daylight's coming up. And he just says to stay is to die. And she understands and lets him go. And yeah, he says, I must go for his almost daylight. And he just,
Speaker: Keeps emphasizing the fact that, yeah, he is a vampire. Yeah, again, it's that whole bit of like... He's not hiding it. He's not ashamed of it. And then Tina's response... Tina, I'm a vampire. It's a lie and it will kill me. Anyway, see you on the flip side, baby. Tina's response is, I love you. Yeah. That's my vampire boo. And then we kind of cut to the evening.
Speaker: But what other daylight shenanigans happen? Not really today. We get Tyre's screeching as the cars come to a close in the pavement. It's still night. Or almost. It's the brink of morning happening. Yes. And Gordon and Jack, they go into the precincts, they go to the morgue, they call him the Sam. And I love how the audience doesn't see it right away. But in the bottom right hand corner, we see the bloody telephone. Yes.
Speaker: yes but the other two they don't see it straight away Gordon and Jack are like the way it's there at the back of the corridor and it's on the turning so it's on the wall that's facing us but they would have to walk down the corridor yeah and it again it's that thing of we know they don't know yeah and then they come down the corridor yes and they see Sam's workstation covered in blood and at this point as well we also notice that Gordon is now carrying a cross
Speaker: It's a big hefty one. He is prepared. He did a little pit stop. Yeah. And then they go to the morgue and there is a body under a sheet. Yeah, they still call for Sam. They pull the sheet over, find it's Juanita. She rises screaming and London towards them. Yeah. Yeah. She's London towards Jack and Gordon kind of gets her off of him. Yeah, because it's just Jack in the room at the minute and then Gordon comes in.
Speaker: and he's blazing the cross about. And you see, she screams away from it and Gordon backs her into the corner by the window. Jack is completely freezing. He doesn't know what to do. Yeah, he is frozen. To be fair, he hasn't seen a vampire yet, so he's freaked. He's in shock. The dead is just frozen. And then Gordon just opens the blinds, kills her by daylight. And Jack's like, wait, what just happened? And Gordon states that it was the sun that killed her. Yeah.
Speaker: And then the next shot is then back at Jack's office and it's a vampire lesson happening. Yeah. And I love it. Cause he uses geometry. He says vampires multiple geometrically. It's amazing. Cause the first knight is one, second knight two, third knight four. Mm -hmm.
Speaker: And it's that thing that you don't really, Gordon is far more scientific in his approach than I think you often see. The thing about like, Yucca. No, you can carry on. I was gonna say the thing about Gordon is that he is, Dr. Gordon is essentially, Dr. Gordon Thomas is essentially the Dr. Van Helsing of this film. He is the man of science who is trying to take down
Speaker: the Dracula, but he is a really interesting deflection of the archetype.
Speaker: The thing is, Dr. Van Helsing is a scientific man. There's lots of, like even in the Nosferatu, I love doing mutations of the Dracula myth, because then you can apply it all throughout. In the Nosferatu, there's that scene where he's talking about Venus flight traps and carnivorous plants.
Speaker: And that's kind of how that Dr. Van Helsing look alike approaches the vampire myth. And this Dr. Van Helsing look alike approaches the vampire myth through his own very structured, scientific way. He plays his cards very close to his chest. I don't know how much of that play in the cards close to his chest.
Speaker: is a reflection of the fact that he is a black man and so is not necessarily as open and willing to share with the police force. Yeah and especially when it comes to something like this it's more of a he wouldn't believe be believed as much. Yes yeah. He's like I need to find proof first. I'm already in a place where I would not be as well
Speaker: believed as like a white man in my shoes. And this is something that is already fairly unbelievable. So I need to make sure I know my shit. Yeah, he the way he says like the vampires multiply geometrically is a very beautiful way of breaking down the fact of how dangerous it is. Because he says that and then Jack's like, Oh my gosh, just get serious very quickly. Like, you know, before you know it, you're overrun.
Speaker: Yeah. And then Gordon, he asks for an APB to be put out on them and Jack's response is right on a dead man. And you're going to get me fired and what is it?
Speaker: You're going to get me fired and us laughed out or something like that? Yeah, something like that. I think they do it in a way, Jack does it and ABB out in a way is if you see people resembling. Yeah, it's a description. Yeah.
Speaker: It's a look like situation as opposed to an actual person situation. Because again, as we've mentioned, there is that trust between the two of them. He knows Gordon, he knows him well enough that what he's saying is necessary.
Speaker: And then we're back in the club. Yeah. And it's the three of them. It's Gordon, Michelle and Tina. Mum all day arrives, kisses Tina and... Orders of Bloody Mary. Yeah, which I quite like. It's very fun. I feel that's very good. It's very straight up. And Gordon and Michelle, they kind of have a look between the two of them as if they're not quite impressed with him coming back and being that close to Tina.
Speaker: Because the thing is, less than, is it 48 hours ago at this point? I can't quite tell. About 48 hours ago, she was running home screaming. And now they are enamored by each other.
Speaker: So Michelle is approaching this in the issues of that's my sister, I must protect her way. Gordon is approaching this in the issues of this is a man wearing a cape and I am looking for a vampire way.
Speaker: Um, cause there is that moment in the scene earlier where Jack's kind of like, Hey, do you know who it is? And Gordon again is kind of like, I'm playing my cards close to my chest. Um, but I have thoughts. And then we cut to this scene. So you do kind of tell that he is kind of suspicious. He's starting to put pieces together. Yeah. Because again, Mamawalde has not been subtle. No. And you see him, Gordon then, he's, Gordon isn't hiding his suspicion of Mamawalde to him. No.
Speaker: Because in this scene he asks if Mumwolde believes in the occult, such as witchcraft, voodoo, devil worship. Mumwolde is like, I think there's some truth in all of it. And then Michelle asks, what do you think of vampires? And he says, which is a line by him I like again, they're most, they're possibly the most fascinating of them all. Yeah, yeah. And there's another bit where he kind of, where I think it's Gordon says like,
Speaker: So you believe in, so are vampires real? And mum Woldy says, is the devil real? Yeah. So there is this back and forth between them, which again, is iconic to the kind of Dracula Van Helsing. Van Helsing and standoff between them.
Speaker: and then Gordon states that the police have a theory on the killings, and Tina, she's starting to, yeah, Gordon explains a theory being how they're starting to think it was a vampire, and Tina this year, she's looking a bit on edge as the statement gets made, and she's being a bit, I don't wanna say anything, but is this my model?
Speaker: Ah yeah, and Mama Woldey again is being very kind of like, oh well, interesting. Oh, that really would be blah, blah, blah. And then like, as he goes, because he kind of heads off, she is saying to him, like, why are you being so blase about this? Why are you almost like mounting yourself? Why are you prompting this?
Speaker: Why are you pushing? Um, but yeah, they leave when Skillet arrives. And before he leaves, he, Skillet asks, offers Manwalde to buy his cape and Manwalde, he just laughs it off. And then Skillet here again, he makes another comment as Manwalde leaves with Tina. He is one strange dude.
Speaker: Yeah, earlier he says he is one strange dude and here he says, he really is one strange dude. Yeah. Yeah. And then it's this point that they noticed that Nancy has been missing since Michelle's birthday. Gordon heads over, he sees the, well, the picture was taken. Yeah, but the... Because mum, why would they have destroyed it? But the negative is still there.
Speaker: So he looks through and he sees the negative. And he puts it under the microscope, zooms in, and sees that Tina is visible, that Mama World Day is missing. And that he's starting to believe that his suspicions, they are right. Listeners, I'm eating food because I haven't eaten food. Sorry if you hate food sounds, I will try to keep them at a minimum.
Speaker: Yes, so we're... Gordon is at Nancy's in the red room, the dark room.
Speaker: Not the red room, that's a great thing. And he's looking at the film negatives. He puts one of them under a microscope and he focuses it and realises that mum Wolday is not visible in the photo with Tina where he should be. He now knows. Something's not right with mum Wolday. He knows without a shadow of a doubt because he's been thinking something's not right for quite a while.
Speaker: And now he's like, this boy does not have a reflection. Best vampire shenanigans. Yeah. And yes, this photo makes him realise that his suspicions are correct. And then he suddenly remembers that Tina is with Manuel Alde. Yeah.
Speaker: So he runs off to see it. And now the next shot, we're at Tina's apartment and him, mum all day, and Tina's still having a little argument because Tina was upset about the conversation with the blizzard nature of mum all day and the vampirism that was happening. And we get some music now.
Speaker: It's some funky 70s detective music plays as Gordon gets out of his car and runs into Tina's apartment. And Manuel De is, as he's going on, is stating how he wants them to leave tonight. And then him and Tina, they kiss. And this is where Gordon, he comes in yelling for them to stop. And Manuel De pushes
Speaker: Gordon down. Tina is telling him not to hurt Gordon, but he still slaps him and he goes down onto the couch and he leaves it at that. He doesn't go with it any further. He's like, okay, he's immobilized and runs off into the night. Because obviously this is still one of Tina's like loved ones. He's not just going to out and out kill him.
Speaker: No. And then we see a police car and a man gets out of the car. He's noticed mum while they're running suspiciously. He goes out to chase him and he ends up in like a dead end corner down an alleyway.
Speaker: and the music, it's still funky, but it takes on some suspense undertones. And then we only see this police officer, and then we hear Mum Baldy's laugh, and then he swoops in. And nothing more needs to be said. It's just, um, what a film doesn't really like hit us over the head with it. It's just kind of like, he's in another way. That's Mum Baldy.
Speaker: and the policeman, he shoots, mum all day bites, and then Gordon and another policeman run to the gunshot. They find this policeman slumped on the ground and the music ends. And then we're back at Jack's place.
Speaker: where he's surprised and inquisitive that Gordon met the man, because Gordon reveals that he has met who he believes to be the culprit of all of these shenanigans. He has known the vampire all this time. Yeah, and Jack is like, wait, you actually met him? Who is he? And Gordon states he calls himself Mamuwalde.
Speaker: And then Michelle and Tina come into the room and Jack state in, he killed a cop and then Gordon, he got away. They're telling Tina this, because they obviously know that Tina has feelings for this man. And she's crying and Michelle says, you should rest, you should get some sleep. This is a stressful time for you. Gordon, he states, only one thing we're sure of is that he must return to his coffin before daylight.
Speaker: And then we cut to a cop car? Yeah, it's the big cops. And they're in their cruiser, they're going to the streets. The APB out on the dead man. And they spot Bobby. Dead Bobby. But they see him from behind, they don't even know if it is actually Bobby or not. One of them turns to the other and asks, how can you tell?
Speaker: As in, how can you tell it's the person we're after? And the other cop, he goes, well, they all look alike. Yeah. Yeah. So I put in my notes here, big time ouch. And then Michelle's phone rings, and it's for Jack. And it's about the sighting. Yes. And he says, Jack's telling them that they should keep following this guy.
Speaker: but not to go, do not chase, yeah, do not engage, just watch. And then Gordon, they're leaving and he leaves his cross with Michelle because he's like, well, you still need protection. Even if I can't be by your side, you still need safety in case this should help. And then the cruisers, they lose Bobby and this friend that he's with down an alleyway.
Speaker: they remember that Jack said not to follow, but they're back on the phone with them now and asked them to check what buildings are in the area to try and arrow down the location, which is very clever. And of all of the cops that go through the location of what buildings are in the area. And there's the warehouse. Yeah, which
Speaker: That was over by Billy and Bobby. Yes. And so police swarm on this building. It looks like it's going to be a whole SWAT takedown into this building, but only for the mentor. It's Jack, Gordon and two police officers. I assume the two from the car, but not really stated. No. Two other officers. Yeah. And they close the door behind them and they get further in and you notice that the oil lamps are still burning.
Speaker: And that a body is in the floor. They go and they crawl up to the body. They go to investigate it to be like, hey, is this person still alive? And then out pops Bobby. And they back away in terror. They back away in terror. They're slowly backing away. And the more they back away, the more they realise that they are surrounded.
Speaker: There's so many of them. It's like a proper nest. There's loads of vampires. It's a hive. And then one of the policeman shoots, he fails, and a group of the vampires, they swarm in on the
Speaker: The one who shot, yeah, they kind of swarm over him and Jack tries to go to save him. Yeah, by this point when the vampires are swarming in on this police officer, it looks like they're gliding across the floor.
Speaker: I feel that was very beautiful. Gordon says to Jack that they need to throw the oil lamps or the gas lamps at the ground and at the vampires to get rid of them. So that's what they start doing. And then one of the policemen rises and all vamped out. And then a very quick transition. Jack, he freezes at this point. I think it's because it's the fellow officer, it's someone he knows.
Speaker: And so Gordon just throws the lamp at him instead. And Gordon takes another vampire down as well, whilst Jack is just stood there. And I've put in my notes, bearing in mind that Jack is a lieutenant and Gordon is a scientist. So as in Jack, he's got all the training, he should not be freezing. And yet the scientist man who has not had all this training is standing up.
Speaker: Yeah, yeah. Yeah. He's kind of taking charge of the situation. Yeah. Skate into another room and they bump into mum all day. Yeah. And then they ask mum all day about Tina. Like, are you going to her today? What is your plan? Can you just leave her alone?
Speaker: and he states how she's important to him and he very beautifully goes bat mode flies away and leaving the two men just stunned and in awe at what they've just seen like oh shit he can fly too yeah he literally turns into a bat like fully my mould is there and then a very small shout out to that actor that flies off
Speaker: And then we're back at the apartment where Gordon is explaining to Tina that mum Walday is a bad man. And she's... But how can he be bad when you look that good? And she loves him so much and she's struggling to believe this. And she doesn't want to help them take them down, but then she realizes that yeah, maybe he's not the best. And joins sides with Michelle, Gordon and Jack.
Speaker: I feel like I kind of, I don't know, I don't really actually have no support in this at all but I feel like in my mind she somewhat was staying out of it. I'm in love with him but you're telling me that he's bad so I'm just gonna not be involved with either side. Yeah she just, I think she kind of just like, she's like kind of a green with them as in okay you may seem, you may think that he's bad so I'm not gonna do anything. I won't help him, yeah.
Speaker: But, this is where she hears Mama Walta's voice and he's essentially standing on a roof talking to her and being like, come to me. Yeah. And he, this is all done through high pitched squeaks like bat talk. Yes. I swear there's a voice over with his voice. I think that might be a translation, but it's mainly the squeaking that we hear. Yeah.
Speaker: And... I mean, apparently we had different levels of audio. Yeah, we had different versions. Maybe you had the bat version. Yeah, I had the bat dog. It hypnotises her. She's in her trance. And it's... you realise she's no longer of her own free will. Yes.
Speaker: Yeah, I mean it is somewhat interested in that she kind of does seem... it's that whole thing of is she in a trance because she's very much in love with him so she's kind of somewhat zoned out. Yeah. But I don't know. I don't know how like completely trance -like it does seem and how it does kind of call into question that kind of quote earlier. But a woman kind of neighbour screams
Speaker: And they go into the room and she's no longer there and a bat is flying away. Yeah. And they're like, oh no, Tina, we've got to go get her. And police cars, they notice Tina and Jack tells them of the radio not to apprehend Tina, just to survey her, to watch her, see where she goes to follow her. Because they can use her as bait.
Speaker: not baked but yet they know that she is going towards yeah they know where she is going and they need to go where she's going yes and the only way to know the route is through her so then we have the kind of final showdown yeah in a chemical plant yeah they're in a chemical plant there's lots of kind of like metals staircases lots of kind of like electricals lots of kind of
Speaker: Yeah. Yeah. And so she walks in, she walks down the stairs, and the music goes back to that romantic 70s sex music. And Manuel De comes out with the shadows to greet her. And as they're greeting each other, they hear the sirens blaring outside, and they run off to leave through the back as the police come in. A policeman, he finds them, but Manuel De bites him before
Speaker: any tension can be driven their way. And then Gordon, Michelle, and I put, I wrote here, Gordon, Michelle and Gordon arrived. It's Gordon, Michelle and Jack are right. You know, you see the turtle neck and you think maybe it's him again. Yeah. You just, I, you know. You can't get too much of Gordon. Jack is fun and good. Yeah. Gordon. But they're stating that if you see him, my Maude to back away, but to keep an eye out
Speaker: Gordon's like, keep an eye out for his coffin. And then there's this one policeman as they're going through this pipeline tunnel. They see Tina, they shoot at her. They see Tina and Mama Walday. They see Tina and Mama Walday. He's shooting at Mama Walday. But it hits Tina in the back and she is dying. And Mama Walday is kind of saying like,
Speaker: I'm essentially, I'm sorry for taking the choice away from you. Yeah. He apologizes to her. This is the only option to keeping you with me. So I will transform you now against, essentially against your will because you're dying. This is the only way to keep you somewhat alive. He bites her, but it does that thing where she then lies back and you don't see the transformation. So you're somewhat kind of thinking, has she in fact died?
Speaker: Yeah. Because then he calls out throughout the chemical plant, you have taken her away from me. Are all gonna be dead with this building being that tomb? Yes, he is very dramatic. He is like, you, yeah, this building will now be your tomb. Yeah, he's like, you forced me to take this choice away from her. You were okay. I guess full blackular. Yeah. He goes like full Dracula, full vamp and is just taken down
Speaker: all of the police cops. He chucks one down this big kind of chemical warehouse, he thinks. It's like he's kind of on like a couple floors up, so there's this big drop. He chucks one off the... Over it and down to the ground. Down to the ground. There's another one. He kind of lifts up like a big barrel. Yeah, there's two on a staircase going up behind him and he just throws a barrel, but we'll make them down.
Speaker: Yeah, he is just going full, like, rampage mode. He is in pain. And it's when this is going on, kind of, for Gordon, Michelle, and Jack. Find the coffin. Find the coffin. And they are believing, because they can't see... They can't see Mum Walday. They're believing this is Mum Walday's... Mum Walday? He is in his coffin. Yeah.
Speaker: So they go up to it and Gordon kind of has his hand on the lid. Yeah, so Gordon and Jack are approaching the coffin cautiously, whilst the other policeman that's with them is holding Tina back. Yeah, Michelle, Michelle, sorry, is holding Michelle back so that she's safe and she doesn't see. So Jack has the stake.
Speaker: Gordon has the lid and he lifts the lid and Jack stakes. Before even seeing who's in the coffin. And it's not mom all day. It's Tina. And she screams. And she is vamped. She has like this beautiful kind of like bride of Frankenstein. Yeah, Frankenstein. Two white stripes. She is screaming and dies.
Speaker: And Michelle is crying. That's her sister. She is distraught. Yeah. And then... Mama all day appears behind them. Yeah. And he asks them to move away from Tina. And he leans over the coffin and he talks to Tina and then states how his only reason for living has been taken away. Which is so powerful. He kisses her hand again.
Speaker: Yeah. And again, it's that gentlemanly, the way he kissed her hand in the club in that first scene. And now again, it's it's very sweet. Yeah. And and then he kind of looks over and Gordon kind of almost kind of brandishes like a steak in a kind of like, we came to kill you way. Yeah. And my mother turns around and says there's no need for that.
Speaker: Yeah, there's no need for that. Yeah. You've taken her away. I have nothing left. Yeah. And he goes up the stairs. He goes up some staircase. He opens the roof hatch door, steps out into the sun. But as he's doing this, he's doing it very pained. Yes. He is struggling through up the stairs once he gets into the sunlight. It is very much like already getting him.
Speaker: makes it to just top of the staircase and he falls down and kind of as he falls down his cloak lands across his face and this is mostly just so that when yeah Gordon and Jack follow him up the staircase to kind of make sure the job is done. To get the dramatic reveal that comes when they remove it and you just have this very
Speaker: fast decomposing face that's just covered with maggots. It's already like skull and muscle and yeah and maggots all inside and the muscle is receding and then it's just the skull. And then up come the end credits and when I looked at the skull and if you looked closely I could not see the vampire teeth there. They were back to normal human teeth.
Speaker: It's just truly beautiful. The thing that I love about, I guess we can tie this into our full thoughts on the film, the thing that I love about Blackular as a film is that it feels like it should be a schlocky, almost comedy take. Yeah. I mean, its name is a pun. Yeah. He is the Black Dracula. It is Blackula. And yet,
Speaker: he is... Mama Walde is a man who holds himself to such a good set of morals. Yes, he does kill people a fair amount when he's a vampire, but the fact that he... But when he kills them, he turns them into a vampire, he doesn't just kill them for the sake of killing them. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker: And when he does, it's the police officers at the end. That is great. Very different. And the way that he is the one who takes himself out, he never actually gets defeated.
Speaker: No. He doesn't let somebody else have the power to do that. It's like from the very beginning, he's like, I am my own person. And even through to the end, he's like, I'm not gonna let you define me this way. I'm going to have my own definition. I'm having my own end. You've taken my love from me, but you cannot take this last remaining thing that I have, which is his death.
Speaker: Yeah, it is so beautiful given that like, you know, in the 1700s, his humanity was taken away from him by by, you know, by Dracula, this white man, like his true like humanity was taken away from him. And now he gets to return himself to yet exactly that to like, ending on his own terms. Yeah.
Speaker: I am choosing to go out the way that I wouldn't want to go out. And it is something that I always find like in the vampire mythos, I find it so beautiful when vampires die by sunlight. I think, and here I feel like it's - To feel that warmth on their face again, that warmth that they have not been able to feel that they've been yearning for. Yeah. Yeah. And I do feel like
Speaker: I don't know if I'm reading too much into it at this kind of moment, but I do feel like it's somewhat more meaningful given the sunny nature of the Niger Delta. It's almost, you know, like, and the way that he was locked away, like he wasn't just a creature of the night. He was within a coffin, within a room, within a castle.
Speaker: And to now feel the sun on his face, even though it kills him, is a really beautiful end to his story, almost. It's powerful. It really is. And I do, like now, transition into talking about the film on a whole. I think Blackular is a really powerful film. And I think it doesn't quite get the appreciation
Speaker: Yeah, the film doesn't get the appreciation that it deserves. Because because again, like I say, like it's title is a it's title is a pun. It feels very kind of, you know, airplane or Robin Hood men in tights. It feels like it should be a fat variety. Yeah. Where it's, you know, even like Princess Bride is like a play.
Speaker: on a genre of films. It's like a play on a fantasy film and this is like a play on a like race related Dracula film and it is but it also has this incredibly powerful romance. Yeah it's so powerful.
Speaker: Yeah, yeah. And it truly is like a beautiful film. And it's this romance that brings you to tears. Yeah. Even when you're taking notes. Yeah. It's a really, really good film. Yeah, no, I truly love this film. Thank you so much for listening to part one of a horror shed.
Speaker: Blackular, 1972. Be sure to tune in later this week, hopefully, to part two, where we will be discussing the context of Blackular. Be sure to follow us on Instagram, to give us any feedback you feel about a film of Blackular, any thoughts and feelings you have.
Speaker: you can message us first. The Instagram is AhoraShared. We also have an email, which is AhoraShared at Gmail .com. If you have any thoughts, any film recommendations you want to send in. Oh, yeah. Recommendations, please. Yeah. Obviously of the horror nature. Yeah. Yeah. Well, you know, if you have any chases you want us, because sometimes they do feel like when I watch a film and it really does freak me.
Speaker: If this is a freaky film, just let us know. Yes, we will see you when we see you when you listen to us in part two.
