ShudderWeen : Sugar Hill (1974)
It was only a matter of time before I found ShudderWeen dropping me back into the world of Blaxploitation, specifically because Sugar Hill was one of the first films that came up when I did my day one search. Iâd heard a bit about this film, but not enough to really know what it was all about, but with October being the prime month for spooky faring, I figured there was no time like the present to make this journey happen. With the potential of gangsters versus voodoo-controlled zombies on the table, this was definitely one I was looking forward to.
Sugar Hill creates its tension by essentially building a revenge thriller based around the idea of letting hubris allow you to underestimate the potential of a threat. Interestingly, Diana âSugarâ Hill doesnât even start out the film as a key character, but rather the love interest of Langston, a club owner being pressed by mob boss Morgan and his crew to sell his ownership stake. With her life torn apart by an attack from the mob that leaves Langston dead, Diana turns to the belief system of voodoo (one that she left in the past for Langston) with the intent of pure revenge, making the sequence of events that much more sinister as they are driven by darkness begetting a deeper darkness. While Blacula and Scream Blacula Scream both felt like films where the Blaxploitation and horror ran parallel, Sugar Hill does wonders in the way that it mixes both styles together with relative ease.
Outside of the spookier elements of this film, much of the uneasy feelings and tension are built from the extremely up front racism that plays a major factor in how the mob-tied characters operate and make their presence felt. This makes the revenge-based kills that much more compelling, as that racism the Black characters receive is redirected back at the source in tandem with the gruesome retribution-infused zombie kills. While Dianaâs feelings (and racists taunts) make sense based on her hurt, anger and need to bring justice to those that wronged her, it is interesting watching Baron Samedi, a seemingly mystic figure not of this Earth, take such joy and zeal in his role as leader of the zombies. There is also LOTS of race-based domestic and assault level violence, almost to a casual degree, which is jarring considering how politically correct the times have become... many elements of old films donât always age well, and the multiple backhands that Diana receives simply for being Black definitely fall on that list.
The old school wardrobe choices, like most Blaxploitation affairs, are works of art in their own right, feeling as dated as they do timeless in both their stylings and color choices. As for the spooky wardrobing and zombie effects, the way that these lean into realism and classic looks serves as a distinctive way to offset the voodoo and zombie presence from that of the normal world. Speaking of world presence, it seems that nearly all of the film was shot on location, and with such a fantastic premise, the events taking place in nature and clearly used buildings does a lot of the legwork when it comes to the suspension of disbelief. The score is a mixture of uneasy and jarring musical elements that leans heavily on their atonal nature to drive home the scary tone. I wouldnât mind getting my hands on some of the soul-infused portions of the score and soundtrack as well, as they would be perfect sample fodder (which is ironic, because the first kill in the film has lines that MF DOOM sampled for his King Geedorah project.
Marki Bey mixes a sweet, loving and optimistic side with the hurt and pain she feels from her loss, and as we learn more about her history and capabilities, we see her step into her empowering role as an angel of vengeance. Standing in opposition is Robert Quarry, whose casting of mob boss Morgan comes complete with smugness, arrogance and over the top confidence that explains his role coming in while simultaneously setting him up for his downfall.  Zara Cullyâs use of wisdom and mystery helps to elevate her portrayal of Mama Maitresse, giving her an otherworldly essence that stands in start contrast to the world that Diana personifies when she insists on Mama Maitresseâs assistance. Don Pedro Colley goes big and bold in his portrayal of Baron Samedi, infusing a sort of ringmaster energy mixed with an ethereal gatekeeper stance that makes him feel as fantastic as he does dangerous. Richard Lawson serves as a sort of grounded baseline in his role as Lt. Valentine, and while his performance is a bit stilted and short on emotion, he does well in serving his purpose as the audience surrogate for questions and answers. Betty Anne Rees hits viewers with plenty of down-home good old-fashioned racism, serving as a sort of live-wire threat that inserts herself into positions she has no business in. Charles P. Robinson, Rick Hagood, Ed Geldart, Albert J. Baker and Raymond E. Simpson all exhibit different shades of flunkie while also giving us our death fodder, making them some of the most entertaining characters in the film. Appearances by Big Walter Price, J. Randall Bell, Charles Krohn and a handful of others round out the crazy world of Sugar Hill.
Full disclosure, I tried at least twice to watch this film, but for whatever reason, both start attempts ended up with me cutting loose within the first ten or so minutes. I am happy that I was patient with this film, however, as this latest (and completed) attempt made me realize that I was building expectations for the film that it was not responsible for fulfilling. The film isnât your standard horror fare, but it is still highly entertaining, and certainly worth your time if youâre looking to step slightly off the traditional October path.
