🔗 Share this article

The director's recent project may have revitalized the idea of African American undead, but the origins of this cinematic category date back to the 1970s cultural movement. Among the most iconic pioneering films was the 1972 classic Blacula. In that film, the actor's role is bitten by Dracula and cursed with the demeaning name “Blacula.” Originally written as a caricature, Marshall elevated the part into something regal, providing his character an 18th-century backstory as Mamuwalde, a proud African prince.

Years afterward, Eddie Murphy appeared to draw inspiration from his predecessor, deepening his own character's mythology in Wes Craven's take on the African American horror niche: Vampire in Brooklyn. The protagonist Maximillian is a descendant of Dracula whose forebears escaped to Egypt, and later to the Bermuda Triangle, after being hunted to the brink of extinction. Vampire in Brooklyn proves that Black vampire stories can be funny, frightening, and thought-provoking simultaneously, securing its position in the hall of fame by juggling all three while respecting the subgenre's legacy.

Released 30 years ago on Oct. 27, 1995, Vampire in Brooklyn is now available on Tubi, making it an must-see if you need a dash of humor with your frights this spooky season.

An Urban Vampire Story

Like the royal character in Coming to America (Murphy's classic from 1988), the vampire lead is drawn to New York City. But rather than journeying from Zamunda to Queens, he emerges from the mysterious region into Brooklyn, aiming to find and secure the survival of his undead bloodline with an heir of his clan.

Maximillian arrives in New York aboard a phantom vessel whose crew has been inexplicably killed, a nod to Nosferatu. The vessel is discovered by harbor official Silas Green (John Witherspoon) and his nephew Julius Jones (Kadeem Hardison), two of the film's funniest characters. The inspector then observes a black wolf leap from the ship, run into an alley, and transform into a human — like the iconic routine from the extended Black or White video. Funky Blaxploitation-style music starts, setting the tone for a film that handily balances scares and laughs.

Directorial Ambitions

Recently after his last installment in the Nightmare on Elm Street series, the director was keen to break from his scary movie image and make a more hybrid genre film (his subsequent project after Vampire in Brooklyn was Scream, which exploited scary conventions for both laughs and real fear). Meanwhile, the star wanted to subvert expectations by venturing into a straight horror rooted in Dracula lore. The clash of those creative goals explains the story's detailed beginning of Max's origins and its generally sluggish start. But when the film hits its stride, it opens up to its assets — like its eclectic cast.

Angela Bassett, as the object of Maximillian’s affection, plays detective Rita Veder, whose dynamic with her colleague and romantic lead, detective Justice (Allen Payne), brings a procedural element to the story. Among Black cinema’s most acclaimed actresses, she gives a powerful performance alongside her co-star, a well-known actor from the era. In the meantime, the lead spends most of his screen time with Kadeem Hardison, creating a uproarious classic comedy pair as Hardison’s Julius Jones becomes Max’s undead lackey. (Watching Julius sink deeper and deeper into his ghoulish role as his appearance deteriorates during the movie is a highlight of how Murphy’s usual bag of tricks elevates the humor and fear, even when employed by other actors).

Dark Seduction

When the two leads meet and Murphy and Bassett appear together, the movie reaches its peak — the tension heightens, the fear escalates, and their sinister attraction becomes the focus. The vampire's scheme is to remove everything Rita has in her life and then intervene. He kills her housemate, drives a wedge in between her and her partner, and even uses Nutty Professor-esque make-up effects to disguise himself as a preacher and weaken her faith.

As the story unfolds, it becomes more darkly romantic, including metamorphoses and revelations of origins. This leads to a final section filled with seduction, as life and eternal punishment are at stake. The movie concludes with a stinger suggesting a possible follow-up, one that could have happened had the movie been more successful. Vampire in Brooklyn earned a moderate financial success and got mostly negative reviews upon release. As years passed, it found new life as a beloved classic, with reviewers later applauding the filmmaker's work, the electric chemistry Murphy and Bassett, and its clever mix of frights and fun. The film shows moments of brilliance that could have been more prominent had everyone involved been aligned on a unified vision, rather than producing the mixed-genre result viewers saw. Still, Vampire in Brooklyn has rightfully earned its place in the history of African American scary movies, an underappreciated but influential film characterized by its daring approach and memorable acting.