12/29/13

Movie of the Week: Sugar Hill (1974)


Finally on youtube, it's the greatly underrated Blaxploitation / Zombie mashup that is Sugar Hill. You get righteous vengeance, necromancy, hordes of undead, lots of irresponsible violence and a good-looking chick, so what more do you want of your entertainment?

 Much of the film's watchability hinges on Marki Bey, a.k.a. Sugar Hill. Inexplicably, this is most of her legacy. She otherwise did some supporting roles in small films and a few episodes of Starsky and Hutch, and that's about it. According to imdb.com, she currently operates murder mystery cruises in Los Angeles. She's a fine actor, and looks like a cross between Pam Grier and Lynda Carter. I don't understand why she didn't go on to more substantial roles.

 Likewise for Don Pedro Colley, who has as much onscreen charisma as Sid Haig. He did some small, subdued roles in THX1138 and Beneath the Planet of the Apes, but here he's acting full stop as evil incarnate. What a presence! And those zombies are creepy. I freakin' love this movie, man.


 

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