Sugar Hill is that rare mixture of 70's blaxploitation and horror that started in movies like Blacula, Scream Blacula Scream, Blackenstein, and others. It is a pretty neat little film with some good horror sequences of zombies in graveyards and zombies administering revenge. The revenge is based on a woman who loses her boyfriend to thugs wanting to buy his business. He is beat to death and Marki Bey(who by the way is VERY easy to look at)seeks the help of an old voodoo woman(played by the woman that played Mrs. Jefferson on the Jeffersons)that helps her reach the spirit world. She sells her soul for the help of the zombies. The next part of the film deals with the revenge sequences for each individual in the mafia-like gang. The murders are chilling, well-executed(no pun intended), and have a pinch of humour as well. The acting is decent for this kind of film. Vampire star Robert Quarry, having to fill a contract obligation, plays the heavy with his usual charm and wit. The scenery and sets are very good too, but remember this is the 70's...the music is something and the clothes are like WoW! All in all a good zombie flick.
39 Reviews
Crude and heavy handed but also powerful and effective
lemon_magic22 January 2006
"Sugar Hill" has a lot of what made "Foxy Brown" so compelling, but adds an interesting plot device for a novel twist. I've seen lots of black gangster films where black heroes (and anti-heroes) get over on The Man and The Establishment, but "Sugar Hill" is the only film I've seen where horror monsters (as opposed to gun-play and car chases) are the vehicle for social justice. Of course, there could be others. I don't get out much. (And no, I don't count "Zombie Nightmare", which is a vanity project, not a movie.)
The heroine of the story loses her man to the predations of the local Mob when the Mob moves in on their nightclub. In order to exact revenge, she manages to contact a local voodoo cult (because in this film's social milieu, all black people in the South maintain contact with their pagan cult roots, don'chaknow) and convince them to aid her cause. Hilarity ensues.
On the plus side: the makeup effects for the zombies were novel and extremely effective - I've never seen any other film use 'brass eyes and cobwebs' effects and bluish "bad skin" tints like this. Someone did a wonderful job coaching the extras on how to be convincing as cold, soulless, remorseless, shambling piles of ex-humanity. And they are framed and filmed and lighted in setups out of your worst nightmares. The setups for each of the revenge scenes are well done, and there is a lot of variety in the scenarios, as well as some macabre humor - the 'death by massage therapy' scene managed to be both funny and appalling at the same time, which is a great trick.
Also on the plus side: The actress playing Sugar is very striking and carries the movie effortlessly. She's convincingly merciless and cold as she delivers judgment on each of her foes, and obviously relishes her revenge. The actor playing Samedi seems familiar; I think he shilled for "7-Up" some years ago. He's got a wonderful, deep, rich patois that resonates in the viewers' solar plexus. His sadistic glee and delight in the suffering and terror he inspires in his prey is enough to make you seriously considering defecting to the ranks of the "voodoun."
On the minus side: Once Sugar gets the voodoo revenge ball rolling, it's just too damned easy for her - there is no struggle, or suspense at all. In "Foxy Brown", the heroine suffers rape and beatings and humiliation before she turns the tide on her enemies, and it makes the story more compelling because of it. Even in a Jim Brown "Slaughter" film, Jim had to sweat some to win the day. For that matter, Bruce Lee took some serious hits in his various fights for justice and revenge. But here, the Mob guys are dumb as toast and go down before the voodoo onslaught like mice under a field mower.That turns the film from a heroic struggle to an exercise in righteous sadism against a bunch of mannequins.
And traditionally in films and literature, if the protagonist messes with "Dark Forces" to exact their revenge, they have to pay a price themselves. But Samedi just goes out and tears Sugar's foes apart like an obedient supernatural Pit Bull and it doesn't cost her a thing, at least not overtly. The protagonist's desire for revenge and/or justice is much more convincing if the story shows them paying a real price to achieve it. So again, the film is less than it could be; instead of making Sugar Hill's story a tale of revenge no matter the cost, it becomes an plodding exercise in vicarious power fantasy and butt-kicking.
But still, it's a powerful experience, if only due to the fortunate accident of the makeup and the charisma of the two lead black actors. I'm glad I managed to catch it on Showtime, and if I ever see it on DVD for a reasonable price, I'll probably pick it up for my collection.
The heroine of the story loses her man to the predations of the local Mob when the Mob moves in on their nightclub. In order to exact revenge, she manages to contact a local voodoo cult (because in this film's social milieu, all black people in the South maintain contact with their pagan cult roots, don'chaknow) and convince them to aid her cause. Hilarity ensues.
On the plus side: the makeup effects for the zombies were novel and extremely effective - I've never seen any other film use 'brass eyes and cobwebs' effects and bluish "bad skin" tints like this. Someone did a wonderful job coaching the extras on how to be convincing as cold, soulless, remorseless, shambling piles of ex-humanity. And they are framed and filmed and lighted in setups out of your worst nightmares. The setups for each of the revenge scenes are well done, and there is a lot of variety in the scenarios, as well as some macabre humor - the 'death by massage therapy' scene managed to be both funny and appalling at the same time, which is a great trick.
Also on the plus side: The actress playing Sugar is very striking and carries the movie effortlessly. She's convincingly merciless and cold as she delivers judgment on each of her foes, and obviously relishes her revenge. The actor playing Samedi seems familiar; I think he shilled for "7-Up" some years ago. He's got a wonderful, deep, rich patois that resonates in the viewers' solar plexus. His sadistic glee and delight in the suffering and terror he inspires in his prey is enough to make you seriously considering defecting to the ranks of the "voodoun."
On the minus side: Once Sugar gets the voodoo revenge ball rolling, it's just too damned easy for her - there is no struggle, or suspense at all. In "Foxy Brown", the heroine suffers rape and beatings and humiliation before she turns the tide on her enemies, and it makes the story more compelling because of it. Even in a Jim Brown "Slaughter" film, Jim had to sweat some to win the day. For that matter, Bruce Lee took some serious hits in his various fights for justice and revenge. But here, the Mob guys are dumb as toast and go down before the voodoo onslaught like mice under a field mower.That turns the film from a heroic struggle to an exercise in righteous sadism against a bunch of mannequins.
And traditionally in films and literature, if the protagonist messes with "Dark Forces" to exact their revenge, they have to pay a price themselves. But Samedi just goes out and tears Sugar's foes apart like an obedient supernatural Pit Bull and it doesn't cost her a thing, at least not overtly. The protagonist's desire for revenge and/or justice is much more convincing if the story shows them paying a real price to achieve it. So again, the film is less than it could be; instead of making Sugar Hill's story a tale of revenge no matter the cost, it becomes an plodding exercise in vicarious power fantasy and butt-kicking.
But still, it's a powerful experience, if only due to the fortunate accident of the makeup and the charisma of the two lead black actors. I'm glad I managed to catch it on Showtime, and if I ever see it on DVD for a reasonable price, I'll probably pick it up for my collection.
Blaxploitation to the Best
claudio_carvalho10 June 2018
Langston (Larry D. Johnson) is the owner of a successful nightclub and he proposes his girlfriend, the photographer Diana "Sugar" Hill (Marki Bey), to get married with him. However the kingpin Morgan (Robert Quarry) and his henchmen kill Morgan when he does not accept his offer to sell the nightclub. Sugar Hill seeks out the voodoo priestess Mama Maitresse (Zara Cully) to revenge the death of her beloved Langston. Mama summons the Lord of the Dead, Baron Samedi (Don Pedro Colley), who offers a horde of zombies to Sugar Hill take revenge. In return, she offers her soul to him. She lures Morgan while his gangsters are murdered one by one by the zombies. Meanwhile his former boyfriend, Detective Valentine (Richard Lawson), investigates the gruesome deaths of Morgan´s mobsters and suspects that the killer is using voodoo to kill them.
"Sugar Hill" is a funny and cult low-budget zombie film with Blaxploitation to the best. The plot is highly entertaining and the make-up is great, with creepy zombies with half- Ping-Pong ball on each eye. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Os Zumbis de Sugar Hill" ("Sugar Hill´s Zombies")
"Sugar Hill" is a funny and cult low-budget zombie film with Blaxploitation to the best. The plot is highly entertaining and the make-up is great, with creepy zombies with half- Ping-Pong ball on each eye. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Os Zumbis de Sugar Hill" ("Sugar Hill´s Zombies")
Count Yorga meets Baron Samedi and the Voodoo Woman. Mayhem ensues!
gsh9994 February 2007
Sugar Hill is an entertaining voodoo zombie flick from 1974. A club owner in New Orleans is murdered and his wife Sugar goes to a voodoo woman to conjure up Baron Samedi the voodoo revenger. Sugar and the Baron, and the Baron's zombies, go after the mafia kingpin (same guy who played Count Yorga, Vampire) and his henchmen on a bloody trail of voodoo revenge. The Baron even poses as a taxi driver to lure an unsuspecting victim to his fate. Where did Baron Samedi learn to drive a car in the kingdom of the dead? Just wondering.
I am a huge horror movie fan. I have seen a lot of zombie movies and a lot of movies like Blacula. I liked Blacula and I liked Sugar Hill also. They are both more like comedy than horror. But that is what the film makers intended I'm sure. Over-the-top craziness. There is very little gore in his movie so the makers were not going for shock value. They did a good job creating interesting and colorful characters as the protagonists and antagonists. The zombies are well-done, unique, and very creepy-looking. This movie is just a lot of fun. Recommended.
I am a huge horror movie fan. I have seen a lot of zombie movies and a lot of movies like Blacula. I liked Blacula and I liked Sugar Hill also. They are both more like comedy than horror. But that is what the film makers intended I'm sure. Over-the-top craziness. There is very little gore in his movie so the makers were not going for shock value. They did a good job creating interesting and colorful characters as the protagonists and antagonists. The zombies are well-done, unique, and very creepy-looking. This movie is just a lot of fun. Recommended.
Politically Correct Zombies? Call Sugar Hill!
sjrobb99-997-83639322 August 2011
Warning: Spoilers
One thing you can say about this movie, besides the fact that EVERYONE is good-looking (even the prince of darkness, Baron Samedi, is hot in a gold-toothed, evil, soulless kind of way) -- is that you always know who the bad guys are. They're the white ones.
Oh,there are a couple of black bad guys too, portrayed as jive-talking stereotypical 1970's Uncle Toms, but if you see a white person in this film you can just sit back and wait for the N-Word to fly. Which, okay, it's a blaxploitation flick and it was the 1970's and I get that. The problem is that it's not a bad movie, and could have been a pretty good one without all the heavy-handedly racist scenery chewing by every white person in a six-mile radius.
Diana "Sugar" Hill (Marti Bey, one the sexiest women of color to hit the screen since Lena Horne), a photographer of either high fashion or porn, I couldn't figure out quite which (one photoshoot of women tossing a beach ball looks suspiciously fetishy)is in love with Langston (Larry Johnson), the owner of a bar called Club Haiti. Club Haiti is coveted by a local gangster, Morgan (Robert Quarry, looking like a refugee from The Godfather), and Morgan doesn't really care whether Langston sells him the club legally, or gets beaten to death by thugs. Turns out to be the latter, and after Langston is confronted by several gangsters dressed like Huggy Bear and beaten to death in the alley, Sugar vows revenge.
How does a beautiful, intelligent, determined black woman get revenge in a 70's movie? Why, she goes to the swamp and asks the local voodoo queen, Mama Maitresse (Zara Cully) to summon the power of EVIL.
Mama Maitresse obliges by conjuring Baron Samedi (Don Pedro Colley) and that's when things get very weird indeed. Colley plays Samedi with appropriately unholy glee, bellowing operatically at everyone, flashing his gold teeth, and casting flirtatiously evil glances at anything female who happens to cross his path. "He is a great lover," cackles Mama Maitresse as Sugar gazes at Samedi in astonishment...and maybe a tad bit of lust.
With Samedi's army of Zombie slave corpses at her disposal, Sugar dispatches each of Morgan's men in ways both amusing and unpleasant. One is slashed to pieces by zombies in a warehouse; another is eaten by pigs in a cornfield ("You know," purrs Sugar, just before pushing the hapless gangster into the pigpen, "these poor piggies have gone almost a WEEK without any garbage? They're righteously hungry, I'd say.") She picks up another man in a pool hall by pretending she thinks he's hot; when he gropes her and leers "You n****r chicks just can't keep away from the white stuff, can you?" she rolls her eyes and murmurs "Something like that, yes." By 'something like that', she means "I'm going to put you under a voodoo spell and make you stab yourself in the chest with a dagger, you scumsicking pig, and then I'm going to laugh." And she does.
My personal favorite death is meted out to Fabulous, played by Charles Watson, A.K.A. Mac from Night Court. Watson plays Morgan's chief enforcer as a dedicated wearer of plaid shirts and outrageous hats. Sugar takes him down by paying off the proprietors of his favorite massage parlor and, when he is naked and facedown on the table, she unleashes a squad of hideous zombie girls to, uh, massage him to death.
As the bodies begin to pile up, Sugar is visited by Valentine (Richard Lawson, the black paranormal investigator from "Poltergeist"), a detective with whom she apparently has had more than a casual friendship in the past. Valentine wants to know why the murderers of Sugar's boyfriend are dying so creatively; Sugar wants Valentine to STFU and maybe give her a little tumble for old time's sake. At one point, Valentine seeks out Mama Maitresse, who puts her hands on his head, scrutinizes him, and spits "This man is NOT A BELIEVER!" before she stomps off, followed by a deeply amused Baron Samedi.
Morgan's girlfriend Celeste is played (with icy venom) by Betty Ann Rees as a cool blond with limited intelligence, great legs, and a very bad racial consciousness. When Sugar visits Morgan to discuss the Club Haiti and Morgan asks Celeste to get Sugar a cup of coffee, Celeste rolls her eyes and snaps "I ain't waiting on no ni--" before Morgan cuts her off. She spends most of the movie making nasty remarks about black people, once getting beaten to a pulp by Sugar for her troubles; at the end of the fight she shrieks "I'LL GET YOU FOR THIS, YOU BLACK BITCH!" as the bartender calmly wipes counters and picks up broken glass behind her.
Celeste is, in fact, such a thoroughgoing nasty bitch that you actually cheer at the end when she gets her comeuppance: after Morgan is dispatched by zombies in the old mansion, Baron Samedi shows up to collect his fee -- and Sugar pays her debt by handing Celeste over to a fate worse than death. When last seen, Celeste is being carried, shrieking, into the swamp by a wildly cackling Samedi, who no doubt is trying to figure out how he can sexually humiliate Celeste with her mouth taped shut.
The movie is surprisingly good. The performances are smooth; even the most overblown characters, like Celeste and Samedi, manage to take their portrayals right to the edge of parody before turning back without breaking character. The problem is that everyone is so over-the-top, scenery-gnawing evil or good that Sugar, who really stands somewhere in the middle, never finds her feet.
Also I think I wanted her to end up with Samedi. Their kids would have been gorgeous.
Oh,there are a couple of black bad guys too, portrayed as jive-talking stereotypical 1970's Uncle Toms, but if you see a white person in this film you can just sit back and wait for the N-Word to fly. Which, okay, it's a blaxploitation flick and it was the 1970's and I get that. The problem is that it's not a bad movie, and could have been a pretty good one without all the heavy-handedly racist scenery chewing by every white person in a six-mile radius.
Diana "Sugar" Hill (Marti Bey, one the sexiest women of color to hit the screen since Lena Horne), a photographer of either high fashion or porn, I couldn't figure out quite which (one photoshoot of women tossing a beach ball looks suspiciously fetishy)is in love with Langston (Larry Johnson), the owner of a bar called Club Haiti. Club Haiti is coveted by a local gangster, Morgan (Robert Quarry, looking like a refugee from The Godfather), and Morgan doesn't really care whether Langston sells him the club legally, or gets beaten to death by thugs. Turns out to be the latter, and after Langston is confronted by several gangsters dressed like Huggy Bear and beaten to death in the alley, Sugar vows revenge.
How does a beautiful, intelligent, determined black woman get revenge in a 70's movie? Why, she goes to the swamp and asks the local voodoo queen, Mama Maitresse (Zara Cully) to summon the power of EVIL.
Mama Maitresse obliges by conjuring Baron Samedi (Don Pedro Colley) and that's when things get very weird indeed. Colley plays Samedi with appropriately unholy glee, bellowing operatically at everyone, flashing his gold teeth, and casting flirtatiously evil glances at anything female who happens to cross his path. "He is a great lover," cackles Mama Maitresse as Sugar gazes at Samedi in astonishment...and maybe a tad bit of lust.
With Samedi's army of Zombie slave corpses at her disposal, Sugar dispatches each of Morgan's men in ways both amusing and unpleasant. One is slashed to pieces by zombies in a warehouse; another is eaten by pigs in a cornfield ("You know," purrs Sugar, just before pushing the hapless gangster into the pigpen, "these poor piggies have gone almost a WEEK without any garbage? They're righteously hungry, I'd say.") She picks up another man in a pool hall by pretending she thinks he's hot; when he gropes her and leers "You n****r chicks just can't keep away from the white stuff, can you?" she rolls her eyes and murmurs "Something like that, yes." By 'something like that', she means "I'm going to put you under a voodoo spell and make you stab yourself in the chest with a dagger, you scumsicking pig, and then I'm going to laugh." And she does.
My personal favorite death is meted out to Fabulous, played by Charles Watson, A.K.A. Mac from Night Court. Watson plays Morgan's chief enforcer as a dedicated wearer of plaid shirts and outrageous hats. Sugar takes him down by paying off the proprietors of his favorite massage parlor and, when he is naked and facedown on the table, she unleashes a squad of hideous zombie girls to, uh, massage him to death.
As the bodies begin to pile up, Sugar is visited by Valentine (Richard Lawson, the black paranormal investigator from "Poltergeist"), a detective with whom she apparently has had more than a casual friendship in the past. Valentine wants to know why the murderers of Sugar's boyfriend are dying so creatively; Sugar wants Valentine to STFU and maybe give her a little tumble for old time's sake. At one point, Valentine seeks out Mama Maitresse, who puts her hands on his head, scrutinizes him, and spits "This man is NOT A BELIEVER!" before she stomps off, followed by a deeply amused Baron Samedi.
Morgan's girlfriend Celeste is played (with icy venom) by Betty Ann Rees as a cool blond with limited intelligence, great legs, and a very bad racial consciousness. When Sugar visits Morgan to discuss the Club Haiti and Morgan asks Celeste to get Sugar a cup of coffee, Celeste rolls her eyes and snaps "I ain't waiting on no ni--" before Morgan cuts her off. She spends most of the movie making nasty remarks about black people, once getting beaten to a pulp by Sugar for her troubles; at the end of the fight she shrieks "I'LL GET YOU FOR THIS, YOU BLACK BITCH!" as the bartender calmly wipes counters and picks up broken glass behind her.
Celeste is, in fact, such a thoroughgoing nasty bitch that you actually cheer at the end when she gets her comeuppance: after Morgan is dispatched by zombies in the old mansion, Baron Samedi shows up to collect his fee -- and Sugar pays her debt by handing Celeste over to a fate worse than death. When last seen, Celeste is being carried, shrieking, into the swamp by a wildly cackling Samedi, who no doubt is trying to figure out how he can sexually humiliate Celeste with her mouth taped shut.
The movie is surprisingly good. The performances are smooth; even the most overblown characters, like Celeste and Samedi, manage to take their portrayals right to the edge of parody before turning back without breaking character. The problem is that everyone is so over-the-top, scenery-gnawing evil or good that Sugar, who really stands somewhere in the middle, never finds her feet.
Also I think I wanted her to end up with Samedi. Their kids would have been gorgeous.
Give me some Sugar baby,
Leroy Gomm20 May 2007
Warning: Spoilers
A beautiful woman named Sugar who has ties with Hatian voodoo practitioners seeks supernatural vengeance after her boyfriend is beaten to death by the local mob boss and his gang of thugs for refusing to sell his bar and nightclub. Barganing with the undead voodoo priest Baron Samedi, Sugar resurrects her own mob of zombie slaves and methodically takes her revenge. For fans of blaxploitation this is a must see film. Marki Bey is stunningly beautiful, and though Sugar has made an evil pact with the devil we still want to see justice carried out. For zombie fans used to gut munching and gore, these traditional voodoo zombies might seem a bore, however they are effective and creepy here. Don Pedro Colley's Baron Samedi is a wonderfully over the top voodoo man, while Robert Quarry and Richard Lawson help round out a familiar cast of early 70's film stars.
Robert Quarry bids farewell to AIP
kevinolzak22 June 2011
1974's "Sugar Hill" marked the end of Robert Quarry's brief horror stardom beginning with 1970's "Count Yorga Vampire" (a total of 6 features), although he worked continuously in smaller roles in lower budgeted films. In the early 70's, AIP maintained its policy of old fashioned horror, all PG titles, even after the departure of James H. Nicholson, the ideas man, leaving Samuel Z. Arkoff, the financier and distributor, alone in charge. The 2 Count Yorga films were profitable, as were the Blaculas, and other black-themed takes on familiar subjects arrived, like this one here, plucked from obscurity (like "The House on Skull Mountain") by recent showings on Turner Classic Movies. Zombies and voodoo no longer go together in this age of flesh eating Romero copies, but provide all the intrigue in a script filled with clichéd characters and dialogue. Marki Bey stars in the title role, turning to voodoo to avenge the beating death of her fiancée by the hired goons of crime boss Morgan (Quarry), complete with Southern accent and horny moll (Betty Anne Rees, a prior victim in 1972's "Deathmaster"). Betty and Marki even engage in a catfight, ala Pam Grier, a nice touch considering neither would continue acting much longer. Richard Lawson ("Scream Blacula Scream") pads out the running time in a dead end investigation that fails to stop the bloodless carnage carried out by the walking dead, ancestral slaves still in shackles, lifeless eyes covered in creepy webs. Easily the real standout is Don Pedro Colley, a far cry from his restrained performance in 1970's "Beneath the Planet of the Apes," playing the role of Baron Samedi, leader of the dead, a part essayed one year before by Geoffrey Holder in the James Bond thriller "Live and Let Die." Among the supporting cast, the lone familiar face is top henchman Charles Robinson, who appeared in ROOTS:THE NEXT GENERATIONS, before landing a co-starring role on NIGHT COURT. Director Paul M. Maslansky was no stranger to horror, having first worked with Michael Reeves and Christopher Lee on 1964's "The Castle of the Living Dead," mostly as a producer. AIP continued to have hits for the remainder of the 70's ("The Food of the Gods," "The Amityville Horror"), but never really latched on to the genre's changes escalated by "The Exorcist," and by 1980, Sam Arkoff had sold out, the company renamed Filmways, continuing to churn out hits ("Dressed to Kill"). By that time, the blaxploitation era was already long gone, waiting to be rediscovered.
A Fun AIP Flick
gavin694221 September 2014
When her boyfriend is brutally murdered, after refusing to be shaken down by the local gangsters running their protection racket, Sugar Hill (Marki Bey), decides to call upon the help of aged voodoo queen Mama Maitresse; Sugar entreats her to call upon Baron Zamedi, the Lord of the Dead, for help in gaining a gruesome revenge.
Whether or not this is a blaxploitation horror film, I have no idea. There is definitely a theme of the black heroine (a poor man's Pam Grier) taking on white crooks. And the police detective has a pretty impressive fro going on. But the line between blaxploitation and a film that just happens to have black stars is a blurry one in the 1970s...
What I do know is that this is a fun picture from Sam Arkoff and AIP. Not particularly scary and never taking itself too seriously, we get about half a dozen people attacked (one at a time) by a zombie horde. And these are real zombies -- the voodoo kind -- not those flesh-eating zombies that have taken over the horror world today.
Not the best film, not the worst, but definitely one that probably gets overlooked too often and is worth a peek for those who are into the voodoo zombies and already saw the bigger name films like "White Zombie" or "Serpent and the Rainbow". I get the impression that this film was an influence on Adam Green's "Hatchet" series, though that may just be my imagination.
Interestingly, despite being made after George Romero's "Night of the Living Dead", this film finds its roots more in the racially-inspired zombies of the 1940s and 1950s. Namely "King of the Zombies" (1941), "I Walked With a Zombie" (1943) and "Zombies of Mora Tau" (1957).
Whether or not this is a blaxploitation horror film, I have no idea. There is definitely a theme of the black heroine (a poor man's Pam Grier) taking on white crooks. And the police detective has a pretty impressive fro going on. But the line between blaxploitation and a film that just happens to have black stars is a blurry one in the 1970s...
What I do know is that this is a fun picture from Sam Arkoff and AIP. Not particularly scary and never taking itself too seriously, we get about half a dozen people attacked (one at a time) by a zombie horde. And these are real zombies -- the voodoo kind -- not those flesh-eating zombies that have taken over the horror world today.
Not the best film, not the worst, but definitely one that probably gets overlooked too often and is worth a peek for those who are into the voodoo zombies and already saw the bigger name films like "White Zombie" or "Serpent and the Rainbow". I get the impression that this film was an influence on Adam Green's "Hatchet" series, though that may just be my imagination.
Interestingly, despite being made after George Romero's "Night of the Living Dead", this film finds its roots more in the racially-inspired zombies of the 1940s and 1950s. Namely "King of the Zombies" (1941), "I Walked With a Zombie" (1943) and "Zombies of Mora Tau" (1957).
Woulda, coulda, shoulda
funkyfry15 February 2009
Warning: Spoilers
A pretty good idea that remains basically no more lifelike than Sugar Hill's zombies, because of a lack of imatination on the part of the film-makers I would assume. You have some good people in the movie, Marki Bey is beautiful and has cool screen presence at least, but none of the actors are getting much help from the director. Most of the cast under-plays, while some like Don Pedro Colley are too far over the top to match the rest of the film. Some of AIP's late 70s horror/black action films are very good, such as "J.D.'s Revenge", but this one feels flat in all the wrong places. Even the unintentional humor is few and far between.
Basically the story is about Sugar Hill (Bey) using black magic to get a bunch of zombies to kill mobsters. Said mobsters made Sugar very angry by killing off her idealized nightclub-owning man (Larry D. Johnson). Luckily though her backup boyfriend (Richard Lawson) is a cop.
Can't say much that's good about this movie so best not to say much at all. It might have some redeeming qualities that require multiple viewings to pick up, like a lot of exploitation films. But it doesn't really aspire to be more than it is, and that's not really a good sign. It seems a bare bones film in every way, and much of the blame lies with the director probably.
Basically the story is about Sugar Hill (Bey) using black magic to get a bunch of zombies to kill mobsters. Said mobsters made Sugar very angry by killing off her idealized nightclub-owning man (Larry D. Johnson). Luckily though her backup boyfriend (Richard Lawson) is a cop.
Can't say much that's good about this movie so best not to say much at all. It might have some redeeming qualities that require multiple viewings to pick up, like a lot of exploitation films. But it doesn't really aspire to be more than it is, and that's not really a good sign. It seems a bare bones film in every way, and much of the blame lies with the director probably.
Hill of the Dead
morrison-dylan-fan10 July 2011
Warning: Spoilers
When I recently saw someone on the IMDb Horror Board writing about a fun 1970's Zombie film that they had recently gotten hold of ,which was a blend of horror,avenging Femme Fatale and Blaxploitation.I felt that this would be the perfect film to watch,for an introduction to the Blaxploitation genre,which I have heard about in interviews with such film makers as Quentin Tarantino over the years.
The plot:
Since she has started dating a successful night club owner named Langston,Diane "Sugar" Hill has been imagining that for the next few years she and Langston can live happily together,whilst continuing to build on the success of the night club.Due to the increasing popularity of the night club,some local gangsters start to get very interested in getting their hands on the club,in anyway possible.
Due to not wanting the bad influence of the gangsters to enter the club,Langston tells them that the only way they will even get the slightest chance to get their hands on the club,would be over his dead body.After having become infuriated with Langston reply,the gangsters beat him up,until he is dead.When Sugar Hill finds out that the man she has loved her whole life has been killed,Hill realises that she must do everything possible,to make sure that the gangsters never get their hands on the night club.
This leads Sugar to thinking that she has to try and match the firepower of the gangsters.Sugar then decides to go and visit her Voodoo practising mother,who,from feeling the anger and the fuel for vengeance inside her daughter,Hills mother offers her something that none of the gangsters will ever see coming:an army of the living dead...
View on the film:
For his last ever screenplay,writer Tim Kelly does a very entertaining mix of multiple genres,which helps to make the film lively for the whole of its running time,with the mix of Blaxploitation, action scenes,a terrific Femme Fatale and a suitable light horror touch giving the movie some real voodoo magic.
With the Voodoo Zombies,make up artist Hank Edds (who would next do make up work for Chinatown) sadly makes all of the Zombies eyes look like huge silver golf balls!,which disappointingly leads to each of the Zombies not being that distinctive from each other.
From the moment she appears in the film,dressed in a head-turning green outfit Marki Bey becomes the centrepiece of the film,with Bey sizzling in every scene and impressively being able to handle the glamorous soft side, and also show her ultra-tough fighting aggressive side of Diane "Sugar Hill.
Final view on the film:
A very entertaining genre mash- up,with a shining,sassy performance from the beautiful Marki Bey.
The plot:
Since she has started dating a successful night club owner named Langston,Diane "Sugar" Hill has been imagining that for the next few years she and Langston can live happily together,whilst continuing to build on the success of the night club.Due to the increasing popularity of the night club,some local gangsters start to get very interested in getting their hands on the club,in anyway possible.
Due to not wanting the bad influence of the gangsters to enter the club,Langston tells them that the only way they will even get the slightest chance to get their hands on the club,would be over his dead body.After having become infuriated with Langston reply,the gangsters beat him up,until he is dead.When Sugar Hill finds out that the man she has loved her whole life has been killed,Hill realises that she must do everything possible,to make sure that the gangsters never get their hands on the night club.
This leads Sugar to thinking that she has to try and match the firepower of the gangsters.Sugar then decides to go and visit her Voodoo practising mother,who,from feeling the anger and the fuel for vengeance inside her daughter,Hills mother offers her something that none of the gangsters will ever see coming:an army of the living dead...
View on the film:
For his last ever screenplay,writer Tim Kelly does a very entertaining mix of multiple genres,which helps to make the film lively for the whole of its running time,with the mix of Blaxploitation, action scenes,a terrific Femme Fatale and a suitable light horror touch giving the movie some real voodoo magic.
With the Voodoo Zombies,make up artist Hank Edds (who would next do make up work for Chinatown) sadly makes all of the Zombies eyes look like huge silver golf balls!,which disappointingly leads to each of the Zombies not being that distinctive from each other.
From the moment she appears in the film,dressed in a head-turning green outfit Marki Bey becomes the centrepiece of the film,with Bey sizzling in every scene and impressively being able to handle the glamorous soft side, and also show her ultra-tough fighting aggressive side of Diane "Sugar Hill.
Final view on the film:
A very entertaining genre mash- up,with a shining,sassy performance from the beautiful Marki Bey.
Silly and at times quite stupid....but also a great guilty pleasure
planktonrules24 May 2008
My rating of 4 is less because of the entertainment value of this film and more because of the overall cheesiness of the production. Quite often, the acting and writing are quite poor. Yet, despite all its deficiencies, it's still well worth seeing because it's fun--a definite guilty pleasure.
This is a relatively famous Blaxploitation film from the early to mid 1970s, though the film isn't as racy compared to many examples in the genre. While having some themes similar to such films as COFFEY and FOXY BROWN, this one features no nudity--a relative rarity for the genre. Also, while it is violent (as would be most zombie movies), this one is probably appropriate for teens. The best way to describe the film is like a combination of COFFEY, DR. PHIBES and BLACULA--an odd combination to say the least! The film begins with Sugar and her boyfriend enjoying a night out at his nightclub. Unfortunately, some scum sent by Mr. Big has come to make the guy an offer he can't refuse. However, he does refuse and is sent to the big nightclub in the sky.
Sugar isn't exactly Pam Grier, so instead of just taking the law into her own hands and killing the muthas, she enlists the aid of an old voodoo priestess (Zara Cully--'Mama Jefferson' from THE JEFFERSONS). Using the powers of darkness, they call upon Baron Samedi (that's the word for 'Saturday' in French). Samedi is a very obliging god of the underworld and agrees to help Sugar exact revenge on the mob. Some of the deaths are pretty lame (such as the knife and pig deaths), but some are very creative and creepy--and reminiscent of the great murders in the Dr. Phibes films.
While this plot is very silly, fortunately the folks from American-International Pictures didn't take it all too seriously. The film definitely has a sense of humor and because of this the film is curiously watchable even more than 30 years later.
PS--Aside from Ms. Cully, you may also recognize Mr. Big as Robert Quarry--the same actor who played a vampire in the Count Yorga films and dozens of other films since. Also, the very prolific actor Richard Lawson was also in the film--proving that this film was not the end to either of their careers!!
PPS--Baron Samedi is a REAL character from Haitian voodoo and is an awful lot like the character in this film. I looked it up and was shocked to see that this film didn't create this character!!
This is a relatively famous Blaxploitation film from the early to mid 1970s, though the film isn't as racy compared to many examples in the genre. While having some themes similar to such films as COFFEY and FOXY BROWN, this one features no nudity--a relative rarity for the genre. Also, while it is violent (as would be most zombie movies), this one is probably appropriate for teens. The best way to describe the film is like a combination of COFFEY, DR. PHIBES and BLACULA--an odd combination to say the least! The film begins with Sugar and her boyfriend enjoying a night out at his nightclub. Unfortunately, some scum sent by Mr. Big has come to make the guy an offer he can't refuse. However, he does refuse and is sent to the big nightclub in the sky.
Sugar isn't exactly Pam Grier, so instead of just taking the law into her own hands and killing the muthas, she enlists the aid of an old voodoo priestess (Zara Cully--'Mama Jefferson' from THE JEFFERSONS). Using the powers of darkness, they call upon Baron Samedi (that's the word for 'Saturday' in French). Samedi is a very obliging god of the underworld and agrees to help Sugar exact revenge on the mob. Some of the deaths are pretty lame (such as the knife and pig deaths), but some are very creative and creepy--and reminiscent of the great murders in the Dr. Phibes films.
While this plot is very silly, fortunately the folks from American-International Pictures didn't take it all too seriously. The film definitely has a sense of humor and because of this the film is curiously watchable even more than 30 years later.
PS--Aside from Ms. Cully, you may also recognize Mr. Big as Robert Quarry--the same actor who played a vampire in the Count Yorga films and dozens of other films since. Also, the very prolific actor Richard Lawson was also in the film--proving that this film was not the end to either of their careers!!
PPS--Baron Samedi is a REAL character from Haitian voodoo and is an awful lot like the character in this film. I looked it up and was shocked to see that this film didn't create this character!!
Hits-the-spot, for 70s Blaxploitation film fans.
sonya900286 January 2009
Marki Bey stars as a foxy lady, named Diana "Sugar" Hill. Her handsome prince fiancé, Langston, owns a Voodoo-themed night club in the deep south. The club is so successful, that the local mobster, Mr. Morgan, wants to pressure Langston into selling the club to him. When Langston refuses, Morgan's thugs beat Langston to death, in the parking lot of the club.
Consumed with anguish and thoughts of vengeance, Sugar decides to take matters into her own hands. She seeks out an elderly Voodoo priestess, named Mama Maitresse. Sugar explains to her, that she needs Mama's help, via her Voodoo powers. Mama Maitresse conjures up the ruler of the dead, Baron Zamedi. He then summons an army of Zombies, who were all former slaves, to help Sugar dispatch Langston's killers, one-by-one.
Marki Bey can certainly compete in the looks department, with that other 70s Blaxploitation goddess, Pam Grier. Ms. Bey is completely convincing as the grief-stricken Sugar, who is determined to settle the score with Morgan and his henchmen.
Robert Quarry's performance as the suave yet vicious Morgan, is pulled-off well. But it's not Quarry's most compelling role. He was much more charismatic, in his past performances in his Vampire films. So if you're a Robert Quarry fan, be forewarned that he doesn't shine that brightly, in this film.
Betty Anne Rees plays Morgan's racist, sex-starved girlfriend, Celeste. Betty Anne has a natural talent for portraying licentious, dangerous characters, with malicious intent. Her wicked-looking, gleaming gray eyes, make your blood run cold. Celeste is a particularly vile character, and Sugar exacts exquisitely appropriate revenge on her, in this film. Viewers will be cheering at Celeste's utter comeuppance, orchestrated by Sugar and the zombies.
Don Pedro Colley as Baron Samedi, gives an over-the-top performance. Don really chews-up the scenery, emoting like mad. You can tell that he really enjoys his role, as Baron Samedi. The other actors give mostly wooden performances. Especially Richard Lawson's portrayal of Valentine, the cop who was also Sugar's former love interest.
Like virtually all the films of the Blaxploitation genre, Sugar Hill's main thrust is revenge. Only a tiny handful of 70s Blaxploitation films, worked horror into their plot-lines. Of those, Sugar Hill stands out from the rest of the bunch. For fans of 70s Blaxploitation films, Sugar Hill delivers the goods.
Consumed with anguish and thoughts of vengeance, Sugar decides to take matters into her own hands. She seeks out an elderly Voodoo priestess, named Mama Maitresse. Sugar explains to her, that she needs Mama's help, via her Voodoo powers. Mama Maitresse conjures up the ruler of the dead, Baron Zamedi. He then summons an army of Zombies, who were all former slaves, to help Sugar dispatch Langston's killers, one-by-one.
Marki Bey can certainly compete in the looks department, with that other 70s Blaxploitation goddess, Pam Grier. Ms. Bey is completely convincing as the grief-stricken Sugar, who is determined to settle the score with Morgan and his henchmen.
Robert Quarry's performance as the suave yet vicious Morgan, is pulled-off well. But it's not Quarry's most compelling role. He was much more charismatic, in his past performances in his Vampire films. So if you're a Robert Quarry fan, be forewarned that he doesn't shine that brightly, in this film.
Betty Anne Rees plays Morgan's racist, sex-starved girlfriend, Celeste. Betty Anne has a natural talent for portraying licentious, dangerous characters, with malicious intent. Her wicked-looking, gleaming gray eyes, make your blood run cold. Celeste is a particularly vile character, and Sugar exacts exquisitely appropriate revenge on her, in this film. Viewers will be cheering at Celeste's utter comeuppance, orchestrated by Sugar and the zombies.
Don Pedro Colley as Baron Samedi, gives an over-the-top performance. Don really chews-up the scenery, emoting like mad. You can tell that he really enjoys his role, as Baron Samedi. The other actors give mostly wooden performances. Especially Richard Lawson's portrayal of Valentine, the cop who was also Sugar's former love interest.
Like virtually all the films of the Blaxploitation genre, Sugar Hill's main thrust is revenge. Only a tiny handful of 70s Blaxploitation films, worked horror into their plot-lines. Of those, Sugar Hill stands out from the rest of the bunch. For fans of 70s Blaxploitation films, Sugar Hill delivers the goods.
An Army of Zombies
Uriah4329 March 2013
"Diana 'Sugar' Hill" (Marki Bey) is in love with a man named "Langston" (Larry Don Johnson) who happens to own a nightclub in Louisiana called "Club Haiti" which the local mob boss "Morgan" (Robert Quarry) wants to buy. But Langston doesn't want to sell. So Morgan has Langston beaten to death. Seeking revenge Sugar Hill goes to the local voodoo priestess,"Mama Maitresse" (Zara Cully) who summons the evil "Lord of the Dead" named "Baron Samedi" (Don Pedro Colley). Sugar Hill offers Baron Samedi her soul if he will help her kill those responsible for the death of her boyfriend. He agrees and summons an army of zombies to do her bidding. At any rate, rather than spoil the film for those who haven't seen it, I will stop right here and go no further on the plot. I will say, however, that Marki Bey was pretty and performed quite well. Additionally, while I didn't care for the way Baron Samedi was initially presented, I began to enjoy the performance of Don Pedro Colley more as the film went on. All things considered, I thought that this was a pretty good zombie film.
Should be called a COMEDY!
mimiybyazphil12 March 2022
Silly seventies exploitation fun.
BA_Harrison18 December 2013
Sugar Hill stars the delectable Marki Bey as Diana 'Sugar' Hill, foxy girlfriend of Langston, owner of the successful Club Haiti. When Langston is kicked to death by a gang of thugs for refusing to sell his business to greedy gangster Morgan (Robert Quarry), Sugar enlists the help of wizened voodoo priestess Mama Maitresse (Zara Cully) to avenge her man, summoning voodoo Lord of the Dead Baron Samedi (Don Pedro Colley) and an army of silver-eyed zombies to terrorise and kill those responsible.
Directed by Paul Maslansky, producer of the Police Academy series, blaxploitation/zombie film Sugar Hill ain't exactly a 'classic' of either genre, lacking the grittiness to be found in many a blaxploitation movie and missing the outrageous gore of many a zombie flick. That said, the film is still plenty fun: the lovely Bey provides the eye candy, looking fab while wearing some truly funky outfits and switching her hairstyle back and forth from straightened to afro with ease; Colley is great hamming it up as Samedi, rolling his eyes and grinning malevolently in a variety of guises; there's a welcome cat fight between Sugar and trashy mob girl Celeste (Betty Anne Rees); the seventies fashions are hilarious (check out the scalloped lapels on Langston's sparkly jacket!); and who can't help but be entertained by the gloriously un-PC slurring from both sides? The dated racial insults fly thick and fast, making it unsurprising to find that a R2 release of this film has yet to happen.
6.5 out of 10, rounded up to 7 for the disembodied chicken leg attack-you don't see that every day (unless you happen to watch this film every day, which is unlikely).
Directed by Paul Maslansky, producer of the Police Academy series, blaxploitation/zombie film Sugar Hill ain't exactly a 'classic' of either genre, lacking the grittiness to be found in many a blaxploitation movie and missing the outrageous gore of many a zombie flick. That said, the film is still plenty fun: the lovely Bey provides the eye candy, looking fab while wearing some truly funky outfits and switching her hairstyle back and forth from straightened to afro with ease; Colley is great hamming it up as Samedi, rolling his eyes and grinning malevolently in a variety of guises; there's a welcome cat fight between Sugar and trashy mob girl Celeste (Betty Anne Rees); the seventies fashions are hilarious (check out the scalloped lapels on Langston's sparkly jacket!); and who can't help but be entertained by the gloriously un-PC slurring from both sides? The dated racial insults fly thick and fast, making it unsurprising to find that a R2 release of this film has yet to happen.
6.5 out of 10, rounded up to 7 for the disembodied chicken leg attack-you don't see that every day (unless you happen to watch this film every day, which is unlikely).
Side note:
mpmarvin99920 April 2004
I did watch it and although I thought it wouldn't, it kept my attention. However, the above user and tagline are incorrect. She doesn't sell her soul if you recall where she makes the bargain with Baron. The white girl is her payment to him, for now. When she offered her soul remember he laughs and says "what do I want/need with a soul, I have something else in mind". That being said, I wonder what happened to her. She seemed like she had the looks for the time, although she wasn't even 30 yet when she filmed that yet she looked quite a bit older.
Voodoo zombie blaxsploitation
jellopuke17 November 2019
There's a certain charm here even though the make up is goofy, the pace is slow, and the story formulaic. It's nice to see the voodoo stuff played with and the killing of whitey quotient is high enough that it works for the audience. Not great, but not terrible either.
Sugar Hill
Scarecrow-8814 July 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Southern Crimelord, who doesn't take no for an answer, Morgan(Robert Quarry)desires the popular club of a black businessman, Langston(Larry D Johnson)who wouldn't sell and is beaten to death by his thugs. Diana "Sugar" Hill, who was his fiancé, vows revenge and gets help from Voodoo Priestess Mama Maitresse(Zara Cully)and the summoned spirit of Baron Samedi(Don Pedro Colley). Samedi offers to assist Sugar on one condition, that she gives her soul to him. Sugar, whose love for Langston provides a burning, thriving hate for those who murdered him, accepts. The rest of the film shows how Samedi, and his undead zombies, eliminate Morgan's men. Morgan still persists in buying the club from Sugar but has no idea that she has much more in store for him. Meanwhile, detective Valentine(Richard Lawson), once a boyfriend of Sugar's, begins to find a scent leading towards Sugar regarding the ritualistic ways Morgan's men are found murdered.
Tame blaxploitation revenge voodoo horror flick, has lots of attitude and colorful characters. I really enjoyed Colley's outrageous Baron Samedi with his demented eyes, plated teeth displaying a wicked grin enjoying "playtime" with his victims, and giant top hat. Quite a flashy character, played to the hilt with gusto. I couldn't get enough of him..a real hoot. He's always present when Morgan's men are about to meet their impending doom. Marki Bey, as Sugar, is tough-talking, foxy and fine..a representative of the Pam Grier model. You mess with her and there's hell to pay, that's for sure. Bey has an authority to her and I think that's an essential ingredient in a film such as this. Nothing wimpy about this chick, and she doesn't cower to nobody. Quarry is terrific as her arch nemesis...a real, slimy, racist bastard who treats the men under him like cattle. Betty Anne Rees is Celeste, Morgan's mistreated lover. Despite how he pushes her around, talking down to her as if she were swine, Celeste isn't a sympathetic character. Nope, she a rude, crude smart-Aleck, who is just as racist as the one she pampers. I loved Celeste's reactions towards Morgan's attractions to Sugar. There's even an amusing little fight between Sugar and Celeste for our enjoyment..guess who wins this skirmish? Cully is also quite a memorable character as Mama Maitresse, a voodoo queen you don't want as an enemy. Along with Samedi and Maitresse, Morgan never has a prayer. And, those zombies..aren't they a creepy brood! Covered head to toe in cob-webs, with pale skin, eyes of silver, and long hideous finger nails, these zombies are often photographed coming directly towards the screen..quite an eerie sight. If you are not a demanding viewer, accepting that "Sugar Hill" is simply a film about supernatural revenge, then there's fun to be had. The murders, quite imaginatively set-up and executed with tongue-firmly-in-cheek, aren't graphic, but seeing Morgan and his men squirming and pleading for their lives as Samedi and Sugar smile with glee, is grand. The title song, Supernatural Voodoo Woman, is out of sight, baby!
Tame blaxploitation revenge voodoo horror flick, has lots of attitude and colorful characters. I really enjoyed Colley's outrageous Baron Samedi with his demented eyes, plated teeth displaying a wicked grin enjoying "playtime" with his victims, and giant top hat. Quite a flashy character, played to the hilt with gusto. I couldn't get enough of him..a real hoot. He's always present when Morgan's men are about to meet their impending doom. Marki Bey, as Sugar, is tough-talking, foxy and fine..a representative of the Pam Grier model. You mess with her and there's hell to pay, that's for sure. Bey has an authority to her and I think that's an essential ingredient in a film such as this. Nothing wimpy about this chick, and she doesn't cower to nobody. Quarry is terrific as her arch nemesis...a real, slimy, racist bastard who treats the men under him like cattle. Betty Anne Rees is Celeste, Morgan's mistreated lover. Despite how he pushes her around, talking down to her as if she were swine, Celeste isn't a sympathetic character. Nope, she a rude, crude smart-Aleck, who is just as racist as the one she pampers. I loved Celeste's reactions towards Morgan's attractions to Sugar. There's even an amusing little fight between Sugar and Celeste for our enjoyment..guess who wins this skirmish? Cully is also quite a memorable character as Mama Maitresse, a voodoo queen you don't want as an enemy. Along with Samedi and Maitresse, Morgan never has a prayer. And, those zombies..aren't they a creepy brood! Covered head to toe in cob-webs, with pale skin, eyes of silver, and long hideous finger nails, these zombies are often photographed coming directly towards the screen..quite an eerie sight. If you are not a demanding viewer, accepting that "Sugar Hill" is simply a film about supernatural revenge, then there's fun to be had. The murders, quite imaginatively set-up and executed with tongue-firmly-in-cheek, aren't graphic, but seeing Morgan and his men squirming and pleading for their lives as Samedi and Sugar smile with glee, is grand. The title song, Supernatural Voodoo Woman, is out of sight, baby!
This is a slightly above average addition to the genre
kevin_robbins4 November 2021
Sugar Hill (1974) is a movie I recently watched on Amazon Prime and tells the tale of a woman out for revenge after a gang kills her boyfriend. Fortunately for her, her mother is part of a voodoo cult that will use their magic to bring back the dead and hunt down the gang. This movie is directed by Paul Maslansky in his directorial debut and stars Marki Bey (The Roommates), Robert Quarry (Count Yorga, Vampire), Don Pedro Colley (Beneath the Planet of the Apes), Richard Lawson (Poltergeist) and Charles Robinson (Night Court). The storyline for this picture was pretty fun to watch unfold and I adored the mother/daughter relationship and the intensity their characters displayed. The zombies were funny, especially with their bulging eyes. The sound effects were well done but the script was brutal. I will say I enjoyed the slang, attire and soundtrack from this era. The voodoo elements were entertaining; but unfortunately, the kill scenes are fairly mediocre. Overall this is a slightly above average addition to the genre that I'd score a 5.5-6/10 and recommend seeing once.
Give them white crooks voodoo hell, Sugar!
Coventry7 July 2009
I wish I'd get a nickel for every horror movie I watch starting with an occult voodoo ritual during the opening credits! If that were the case, I'd be rich myself instead of spending all that precious money on purchasing obscure movies! Although, in all honesty, I have to admit that the voodoo mumbo-jumbo at the start of "Sugar Hill" is merely just a staged act, set up in a groovy establishment called Club Haiti owned by a black businessman and located in the middle of a mafia-infested city with a white guy at the top of the crime ladder. As you can derive already from this two-line synopsis intro, "Sugar Hill" is a Blaxsploitation horror effort, like the contemporary blockbusters "Blackenstein" and "Blacula", only with voodoo spells and zombies this time. The owner of Club Haiti gets killed for not giving in to the mafia's blackmail, but his left behind wife Sugar, nicknamed like this because she is – and I quote – looks as sweet as sugar tastes, plots a virulent revenge. She seeks help with a voodoo priestess and together they head out to a swamp to resurrect an army of black zombies to fight the mafia.
The summoning of Voodoo God Baron Samedi is quite a preposterous but hysterically entertaining sequence as the guy (Don Pedro Colley) turns out to be a prototypic pimp from the hood who literally screams out to all his dead servants to awake and emerge from their burial grounds. Awesome! This scene alone was enough reason to make "Sugar Hill" my brand new favorite Blaxsploitation movie of all time! Subsequently all the obnoxious white villains get what they deserved: imaginative and violent deaths inflicted by black zombies – illegally buried victims of slavery – with swollen eyeballs and covered in dirt and cobwebs. Like Baron Samedi marvelously states, they should be put to evil use because it's all they ever knew. "Sugar Hill" is a fast-paced and ultimately swinging 70's flick; guaranteed entertainment for all experienced freaks of obscure cult horror. Lead actress Marki Bey doesn't play in the same league as her fellow exploitation heroines Pam Grier or Tamara Dobson, but she's certainly a genuine foxy lady with sexual charisma to boot and far above average acting capacities. She also has a couple of cool witty one-liners to make when she gets rid of yet another opponent, like when she feeds one of the mobsters to a bunch of filthy pigs and murmurs the phrase "Talk about white trash ". The Caucasian baddies are pretty terrific too – especially Robert Quarry – and it's a joy to listen to their chauvinistic and misogynist dialogs. The make-up effects on the zombies are deliciously outrageous and the coolness-factor of the actors is simply immeasurable. The aforementioned Don Pedro Colley depicts a voodoo guru, but he plays pool like a real badass MF. The only things missing in order to make "Sugar Hill" a true masterpiece are a groovier soundtrack (the music is a bit of a letdown) and a bit of sleaze. Otherwise, the coolest Blaxploitation flick out there to discover!
The summoning of Voodoo God Baron Samedi is quite a preposterous but hysterically entertaining sequence as the guy (Don Pedro Colley) turns out to be a prototypic pimp from the hood who literally screams out to all his dead servants to awake and emerge from their burial grounds. Awesome! This scene alone was enough reason to make "Sugar Hill" my brand new favorite Blaxsploitation movie of all time! Subsequently all the obnoxious white villains get what they deserved: imaginative and violent deaths inflicted by black zombies – illegally buried victims of slavery – with swollen eyeballs and covered in dirt and cobwebs. Like Baron Samedi marvelously states, they should be put to evil use because it's all they ever knew. "Sugar Hill" is a fast-paced and ultimately swinging 70's flick; guaranteed entertainment for all experienced freaks of obscure cult horror. Lead actress Marki Bey doesn't play in the same league as her fellow exploitation heroines Pam Grier or Tamara Dobson, but she's certainly a genuine foxy lady with sexual charisma to boot and far above average acting capacities. She also has a couple of cool witty one-liners to make when she gets rid of yet another opponent, like when she feeds one of the mobsters to a bunch of filthy pigs and murmurs the phrase "Talk about white trash ". The Caucasian baddies are pretty terrific too – especially Robert Quarry – and it's a joy to listen to their chauvinistic and misogynist dialogs. The make-up effects on the zombies are deliciously outrageous and the coolness-factor of the actors is simply immeasurable. The aforementioned Don Pedro Colley depicts a voodoo guru, but he plays pool like a real badass MF. The only things missing in order to make "Sugar Hill" a true masterpiece are a groovier soundtrack (the music is a bit of a letdown) and a bit of sleaze. Otherwise, the coolest Blaxploitation flick out there to discover!
Heavy Hitter for the Blaxploitation Sub-Genre
Reviews_of_the_Dead17 March 2021
This is a movie that I heard about pretty early on into listening to podcasts. It was one that I didn't necessarily know completely what the story of the movie was, but I knew that it was pretty popular in the blaxploitation sub-genre. I'm pretty sure it also appeared on the Horror Noire documentary as well. I decided it would be a good time to watch for my Black Appreciation on Journey with a Cinephile: A Horror Movie Podcast. The synopsis here is when her boyfriend is murdered by gangsters, Sugar Hill (Marki Bey) decides to not get mad, but BAD! She enlists the aid of the voodoo Lord of the Dead to get her gruesome revenge.
Where we start this movie is seeing a ritual. It soon is revealed that this is at a club owned by Langston (Larry Don Johnson). He goes to the bar where his girlfriend of Diana 'Sugar' Hill is sitting. They get interrupted by Fabulous (Charles Robinson). He's a local gangster that works for a much bigger person named Morgan (Robert Quarry). They want him to sell the club, but he's not interested. When he declines and gets loud with them, he's attacked in the parking lot when he goes to leave and left for dead.
This upsets Sugar. He was the love of her life and she doesn't care about hers anymore. She wants revenge. She seeks out the aid of Mama Maitresse (Zara Cully) who lives out of town around the estate that Sugar grew up. She is a powerful voodoo priestess. When Sugar relays what she wants to do, she questions her and agrees to perform the ritual, calling the Lord of the Dead Baron Samedi (Don Pedro Colley). He agrees to help her by raising the undead. She offers him her soul, but he tells her what he wants.
The two of them go about picking off one by one the crew that was behind the death of Langston. Morgan at first doesn't realize what is happening, but the more and more his guys disappear, the higher the stakes become. He believes that Sugar will sell him the club, but he soon realizes she has something else on her mind. Things do get interesting when a former lover of hers, Valentine (Richard Lawson), who is a police detective is assigned to the case. He still has feelings for her and she seems to still care about him. He will have to suspend his disbelief of the normal world in order to solve what is going on here.
Now that is where I'm going to leave my recap of this movie. What I will state here is that this movie doesn't have the deepest story to it and that is something that does become problematic as it goes on. That isn't where I necessarily want to start as I think the positives to this movie are where I should begin.
The first thing would be I love this idea of the movie. As a zombie fan, we aren't getting the traditional re-animated corpses that everyone knows about, but we're going back to the roots of the idea with voodoo. I think the movie does something interesting here leading off with the opening sequence being that we're seeing a ritual. It sets the tone, while also throwing off new viewers thinking that we've missed something. It then gives us our main character and our villains that we will be seeing throughout as well which is well done.
I want to flesh out more on the voodoo aspect of the movie, which I'm a fan of for a couple of different reasons. The earlier one is that from the Child's Play series, the name Dambella comes up in the ritual that Chucky does to get in and out of the toy. Mama Maitresse says that name and I never realized it is the name of a voodoo god. The other aspect is the name Baron Samedi. I first learned this name from playing the video game of Goldeneye. I would go on to realize that James Bond had to deal with him as a villain. I've also seen this character pop up throughout different movies as one of the more powerful deities in voodoo as well. I do really enjoy how whimsical and playful Colley takes on this role.
Then really the last part of the story that I would go into here is I love the idea of this movie. Sugar seems to have grown up around voodoo as something she knows, but doesn't practice. She has a good life. She is a successful photographer, loves Langston and they aren't really held back by enjoying their life as black people. That isn't to say there are some things we don't see in their world and I mean listening to some of the characters talk with how racist they are it could be worse for them. I just love when this tragedy strikes, she doesn't care about how it will affect her in the end, she seeks out this voodoo deity and using these zombies he raises as hit-men. It is a different take on the revenge film that works for me.
To get back to what I was saying earlier, I do think that the story could have added some depth to it. I'm good with how things play out to start and her making the decision that she does to kill these criminals. My problem is that after that, there doesn't seem to be any stakes. Sugar never really runs into problems. She does have Valentine looking into what she does, but I think that is dealt with too easily. Morgan and his guys never really seem to have a chance to prevent Sugar from getting her revenge. We also don't really have anything at the end where I'm worried about for her. I just feel some tension is lost by not adding an element where Sugar might not get exactly what she wants for me. I know it is front loaded for tragedy for her, but as bad as it is to say, it's not enough for me.
I think next I'll go to the acting. I think Bey is not only beautiful, but I love her character. The only issue is more with the writing; we don't get to see her baseline before the tragedy. What does work though for me is that I don't think it has ruined her. Her interactions with Valentine are probably her before the events of the movie. I do love the outfit they have her in which is a white body suit that really shows off her great body. She also brings some good sass to the character. Quarry is really good as this villainous gangster. It really fits what they're going for when it comes to these blaxploitation films. I've already said that I really like how Colley plays his role. Cully is good along with Lawson. I would also say the rest of Morgan's group, which includes Betty Anne Rees, Robinson and the like also round this out for what was needed.
Next would be the effects for this movie. The major thing I need to say here is that I love the look of the voodoo zombies. They have paint on them which I'm assuming would be like for voodoo rituals. They have fake cobwebs that worked for me, despite them not looking great. What I really like is their eyes. They have these silver orbs there which make them look alien-like and it makes it creepier. I also like the aspects of the story where lab results make Valentine question things that cause him to do research into voodoo. The cinematography is also well done, but I do have a gripe here. This is rated PG so pretty much all of the deaths are done off screen. I'm okay with a few done that way, especially for rating purposes, but I need to see something for this fully work and it doesn't unfortunately.
Then really the last thing to go over briefly here would be soundtrack. For the most part it doesn't really stand out, but it did fit the scenes for what was needed. It does help to build that feel they're going for. What I really wanted to comment on would be more of the sound design. I like hearing the drums or sounds you'd get with the rituals. I also think it is effective to hear the rattling of chains that these zombies are wearing. Many were dead slaves still wearing them so I like incorporating that into the story and the movie as well.
In conclusion here, I don't think this is a great film, but I think that it does a lot of good things. It is a different take on the revenge film that involves a woman without needing her to be sexually assaulted. I love the lore this movie is using and the creature effects do look good there. The acting is pretty solid across the board along with the use of sounds and the soundtrack for the movie. I do think the story could have used a bit more to strengthen it as well as to have some of the deaths to be on screen to bring this up for me. I still found this enjoyable and would say this is an above average movie. If they would have added more of what my problems were with missing things, it would have raised the score for sure.
Where we start this movie is seeing a ritual. It soon is revealed that this is at a club owned by Langston (Larry Don Johnson). He goes to the bar where his girlfriend of Diana 'Sugar' Hill is sitting. They get interrupted by Fabulous (Charles Robinson). He's a local gangster that works for a much bigger person named Morgan (Robert Quarry). They want him to sell the club, but he's not interested. When he declines and gets loud with them, he's attacked in the parking lot when he goes to leave and left for dead.
This upsets Sugar. He was the love of her life and she doesn't care about hers anymore. She wants revenge. She seeks out the aid of Mama Maitresse (Zara Cully) who lives out of town around the estate that Sugar grew up. She is a powerful voodoo priestess. When Sugar relays what she wants to do, she questions her and agrees to perform the ritual, calling the Lord of the Dead Baron Samedi (Don Pedro Colley). He agrees to help her by raising the undead. She offers him her soul, but he tells her what he wants.
The two of them go about picking off one by one the crew that was behind the death of Langston. Morgan at first doesn't realize what is happening, but the more and more his guys disappear, the higher the stakes become. He believes that Sugar will sell him the club, but he soon realizes she has something else on her mind. Things do get interesting when a former lover of hers, Valentine (Richard Lawson), who is a police detective is assigned to the case. He still has feelings for her and she seems to still care about him. He will have to suspend his disbelief of the normal world in order to solve what is going on here.
Now that is where I'm going to leave my recap of this movie. What I will state here is that this movie doesn't have the deepest story to it and that is something that does become problematic as it goes on. That isn't where I necessarily want to start as I think the positives to this movie are where I should begin.
The first thing would be I love this idea of the movie. As a zombie fan, we aren't getting the traditional re-animated corpses that everyone knows about, but we're going back to the roots of the idea with voodoo. I think the movie does something interesting here leading off with the opening sequence being that we're seeing a ritual. It sets the tone, while also throwing off new viewers thinking that we've missed something. It then gives us our main character and our villains that we will be seeing throughout as well which is well done.
I want to flesh out more on the voodoo aspect of the movie, which I'm a fan of for a couple of different reasons. The earlier one is that from the Child's Play series, the name Dambella comes up in the ritual that Chucky does to get in and out of the toy. Mama Maitresse says that name and I never realized it is the name of a voodoo god. The other aspect is the name Baron Samedi. I first learned this name from playing the video game of Goldeneye. I would go on to realize that James Bond had to deal with him as a villain. I've also seen this character pop up throughout different movies as one of the more powerful deities in voodoo as well. I do really enjoy how whimsical and playful Colley takes on this role.
Then really the last part of the story that I would go into here is I love the idea of this movie. Sugar seems to have grown up around voodoo as something she knows, but doesn't practice. She has a good life. She is a successful photographer, loves Langston and they aren't really held back by enjoying their life as black people. That isn't to say there are some things we don't see in their world and I mean listening to some of the characters talk with how racist they are it could be worse for them. I just love when this tragedy strikes, she doesn't care about how it will affect her in the end, she seeks out this voodoo deity and using these zombies he raises as hit-men. It is a different take on the revenge film that works for me.
To get back to what I was saying earlier, I do think that the story could have added some depth to it. I'm good with how things play out to start and her making the decision that she does to kill these criminals. My problem is that after that, there doesn't seem to be any stakes. Sugar never really runs into problems. She does have Valentine looking into what she does, but I think that is dealt with too easily. Morgan and his guys never really seem to have a chance to prevent Sugar from getting her revenge. We also don't really have anything at the end where I'm worried about for her. I just feel some tension is lost by not adding an element where Sugar might not get exactly what she wants for me. I know it is front loaded for tragedy for her, but as bad as it is to say, it's not enough for me.
I think next I'll go to the acting. I think Bey is not only beautiful, but I love her character. The only issue is more with the writing; we don't get to see her baseline before the tragedy. What does work though for me is that I don't think it has ruined her. Her interactions with Valentine are probably her before the events of the movie. I do love the outfit they have her in which is a white body suit that really shows off her great body. She also brings some good sass to the character. Quarry is really good as this villainous gangster. It really fits what they're going for when it comes to these blaxploitation films. I've already said that I really like how Colley plays his role. Cully is good along with Lawson. I would also say the rest of Morgan's group, which includes Betty Anne Rees, Robinson and the like also round this out for what was needed.
Next would be the effects for this movie. The major thing I need to say here is that I love the look of the voodoo zombies. They have paint on them which I'm assuming would be like for voodoo rituals. They have fake cobwebs that worked for me, despite them not looking great. What I really like is their eyes. They have these silver orbs there which make them look alien-like and it makes it creepier. I also like the aspects of the story where lab results make Valentine question things that cause him to do research into voodoo. The cinematography is also well done, but I do have a gripe here. This is rated PG so pretty much all of the deaths are done off screen. I'm okay with a few done that way, especially for rating purposes, but I need to see something for this fully work and it doesn't unfortunately.
Then really the last thing to go over briefly here would be soundtrack. For the most part it doesn't really stand out, but it did fit the scenes for what was needed. It does help to build that feel they're going for. What I really wanted to comment on would be more of the sound design. I like hearing the drums or sounds you'd get with the rituals. I also think it is effective to hear the rattling of chains that these zombies are wearing. Many were dead slaves still wearing them so I like incorporating that into the story and the movie as well.
In conclusion here, I don't think this is a great film, but I think that it does a lot of good things. It is a different take on the revenge film that involves a woman without needing her to be sexually assaulted. I love the lore this movie is using and the creature effects do look good there. The acting is pretty solid across the board along with the use of sounds and the soundtrack for the movie. I do think the story could have used a bit more to strengthen it as well as to have some of the deaths to be on screen to bring this up for me. I still found this enjoyable and would say this is an above average movie. If they would have added more of what my problems were with missing things, it would have raised the score for sure.
Bad, bad, bad zombie flick.
Canadian Villain Garth Vader10 December 2001
Warning: Spoilers
Blaxploitation at its absolute worst! B-movies are always below par at their very best, but usually lots of gore is thrown in to make things interesting. Sugar Hill has very little gore, dropping it below "B" grade and effectively turning it into a grueling exercise in boredom.
Here's a quick summary, watch for SPOILERS:
Sugar's boyfriend Langston owns a nightclub, an evil rich ugly guy wants said nightclub. So evil rich ugly guy sends even uglier thugs to kill Langston, and they do it. Sugar gets p***ed, and seeks the help of Yoda- I mean, Mama Maitresse to kill the even uglier thugs. She lends Sugar Baron Samedi along with a group of incredibly stiff, metallic eyed machete brandishing Type 1 zombies(Type 1 zombies are controlled by voodoo and do their masters bidding, Type 2 zombies aren't controlled by voodoo and just eat people, including their master.) so Sugar can get revenge on the even uglier thugs who killed her pimp. Sugar gleefully bumps off the even uglier thugs one by one with the help of her zombies, spilling very little blood in the process. Oh yeah, there's also some sort of romance between Sugar and an afroed cop that goes absolutely nowhere and didn't belong in the movie, just thought I'd let you know. Eventually evil rich ugly guy(amazingly, evil rich ugly guy *still* wants the bar even after seeing what happened to his even uglier thugs) and his plump, aging mistress are all that's left. Sugar's rotting posse corrals evil rich ugly guy into a bayou, where he promptly stops standing up in the shallow water and drowns himself. Baron Samedi gets evil rich ugly guy's plump, aging mistress and takes her back to across the veil with him; Because hey, even all-powerful voodoo Loa need some nookie every now and then. Sugar and Yo- I mean, Mama Maitresse stand around for a while waiting for the credits to show up. And then the movie mercifully ends.
Are you excited yet? So was I until I watched this trash. Hopefully by including this summary I've saved you from having to watch this train wreck. Skip this poo poo and rent Dawn of the Dead instead to see how zombie movies are *really* done!
1/10
Here's a quick summary, watch for SPOILERS:
Sugar's boyfriend Langston owns a nightclub, an evil rich ugly guy wants said nightclub. So evil rich ugly guy sends even uglier thugs to kill Langston, and they do it. Sugar gets p***ed, and seeks the help of Yoda- I mean, Mama Maitresse to kill the even uglier thugs. She lends Sugar Baron Samedi along with a group of incredibly stiff, metallic eyed machete brandishing Type 1 zombies(Type 1 zombies are controlled by voodoo and do their masters bidding, Type 2 zombies aren't controlled by voodoo and just eat people, including their master.) so Sugar can get revenge on the even uglier thugs who killed her pimp. Sugar gleefully bumps off the even uglier thugs one by one with the help of her zombies, spilling very little blood in the process. Oh yeah, there's also some sort of romance between Sugar and an afroed cop that goes absolutely nowhere and didn't belong in the movie, just thought I'd let you know. Eventually evil rich ugly guy(amazingly, evil rich ugly guy *still* wants the bar even after seeing what happened to his even uglier thugs) and his plump, aging mistress are all that's left. Sugar's rotting posse corrals evil rich ugly guy into a bayou, where he promptly stops standing up in the shallow water and drowns himself. Baron Samedi gets evil rich ugly guy's plump, aging mistress and takes her back to across the veil with him; Because hey, even all-powerful voodoo Loa need some nookie every now and then. Sugar and Yo- I mean, Mama Maitresse stand around for a while waiting for the credits to show up. And then the movie mercifully ends.
Are you excited yet? So was I until I watched this trash. Hopefully by including this summary I've saved you from having to watch this train wreck. Skip this poo poo and rent Dawn of the Dead instead to see how zombie movies are *really* done!
1/10
Surprisingly creepy
Leofwine_draca24 February 2019
Warning: Spoilers
SUGAR HILL is another blaxploitation horror flick from AIP, made in 1974 and following on the success of BLACULA et al. This one features Count Yorga himself, Robert Quarry, in a supporting bad guy performance. The thrust of the plot sees a woman willing revenge on the gangsters who murdered her boyfriend; she turns to the dark arts of voodoo and before long a gang of silver-eyed zombies are on the rampage and committing murder all over the shop. This is a surprisingly tense and atmospheric little production, sadly all but forgotten for modern viewers. The old-fashioned zombies look fantastically creepy and the film offers murderous mayhem with vivid regularity, keeping it watchable throughout.
Voodoo meets Blaxploitation Meets
willandcharlenebrown1 October 2020
Pretty good for exploitation fare . . . .
aguy129 December 2005
A good exploitation film that mixes the usual elements with voodoo and zombies. It was actually surprisingly light on the gore and violence and had zero nudity, but the story and the characters were interesting enough. The "eye" effects for the zombies made them stand out from other movies.
Baron Samedi almost stole the show from the beautiful Marki Bey . . . almost.
The grandmother from the Jeffersons, Charles Robinson from Night Court, Robert Quarry from Count Yorga and Richard Lawson (father of Bianca Lawson from Buffy-TVS) all star.
Baron Samedi almost stole the show from the beautiful Marki Bey . . . almost.
The grandmother from the Jeffersons, Charles Robinson from Night Court, Robert Quarry from Count Yorga and Richard Lawson (father of Bianca Lawson from Buffy-TVS) all star.
See also
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