The title of this minor horror-blaxploitation item seems to indicate you're in for something resembling a Scooby-Doo mystery. Still, director Ron Honthaner, working from a script by Mildred Pares, is able to generate sufficient atmosphere and overall strangeness. Even at 86 minutes, though, you can feel the padding on this thing. The final third contains way too much dancing and drumming. The cast does alright; part of the mixture of ingredients here is the potential for an interracial romance and the presence of a white face in a prominent black family, offering some sort of outsiders' perspective.
That outsider is anthropology professor Andrew Cunningham (Victor French of 'Little House on the Prairie' and 'Highway to Heaven'), a member of the Christophe clan who arrive at the title location after the death of the family matriarch (Mary J. Todd McKenzie) for the reading of the will and other such matters. However, they will soon start to fall victim to so-called "accidents" engineered by an enigmatic individual on the premises.
Mike Evans of 'Good Times' and 'The Jeffersons' supplies the obnoxious comedy relief as a character whom we presume that we won't miss all that much. Xernona Clayton is endearing as Harriet, who has visions of death plaguing her, the stunning Janee Michelle ("Scream Blacula Scream", "The Mephisto Waltz") adds a lot of sex appeal as our leading lady Lorena, Ella Woods (who also sings one tune) is good as house staff member Louette, and Jean Durand is amusing if never that intimidating as the mysterious butler Thomas. The special effects aren't too special, the music by Jerrold Immel is adequate, the basic set-up does hearken back to horror films of the 30s, and the finale does involve the appearance of a zombie.
This one might be worth a passing glance if one is flipping channels late at night, but it's nothing that people should go out of their way to see.
Five out of 10.
That outsider is anthropology professor Andrew Cunningham (Victor French of 'Little House on the Prairie' and 'Highway to Heaven'), a member of the Christophe clan who arrive at the title location after the death of the family matriarch (Mary J. Todd McKenzie) for the reading of the will and other such matters. However, they will soon start to fall victim to so-called "accidents" engineered by an enigmatic individual on the premises.
Mike Evans of 'Good Times' and 'The Jeffersons' supplies the obnoxious comedy relief as a character whom we presume that we won't miss all that much. Xernona Clayton is endearing as Harriet, who has visions of death plaguing her, the stunning Janee Michelle ("Scream Blacula Scream", "The Mephisto Waltz") adds a lot of sex appeal as our leading lady Lorena, Ella Woods (who also sings one tune) is good as house staff member Louette, and Jean Durand is amusing if never that intimidating as the mysterious butler Thomas. The special effects aren't too special, the music by Jerrold Immel is adequate, the basic set-up does hearken back to horror films of the 30s, and the finale does involve the appearance of a zombie.
This one might be worth a passing glance if one is flipping channels late at night, but it's nothing that people should go out of their way to see.
Five out of 10.