Deafula

Deafula

Directed by Peter Wechsberg
Written by Peter Wechsberg
Starring Peter Wolf, Gary R. Holstrom, Lee Darel
Unrated • 1975 • 95 minutes

by It's All Golden

This movie is not my first experience with B movies, yet it will now hold a special place in my heart as one of my favorites!

We start with Steve Adams, a young man, recently turned thirty years old. His mother died at birth....his father is a preacher. He is studying to become a man of the cloth. He has no wife, a nice car, good looks, a loving father, what more could a man want?

We find out that Steve (Peter Wolf) has a "blood disease." In order for him to live, his father has had to transfuse blood into him, once a month, since his birth. His father will no longer be able to donate blood, given that he has a bad heart and it is dangerous for his health.

There is a family friend of Steve's, a detective (Lee Darel), who is investigating multiple murders in the area. The murders have baffled the police and caused them to bring in a detective, a native to England (where they've fought and destroyed Dracula).

Steve's friend grows quite impatient with this English detective, pays him no mind most of the time, and is very pissy in general to the man. This, in and of itself, brings a great comedic aspect to the film. There is nothing quite like watching someone tell someone else off by signing. Or perhaps if you don't want to listen to the other person, you simply don't look at them!

Sign language is so much fun to watch. The meanings of the dialog are emphasized so dramatically with the vivid facial expressions and gestures. This is an essential part of sign language in order to convey meanings, but it adds an extra touch of charm to the movie.

Back to the storyline, we rather quickly learn that Steve is Deafula, a deaf vampire, a descendent of Dracula himself (the actually genealogical links are made late in the movie, but it's regularly alluded to throughout the entire movie and with the title). Although I don't believe Steve's character really knows what he is until the ending; he remembers things here and there hinting to the fact that he isn't normal. Deafula is not Steve, and Steve is not Deafula. It's quite a Jekyll/Hyde scenario involving the characters.

At first I thought these memories to be more of him daydreaming or wishing, but by the ending I got more of a sense of it being like pieces of a puzzle falling together. My favorite scene(s) involving examples of these moments are Steve's memories from childhood, involving him killing an animal. I won't ruin the moment by giving the dirty details, but let me tell you, it is freaking awesome!

The major players in the movie are Steve/Deafula, the preacher, the two detectives, Dracula (Gary R. Holstrom), Steve's mother, a friend of Steve's mother, and this hilarious hunchback apprentice with tin cans over his hands (well, he's not so much major character as he is memorable. There are several other memorable characters, such a biker and a doctor, but those are moments to see for yourself).

We find out that Steve's mother's friend, Amy, has contacted Steve's father in order to shed some light into the role she plays in the unfolding of events. Amy was with Steve's mother at his birth, but quickly vanished from their lives, and was never heard from again until now. As Steve and his father are driving to meet Amy (let me just say, the scene where they are in the car and "talking" cracked me up!), something strange comes over Steve. He has to pull over. And rightly so, his father is quite concerned. He attempts to run away from his father, and his father starts to chase after him, thus giving him a heart attack and killing him.

Steve is now on his own and seeks Amy for guidance and help in dealing with his problems. Amy, along with her hunchback, offer Steve a course of action and information in order to better live his life. I'm stopping here with the plot, I can't go on much further than this without ruining it. Allow me to add that there are several killing scenes and deeper moments to the film. I didn't talk much about the detectives, due to their less important role (in my eyes).

As for the film and its optical value...I adore black and white movies, so that got me hooked from the start. But it's not a good movie without someone behind the camera that does more than just point and record. The angles, depth and scenery in this film were obviously well thought out and, in return, very effective. There over all feel of this film was one of truth. Steve, the detectives, as well as a few other characters, were all searching for the truth. This movie is a must see! I highly recommend it! It'll be a treasure for me for years to come, and I urge you to watch it!

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