Funk, Zombies, and Voodoo Vengeance

Read Time:5 Minute, 25 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
Sugar Hill (Blu-ray)
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Genre: Action, Crime, Horror
Year Released: 1974, Kino Cult Blu-ray 2025
Runtime: 1h 31m
Director(s): Paul Maslansky
Writer(s): Tim Kelly, Don Pedro Colley
Cast: Marki Bey, Robert Quarry, Don Pedro Colley, Betty Anne Rees, Zara Cully, Richard Lawson, Charles Robinson
Where to Watch: available now, order your copy here: www.kinolorber.com or www.amazon.com

RAVING REVIEW: You don't just watch SUGAR HILL—you experience it. From the second Marki Bey struts onto the screen with her killer wardrobe and deadly glare, it's clear this isn't your average 70s horror flick. It’s a wild blend of voodoo, zombies, revenge, and pure grindhouse grit, and Kino Cult’s new Blu-ray release makes damn sure the funk, fury, and ferocity all feel brand new.

SUGAR HILL isn’t subtle. This is a revenge story cooked up with the greasy heart of blaxploitation and served with a supernatural twist. When nightclub owner Langston refuses to sell out to a local crime boss and winds up dead, his girlfriend Diana “Sugar” Hill makes a deal with Baron Samedi himself to raise an army of undead enslaved—shackles and all—and hunt the mobsters down one by one. If that sounds like a fever dream you’d stumble into after one too many midnight double features, it’s because it is.

However, the real magic of the film lies in its commitment to the chaos. Paul Maslansky directs with a bizarre but effective chaos, letting moments linger just long enough to sink in, the mood swinging somewhere between drive-in horror and late-night revenge fantasy. And while the plot is straightforward, that’s not a bug; it’s a feature. SUGAR HILL isn’t here to offer complexity. It’s here to deliver justice, voodoo hijinks, and funkadelic swagger—and on that front, it excels.

Bey deserved more. Her performance as Sugar is cool and full of slow-burning rage. She doesn’t just sell the role—she owns it. Whether staring down mobsters or strolling through graveyards with the confidence of someone who has just shaken hands with the Lord of the Dead, she anchors the film with charisma. Her voice, posture, and determination transform her from a grieving fiancée into a force of supernatural retribution.

Don Pedro Colley as Baron Samedi is iconic, teetering between theatrical and gleeful chaos agent. His exaggerated laughter and slick delivery elevate the character from cartoonish to unforgettable. He’s like a horror host who stepped out of your TV and into the movie. It’s a performance that walks the tightrope between silly and sinister, and never once loses its balance.

Robert Quarry leans into his sleazy villain role with gusto. He’s not subtle, but that’s the assignment. His smug, white-collar menace makes him the perfect target for Sugar’s zombie-fueled payback. Betty Anne Rees’ performance as his blonde moll is delightfully campy, rounding out the film’s rogues gallery with just enough hairspray and side-eye to warrant a messy, fitting end.

The undead in SUGAR HILL aren’t the shambling flesh-eaters of Romero’s school—they’re eerily silent, silver-eyed revenants wrapped in chains, pulled straight from voodoo lore. These aren’t modern jump-scare zombies; they’re ancient, unsettling symbols of a history the film doesn’t shy away from. They aren’t just creepy—they’re loaded with meaning. The actual killings could have been more severe. The creativity is there—voodoo dolls, pig pens, death by possessed chicken foot (yes, really)—but the impact sometimes feels muted. The PG rating puts a lid on the gore, and for a revenge horror flick, that restraint occasionally undercuts the film’s bite.

SUGAR HILL might not be a flawless film, but perfection was never the goal. It's stylish, unapologetically weird, and brimming with attitude. It walks the line between horror, action, and supernatural camp with confidence. It’s easy to imagine audiences in 1974 shouting at the screen while Sugar’s zombies take down another goon.

There’s no point pretending this is anything other than what it is—a high-concept, low-budget gem that deserves to be celebrated for its boldness, its attitude, and its commitment to unhinged entertainment. It doesn't offer the polish of higher-budget horror or the full-throttle bloodshed modern audiences might expect, but what it lacks in this, it makes up for in confidence and charm. SUGAR HILL delivers vengeance with voodoo style, led by a lead actress who should’ve ruled 70s cinema. It may not be the scariest or most brutal entry in the horror genre, but it's one of the most distinct—and thanks to Kino Cult, it’s resurrected the right way.

Product Extras:
Audio commentary by Film Historians Howard S. Berger, Steve Mitchell, and Nathaniel Thompson
Audio commentary by director Paul Maslansky
Interviews with Actors Don Pedro Colley, Richard Lawson, Charles Robinson, and Director Paul Maslansky
Theatrical Trailer
Radio Spots

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[photo courtesy of KINO LORBER, KINO CULT]

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