Alabama's Ghost (1973)

How bad is it? It's so weird you don't notice just how awful it is.
Should you see it? Oh, yeah.

Fredric Hobbs only directed four films, the first two I believe were experimental art films and his last was the immortal "Godmonster of Indian Flats" reviewed earlier. This is the other one. The main character, Alabama, accidentally drives a forklift through a basement wall and discovers a magician's collection. He decides to use it to become famous, despite being warned, and actually becomes world-renowned, though you could do any of his tricks yourself. The magician's ghost (with heart outside his body) seeks revenge, not just because of the theft, but because he's a racist. That's when voodoo and black magic get involved. Then there's a group of vampires that join his entourage - Hobbs certainly likes to hedge his bets on plot lines. Alabama's big trick will involve making an elephant disappear - the elephant does make an appearance, but no disappearance. But that doesn't matter, as we get treated to electronic rock music AND dixieland jazz, plus a chase on a vehicle that's a cross between a dune buggy and something later used in "The Road Warrior." There's some cheap theatrics and in the final showdown the ghost wins. Just when you think there's nothing new in Blaxploitation, you discover "Alabama's Ghost" and your faith in crap is renewed.