Originally published on eHow.com
Introduction
Being a black person in a horror movie isn't easy. You're rarely the hero, hardly ever the villain and more often than not you end up dead. But as they say, "When in Rome…die as a Roman," or something like that. At least there are steps...
These actors and actresses aren't usually the leads in horror movies, but they keep busy in supporting roles as the best friends, the partners, the safari guides and other assorted capacities that probably ensure death. You know their faces, but you don't know their names or even where you know...
Ever wonder how you would fare if you were a character in a horror movie? Would you be the "final girl/guy," or would you be the first to have a harpoon lodged in your rectum? Here's a handy flow chart to help you figure out your fate.
Don't feel like seeing black blood spilled? Wanna see the black guy escape with his life (and a new respect for power tools)? Here are some films that have been rated NDN (No Dead Negroes)...
Movie
Actors Who Live
Year
Abby
Carter, Terry
1974
Cook, Nathan
1974
Cowden, Michael
1974
Kinchelow, Felice
1974
Marshall, William
1974
Moore, Juanita
1974
Ray, Joan
1974
Robinson, George
1974
Speed, Carol
1974
Stoker, Austin
1974
Alligator People, The
Dickerson,...
Re-imagining your favorite horror movies with black casts.
Horror movies tend to be thought of as hollow entertainment, but horror has a long history of addressing heavy social issues, whether directly or through symbolic or allegorical means. Perhaps the heaviest of heavy social issues is race relations -- especially in the United States -- but these horror/suspense...
Representations of Africa in Horror Movies
When Toto sang about Africa back in the day, it sounded so much more inviting than what we see coming out of Hollywood. Horror movies in particular have been guilty of perpetuating the image of “darkest Africa”, filled with ravenous animals and wild-eyed natives...
Dying in a horror movie is a rite of passage for black actors. Can you name at least one film in which these esteemed (and not so esteemed) actors, actresses, athletes, and musicians have met their maker? If you can, perhaps consider getting some fresh air for a change....
Be they stereotypes or monotypes, they're the "types" that most black characters in horror films inevitably fall into...
The Spook
As the name implies, the spook is spooked by all things spooky. Typically the comic sidekick, he's often spared from death by his ability to make people laugh. The "classic spook"...
Everyone knows that the "black guy" (or gal) usually dies in horror movies -- so much so, in some instances, the characters themselves seem to be aware of their inevitable fate. Thus, we have the phenomenon of black "heroic death," in which black characters (usually peripheral) voluntarily sacrifice themselves...
