Wednesday, February 19, 2025

Movie Reviews

Reviews of primarily American movies featuring actors and actresses of Black / African-American descent in the horror-movie, slasher, gore, supernatural and related spooky film genres.

Lon Chaney Jr. in The Mummy's Curse horror movie poster
This mummy film takes place not in Africa, but in Louisiana. Why? Gumbo perhaps? Napoleon Simpson plays (eesh) Goobie, who speaks in the exaggerated, stereotypical "massa" and "sho' 'nuff" style -- though not for comedic effect, which may be more offensive, depending on your point of view. He's not...
Petey Wheatstraw: The Devil's Son-in-Law horror movie poster Rudy Ray Moore blaxploitation
To say that Rudy Ray Moore is an acquired taste is like saying that Paris Hilton has no talent. Duh. His blue stand-up act aside, his films are low on budget and even lower on subtlety. Petey Wheatstraw, based on one of his acts, is the closest any of...
Unsullied movie poster
It's not terribly unusual for a former professional athlete to enter the movie business, but it's typically as an actor or producer, so ex-football player Simeon Rice's transition from sports into directing is pretty rare. And his decision to direct a horror movie in particular is even more unheard...
J.D.'s Revenge
One of the more overlooked of the upper-tier Blaxploitation films -- horror or otherwise -- J.D.'s Revenge avoids the corniness inherent in taking a well-worn story and slapping the word "black" on it (Blacula, Blackenstein, Dr. Black, Mr. Hyde) by delivering a somber supernatural mystery propelled by haunting tension...
Urban Nightmare horror movie poster
Wow, I didn't think they made movies like this anymore...and I wish I was right. Urban Nightmare is a heinous throwback to '80s cop movies in which all minorities are ridiculously stereotyped criminals, and it's up the hard-boiled white cop to mop up the streets with 'em. In this...
Easter Bunny, Kill! Kill!
It's hard to ignore a title like Easter Bunny, Kill! Kill!, but although I'd heard of it, it took me a few years to actually check it out. And when I did...lo and behold, it has black folks! More specifically, BOTH of the main protagonists are black -- which,...
Prom Ride horror movie
SPOILER ALERT: In order to discuss the racial angle of this movie, certain spoilers may be revealed. Consider yourself warned, although really, it’s not like this is The Sixth Sense or something. From Carrie to Prom Night to Dance of the Dead, horror movie proms have been turning into bloodbaths...
Red Water horror movie poster
Not exactly a shining achievement for black roles -- or any roles, for that matter -- Red Water is a by-the-books, made-for-TV killer shark movie. C-grade horror mainstay Coolio is main bad guy Ice, a stereotypical thug who works for stereotypical Caribbean drug kingpin Rick (Tumisho Masha) and is...
Exorcist II: The Heretic horror movie poster
The magical land of Africa once again draws in more white people than Narnia and Middle Earth combined. Most of this film takes place in the United States four years after Regan's (Linda Blair) cock-filled dialogue in the first Exorcist, but there are also extended flashbacks to the adventures...
Curse of the Voodoo horror movie poster
Wow. Could this be any more offensive? It opens documentary-style with a voiceover (and a montage of booga-booga tribesmen and wild animals devouring each other) : "Africa: A country that for centuries was hidden from civilized man...Africa: where primitive people still practice evil religions which weave a dark...