Saturday, January 25, 2025
best books about Black film history
Stepping outside of the horror genre for a second, I wrote a guest post on Shepherd.com about my choices for the five best books about Black film history. If you're looking to learn about the history of Black cinema, horror or otherwise, these books are a great place to...
Mario Van Peebles in Jaws: The Revenge
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"...
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....
Charles Dutton in Mimic
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...
Actor Tony Todd
Most confirmed horror deaths by black actors. R.I.P., brothers and sisters, R.I.P. Tony Todd (15) Are You Scared 2 Candyman Candyman 2 Candyman 3 The Crow The Eden Formula Minotaur Murder-Set-Pieces Night of the Living Dead Nite Tales Scarecrow Slayer Shadow: Dead Riot Shadow Puppets The Strange Case of Dr....
C.H.U.D. Black T.H.O.T.
Re-imagining your favorite horror movies with black casts.
Laz Alonso
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...
Noble Johnson, Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932)
If there were no black people, who would die in horror movies? In the horror realm, it could actually be seen as a badge of honor to be important enough to score a death scene. It's with this in mind that we honor these thankless heroes. In memory of...
Duane Jones in Night of the Living Dead
It goes without saying that over the years, Hollywood has had some issues with adequate racial representation in starring roles, and horror is certainly not immune to that problem. However, that doesn't mean there haven't been some excellent "mainstream" (for lack of a better word) fright flicks starring black folk....
Noble Johnson in Ghost Breakers
Historically, black people's contributions to horror cinema have been hailed about as much as Donald Trump's contributions to racial unity, but there are some noteworthy figures of color from the past and present who deserve some recognition within the genre, so I've taken it upon myself to create the Black...