The Black Guy Dies First...
It's spooky season, y'all! Get into these classic horror films and more!
I love when my two greatest hobbies come together like the Planeteers combining their powers to alert Captain Planet! As an avid reader and cinephile, I’ve been enjoying the book, The Black Guy Dies First: Black Horror Cinema from Fodder to Oscar by Robin R. Means and Mark H. Harris.
If you’ve watched more than one horror movie, you probably figured out that the Black person rarely makes it to the end. Why though? Because if you’re like me (and most Black people) you’re yelling directions about how to get the hell out of there! So, technically, our chances of survival should be pretty high.
According to a survey conducted by Means and Harris, out of nearly 1,000 movies containing more than 1,500 Black characters, the mortality rate for those Black characters is about 45%. But this book goes deeper than whether or not a Black person makes it to the end of the movie. It breaks down many different tropes and their origins as well as themes that are often explored in Black horror cinema.
I will be diving into The Black Guy Dies First during a five-part series on my podcast Film Jones where I discuss topics and films from the book.
Listen to full podcast episodes on Spotify or Apple Podcasts!
Watchlist
Night of the Living Dead (1968) - George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead set the foundation for what we now expect to see in a zombie movie. It also features the debonair Duane Jones. Available on Peacock.
Spider Baby or, the Maddest Story Ever Told (1968) - I never heard of this movie until I started reading The Black Guy Dies First. It features actor, Mantan Moreland, one of the first Black actors to star in a horror film. Available on Prime Video.
The Shining (1980) - There are so many fan theories about The Shining…but none touch on the absolutely unnecessary death of the only Black character, Hallorann (Scatman Crothers). Available on Max.
Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror (2019) - A thorough documentary based on Robin R. Means’ previous book, Horror Noire: Blacks in American Horror Films from the 1890s to Present. Available on Shudder.
Artsy Vibes
Stepping out of the elevator onto the second floor of the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, I was greeted by two larger than life portraits of Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz by Kehinde Wiley. Even though the pieces towered over me, I didn’t feel small. It felt like I was arriving to a place that had been waiting for me. Inviting me to expand and flow into spaces I might have been tempted to shrink back from because of the fear of leaning into my own gifts.
As I was floating through the exhibition space for Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys, I was serenaded by the velvety music of Marvin Gaye. I bounced from the masterful photography of Gordon Parks to the surreal Soundsuits of Nick Cave to the cerebral cutouts of Titus Kaphar.
The expansive collection includes mesmerizing contemporary Black art from other giants like Kwame Brathwaite, Amy Sherald, Esther Mahlangu, Odili Donald Odita, Jamel Shabazz, and Toyin Ojih Odutola. It’s on view through January 19, 2025. If you’re not in Atlanta, you can catch the vibe with this playlist.
Video of portraits of Swizz Beats and Alicia Keys by Kehinde Wiley.
Photography of Gordon Parks.
Video of Nick Cave’s Soundsuit.