Why Black People Surviving Horror Movies Matters

[@PrincessSaskia84]

Great video and commentary :) I hope your channel sees the growth it deserves ♥️

[@itakeonmovies]

I can't thank you enough! ✊🏾

[@stakelphotographynl9305]

Co-sign!

[@gerardoaguilar4839]

Great analysis broskie! To quote Lotto from “8 Mile”: “this s*** a horro movie, but the black guy doesn’t die in this movie!”

[@itakeonmovies]

🤣🤣🤣 my guy!! Thank you. You can argue my man's saw the future with that line lol

[@gerardoaguilar4839]

@@itakeonmovies he was ahead of his time! 😂

[@itakeonmovies]

Lol when your name like Lotto, you have to be 🤣

[@Hains22]

Never forget Kevin Williamson’s hilarious self aware joke in “Scream 2” for Duane Martin’s character. 😂

[@itakeonmovies]

Lol He's a classic character forsure! Wish he was in that film longer, becasue he kinda dissapears, but maybe that's why he made it out alive lol? ✊🏾

[@ThePhantomSafetyPin]

"Did you get that on film? 😏" "Yes I got that on film!😂"

[@TheMovieSequelDude49]

Like you said in the video, we know the "black guy dies first" is a common horror movie joke and often parodied. But in practice, there is rarely an actual horror film where the black guy dies first. The more important point that should be critiqued is if a horror film DOES have a black guy in it (not always a guarantee) A) does he survive? B) Is he an interesting, important, and developed character? I liked that you brought up "Night of the Living Dead" for being one of the first horror movies to have a black lead. It was truly revolutionary to have a black lead who was an interesting and well-developed character (I'd argue the best character in the film) who we root for and whose character isn't based solely on his race. And while he does die in the end, he is the last one to die and his death is given a tragic note that even alludes to real-life racial violence. Really great video. And a super important topic to talk about in the horror community.

[@itakeonmovies]

Yeah I think the "black guy always dies first trope" is more myth than fact. However as you pointed out the purpose of my video is to point out that there are never really any black leads or characters of substance to even give the audience hope of their survival. We almost always know they're going to die. And this is why characters like Ben, from NOTLD is so important. He kinda showed they can make it to the end. In return, leading to more blacks making it to the end and eventually Starring in horror roles. It's all a correlation! ✊🏾

[@ImarBenIsrael]

They stay killing us off first cuz they know we the smartest on horror movies . Shout-out to Busta rhymes for surviving in the Halloween movie and karate kicking Myers LMAO 😭 . Soon as we see supernatural shit we out with the quickness

[@itakeonmovies]

Lol there is this pretty real nature to it I guess, maybe they knew black people wouldn't be in those situations. And yeah my Busta with the roundhouse singlehandedly saved that entire movie lol ✊🏾

[@itakeonmovies]

Still Kings! ✊🏾

[@greenbeans2]

Wes Craven tried with People under the stairs. But the dialogue aged terribly. Hopefully Jordan or a new bipoc horror director will remake it and give it justice.

[@itakeonmovies]

Major respect to Wes Craven. People Under The Stairs definitely isn't the greatest film but it is pretty important and definitely a classic. I can't wait to see the evolution of horror as well. I think it will be pretty promising. ✊🏾

[@djcolossal]

The first "Black horror" focused cast I saw was Spike Lee's Tales from the Hood. African actors were the focus the whole movie, from being the villains, to the heroes and everything in between. In the Ash vs. the Evil Dead TV show, the "side character" of Pablo actually shares the spotlight of the show over the long run. The character even dies, but is so important (spoilers) comes back due to being so integral to the cast.

[@itakeonmovies]

Tales From the Hood was definitely monumental I that regard. I didn't mention that one because i actually have a whole video analysis of that one coming at some point in the future, but definitely fits the bill, even though mostly all of the black charscters in that movie died lol or faced some sort of demise. And I haven't had a chance to sit down and watch the evil dead TV show yet, I have heard nothing but good things about it though! Will have to check it out.

[@cyrneco]

Another reason to love 'the night of the living dead'!!! Thanks for making me aware of that.

[@itakeonmovies]

No problem at all! And thank you for watching. Love Night of the Living Dead truly inw of the best films. 🙌🏾

[@cyrneco]

@@itakeonmovies there is a lot that I miss in American movies and this case is very illuminating because it never occurred to me that the shooting at the end was anything else that a nihilist observation on life. Instead you made me see that Romero was making a point. Wouldn't have seen that without your help. It is telling that in the 2000s remake the black man is already turned into a zombie when the white vigilantes shoot him coming up from the cellar. Another sign of the reactionary age we live on.

[@itakeonmovies]

Exactly. While Romeohas admitted that he never intended the ending to have that impression, but I believe he did. Either way it's a pretty deep and profound ending, definitely superior to the 2000s remake. Although I kinda like that movie too. It's just as you mentioned, more of a reactionary film than a purposeful one.

[@mariogalesakariog3875]

Everyone that Loves the Friday the 13th Franchise We All know Jason Killed Every Black Character in those movies Except for the Black Kid Reggie The Reckless, but We All know that wasn't The Real Jason Voorhees & when Jason X came out Jason was actually Killed by the Black Guy at the End of the movie who sacrificed himself to Save the last people on that spaceship, but their's a Forgetten Black Guy in a Jason Movie that actually Survived in the earlier films that Nobody Remembers & he was in Friday the 13th Part 2 And only the True Die Hard Fans remember him Living 💯💯

[@itakeonmovies]

It's been so long since I've seen those additional Jason films, but I especially remember the black dude I'm space saving everybody. I remember it being the funniest thing ever lol. But I guess if you gotta die, saving some people is the way to go. Thanks for this ✊🏾

[@mariogalesakariog3875]

@@itakeonmovies Hell Yea that scene was Funny ass hell when he just came outta know where grabbing Jason in space and I also peeped if you look real closey that Brotha hit Jason in the head before they died 😂...All Day Bro I Subscribed to your Channel much Love & Respect and looking for More Vids of yours too Keep It Going 💪🏽💪🏽💯💯

[@itakeonmovies]

Lol he really did I was too weak. That's the one where they also had the dude that was in love with thay robot/cyborg who knew Karate too huh? That movie gets more and more wild the more I think about it 🤣🤣 And forsure man. Definitely gonna keep them coming for yall. Appreciate the sub and support forsure! ✊🏾

[@darlalathan6143]

My favorite Black horror character is Blade, the Vampire Hunter! Total badass!

[@itakeonmovies]

Blade is classic, he's in a class of his own because he's never usually I'm danger lol

[@ThePhantomSafetyPin]

Blade kicks so much ass.

[@Borna351]

I’ve always felt that the horror genre is more open-minded and inclusive in its casting choices and its willingness to explore taboo subjects. It’s in the nature of horror to provoke and go against the grain and that is what always drew me to that genre (also it scared the shit out of me). As a kid from Croatia, Wes Craven’s films introduced me to more urban settings (like The People Under the Stairs and Candyman)-spaces I hadn’t really seen in horror before. Also, you might want to check out Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight, where Jada Pinkett Smith plays a black female lead who actually survives.

[@ThePhantomSafetyPin]

I'd like to add that while three PoCs die in Scream 2, it too has a black character that survives: Gale's cameraman who LEAVES. The story why is great too: The actor told Wes Craven "why would my character stay?" and Wes goes, "well, how would he leave?" and the actor says "By a taxi." And that's exactly what happens. The character, Joel, gets out of dodge, tells Gale Weathers to shove it, and leaves by taxi. The original script for Scream 2 also had a black character survive - AND made them one of the Killers as well. Scream 5 and 6 also have PoC leads and secondaries who survive both films. Even more notable because the two black characters are, or at least implied to be, mixed race. It's becoming a bit better but there's a long way to go. I remember as a white female viewer wondering about this very thing, and then seeing people like Jordan Peele, and films like Gothika and Night of the Living Dead and Blade actually use black characters and have them survive. It felt... refreshing, because I'd genuinely not seen that very much. It was NEW to me as a white viewer to see horror done from a perspective that wasn't a white one, and it really genuinely made me interested in seeing more. I WANT to see the stories of people who aren't like me and have different struggles than I do put in a horror setting, it gives me something else to consider and think about. It's GOOD for horror and media in general to put PoCs front and center too, and it should be happening just as often as we see white people front and center.

[@THAT-PREACHY-DUDE]

Lol this was perfect especially with October coming up.

[@itakeonmovies]

Lol definitely! Perfect for all times, but definitely Halloween!

[@hollymcduffie9342]

I love it!! All of it!

[@eazyleezy85]

Spoiler alert...WHITE DUDES!!! 🤣😂🤣😂🤣 Naw but seriously I didn't know that about Ben that's cool but Ice cube the GOAT survived the movie! was the hero! AND got to grab Jlo butt! 🏆

[@itakeonmovies]

🤣🤣🤣🤣 Ice Cube the GOAT fasho! My guy simply said yall ain't gone Kill me off. But yeah, Ben walked so Ice Cube could run lol! ✊🏾

[@Yohjisbluff]

Dawn of the dead 1978

[@goddessnoir290]

❤❤❤❤❤😂