The Black Guy Dies First: Black Horror Cinema from Fodder to Oscar
by Robin Means Coleman and Mark H. Harris
I was so excited to
find this book and read it. While not the first book on African American horror
cinema, this book provides some excellent views and perspectives about Black
horror cinema. One of the best parts of this book was the dual contributions from
the academic Means Coleman and the journalist Harris. I found myself laughing
at various points in the book, as some of the observations and analysis were
really funny and insightful. Yet, the authors identify some great points about
horror movies and the roles that African Americans have played, tracing the
history of these actors to modern cinema and the power of horror to contribute
to the examination of issues related to race, class, identity, and status in
American society. The book uses a range of examples from films, both popular
and obscure, and allows us to see the struggle of representation for African
Americans in horror, as well as how more recent films have been able to examine
and critique issues like racism in America. I have to remember to check out
Mark Harris’s blog, and I hope that they do some kind of podcast or maybe
another documentary related to this book since it provided some new and fresh
insights into the role of African Americans in horror movies, and how racism is
horror. Exploring racism in this way puts a more urgent feel to it, and also
enables writers, directors and producers to represent the extent of violence
that has been a part of American culture since its inception.
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