Blaxploitation horror films

Blaxploitation horror films are a subgenre that add a horror element to films that star mostly Black casts. Blaxploitation films saw their genesis in race films, or race movies, that were made mostly between the 1930s and the 1950s. These films were produced primarily for Black audiences and were meant to distinguish themselves from the White-centered mainstream films of Hollywood at the time. During the Civil Rights movement, African Americans desired to make films that spoke to Black audiences and started to create films that were produced and directed by African Americans and starred Black actors. Blaxploitation is an amalgamation of “Black” and “exploitation.” The films were made to highlight the various stereotypes in which Black people felt the White media had portrayed them over the years. Blaxploitation films saw a number of subgenres, including those in the crime, western, comedy, and the horror categories, among others.

Background

The first Blaxploitation film was produced in 1971 and was titled Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song. While not a horror film, it set the tone for the films that would follow. Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song was chosen for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 2020.

The first Blaxploitation horror film is considered to be director William Crain’s Blacula, which was released in 1972. It was a parody of several earlier films based on the iconic vampire Dracula. It centers on an African prince named Mamuwalde, who, after traveling to Transylvania in 1780 to request Count Dracula’s aid in stemming the slave trade, is rebuffed by a seemingly racist Dracula. Instead, Dracula insults Mamuwalde, bites him, turns him into a vampire, and locks him in a sealed casket under his castle. Two centuries later, in the 1970s, two interior decorators purchase the coffin and have it shipped it to Los Angeles. Upon opening the vessel, Blacula, starving for his first taste of blood in two hundred years, easily overwhelms the two. The film starred William Marshall, Vonetta McGee, and Denise Nicholas. A sequel, Scream Blacula Scream, was released a year later. While Blacula is among the more well-known blaxploitation horror films, other films in the genre also made their mark and would become cult favorites. Those films include Blackenstein, a parody of Frankenstein; Abby, a blaxploitation take on The Exorcist; Dr. Black, Mr. Hyde, a loosely inspired take on the 1886 gothic novella, Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson; and 1974’s Sugar Hill, which takes the audience into the dark and frightening world of voodoo, zombies, and revenge.

The Blaxploitation genre of films were initially shown in theatres known as grindhouses, which were known for showing films considered cut-rate, lower-budget, or ones that contained sexually explicit content. Often times, these films were referred to as B-movies. Grindhouses, sometimes called action houses, were commonly found in the 1970s. They started to falter in the 1980s after the introduction of cable television and the home video market. Grindhouse theatres were unique in that the films that were shown were done so in succession. Prices varied, depending on the time of day; many were open all night and offered entertainment through the night hours for the price of one admission.

A celebrated documentary delving into the world of African-Americans and the horror genre, Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror, was released in 2019. The work examined the complicated relationship between African American history, horror films, and the roles played by Black actors. It featured interviews with filmmakers and actors such as Jordan Peele, Tony Todd, Ken Foree, and Rachel True, among others. A non-fiction book on the topic, titled, Horror Noire: Blacks in American Horror Films from the 1890’s to Present, was published by Robin R. Means Coleman in 2011, and served as the basis for the documentary. The documentary was spun-off into a series by the AMC-owned streaming platform, Shudder, in October 2021. It aired in February 2022 on AMC as part of its observance of Black History Month.

A number of well-known and prominent Black actors and actresses either starred in or had roles in Blaxploitation horror films over the years. William Marshall, who played the title role in Blacula, had an acting career that spanned 1944 to 1996, but remains most known for the two Blacula films. He was also an accomplished director and opera singer. Other notable actors include Tony Todd, star of 1992’s Candyman; Pam Grier starred in Scream Blacula Scream as well as in 1973’s Coffy and 1974’s Foxy Brown. NFL Hall-of-Fame running back Jim Brown of the Cleveland Browns is also one of Blaxploitation’s biggest stars.

Overview

Blaxploitation films began to emerge in the 1970s. They were typically low-budget films aimed primarily at Black urban audiences. The films, which were made by, produced by, and starred African Americans, are noted for their violence and stereotypical depictions of Black society. They are also known for their campiness, poor special effects, and poor storylines. However, they also depicted Black people as equal in most cases to their White counterparts. In many cases, these characters are depicted as detectives, scientists, doctors, and more, which turned the film paradigm of the era on its head by having Black actors portraying roles normally reserved for their White counterparts. One very-well known classic horror film, George Romero’s 1968 release, Night of the Living Dead, while not considered blaxploitation cinema, is notable for its inclusion of a Black lead, played by Duane Jones. Jones was considered ahead of his time by playing a heroic protagonist in a film. His character, Ben, was the lead actor rather than a sidekick for a White counterpart. It was more noteworthy because American society was finding its way through a tumultuous time with the successes of the civil rights movement and the outbreak of racial violence in some places.

While the word, Blaxploitation may certainly carry with it overtones of negativity to some, the genre, as well as its subgenres, are generally viewed with admiration. Modern film fans appreciate the movies for their contributions to the American cinematic zeitgeist. Many of the films have become cult favorites, especially Blacula and Scream Blacula Scream. The former, and its director, William Crain, is often credited with birthing the subgenre of blaxploitation horror.

Another film in the blaxploitation horror genre is Ganja and Hess, released in 1973 and directed by the late Bill Gunn. The film was screened at the Twelfth International Critics’ Week at the Cannes Film Festival in 1973. Box office numbers were stale and the film’s producers, Kelly-Jordan Enterprises, sold the film to another company, Heritage Enterprises, which made sweeping changes to the film and retitled it, Blood Couple. Gunn refused to acknowledge this version of the film, but it would be remade by Spike Lee in 2014. Although rebranded as Da Sweet Blood of Jesus, Bill Gunn was credited as a co-writer, along with Lee. However, Lee remade the film in very much the same manner as the original. The original film is also notable for the actor who played the lead role of Dr. Hess Green—Duane Jones. Ganja and Hess and Night of the Living Dead are the only two films in which Jones played a lead character.

More contemporary examples of Blaxploitation horror include films such as 1995’s Tales from the Hood and its subsequent franchise. The films are a series of horror anthology shorts directed by Rusty Condieff, and co-written by Condieff and American film and TV producer Darin Scott. The original Tales from the Hood, in an episodic manner, examined societal issues urban Blacks faced in the 1990s. Most of these issues have lasted into the present day. They include gang violence, negative police relations, violence at home, and more. The film is considered a cult horror-classic among many fans. Two sequels, Tales from the Hood 2, and Tales from the Hood 3, were released in 2018 and 2020, respectively. All three films saw Spike Lee serve as executive producer.

The genre of blaxploitation horror, though enjoyed and appreciated by many people of color, still have detractors within the Black community. Some maintain the films were too over the top and often crossed the line of respectability. On the other side, some believe the genre should be embraced because of the platform and voice it gave Black actors, directors, and producers during a time Hollywood rarely paid attention.

Bibliography

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“Blaxploitation.” Grindhouse Cinema Database, 2022, www.grindhousedatabase.com/index.php/Category:Blaxploitation. Accessed 29 Dec. 2024.

Catt, Chris. “‘Horror Noire’ (2021) Review/Analysis.” Creepy Catalog, 21 Feb. 2022, creepycatalog.com/horror-noire-2021-review/. Accessed 29 Dec. 2024.

Francis, Anthony. “The 10 Best Blaxploitation Actors & Actresses.” Screen Rant, 5 Oct. 2020, screenrant.com/best-blaxploitation-actors-actresses/. Accessed 29 Dec. 2024.

“Ganja and Hess.” Turner Classic Movies, 2022, www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/488555/ganja-and-hess#overview. Accessed 29 Dec. 2024.

Gooden, Tai. “A Brief(ish) History of Blaxploitation Horror Movies.” Nerdist, 28 Feb. 2024, www.yahoo.com/entertainment/brief-ish-history-blaxploitation-horror-191453302.html?guccounter=1&guce‗referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce‗referrer‗sig=AQAAAKvfjJ9uZltLGLT‗nyMRLXxzkXWFm4vBAu09hdEFpn4SZn9-FZPzUYzAJqLmTRww2FlaX‗xA2wjkNrcVPqC4kyNHFhmYQ650UN82wDnmrg-rjhLYaKQ9wzIHVp58kIgacPsb9RGhHYB7yBN60‗7L-Y0-52Hh9EGmiy38xj1X2x2P. Accessed 29 Dec. 2024.

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Pascual, Ashley. “Everything You Need to Know About Grindhouse Film History.” Beverly Boy Productions, 5 May 2021, beverlyboy.com/filmmaking/everything-you-need-to-know-about-grindhouse-film-history/. Accessed 29 Dec. 2024.

“Tales from the Hood. 1995. Directed by Rusty Cundieff.” The Museum of Modern Art, 2022, www.moma.org/calendar/events/7986. Accessed 29 Dec. 2024.