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Blog Post #6

  Abby was an incredibly campy, yet fun film to watch. I had things that I enjoyed and disliked about the film. A couple of things I enjoyed about the film were how campy it was and how it took tropes from films like The Exorcist and made it its own. One thing I liked most about the film was that when Abby became possessed she drifted from the ‘wife’ role and moved towards a more carefree and ‘off the rails’ way of living. I found this to not only be very entertaining but also slightly empowering given the time the film was created and the perception of women’s role in society at the time. That being said, in the same vein I disliked how overtly sexual Abby could be at times. I felt, at times, that the overly sexual way that Abby was acting was unnecessary, even under the lens of camp. At certain points in the film, it felt like Abby was being portrayed as more of an object or overly sexual for viewers' enjoyment. As a woman, it felt a little too much at times and I would have like...
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Blog Post #5

  One of the most shocking things in the content we covered this week was the use of homophobic slurs in Blacula. Because of the time the movie came out, I am not surprised that the word was used, but rather the intent of using the word. In the lecture, Professor Due discussed how homophobia is used in the film as a way to show that all discrimination/oppression is harmful, not just things directed towards black people. In an effort to display intersectionality, I believe the film missed the mark and could have achieved this goal without using the word. However, I am aware that I am looking at the film through a more progressive lens, and at the time, that type of rhetoric was pretty normal to hear. What surprised me about Blacula was learning about the segregated funeral homes. While I have a decent knowledge of the Jim Crow Era and the laws surrounding that, it did not dawn on me that even funeral homes could be segregated as well. To me, this was surprising because, in my opinio...
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Blog Post #4

  Watching Eve’s Bayou upset me, but I did enjoy the film. I liked how Eve’s Bayou incorporated real-life horror with supernatural elements. I believe the film touched on very dark yet important topics such as molestation, infidelity, and dysfunctional families. What surprised me about the film was learning that the original cut of the film included a scene of the uncle viewing the kiss scene between the father and daughter. I found this film cut interesting because I believe it could have made the film's ending a lot different. While Eve uses her powers to find out the truth about what happens, I believe it would have been a really interesting ending to add the uncle. I am curious if he could have been a crucial plot point in the film, possibly causing even more chaos within the household. While the professor discussed that the change was a minor cut, I still think this could have been a very interesting addition to the plot because both the viewer and the uncle know what happened...
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Blog Post #3

  I enjoyed how Tales from the Hood discussed important issues happening within the black community. The film opening up with the story of police brutality and the consequences of it, I believe, was very pertinent to our society today. I enjoyed how the film displayed the guilt that the cop felt after brutally killing Martin. While the revenge in the film was him coming back to life and killing everyone, I liked how the film displayed that the real thing that haunts a person is guilt. To me, this displayed just how horrible police brutality is to the black community. Throwing the pain back onto the person who inflicted it, for people who uphold police brutality, is truly horrifying. I hope that through the film, people think harder about how police brutality affects a community, even if it is through a more unrealistic portrayal such as in the film. I also believe that the director was trying to discuss different issues such as police brutality, child abuse, and gang violence with ...
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Blog Post #2

  One of the most enjoyable things about last week’s materials was the horror-comedy aspect of The Blackening. Firstly, I feel that it was a nice change from the heavier, serious films that we have been discussing. Secondly, I enjoyed that while it was more lighthearted, it still pointed out some very real issues in mainstream horror and its depiction of black people. While the characters in the film were very stereotypical, I also believe the film touched on how multi-faceted black horror characters can be. In doing this, I believe it shined a light on some of the stereotypes in horror that black people have seen for decades. It was also nice to see an all-black cast and I enjoyed the black comedy aspect of the film. This film was a nice change from the more serious or possibly upsetting films that we have viewed. I also loved hearing the backstory of how the film got picked up by a production company and how the author had both a love for horror and a background in comedy. Becaus...
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Blog Post #1

  I personally really like all of the works so far. Bree Newsome’s “Wake” and Jordan Peele’s “Get Out” have been my favorite works of the course so far. I liked the supernatural aspect of “Wake” and the fact that it was set in an older period. It was interesting to see black characters in an older period existing without the racial implications. Oftentimes, I feel that when things are set in an older period, black characters are often depicted in a way that is indicative of their race and racial tensions at the time. Because of this, it was nice to see black characters exist and experience things happening without any racial implications/racist encounters. I felt the same way about the Son of Ingagi. I believe both films did a good job of having black characters exist without the discussion of racial status/tensions. As a black person, it made the film more enjoyable to see these black characters existing normally like we see oftentimes with white characters. With Get Out, I enjoye...
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Vlogging replaces Reality TV

The trend that has plagued YouTube in recent years has also simultaneously replaced reality tv, this trend is vlogging. Vlogging first started as the ordinary, everyday person recording they're day to day life. Through vlogging, viewers got to see how others lived, learned new life hacks, and delved into the dramatic and romantic lives of these online personalities. Vlogging has the same appeal as reality tv, they both allow viewers to get in on the drama, romance, and everyday life of whoever is being recorded. The difference is, reality tv is produced by big companies who make these shows to appeal exactly to what viewers think they will like. Whereas vlogging  is more natural, and seems more genuine than reality tv. This is exactly why vlogging and lifestyle videos have been so widely popular over the last few years, so much so it's overshadowing reality tv. The reality tv catered to the American market was appealing and a booming genre of tv. People such as The Kardashians,...
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