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Blog Assignment #6- Kiara Cruz

In this week’s blog assignment, I want to go through everything I’ve learned so far in this class. I will also discuss some of the works that really resonated with me and struck a chord with the deeper meaning of Black horror in cinema. As I’ve wrapped up my quarter taking an African American Class: Sunken Place: Racism, Survival, and Black Horror Aesthetic, I now have a different perspective on race in horror. The class starts off strong with introducing us to Get Out and the themes Black subjugation and White superiority. From here, I instantly knew some works in the class would be harder to bear as they would expose racism in a harsh yet real tone. The subtle shift to Us also guided the class to dig deeper with hidden metaphors and thinking twice about a plot. The short films we would watch revealed a common theme of dark magic and spiritual beliefs to then combat Black horror. In Beloved, the audience is taken through difficult themes of abuse, motherhood, and racism. Throughout the class, we move back and forth with movies from the past such as Love Ouanga showcasing issues of being biracial; to a current movie, The Blackening, including dialogue and struggles from a biracial woman. One of my favorite weeks from this class is our discussion and comparison of both Candyman movies. The difference in Candyman (1992) taking a step back in empowering Black horror and instead trivializing racism, to the newest Candyman taking a step forward to correct these mistakes and compensate. One of my favorite short stories we read was “Wet Pain” as it drew me in from the very beginning. The mistake in the title is intentional yet I was curious to find out its significance. Not only was issues of white supremacy and hidden beliefs, followed by stereotypes, displayed in this story, the overall message made sure to include historical context as well. Hurricane Katrina further showed society that Black citizens who lived in New Orleans. All resources sent to evacuate families put the Black community at a disadvantage and this story made sure to highlight this issue. Then, the distrust we see the narrator faces shows true struggles of never knowing whether someone is being authentic with their positionality. All in all, these were some of my favorite works; however, all of the material in this class truly showed me a new perspective on Black horror and how powerful it really is.

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Blog Assignment #5 - Kiara Cruz

The modern “Candyman” (2019) shows a complete turnaround of dynamics compared to the older film in terms of narrative. When I was watching the older version, I felt like I was watching an outsider’s perspective due to all the problematic aspects of the film (Helen being an outsider itself). In the complete opposite sense, I didn’t even recall the white characters’ name in the movie. As Helen is the older movie's main character, the modern movie's white characters are much more deservedly used by the 2021 movie as props and catalysts for the overarching problem the older film unironically depicts. I think this is part of the director’s goal in the new movie, to allow the audience to focus on the ones who need to be focused on. Even in the specific instances where white people are introduced in the movie, they almost act as antagonists to the main character Anthony. Anthony, an artist, can’t depict what he truly wants to through his art because of the art world’s expectations that are set on him. This art world, which is shown as predominantly white in the small sample shown by the movie, continues to force him to their expectations shown by their disappointment in his Candyman installment. This, and all the interactions between the art world and Anthony, is a constant fight of taking advantage of Anthony’s artistic autonomy until he, and his art, become famous and notorious. Through it all, it was satisfying to see Candyman getting revenge on them for Anthony compared to the old movie using the victims undeservedly. Although this, I do wish that Anthony had a better ending to what he had. I know the director gave a better ending for Candyman itself, as well as shedding light on the brutalization of African Americans through this ending, but Anthony himself didn’t necessarily fulfill his own life. The argument can be said he was used for a greater purpose, and in order to protect the community in a way, but he didn’t get to become successful in his art nor his love life. I know the director had a more important message for the movie to have though, and I think the director did really well in giving the myth of Candyman a proper and deserved ending. Seeing the first one left a bad taste, since they just used the community of Cabrini-Green as victims and the home of Candyman, whereas the new movie provided the justice needed for a deeper meaning. 

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Blog Assignment #4 - Kiara Cruz

This week a movie and discussion that really stood out to me was “Night of the Living Dead.” I enjoyed the interview clip reflecting on the film and the choice of making Duane Jones the hero of the film. The scenes of him killing the zombies and the pain inflicted on only white characters in the film sends a strong message. That’s a common theme in Black Horror that I’ve now learned due to this class. The message is that black people already face so much danger and violence in the real world that when it comes to a film, they are the only characters to most experience it instead. However, as we saw with this movie, unfortunately Ben does not survive the end of the film due to the mob looking group. In lecture we talked about how the mob could be a symbol for racism and the grouping of white people attacking anyone black they see due to fear and of course inner prejudice. Another interesting theme in the movie is the power dynamic between Ben and Barbara. At first, we see Barbara as a helpless character sort of not contributing anything. In my opinion, I thought it was due to fear and paralysis of what had happened to Johnny. Then, I began to wonder if the race also had a role in her being the only white character alongside Ben and making her inferior to him. I think Ben’s character is so significant because of his confidence and his ability to shut down Mr. Cooper despite their race difference. Typically, you see race playing a role and the black character being subordinate to the white character. The gender dynamics are also important considering the era of this movie and how Mr. Cooper speaks to his wife Helen. The historical context of this film is also key to understanding the motive behind the zombies. 

Comparing this movie to some newer zombie movies, it’s interesting to see the difference and similarities. The zombies and gore in this movie aren’t as scary as of course the new ones with all of the new CGI and movie effects. I also believe the ending is important because of Ben’s character mistakenly getting shot due to him being in the window. The hero of the story doesn’t live but it still was a big step for black horror considering its time. The political anxieties were reflected in this movie via the radio and tv broadcast which was impactful for the audience to consider.

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Blog assignment #3 - Kiara Cruz

Watching Candyman (1992) for the first time, I had no real expectations on what to expect outside of what I’ved heard from lecture and from the modern adaptation. Off rip, it is interesting to denote the film’s navigation through the myth and origins of the Candyman. The main character (Helen), a white graduate from a university in Chicago, decides to focus her thesis on the fairytale of Candyman. What’s interesting about this is the fact that she chooses to research this given her distinct positionality as a white academic peering into a Black experience. Although she has her fellow colleague who so happens to also be Black, Helen isn’t afraid to overcross boundaries within the community she’s researching. In Helen’s methodology of research, she goes so far as to even involve Anne-Marie (and her baby) and Jake and put them in danger, disregarding the troubles that have bestowed upon Cabrini-Green is merely just urban legend. Even before that, Helen continuously disregarded Bernadette’s fear and hesitation to visit Cabrini-Green in order to push forth for the sake of her research/thesis. This incessant journey Helen creates through the film accurately depicts and reminds me of a large discrepancy between academia and marginalized communities; positionality truly matters when approaching communities for any type of research. The film even highlights the reluctance from a community when previous experiences trivialize their experience, such as how Anne-Marie describes the lack of respect white folk have when approaching Cabrini-Green.  

Something else that caught my attention is the depiction of the white/ black dynamic in terms of protagonist/antagonist. Even with everything aforementioned in my previous paragraph, Helen is clearly made the protagonist of the film (until the very end) while Candyman is the obvious antagonist. The film is directed to empathize with Helen, as she seems to try and “help” Cabrini-Green by researching and, eventually, trying to stop Candyman and save Anne-Marie’s baby. In my opinion, it’s really difficult to do so given her endless pursuit to research Candyman and  her desire to push forth in uncomfortable situations and conversations. An element of the film I find particularly interesting is the imagery used in portraying Candyman’s mural. In the depictions of his origins, the horrors and racial disenfranchisement bestowed upon his life is drawn in gorey detail; all the while, Helen cannot lose the image of his eyes from her mind. The film almost brushes aside his experience in complete disregard in favor for his evil depiction (eyes) and his relationship to Helen. I obviously don’t condone his desire for violence, but the film trivializes his experience and annuls it for his utmost desire to keep harboring victims to continue existing in creating fear within the Black community. 

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Blog Assignment #2 - Kiara Cruz

In this Blog assignment, I am going to write my opinions and thoughts on Jordan Peele’s film, “Us” as well as Tim Story’s film, “The Blackening.” 

To start, it’s interesting to compare “Get Out” with “Us” because they both fall under the category of Black Horror, yet they differentiate significantly.

The thing I like about “Us” is the twist at the end of Adelaide being a tethered but also how unreliable her character was from start to finish. What I mean by that is, after watching the film a second time, I started to realize that I shouldn’t have been rooting for her or trusting her character. We see how different she is, whether it’s how little she speaks and what she eats, and try to understand her complex character. Then, Peele’s idea of the tethered and this other world exhibiting our biggest insecurities really stood out to me. I think one of the biggest differences between his films is the focus on race. Although “Us” still showcases the theme of isolation with Adelaide’s family being the only black family in Santa Cruz, especially while walking on the beach, I think I focused more on the details of horror and what the tethered meant. It helped understanding why this movie was created and the thought of there being another world with doppelgängers perhaps carrying traits we try to suppress. Red was such an important character because we automatically assume she is the villain then learn all she wanted was “justice” in a way. 

With “The Blackening,” from the start it’s obvious that it’s a different take on Black horror and comedy. However, it is also clear it follows themes similar to “Get Out” because of the clear barrier between black and white people. In the convenience store, Shanika is startled by the white man watching her go down the aisle which is displayed through an eerie tone. In the real world though, it is eerie that depending on your skin color you’re being watched like a hawk when in a store due to prejudice of if you’re going to steal. I enjoyed the acknowledgement of biracial characters and the struggle to identify as one race due to having both in your blood. The fact that Allison felt she had to prove she was Black and how the other characters would never let her live that fact down, that she wasn’t full like them, is a real hardship in biracial identity. Dewayne’s comment on having the park ranger represent a white cop displaying racism towards the black character is impactful as it's a recurring theme because of its relevance. The film efficiently highlights its main themes by satirizing society’s tendency to overlook the struggles faced by Black people. Black horror continues to present itself in several ways all telling the same story which I have been enjoying in this class.

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Blog Assignment #1 - Kiara Cruz

This excerpt is 536 words 

In the first two weeks of this class, not only have I allowed myself to absorb what Black Horror means, but I’ve garnered a sense of empathy relative to underlying and deeper messages the film entails. As a first generation Latina, I have grown up surrounded by several separate instances of micro aggressions seeping into my average day of life. The discrepancies of experience between a minority in an open space full of people who look distinct from you is truly daunting. 

I wanted to take this class to learn more about the metaphor of the Sunken Place and how Black Horror has evolved to empower navigating the truth revolving around racist behaviors. With that being said, the movie, “Get Out,” and our discussion surrounding themes and subliminal messages creates an important impact that I find important in modern media. Specifically, instances like the micro aggressions Chris’ character faces throughout the entire film makes one actually cringe hearing them said. With this being my 4th time watching the film, I had noticed new things that I hadn’t noticed before; this goes to show how intricate and purposeful the film is. During the “so-called” party, where Rose’s Dad calls Chris over to meet some of his friends, one guy asks, “Do you feel there are more advantages or disadvantages with the African American experience today?” It felt strange hearing that because although I’ve seen this scene before, it felt as if I completely missed it the first 3 times under the lens of analysis. Knowing that each white character at the party is scoping out Chris on whether they want his vessel or not shows the audience that it’s more than a physical liking, but also a desire to fill out nuanced needs and desires: his eyes, being hip, being a “trend”. This understanding  showcases an underlying social reality behind being a minority. The theme of isolation also coincides with Chris not only feeling as if no one understands him, yet also looking around and accepting no one looks like him. 

Psychologically, it’s a hard thing to endure because you start to question your identity. Black Horror is an awakening to how cruel our outside world can be and has been. Even with the ending of “Get Out,” hearing there’s an existing alternate ending left me shocked. When the police door swung open and seeing “AIRPORT” written across, I felt my body become less tense as I knew Chris wouldn’t face the normalized and expected reality of our society. Then, watching the alternate ending on YouTube I saw the truth behind what would’ve happened in that scene. Black people are sent to prison for far less than what Chris went through and the justice system fails them each time. Knowing that Jordan Peele wanted to stray away from typical endings for black people, coming from non-black directors, proves the aesthetics of Black Horror. Directors are always quick to make black people go to jail, die, or worse. That hopeful moment and relief at the end of the film, “Get Out” isn’t always the case. I really believe that this film was an important turning point in Black Horror and how racism can be portrayed in creative, yet dark ways.