In honor of Black History month (aka 28 Days Even Later), I have scoured the internet, waxed poetically with men of science and have studied at length seemingly endless tomes dissecting the sociological impact of black cinema to bring you, the reader a bit of history. BLACK history that is. Welcome to the 13 greatest black horror characters of all time. This is by no means a collection of great black films, but a collection of great black characters; “Blackenstein” is not a great, or even good film, but it does have a great central character. So here it is, and watch your heads, you’re about to have some knowledge dropped on ya.
13. Diana “Sugar” Hill (Marki Bey) in “Sugar Hill” (1974)
In an attempt to get Sugar’s squeeze Langston to sell him her nightclub; nasty cracker Morgan has some of his boys give Hill’s man a beat down. But when he ends up face down in a parking lot, Sugar splits town to plan her revenge, and when she comes back, hell’s coming with her…literally.
With the help of George Jefferson’s mother and a Haitian spirit, Sugar raises an army of dead slaves, complete with the shackles and chains that weighed them down before they joined the afterlife. Sugar returns to the city with a shiny metallic zombie army behind her and bloody vengeance in front. As far as Blaxploitation heroines go, Sugar Hill is one badass mama up there with Coffy and Foxy Brown. While not willing to take shit from nobody, she’s still willing to honor the memory of her man, even if that means tearing through a whole mess of honkies to do so.
12. Blackenstein (Joe De Sue) in “Blackenstein” (1973)
The sad story of “Blackenstein” is yet another case of a sister trying to do right by her fallen man. When Eddie returns from the Vietnam War missing a few limbs (4 to be exact) his old lady tries to do him a solid by getting her former professor Dr. Stein to hook him up with some new parts. Everything was going fine until Stein’s manservant, Malcomb starts playahatin’ and messes with Eddie’s treatments in order to put him in the ground and steal his girl.
Of course Malcomb’s plan backfires (blackfires?) and instead of dying, Eddie becomes something new, something grotesque, he is Blackenstein…The black Frankenstein! Eddie proceeds to shuffle through the rest of the film at a snails pace – the dude walks so slow Frodo and his silly batch of Hobbits could have dumped that ring twice in the time it takes poor Eddie to get through a room. An obvious cash-in attempt on the popularity of the far superior “Blacula”, “Blackenstein” attempts to make up for its weak story and acting with nudity and gore, thank god. But even with it’s slow pace and horrible acting, “Blackenstein” still gave us what the world needed most during those tumulus post Vietnam years. A seven foot tall brother with a giant square afro who might just have to rip your guts out.
11. Irene (CCH Pounder) in “Tales from the Crypt Presents: Demon Knight” (1995)
While on the run from an extremely effeminate demon known as The Collector; (Billy Zane), crazy eyed caulkie Brayker; who holds a key shaped vial containing the remaining blood of Christ, holes himself up in a roadside hotel run by the always irate Irene. Trapped in the isolated flophouse by The Collector and his minions, Brayker teams up with Irene and her ragtag group of customers to hold off Zane and his stringy haired minions until dawn.
Irene is such a badass that even after her arm is ripped off, she takes her lifeless limb in her one good hand and uses it to give Zane “The finger”. While “Demon Knight” does showcase another decent black horror character, Jeryline (played by the Fresh Princess) she hardly measures up to the high bar set by CCH Pounder. What separates a stone cold asskicker Irene from a pouty whiner like Jeryline can be summed up with the ways they exit the film. Rather than go out like a punk, Irene suits herself up with a bandoleer bomb and blows the shit outta those drippy demons, while upstairs Jeryline cries and covers herself in the vial’s blood. One sister goes down screaming and clawing, while the other one coats herself in some honky plasma from the Jesus key; now I don’t know about you, but I ain’t trying to get no hippy blood on me. That shit don’t wash out.
10. Max (Larry Fishburne) in “A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: The Dream Warriors” (1987)
In his only horror film, Cowboy Curtis plays Max, an orderly at Westin Hills Psychiatric Hospital, where troubled teens are dropping like flies. While helpful Max seems like a role written specifically for Morgan Freeman (or as I call him “Blackdog”, because he always plays the white man’s best friend); Fishburne, credited here as Larry, really shines as the loving caregiver.
While “Dream Warriors” is easily the best of the numerous “Elm Street” sequels, it’s a shame that Freddy and Max never share any screen time. But even though the only man “Ike” ever lays a hand on is a fellow brother, he does bend the rules to allow aspiring actress Jennifer to stay up watching TV. A move that leads to her fan-beloved, ironically iconic death, good looking out Larry!
9. Mr. Simms (Clarence Williams III) in “Tales from the Hood” (1995)
When “Tales from the Hood” was dropped into theaters in the mid 90s it had been almost twenty years since a “black” version of an established horror film franchise had been made. With films like “Abby”, “Blacula” and “Dr. Black, Mr. Hyde” long faded from the public mind and the sad state of 1990s horror, its not surprising that “Hood” came and went from theaters with little notice. Luckily, this black take on the popular “Tales from the Crypt” comic books, cable television shows, and films found its nitch on home the video market where it’s become a favorite amongst the anthology horror crowd.
Taking the place of the decaying Cryptkeeper, consummate showman Clarence Williams III plays the mysteriously flamboyant Mr. Simms with delightful glee. A classic character actor, Williams has appeared in everything from “T. J. Hooker” to HBO’s “Tales from the Crypt”; but it’s the part of Mr. Simms, with his insane hairdo and campy dialogue that has ingrained Williams into the minds of horror fans. Spinning cautionary tales regarding racism, black-on-black crime and other hot topics of the mid 90s (thank god we’ve gotten past all those things). Simms is what sets “Tales from the Hood” apart from other anthology films like “Creepshow”, “Tales from the Darkside: The Movie” and 1972’s “Tales from the Crypt”; not because he’s black but because he’s integral to the storyline, and it’s simply a better film.
8. Jack (Ossie Davis) in Bubba Ho-tep (2002)
Some folks might not be hip to the idea of one of the greatest black horror characters of all time being a strong proud black man who just happens to believe he’s JFK. Ossie Davis’ performance as Jack proves that even if you think the CIA covered up your failed assassination attempt, dyed you black and then got dumped by Lyndon Johnson into an East Texas nursing home doesn’t mean you can’t keep your pride. After all what’s a brother to do when the only friend he’s got is another crazy celebrity cracker long thought dead, Elvis. A very dignified Jack, seated in his motorized wheelchair trolling along beside Bruce Campbell; adorned with a gut enhanced sequined jumpsuit and hunkered over a walker heading into the night to battle a reanimated Egyptian mummy is a sight worth the price of admission alone.
7. Abby Williams (Carol Speed) in “Abby” (1974)
American International’s “Abby” (a blatant rip off of “The Exorcist”) was pulled from theaters one month after its release by peckerwood film executives from Warner Bros, who were able to prove in court that it violated copyright laws of their film…”The Exorcist”. Which is complete bullshit, indicative of the racist state of Hollywood in the early 70s. Here are side by side comparisons, clearly showcasing the different films.
Instead of a cute young white girl possessed by “Captain Howdy”, this time it’s the adoring black wife of a mister that’s taken over by the sexual deity Eshu (gesundheit!). In the original “Exorcist” Max von Sydow plays a priest that comes to the possessed girl’s aid, in “Abby” its William Marshall as a bishop that comes to Abigail in her time of need. In “The Exorcist” a possessed Regan masturbates with a cross while shouting religious epithets, but in “Abby” while possessed she spouts lines like ” Shit, you ain’t got enough to satisfy me, you impotent son of a bitch!” while eating copious amounts of fried chicken. Seriously though, what is up with all their chicken meals, count the amount of times people are eating fried chicken in this flick, it’s not right. The differences are astounding; cute young white girl/adoring black wife, different! Captain Howdy/Eshu, different! Priest/Bishop, different! Masturbating with a crucifix/getting down on some fried chicken, not that different! Now that I spell it out it’s pretty obvious and hard to deny the differences in these films. I guess Hollywood’s full of some hateful bigots.
6. Candyman (Tony Todd) in “Candyman” (1992), “Candyman II: Farewell to the Flesh” (1995) and “Candyman 3: Day of the Dead” (1999)
Even though his incurable jungle fever leads to his gruesome demise and an eventual granddaughter played by lily white Baywatch babe Donna D’Errico; Candyman is easily the most recognizable black villain in the last thirty years of horror. There isn’t a moviegoer alive that walked out this film and past a mirror without at least mouthing the words “Candyman”.
“Candyman” stars genre vet Tony Todd as a vengeful misunderstood ghost that haunts the grounds of the dilapidated Cabrini-Green housing projects in North Chicago. Centering the film in a real life public housing development, especially a controversial one like Cabrini gives “Candyman” an edge over most “urban” horror films. The grime of the surroundings and the plight of the people that call it home impacts the film throughout, and makes Todd’s “Candyman” a fearsome film creature. But just like all the great movie monsters, the origin of “Candyman” is wrapped in tragedy, giving the villain depth unlike most of the costumed slashers of the time.
It turns out that “Candyman” isn’t just hacking up broke hustlers at the Green for fun, it’s because his soul’s been trapped there ever since he was murdered back in the 1800’s. Candyman was originally known as Daniel Robitaille and he had a taste for the white meat, but when The Man found out about it he got the town into a lynching frenzy. Once the blood thirsty mob got their hands on Daniel, the first thing they did was lop off one of his, and replace it with a hook. Then in an ultimate act of hate, they opened him up and filled him with bees, which is messed up since the only ways to combat a bee attack is by jumping into a body of water, Daniel’s kryptonite.
5. Alien Queen in “Aliens” (1986)
For those of you that don’t know “Aliens” is a metaphor covering the fear of the big black woman coming into a white world and spreading her evil black seed. It’s true, “Aliens” at its heart is about racial xenophobia, and if those black soulless aliens had protruding lips instead of a protruding mouth it would be undebatable.
In fact, the center of the “Alien” franchise revolves around the idea that an evil corporation formed and lead by white males went into space with the idea of bringing these strong black warriors back to earth in shackles ready to do their bidding. Sound familiar? No, well maybe if that piece of shit hack Spielberg makes “Alien 5- Homeboys in Outer Space: The Movie” and has all the aliens chained up below rowing and a singing some solemn tune it will be more apparent. And no, he can’t cast Oprah as the queen; a woman by the name of Latifa’s got that locked up. U.N.I.T.Y. motherfuckers!
4. Peter (Ken Foree) in “Dawn of the Dead” (1978)
If George Romero, the grandfather of modern zombie films is to be remembered for anything that doesn’t start with the letter “z” it’ll be for his consistent commitment to giving black actors strong leading roles…provided you’re a male of course. “Dawn of the Dead” was released as a follow up to the genre-defining “Night of the Living Dead” and if you need more of a background than that for either of these films, you’re at the wrong website, so leave, go on git!
Foree’s portrayal of the intelligently resourceful Peter as an outspoken, yet reserved SWAT team member shows layers of depth. While every other main character in this classic film loses their shit at some point, only Peter keeps it together until the bitter end. Of the main four survivors that band together, Peter is their pillar of strength both physically and mentally. Strong and cool, yet never slipping into any of the stereotypes set up by the recent Blaxploitation trend, Peter is still an icon in both horror and black cinema. When there’s no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth…and one brother will keep a bunch of peckerwoods from shitting themselves to death.
3. Blacula (William Marshall) in “Blacula” (1972) and “Scream Blacula Scream” (1973)
At the end of the eighteenth century, the ruler of the African nation, the proud Prince Mamuwalde heads off to Transylvania to let that widow-peaked ofay Dracula know that this slave shit’s gotta end. Instead, Drac turns the prince into a vampire, locks him in a coffin and tells him his name isn’t Mamuwalde anymore, it ain’t even Toby, its…Blacula.
A few hundred years later in 1972 a gay couple (that are endlessly referred to as faggots) shopping for kitsch items buys Dracula’s castle and everything in it. After returning home to Los Angeles, the antiquing couple frees Blacula from his imprisonment and as a thank you gift he sucks the blood from their veins. After cruising around the city of Angels, Blacula stumbles upon Tina (no, not Nina) an apparent reincarnation of his dead wife Luva. After being stalked by the Drac in Black, Tina gets some help from a Van Helsing-inspired Dr. Thomas who is assisting the pigs in their attempt to find the culprit behind a string of recent bizarre murders.
William Marshall, a Shakespearean trained actor whose craft was best displayed on “Pee-Wee’s Playhouse” as The King of Cartoons, plays the regal and selfless Blacula perfectly. In an era where every black character was a junkie, a criminal or a dead body, it was refreshing to see an actor exude nobility and charm as effortlessly as Marshall. With the possible exception of Gary Oldman in “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” no other actor has successfully captured the delicate essence and brutal sexuality of the king of vampires since Marshall spit out the fangs over thirty years ago.
2. Childs (Keith David) in “John Carpenter’s the Thing” (1982)
Incredibly intense and not willing to take anyone’s bullshit, cantankerous mechanic Childs (the dude’s so bad he don’t need nothing but a surname) is one of the most memorable parts of John Carpenter’s classic, “The Thing”. Would anyone expect anything less from the brilliant Keith David; one of, if not the greatest black character actor working today? Say it with me, “Ass to Ass, Ass to Ass!”
“John Carpenter’s The Thing”, a 1982 remake of Howard Hawks’ 1951 film, “The Thing from Another World”, owes much more of its plot and direction to John W. Campbell JR’s short story “Who Goes There?” than the tame Hawks original. Unappreciated upon its initial release in the shadow of the miserable “E.T.”, “The Thing” eventually found its audience and place in horror history while on the shelves of video stores. “The Thing” is a simple tale about an American research team in the Antarctic that finds a craft not from this world buried in the ice. Naturally a creature is freed who goes on to reap havoc though the research facility, the men band together in an effort to eliminate their alien foe. The only problem is it can mimic the look of any human or animal it comes in contact with.
An amazing film with an inspired cast and horrifically grotesque visual effects that were years ahead of its time, “The Thing” is simply one of the greatest films ever made. Childs, the only brother at the station that never appeared on “Punky Brewster”, commands the audience’s attention completely from his first moment onscreen all the way through until the gut wrenching end. With “The Thing” as his first speaking role David began an incredibly successful career that reached out to television, animation and even video games, but no role ever mirrored that of his first, the complex Childs.
1. Ben (Duane Jones) in “Night of the Living Dead” (1968)
A good number of the characters on this list can be noted as “iconic”, none can compare to the one that started it all. While everyone is quick to cite the importance of 1968’s “Night of the Living Dead” as the movie that birthed the modern film zombie, that often noted fact pales in comparison to the real major feat of Romero’s film: Ben was the first black starring role in a horror history.
At the time of its release during the turbulent Vietnam era of the late sixties, heroic parts simply were not written for, or portrayed by black actors. If they weren’t bug eyed and begging, “Feets don’t fail me now!” blacks simply didn’t appear in horror films. But along came George Romero who with “Night of the Living Dead” began a personal trend that he maintained throughout almost all of his zombie films, giving prime roles to black actors.
Trapped in a farm house with a bunch of scared and ignorant crackers Ben is forced to take charge of the situation and does so with unbridled depth and strength previously unseen in a black lead. Audiences across America were unprepared for both the violent tone of the film and having a black male as the sole likable character. While “Night” is often discussed for its look at our war hungry racist culture, the most powerful moment during its 96 minutes is its soul crushing ending. For a country that in the last three years had seen its two greatest black leaders fall to gunfire, the ending was devastating, to this day the final few minutes still haunt me; a feat unparalleled by any horror character, black or white. Even though he only went on to appear in a handful of forgotten genre films before his untimely death at the age of 52, Duane Jones will forever be the face of black horror heroes.
Read all of Tyler Shainline’s articles and reviews in his Archives
