Black Up The Cast: Re-imagining Iconic Horror Films
By: Cody Charles
Happy Halloween, Black people-
Because there is so much happening around us, I offer some pure unadulterated fun in this Halloween season. I took some of the most iconic horror films in history, and asked some of my friends to help Black up the cast.
Simple activity.
Take a white film with a predominantly white cast, and re-imagine the film and story with Blackity Black actors. Easy and fun.
En(JOY)! #BlackUpTheCast
Meet my friends:
Robert Jones Jr.- Creator of the Son of Baldwin Platform
Camille Clark- Social Justice Educator
Dr. Jonathan P. Higgins- Writer & Speaker on Black Queer Liberation
Let’s start off with the 1973 instant classic, The Exorcist. This film became the first horror movie to be nominated for the best picture academy award. At the time, folks were so disturbed by the film, Linda Blair received numerous death threats from religious zealots claiming that the film “glorified satan.” I wonder how the Black church would have engaged this film with an all Black cast. Hmm.
The Exorcist (1973):
Possessed white girl + concerned mother + two priest + an exorcism + projectile vomiting
Blacked up…
(Robert Jones Jr.)
Viola Davis as Chris MacNeil
Louis Gossett, Jr as Father Lankester Merrin
Derek Luke as Father/Dr. Damien Karras S.J.
Marsai Martin as Regan MacNeil
Cody’s choice for director: Spike Lee
Stephen King had already given us Carrie in 1976, but in 1980 he gifted us The Shining- a brilliantly paced and hauntingly disturbing story. Legend says that Jack Nicholson was fed only cheese sandwiches throughout the shooting of the film, supposedly to keep him on edge, as he hates cheese sandwiches. Filming would have ended promptly if this menu was proposed to Black actors.
The Shining (1980):
White people + winter + isolation + a psychic child + evil spirits + tricycle
Blacked up…
(Robert Jones Jr.)
LaKeith Stansfield as Jack Torrance
Nicole Beharie as Wendy Torrance
Miles Brown as Danny Torrance
Danny Glover as Dick Hallorann
-OR-
(Camille Clark)
Samuel L. Jackson as Jack Torrance
Cree Summer as Wendy Torrance
Marsai Martin as Dannay Torrance
Jennifer Lewis as Dick Hallorann
The Mcclure twins as the Grady twins
Cody’s choice for director: Ava DuVernay
Skipping forward a few years, Stephen King gives us another iconic horror film, Misery. It is said that King’s first type writer had a faulty N key, much like Paul’s did in the film. This brings me comfort, as we know that white folks can’t be trusted with the letter N.
Misery (1990):
Famous author + car crash + number one fan + broken limbs
Blacked up…
(Robert Jones Jr.)
Idris Elba as Paul Sheldon
Octavia Spencer as Annie Wilkes
-OR-
(Dr. Jonathan P. Higgins)
Monique as Anne Wilkes
Cuba Gooding or Don Cheadle as Paul Sheldon
Cody’s choice for director: Kasi Lemmons
Only a year after the critically acclaimed Misery was released, The Silence of the Lambs hit theaters. Anthony Hopkins, who played Hannibal Lecter, described the voice he used to portray Lecter as a combination between Truman Capote and Katharine Hepburn. Lecter’s voice, in this Blacked up version, will be a combination of Isaac Hayes and Eartha Kitt. You can hear can’t ya?
The Silence of the Lambs (1991):
FBI Agent + serial killer + chase + kidnapped woman + escape + fava beans
Blacked up…
(Robert Jones Jr.)
Rutina Wesley as Clarice Starling
Denzel Washington as Dr. Hannibal Lecter
-OR-
(Camille Clark)
Jada Pinkett Smith as Clarice Starling
Jeffrey Wright as Hannibal Lector
Lenny Kravitz or Prince as Buffalo Bill
Amber Riley as Catherine Martin
Octavia Spencer as Ruth Martin
Cody’s choice for director: Barry Jenkins
*Bonus
And because it’s technically a classic and absolutely a cult favorite, I must Black up Hocus Pocus. Real life brother and sister, Garry Marshall and Penny Marshall, appear in the film as husband and wife- this seems like a perfect opportunity to cast Queen Bey and Jay Z in smaller roles, and hopefully, allow them to produce the Grammy award winning soundtrack.
Hocus Pocus (1993)
three witches + resurrection + two teenagers + spells + immortal cat + Halloween + unsupervised white children
Blacked up…
(Cody Charles)
Queen Latifah or Jill Scott as Winifred Sanderson
Audre McDonald or Cynthia Erivo as Mary Sanderson
Laverne Cox or Brandy Norwood as Sarah Sanderson
Cody’s choice for director: Dee Rees
In case you’re looking for a scare this Halloween season, here are three Black movie faves my friends and I recommend.
Candyman
“If you haven’t seen Candyman, watch it! A grad student who is researching urban legends learns about the legend of the Candyman. Candyman is the legend of Tony Todd, who was the son of a slave and an artist who fell in love with a white woman. As a result, he is pursued by a lynch mob who cut off his painting hand and replaces it with a hook, then pours honey all over his body and watches him get stung to death by bees. The locals chant “Candyman” as they watch him die. To summon his ghost, one must chant “Candyman” five times in the mirror. I am here for the black villainy!” ~Camille Clark
Tales From the Hood
“Tales from the Hood is an absolute classic in terms of a racial criticism, linking, in a frighteningly obvious way, black pain and death to white supremacy and patriarchy.” ~Robert Jones Jr.
Get Out
“I would highly recommend that folks see Get Out — for all the reasons listed here: Get the Fuck Outta Here: A Dialogue on Jordan Peele’s GET OUT and here: Get the Fuck Outta Here, the Sequel: Further Consideration of Jordan Peele’s GET OUT” ~Robert Jones Jr.
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This is the work of Cody Charles; claiming my work does not make me selfish or ego-driven, instead radical and in solidarity with the folk who came before me and have been betrayed by history books and storytellers. Historically, their words have been stolen and reworked without consent. This is the work of Cody Charles. Please discuss, share, and cite properly.
Bio:
Cody Charles is the author of Let It Be A Black Reckoning, Re-Imagining Black Love, You Can’t Outdo Black People, Getting To Know Rosa Lee: An Overdue Conversation With My Mother, Black Joy, We Deserve It, The Night The Moonlight Caught My Eye: Not a Review but a Testimony on the Film Moonlight, 5 Tips For White Folks, As They Engage Jordan Peele’s Get Out. (No Spoilers), Student Affairs is a Sham, 19 Types of Higher Education Professionals, and What Growing Up Black And Poor Taught Me About Resiliency. Join him for more conversation on Twitter (@_codykeith_) and Facebook (Follow Cody Charles). Please visit his blog, Reclaiming Anger, to learn more about him.
