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The
UNFAIR RACIAL CLICHÈ ALERT
by
Decade
The
RACIAL RESPONSE
|
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BE ALERT FOR THESE TITLES
1980s |
FLASH - 1980
THRILLER
DEG / Starling Films / Universal Pictures
Screenplay: Michael Allin, Lorenzo Semple Jr.
Director: Mike Hodges
Producer: Dino De Laurentiis
Only one black character in this whole flick who has a speaking part and what does it get him? Ming the Merciless makes an example of Prince Thun of Ardentia (George Harris), who says that his loyalty to Emperor Ming is, "Without measure!"
Swear loyalty to me, will you? I'll teach YOU to be loyal! Fall on your sword! That'll teach you to be so damn loyal!
For a guy who is so damn merciless, Prince Thun is the only one we see Ming kill. |
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THE SHINING (1980)
HORROR
Scatman Crothers dies a noble if unexpected death in the movie, even though he didn't die
in the book - these Hollywood clichés are Powerful stuff!
CONAN THE BARBARIAN
(1982)
THRILLER
Universal Pictures
Produced by Dino De
Laurentiis - Written and Directed by John Milus - Co-wrote by Oliver Stone.
This movie, like all Schwarzenegger movies (barring comedies), may spare the Asians (who are the comedy relief), but never the black people. Conan (Arnold Schwarzenegger) beheads the
only black guy, the evil Thulsa Doom (James Earl
Jones). Conan does this partly to save the white princess,
but mainly to avenge his family.
STAR TREK: The Wrath Of Khan (1982)
THRILLER
Paramount Pictures
Paul Winfield gets a bug in his ear and nobly blows his own head off. Side note: Paul
Winfield also starred in a TV episode of STAR TREK: Next Generation. Though he didn't play a black man, he
nobly dies in that one too.
Paul Winfield also died in: DAMNATION ALLEY (eaten alive by bugs), THE TERMINATOR, and MARS
ATTACKS!.
CONAN THE DESTROYER
(1984)
THRILLER
Universal Pictures
Produced by Dino De
Laurentiis - Directed by Richard Fleischer - Written by Gerry Conway, Stanley Mann,
and Roy Thomas
Arnold S. (Conan) kills the wicked Bombaata
(Wilt Chamberlain) partly to save
the white princess, but mainly to save his own skin. With the African
warrior man dead, there is no reason to kill the African warrior female
Zula (played by Grace Jones).
TERMINATOR - 1984
HORROR / THRILLER
Hemdale Film Corporation
Screenplay: James Cameron, Gale Anne Hurd, William Wisher Jr.
(additional dialogue), & Harlan Ellison
(Terminator inspired by H.E.'s screenplays Soldier,
and Demon with a Glass Hand)
Director: James Cameron
Producer: Gale Anne Hurd
Paul Winfield gets blown away by der Terminader. All the black men are killed off
in every Arnold Schwarzenegger Horror / Thriller movie. No exceptions.
Paul Winfield also died in: DAMNATION ALLEY, STAR TREK: The Wrath
Of Khan, MARS ATTACKS!, and more. |
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ALIENS - 1986
HORROR
20th Century Fox
Screenplay: James Cameron & William Wisher Jr.
Director: James Cameron
Producer: James Cameron
The Unfair Racial Cliche Alert counts even if you hire a white person to play a minority, as was the case with Jenette Goldstein (NEAR DARK), who played Private Vasquez. There was also Sergeant Apone (Al Matthews: OMEN III: THE FINAL CONFLICT) and Private Frost (Rico Ross: WISHMASTER). Racially mixed crowd but only 3.5 survivors. All white including the .5 who
only looks human.
No, there is no special allowance for the 20 second role of the med tech played by Alibe Parsons. She wasn't a character. She didn't even have a name. |
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VAMP
(1986)
HORROR / THRILLER
Balcor Film Investors / New World Pictures
Screenplay: Donald P. Borchers, Richard Wenk
Director: Richard Wenk
Producer: Donald P. Borchers
Grace Jones is the evil vampire Katrina. She dies in a pretty cool way, actually.
FROM BEYOND - 1986
HORROR
Empire Pictures / Taryn Prov
Screenplay: Stuart Gordon, Dennis Paoli, & Brian Yuzna
Director: Stuart Gordon
Producer: Brian Yuzna
Ken Foree, who created a cinematic first in being the first black man to survive in a horror movie (DAWN OF THE DEAD)
is eaten alive by bugs from another dimension. |
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NEAR DARK - 1986
HORROR
F/M / Near Dark Joint Venture
Screenplay: Kathryn Bigelow & Eric Red
Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Producer: Steven-Charles Jaffe
Like so many horror movies made in the U.S., all the non-white actors
get killed off in this picture. NEAR DARK has a single black actor
(Roger Aaron Brown: ROBOCOP 2, DNA) who you
may remember as James Caan's murdered partner in ALIEN
NATION (which also earned an UNFAIR RACIAL CLICHÉ ALERT). In this movie he plays a good
natured Cajun truck driver who gets his by Mae. While many movies like
this have people of every race getting killed, the fact remains that if
you are black and in a U.S. made horror movie, you are going to die! It
is one of the major cliches of Hollywood movies that only the black actor/actress
gets slaughtered. What is especially creepy about NEAR DARK is
the fact that Caleb and Mae are set up as "the good vampires".
They are really victims of the rest of the group. Mae is seen killing
only one person in the whole film and he is black. She shies away from
killing any white folk. Only the bad vampires kill white folk and only
white folk. It's a questionable message Kathryn Bigelow and Eric Red were
sending. |
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PREDATOR - 1987
HORROR / THRILLER
20th Century Fox
Screenplay: Jim Thomas & John Thomas
Director: John McTiernan
Producers: John
Davis, Lawrence Gordon, & Joel Silver
On a rescue mission in Central America, Arnold leaves everyone for dead except Anna (Hispanic actress Elpidia Carrillo) who they find in the jungle. The only male survivor is Arnold. His racially integrated team is wiped out to a man.
The only survivor is a white guy, Arnold again. He saves nobody. In fact, to save time let's just say that if you are black, and in a Schwarzenegger
action movie, then you are not a good guy, probably a bad guy, and Arnold
is going to kill you personally or leave you for dead. This is not a spoiler
since this formula remains the same throughout every Arnold Schwarzenegger
Horror / Thriller movie ever made! It would be a surprise if it DIDN'T happen! |
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ALIEN NATION -1988
THRILLER
20th Century Fox
Screenplay: Rockne S. O'Bannon
Director: Graham Baker
Producers: Gale Anne Hurd & Richard Kobritz
Det. Bill Tuggle (actor Roger Aaron Brown. His character also
dies in NEAR DARK)
gets blown away by the criminal Aliens. |
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THE
RUNNING MAN (1987)
THRILLER
HBO
Screenplay: Steven E. de Souza
Director: Paul Michael Glaser
Producer: George Linder & Tim Zinnemann
All the main black
actors are butchered. Jim Brown as Fireball - is evil and done
away with by Arnold Schwarzenegger. Yaphet Kotto, who was killed
off in ALIEN, is a good guy in this
movie, but he still dies - though nobly. Once again, Arnold gets the minority
woman (Hispanic actress Maria Conchita Alonso)
and they walk off together hand in hand? Nope. With Arnold's
arm around her waist or shoulder? Nope. They walk off with Arnold's grip firmly
around her neck!
THE
BLOB - 1988
HORROR / THRILLER
PalisadesCalifornia / TriStar Pictures
Screenplay: Chuck Russell & Frank Darabont
Director: Chuck Russell
Producers: Jack H. Harris & Elliott Kastner
The only black guy, Joe Seneca, is an evil government scientist who
gets sucked into a sewer hole by the Blob; which leaps, and creeps,
and glides and slides across the floor. |
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CHILD'S PLAY - 1988
HORROR
UA / MGM Studios
Screenplay: Don Mancini, John Lafia, & Tom Holland
Director: Tom Holland
Producer: David Kirschner
The VooDoo Priest, Dr. Death (Raymond Oliver), gets killed by Chucky. |
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LEVIATHAN - 1989
HORROR / THRILLER
MGM
Screenplay: David Webb Peoples & Jeb Stuart
Director: George P. Cosmatos
Producers: Aurelio De Laurentiis & Luigi De Laurentiis
Ernie Hudson's character, Justin Jones, gets killed as an afterthought.
A very odd death scene, it's as if the film makers said "Oh yeah!
We forgot to kill off the black guy!" and then they do it. |
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DEEPSTAR
SIX - 1989
HORROR / THRILLER
Carolco Pictures / TriStar Pictures
Screenplay: Lewis Abernathy & Geof Miller
Director: Sean S. Cunningham
Producers: Sean S. Cunningham & Patrick Markey
Sole black actor Taurean Blacque's character, Captain Phillip
Laidlaw, nobly kills himself so that the two white people can escape.
Only survivors are white. |
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THE FLY II - 1989
HORROR / THRILLER
20th Century Fox
Screenplay: Mick Garris, Jim Wheat, Ken Wheat, & Frank Darabont
Director: Chris Walas
Producer: Steven-Charles Jaffe
Lots of survivors, and I mean lots, of survivors. But there was only
one black character with any notable screen time, played by actor William S. Taylor, and
he gets accidentally shot and killed by a white guard. |
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URCA
MOVIES |
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