#helloprofessor

[horrorisoverdue]

Son of Ingagi

Son of Ingagi is almost like the introduction point of Black Horror in the U.S. It was one of the first films to portray its Black characters in a fair and respectable light, representing Black culture devoid of the usual caricatures and stereotypes it was represented with. It allowed Black women lead roles that were complex and essential to the overall narrative, and was not a film based in or off of slavery. It opens to a newlywed couple, happy from their recent nuptials and excited to have a break alone from their friends and family while they celebrate personally. They trick their friends and family into believing they are headed to Niagara Falls for their Honeymoon, when in actuality they are going back to their home to be alone. In no time they are found out by their friends, who came to check on the house, and everyone decides to keep the party going. One of their wedding guests, Dr. Jackson, happens upon the party as she is walking home, and comes in to chat. 

Dr. Jackson is an important character in the film. She’s well established, a doctor who works on research, studying viruses and attempting to create cures. She is a respected member of the community, wealthy, with a good home and excellent career. This representation, especially for a Black woman, was extremely rare at the time of Son of Ingagi’s release. Her work drives her, and we find that she’s taken an unorthodox approach to further her research in cures. We are introduced to Ingagi, a man-like Ape/Monster that she smuggled back from a recent trip to Africa. Dr. Jackson believes his DNA holds the key to all of mankind's diseases and works tirelessly to find the link. Dr. Jackson and Ingagi have the classic “evil scientist/evil creature” although neither of them are actually “evil”. Dr. Jackson ends up being killed at the hands of Ingagi after he ingests a medicine that causes him to become fitful and enraged, however the audience understands that this is not a reflection of his behavior, and more a tragic accident. 

Ingagi is a character similar to other “monstrosities” we’ve seen in other horror lore. He can be compared to the likes of Frankenstein or Godzilla, differing only in the fact that it is never explicitly mentioned that Ingagi is the result of a lab experiment. Throughout the film Ingagi goes on to kill several more characters, but they are generally all adversaries of Dr. Jackson, or otherwise individuals who had no business lurking in her house anyways. The young newlywed couple moved into her home after finding that she left the home to them in her will. No one is aware of Ingagi’s presence in the home, and this leads to confusion as he enters and exits the house from his lair, leaving traces that the couple cannot explain. After coming out one final time and scaring the wife, the lair he lives in is discovered and the house is burned down with him inside, sadly with the couple and others believing Ingagi to be a vengeful monster. 

Son of Ingagi remains a staple in the Black Horror genre for its impressive use of an all Black cast and different take on previous famous Horror monsters like Frankenstein and Godzilla. In keeping with the theme of presenting Black culture in a positive light, there is no inherently evil characterization of any of the characters, which I believe adds to the reliability of the film and contributes to its continued appreciation as Black Horror continues to expand.

[repressandobsess]

Daughters of the Dust

Daughters of the Dust is not your typical afrofuturist film, being devoid of obvious themes like CGI robot villains or a technologically advanced dystopia. Initially I wouldn’t have felt that this film was afrofuturist at all. A touching story depicting the generations that build a family? Yes. A heartwarming tale of the excitement and uncertainty of new beginnings? Indeed. An afrofuturist story? Hard no. But my indoctrination into this genre is a steady, slow-going process and I can admit that I overlooked key aspects of the film that add the usual charm of science fiction and fantasy.

What I love about the use of technology in this film is the way it is used to enhance the familial narrative rather than acting as a representation of class. For the time period, I was surprised to see black people who could afford a camera, and my initial impression was that Viola and Mr. Snead were returning home to bask in their better living and newfound wonders on the mainland. Instead, the camera added to the idea of lineage and represented a bridge between those on the island and those moving to the mainland. The subject of the photo matters as much as the camera itself, and here the Peazant family can hold the image of themselves as a whole before the majority make their move off the island, presumably for the last time.

Another element I really enjoyed from Daughters of the Dust was the magical realism. I think one needs to look no further than the film's narrator for how magical realism can be a special tool to enhance the plot of a story. I personally loved the choice of using the unborn baby to narrate, I found her sweet and childlike voice to be a welcome contrast to the tenseness of the film. Hearing her input gave the idea that this truly was a film about a family coming together before they eventually become divided by the changing times, especially when you consider the bond that a new child usually evokes within a family. The magical realism of the child is seen not only in her sharp narration, but in what her character represents. She appears before other characters as a vision several times throughout the film, and each time she acts as an anchor for a character battling a major emotion. Her presence is almost a signal for the audience that life will continue to move on past any hardship, and that your plights are never all your own. As you grow older, you create your own lineage and every hardship you encounter becomes wisdom to pass along for them.