DISCUSSIONS FROM THE OTHERHOOD

There has been an uphill battle for those of us from the African diaspora to claim spaces in the world of fantasy. Too often overlooked in Euro-centric tales or typecast as servants. buddies or magical seconds this particular genre tended to be a closed door. But now with projects like Asunda being developed at HBO, Jingle-Jangle appearing on the scene as wonderful Christmas eye-candy for the whole family and of course the legacy of Black Panther with its varied and fantastical afri-inspired realms are we seeing more of an acceptance of fantasy by afri-centric communities and fantasy consumers in general?

During World Fantasy Con I listened in on a panel where there was a discussion of Caribbean fantasy. One of the issues that emerged was the story of La Llarona, the crying woman. It seemed the Latinx version which was brought to Puerto Rico by the Spanish explained the crying ghosts torment was because she killed her children. The Haitian and Trinidadian versions however were that her children were abducted and/or killed by others. This brought to mind the strange case of Candyman where the wraith attacks the blameless inhabitants of a housing project but doesn't strike out against those who murdered him. The recent Netflix film His House is a ghost story related to refugees from an unnamed African country and their attempt to seek asylum in London. What do our ghost stories say about us with regard to vengeance, power and cultural roots? Join us tonight to discuss.

Space aliens come along and say, "Hey come to our planet we have a new type of baseball. Just make sure to bring your own human sized jug or marinade," and you all say, "Okay!' nor just :Okay" but "Can I somehow jump the line get there ahead of my neighbors?" A power-crazed demonic six-year old lives in your house and is running your town, but has have had a spanking or has any idea what a "time-out" is. You catch the devil. Yep, that right... the actual devil then leave him in the house with your nosy housekeeper because you just HAVE to leave the house to mail a letter. YES! These things happen in Twilight Zone land. Join us tonight to discover if yours was also one of the families shrugging their collective shoulders asking, "Why in the world did they do that?"

Using Shudder's Horror Noire as a touchstone we discuss the genesis of the current black horror industry.

Happy Halloween month! Tonight we are going to skim the library of Black Exploitation horror films from 1072's Blacula to 1995's Tales From the Hood, are these horror films classics or clunkers?

From Avatar to Transformers to the Witches, From Codename Kids Next Door to Woke, you don't have to see a character to know that they're supposed to be "Black." Does it matter whether its supposed to be negative or noble savage... why is the black voice consistently marginalized? Antebellum 45; Alien vs Predator 29; Blade 45; Utopia 55; these are the Metacritic scores for films featuring Black women in non-traditional sci-fi fantasy roles. What gives?

The Emmy Awards came and went. We you surprised at the winners? Let's talk about it. Also there are several shows being shuffled out in front of us claiming to be "woke." But are these shows truly woke or are they simply cashing in on the current trend? March began the lockdown. Some of us are still in closed houses and sheltering in place. In a fit of nostalgia what have you taken the opportunity to re-watch; and what programs now have you wondering "Did I actually LIKE this?" Join us and pour out your sorrows!

On September 8, 2020 the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences released its promulgated rules regarding Best Picture nominees. https://www.oscars.org/news/academy-establishes-representation-and-inclusion-standards-oscarsr-eligibility. Having viewed the rules, do they support diversity or simply maintain the status quo? Join me, Cranston and Otto to talk about it.

Fantasy and science fiction are highly “adaptable” genres. Stories can be haunted houses in space (Alien, Event Horizon), westerns (Outland, Looper), even romances (The Time Traveler’s Wife, About Time). And they can be about cops and robbers—and aliens and werewolves and whatever the case may be. So in these future and retrofuture worlds... How do we lay down the law? Is Pre-Crime legal, is “retiring” Replicants just state-sanctioned murder, are Jim Butcher and Anita Blake detectives or vigilantes? Join “Our Gang” for Law & Order: Sci-fi and Fantasy Unit. Also we take a look at what we think is the underappreciated DC film, Shazam.

Valjeanne Jeffers joins the crew to discuss her works and her inclusion in the upcoming SLAY anthology. We will also be looking at our favorite books, movies, television shows, through the prism of today (or even not that long ago). Do we “give them a pass” or “call them to task” with some of their more “questionable” elements? Does “diversity” in Middle Earth mean “hobbits, elves, fairies and trolls?” Why are no people of color vying for the Iron Throne? Why were there no female Loopers? Join our intrepid panel as they discuss and dissect their genre favorites.