Black Guy dies first?

[soylentgreen]

It's worth pointing out that in NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD the last one to go is the black guy...

That was my first thought when I saw the thread title.

It is, however, a sad irony that Ben is, in fact, responsible for the death of everyone at the farmhouse...himself inlcuded.  It is very arguable that his actions, regardless of sincerity of intention(and in mindblowing opposition to the clear protag/antag dynamic he embodies with Harry Cooper!),  encourage disaster exponentially as the "night" wears on.

I had a great conversation with John Russo and Russ Streiner about this at a Chiller con some years ago. (Luckily..for me!...they are hardly A list celebs, so the crowd by their tables is usually pretty meager).  They both seemed pleased with the idea that the film unfolded fairly simply on one level only to, upon a closer look, kinda fold back on presumptions the audience might make out of sheer habit.

We did not discuss the shameful "reworkings" of NIGHT that have sullied the films legacy.   

[BoyScoutKevin]

In Planet of the Apes, didn't the black guy die first, or was it the white guy? (I'm aware of the girl who died before they crashed, I'm talking about the landing party)

It was the black guy. The apes shot him. Then they operated on the brain of the white guy, not Charlton Heston, so he might as well have been dead, as the operation left him not much more than a vegetable.

[ghouck]

I always though the idea that the Black Guy dies first came from one of the more popular episodes of the original Star Trek where this happened. I remember comedians in the 80's joking about it happening "In every episode".

[KYGOTC]

All i can think of is Killer Shrews and Jurassic Park. Other than that, nuthin'. Ive noticed this film cliche to be fake. I was wondering when other people would notice.

[AndyC]

I always though the idea that the Black Guy dies first came from one of the more popular episodes of the original Star Trek where this happened. I remember comedians in the 80's joking about it happening "In every episode".

And there it was hardly conclusive, since the black guy was wearing a red shirt.

[ghouck]

And there it was hardly conclusive, since the black guy was wearing a red shirt.

True, but it works well as a joke focusing on the race issue. It just kinda stuck from there I think. .

[Allhallowsday]

I watched much of a "feel bad" movie last night (it's icky enough to be a DAVID CRONENBERG flick, but it's BRIAN DePALMA) but my point in posting here is that the black guy dies first in SISTERS...