How to Choose a Horror Movie in Which the Black Guy Doesn't Die

Horror movies are rife with cliches, and one of the most prevalent is that "the black guy" (there's usually only one) will die. If you're sick of seeing that happen, there are a few steps you can take to avoid it or, at least, minimize your exposure.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Internet access

1. Select a movie that looks interesting to you.
2. Look to see if a black actor is featured on the movie poster or gets top billing. If he is the star or co-star, his chances of survival are good. See Taye Diggs in "House on Haunted Hill."
3. Determine if the black star or co-star is an A-list celebrity. If so, she has an even greater chance of surviving. See Halle Berry in "Gothika."
4. Is the black guy Charles Dutton? If so, he's toast.
5. If the black guy isn't a star or A-lister, look at trailers for the movie to get a sense of the black character's role. If he's a sidekick to the star, some sort of petty thug, or someone who seems apt to sacrifice himself to save the hero, he'll most likely bite the dust.
6. If you're not sure if any black characters appear in the movie, visit the Internet Movie Database and look up the movie. Look at the headshots of the actors listed for the movie to see if any of them are black.
7. Read reviews on websites like Rotten Tomatoes. They might reveal the fate of the black character. Granted, this could spoil the plot, but you might save yourself the pain of seeing another black death. Or at least, you can fast-forward through it.
8. Avoid "urban" horror movies. Because the majority of the cast in these films are black, there will always be someone black dying.
9. Visit BlackHorrorMovies.com to see a list of black actors and actresses who've appeared in horror movies and their fates in those films.