That Which Cannot Be Ignored

My Dearest Weirdlings,

Although this newsletter normally focuses on movies and other media, the world contains its own horrors — and they cannot and should not be ignored.

Racism is an old beast that continues to thrive, nestled into all the systems of our society and government. George Floyd was murdered by police officers, the way so many Black people have been before. Protests, demonstrations, and revolutionary acts are taking place across America.

Black Lives Matter.

And at the end of the day, only when Black lives matter will all lives matter. Here is an excellent resource, providing a comprehensive list of ways to provide support for the movement — from petitions to sign to ways to donate, to phone calls you can make.

Movies

A New Dawn of Black Horror Films (Gay Mag)

“From Get Out to The First Purge, Black writers, producers and directors have illustrated the magic that unfolds when black people have full control of their own art,” states Ashley Nkadi in her article in Gay Mag. “This moment owes its existence to a movement that for decades shifted the landscape of horror by increasing the visibility of Blackness in within the genre.”

28 Black Women Horror Filmmakers (Graveyard Shift Sisters)

A growing list of Black women in the horror film world, with links to their work. Among these names is Bree Newsome, who wrote and directed our Short of the Week.

Horror Movies Can Be Good for Anxiety (Elemental)

Ashley Abramson discusses how exposure to horror films can potentially provide benefits for some people dealing with anxiety —the key being a sense of control over the emotional experience.

Literature

Black-Owned Bookstores to Support Right Now (Refinery 29)

A list of Black-owned bookstores by state. If you’re looking to educate yourself on Black history and anti-racism, why not buy those books from Black-owned businesses.

Games

Easy Level Life is a Video Game for #BlackLivesMatter (Kill Screen)

Launched in 2016, Easy Level Life is a video game (from indie designer Yvvy) that aims to “tackle those persistent questions about personal responsibility in the face of law enforcement.”

The Emotionally Charged Experience of Edith Finch (Once Upon the Weird)

Fluctuating between thrilling, frightening, and tragic, What Remains of Edith Finch is an emotionally powerful, story driven adventure game. A young woman explores her old home, looking for answers to the mysteries surrounding her family’s many tragedies.

Short of the Week

Written and directed by Bree Newsome, Wake is the story of a repressed woman, who does away with her domineering father, freeing herself to pursue her heart’s desire. When she uses a local folk magic to conjures a demon, she creates the man of her dreams — only to learn that every deal has a price.