In this Movie Memory Machine: Five For mini-episode, Landen and Truman recommend five horror and comedy-adjacent films that better deliver on the potential Vampire in Brooklyn barely taps. These movies explore themes of Black identity, horror satire, and cultural storytelling—with sharper tonal control, more daring risks, and a better sense of who they’re for.
Films Discussed:
The People Under the Stairs (1991)
Def by Temptation (1990)
Tales from the Hood (1995)
Vamp (1986)
Coming to America (1988)
Topics Covered:
Black-led horror as cultural allegory (People Under the Stairs, Def by Temptation)
Satire and social commentary in Tales from the Hood
Stylish strangeness and gender politics in Vamp
Coming to America as a control group for Eddie Murphy’s star power and romantic fantasy
Why Vampire in Brooklyn didn’t commit to any of the directions these films excel in
Key Takeaways:
Black horror can be powerful and politically resonant when authorship is aligned with purpose
Genre hybridity works best when filmmakers actually want to make a hybrid—not check boxes
Coming to America gives Eddie Murphy the same romantic framing Vampire in Brooklyn denies him
The best horror comedies trust their tone—and know what they’re saying about the world
Listener Prompt:
What film nailed the horror-comedy balance for you? Or which one deserves to be remembered better than Vampire in Brooklyn? Tell us using #MovieMemoryMachine.
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