Blog Assignment #6

For my final blog, I have decided to discuss the 1974 Blaxploitation/Horror film famously known as Abby, written and produced by William Gridler. The film Abby portrays a marriage counselor who’s world turned upside down, by an ancient sex demon who posses her body, mind, and soul. While finding a box in the caves within the country side west of Africa in Nigeria, Dr. Garret Williams had noticed that spelled out on the box is the name Eshu. Being completely oblivious to what was inside, Dr. Garret Williams had successfully opened the box; therefore, unleashing the African spirit known as Eshu. Dr. Garret Williams had no idea what the consequences were for opening that box. Once the spirit had been released Dr. Garret Williams daughter Abby had become the demons first victim taking over her body, causing her to lash out in strange and usual ways. Abby beings to lose any sense of what is right verse what is wrong, due to the demon controlling her. She begins to feel the urge and desire to sexually attack anyone who comes along her way. During one scene in the film Abby is seen entering what appears to be a disco club. The moment she enters the club it is almost as if her radar went off, scanning the club full of men. She instantly beings to flirt with multiple men until Abby comes across her next and official pray. By Abby, I am referring to the demon. After Abby spots Russel enjoying dinner alone at the club, she walks over to him and becomes extremely flirtatious towards him. At one point she even says to him “Well I hope you have some room left sweetie because your desert is still coming.” After Russel insists on taking her home, little does he know the surprise he is in for. As things become heated and Russel begins to show restraint towards Abby, the demon inside of her takes things into it’s own hands. The demon becomes impatient and attacks Russel. Society has placed false biases and had made prejudice claims towards African American women in regards to their sexual behavior and desires. Through Abby’s character within the film, one can see that her actions somewhat reinforced those negative stereotypes placed on African American women. Although it was not in Abby’s control, the demon inside of her is what triggered her desires to pray on men in an uncontrolled and immoral matter. Overall, having gone to a jewish private school all the way up until the start of my college career, I was never before exposed to the different aspects in regards to black horror films. The only sense of the world that I was educated in and knowledgeable about was rooted in Judaism, as I was surrounded by Jewish traditions, values, morals, and beliefs. Being that this is my second quarter at UCLA and my first time participating in a course that sheds a light on black horror, I am immensely appreciative of being able to learn the true and empowering meanings behind black horror films. I just want to say thank you so much for such a wonderful quarter at UCLA.