Was Antebellum Actually Terrible? | A Reenactor's Review of Antebellum | Afro Flick and Sip

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  • Опубликовано: 5 сен 2024
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Комментарии • 417

  • @laurabennett9860
    @laurabennett9860 2 года назад +276

    Who the F*** would ask someone if they could reenact a slave hunt or whipping, etc. !? I am horrified to think people have that audacity & am truly sorry that any person should have to respond to such a F***ed up request. What the literal hell people. That really pissed me off.

    • @queenme7401
      @queenme7401 2 года назад +22

      They are trying to relive their great-great grandparents' reality.

    • @copper4422
      @copper4422 2 года назад +10

      my jaw hit the floor at a million miles an hour when i heard that. that's incredibly appalling

    • @physetermacrocephalus2209
      @physetermacrocephalus2209 2 года назад +10

      There is really only one justification for it and that is to record a truthful depiction for educational purposes. Anything else is sus.

    • @KyleEvra
      @KyleEvra 2 года назад

      Maybe it's a sadist fetish?
      Some people actually do have those.
      I agree it rather is fucked up.

    • @llamabean529
      @llamabean529 2 года назад

      This

  • @buny4773
    @buny4773 2 года назад +602

    My mouth literally fell open when you described the things people have asked you to "reenact" with them. I am so, so sorry people dared to treat you like that. It shows how vital your work is, but I wish you never had been subjected to that in the first place.
    No normal person's fantasy is to do that - it is not a fantasy world, it is a horrifying reality. Again, I am so sorry people said such vile things to you.

    • @crem-crem4070
      @crem-crem4070 2 года назад +18

      Need I remind you that the kkk exists and Antebellum is their wet dream

    • @buny4773
      @buny4773 2 года назад +84

      @@crem-crem4070 I think you might have misread my comment, or maybe I didn't communicate it correctly. I am not surprised racists exist, I am surprised they have the gall to insult Ms Cheney like this, as though it's an acceptable thing to ask. I am horrified they dared say those things. Knowing racists exist doesn't numb the sting of racism, or make it any less shocking or vile.
      Knowing the KKK exists - which Ms Cheney certainly does - doesn't make racist abuse less painful or aggravating for her.

    • @tiredoftrolls2629
      @tiredoftrolls2629 2 года назад +81

      @@buny4773 agreed. Just because something may have happened historically does not mean it should be reenacted. Horrible things shouldn't be forgotten, but they don't need to be relived, even in "play acting"

    • @lolitabubbles26
      @lolitabubbles26 2 года назад +7

      @@crem-crem4070 I don't think the contrary was even remotely implied in OP's comment.

    • @manderpandersalamander9977
      @manderpandersalamander9977 2 года назад +19

      I agree! I was mad for her! Makes me wanna go and track those people down! I also totally agree with Cheney about the lack of character development. It speaks volumes!

  • @tstymctst
    @tstymctst 2 года назад +360

    I was so disappointed by Antebellum, and you really put words to a lot of the things that bothered me about it. As a horror lover, I wish it had been a different kind of horror than just "black people (especially women) suffering for almost two hours."

    • @heatherwaddell7549
      @heatherwaddell7549 2 года назад +51

      Yesssss. It's a lot like Hostel, where they set up the subject of the commentary insultingly blatantly, and then instead of diving deeper and developing the idea they take the very basic "this is horrific" parts and relentlessly rehash them for an hour. It becomes "watch this torture porn so you know torture porn is horrific" instead of "hey this torture was done by normal people as well as monsters and let's look at who benefits from torture porn".

    • @lolitabubbles26
      @lolitabubbles26 2 года назад +25

      I do like that it shines a light on the moral ambiguity of civil war reenactment as a "hobby". But it definitely could have been done better, on practically every level lol.

    • @tacrewgirl
      @tacrewgirl 2 года назад

      This this this

    • @jessislistless
      @jessislistless 2 года назад +5

      Same here. When I read the synopsis, I assumed that it would be a loose adaptation of kindred. Unfortunately, it was just disappointing. Not nearly enough depth to the plot

    • @morganjarvis7
      @morganjarvis7 2 года назад +2

      Thats exactly how u felt! Instead of having a good plot it was just awful and hard to watch.

  • @billieflylish
    @billieflylish 2 года назад +197

    I watched Antebellum thinking it was going to be a supernatural story with civil war ghosts.. Needless to say by the end of it I was sitting there like .......😦😦😦😦what was that?!

    • @milliedragon4418
      @milliedragon4418 2 года назад +10

      That would have been awesome

    • @laurelsamson1935
      @laurelsamson1935 2 года назад +24

      Based on the trailers, that's what I was expecting too...

    • @amaravazquez8591
      @amaravazquez8591 2 года назад +30

      I thought it was gonna be like Westworld were there is a sci-fi element. But finding out that it all took place in a Civil War reenactment park felt gross and left more questions than answers.

    • @tacrewgirl
      @tacrewgirl 2 года назад

      Same

  • @calebwheeler8143
    @calebwheeler8143 2 года назад +458

    While I haven't watched this film, to me one of the big problems sounds like the enslavers in the film all being brutal sadists. As established on this channel, slavery didn't have to be actively brutal to be cruel, and most enslavers were normal people.
    And they idea that they weren't creates the idea that atrocities are done by people who are fundamentally different from us, and creates the idea by ignoring the cruelty of constant lack of freedom that you might be a "good" enslaver (to be clear, there is no such thing).

    • @hannahb2306
      @hannahb2306 2 года назад +98

      That’s exactly how I felt when I watched it. Someone doesn’t have to be a sadist or even a very “bad” person to participate in things that are inherently cruel. I feel like it’s hard to show in fiction because you either run the risk of the enslavers coming off as too sympathetic, or you have them come off as cartoon villains.

    • @meelamiela
      @meelamiela 2 года назад +5

      Great comment!

    • @calebwheeler8143
      @calebwheeler8143 2 года назад +18

      @@hannahb2306 I feel that it might work in a first-person novel, where you can get deep into a character's mind. However, I'd add two caveats:
      1. Either do a fictional system of slavery in a fantasy or sci-fi world (although with sci-fi, you'd have to explain why this technological world still needs human labour. TV Tropes' page "We Will Use Manual Labour In The Future" has some advice about that) or one so far in the past that its historical consequences are now long gone, like Roman slavery. (American slavery is historically pretty recent, and has a lot of direct consequences still in affect today, so writing first-person fiction about that feels pretty tasteless. I'm not African-American, so I'd have to ask some for their thoughts about that).
      2. Make it part of a larger story (I generally feel that books written to convey messages first and tell a story second are bad, and a story about slavery has the problem that dystopias have (they're relentlessly harsh on the main characters with limited opportunities for character development).

    • @sonorasgirl
      @sonorasgirl 2 года назад +36

      That’s also why I love JoJo Rabbit - it actually shows the complexity and how normal people can be sucked into doing horrible things

    • @CarinaHilbert
      @CarinaHilbert 2 года назад +12

      You might want to read actual accounts from slaves. It's in the Library of Congress and available for free online, and there's a YT series of famous actors reading them.

  • @lefthanddontknow673
    @lefthanddontknow673 2 года назад +197

    I find it further horrifying that it sounds like it was written primarily as an attack against strong black women. From your review, it sounds like the female characters suffered so much more than the male characters. I wanted to watch the film because I adore Janelle Monae and many of the other actors, but I had a gut wrenching feeling I couldn't take it. I'm glad to know that there is absolutely no way I could have sat through it, and now I won't even try.
    Thank you for always bringing your honest perspective. You're right, because the systemic issues still exist even if we don't keep black folks on plantations any longer, and we shouldn't idolize this period of time.

    • @rachelmcdonough1506
      @rachelmcdonough1506 2 года назад

      Not to mention- Jordan Peele seems to have a weird obsession with strangling white women to death. Wonder what Freud would have to say about that?

  • @maurinet2291
    @maurinet2291 2 года назад +120

    I'm so glad you mentioned Kindred. That's what that book did so well; it dropped a modern black woman, and eventually her white husband, into that society so you could see the underpinnings that supported it and kept the enslaved people where they were. I know that's the first time I really got it. I wish someone would adapt THAT book to a movie. Also, seems like Antebellum should have explored what you talked about; the perverse desire to resurrect that dynamic and where it comes from. And the ways it manifests. It's a control fantasy, at its core. We've recently seen another facet in the new laws about women and abortions. That would have been a worthy topic to delve into, but one that required much more personal soul searching and guts.

    • @CactusJinx
      @CactusJinx 2 года назад +5

      I read that book in highschool and loved it...

  • @carolnewey6452
    @carolnewey6452 2 года назад +184

    I haven't watched Antebellum - the idea of this happening is appalling. I am so sorry that you have received those requests - How can people even think those things are okay? Thank you for sharing your review.

    • @sarahwatts7152
      @sarahwatts7152 2 года назад +23

      I thought the same thing! They asked her to do WHAT?? I'm not sure if I should be surprised, but I absolutely am.

    • @clarencejacobowitz640
      @clarencejacobowitz640 2 года назад +37

      Yeah, I was thinking "Dude, keep your kink to consenting adults!" when she mentioned that.

    • @catherinejustcatherine1778
      @catherinejustcatherine1778 2 года назад +13

      Me too
      So appalling
      So sorry

    • @archervine8064
      @archervine8064 2 года назад +21

      I also add my WTFs. How does that even arise in someone’s mind let alone make it out of their mouth? Let alone multiple someones!

    • @catherinejustcatherine1778
      @catherinejustcatherine1778 2 года назад +3

      @@clarencejacobowitz640 ditto! (About the people asking, of course)

  • @sharonmcgriff-payne7414
    @sharonmcgriff-payne7414 2 года назад +109

    Thanks for your review of "Antebellum." As a historian, I value your thoughts. I'm beginning to wonder if Hollywood can only tell our stories through fantasy. The real story of enslaved people was horrific enough without it being retold as a fantasy. "Django Unchained" is yet another movie that missed the mark.

    • @lyysa23
      @lyysa23 2 года назад +4

      Hated Django unchained

    • @chrisavia1818
      @chrisavia1818 2 года назад

      Sharon McGrif Hollywood has rarely told anyone’s story worth a damn, it’s almost always fantasy, not just “your” story.

    • @oneangryboi408
      @oneangryboi408 2 года назад +10

      I actually liked Django Unchained. Maybe it's because I like the idea of a black story to where the enslaved rise up and take action against abuse. I know I would've been more than happy to see a movie based around one of the actual incidents of rebellions. Of course, Hollywood would jack it up in some way, no matter what is asked for.

    • @rachelmcdonough1506
      @rachelmcdonough1506 2 года назад +11

      @@oneangryboi408 The one problem I had with Django was that the one and only female character was basically a passive prop for the entire movie.

    • @kingexplosionmurderfuckoff9376
      @kingexplosionmurderfuckoff9376 Год назад

      There's so, so many documentaries and dramatic reenactments on the real life atrocities of slavery. You're just looking for things to complain about.

  • @sallymoen7932
    @sallymoen7932 2 года назад +289

    I needed this video. I couldn't sit through an entire showing of this film, so I need to see a more in-depth summary before I attempt watching it again.
    My concern about this film is that it's like porn to white nationalists i.e. KKK, Proud Boys, in that it shows what they might want. It's creepy.
    So again, I thank you for reviewing Antebellum.

    • @robyn3349
      @robyn3349 2 года назад +22

      Sounds really creepy. I avoid really creepy.

    • @88alexis
      @88alexis 2 года назад +19

      I liked it, but it did give me paranoia for a few days after watching it. Slave horror movies can be like trauma flicks for an often-token southern black girl…

    • @kaiyakershaw1028
      @kaiyakershaw1028 2 года назад +13

      “porn to white nationalists” what a powerful phrase. That is definitely a big concern. I was wondering when Cheney said it came across as written by white liberals, what that motivation could possibly be. Certainly it appears that they wouldn’t want to feed white supremacist nationalists. But it seems to somehow still sensationalize. It seems to feed the idea that modern people can’t understand that something is wrong without showing it in the extreme. Social commentaries that rely on shock value just reinforce that systemic violence is the only reality.

    • @gc2009able
      @gc2009able 2 года назад +13

      That was by far my biggest concern too as I listened to Cheney describe the film. I haven't seen it but it comes across as fantasy-fulfillment for horrible people who still very much exist. The intent of the film may have been the inverse (potentially terribly misguided white liberalism), but it seems to be lacking any protective boundaries that would hopefully undermine that fantasy-fulfillment (porn-esque) aspect for white nationalists, and as a result the film may well have two (or more) ***very*** different audiences who take from it ***very*** different things. Creepy, and ***not*** in a "we can have fun with creepy 'cause it's not real" way.

    • @alexandraaaron9705
      @alexandraaaron9705 2 года назад +5

      Thank You for Saying THIS--It is What I was Feeling at 9:07, but Couldn't Articulate

  • @carbine090909
    @carbine090909 2 года назад +92

    I've heard stories online from Disney Princesses who worked at Disneyworld complaining about having to deal with men who make passes at them. They said that Pocahontas got the brunt of it.

    • @snakesonaframe2668
      @snakesonaframe2668 2 года назад +16

      I’d insist on playing Repunsel so I could carry around a frying pan precisely for that reason. Or Merida so I could have a bow.

    • @Izzy-cp8yt
      @Izzy-cp8yt Год назад +6

      Yeah, I've heard more than a few stories from character attendants, who are the ones tasked with dealing with those guests since the characters have to stay in character no matter what. Character attendants, however, have the power to kick someone out of the meet, remove the character, and call park security to get you thrown out for harassment if it's bad enough.

  • @redcarpetfly
    @redcarpetfly 2 года назад +98

    LOL- "it doesn't add up y'all, it just doesn't add up." MAKE IT MAKE SENSE right?! LOL. I really enjoy your channel and I'm glad you are reviewing Antebellum. I also saw the movie and it was a HUGE disappointment for some many reasons but it's interesting hearing your take on it as a reenactor. You have brought up a lot of points that I didn't consider.

  • @asugirlgonenerdy
    @asugirlgonenerdy 2 года назад +32

    Wow. I cannot believe the sadistic gall of people asking you to participate in such dehumanizing and disgusting "re-enactments." That is sick and monstrous and I am SO sorry you've had those requests made of you. That said, thank you so much for all the work you do and for posting these videos!!

  • @kimlee2932
    @kimlee2932 2 года назад +54

    I consider myself an ally and very much appreciate your detail on these movies. I really feel that without your interpretation, I would not understand how badly they represent history. I know how hard it is to find accurate historical data to share that can be trusted in the representation of Black history. So, thanks to you for your straight forward interpretation of the actual history. Much love to you Miss Cheney. ❤️❤️❤️***editing again, that’s one thing I have a hard time understanding is how people don’t understand that things they say can be insensitive to other human beings.

  • @bohemiia
    @bohemiia 2 года назад +54

    The whole time watching it, I thought Janelle Monae's character was brought back in time to one of her ancestors, witnessing the horrors of slavery firsthand from the modern perspective. The twist really caught me off guard. It's frustrating that they didn't explore why any of it happened or how it was allowed to continue. Looking back it feels like a lot of the imagery was for the shock value than anything else. I did enjoy watching it at the time mainly due to the acting, the actors (especially Monae) kept me invested the whole way through.

    • @Butterflier00
      @Butterflier00 2 года назад +5

      kinda like that one movie with kirsten dunst where she goes back in time and lives as her grandmother who died in the holocaust...
      the devil's arithmetic i think it was called...

  • @Pinkhair3d
    @Pinkhair3d 2 года назад +69

    I think that the creepy modern day slavery fetishists wearing bad cosplay promotes the theme of them caring more about getting their jollies than being accurate. That certainly doesn't save the rest of the movie, though.

  • @EverythingOnIce22
    @EverythingOnIce22 2 года назад +39

    The fact that we're going into 2022 and this movie could be a real life thing if someone got it in their brain to try scares the crap out of me.

    • @joy7218
      @joy7218 Год назад +1

      Now we are in 2023

    • @childofcascadia
      @childofcascadia 3 месяца назад

      @joy7218
      And now we are in 2024.
      And the op's point still stands.

  • @micarod3251
    @micarod3251 Год назад +7

    Please come back! I miss your content

  • @PandoraKyss
    @PandoraKyss 2 года назад +35

    I adore you. If you ever visit Philadelphia, I'd love to show you some of the little known historical gems around the city. Have you ever watched 'Feast of all Saints?' It's based on the Anne Rice novel of the same name; it's about the Free People of Color in New Orleans. The miniseries was a surprisingly good adaptation!

    • @jaymillymills
      @jaymillymills 2 года назад +7

      There was a video where she visited Philly. Also they butchered Feast of All Saints just like they butchered most Anne Rice films. PERFECT casting, but the pacing sucked and there seemed to be no direction. Also as much as I love James Earl Jones, his narration was used in the wrong places. For example, why did they reveal Lissette was the Master's child so early in the film? It should have been a reveal. In places it seemed rushed. Why make it into a miniseries instead of a movie if so much is left out?

    • @jaymillymills
      @jaymillymills 2 года назад +5

      I would like to to hear her review the history of that era though.

  • @jessicabamber8732
    @jessicabamber8732 8 месяцев назад +2

    I wish you still did videos. Your videos are so great. And, people are and we’re awful. I’m sorry you have to go through this.

  • @undetestable1
    @undetestable1 2 года назад +22

    I think its interesting that you picked up on the film being set in a modern era because of the anachronisms. As someone who lacks the knowledge to notice those things. It was stuff like characters having nose rings that brought it to my attention.
    I watched the movie because like any others I thought it was at the very least inspired by Kindred. I was deeply disappointed.

  • @loretta_3843
    @loretta_3843 2 года назад +22

    Just the beginning of your explanation had me disturbed... Don't think it's something I'd enjoy watching 😳 Really enjoy hearing your knowledge and how it makes things make sense!😘

  • @dragons_of_liberty
    @dragons_of_liberty 2 года назад +42

    Horrified that people would make requests like that. I am so sorry that you had to experience that. I enjoy visiting a lot of historical sites and so there's a chance that I might witness behavior like this someday. What would you prefer that bystanders do in that situation to support you? Jump in and shout down the miscreants, stay back and let you handle it, or something else?

    • @TallTeenTurtle
      @TallTeenTurtle 2 года назад +13

      If im remembering right I think she talks about bystanders in her "Why Dont Black People Reenact" and "Harassment and Sexual Assault of African American Historical Interpreters" videos if you havent watched those.

  • @m.maclellan7147
    @m.maclellan7147 2 года назад +64

    I originally wanted to see this movie only because of Janelle Monáe , but I hate horror, so glad I made a pass on it.
    Thanks for reviewing this, though it was difficult for you.
    I am horrified by some of the things people said to you at reenactments ! I would have slapped their heads right off their necks !
    Love that pinkish top & skirt ! The leopard print top is lovely as well.
    I had to laugh when you called out the head scarves in the movie ! You always look so chic in your head scarves ! The next "historical" movie should hire you ! You'ld get it right !
    Have a great weekend !

  • @therealhellkitty5388
    @therealhellkitty5388 2 года назад +8

    Slavery required a complete socio cultural framework within which it could exist. That framework has persisted in many ways as structural racism. While black people are no longer technically enslaved, in so many ways, they are still caught within the cultural mindset that sees them as lesser beings.
    This must change. Thank you Cheney for keeping out minds open and awareness high.

  • @heatherwaddell7549
    @heatherwaddell7549 2 года назад +23

    Thank you for this video! It really hits on the problem I had with this movie, which was the absolute lack of nuance. I was really intrigued by what it could have been, and it made me angry that it never got there. As a huge horror fan, this was a great example of a failed horror film (Hostel is another prime example) that hit all the horror notes, but missed what makes good commentary; and good commentary is what makes good horror. In trying to portray the horror of "what Proud Boys/KKK/Confederates want" Antebellum accidentally made a fantasy movie for them.
    And I'll say again, it makes me so mad that what could have been a really interesting commentary and a wonderful movie (they had phenomenal actors, thoughtful costuming, and stunning cinematography) never got deep enough to live up to its potential. And now that this movie has failed, I don't know that anyone will try again, because they'll look at Antebellum and say, "well people hated that one so we shouldn't try again; no one will want a movie about the problems in idealizing history." When in reality, it is wanted and needed, we just want and need it to be done WELL.

  • @Keeks_Eek
    @Keeks_Eek 2 года назад +16

    Really enjoyed your perspective on the movie. Would you consider doing a video on Passing currently streaming on Netflix?

  • @src3360
    @src3360 2 года назад +41

    Here's a horror story....
    Our favorite problematic southern cook, Paula Deen, had her self a plantation house party that was antebellum themed. She had an all black service staff, she had black waiters, black doormen, black butlers, she had everythang but a black baby!! And when asked why on earth she thought that was a good idea she said "its just a party!" 😶😶😶

    • @CactusJinx
      @CactusJinx 2 года назад +5

      Shes wild🤐

    • @alexcurrie4514
      @alexcurrie4514 2 года назад +8

      Oh yikes.😬
      That is a phenomenal level of tone deaf.

    • @snubnosedmonke
      @snubnosedmonke 6 месяцев назад +1

      GET OUT the movie isn’t even fiction, this does happen in real lifr and that’s the real horror

  • @misssmith7225
    @misssmith7225 2 года назад +34

    That film seems like straight exploitation. I don't think I can be budged from that. BTW, I love Acorn TV.

  • @juliahaynie764
    @juliahaynie764 2 года назад +10

    Thanks for your perspective, and letting me know that I can skip this movie. I really appreciate you letting us into your brilliant and caring mind, to see the world a little more clearly!

  • @randommeasures4618
    @randommeasures4618 2 года назад +8

    I think you're absolutely right about the importance of maintaining the antagonists' motivation as a theme throughout, especially when that theme is the bigot's fantasy of a "return to unquestioned superiority & oppression". The examples you provide regarding your work don't feel like simply "nostalgia" or curiosity, but an almost malicious taste for subjugating or humiliating another human being & being socially righteous or forgiven in doing so. Such commentary is relevant to politicians pushing prejudiced platforms. But, I think that's also the key distinction: Not all of us want to return to the past; but, across cultures, we're struggling to identify the traditions worth preserving & how to let go of those holding us back but deeply entangled with our roots. Wonderful video, and you and Penny are SO adorable!

  • @InThisEssayIWill...
    @InThisEssayIWill... 2 года назад +25

    I don't do scary/horror. I feel like I might have heard some passing buzz about the film at the time but nothing that stuck. Even just hearing the premise of the film I don't understand why someone would want to make it, but I really just don't get horror.
    I can't imagine the disconnect someone would need in order to proposition you (or any black person) to engage with that stuff... Just.. what!?!
    The older I get and the more I learn, the more I realize that I had absolutely no idea about what kind of country I live in.. it stops being shocking after a while.. but it never stops being disappointing.

  • @a.munroe
    @a.munroe 2 года назад +48

    It was torture *orn. I'm really sorry, watched this video 3 times now trying to find a nicer way to say it. I really felt like it's a movie White Supremists fund, the only reason it was mildly artistic is because of the attention to framing the environment. I watched Come and See, Martyrs, Green Inferno.... But this one just felt like a different kind of wrong.

  • @tiara424777
    @tiara424777 10 месяцев назад +5

    We miss youuu

  • @Bulldog-mi3om
    @Bulldog-mi3om 11 месяцев назад +4

    I miss your videos. Content creating has got to be hard. Please comeback when you can.

  • @casir.7407
    @casir.7407 2 года назад +9

    im a film student so something like the afro flick and sip segment sounds like something really useful to actually watch and learn about more movies that i otherwise wouldnt know of. im looking forward to seeing more of it.
    that being said, i think that antebellum was so confusing bc it was clearly made with great technical prowess (the cinematography, the camera movements, the acting, everything i felt was just really excellent) but with a script so empty of new things to say, and whats worse, relies so heavily on shock value and exploitation.... thats what makes it so bad. in a sense it feels like it tries to walk the line between the horror genre (violence and terror for entertainment) and the historical/documentary genre (violence and terror for education purposes). i didnt know half of the horrors of slavery in the US and now i do. but the story of antebellum never seems to find a good reason to show all of this, especially when its so gratuitous and with such a traumatic subject. i kept comparing it to like if there was a reenactment of the state-sanctioned tortures and murders in my own country, like what sort of message would a movie about that particular case even try to communicate.
    and at the end of the video you said something really interesting, about our relationship to the past... theres an exoticism to the past i believe, a fascination with something that feels far removed from our situation, but that isnt properly examined enough. i see it in how the 80s had its resurgence and how cottagecore and dark academia grew as fashionable aesthetics and all the discourse that sparked... but it also made me really wonder what is the purpose of those civil war reenactment situations/games/events. and how it compares to historical genre movies -what do people take away from something as popular as downton abbey, for example, what pleasure can be taken from fantasizing about existing in such a different context that still was very much real.

  • @katwitanruna
    @katwitanruna 2 года назад +16

    Thank you for this. I already felt this film would be disgusting and you proved the point. As for the request of some folx, it goes beyond the pale.

  • @twistysunshine
    @twistysunshine 2 года назад +2

    "They did say they would do it lightly" wow what kindness 🙄

  • @sarannec1282
    @sarannec1282 Год назад +5

    You haven't posted in a while. I hope all is WELL. Was just thinking about you and realized it's been some time since you posted.

  • @erinwojcik4771
    @erinwojcik4771 Год назад +1

    Trauma after trauma with no character development is exactly what horror flicks do.
    Also, I love the shirt you wore for this video. The drape and flow of the ruffles are just amazing.

  • @dylan4142
    @dylan4142 2 года назад +2

    ok i never watch through sponsorship/ads but something about you makes me not wanna miss a second 😭😭

  • @lawrencescales9864
    @lawrencescales9864 2 года назад +10

    It sounds like the movie makes the same mistake stories around indigenous people make: the black characters are a blank slate until the white character shows up to put them into a situation

  • @lisettegarcia
    @lisettegarcia 2 года назад +5

    Sounds more like the black version of Margaret Atwood's _Handmaid's Tale_

  • @latoniam.pearce-prince53
    @latoniam.pearce-prince53 Год назад +2

    I stumbled on your channel this afternoon. 👀📺 I am so happy I did...I've watched 4 videos. Where are you? I hope you're well. I will continue to look for new uploads because I found your content and knowledge to be in depth, solid and entertaining. 📚📜📖💯💫

  • @darthbee18
    @darthbee18 2 года назад +5

    I have seen other reviews on Antebellum who also viewed this unfavorably, but yours is the most contextual and grounded. You don't just say if it was bad, but also *how* it was bad.
    The trickiest part of depicting the antebellum society was the slave society, and how it worked (and yeah, it needs special attention and thought to depict it *well* ), as you have pointed out. Most people know that slavery is bad but few people know *how* horrifying it was. Reenactment of the era could as the first step in the understanding of it, and (as always) I can't thank you (and other Black reenactors) enough for educating us on this period of American history.
    PS: re: giant meal tent - naaaah, they definitely wouldn't have had it, especially not the Confederacy :v :v (...not even early in the war! :v :v :v :v).

  • @michellesummers3863
    @michellesummers3863 2 года назад +3

    Thank you for saving my mental stability. When I saw the trailer I was slightly confused, but didn’t know why. Now I do! You have basically described my worst nightmare in movie form! No ma’am, ham, and or Spam! I’m good! I’mma go watch your other videos and cleanse my palate!

  • @enchantedlight
    @enchantedlight 2 года назад +19

    I am not a person that watches horror, so I honestly would have passed on this film no matter what, but it seems like they really missed the mark in general. I feel like with success of Get Out, studios are trying to find the next great horror film where race is a factor in that horror. However, that rush to find the next big thing, means that they either pick the wrong script, or rush one through were it might have worked if things were thought through a little better. I don't know where Antebellum sits on the spectrum (because I am not going to watch it), but it appears that this film, as you said, only clears the very low bar of what a horror movie is technically supposed to be. It is scary.

  • @NoirEtBlanc86
    @NoirEtBlanc86 2 года назад +6

    As long as Black and Brown bodies are viewed as property or disposable, there will always be those who feel that it is their right to use them. I watched Antebellum and I thought it was garbage. However, I do agree with your assessment 💯. I also agree with your final review of it being a teachable moment in how to make films like this.

  • @PlasticBuddha88
    @PlasticBuddha88 2 года назад +25

    I’ve heard of Black fetishization in the BDSM community, and have heard of people who have taken that to the extreme when comes to slavery and roleplay, but I had no idea people were trying to bring living historians and historical reenactors into that BS.
    Also that martini looks tasty af.

  • @cindchan
    @cindchan Год назад +3

    I don't know if I'm more horrified at the requests you have gotten, or that it's common. I just can't wrap my head around the fact that this happens! I hope that you will start making videos again! I would love to hear your take on other historic shows. I, myself, have a great love of history, but I certainly would not want to go back to any of those times!

  • @nickeyg8948
    @nickeyg8948 Год назад +2

    You are a great educator. I love learning things about the past and the present that I didn't know from you.

  • @usarmyguy1999
    @usarmyguy1999 11 месяцев назад +6

    I miss your videos.. are you ok?!?!

  • @phoneguy8369
    @phoneguy8369 2 года назад +3

    Hey! Just popping in to say that I really love your content-- I've learned so much about black American history from watching your channel, and your work regarding historical interpretation is also what inspired me to take a class on public history-- it's totally changed what I want to do with my history major. Thank you for putting out awesome content and for being an inspiration to young American historians! :D

  • @michelleross9782
    @michelleross9782 2 года назад +37

    This movie & the requests for you to be whipped or slapped could be 2 edged sword of racism & BDSM...
    I don't understand how this movie has stayed in theaters... It's horrible!!!

  • @evamaria1441
    @evamaria1441 2 года назад +6

    Why the channel didn’t update anymore? Are you okay?

  • @redbetty1284
    @redbetty1284 Год назад +3

    Your channel is so great! Will you post again soon?

  • @lyannelopez-tormos4184
    @lyannelopez-tormos4184 2 года назад +2

    I came across your channel by complete chance. (One if very VERY few times RUclips recommendations actually worked) and I have to say I’m in love! Such rich detail on the hush hush side of history! I’m very happy to have come across it and look forward to binging all the videos!

    • @markanderson0022
      @markanderson0022 2 года назад

      Beautiful comment....... hello lyanne how are you doing 👋👋👋👋

  • @sjholder1
    @sjholder1 7 месяцев назад +1

    Girl, you are my new hero, no question.

  • @aliciah4755
    @aliciah4755 Год назад +3

    I miss your channel 🥺

  • @scarletkittyeyes
    @scarletkittyeyes Год назад +1

    wow I love your insight! saw one of your shorts today and it inspired me to watch this video. thank you for this wonderful perspective 😊

  • @argusfleibeit1165
    @argusfleibeit1165 2 года назад +24

    The movie sounds pretty horrible. I wonder if the Black stars and other actors have had second thoughts about taking the parts. I'd think they were hoping for some kind of point of view to be expressed, rather than just an excuse to see white men abusing Black women.

  • @alyssaortega3185
    @alyssaortega3185 2 года назад +4

    My heart hurts just listening to you describe the plot, I'm so sorry you had to subject yourself to this film

  • @paigemprice
    @paigemprice Год назад +2

    Why am I shocked but not surprised some people would ask you to do such things

  • @Bulldog-mi3om
    @Bulldog-mi3om 11 месяцев назад +1

    That is unbelievable that folks actually ask those types of request

  • @livinginthenow
    @livinginthenow 2 года назад +15

    I want to thank you for this, Cheyney. Now I don't have to torture myself by watching this film. Sounds to me like this is a case of trauma for the sake of drama set within the theme of racist psychopaths getting their nut. Not something I would want to waste any of my precious time on. Also, lack of character development is a pet peeve of mine. Altogether, I think I'll pass.

  • @theplussizecostumer
    @theplussizecostumer 2 года назад +7

    As you got talking more and more about this film and some of your experiences, my mind just blew. My experiences are strictly white experiences. I do not pretend to know what the black community has faced in connection with enslavement. And as I learn more it just blows my mind. And I'm not a young kid. I was in 7th grade when Dr. King was murdered, I remember seeing stories of the race riots in Watts and other cities, and I remember my mother, a college secretary, telling me about the family of one of her professors having a cross burnt on their front lawn. And it always bothered me that people of color were discriminated against. One day when I was about 8 or 9 my mom and I went to see someone she knew from work. She was working in an IBEW Union office at the time. I don't remember how the subject came up but at one point the colleague, a man, turned to me and asked, if I had a choice between a black man or a white man, which would I marry. I said it would depend on which one I loved. He got really uptight and asked my mom if she knew about my thinking and she said in mock indignation that it was the first she heard about it. The man then tried to tell me things about black people like how when they get wet water just rolls off their skin. And I'm thinking but same thing happens with white people. He tried to make other disparaging comments but I don't remember anything else he said. Seemed to me that my mom got us away from him as fast as she could and we never saw him again. And nothing was ever said about the question he asked me, nor was I taken to task about my answer. But attitudes like that still confuse and concern me.

  • @playme129
    @playme129 2 года назад +1

    I admire your balance. It's one of the reasons I like to listen to you.
    I don't like horror films, and this one sounds horrific and sadistic. I'll never watch it. Dealing with reality is hard enough. Thanks for posting.

  • @bethaniejify
    @bethaniejify 2 года назад +1

    I haven’t seen this, and I’m not sure why o clicked this video, though I have been watching some of your costuming videos, but thank you for taking on this topic and talking about it with such candor.

  • @MizMissiB
    @MizMissiB 2 года назад +4

    I love your program. Thanks for your educational program

  • @lisaschaffnit2047
    @lisaschaffnit2047 2 года назад +1

    That cocktail glass is everything.

    • @markanderson0022
      @markanderson0022 2 года назад

      Hello Lisa how are you doing 👋👋😴😴

  • @johnnopeyy4129
    @johnnopeyy4129 Год назад +2

    A year ago???? Why? This is great content!

    • @shawnbay2211
      @shawnbay2211 Год назад +1

      So glad they’re back with some shorts!!

  • @sourgummiez
    @sourgummiez 2 года назад +1

    Great video, I loovveeee listening to professionals pointing out inaccuracies in films reenacting historical events like this ❤️

  • @LuminousIsis913
    @LuminousIsis913 2 года назад +10

    Hello 👋 love the channel!! I learn so much.
    Me and my husband are horror fans and from a horror perspective I think this movie failed on a few levels.
    First of all this movie sorta fits into a genre of horror that isn't as popular today, called torture horror. These movies like Saw, centipede, and Hostel are all focused on the shock of what is done to the characters more than the development of the story.
    In classic horror movies we cheer for a main character and hope they escape the killer/monster. Thats the suspense and fun seeing how they will defeat the bad guy.
    In torture horror we don't really have hope for the character and the character is really just used to terrify us with the abuse they endure.
    First fail: torture horror is hard to watch and most people won't take anything away but trauma.
    Second fail: this movie has a very different impact depending on if you are white or black. As a white person I would see the end and say oh thank God that would never happen in real life. Because I could never see myself as the white characters in the film. But a black audience can see themselves as the victim so they would not feel confident that it wouldn't happen.
    I would have written so that all audiences shared the same terror. Like a time machine is invented that can send people back to live a life in the past but you can't choose what life you live. So, people are stuck as slaves, owners, and indigenous peoples regardless of what those peoples race was in modern times.
    Thank you for listening to my Tedtalk lol

  • @elizabethmcmeens1436
    @elizabethmcmeens1436 Год назад +1

    Thank you so much for sharing your insights!

  • @physetermacrocephalus2209
    @physetermacrocephalus2209 2 года назад +1

    Please post more videos. I found your content last month and love it. I want to learn more!

  • @justhereforthevideos2798
    @justhereforthevideos2798 Год назад +2

    I miss your content!!

  • @maureenhansen3308
    @maureenhansen3308 2 года назад +1

    Wow, what a beautiful pink print. I don’t see these fabrics in regular material stores. Wish I could find them.

  • @history.sirena
    @history.sirena 2 года назад +3

    I have not seen this film, however so many of the things she is pointing out about historical dramas, the historian part of me was shouting for joy! There is so much depth that is not reached in historical films overall, especially with African-American characters. If you do not understand the history of what individuals have gone through, it will never read the way it should on the screen.

  • @tamtamz8733
    @tamtamz8733 2 года назад +3

    I would absolutely love to see Kindred as a movie.

  • @mikameeks
    @mikameeks 2 года назад

    I really hope you continue developing this as a series! Your perspective is invaluable, thank you so much for what you do!

  • @elliotgrant2080
    @elliotgrant2080 2 года назад +3

    Also is anyone else reminded vaguely of the way less heavy middle school book about the girl who grew up thinking it was the past and then finds out shes been living in a historical recreation for I think polio research

    • @Crazycool90
      @Crazycool90 2 года назад +3

      Yess! I hadn't thought about that book in forever! I see the connection, these two and the Village, all historical worlds built around the reveal that they're really in modern day, now you've sent me down the google rabbithole, I think it's Running Out of Time by Margaret Peterson you're thinking of by the way.

  • @kayculliton1399
    @kayculliton1399 Год назад +1

    Wow. Thank you for this podcast

  • @calicolyon
    @calicolyon 2 года назад +1

    I love that glass!!

  • @painterlynne
    @painterlynne 2 года назад +1

    I enjoy your channel very much, you’re amazing. The topics are heartbreaking and just make me feel so awful and sad and ashamed, if I’m honest. I appreciate the education.

  • @sylvan44
    @sylvan44 2 года назад +3

    i felt nauseous all through this video. thank you for taking the time and energy to get into this movie and everything that entails

  • @pookabunny2051
    @pookabunny2051 2 года назад +1

    I love that you reviewed this movie.

  • @bellablue5285
    @bellablue5285 2 года назад +32

    It's disgusting that it sounds like folks have found it appropriate to *ask* for the re-enactments mentioned in this video, what the heck is wrong with people.
    I've seen Antebellum, agree with the points made here, and will simply add that my viewing experience involved quite a bit of discomfort and revulsion (bit of terror too, given some of the areas I've lived in)

  • @janerainsford8996
    @janerainsford8996 2 года назад +1

    Those tents are exactly like the tents at dog shows.

    • @markanderson0022
      @markanderson0022 2 года назад

      Hello Jane beautiful comment how are you doing 👋👋👋👋

  • @laurelprenzlow776
    @laurelprenzlow776 2 года назад

    Very good points and i love how with ur experiences how u can be objective and ask the real questions then ask ourselves to be self reflective♡

  • @jaysianeira225
    @jaysianeira225 2 года назад +1

    Thank you for your honest assessment of a film i shall not watch. I love your videos.

  • @KittyKat-di6us
    @KittyKat-di6us 2 года назад +1

    I love your film videos you bring such a unique perspective as Reenactor

  • @misssmith7225
    @misssmith7225 2 года назад +52

    Have you spoken about the ridiculous story about white women making special quilts with signals on them for the underground railroad? There are people that are really invested in this revisionist "history." Anyway, love you videos.

    • @jayneterry8701
      @jayneterry8701 2 года назад +14

      The truth is black and white women and probably men as well have made underground railway quilts. ❤ Anyway, I love your videos too Cheney and am trying to learn for a new future 🌷😀🍁

    • @tiredoftrolls2629
      @tiredoftrolls2629 2 года назад +5

      I have heard that this is and isn't true. I would like to know more about it.

    • @jayneterry8701
      @jayneterry8701 2 года назад

      @@tiredoftrolls2629 there are several books written on it and programs too.

  • @cynthiapeters6422
    @cynthiapeters6422 2 года назад

    I just discovered this channel and love it so much! I notice there's not new content. I hope you are able to make more videos! Love this so much and really important history here.

  • @crazybabysittertwin
    @crazybabysittertwin 2 года назад +4

    The early trailers really were giving a very "Kindred" vibe, so when I realized it wasn't a retelling of Octavia Butler, I was actually relieved. I was still looking forward to it because the trailers made it seem very historical/contemporary mystery. Plus, given the right script, Janelle Monáe can actuality serve. I love Jena Malone, and she usually plays downtrodden heroines, so I was interested in seeing her as a villain.
    That being said, I did not enjoy this film at all. There's trauma p*rn, and then there's this... which, to me was poorly conceived, poorly written trauma with no basis. There was absolutely no character development. But all the characters from the start were one-dimensional, vaguely outlined sketches of actual humans. There was nothing to develop. On the one hand, I was actually a little relieved that there wasn't the usual effort in ficus on humanizing the villains. On the other hand, even if they never developed past where we met them, knowing who they were before and what development they had BEFORE our story began would've helped make them be more than just a group of violent caricatures.
    AND there was no real conclusion, no tying up of loose ends. She escaped and it just ended. I was so mad at this movie by the time it finished. Mad at myself for paying the Amazon rental fee. Wasn't worth it.

  • @melissablueswomanhensley634
    @melissablueswomanhensley634 2 года назад

    I am so happy I found you! This is my second video so far and I really dig what you are doing. I will personally will never watch Antebellum and am so glad you gave us the down low on it. I really look forward to delving deeper into your work! Thanks again :)

    • @melissablueswomanhensley634
      @melissablueswomanhensley634 2 года назад

      Oh and I noticed no one has commented on your hand crafted beverage... as someone who can not stand pickles it made my skin crawl as much as the movie you reviewed hahahaha but glad you enjoyed it!

  • @RebelChild92
    @RebelChild92 2 года назад +4

    I originally watched this movie mainly due to the trailer, it looked like it was like a time travel sort of movie with her maybe going back to live as her past family members. It honestly made me sick to even think that this could still be a possibility to happen behind closed doors. Doesn’t sit well.

    • @markanderson0022
      @markanderson0022 2 года назад

      Beautiful comment......Hello rebel how are you doing 👋👋👋👋

  • @sararobbins285
    @sararobbins285 2 года назад +3

    Thank you so much for your take on this. I was excited when it first was being promoted, thinking it would be a different take on a horrible time in history. I ended up waiting to see it, and I’m glad I did. Sure, I’m a fan of horror movies and like stories that raise blood pressure a bit, but for a nonsensical display of cruelty over and over toward Black characters is something that only serves to traumatize new generations, who are already bearing the brunt of generations of trauma.
    Thank you for taking the time to give it a critical eye and call out the major issues in all areas from writing to production and the nuances in costuming and set design.
    I don’t know if I’ll ever watch Antebellum; in truth, I’d rather stick with documentaries and stories of real history. There’s enough to pick through in those without adding the fictional… whatever it is… that the writers were trying for.
    And for those in shock that white reenactors have made some obnoxious and obscene requests, most white people don’t even think about those things in the context of causing emotional harm. It’s in keeping with the distance and remote privilege that whiteness encapsulates. It’s the same kind of privilege that feels threatened when actual history is brought up in schools. There’s so much work to be done by white people, myself included; because right now, I don’t think a majority of white people have ever been told WHY those questions, requests, or comments are so degrading, and until we learn and re-educate ourselves en masse, it’s going to continue to cause harm.
    Thank you so much for your videos, and thank you for all that you do.

  • @katwitanruna
    @katwitanruna 2 года назад +4

    Liked, subscribed, shared on two social medias, and wondering how many pickle gin drinks it took to get through the movie.

  • @kaiyakershaw1028
    @kaiyakershaw1028 2 года назад +6

    Who was their intended audience? I’m so confused. Surely it wasn’t supposed to be for a black audience. Why would anyone want to be re-traumatized? If it was a social commentary for white liberals, it only reinforces that systemic violence is the only reality our culture can imagine. If it’s supposed to be a social commentary that shocks “mainstream” white people into realizing how horrific slavery was, it seems to have failed to connect with the purpose or given any hint as to what changes need to be made today to correct the present situation. As another commenter pointed out, portraying certain people as abjectly evil implies that only certain “bad apples” are capable of committing such horrors, thereby letting us off the hook because we’re just regular people. That’s dangerous because it allows us to believe that we’re not we’re not capable of evil, which is definitely not the case. And using shock value is counterproductive anyway because it desensitizes us to violence and terror, which just perpetuates the cycle. It seems like typical Hollywood unfortunately.

  • @journey1439
    @journey1439 2 года назад

    Your TikTok came up on my fyp, and I just so happen to see you on my RUclips now?! It’s fate. I am so excited to follow you and learn more about your journey and activism!