Blaxploitation, a hybrid of "black" and "exploitation", and holding parallels, in both name and context, from the exploitation film sub-genre. This style of film-making tends to exploit the current trend of topical Western popular-culture as seen as the socio-political point of the day, and in the case of Blaxploitation, this very much tends to focus on, since its titular tag-line being first penned in the very early nineteen-seventies, in and around the African American culture.
We see here in writers' Corey Harrell and Deon Taylor performing their art and bringing to life their individual interpretation of Blaxploitation in the guise of The House Next Door. This is, also, a new and refreshing complement to this sub-genre, with contemporary Blaxploitation films as They Cloned Tyrone (2023), Black Dynamite (2009), Undercover Brother (2002) and I'm Gonna Git You Sucka (1988) taking the helm. The House Next Door combines the horror genre that parodies, to a point, the 1972 cult film Blacula and the paranoia of the suburbs, as seen in The 'Burbs (1989) conformist's narrative and its threat via individualism and Fright Night (1985) adding to this theme of stranger-danger scenario.
The House Next Door is working within the constructs of the Blaxploitation genre; some call them clichés, and more to the point, stereotyping, of the chosen clientele. However, this is exactly the purpose this sub-genre asks for. Its all part of the masterplan of this genre, to precisely exploit its surroundings and to never take itself seriously, to more akin to the adage of "A truer word said in jest", here lies the undercurrent of The House Next Door, with its socio-political perspective of the normal-every-day-life and its challenges against the norm in the guise of the new neighbour and his swimming-against-the-tide of conformity; pimp-daddy is in the 'hood and now wants to covet your wife and daughter's. The House Next Door title, too, rings bells to the tune of The House That Dripped Blood (1971), The Last House on the Left (1972), House at the End of the Street (2012) and House at the End of the Drive (2014), for examples, and with this terraced property of comparable titles moves into a fine street of properties.
In spite of its poor theatrical box office reception what then may be seen as the death-knell for some, it can, in fact be a winner in other avenues. There are box office flops that went on to be popular in other mediums or even cult classics, such as the midnight movie The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), The Big Lebowski (1998) and Fight Club (1999), perhaps flopping just may give The House Next Door the injection it is worthy of?
The script here is tremendous; witty, sarcastic, mocking and extremely puerile to boot, and at times, contradictory adult in nature, it is this what gives The House Next Door is personality; The characters' its charisma and the whole production its charm. It all makes perfect sense within the context of the narrative. One may differ from this perspective, that, like Monty Pythons' Life of Brian (1979), there is a message that is both serious and made with such vigour of satire that you rather love it or hate it. Is Blaxploitation, i.e. The House Next Door, a fact differing of tastes due to insular-culturalism or can it be braced by a wider train of thought? It's all subjective, like all film genres in general; The House Next Door is a gallant contender to this family of its brothers and sisters. It simply does not take itself seriously, and is truly an enjoyable, funny film from the family of Blaxploitation that is more than welcome to the neighbourhood.
We see here in writers' Corey Harrell and Deon Taylor performing their art and bringing to life their individual interpretation of Blaxploitation in the guise of The House Next Door. This is, also, a new and refreshing complement to this sub-genre, with contemporary Blaxploitation films as They Cloned Tyrone (2023), Black Dynamite (2009), Undercover Brother (2002) and I'm Gonna Git You Sucka (1988) taking the helm. The House Next Door combines the horror genre that parodies, to a point, the 1972 cult film Blacula and the paranoia of the suburbs, as seen in The 'Burbs (1989) conformist's narrative and its threat via individualism and Fright Night (1985) adding to this theme of stranger-danger scenario.
The House Next Door is working within the constructs of the Blaxploitation genre; some call them clichés, and more to the point, stereotyping, of the chosen clientele. However, this is exactly the purpose this sub-genre asks for. Its all part of the masterplan of this genre, to precisely exploit its surroundings and to never take itself seriously, to more akin to the adage of "A truer word said in jest", here lies the undercurrent of The House Next Door, with its socio-political perspective of the normal-every-day-life and its challenges against the norm in the guise of the new neighbour and his swimming-against-the-tide of conformity; pimp-daddy is in the 'hood and now wants to covet your wife and daughter's. The House Next Door title, too, rings bells to the tune of The House That Dripped Blood (1971), The Last House on the Left (1972), House at the End of the Street (2012) and House at the End of the Drive (2014), for examples, and with this terraced property of comparable titles moves into a fine street of properties.
In spite of its poor theatrical box office reception what then may be seen as the death-knell for some, it can, in fact be a winner in other avenues. There are box office flops that went on to be popular in other mediums or even cult classics, such as the midnight movie The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), The Big Lebowski (1998) and Fight Club (1999), perhaps flopping just may give The House Next Door the injection it is worthy of?
The script here is tremendous; witty, sarcastic, mocking and extremely puerile to boot, and at times, contradictory adult in nature, it is this what gives The House Next Door is personality; The characters' its charisma and the whole production its charm. It all makes perfect sense within the context of the narrative. One may differ from this perspective, that, like Monty Pythons' Life of Brian (1979), there is a message that is both serious and made with such vigour of satire that you rather love it or hate it. Is Blaxploitation, i.e. The House Next Door, a fact differing of tastes due to insular-culturalism or can it be braced by a wider train of thought? It's all subjective, like all film genres in general; The House Next Door is a gallant contender to this family of its brothers and sisters. It simply does not take itself seriously, and is truly an enjoyable, funny film from the family of Blaxploitation that is more than welcome to the neighbourhood.