Baby Boy - A pretty funny hood movie, coming-of-age even though the main character was an adult, albeit 20 years old. I'm not sure if the movie was supposed to be funny, but I laughed quite a bit from it. I didn't like Tyrese Gibson's character, but his performance was so good and the end of his arc was lovely. Taraji P. Henson's performance does a lot to make such a submissive character entertaining. Snoop Dogg was decent, AJ Johnson was nice. The supporting cast on this is impressive. My absolute favorite performance was from Ving Rhames. He was funny, a little quirky, and so charismatic. An unconventionally awesome father figure. The movie is the last in John Singleton's Hood Trilogy. It's also the last film he wrote and directed. He would direct 3 more films, but didn't write them. The fact this ended his Hood Trilogy stuck with me. It was to the point where I was forgiving some of the narrative and character flaws. There's just something magnetic about this movie, and I was engaged for the fairly long 2 hour runtime. It feels like John Singleton's swansong, even though it's technically not. It does link up nicely with Poetic Justice and Boys n the Hood. They're movies with somewhat messy narratives, but the storytelling is passionate, and the craft is impressive. The editing and cinematography in Baby Boy is very nice. The soundtrack's also cool, quite a bit of Snoop Dogg unenterprisingly. I was torn on what rating to give it, but I'm feeling especially nice. So it gets an 8/10.
Training Day - King Kong ain't got shit on this movie! Aw man, I loved revisiting this. I think it had been 15 years since I first watched it, and the movie has seemingly gotten better with age. It's now seen as a hood classic. I did go into this latest viewing believing that Denzel Washington would absolutely rule. He did, but I think it's a 2-hander movie with Ethan Hawke delivering. There was a point halfway through the movie where Hawke's character's lip quivers. That stuck with me, it was a turning point for me because from that point on, he really got as close to Denzel's level as possible. He basically dominates the 2nd half of the movie anyway as Denzel disappears for a good chunk. The movie was David Ayer's big breakout as a screenwriter, which led to him graduating to director. The style he exhibited in this film influenced crime/thrillers that followed it, as well as informing his work in the 2000s. Pretty much the stuff he did before Suicide Squad showed how great of a filmmaker he was. But to this day, Training Day is the best thing he ever worked on. This surpasses his directorial efforts. His script demonstrated street knowledge, but Antoine Fuqua's direction gave the film so many legs to stand on. He added a lot of grit to the film, and the chemistry he had with Denzel Washington opened the door for that man to really play. I think Training Day is the most Denzel Washington performance, which unsurprisingly means it's one of his best performances. An Oscar win that's so well deserved, and I think it has aged beautifully. Maybe at the time, Russell Crowe for A Beatiful Mind would've been great, but Denzel's performance in Training Day is more worthy of being remembered in that context. I was in awe of his performance. He was absolutely captivating. Other members of the cast were great. Some rappers and prolific supporting actors such as Noel Gugliemi delivered some memorable moments. This was one Terry Crews' first films, opening the door for him to have a great career. I really love this movie. The acting, the pacing, the intensity, it all just worked. Some silly plot conveniences that go against the heightened realism of the script, but the movie is an undeniable beast. It's surgical with this bitch. 9/10
Tales From the Hood - A darkly funny horror anthology that actually says some real shit. Each story is an effective commentary on the traumas Black suffer. Police brutality, racism, domestic abuse, gang/gun violence. Maybe there's some heavy-handedness, but the storytelling is very fun. It seems to get more serious as the movie progressed, with the last story being a real doozy. Some of the visual effects are nice, some are very silly, but always charming. The cast here is really good. Because of watching so many 90s hood movies this month, I'm already very familiar with much of the cast, such as Joe Torry, who was in Poetic Justice. Roger Guenveur Smith was also in Poetic Smith, he's in this. Samuel Monroe Jr was in Menace II Society. Clarence Williams wasn't in anything I saw recently, but I remember him from Reindeer Games and Deep Cover, the latter of which Roger Guenveur Smith was in. David Alan Grier in a rare non-comedic role was in this. Wings Hauser, who passed away last year, was a nasty bastard in this. He was best as a villain. Amazingly, the redhead who was in Samurai Cop has a brief appearance in this! I immediately recognized her. She didn't talk though. The soundtrack here was very good. My favorite song on here easily was Born II Die from Spice 1. Anyway, this was my first Rusty Cundieff film. It certainly won't be the last. 8/10
Da 5 Bloods - It had been a year since I watched a Spike Lee film and boy was this a reminder of his style. The opening montage features Vietnam War footage, mutilated bodies, people murdered, Civil Rights icons talking, things that hammer on home what this movie's backdrop is. The editing can be spastic at times. Dialogue is charged up and delivered in a way that's practically direct at the audience. Even down to actors talking right into the camera. The famous double dolly shot is used. The script originally was about old white Vietnam vets, so Spike Lee was able to fully configure that to match his vision for Treasures of the Sierra Madre-type movie. And that's another thing, he wears his influences on his sleeve, with that and Apocalypse Now being so apparent. I was able to get into this type of directing, but found myself more captivated when the actors just got to play and there's a lot of breathing room. And the person who captivated me the most was Delroy Lindo. His performance here was absolutely fantastic. He was the main reason I wanted to watch this movie. This performance was smubbed at the Oscars. That's criminal, there was plenty of room for the guy. The movie came out in 2020, which was a weird year for movies. That goes without saying. The safest category for him would've been Best Supporting Actor, but he's in the movie a lot, and is even billed first. So I could've seen him in the Lead Actor category. Anyway, the quality of acting is kind of dictated by experience working with Spike Lee. Because Lindo has worked with him on multiple films, that experience paid off. He was the perfect vessel for Spike Lee's particular storytelling, while also being compelling in his own right. The recent Sinners nomination makes up for this egregious snub. Kind of, his performance in Sinners is so small compared to this one.
The other old men did a great job, Jonathan Majors was very good and could've been a great regular for Spike Lee films, and it was nice seeing Jean Reno after so many years. His accent was a little distracting because it sounded like he was instructed to make his English sound more flavored by French. Or maybe he hadn't spoken English in a while and thus sounded less fluent. Chadwick Bosemen has a small role, but an amazing one. This was the last film that released while he was alive, and I interpreted it as a eulogy of sorts. His character died in the Vietnam War, so much of the movie is flashing back to him, remembering him. The white actors were okay, but nowhere near as good as the older Black actors. Paul Walter Hauser really stuck out here, he was such a goober. The narrative is sometimes clunky, with some breaks in tone that take me out of the film a bit. It would be so damn cheesy at times, and the final act of the movie is suddenly action-packed, almost like a Rambo shootout scene. That's funny since they crapped on Rambo and Missing in Action earlier in the movie. The movie also took a long time to wrap up. It's definitely a flawed film, but it hits so hard at points, and the acting really carries it. Certain visual choices are great, and Spike Lee's directing was still mostly sharp. I didn't feel the runtime at all, which was a major concern going into the movie. The score is the only thing that got an Oscar nomination, which is crazy because I think it's one of the weakest aspects of the movie! It's not bad, but it sounds very familiar, especially with the wartime kind of music used. Plus the heavy use of Marvin Gaye overshadows the original music. Marvin Gaye's basically the voice of the movie.
It was also nice to watch a movie that shits on Donald Trump. "President Bone Spurs. Reality TV Clown." It's also crazy to watch this the day after Tales From the Hood because that film also has a montage using graphic archive photos. They were mostly lynchings and other acts of violence committed against Black people. But it hits the same tone as this film. Spike Lee was the executive producer of Tales From the Hood. Anyway, overall, Da 5 Bloods is a very good movie. Delroy Lindo was the MVP. 8/10
Hollywood Shuffle - A great comedy made by Robert Townsend. The story of how he made it is so admirable, a lovely indie filmmaking journey. Importantly, it was the first film Keenen Ivory Wayans worked on. He was the co-screenwriter. That led to I'm Gonna Git You Sucka, which led to In Loving Color, which led to major careers for Marlon Wayans and Shawn Wayans, which led to Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood and the first 2 Scary Movies. I just love discovering that Hollywood Shuffle and Robert Townsend planted those seeds. Right after watching the movie, I finished watching the 4 hour Tyler Perry video from FD Signifier, which referenced Townsend and Hollywood Shuffle. Watching this movie, you can tell that it's written by a Wayans brother with the sharp and pointed spoof humor. I think Townsend put a lot of heart in the movie. The main narrative is very nice and endearing, but I think the movie shines best in the sketches. It's very short and sweet, only 81 minutes. 8.5/10
House Party - It was a party alright. This was a very fun teen comedy, seemingly the midpoint between Animal House and Superbad. It feels more lively and dazzling than Superbad, in my opinion. There's a colorful cast of characters, entertaining subplots, and an amazing soundtrack. That includes the rapping sections from Kid n' Play, Kid even has solo rap performances. The dancing is also nice, and the cinematography is so clean. It was consistently funny, with almost every notable character being entertaining. Kid n' Play were good in their own right. Martin Lawrence and Tisha Campbell were so charismatic and funny. Robin Harris was hilarious, he sadly passed away the year this came out. You can tell who were the veteran comedians as they would basically go off without any interruption. Harris did that, as well as John Witherspoon! It was a treat to see him, though like Hollywood Shuffle, his role is very small. It's wild seeing actors I just saw recently. For example, AJ Johnson and Clifton Powell were in Baby Boy and Menace II Society, respectively. Powell was also in Dead Presidents. I really didn't expect to watch Powell multiple times this month, but I was totally fine with it. Ludi C. Washington was in Hollywood Shuffle, his role here is much smaller. I recognized Desi Arnez Hines II from Boyz n the Hood, another small role. The Full Force guys were also entertaining. Another musician who was part of the cast was George Clinton, though he's only in one scene. Of course Parliament is on the soundtrack. So is Flava Flav, Eric B. & Rakim, and Full Force. Oh and I am familiar with Daryl Mitchell. It's pretty cool that this movie is now in the Criterion Collection. It's really a creative and energetic comedy. I read that the movie was originally offered to Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff. I wonder how that would've played out. Anyway, I really enjoyed this movie. I think it's an essential hip-hop movie, a snapshot of 1990 with the 80s vibes still going strong, and the 90s being previewed. 8/10
Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood - This was designated as the final film I watch in this Black History Month that covered most of the hood movies spoofed by the Wayans. This is a childhood favorite, I've seen Don't Be a Menace so many times. I think the last time I watched it was 2015. A long time, but so many moments from it have been burned in my brain that I'd vividly recall them for weeks before this viewing. So yeah, there was no way this movie would not hold up. I had an absolute blast watching this. I think it works as a standalone comedy where you don't have to get all the references. That's how it was for me during childhood. Hell, this movie also works as a comedic summary of those hood movies. I was essentially introduced to Boyz n the Hood and Menace II Society through this movie. As this was my first time watching the movie after seeing all those hood movies, it felt a little more fresh. I was able to quickly recognize the references, and was even blown away of the smallest details. I think how much of a movie was spoofed indicates how great it was. So Boyz n the Hood and Menace II Society were the best films since it got spoofed so much. The framework of both movies was adapted here. South Central got some of the least spoofs, indicating how poor that movie is. Then again, Juice barely got parodied and that's a great movie. Higher Learning wasn't touched on as much as others, but how they spoofed it was brilliant! This is one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. Despite dozens of viewings, I was still able to laugh so many damn times. It reached the point of crying and hurting my throat!This is top-notch Wayans Brothers comedy. The attention to detail is amazing despite them goofing off a lot. Marlon Wayans said that Keenen made him and Shawn write drafts of the script until they were tears. After 27 rewrites, the script was approved. That amount of fine-tuning is very clear in this movie. It's very tight with the perfect rhythm and runtime at just about 89 minutes. It never overstays its welcome, no sequences run on too long, and it never has me not smiling! Perhaps an acquired taste as the Wayans aren't universally loved. Some jokes are homophobic, but the movie holds up really well. It's 30 years old and this kind of nonstop comedy is very rare these days, and the ones from recent times go straight to streaming anyway. The soundtrack is also great. One thing the previous hood movies didn't have is Wu Tang! This movie has Wu Tang! I know some of the movies came out before Wu Tang Clan came on the scene, but still, that's a quintessential hip-hop icon from the 90s and this movie has that representation. Granted, it's a few members of Wu Tang Clan. The point still stands. Anyway, Don't Be a Menace is a comedic masterpiece in my opinion. 10/10
Training Day - King Kong ain't got shit on this movie! Aw man, I loved revisiting this. I think it had been 15 years since I first watched it, and the movie has seemingly gotten better with age. It's now seen as a hood classic. I did go into this latest viewing believing that Denzel Washington would absolutely rule. He did, but I think it's a 2-hander movie with Ethan Hawke delivering. There was a point halfway through the movie where Hawke's character's lip quivers. That stuck with me, it was a turning point for me because from that point on, he really got as close to Denzel's level as possible. He basically dominates the 2nd half of the movie anyway as Denzel disappears for a good chunk. The movie was David Ayer's big breakout as a screenwriter, which led to him graduating to director. The style he exhibited in this film influenced crime/thrillers that followed it, as well as informing his work in the 2000s. Pretty much the stuff he did before Suicide Squad showed how great of a filmmaker he was. But to this day, Training Day is the best thing he ever worked on. This surpasses his directorial efforts. His script demonstrated street knowledge, but Antoine Fuqua's direction gave the film so many legs to stand on. He added a lot of grit to the film, and the chemistry he had with Denzel Washington opened the door for that man to really play. I think Training Day is the most Denzel Washington performance, which unsurprisingly means it's one of his best performances. An Oscar win that's so well deserved, and I think it has aged beautifully. Maybe at the time, Russell Crowe for A Beatiful Mind would've been great, but Denzel's performance in Training Day is more worthy of being remembered in that context. I was in awe of his performance. He was absolutely captivating. Other members of the cast were great. Some rappers and prolific supporting actors such as Noel Gugliemi delivered some memorable moments. This was one Terry Crews' first films, opening the door for him to have a great career. I really love this movie. The acting, the pacing, the intensity, it all just worked. Some silly plot conveniences that go against the heightened realism of the script, but the movie is an undeniable beast. It's surgical with this bitch. 9/10
Tales From the Hood - A darkly funny horror anthology that actually says some real shit. Each story is an effective commentary on the traumas Black suffer. Police brutality, racism, domestic abuse, gang/gun violence. Maybe there's some heavy-handedness, but the storytelling is very fun. It seems to get more serious as the movie progressed, with the last story being a real doozy. Some of the visual effects are nice, some are very silly, but always charming. The cast here is really good. Because of watching so many 90s hood movies this month, I'm already very familiar with much of the cast, such as Joe Torry, who was in Poetic Justice. Roger Guenveur Smith was also in Poetic Smith, he's in this. Samuel Monroe Jr was in Menace II Society. Clarence Williams wasn't in anything I saw recently, but I remember him from Reindeer Games and Deep Cover, the latter of which Roger Guenveur Smith was in. David Alan Grier in a rare non-comedic role was in this. Wings Hauser, who passed away last year, was a nasty bastard in this. He was best as a villain. Amazingly, the redhead who was in Samurai Cop has a brief appearance in this! I immediately recognized her. She didn't talk though. The soundtrack here was very good. My favorite song on here easily was Born II Die from Spice 1. Anyway, this was my first Rusty Cundieff film. It certainly won't be the last. 8/10
Da 5 Bloods - It had been a year since I watched a Spike Lee film and boy was this a reminder of his style. The opening montage features Vietnam War footage, mutilated bodies, people murdered, Civil Rights icons talking, things that hammer on home what this movie's backdrop is. The editing can be spastic at times. Dialogue is charged up and delivered in a way that's practically direct at the audience. Even down to actors talking right into the camera. The famous double dolly shot is used. The script originally was about old white Vietnam vets, so Spike Lee was able to fully configure that to match his vision for Treasures of the Sierra Madre-type movie. And that's another thing, he wears his influences on his sleeve, with that and Apocalypse Now being so apparent. I was able to get into this type of directing, but found myself more captivated when the actors just got to play and there's a lot of breathing room. And the person who captivated me the most was Delroy Lindo. His performance here was absolutely fantastic. He was the main reason I wanted to watch this movie. This performance was smubbed at the Oscars. That's criminal, there was plenty of room for the guy. The movie came out in 2020, which was a weird year for movies. That goes without saying. The safest category for him would've been Best Supporting Actor, but he's in the movie a lot, and is even billed first. So I could've seen him in the Lead Actor category. Anyway, the quality of acting is kind of dictated by experience working with Spike Lee. Because Lindo has worked with him on multiple films, that experience paid off. He was the perfect vessel for Spike Lee's particular storytelling, while also being compelling in his own right. The recent Sinners nomination makes up for this egregious snub. Kind of, his performance in Sinners is so small compared to this one.
The other old men did a great job, Jonathan Majors was very good and could've been a great regular for Spike Lee films, and it was nice seeing Jean Reno after so many years. His accent was a little distracting because it sounded like he was instructed to make his English sound more flavored by French. Or maybe he hadn't spoken English in a while and thus sounded less fluent. Chadwick Bosemen has a small role, but an amazing one. This was the last film that released while he was alive, and I interpreted it as a eulogy of sorts. His character died in the Vietnam War, so much of the movie is flashing back to him, remembering him. The white actors were okay, but nowhere near as good as the older Black actors. Paul Walter Hauser really stuck out here, he was such a goober. The narrative is sometimes clunky, with some breaks in tone that take me out of the film a bit. It would be so damn cheesy at times, and the final act of the movie is suddenly action-packed, almost like a Rambo shootout scene. That's funny since they crapped on Rambo and Missing in Action earlier in the movie. The movie also took a long time to wrap up. It's definitely a flawed film, but it hits so hard at points, and the acting really carries it. Certain visual choices are great, and Spike Lee's directing was still mostly sharp. I didn't feel the runtime at all, which was a major concern going into the movie. The score is the only thing that got an Oscar nomination, which is crazy because I think it's one of the weakest aspects of the movie! It's not bad, but it sounds very familiar, especially with the wartime kind of music used. Plus the heavy use of Marvin Gaye overshadows the original music. Marvin Gaye's basically the voice of the movie.
It was also nice to watch a movie that shits on Donald Trump. "President Bone Spurs. Reality TV Clown." It's also crazy to watch this the day after Tales From the Hood because that film also has a montage using graphic archive photos. They were mostly lynchings and other acts of violence committed against Black people. But it hits the same tone as this film. Spike Lee was the executive producer of Tales From the Hood. Anyway, overall, Da 5 Bloods is a very good movie. Delroy Lindo was the MVP. 8/10
Hollywood Shuffle - A great comedy made by Robert Townsend. The story of how he made it is so admirable, a lovely indie filmmaking journey. Importantly, it was the first film Keenen Ivory Wayans worked on. He was the co-screenwriter. That led to I'm Gonna Git You Sucka, which led to In Loving Color, which led to major careers for Marlon Wayans and Shawn Wayans, which led to Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood and the first 2 Scary Movies. I just love discovering that Hollywood Shuffle and Robert Townsend planted those seeds. Right after watching the movie, I finished watching the 4 hour Tyler Perry video from FD Signifier, which referenced Townsend and Hollywood Shuffle. Watching this movie, you can tell that it's written by a Wayans brother with the sharp and pointed spoof humor. I think Townsend put a lot of heart in the movie. The main narrative is very nice and endearing, but I think the movie shines best in the sketches. It's very short and sweet, only 81 minutes. 8.5/10
House Party - It was a party alright. This was a very fun teen comedy, seemingly the midpoint between Animal House and Superbad. It feels more lively and dazzling than Superbad, in my opinion. There's a colorful cast of characters, entertaining subplots, and an amazing soundtrack. That includes the rapping sections from Kid n' Play, Kid even has solo rap performances. The dancing is also nice, and the cinematography is so clean. It was consistently funny, with almost every notable character being entertaining. Kid n' Play were good in their own right. Martin Lawrence and Tisha Campbell were so charismatic and funny. Robin Harris was hilarious, he sadly passed away the year this came out. You can tell who were the veteran comedians as they would basically go off without any interruption. Harris did that, as well as John Witherspoon! It was a treat to see him, though like Hollywood Shuffle, his role is very small. It's wild seeing actors I just saw recently. For example, AJ Johnson and Clifton Powell were in Baby Boy and Menace II Society, respectively. Powell was also in Dead Presidents. I really didn't expect to watch Powell multiple times this month, but I was totally fine with it. Ludi C. Washington was in Hollywood Shuffle, his role here is much smaller. I recognized Desi Arnez Hines II from Boyz n the Hood, another small role. The Full Force guys were also entertaining. Another musician who was part of the cast was George Clinton, though he's only in one scene. Of course Parliament is on the soundtrack. So is Flava Flav, Eric B. & Rakim, and Full Force. Oh and I am familiar with Daryl Mitchell. It's pretty cool that this movie is now in the Criterion Collection. It's really a creative and energetic comedy. I read that the movie was originally offered to Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff. I wonder how that would've played out. Anyway, I really enjoyed this movie. I think it's an essential hip-hop movie, a snapshot of 1990 with the 80s vibes still going strong, and the 90s being previewed. 8/10
Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood - This was designated as the final film I watch in this Black History Month that covered most of the hood movies spoofed by the Wayans. This is a childhood favorite, I've seen Don't Be a Menace so many times. I think the last time I watched it was 2015. A long time, but so many moments from it have been burned in my brain that I'd vividly recall them for weeks before this viewing. So yeah, there was no way this movie would not hold up. I had an absolute blast watching this. I think it works as a standalone comedy where you don't have to get all the references. That's how it was for me during childhood. Hell, this movie also works as a comedic summary of those hood movies. I was essentially introduced to Boyz n the Hood and Menace II Society through this movie. As this was my first time watching the movie after seeing all those hood movies, it felt a little more fresh. I was able to quickly recognize the references, and was even blown away of the smallest details. I think how much of a movie was spoofed indicates how great it was. So Boyz n the Hood and Menace II Society were the best films since it got spoofed so much. The framework of both movies was adapted here. South Central got some of the least spoofs, indicating how poor that movie is. Then again, Juice barely got parodied and that's a great movie. Higher Learning wasn't touched on as much as others, but how they spoofed it was brilliant! This is one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. Despite dozens of viewings, I was still able to laugh so many damn times. It reached the point of crying and hurting my throat!This is top-notch Wayans Brothers comedy. The attention to detail is amazing despite them goofing off a lot. Marlon Wayans said that Keenen made him and Shawn write drafts of the script until they were tears. After 27 rewrites, the script was approved. That amount of fine-tuning is very clear in this movie. It's very tight with the perfect rhythm and runtime at just about 89 minutes. It never overstays its welcome, no sequences run on too long, and it never has me not smiling! Perhaps an acquired taste as the Wayans aren't universally loved. Some jokes are homophobic, but the movie holds up really well. It's 30 years old and this kind of nonstop comedy is very rare these days, and the ones from recent times go straight to streaming anyway. The soundtrack is also great. One thing the previous hood movies didn't have is Wu Tang! This movie has Wu Tang! I know some of the movies came out before Wu Tang Clan came on the scene, but still, that's a quintessential hip-hop icon from the 90s and this movie has that representation. Granted, it's a few members of Wu Tang Clan. The point still stands. Anyway, Don't Be a Menace is a comedic masterpiece in my opinion. 10/10
Last edited by RustInPeace,
