 |
| Images courtesy of New Line Cinema |
House Party (1990) is, at its core, a celebration and a snapshot of black culture in the '90s, with all its ups and downs. This film was a staple for me growing up, though I was on the younger side when it came out. Since we owned it on VHS, it got a lot of playtime both at my place and at my friend's houses, and as I transitioned into my teenage years, it occasionally popped up on cable.
As a kid, I was attracted to the sizzling energy and the playful tone, and I just knew that as soon as I was old enough to go to a real house party, it would be full of people wearing cool clothes and rehearsed dance numbers. Unfortunately, the vast majority of house parties are just people awkwardly standing around, maybe drinking too much, and the shindigs promised to me by this film (mythologized in the opening, when a party is so hyped up it literally blows the roof off) never materialized.
As an adult, House Party hits very differently, and though it is still mostly a fun, carefree affair, the darker elements stand out more. Christopher, AKA "Kid" to his peers, is a high schooler who is aspiring to be a rapper. His life is a balance between doing well in school to appease his father, Mr. Robinson (Robin Harris), and trying to impress the ladies and his friends. Although Kid's father is portrayed as the main antagonist, this is only from his perspective; it's clear that his father is overworked and underpaid, and that he's a single dad as well.
Black films were just starting to become more mainstream in Hollywood at the time, and this was also when they were transitioning into mostly serious dramas about life in the hood. House Party is about young adults trying to have a fun night on the surface, but it is also about the transition of black culture from the '80s to the '90s and the changes that came along with it.
In 1983, director Reginald Hudlin made a short film called House Party for his college thesis, and he kept many of its sequences in the full-length 1990 version. Even as generations change, many things remain universal, and aside from differences in fashion and music, the vibe of the two works is similar. For Hudlin, making the newer version of the story must have felt nostalgic, as when he made the first film, he was closer to the protagonists' age, and now he was several years older and more experienced. That is why the adult characters feel fleshed out and complex, and there is an underlying sadness for the way that the older generations faded into the background.
All of this tug-and-war between the urge to party and deeper societal issues is wrapped in fantastic cinematography and popping colors. '90s hip-hop fashion was just coming onto the scene, full of bright primary colors and pattern mixing, and Peter Deming's cinematography helps it jump off the screen. Deming has worked with Sam Raimi, David Lynch, and Wes Craven, and has mostly shot horror and comedy films.
The dynamic way he uses the camera really lends itself to the party scenes, which have a thrumming energy and infectious vibe that make the viewer want to join in. The soundtrack is also an all-timer and filled with songs from Kid 'n Play, Full Force, and Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam; it was one of my favorite cassette tapes I had, and it hardly left my tape player.
House Party is a film about dichotomies: colorism, old versus young, the past versus the future, and the choices people make that feel good in the moment, repercussions be damned. It's alive and joyful, and an excellent time capsule of the early '90s.
DIRECTOR-APPROVED CRITERION 4K UHD + BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES
New 4K digital restoration, supervised by director of photography Peter Deming and approved by writer-director Reginald Hudlin, with 4.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack
One 4K UHD disc of the film presented in Dolby Vision HDR and one Blu-ray with the film and special features
New audio commentary featuring Hudlin
New conversation featuring Hudlin, producer Warrington Hudlin, and film scholar Racquel Gates
New cast reunion featuring actors B-Fine, Bowlegged Lou, and the Legend Paul Anthony of Full Force; Tisha Campbell; AJ Johnson; Christopher “Play” Martin; Daryl “Chill” Mitchell; and Christopher “Kid” Reid
House Party (1983), the student short by Reginald Hudlin on which his feature is based
Trailer
English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
PLUS: An essay by author Michael Harriot
New cover by Gabe Tiberino
--Michelle Kisner