5/5 I'm going to mind my........business
  by Sid the Elf (North Pole)
At this point in time you may or may not know about Sid the Elf and the movie choices we make. For the most part we seek out b but always sprinkle in classics that weigh heavy in the sentimental department. There are more then a handful of our personal classics ranging from every genre which leads us to the original House Party. It was one of those we used to pop in VHS style to set off a long evening of happy times. We'd always start with comedy early on saving a nice horror or unrated Movie Channel feature for the later part of the evening. It may not make sense to most, but for us it was the best times which are still talked about on a weekly basis.

For those of you not familiar with House Party we give a brief breakdown of it's comic goodness. The films stars 80's/early 90's rap duo Kid n Play as they set off to throw a big party while Play's parents are out of town. Along the way plenty happens thanks to Kid's angry father, a gang of street toughs from school, and some insanely hilarious dance offs. It's one of those films that could only make sense for the era it came out in which is why we love it. The 80's and 90's just have a certain feel that can't be beat. Now that many years have passed since our last viewing, when it came on t.v Saturday afternoon we figured why not revisit it again and throw it in the review library. For us it's a classic and piece of Sid history worthy of a 5 star rating even after all these years.

5/5 my favorite movie
  by Brittany Clark (Cincy, OH)
the movie was in really good condition looked brand new and play's like it's brand new. i love this movie and i was really excited to find it at such a low cost.

4/5 One of the funniest urban comedies ever made
  by Derrick Dunn (Woodbridge,VA)
House Party is sort of like a urban take on Risky Business in the sense that boy has party when parents go out of town for the weekend but the comparison end there. Kid and Play make one of the first hip hop films of the nineties which had a plot. Many young black comedic actors got their start in this film like Martin Lawerence and AJ Johnson. But the true comedic talent in the film is the late Robin Harris. The world only knows what Harris could have done. The script is smart and the direction by Regiland Hudlin is good.

5/5 Great Hip Hop classic
  by S. C. Winfield (Mid-West)
When you check many hip hop heads' movie collection, you might NOT see this movie. The reason why is because they usually have the movie memorized word for word and don't need it to enjoy the classic memories.

House Party is the first of 4 of 5 sequels. The reason why, is because this movie was so much fun to watch. Most people from that time (1990, New Jack Swing era) share the same experiences: the dancing, the quarrels with bullies, the sneaking out of the house, and lastly, the whoopings.

The toughest part of this movie, for new viewers, is the extreme campiness of the film. Fun fact: Fresh Prince and Jazzy Jeff were supposed to play Kid'n'Play, so that explains a lot. Also, the movie has horrible acting, and cheesy dialog.

However, the soundtrack is great and the scenes can be funny.

Overall, the cult classic is a must have for all movie collectors.


4/5 Good old fashion Hip-hop comedy
  by Jenny J.J.I. (That Lives in Northern Nevada)
I had seen the film when it first debuted back in 1990, and enjoyed it quite a bit, but looking back today, it's hard for me to divorce myself from a certain nostalgia for the look, sound and feel of the urban scene of 1990, when I was as deep into the music as I would ever be. Although this movie doesn't really feature artists on the cutting edge of hip hop of the day, and Kid N Play would come to be known more for their appearance in the House Party movies than anything they ever did as recording artists, there is still a beauty in the way the dialogue is presented and in the fashion of the young African-American teenagers that keeps it interesting for those that embrace such things.

Obviously, at the center of the film is a house party, where the high school clique gets together for some fun, dancing, a little drinking, and a little romance. The gist of the story is that Kid (Reid), a hyperactive high schooler with an enormous high-top fade hair style, is grounded for misdeeds in school, but he still manages a way to sneak out and join the fun. Some of the emphasis is on the romantic connections that will form between two of the girls there, Sidney (Campbell, Little Shop of Horrors) and Charane (Johnson, Dying Young), which Kid (Martin) and his best friend, Play, seem to be vying for. Meanwhile, the high school bullies (Full Force) that got Kid in trouble to begin with are on the prowl for him, while everyone must overcome overzealous cops, whiny neighbors, and maintaining a rep among the peers.

Although it was a modest hit when it was released, the enduring legacy of House Party is that it would eventually set the trend for nearly every party film that would come after it (Can't Hardly Wait is one prime example). It is also refreshing because it plays to its intended audience, but never speaks down to it, nor does it exclude people that aren't part of the scene it portrays from enjoying it. Unlike many other films which featured African-American casts of the time, it doesn't beat you over the head with forced positive messages, and conversely, it is mostly devoid of gangster drama, drugs, or serious crime that usually rear their ugly heads whenever an all-Black cast emerges ina Hollywood film. While there is some very subtle commentary on the nature of police suspicion of Blacks, safe sex, and drinking, they never veer into contrived melodrama, and in fact, they add a good deal of humor to the proceedings without seeming anything like a public service announcement. Other than that, it's a great movie to add on into your collection.