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. 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.
#House party 1990 movie
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.
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. At the time this was released back in 1990, I was a hip hop DJ for a college radio station, playing many of the songs on the soundtrack and occasionally we put on a dance or two not too dissimilar to the one shown in the film, with lots of hip hop, new jack swing, and colorful gear galore. I suppose that target demographics count for a great deal when it comes to the entertainment value that a film like House Party provides, so take this review for what it’s worth.