MOVIE TITLE:
I’m Gonna Git You Sucka
IMDB YEAR RELEASED:
1988
GENRE:
Blaxploitation Parody / Action / Comedy
STARRING:
Bernie Casey / Jim Brown / Isaac Hayes / Antonio Fargas / Keenan Ivory Wayans / John Vernon / Kadeem Hardison / Ja’net Dubois / John Witherspoon / Damon Wayans / Dawnn Lewis
DIRECTED BY:
Keenan Ivory Wayans
SUMMARY:
A young black wannabe hero, after returning from military service and being informed of his brother’s death, recognizes the ills infecting his neighborhood, and decides to unite with heroes from the 1970’s to revenge himself against Mr. Big and clean up his neighborhood.
TAGLINES:
It’s tough to be a black hero.
Even if you can’t say it, you gotta see it!
PLOT:
Jack Spade is a soldier for the United States, who upon learning his brother has lost his life, returns home (to Any Ghetto, USA) to help his family mourn, but when he finds out that his brother died of OG, over gold, (an addiction to too much gold) he feels he must take matters into his own hands. Too many youth in his neighborhood are experiencing similar addictions.
As Jack walks throughout, he witnesses that there are too many seeking status via their gold. He also finds out that there is a white chain lord, Mr. Big, that took advantage of his brother, Junebug’s vulnerabilities and has manipulated the system to create a need for status via the precious metal. Jack will not allow that to stand.
Knowing that the situation is too great for one man, Jack initiates a discussion with a childhood hero named John Slade, who initially balks at the idea, but changes his mind. John has fond memories of Jack’s mother, and therefore decides to take Jack under his wing, as a mentor. He teaches Jack about theme music for heroes, from whom to acquire weapons, and how to enlist an army.
Together, the team enlisted begins a campaign to take back the streets by hurting Mr. Big’s operations to such an extent that he chooses to go somewhere else; the easy way or the hard way.
REVIEW:
Regardless of how one might feel about blaxploitation movies, Keenan Ivory Wayans, of In Living Color fame, wrote this silly romp that tackles serious inequities by using social satire and parody. In fact, some major themes are used as running gags throughout the movie to emphasize the humor, but also to demonstrate a mature understanding of the issues.
One such running gag is the idea of the easy way or the hard way, illustrated by two thugs that are Mr. Big’s henchmen: Leonard and Willie (Damon Wayans and Kadeem Hardison. These men are neighborhood men who have “made it” by exploiting their own and whenever they are given the option of the easy way or the hard way, they opt for the easy way.
Let me explain. The easy way is to be thrown down the stairs. The hard way is to be tossed out the window. In other words, there is no easy way. Leonard and Willie are just as trapped as the people they exploit.
There is another running gag about No-way products. It jokes about, “You’re not selling No-way products, are you?” However, I remember those home demonstrations when family and friends would invite you to sales demonstrations for Amway products. These demonstrations were geared toward developing wealth by selling necessary household products.
Friends and family were trying to build their future by selling these products in your house. At first you would feel flattered. Then, gradually, you would feel put off at the intrusion and temerity. Later, annoyance at the constant call to invite more of your relatives into the growing ponzi pyramid. It was all done benignly, but it was a running gag in this movie that captured the vampiric quality of selling those products.
Last thought: this is a silly little movie attempting to take cultural realities and make them resonant to the larger paradigm. I make no claim that it is more than what it is designed to be — a funny movie. I laughed my buns off last night. It has been almost 40 years since this movie was made and I still laughed. I give the entire satire. . . 3 and a half Grey Geeks.
Well, that’s it for me, the Mustache, with my Respectful Reel Review #30: I’m Gonna Git You Sucka (1988). I hope you find that the movie strikes your fancy. I had fun watching. As always, I thank you for checking out the post. The Mustache and the Beard are grateful. Stay safe. Take it easy. See you later. And Peace!
The Mustache and The Beard 