Just a short one. Ladies and gentlemen, please be careful out there because there are some crazy people around, you get me? Be vigilant out there and be very street smart. And people says that “It’s London, it’s full of knife crime and all sorts of madness,” and there are some other parts in Britain are pretty bad as well. This is a very sad case here and also very terrifying as something like this has happened, you understand me? But there were no fatalities though. The thing is this that, this happened in Shoreditch, East London. That place is posh as hell.
It’s one stoosh place. How something like this happened here? The first time I’ve been there was in 2019 and I was wondering what is that place is like. And you guys will say that it’s East London and it’s rough. Right, there are some parts of east London is rough but Shoreditch is like, stoosh! The guy who did this, because of him we might see a crossbow ban. I looked at the YouTube comments and they are saying there is goanna be a ban over crossbows. And I’m seeing it right now, If that ban is put into place, shit! That is it. But I hope everyone is doing well. Money Cultural was a short one here.
You know, I don’t talk about movies or do a movie review here but as I saw this movie last night after finish watching Three Little Birds on ITV, I said let me do one. And it’s the critically acclaimed film Menace II Society. But I hope everyone is warm today. If you have seen this movie, then great. But if you haven’t see it before, watch it first and come back here on Money Cultural and read what I’m talking about. I was goanna talk about this movie five years ago but I didn’t get that chance. And the last time I’ve seen Menace II Society was in 2018.
30th anniversary of this flick. Menace II Society is a urban crime drama from New Line Cinema starring Tyrin Turner, Larenz Tate and Jada Pinkett Smith. The uncompromising drama based in Watts is about the 18-year-old Caine who live his life as a hustler. The Hughes Brothers Albert and Allen who are twins directs this bleak but hard-hitting drama which I first saw in 1997 when a family member on my dad side told me about Menace II Society. When I first time I seen it when I was still 15 years old, the opening of the movie, my mind was in complete shock of what O – Dog did in the beginning of the movie.
There are strong performances in this gritty drama. Tyrin Turner was incredible Caine, the protagonist who’s lost his parents when he was young. His dad Tate Lawson played by legendery Samuel L. Jackson who was killed during a drug deal when Caine was 10 years old and his mother Karen Lawson played by Khandi Alexander died from a drug overdose, so he stayed with his grandparents in Jordan Downs which Caine narrates in the film. Jada Pinkett Smith played Ronnie, who is a single mother who’s her boyfriend Pernell is doing a life sentence in prison. She was fantastic in this film of her wanting Caine to take a better path in life. Larenz Tate plays O – Dog who is Caine’s friend. He was brilliant as the anti hero in this urban drama. He was absolutely frightening as the murderous character who committed that violent act in the beginning.
The script was written by Tyger Williams who is the brother of Ryan Williams who played Caine’s close friend Stacey. Ryan who is friends to the Hughes brothers that his brother is a writer and they can hook up together. They wanted a writer who can write in that gangster form. Tyger and the Hughes brother come together and talked about the story. When you see Boyz N The Hood, the story is about one kid that makes it out and that wasTre. The Hughes Brothers and Tyger wanted show why so many kids don’t make it out and why they don’t make it out in Menace II Society.
The motion picture soundtrack. Music from MC Ehit, Yo Yo, Too Short, Spice 1 and so on. I got the soundtrack in 1999 from HMV at Oxford Circus. Do you know how much the soundtrack cost me? £20? £18.99? £15.99? Nah blud! It cost me £5.99. Amd it wasn’t an HMV sale. You guys must be thinking “That’s cheap, blud!” And the soundtrack is off the hook as well. I loved it. I was playing that soundtrack in my bedroom in my college days. I haven’t played it for a long time. There are some R&B songs though from Kenya Gruv, Smooth and Hi Five.
Streiht Up Meance, yeah!
Only the strong survive!
Mr Potatohead I made you!
Some R&B tunes, still!
Smooth said he got played!
This didn’t made it to the soundtrack, though!
When the title sequences disappeared, the film showed the Watts Riots in 1965. Building was getting burned down, businesses was getting burned to the ground, the Los Angeles Police Department making arrest and psychically beating up black men, they were firing guns at them, there was a tank they use in the footage of the riot, black people were attack police with rocks, things exploded at that riots. Caine said on his narration “When the riots stopped, the drugs started.” And the drugs come during the 1970’s.
The ending, Lord have mercy!
When one of my family members said that there was goanna be a death at the end, I was like “Alright. Someone dies at the end.” But I didn’t know it was goanna be Caine that’s goanna die at the end of the movie. When he died at the end of the movie, I was like “The hell?” The ending really shook me to the core. The ending was so heartbreaking But there is a deadly price of living a lifestyle like this. And the other character Sharif played by Vante Sweet. He changed his life and then get caught in the crossfire. As the drive by was happening and they saw the kid, they must of felt that there’s a kid there. So they might of feel that they must mind the little boy, you get me?
So what do I think about the Menace II Society? How do I feel about it now when I first saw it in 1997? It’s one of the most powerful movies ever made. It portrays gang life and poverty in the inner city and the main character who wants to get out but he doesn’t know how until it was too late for him when he comes out of that lifestyle. And you guys must be wondering whatever happened to O – Dog at the end. He probably in jail for the rest of his life or possibly dead! Even though it was powerful and the performances from the actors was brilliant, I still love Boyz In The Hood!
Not only Menace II Society is celebrating it’s 30th anniversary, this movie is having one as well. But it’s the 40th annaiversary of a iconic film. Scarface!
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