Straight Up Menace: "Menace II Society" Twenty Years Later - Chris "Preach" Smith

It says a lot that when it came to Black people, the films of the 1990’s
were and are effective time capsules of the different stories and thoughts
back then. Filmmakers of color were breaking new ground, even if it 
meant that had to shock some people into truly recognizing certain
realities. For Allen and Albert Hughes, they hammered that point home
in their debut feature film, ‘Menace II Society’ released in theaters 20
years ago today.


Only four years after John Singleton’s ‘Boyz In The Hood’ dropped America’s
collective jaw with its gritty portrayal of life in South Central Los Angeles,
‘Menace II Society’ upped the ante. The film was and is just RAW. ‘Menace’
is a tale about the decisions you make and the consequences they carry.
It also serves as a vehicle to impart underlying messages about the rise in
Black-on-Black crime in the ‘hood and how it tears the community apart.
The casting was a great mix of young talent, veterans and relative outsiders
to acting. Let’s also not forget the nuanced cinematography and yet 
another must-have soundtrack to add to your collection.

The Hughes Brothers knocked it out of the park with casting. Tyrin Turner
plays a great conflicted man in Caine Lawson, and you would’ve never 
guessed it was only his third film. Larenz Tate as O-Dog? How much do
you want to bet that whenever you hear of a smarmy, self-serving right
wing person talk about ‘urban’ people that O-Dog isn’t the first person
they think of? Apathetic, and casually amoral, O-Dog basically was this 
movie’s version of America’s worst nightmare. From killing the Korean
storekeeper and bagging the security tape to killing a crackhead in the
alley and offering up the dead man’s cheeseburger, O-Dog represented
one big difference between ‘Menace’ and ‘Boyz’: very little soft side in
regards to the bangers. That’s not to say that there is no tender side,
no humanism here. Jada Pinkett’s portrayal of Ronnie is one of best
parts of this picture and demonstrated her range with ease. Even Pernell,
the OG played by Glenn Plummer gives you shades of grey. It’s amazing
considering that Spice 1 was supposed to be in the film along with Tupac
Shakur playing Sharif. We all know how that turned out. MC Eiht handled
his business though, along with Saafir as Cousin Harold and Too Short in
a smaller role.


‘Menace II Society’, like other films from that era, has so many quotable scenes.
Like the scene where Caine is being interrogated by Bill Duke. ‘You know you
done f***ed up, don’t you?” Or where Samuel L. Jackson, in a flashback as Caine’s
late father, curses out then murders a man in a poker game. Or that fateful
moment the Korean store owner looks at O-Dog and says, ‘I feel sorry for your
mother.’ And even Charles S. Dutton’s riveting speech as Mr.Butler is magnetic.
And some of you to this day probably still have that soundtrack CD in your house
somewhere; I know I still play MC Eiht’s ‘Straight Up Menace’ every so often.
The film and its impact still hold court up to today. Could it be seen as reinforcing
certain stereotypes about the ‘hood? By some who are uninformed and unwilling,
yes. But its appeal lies in the fact that it is honest, sometimes brutally so. And
that there is no happy ending to Caine’s life is a prime argument against what
some would see as glorification of violence in the film. Let’s also consider that
Allen and Albert Hughes did this film without a lot of formal training, but were
skilled enough to direct and co-write it with a resume of directing music videos.
Without even finishing high school. That’s a testament to their hustle. (They
also were the first duo since Jerry and David Zucker to get a co-directors waiver
from the Directors Guild of America as brothers) ‘Menace II Society’ is as much
a part of American cinema as it belongs to the hip-hop world and pop culture in
general. And it just might make itself a part of this holiday weekend.