Dystopian Dance Party

Tag: house party

  • Jheri Curl June: Full Force’s “Old Flames Never Die”

    Jheri Curl June: Full Force’s “Old Flames Never Die”

    Okay, so we covered Full Force back in our very first year of Jheri Curl June, but the song I picked wasn’t their best by any means and I got in some jabs at the group. Though I still stand by those jabs, Full Force deserves better. Every time I watch the House Party movies, I’m struck by the fact that their role as the bullies is one of the best parts of the films (seriously, try to watch House Party 3, 4, or 5 and tell me I’m wrong,) and their “Ain’t My Type of Hype” is THE most memorable song in the first movie, appearing during the iconic dance-off scene.

    But even before House Party, Full Force were successful producers and hitmakers in their own right. And their second album, Full Force Get Busy 1 Time, is wall to wall late-era Jheri Curl bangers. “Old Flames Never Die” even sounds a bit like, dare I say, an unreleased Prince track from the early ’80s, or a song that would feel at home on the Time‘s first album. It’s simple and funky, with a little New Wave-y flare and a fun interpolation of Sly and the Family Stone‘s “Everyday People.”

    So, there you go, I’ve managed to finally write something about Full Force without roasting them because, despite all appearances, I actually love Full Force. I mean, they are an ’80s R&B group with Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure character bodies who all dress like “Macho Man” Randy Savage and have Jheri curls. What is there NOT to love?

    We’ll be back tomorrow to wrap up week three of Jheri Curl June 2K23! In the meantime, check out the rest of our picks this year in the playlists below:

  • 12 Months of Mike Month 1: Wayne’s World (1992)

    Our year-long deep dive on the cinematic oeuvre of Mike Myers officially kicks off with Wayne’s World, and it’s arguably all downhill from here. Join us for some genuine gushing about one of our all-time favorite movies (even though we’re both in agreement that Mike may actually be the worst part). Remember to leave your comments about Wayne’s World, Mike’s pre-film career, or next month’s So I Married an Axe Murderer–we’re collecting feedback to read in the next episode!

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  • Podcast: Dystopian Book Club vs. George Clinton’s Brothas Be, Yo Like George, Ain’t That Funkin’ Kinda Hard on You?

    Zach and Callie reconvene in (by our standards) record time for another Dystopian Book Club Official Selection: Brothas Be, Yo Like George, Ain’t That Funkin’ Kinda Hard on You? by Parliament–Funkadelic maestro George Clinton. Enjoy as we discuss our love of P-Funk and the book’s disappointing lack of hot deets on the Super Mario Bros. movie.

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  • My Type of Hype: A House Party Series Retrospective

    My Type of Hype: A House Party Series Retrospective

    Last month marked the 25th anniversary of the release of House Party: the definitive early ’90s African American teen comedy, starring pop-rappers Kid ‘n Play and directed by Reginald Hudlin. So what better time than now to look back and recall the classic film, the sequels it spawned, and the moment in urban youth culture it inimitably captured and preserved? If you have fond memories of the House Party films, read this post and you just might learn something new–especially about the franchise’s lesser-seen third and fourth installments.

    The original House Party, an expanded remake of a student film Hudlin made while attending Harvard University in 1986, structures itself loosely around a single day in the lives of a group of high school seniors. Peter, a.k.a. “Play” (Christopher “Play” Martin), is throwing the titular house party while his parents are out of town. His friend Christopher, or “Kid” (Christopher “Kid” Reid), wants to use the party as an opportunity to showcase his “dope lyrics” as an M.C., but his plans are jeopardized when he runs afoul of the school bullies: hulking “Stab” and “Zilla” and diminutive, squeaky-voiced “Pee Wee,” played respectively by real-life brothers Paul Anthony, Brian “B-Fine,” and Lucien “Bowlegged Lou” George of the R&B group Full Force. Also attending the festivities are Tisha Campbell as the “bougie” upper-class girl, Sidney, who harbors a crush on Kid; A.J. Johnson as her worldly friend from the projects, Sharane; and Martin Lawrence–in only his second feature film role, after Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing (1989)–as Bilal, the party’s irascible D.J.

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