Here’s a parody of the early-’90s wave of earnest, gritty movies about young black men trying to steer clear of the pitfalls of guns, gangs, and drugs—a trend that began with Boyz N the Hood and continued with Menace II Society, South Central, and Juice, all of which are referenced in this title. The spoof was the brainchild of the Wayans family, of I’m Gonna Git You Sucka and In Living Color fame. Much of the film’s humor may have been crammed into the title (“the only film this year with 14 words in the title,” boasted the trailer), but there were a few sharp, knowing jokes. (A then-unknown Bernie Mac plays a black cop named Officer Self Hatred.) The film earned a solid $30 million, but creators/stars Shawn and Marlon Wayans were smart enough to avoid the overstuffed title on their next major spoof, the 2000 horror movie parody, Scary Movie (that one grossed $157 million). Since then, the Wayans brothers have gone for short, generic titles for their parodies, including Marlon’s 2013 hit A Haunted House.
