House Party

Wanna party? Kid's grounded, but he's gotta itch to scratch, and tonite could be his night. Par-Tee! After School Daze, what else but school nights? The Hudlin brothers' rap comedy (Reggie wrote and directed, Warrington produced) doesn't aspire to Spike Lee's political attitude, but Spike set a precedent for the commercial black-youth pic, his influence evident here in bright day-glo colours, disparate characters, and righteous role models (no alcohol, no drugs, safe sex). Clearly this is no masterpiece, but as its US reception indicated, it is a product overdue in the market, and it compares well with its anaemic counterparts: it's loud, hip and vibrantly styled. Salt'n'Pepa labelmates Kid'n'Play take lead roles, and as someone says, 'they've got a cute thing happening'. Campbell and Johnson from School Daze impress again, Full Force and George Clinton crop up in cameos, and Marcus Miller contributes a funky score.