South Florida Sun-Sentinel Palm Beach (Sunday)
‘House Party’ reboot director aimed to create snapshot of ’23
In 1990, “House Party” turned heads with its joyful depiction of the Black teen experience in a way that hadn’t been conveyed in mainstream cinema before. The modestly budgeted film ($2.5 million) generated a surprising $26 million at the box office, turned Kid ’n Play into stars and spawned multiple sequels.
The film’s resonance over the decades led Warner Bros. and LeBron James’ production company to create a new version for 2023 that’s now playing in theaters.
“House Party” has definite echoes of the original but is an entirely revamped plotline. The two leads — a down-andout party promoter, Kevin (Jacob Latimore), and his enthusiastically problematic buddy Devon (Tosin Cole) — play men in their 20s rather than the hapless teens in the original movie.
Kevin is desperate for cash, and while cleaning LeBron James’ palatial home, Devon come up with a ridiculous idea: Hold a house party there while the basketball legend is out of the country and charge a huge entry fee.
And like the two leads in the 1990 version, Devon and Kevin have three bullying tormentors who create some serious problems during the party.
“I feel like the original movie was a snapshot of the culture of that time, the lingo and the way they danced and gathered,” said Calmatic, directing his first feature film after a string of successful music videos. “That was my plan for this, to create a snapshot of how we do what we do in 2023.”
In other words, this movie is pure escape, and it doesn’t hurt that the screenplay is by Stephen Glover and James Olori, key writers for the FX show “Atlanta.” Though set in Los Angeles, the movie veers between realism and surrealism like the series.
Calmatic said the film “plays into the ‘fake it till you make it’ culture we have here. You see these different worlds collide. … Everyone in LA is waiting for the call or that invite to the mansion party. That’s a sign you’re making it, being able to schmooze with big names and get a picture taken with them.”
For the crazy Devon character, Cole was not an obvious pick. He moved to London at age 8 and has a stack of British films and shows on his resume. But once cast, the Brit was able to transform himself into a credible Angeleno.
“He picked up the lingo and swagger,” Calmatic said. “He’s a student of the culture. He knew what to do and how to act, and how to bring a dope character.”
The film’s cameo parade is intense, competing with the likes of “Zoolander” and “This Is the End.” Among the recognizable faces are Snoop Dogg,
Lena Waithe, Lil Wayne, Juvenile, Tristan Thompson, Mark Cuban and the original film’s duo Kid ’n Play. Plus, actor-rapper Scott Mescudi, aka Kid Cudi, gets a super bizarre role as himself.
James himself appears since it’s supposedly his mansion. Latimore said he shot for two days. After the first day, James wrapped at 4 a.m., then hit the gym at 6 a.m., spent time with the family, then came back for a second day, no questions asked, he said.
Calmatic said the film’s first cut was 160 minutes and had to be trimmed to about 100 minutes.
“We had so many different offshoot moments and ‘Atlanta’-ish scenarios,” he said. “But … (this is) in theaters. We don’t want people sitting in there too long. We had all kinds of car-chase scenes, a tow yard scene. It all got cut.”