by Michelle Owusu, founder of SceneTV
A few lucky films have entered my personal hall of fame over the years. Coming to America will have me quoting lines like I wrote the film myself, The Departed made me fall deeper in love with the Scorcese-DiCaprio double-act and Love & Basketball is where girl crushes began (Sanaa Lathan is perfection)!
When House Party was released in 1990, I was a very small child (that's the only info about my age you're getting), so it wasn't until a few years later that I actually watched the film that my older sister and her friends' inside jokes had been referring to. Heading into my teens, it's safe to say that this film became a classic for me as it was a blueprint for a successful night out. Not only has the film stood the test of time, so has that blueprint:
The Dance
Now no-one can forget that dance scene; the dance that has been recreated many times over at house parties, christenings, weddings and Bat Mitzvahs. It's not a party if someone doesn't do the Kid n Play shuffle. If it's not the Kid n Play shuffle, it's 'Candy' or 'Single Ladies' or in some cases 'The Macarena'. It might even just be that point where the beat drops in the song and you and your best friend give each other that knowing look before 'your move' kicks in. Basically, synchronised dancing will never die.
Trouble Ahead
(Warning: explicit language)
Kid and Play spent the whole day and night dodging the punks from their school as well as the police. While (hopefully) that isn't the reality for many of us today, a good night out isn't without its own dramas (there's always some kind of drama right?!) That ex you're guaranteed to see but really don't want to. The dress that didn't arrive from ASOS in time even though you're sure you clicked next day delivery. The drama makes for better storytelling the morning after – your most memorable nights are probably the ones where something went wrong . Let's face it, it's not a classic night without a little trouble along the way.
The Crush
Kid and Sydney, a match made in House Party heaven. Amongst all of the chaos, you willed for these two to put their fly personas aside for just one second and get it together. Disclaimer: a good night out definitely does not depend on whether the opposite sex is involved; I'm sure we've all had plenty of fun nights out with just our friends. However there's no denying, seeing your crush or even winning the 'Wingman/woman of the Year Award' can add a little seasoning to proceedings.
The Morning After
Then come the consequences (damn those consequences!). As well as cops and bullies, Kid also spent the whole night dodging his father – not sure which one out of the three is worse! Alas, the latter caught up with him in the end and it wasn't pretty. While most of us no longer have to answer to parents after a night out, it doesn't mean we get away with it scot free. If being tagged in embarrassing social media pics wasn't enough, the morning-after -egret can hit you in many forms – from struggling through work the next day caffeined up to the eyeballs to cutting your lie-in short to fulfil that commitment to a friend or family member you so conveniently forgot about the night before. Like Kid's dad, responsibilites and consequences come knocking to take the shine off of what was a great night but hey…is it all worth it? Of course it is.
SceneTV will be re-living House Party memories at the Block Party Cinema event on Sunday 3rd April. While tickets are now sold out, follow @Scene_TV for pics and vids from the event at Pop Brixton. To stay in the loop with future events, follow Block Party Cinema's Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
