Main Cast: Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans, Tracey Cherelle Jones, Chris Spencer, Suli McCullough
Release Year: 1996
Country: US
Run Time: 88 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Much as Keenen Ivory Wayans' I'm Gonna Git You Sucka parodied the basic elements of 70's blaxploitation pictures, this film written by and starring his younger brothers Marlon Wayans and Shawn Wayans pokes fun at the gritty "reality check" films of the 1990's, such as Boyz N The Hood, Menace II Society and New Jack City. When Ashtray (Shawn Wayans) moves to South Central L.A. to live with his father (who appears to be the same age he is) and grandmother (who likes to talk tough and smoke reefer), he falls in with his gang-banging cousin Loc Dog (Marlon Wayans), who along with the requisite pistols and Uzi carries a thermo-nuclear warhead for self-defense. Will Ashtray keep living the straight life or will he join up with Loc Dog's gangsta homeboys? And is his romance with self-styled poet Dashiki (Tracey Cherelle Jones) going to go anywhere? Big brother Keenen has a small role as a mailman. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Darrell M. Heath - Toothpick; Helen Martin - Grandma; Kim Wayans - Mrs. Johnson; Keenen Ivory Wayans - Mailman; Vivica A. Fox - Ashtray's Mother; Isaiah Barnes - Doo Rag; Lahmard J. Tate - Ashtray's Father; Keith Morris - Dave the Crackhead
Credit
Reiko Kobayashi - Art Director, Cristal Rivera-Mitchell - Associate Producer, Robi Reed-Humes - Casting, Andrea Reed - Casting, Tony Lee - Casting, Carrie Morrow - Co-producer, Valerie Adams - Costume Designer, Jim Goldthwait - First Assistant Director, Frank David - First Assistant Director, Steve Tramz - First Assistant Director, Paris Barclay - Director, Bill Young - Editor, Marshall Harvey - Editor, William Young - Editor, Mark Burg - Executive Producer, Dan Genetti - Executive Producer, John Barnes - Composer (Music Score), Aaron Osborne - Production Designer, Russ Brandt - Cinematographer, Marlon Wayans - Producer, Mark Burg - Producer, Keenen Ivory Wayans - Producer, Eric L. Gold - Producer, Dan Genetti - Producer, Shawn Wayans - Producer, Dave Eichhorn - Sound/Sound Designer, Hiriam Hicks - Sound/Sound Designer, Marlon Wayans - Screenwriter, Shawn Wayans - Screenwriter, Phil Beauman - Screenwriter, Marlon Wayans - Co-Executive Producer, Shawn Wayans - Co-Executive Producer
Don't Be A Menace teases out the racism inherent in the popularity of 'hood movies' such as the above, irrespective of their supposed "redeeming qualities". The film suggests that the result of the massive popularity of 'hood movies' was/is that black actors are limited, in an attempt to profit from these movies' success, to similar roles, especially in the 1990s. Menace attempts to comically satirise that sociological phenomenon. Some actors in the film also starred in the films the movie parodies, a few even in the same scenes and characters.
Ashtray: The main protagonist of the film, the Everyman, trying to make his way through a confusing world, is sent by his mother to live in the ghetto where his father might teach him how to become a man. Played by Shawn Wayans. Based on Tre Styles from Boyz N The Hood and Caine Lawson from Menace II Society.
Ashtray's Mother: Ashtray's mother whose brief cameo in the beginning is ended with her abruptly delivered quote: "Sorry baby. You know there ain't no positive black females in these movies." Played by Vivica Fox. Based on Reva Devereaux from Boyz N The Hood.
Ashtray's Father: Ashtray's temperamental role model who dispenses sage advice to his son. According to Ashtray, is only "a couple years older than me." Played by Lahmard Tate. Based on Furious Styles from Boyz N The Hood.
Loc Dog: Ashtray's cousin. Stoner/Drug Dealer/Criminal. Drives a USPS delivery truck which is loaded in the back with ballistics. Played by Shawn Wayans' real-life brother, Marlon Wayans. Based on "O-Dog" from Menace II Society and "Doughboy" from Boyz n the Hood.
Loc Dog's Grandma: A marijuana smoking, foul mouthed, church going old woman. Played by Helen Martin.
Preach: Ashtray's friend. The former gang member turned 'Islamic-politically conscious' activist. Has a fetish for white girls. Based on Sharif from Menace II Society. Played by Chris Spencer
Crazy Legs: Ashtray's friend. Was paralyzed in a drive-by. Based on Chris from Boyz N The Hood. Played by Suli McCullough
Dashiki: The object of Ashtray's affections. A "hood mother" with seven kids by seven different men. Played by Tracey Cherelle Jones. Dashiki's address is 6969 Penetration Avenue. Based on Brandi from Boyz N The Hood, Ronnie from Menace II Society and Justice from Poetic Justice.
Officer Self Hatred: The cop that harasses Ashtray and Loc Dog. As he has Ashtray pinned against his squad car, he goes on and on about how much he hates black people and anything black such as Wesley Snipes and Whoopi Goldberg's lips. Based on the bully cop from Boyz N The Hood. Played by Bernie Mac.
Keisha: A possessed chick that Loc Dog meets at a late-night party and takes to the cargo hold of his truck. While proceeding to have sex with her, she morphs into a demonic version of herself and proceeds to force Loc Dog to have sex with her. It is unknown what happened after this. Played by Terri J. Vaughn
The Mailman: Director Keenan Ivory Wayans appears at various places in the film shouting "message" whenever a moral lesson is spelled out, just in case the platitude was overlooked by the audience. At the end of the film, when Loc-Dog gives a rambling speech ending with the film's title, he appears to say "What the fuck is he talking about?".
Damon Wayans makes a brief appearance in the film.
