• Rating:
• Genre: Comedy
• Movie Type: Parody/Spoof
• Themes: Inner City Blues, Righting the Wronged
• Director: Keenen Ivory Wayans
• Main Cast: Keenen Ivory Wayans, Bernie Casey, Antonio Fargas, Steve James, Isaac Hayes
• Release Year: 1988
• Country: US
• Run Time: 90 minutes
• MPAA Rating: R

Plot

Keenen Ivory Wayans wrote, directed, and starred in this hilarious parody of blaxploitation films in the comedy I'm Gonna Git You Sucka. Jack Spade (Wayans) returns home from a hitch in the army to find his brother Junebug has died from an overdose of gold chains, leaving his widow Cheryl (Dawnn Lewis) and mother Ma Bell (Ja'net DuBois) alone to fend for themselves. Ma throws two inept thugs (Damon Wayans and Kadeem Hardison) sent by the evil white guy Mr. Big (John Vernon) down a flight of stairs. Junebug owes $5,000 to Mr. Big for his gold-chain addiction and tries to force Cheryl into prostitution to pay off the debt. Jack recruits his old friend to go after Mr. Big to seek revenge. John Slade (Bernie Casey), Hammer (Isaac Hayes), Slammer (Jim Brown) Kung Fu Joe (Steve James) and the former Pimp Of The Year Flyguy (Antonio Fargas) join up with Jack to avenge his brother' death. Chris Rock makes a brief appearance as the annoying customer who risks his life by irking rib joint owner Hammer. Funny and fast paced, the writing, acting, sight gags and cameos by Robert Townsend, Peggy Lipton, Clarence Williams III, Eve Plumb (Jan from The Brady Bunch), Kim Wayans, and Gary Owens makes this a must-see for any comedy fan. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

Review

As he was bursting on the scene as star of the TV variety series In Living Color, Keenen Ivory Wayans also made a confident and hilarious directing debut with I'm Gonna Git You Sucka! Featuring such exaggerated stereotypes as a pimp who awkwardly struts with miniature fish tanks in his shoes, and a small-timer who dies from wearing too many gold chains, the film amply demonstrates the daring of this humorist. Risking controversy, especially at a time when black filmmakers like Spike Lee were taking themselves very seriously, Wayans doesn't mind ridiculing and possibly offending his own people with such wild characterizations, knowing that the essentially lighthearted humor will win out. It does indeed, and Wayans gets plenty of cameo and leading role help, much of it from actors straight out of the blaxpoitation films he's satirizing. As zany as it is, I'm Gonna Git You Sucka! alternates between highs and lows, episodes of incisiveness and moments of broad simplicity. But where it scores, it scores big, and the fact that the performers are such willing co-conspirators gives the impression that everyone is having a terrific time. The apparently selective Wayans seems able to sniff out a hit -- in part because of a questionable shift in focus to uneven acting vehicles, he didn't direct again until Scary Movie (2000), which became the highest grossing film not released by a major studio, 12 years later. ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide

Cast

• Keenen Ivory Wayans - Jack Spade
• Bernie Casey - John Slade
• Antonio Fargas - Flyguy
• Steve James - Kung Fu Joe
• Isaac Hayes - Hammer

Jim Brown - Slammer; Ja'net DuBois - Ma Bell; Dawnn Lewis - Cheryl; John Vernon - Mr. Big; Jesse Aragon; Wren T. Brown - Big Brim Pimp #2; Robert Colbert - Farrell; Marilyn Coleman - Funeral Mourner; Tony Cox - Wayne Evans; Charles Cozart - Anchorman; Maria Diaz - Bar Patron; Bentley Evans - Crowd Member; Roy Fegan - Dead Pimp; Marc Figueroa - Knuckles; Clu Gulager - Lt. Baker; Bob Gibson - Slade's Theme Musician; Eugene Robert Glazer - Officer; Michael Goldfinger - Sergeant; David Alan Grier - Newsman; Kadeem Hardison - Willie; Robin Harris - Bartender at Sam's; Hawthorne James - One Eyed Sam; George James - Bruno; Anne-Marie Johnson - Cherry; Homeselle Joy - Mourner; Peggy Lipton; Bobby McGee - Pimp; Richard McGregor - Gang Member; Tommy Morgan - Referee; Gary Owens - Himself; Eve Plumb - Kalinga's Wife; Vickilyn Reynolds - Sadie; Ariana Richards - Little Girl; Chris Rock - Rib Joint Customer; Ludie Washington - Big Brim Bartender; Damon Wayans - Leonard; Kim Wayans - Nightclub Singer; Clarence Williams III - Kalinga; John Witherspoon - Reverend; Carl Craig - Man in Love; Jester Hairston - Pop; Peter McCarthy - Weasel; Tom Wright - Brothel Man; Michael Conn - Officer; King Cotton - Slade's Theme Musician; Liza Cruzat - Bimbo; Brian Maguire - Policeman; Scott Morris - Jack's Theme Musicians: BDP; Jim Daniels - Slade's Theme Musician; Shawn Wayans - Pedestrian; Nancy Cheryl Davis - Woman

Credit

Jim Halty - Stunts; Scott White - First Assistant Director; Eric Barrett - Co-producer; Ruth E. Carter - Costume Designer; Carl Craig - Co-producer; Carl Craig - Producer; Melba Farquhar - Production Designer; David Michael Frank - Composer (Music Score); Catherine Hardwicke - Production Designer; Peter McCarthy - Co-producer; Peter McCarthy - Producer; Michael R. Miller - Editor; Tom Richmond - Cinematographer; Steve Semel - Editor; Keenen Ivory Wayans - Director; Keenen Ivory Wayans - Screenwriter; Robi Reed - Casting; Eric L. Gold - Executive Producer; Eric L. Gold - Producer; Elliot Lewis Rosenblatt - First Assistant Director; Raymond Katz - Executive Producer; Raymond Katz - Producer; Oliver Moss - Sound/Sound Designer; Jaki Brown - Casting; Jeanette Browning - Sound Recordist

Similar Movies

Airplane II: The Sequel; Airplane!; Hot Shots!; The Naked Gun; Pootie Tang; Carlito's Angels; The Helix... Loaded; Undercover Brother; The Hebrew Hammer; Scary Movie; Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood; The L.A. Riot Spectacular; Super Bad James Dynomite