''House Party'' is a 1990 American

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

directed by

Reginald Hudlin Reginald Alan Hudlin (born December 15, 1961) is an American film screenwriter, director, producer, and comic-book writer. Along with his older brother Warrington Hudlin, he is known as one of the Hudlin Brothers. From 2005 to 2008, Hudlin was P ...

. It stars Christopher "Kid" Reid and

Christopher "Play" Martin Christopher Martin (born July 10, 1962) is an American rapper and actor, who is the latter half of the late 1980s/early 1990s hip-hop/comedy duo Kid 'n Play. Career Martin's stage name, Play, is derived from his original MC name, Playboy, which h ...

of the popular hip hop duo

Kid 'n Play Kid 'n Play is an American hip-hop duo from New York City that was most popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The duo was composed of Christopher Reid ("Kid") and Christopher Martin ("Play") working alongside their DJ, Mark "DJ Wiz" Eas ...

, and also stars Paul Anthony, Bow-Legged Lou and B-Fine from

Full Force Full Force is an American music group of hip hop and R&B singers and producers from Brooklyn, New York. Members *B-Fine (Brian George) - drums and drum programming, backing vocals *Shy Shy (Hugh Junior Clark) - bass guitar, backing vocals ...

, and

Robin Harris Robin Hughes Harris Sr. (August 30, 1953 – March 18, 1990) was an American comedian and actor, best known for his recurring comic sketch about "Bébé's Kids". He was posthumously nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting ...

(who died of a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...

nine days after ''House Party'' was released). The film also starred

Martin Lawrence Martin Fitzgerald LawrenceStated in interview on ''Inside the Actors Studio'' (born April 16, 1965) is an American comedian and actor. He came to fame during the 1990s, establishing a Hollywood career as a leading actor. He got his start playin ...

Tisha Campbell Tisha Michelle Campbell (born October 13, 1968) is an American actress and singer. She made her screen debut appearing in the 1986 rock musical comedy film '' Little Shop of Horrors'', and later starred on the short-lived NBC musical comedy dra ...

, A.J. Johnson,

Daryl "Chill" Mitchell Daryl "Chill" Mitchell (born July 16, 1965) is an American actor and rapper. He is known for such roles as Dexter Walker on ''The John Larroquette Show'', Tommy Webber in ''Galaxy Quest'', Leo Michaels on ''Veronica's Closet'', Eli Goggins III o ...

and Gene "Groove" Allen (of Groove B. Chill),

Kelly Jo Minter Kelly Jo Minter (born July 14, 1966) is an American actress. Minter made her acting debut as "The Pilot" in an after-school short movie of the same name in 1984. She made her film debut as Lorrie in ''Mask'' (1985). She subsequently portrayed Den ...

John Witherspoon John Witherspoon (February 5, 1723 – November 15, 1794) was a Scottish-American Presbyterian minister, educator, farmer, slaveholder, and a Founding Father of the United States. Witherspoon embraced the concepts of Scottish common sense reali ...

, with a cameo by funk musician George Clinton. This was one of Harris' final acting roles before his death. The film was written and directed by

, based on his award-winning

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

student film. The film grossed over $26 million in its run at the box office with its widest release being 700 theaters. The film has since become a

cult classic A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. ...

. Upon its initial release, the film garnered critical acclaim. The lead roles were originally written for

DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince were an American hip hop duo from West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, consisting of rapper Will Smith (the Fresh Prince) and disc jockey Jeff Townes (DJ Jazzy Jeff). Active full time from 1986 to 1994 and occasion ...

. In 2022, the film was selected for preservation in the United States

National Film Registry The National Film Registry (NFR) is the United States National Film Preservation Board's (NFPB) collection of films selected for preservation, each selected for its historical, cultural and aesthetic contributions since the NFPB’s inception i ...

by the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...

as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

Plot

In their high-school cafeteria, Peter, also known as "Play", announces to his friends, Christopher aka "Kid" Robinson Jr. and Bilal, that he will be having a party at his house that night, as his parents are on vacation. The reluctant Bilal is to be the DJ. Then, Kid is involved in an altercation with school bully Stab and his two brothers, Pee-Wee and Zilla. When Kid comes home, he tries to convince his father, "Pop" to let him go to the party. Pop relents at first, but, when a note from school informs him of the fight, he punishes Kid by disallowing him from going to the party. Rather than miss the party of the year, Kid sneaks out while Pop is sleeping in front of ''

Dolemite ''Dolemite'' is a 1975 American blaxploitation crime comedy film and is also the name of its principal character, played by Rudy Ray Moore, who co-wrote the film and its soundtrack. Moore, who started his career as a stand-up comedian in t ...

'' – but the door closing behind Kid awakens Pop. On his way to the party, Kid runs into Stab and his brothers, jumps over a fence where a fat man named Roughouse is having sex with his lady, and is shot at by Roughouse. Kid ducks into a nearby Alpha Delta Sigma reunion to escape them. Crashing the reunion, Kid has the DJ scratch and mix a few of his old

doo wop Doo-wop (also spelled doowop and doo wop) is a genre of rhythm and blues music that originated in African-American communities during the 1940s, mainly in the large cities of the United States, including New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Chica ...

records so that he can liven the party with a

rap Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...

, until Stab and the others arrive. Trying to escape from Stab, Kid accidentally knocks down an older man. Kid and the bullies are caught by the neighborhood police, who humiliate the four teenagers before letting them go. Kid's father is stopped and harassed by the police while walking trying to find him. The party is in full swing when Kid finally arrives. Soon, Kid and Play get into a dance contest with attractive girls Sydney and Sharane, then have a quick

freestyle battle Freestyle is a style of improvisation, with or without instrumental beats (Mystrodamus), in which lyrics are recited with no particular subject or structure and with no prior memorization.Kevin Fitzgerald (director), '' Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme' ...

. Stab and his friends attempt to break up the party, but are arrested a second time by the policemen, who take delight in the prospect of beating them up. Eventually, Kid's father makes his way to the party, demanding to know where Kid is (upstairs helping Sharane get her coat) and, not finding him, Pop vows to wait for him at home. Play stops the party because his bathroom toilet was broken by party members. Although Kid and Sydney have eyes for each other, Sharane decides to flirt with Kid openly, much to Sydney's disgust. Soon, the three leave the party, but, when Kid tries to make advances on Sharane, she rebuffs him. Then, Kid walks Sydney back home, and, after some argument, the pair finally calm down and talk quietly. Sydney allows Kid to sneak into her house, and the two are about to have sex in Sydney's room when she stops him, wanting to know if she is simply his second choice. Kid admits that Sydney was his first choice all along, but they do not do anything when they see that the only condom Kid has is too old to be used. When Sydney's parents come home – now revealed as one of the couples at the high-school reunion, including the man Kid ran into – Sydney hastily helps Kid sneak out of the house. He manages to get out of yet another scrape with Stab and his brothers, and they all end up in a jail cell. The men tell Kid what they're in jail for and Kid entertains the rest of the men in the cell by rapping, distracting them long enough for Play, Sharane, Bilal, and Sydney to arrive with enough cash to bail him out. Later, the five friends say their goodnights. Kid and Sydney share a long passionate kiss goodnight. After Play and Bilal drop him off, Kid sneaks in the house and gets undressed. As he is about to get into bed, he looks up to find Pop holding a belt. Pop tells him "I wouldn't do that just yet", snaps his belt, and says "cause your ass is mine". As the credits roll, we can hear Pop hitting Kid with the belt. (Kid yelping with each hit) during the credits. At the very beginning of the movie, kids are seen dancing inside of a house with the noise being so loud that it literally blows the roof off of the house. During the credit roll, the same roof flies and lands on top of the policemen in a parking lot.

Cast

* Christopher "Kid" Reid as Christopher "Kid" Robinson Jr. *

as Christopher "Pop" Robinson Sr. *

as Peter "Play" Martin *

as Bilal * "Paul Anthony" George as Stab * Lucien "Bow-Legged Lou" George Jr. as Pee-Wee * Brian "B-Fine" George as Zilla *

as Sydney * A.J. Johnson as Sharane * Gene "Groove" Allen (of Groove B. Chill) as Groove *

(of Groove B. Chill) as Chill * Lou B. Washington as Otis *

as LaDonna *

as Mr. Strickland * Bebe Drake as Mrs. Strickland *

Clifton Powell Clifton Powell (born March 16, 1956) is an American actor who primarily plays supporting roles in films, such as in ''Ray'' (2004), for which he received an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture nomination. Care ...

as Sharane's Brother * Verda Bridges as Sharane's Sister * Desi Arnez Hines II as Peanut * George Clinton as a DJ *

Barry Diamond Barry Diamond (born November 14, 1951) is an American comedian who released one album, ''Fighter Pilot'', on IRS Records in 1983. He continues to perform stand-up comedy today. He has had bit parts in several films and television sitcoms. H ...

as Cop #1 * Michael Pniewski as Cop #2 *

Norma Donaldson Norma C. Donaldson (August 18, 1928 – November 22, 1994) was an American actress and singer. Perhaps she is best known for her roles, as Miss Adelaide in the 1976 revival of ''Guys and Dolls''; Lillie Belle Barber on the CBS television soap op ...

as Mildred *

Shaun Baker Shaun Baker is an English musician, DJ and record producer, currently based in Paderborn, Germany. Musical career Baker has been playing the worldwide club scene over 20 years. Together with his friend and partner Sebastian Wolter, he also pr ...

as Clint * Anthony Johnson as E.Z.E. *

Cliff Frazier Clifford Henry Frazier (23 November 1952 – 17 August 2014) was an American football player and actor. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, he was a defensive tackle for the Kansas City Chiefs, starting 12 of 14 games for the Chiefs in 1977. He had ...

as Brutus *

Jaime Cardriche Jaime Xenos Cardriche (March 20, 1968July 28, 2000) was an American actor best known for his role as the character "Tim" on '' Malcolm & Eddie''. Early life Cardriche grew up in Cerritos, California and attended Oklahoma State University where ...

as Tattoo * Ronn Riser as Boy in the Bathroom * Reginald Hudlin as Burglar #1 (Director's Cameo) * Warrington Hudlin as Burglar #2 (Producer's Cameo)

Music

Soundtrack

A soundtrack containing hip hop and R&B music was released on March 9, 1990, by

Motown Records Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmant ...

. It peaked at 104 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and 20 on the

Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated J ...

Reception

Critical response

''House Party'' was met with critical acclaim. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 93% approval rating, based on 28 reviews, with an average rating of 7/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "''House Party'' is a light, entertaining teen comedy with an infectious energy". On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 76 out of 100, based on 15 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...

of the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' gave it three out of four stars and commended its "energy and exuberance". He called the film "wall-to-wall with exuberant song and dance" and stated, "the musical is a canvas used by the director, Reginald Hudlin, to show us black teenagers with a freshness and originality that's rare in modern movies".

Sequels

The film was a popular success, and two

sequel A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...

s were made: ''

House Party 2 ''House Party 2'' is a 1991 American comedy film and the sequel to the 1990 film ''House Party'' released by New Line Cinema. The film returns most of the cast of the first film such as Kid 'n Play and Full Force, along with new cast members suc ...

'' in 1991; and ''

House Party 3 ''House Party 3'' is a 1994 American comedy film, starring Kid 'n Play, Bernie Mac, and TLC. It is the third installment of the '' House Party'' film series. This was intended to be the last film in the franchise, ending it as a trilogy, but a s ...

'' in 1994. ''House Party 2'' features Lawrence and Campbell reprising their roles from the first film; the two would begin starring in the TV sitcom ''

Martin Martin may refer to: Places * Martin City (disambiguation) * Martin County (disambiguation) * Martin Township (disambiguation) Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Austral ...

'' the following year. ''House Party 3'' features hip hop/ R&B groups

TLC TLC may refer to: Arts and entertainment Television * ''TLC'' (TV series), a 2002 British situational comedy television series that aired on BBC2 * TLC (TV network), formerly the Learning Channel, an American cable TV network ** TLC (Asia), an A ...

and

Immature Mature is the adjectival form of maturity, as immature is the adjectival form of immaturity, which have several meanings. Mature or immature may also refer to: * Mature, a character from ''The King of Fighters'' series *"Mature 17+", a rating in ...

in supporting roles. In 2001, Immature (now going by IMx) starred in a direct-to-video sequel, '' House Party 4: Down to the Last Minute'', which does not feature any of the original cast from the other three films. A fifth installment and direct follow-up to the third film, titled '' House Party: Tonight's the Night'' was filmed in 2012 with Tequan Richmond, Zac Goodman, Tristin Mays, Alex McGregor, Rolonda Watts and Gary Anthony Williams. The film was a direct to DVD release in 2013, and also marked the return of Kid 'n Play to the series. In 2018, it was announced that basketball star

LeBron James LeBron Raymone James Sr. (; born December 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "King James", he is widely considered one of the greatest pl ...

, along with his

SpringHill Entertainment SpringHill Company is an entertainment development and production company founded in 2020 by LeBron James and Maverick Carter. Its board of directors includes Serena Williams. The company unites three earlier companies founded by James and Carter ...

partner

Maverick Carter Maverick Carter is an American sports-marketing businessman and media personality. Early life and education Maverick Carter was born on October 10, 1980 Carter spent most of his youth in Akron, Ohio and Atlanta, Georgia. Carter grew up the son ...

would be producing a new ''House Party'' film with Stephen Glover and Jamal Olori writing the screenplay. "This is definitely not a reboot. It’s an entirely new look for a classic movie. Everyone I grew up with loved ''House Party''. To partner with this creative team to bring a new ''House Party'' to a new generation is unbelievable. Listen, it's fun, it's an honor when I got the opportunity to produce it, reboot the whole movie, man, I had so much fun as a kid watching that movie," James said. It is currently unknown if Kid 'n Play will appear in the film; however, rapper

Drake Drake may refer to: Animals * A male duck People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name * Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * ...

could possibly appear along with a cameo by James. "We’re trying out some ideas for musicians to be cast in and to be a part of the project," Carter said. Los Angeles filmmaker

Calmatic Charles Kidd II (born September 25, 1987), known professionally as Calmatic, is an American filmmaker from Los Angeles known for music videos and commercials. He gained widespread fame in 2019 for directing the video for " Old Town Road" by Lil Na ...

, known for directing "

Old Town Road "Old Town Road" is the debut single of American rapper Lil Nas X, first released independently in December 2018. After gaining popularity, the single was re-released by Columbia Records in March 2019. Lil Nas X also recorded a remix with America ...

", was tapped to direct in 2019. In April 2021, Jorge Lendeborg Jr. and

Tosin Cole Tosin Cole (born 23 July 1992) is an American-born British actor. He is known for various roles in British television series and films. He began his on-screen career starring in '' The Cut'' and '' EastEnders: E20'', later securing a regular ro ...

were cast in the lead roles. This would be SpringHill's last feature film. On July 28, 2021,

Jacob Latimore Jacob O'Neal Latimore (born August 10, 1996) is an American actor, singer and dancer from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In 2016, Latimore released his debut album ''Connection''. As an actor, he is best known for his roles in ''Black Nativity (film), ...

was cast to replace Lendeborg Jr., who dropped out of the film due to his mental well-being. In 2022, the film was selected for preservation in the United States