Selling Menace

Trail for 1993's Menace II Society. New Line selling it like it's Boyz n the Hood 2. The Hughes brothers' debut skews far bleaker than Singleton's, denying Caine even a passing interest in opportunity. Instead he's drowning in reactionary masculinity. If you've seen the film you'll know that irony brackets the hook unspooling here. Caine tunes Charles S Dutton's sermonising right out, and the remark about father figure Pernell becomes prophetic: Caine doesn't end up in jail like de facto Dad, instead he closes with holes blown in him. That's the economics, then you've got Marvin Gaye's soulful pleading enveloping scuffle montages and inner city nihilism. Thesis seed for Hughes follow-up Dead Presidents.