This issue will feature the trailer for the 1988 film I'm Gonna Git You Sucka. This was a satire of 70s blaxploitation films written by, directed by and starring Keenan Ivory Wayans. This movie pre-dated the popular sketch comedy series In Living Color which he had created and which would bring recognition and fame to the Wayans family comedy. You may not have ever even heard of this movie, but it has its funny moments in a Naked Gun or Airplane! silly sort of way.

The movie plot is that Wayans' character "Jack Spade" returns from the Army to his old neighborhood which is overran by a local crime lord called "Mr. Big" played by John Vernon (who I will always remember as "Dean Wormer" in 1979's Animal House). Spade's brother dies because of "Mr. Big" so "Jack Spade" decides to clean up his neighborhood and take down the man responsible for his brother's death. He enlists the help of "John Slade" (Bernie Casey) Jack's childhood idol, who fought bad guys in the 1970s. With John's help, Jack enlists help from a group of other 70s blaxploitation stars consisting of "Hammer" (Isaac Hayes), "Slammer" (Jim Brown), "Flyguy" (Antonio Fargas) and "Kung Fu Joe" (Steve James). Here is the original trailer for I'm Gonna Git You Sucka...

The movie also features Damon Wayans, Kadeem Hardison, John Witherspoon, Clarence Williams III and Dawnn Lewis plus includes cameos by Eve Plumb ("Jan" from the Brady Bunch) and a very young Chris Rock in one of first appearances. Chris Rock's character is simply known as "Rib Joint Customer" and his short scene is probably one of my very favorites. It makes me laugh just thinking about it, so here is the video so you can watch it yourself...

That scene just cracks me up and was a glimpse of things to come from Chris Rock. One piece of trivia I found interesting is that producer Peter McCarthy persuaded John Cusack (who I have often said is one of my favorite actors), with whom he had worked before, to appear in the last big shoot-out scene as a delivery boy. He was shot multiple times and was burned by several of the nearly 20 squibs attached to his body, but for some reason they didn't end up using the scene in the final film. Now that is a deleted scene that to me would be worth seeing.

The film is a satire of the blaxploitation genre, but does not really do anything to break those stereotypes and clichés. Instead it attempts to get you to laugh at them. Though sometimes funny, it does nothing to advance the image of African Americans in film (which is obviously not its purpose). If you are willing to take it at face value as simply a silly satirical comedy, then you should be able to enjoy it. I will admit that it is definitely not everybody's cup of tea, so I am not necessarily recommending it to everyone. I just wanted to share the Chris Rock scene which I still find absolutely hilarious 20 years later and, if you enjoyed this scene and the trailer, you may just enjoy I'm Gonna Git You Sucka too.

That will do it for this issue of Kickin' it Old School. Trust you enjoy the "Preview Review" issues and please let me know if there are any 80s movies that you want to see me cover. Thanks as always for reading. If you are interested in reading any of my other 80s related issues, please click there for a summary of those. You can also always click on the Archives in the upper left hand column or use the Google Search Box at the top of the right hand column to find any other issues you may have missed. If you are a fan of Kickin' it, PLEASE CLICK ON THE FACEBOOK LOGO in the upper right hand column. This will take you to the new Fan Page where I ask you to then click on "Become a Fan". Even if you are not a Facebook member yet, please consider joining and registering as a fan at that page. Let other 80s fans know about it as well! Peace and much love.

Check this out: My really old school favorite form of transportation way before I drove a car and even before I could ride a bike was my Big Wheel. I rode that thing until holes were worn through spots in the plastic wheels. I don't think I could have ever done something like this on my Big Wheel though...

Quote of the day: "Just do what must be done. This may not be happiness, but it is greatness." -George Bernard Shaw