Crack House (1989).
Crack House (1989) - Exploitation, Gang Wars, and a Whole Lot of Crack.
“There’s better things to do than dishin’ crack.”
Rick, a 24 year old high school student who managed to snag the hottest girl in school, 25 year old Melissa, even though his drop top convertible interior is covered from head to toe in Jesus paraphernalia has denounced the gang culture around him. But when his cousin is blasted in a drive, he snatches the green rag from the corpse and immediately finds himself back in the killing business. Rick isn’t good at planning, however, so he brings his Mexican gang (called the Pochos) to where the black gang (called the Greys) hangs out and they just start blasting away - it’s a pretty impressive set piece with multiple deaths. On the way out, Rick is picked up for attempted murder (a little odd, considering people were definitely successfully murdered during the shootout).
While in prison, Melissa is nearly raped by Rick’s own gang, but a guy named B.T. rolls up in a van and saves her. B.T. isn’t without his faults though, he introduces her to crack cocaine and she goes from aspiring Barbizon student to full fledged junkie in the span of a weekend. Eventually B.T. gets in over his head and he trades her to Steadman, the Greys boss in exchange for his life. Rick learns about this and convinces Roundtree to let him out so he can rescue his ex-fiance and take down Steadman, banishing crack from Los Angeles once and for all!
Aging High Schoolers and Blaxploitation Legends.
“That’s a black run house, they’re not gonna let no whip dick Chicano go waltzin’ in there.”
Gregg Thomsen plays Rick, a kid who looks way too old to be in high school, but this is a school where everyone looks like their best years are behind them. Maybe that’s just what crack does. He only did one other feature film, a B-movie featuring Joe Estevez, and it’s pretty obvious why. The few scenes where he has to show emotion are delivered woodenly. He’s not the worst actor in the cast, however. Cher Butler, ex-Playmate-turned-born-again-Christian plays Melissa, a looker with the acting chops of a goldfish.
While those actors aren’t household names, it does have some notable actors. Richard Roundtree plays a cop who is trying to corral the violence in his city. He cares enough that he’s notably disappointed when Rick is immediately found after the shootout, a sentiment he repeats when he visits Rick in jail. Steadman is played by Jim Brown (doing his best Fred Williamson impression), a role in which he gleefully beats women and calls everyone bitch. When he’s not beating or raping women, he’s tossing them to his crew to do the same. A tidbit for film trivia buffs, look closely and you’ll catch a very young F. Gary Gray (credited as Gary Gray) as one of the black gang members (coincidentally named The Greys).
Cool Guys Don’t Look at Explosions.
“Now look, don’t trip, but this is my bitch.”
While the action in the film is constrained by its budget, it’s still pretty raw and fun. Like I said, the inciting shootout is well done and the fights feel pretty solid. For example, in an early bathroom fight, someone’s head goes through a mirror, and when Rick confronts B.T., he puts the guys head through his van window and then blows it up while walking away. The last scene of the film features Johnny Law descending on the crack house, leading to plenty of squib work and bodies galore. They even bring in a SWAT tank.
Funk, hip-hop and 2 Live Crew.
The soundtrack and score aren’t bad but feel very typical for the exploitation films of the late 80’s - lots of bouncy funk tracks and a forgettable synth score. There are two 2 Live Crew songs and Slippin’ Into Darkness by War that elevates the one scene it’s in. One of the better songs in the film is called Rush It Baby-O (Beam Me Up Scotty) performed by the Bus Stop Creepers who appear to be from Cincinnati but I couldn’t find much about them.
Is Crack House Worth Buying?
“Shit bitch, you stink.”
Overall, Crack House was sub par. While the action was well done and the performance by Brown was memorable, the rest of the movie is a bit of a drag. Melissa’s descent into a tweaker is unconvincing and the film offers no surprises. It also makes an odd choice by completely sidelining the main character; when he goes to jail, he’s nearly invisible for the second act. Everything just seems way easier than it should be.
The Vinegar Syndrome Archive release looks and sounds good, but the extras are surprisingly scant compared to their other releases. There are two interviews that clock in at about 10 minutes each and a 4 minute location featurette. If you’re a fan of Cannon’s brand of chaos, you’ll find some enjoyment here but I’d recommend checking this one out on Tubi before forking over $30 or more.
Note: There are certainly some uncomfortable moments in the film regarding sexual assault, so if that’s a trigger for you, steer clear.
