Film
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Menace
      II
      Society
     
     
      Directed
      by
      Allen
     
     
      and
      Albert
      Hughes
     
    
   
   
    
     
      A
      morality,
      or
      should
      I
      say
      mortality
      tale
     
    
   
   
    
     
      with
      a
      predictable
      conclusion,
      Menace
     
     
      IT
      Society
      combines
      violence
      galore,
     
     
      cliche-ridden
      writing
      and
      so-so
      acting
      with
      an
     
     
      overused
      theme
      and
      comes
      up
      with
      a
      film
      that
     
     
      still
      manages
      to
      make
      the
      audience
      leave
      the
     
     
      theatre
      with
      a
      lump
      in
      its
      collective
      throat.
     
     
      First,
      the
      acting;
      Tyrin
      Turner
      plays
      ‘Caine,
     
     
      a
      confused
      young
      black
      man,
      bred
      to
      the
      tough
     
     
      stréet.
      lifes.
      of
     
     
      Compton,
      but
      with
     
     
      an
      inner
      voice
      that
     
     
      narrates
      throughout
     
     
      the
      movie
      and
      fills
     
     
      him
      with
      doubt.
     
     
      Turner
      plays
      the
      role
     
     
      straight
      to
      the
      point
     
     
      of
      discomfort.
      Per-
     
     
      haps
      he
      is
      new
      to
      the
     
     
      nuances
      of
      film
      act-
     
     
      ing,
      not
      a
      bad
      pre-
     
     
      sumption
      consider-
     
     
      ing
      that
      the
      creators
     
     
      of
      this
      film
      are
      all
      in
     
     
      their
      early
      twenties.
     
     
      Larenz
      Tate
      plays
     
     
      Turner’s
      ruthless
     
     
      sidekick,
      Dog.
      Nothing
      happens
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ment
      from
      either
      his
      strictly
      religious
      grandpar-
     
     
      ents
      or
      his
      friends;
      however,
      he
      is
      presumably
     
     
      so
      overcome
      with
      disgust
      from
      his
      week-long
     
     
      stay
      in
      jail
      that
      he
      must
      spew
      up
      into
      the
      toilet,
     
     
      though
      he
      can
      still
      fire
      off
      a
      one-liner
      for
      his
     
     
      friends
      outside
      the
      door,
      satirizing
      the
      now-
     
     
      stale
      Black
      Power
      movement
      without
      a
      trace
      of
     
     
      intended
      irony
      on
      the
      part
      of
      the
      film.
      Cliched
     
     
      black
      respectability
      slogans
      like
      “‘You’re
      man
     
     
      enough
      to
      take
      a
      life
      but
      you
      ain’t
      man
      enough
     
     
      to
      take
      care
      of
      one’’
      delivered
      by
      a
      pregnant
     
     
      teen
      to
      the
      child’s
      gangster
      father,
      and
      ‘‘I
      brought
     
     
      you
      into
      this
      life,
      I’m
      the
      only
      one
      whose
      gonna
     
     
      take
      you
      out
      of
      it,’’
      delivered
      by
      the
      school
     
     
      teacher/male
      black
      authority
      figure
      dotted
      the
     
     
      film.
      At
      times
      it
      reminded
      me
      of
      the
      serious
      part
     
     
      ofan
      episode
      of
      ‘‘The
      Fresh
      Prince
      of
      Bel
      Air’’,
     
     
      set
      in
      Compton.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      black
      ‘‘gangsta’’’
      movie
      style
      has
      been
     
     
      used
      at
      least
      a
      dozen
      times,
      and
      brings
      with
      it
      a
     
     
      host
      of
      problems
      that
     
    
   
   
    
     
      are
      usually
      left
      un-
     
     
      treated.
      Two
      of
      the
     
     
      most
      obvious
      are
     
     
      violence
      and
      mi-
     
     
      sogyny.
      Women
      in
     
     
      this
      movie,
      with
      the
     
     
      exception
      of
      the
     
     
      above
      mentioned
     
     
      single
      mother,
      are
     
     
      treated
      with
      the
      same
     
     
      glibness
      as
      a
      Play-
     
     
      boy
      centrefold
      stuck
     
     
      on
      a
      garage
      wall.
     
     
      They
      seem
      to
      be
      will+
     
     
      ing
      participants
      in
      a
     
     
      game
      in
      which
      their
     
     
      role
      is
      to
      service
      the
     
     
      men
      with
      sex
      and
      otherwise
      re-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ”
     
     
      with
      this
      character
      at
      all,
      although
      the
      main
      mute
      and
      pretty
      in
      the
      back-
     
     
      heisnotas
      uncomfortable
      to
      watch
      violence
      in
      ground.
      Also,
      the
      violence
      in
     
     
      as
      ‘Caine.
      Jada
      Pinkett
      plays
      a
      Menace
      II
      Society
      is
      truly
      gra-
     
     
      young
      black
      single
      mother
      strug-
      Menace
      IT
      tuitous
      and
      palpably
      numbing.
     
     
      gling
      to
      get
      out
      of
      the
      cruel
      cycle
      Society
      is
      truly
      Perhaps
      this
      is
      the
      director’s
     
     
      of
      Compton
      life.
      Ofthe
      three
      main
      i
      intention
      considering
      the
      reali-
     
     
      characters,
      she
      alone
      combines
      gratuitousand
      ties
      of
      a
      community
      like
     
     
      natural
      grace
      and
      a
      seemingly
      real
      palp
      a
      bly
      Compton.
      I
      doubt
      most
      native
     
    
   
   
    
     
      emotional
      conflict,
      which
      allows
     
     
      the
      audience
      to
      be
      moved
      and
      to
     
     
      enjoy
      themselves
      at
      the
      same
      time;
     
     
      however,
      it
      would
      have
      been
      even
     
     
      easier
      for
      Pinkett
      to
      move
      us
      had
      the
      writers
      not
     
     
      provided
      her
      with
      a
      chic
      little
      bungalow
      to
      raise
     
     
      her
      child
      in.
      Nobody
      can
      convince
      me
      that
     
     
      housing
      prices
      are
      so
      low
      in
      L.A.
      that
      her
     
     
      convict
      lover
      can
      set
      her
      up
      on
      the
      outside
      in
     
     
      such
      style-
      or
      else
      the
      film
      leaves
      something
      to
     
     
      be
      explained.
     
    

    
     
      The
      writing
      threw
      me
      for
      a
      loop
      a
      few
      other
     
     
      times
      as
      well.
      For
      example,
      we
      are
      shown
     
     
      ‘Caine
      being
      interrogated
      with
      deadly
      intensity
     
     
      in
      a
      dungeon-like
      room
      presumably
      in
      the
      po-
     
     
      lice
      station.
      Presumably
      they
      have
      caught
      him
     
     
      for
      car
      theft
      and
      are
      about
      to
      pin
      a
      murder
      on
     
     
      him.
      But
      before
      you
      know
      it,
      he’s
      out
      buying
      a,
     
     
      flashy
      car
      which
      he
      drives
      with
      barely
      a
      com-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      numbing."
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Islanders
      like
      myself
      can
      truly
     
     
      -
      relate
      to
      a
      society
      where
      murder
     
    

    
     
      isascommonas
      aparking
      ticket.
     
    

    
     
      As
      a
      whole,
      Menace
      II
      Society
     
     
      remains
      a
      stirring
      account
      of
      the
      black
      experi-
     
     
      ence
      in
      the
      ‘‘Comptons’’
      of
      North
      America.
     
     
      With
      all
      its
      flaws,
      there
      is
      an
      appealing
      earnesty
     
     
      in
      the
      opening
      footage
      of
      the
      infamous
      Watt’s
     
     
      riots,
      which
      remind
      us
      of
      the
      more
      recent
      L.A.
     
     
      riots.
      Perhaps
      the
      key
      to
      our
      understanding
      of
     
     
      this
      movie
      is
      that
      the
      only
      character
      to
      end
      the
     
     
      movie
      no
      worse
      off
      than
      he
      was
      when
      it
      began
     
     
      is
      the
      ruthless
      Dog,
      a
      young
      black
      man
      with
      no
     
     
      warmth,
      no
      faith
      and
      no
      conscience,
      but
      who
     
     
      nevertheless
      knows
      how
      to
      survive.
     
    

    
     
      (Menace
      II
      Society,
      playing
      at
      City
      Cinema,
     
     
      will
      be
      seen
      Thurs.
      Nov.
      4
      at
      9pm,
      Fri.
      Nov.
      5
      at
     
     
      7pm,
      Sat.
      Nov.
      6
      at
      9pm
      and
      Sun.
      Nov.
      7
      at
      7pm.)
     
     
      ED
      FOBES
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Books
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Puppeteer
     
     
      by
      Robert
      Kroetch
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Puppeteer,
      anovel
      by
      Robert
      Kroetch,is
      the
     
     
      most
      bizarre
      mix
      of
      characters
      you
      will
      ever
     
     
      come
      across.
      The
      plot
      focuses
      on
      Maggie-
      a
     
     
      confused
      newcomer
      to
      Vancouver-
      anda
      monk/
     
     
      pizza
      man/
      murderer.
      Add
      in
      a
      cursed
      wedding
     
     
      dress,
      and
      a
      handful
      of
      murderers-to-be.
      Jump
     
     
      back
      and
      forth
      between
      Canada
      and
      Greece
      and
     
     
      toss
      in
      some
      art
      theft
      for
      good
      measure.
      Are
      you
     
     
      confused
      yet?
      I
      certainly
      was
      when
      I
      read
      ‘‘The
     
     
      Puppeteer’’
      by
      Canadian
      author
      Robert
      Kroetch.
     
     
      But
      for
      some
      odd
      reason
      the
      story
      and
      charac-
     
     
      ters
      pull
      you
      in
      and
      make
      this
      a
      truly
      funny
      and
      .
     
     
      insightful
      read.
     
    

    
     
      ALDERA
      CHISHOLM
     
    
   
   
    
     
      X-PRESS
     
     
      MEETINGS!!!
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Every
      Tuesday
      at
     
    
   
   
    
     
      RLM
      eee
      MLL
     
     
      are
      interested
      are
     
     
      welcome
      to
     
     
      TAAL
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      LArche
      Cape
      Breton
      has
     
     
      openings
      for
     
     
      Live-in
      volunteer
      assistants.
     
     
      BPemerfits:
     
     
      lots
      of
      work,
      little
      pay,
     
     
      richness
      of
      life
      with
     
     
      mentally
      challenged
      people.
     
     
      For
      more
      information
     
     
      contact
      L'‘Arche
      Cape
     
    

    
     
      Breton,
      Whycocomagh,
      NS.
     
     
      DE...
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ae
     
    
   
   
    
     
      AH.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      November
      4,
      1993/X-Press/21