I'm Gonna Git You Sucka
(1988)
R | 88 mins | Comedy | 14 December 1988
Director:
Keenen Ivory WayansWriter:
Keenen Ivory WayansProducers:
Peter McCarthy, Carl CraigCinematographer:
Tom RichmondEditor:
Michael R. MillerProduction Designers:
Melba Farquhar, Catherine HardwickeProduction Companies:
Ivory Way , Raymond Katz Enterprises
According to a 31 Jan 1989 WSJ article, the original title was Mo Git U Sucka, but David M. Forbes, president of MGM/UA stated the company was concerned the title would not be understood by a broad segment of the audience.
I’m Gonna Git You Sucka was actor Keenan Ivory Wayans' theatrical feature directorial debut.
The song "I’m a Fly Guy" is a parody of the theme song from Super Fly (1972 see entry) which was also written by songwriter Curtis Mayfield.
A 22 Jun 1988 Var news item stated that actors Peter Graves and Susie Sparks were to appear in the film, but neither appears in onscreen credits.
Production notes in AMPAS library files state that principal photography began 8 Jun 1998 and finished 22 Jul 1988. It was filmed entirely in the Greater Los Angeles, CA, area. Locations included the Ebony Theatre at 4718 West Washington Boulevard, the Catch One Disco at 4067 W Pico Blvd, the Modern Cafe in downtown Los Angeles, Green's Soul Food Restaurant, and the Burbank Studios backlot.
As reported in WSJ, the film’s budget was less than $3 million. It had grossed $6.1 million by 31 Jan 1988. It was initially released 14 Dec 1988 in only four cities: Detroit, MI; Washington, D.C.; Atlanta, GA; and Chicago, IL. By 28 Dec 1988, a HR news item reported it grossed $653,488 in five days. Due to the film’s box-office success, MGM/UA expanded to 150 more theaters on 13 Jan 1989 and another 150 on 17 ...
According to a 31 Jan 1989 WSJ article, the original title was Mo Git U Sucka, but David M. Forbes, president of MGM/UA stated the company was concerned the title would not be understood by a broad segment of the audience.
I’m Gonna Git You Sucka was actor Keenan Ivory Wayans' theatrical feature directorial debut.
The song "I’m a Fly Guy" is a parody of the theme song from Super Fly (1972 see entry) which was also written by songwriter Curtis Mayfield.
A 22 Jun 1988 Var news item stated that actors Peter Graves and Susie Sparks were to appear in the film, but neither appears in onscreen credits.
Production notes in AMPAS library files state that principal photography began 8 Jun 1998 and finished 22 Jul 1988. It was filmed entirely in the Greater Los Angeles, CA, area. Locations included the Ebony Theatre at 4718 West Washington Boulevard, the Catch One Disco at 4067 W Pico Blvd, the Modern Cafe in downtown Los Angeles, Green's Soul Food Restaurant, and the Burbank Studios backlot.
As reported in WSJ, the film’s budget was less than $3 million. It had grossed $6.1 million by 31 Jan 1988. It was initially released 14 Dec 1988 in only four cities: Detroit, MI; Washington, D.C.; Atlanta, GA; and Chicago, IL. By 28 Dec 1988, a HR news item reported it grossed $653,488 in five days. Due to the film’s box-office success, MGM/UA expanded to 150 more theaters on 13 Jan 1989 and another 150 on 17 Feb 1989.
A television pilot based on the characters from I’m Gonna Git You Sucka called Hammer and Slammer aired on the ABC (American Broadcasting Company) television network on 15 Dec 1990.
The following thanks appear in end credits: “Thanks to Carole Little, Nike, Adidas, Touch Apparel.”
One night in “Any Ghetto, USA,” Lieutenant Baker arrives at a crime scene to find the corpse of “June Bug” Spade, covered in gold chains. Another police officer offers the explanation that the victim died of “OG,” or "over gold." Baker scans the crowd, spots one of crime lord “Mr. Big’s” men watching, and tells the police to wrap it up. After June Bug Spade’s funeral, his mother, “Ma” Bell Spade, and wife, Cheryl Spade, are visited by two thugs, Leonard and Willie, who have come to collect $5,000 June Bug owed Mr. Big. When Ma Bell insists they cannot pay, Leonard grabs Cheryl and orders Willie to beat Ma Bell. However, she knocks them senseless and hurls them down the stairs. Jack Spade, June Bug’s brother, arrives as the two hoods run away. Cheryl Spade explains that June Bug changed after Jack left for the army; selling drugs and getting addicted to wearing gold chains. Ma Bell voices her suspicion that Mr. Big ordered June Bug’s death. As they look through a scrapbook, Jack finds a photograph of Ma Bell with famous crime fighter John Slade. Across town, Leonard and Willie tell Mr. Big that it was Jack who attacked them. Mr. Big informs them that because June Bug worked under them, they are now responsible for his debt. Unless they want to be dead, Mr. Big informs them, they are to grab Cheryl so she can be forced into prostitution to pay June Bug’s debt. The next day, Jack spots a newspaper advertisement for a youth gang competition to be judged by local ...
One night in “Any Ghetto, USA,” Lieutenant Baker arrives at a crime scene to find the corpse of “June Bug” Spade, covered in gold chains. Another police officer offers the explanation that the victim died of “OG,” or "over gold." Baker scans the crowd, spots one of crime lord “Mr. Big’s” men watching, and tells the police to wrap it up. After June Bug Spade’s funeral, his mother, “Ma” Bell Spade, and wife, Cheryl Spade, are visited by two thugs, Leonard and Willie, who have come to collect $5,000 June Bug owed Mr. Big. When Ma Bell insists they cannot pay, Leonard grabs Cheryl and orders Willie to beat Ma Bell. However, she knocks them senseless and hurls them down the stairs. Jack Spade, June Bug’s brother, arrives as the two hoods run away. Cheryl Spade explains that June Bug changed after Jack left for the army; selling drugs and getting addicted to wearing gold chains. Ma Bell voices her suspicion that Mr. Big ordered June Bug’s death. As they look through a scrapbook, Jack finds a photograph of Ma Bell with famous crime fighter John Slade. Across town, Leonard and Willie tell Mr. Big that it was Jack who attacked them. Mr. Big informs them that because June Bug worked under them, they are now responsible for his debt. Unless they want to be dead, Mr. Big informs them, they are to grab Cheryl so she can be forced into prostitution to pay June Bug’s debt. The next day, Jack spots a newspaper advertisement for a youth gang competition to be judged by local crime-fighting legend, John Slade. Jack arrives to see teenagers competing in stolen television set racing and car stripping contests. After John Slade reminisces about having sex with Ma Bell, he turns down Jack’s request for help taking down Mr. Big, claiming he is retired. That night, Jack goes to the diner where Cheryl works to escort her home. Two of Mr. Big’s men arrive, but before Jack can fight, Ma Bell appears and beats both men unconscious. Back at their apartment, Jack straps on a gun and tells Ma Bell he wants to fight his own battles. He storms out just as John Slade arrives. Ma Bell begs Slade to protect Jack. Slade chases Jack down the street and advises him he is too inexperienced to fight Mr. Big. Jack retorts he was trained for combat just as Willie fires a machine gun at them from a rooftop, killing a bystander. As Jack screams and runs in circles, Slade spots Willie. Using the dead man as a shield, Slade rushes across the street. Jack follows and they climb up two different stairwells to the roof. Leonard and Willie concentrate their fire on John Slade, allowing Jack to jump them from behind. After warning that the he is coming for Mr. Big, John Slade throws the two hoodlums down the fire escape. John then takes Jack to a bar and instructs him on how to be a hero. He explains a hero must drink liquor and have plenty of sex. Cherry, a stunning barfly, walks over and tells Jack if he has “twelve inches” she will have sex with him. Once in Cherry’s apartment, Jack admits he is not as well-endowed as he led her to believe. Cherry confesses she too has a secret, then removes her wig, plastic breasts, foam rubber derriere and prosthetic leg. Jack runs back to the bar, where Slade has purchased weapons. Slade tells Jack it is time to recruit their army. Later, Jack tells his sister-in-law, Cheryl, he joined the army to prove to her he did not need his mother’s protection. Instead of seeing combat, he was made a secretary and was too ashamed to come home. She confesses to marrying June Bug because he reminded her of Jack and they embrace. The next day, Slade approaches two of his crime fighting buddies; Hammer and Slammer, who are now restaurateurs. They agree to aid Slade in bringing down Mr. Big. Slade goes to see Flyguy in prison, as he is about to be released after being framed by Mr. Big. Flyguy gives Slade information on Big’s criminal operations. Later, Slade leads a band of musicians down the street, explaining to Jack that every hero needs a theme song. They meet Hammer and Slammer, who are not impressed with Jack, but after they learn he is a former football player, they agree he can be a “Black Hero.” “Kung Fu Joe,” a black martial artist appears, pulls out a picture of Bruce Lee and screams, “They killed my teacher!” Impressed, Jack asks if Joe studied martial arts with Bruce Lee, but Joe tells him Lee was his acting coach. That night, the heroes attack various brothels, drug houses and jewelry stores owned by Mr. Big. At the diner, Cheryl complains she is getting cramps and has to leave. Wearing neck braces and leg casts, Leonard and Willie grab her as she leaves. However, Cheryl’s menstrual cramps turns her into a monster and she beats Leonard until Willie knocks her unconscious. They take her to Mr. Big, who orders them to take Cheryl to his hideout. He telephones Lieutenant Baker and demands protection from Slade and his men. Later, Kung Fu Joe is pulled over by two policemen. They plant cocaine in his car and try to arrest him, but Kung Fu Joe knocks them to the ground. Thirty more police cruisers arrive. Kung Fu Joe laughs that his mystical martial arts skills make him more than a match for them. So they shoot him. Across town, Willie and another thug fail to gun down Slammer and Hammer in a parking garage. Slammer chases Willie to the roof. There, Willie points out that Slammer has fired over twenty rounds from a gun that only holds six bullets. Nonplussed, Slammer is about to pull the trigger again when Hammer arrives and identifies Willie as Mr. Big’s nephew. Willie tells them the location of Mr. Big’s hideout. While men wait as Slammer straps on twenty guns, he slips on a loose bullet, and hits the ground. All his guns misfire, taking Slammer out of the fight. At a large factory, John Slade rappels off the roof to throw a bomb through a window, but the bomb explodes early. Below, Hammer crashes through a window and knocks himself silly. Jack Spade, who came in through the unlocked door, helps Hammer to his feet as a group of thugs open fire. During the gun battle, Hammer and Slammer are unable to continue the fight, but Ma Bell arrives carrying a shotgun and calls for Jack to follow her. Instead he pushes her into a storage room and locks the door. After killing the bad guys with a grenade, Jack Spade takes a wood sliver in his index finger. Gritting his teeth, he removes the splinter with a needle and bandages the finger. Overcoming the pain, he heroically advances, but runs out of bullets. Thinking fast, he uses a paperclip and elastic band to shoot a thug’s eye out and takes his gun, whereupon, another goon shoots at him. After shooting the goon, Jack rushes in to untie Cheryl. Mr. Big’s thug, Leonard, steps from behind the door, but before he can shoot, Flyguy appears, points his gun at Leonard’s head and tells him to drop his weapon. However, Mr. Big appears and tells Flyguy to drop his gun. Jack voices surprise that such a respected character actor like John Vernon would appear in an exploitation film, but Mr. Big claims a lot of famous people, like Shelley Winters and Angie Dickerson have done “B” movies. He aims at Jack and declares “there ain’t going to be a sequel.” Jon Slade appears, shoots Mr. Big and exclaims, “I got you, sucka.” Later, Slade announces that Hammer and Slammer will recover from their wounds and that he wants to be with Ma Bell forever. A rap band appears and Jack tells Slade that every hero should have a theme song.
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