If you didn’t already know, Tales From The Hood was a 1995 horror anthology film directed by Rusty Cundieff, who also co-wrote with Darin Scott. It wasn’t very well received at the time, but soon grew a cult following among horror fans who were able to appreciate the film for its commentary on the black experience in America. It’s strong work that’s aged fairly well, so if you haven’t seen it yet, be sure to seek it out. Now, we have Tales From The Hood 2, a sequel made over two decades after the original, which might usually be a red flag, but is actually something we might need at this time. Plus, both Cundieff and Scott are returning (as well as executive producer, Spike Lee), serving as both writers and directors.
The film continues the anthology format of the original, with the framing device being Mr. Simms (Keith David, taking over the Clarence Williams III role in the original) being brought in by a sleazy businessman, Dumas Beach (Bill Martin Williams) to tell stories that can help inform Beach’s latest project, a robot police officer. The basic idea is that the stories can assist in providing the A.I. a human perspective that allows them to decide the best response to any given crime.
Mr. Simms tells four stories. The first involves two college girls, one black, one white entering a “Museum of Negrosity,” a collection of racist artifacts, one of which is sought by the white girl. The second, “is about a group of criminals who kidnap a TV psychic in hopes to find the location of some money left behind by a guy they killed by accident. And of course, the medium is a fraud. The third one is a idea you’ve seen before, two guys go out with these girls, and they have bad intentions. But the tables are turned when they find out something about the girls. The fourth is by far the most somber and serious minded. It’s a cross-cut between the story of Emmett Till and the story of a black, Republican politician who finds himself haunted by Till’s ghost.
Like with most anthologies, some segments work better than others, but for me, the only segment that never quite clicked was the third one, which is likely intended as a piece about female empowerment and giving abusive toxic men the punishment they deserve, but rarely get. Sure, it’s timely enough, but there isn’t much to the segment overall. None of these are are too surprising in their plot points, but this is a kind of segment that’s expected in practically every anthology movie, and it doesn’t add any specificity to the proceedings to make it stand out.
The other segments work far better. When it comes to delivering on the over-the-top sensibilities of the framing device, the first and second are great. They go to interesting places with their setups, and manage to reach some form of catharsis that works hand-in-hand with the comedic tone. Bryan Batt really shines in the second segment as the fraudulent psychic taken hostage by gangsters, he goes through the most range out of any character here, and it gives the segment a fun vibe.
But just when you think it’s all fun and games, the film packs a huge punch with the final story. Kendrick Cross plays the Republican politician who becomes haunted by Emmett Till. It’s an audacious bit, and it’s clear that this story is the one that the filmmakers wanted to make sure they get right. It’s approach isn’t particularly subtle, it’s a rather obvious Christmas Carol riff, but that doesn’t make it any less effective and powerful. It also makes it a bit weird when the film goes from such loaded and heavy imagery and messaging to its framing device where Keith David chews scenery alongside a robot cop and a character named Dumas Beach.
The film also suffers from significantly lower production values and budgetary restrictions compared to the original. The lighting and production design feels like they were only given the resources of a TV pilot. Some of the theming isn’t always as cohesive as it should be, at least, until the characters spell the lesson out. A few of the actors aren’t up to par. It definitely has a scruffy, rough around the edges quality to it. Sometimes it works in a charming way, other times, it feels like a hindrance.
However, despite those elements, the film has an anger fueled by the current political climate that gives the film a lot of energy and passion. Like the recent Assassination Nation (and even Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman, to a lesser degree), the film is either throwing so many things at you that it doesn’t form a clear throughline, or it’s very obvious about what it’s trying to say, taking out any sense of ambiguity, yet it still proves effective. And while I do also wish it was given the budget to capture the atmosphere of the first film, I think the vision of the filmmakers was still able to push through. It’s a vision that is not only really funny, enjoyable, and creative, it’s one that is more necessary than ever. Check it out, and give the first film a look, if you haven’t already.