Well there was, but there wasn’t…

“House Party 5: Tonight’s the Night” was released straight to DVD in 2013, via Warner Home Video. So most of you likely have never seen or even heard of it.

Now, wouldn’t it have been fantastic and really interesting if the film had been a tragicomedy about the now middle-aged and divorced Kid ‘n Play trying to find their purpose in life, and explore a new path now that their youthful indiscretions are well-past them?

But no such luck…

What “House Party 5” is instead, is a sort of “Step-Up” movie ripoff, with interracial leads (Tequan Richmond and Zac Goodspeed), though Kid ‘n Play, as you can see from the image and trailer below, do make a cameo appearance. But from what I understand, this happens at the very end of the film, and is more of an inside joke. So the trailer spoils the final joke in the film. Perfect.

Also interesting, the movie was directed by Darin Scott – who produced several films like Charles Burnett’s “To Sleep with Anger,” “Menace II Society” and “Fear of the Black Hat” – from a script written by Don Scott, who wrote “Barbershop I” and “II.”

Hey, in the film business, sometimes you have to do what you have to do.

Before this one, there was also a 4th film released in 2001 (also straight to video) that Kid ‘n Play had nothing to do with. Immature (now going by IMx) starred in the direct-to-video sequel, “House Party 4: Down to the Last Minute,” which does not feature any of the original cast from the other three films.

Reginald Hudlin, who wrote and directed the first and best film in the franchise, had little or nothing to do with the 4 films that followed it.

Watch a trailer for “House Party 5: Tonight’s the Night” below and look for it on DVD if interested: