Today’s game box on film is…
Nintendo 64, Atomic Purple Controller Bundle (box)
Release: Holiday 1998 N64: 1996-2002
That’s right, not a game, not even a console or an arcade game, not even a Pin, but a box.
Games on Films Spooktacular begins with Leprechaun: In the Hood.
Directed/Rob Spera
DOP: Michael Mickens
Screenplay/Doug Hall, Jon Huffman
Story/William Wells, Alan Reynolds, Rob Spera, Doug Hall.
Starring:
Warwick Davis/Lubdan The Leprechaun
Ice-T/”Mack Daddy O’Nassas”
Anthony Montgomery/”Postmaster P.” Smith
Rashaan Nall/”Stray Bullet”
Red Grant/Butch
Dan Martin/Jackie Dee Redding
Lobo Sebastian/Fontaine Rivera
Ivory Ocean/Reverend Hanson
Brief synopsis
A struggling rapper and his friends, trying to break into the music industry, stumble upon a magic golden flute. When played, it captivates anyone listening, transforming their mediocre sounds into funky, fresh beats. As they rise to the top, they are constantly pursued by a murderous Leprechaun determined to get his flute back.
Derivative horror sequels have long since become a staple of the genre. Leprechaun: In the Hood is the 5th iteration in the series, a franchise that had skipped jumping the shark and went straight to space in the previous film (Leprechaun: In Space, 1997). So, this might seem like a bit of a step backward in terms of spectacle, but the more grounded plot actually works in the film’s favour.
The film had a low budget, and it shows with its sets and lacklustre special effects, which have only a few standout moments. Thankfully, the characters are endearing and well-acted, and given a lot of personality and genuine empathy. Though there’s only so much they could do with the material they’d been given. Warwick Davis does a good job as always, with the rap at the end being somewhat of a highlight. Continuing this idea, the film is very self-aware and isn’t trying to hide it.
The series is geared more towards humour than horror, but by this point, the whole Leprechaun thing is really starting to wear thin. Retrospectively, this entry does offer a somewhat interesting commentary on the music industry. As well as putting its own 2000 spin on the blaxploitation genre.
Like most of the other films in the series, you really need to be in the right frame of mind to appreciate it. Out of the two Leprechaun “Hood” films, this is definitely the better of the two, so if you’re gonna watch one, watch this one.
The Scene…
Postmaster P., Stray Bullet, and Butch go to a pawn shop to try and make some money for new equipment, having blown out their last pair of speakers. They attempt to sell a used guitar claiming it once belonged to Jimi Hendriks. The pawn shop owner is doubtful of its authenticity and isn’t sold. Looking behind the counter in the background, a Nintendo 64 box can clearly be seen. None of the characters interact with the box, nor does it have any relevance to the plot; it’s just a background detail. (What did you expect? It’s just a box.)
Schrodinger’s Nintendo 64 box
The box is only in the background, and as stated, the characters never interact with it. That leaves the question, “Is the actual N64 console inside, or is it just an empty box?” It would be a 50/50 chance; even if it were empty, the box did have a Nintendo 64 in it at some point in time. So where is it? Does it still exist in someone’s collection, or did some jaded smuck trash it years ago? Who knows, someone could be playing it right this minute and not know that its box was once in a middling horror comedy from the early 2000s. Now that is a scary thought.
Direct to the point
The film was a direct-to-video release. For the younger readers, a direct-to-video film generally meant a film that would skip a full cinema release and go straight to sale and/or rent. The term often carries some baggage, sometimes unfairly, like it wasn’t good enough for the cinema, so here it is. The modern-day version of this is direct-to-streaming. The perceived quality has changed around direct-to-streaming films, with many high-quality films getting released this way. Though a few stinkers still crawl their way onto streaming services. *cough* War of the Worlds, 2025 *Cough*
Nintendo 64: A 2000 Odyssey
The film came out on March 28th, 2000. What kind of games would have been on the shelves along with Leprechaun? Well, keeping the N64 theme going. In March 2000, Nintendo launched the popular Funtastic series of N64s, which came in a variety of semi-transparent colours, similar to the Atomic Purple controller.
Games on the March. (Some N64 games that launched in March 2000.)
All-Star Baseball (N64) 31st March 2000
Top Gear Hyper Bike (N64) (JPN) 17th Mar 2000 (NA) 27th Mar 2000
South Park Rally (N64) (EU) Mar 3rd, 2000
Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards (JPN) 24th Mar 2000
Itoi Shigesato no Bass Tsuri No. 1(JPN) 31st Mar 2000
The dawn of the new millennium brought the next generation of consoles; the Nintendo 64 was entering its twilight years, but still had more than a few heavy hitters left in it before officially being discontinued in 2002.
2000 saw some of the system’s best and most beloved games, such as The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, Perfect Dark, Paper Mario, Kirby 64, Pokémon Stadium, and even memorable sports titles like MLB 2000/2001.
The N64 had a strong final few years; many of the games mentioned above are now playable via the Nintendo Switch Online and, in some cases, have received remakes such as Majora’s Mask on the Nintendo 3DS in 2015. (Though it’s probably due for another remaster/remake at some point now.) This ensures the legacy of these games lives on.
To conclude…
The example of the N64 being in a pawn/junk store could imply that the system was old and no longer in demand, and while it’s true the N64 was starting to come to an end, it was by no means irrelevant, as proven by the quality of games it was still receiving.
Warwick Davis would take up the role of Leprechaun one last time in 2003’s Leprechaun Back 2 tha Hood. The series was later rebooted with two well-spaced apart entries, Leprechaun: Origins (2014) and Leprechaun Returns (2018).
“In the Hood” is flawed, but still an enjoyable watch. You’ll likely get more out of it if you like the previous films in the series.
N64 Atomic Purple bundle Box (Credit: pricecharting.com)
Poster. (Credit: Movieposter.com)