A Low Down Dirty Shame

A Low Down Dirty Shame is a 1994 American action comedy film written, directed by, and starring Keenen Ivory Wayans. The film also stars Charles S. Dutton, Jada Pinkett, and Salli Richardson.

A Low Down Dirty Shame
Theatrical release poster
Directed byKeenen Ivory Wayans
Produced by
Written byKeenen Ivory Wayans
Starring
Music byMarcus Miller
CinematographyMatthew F. Leonetti
Edited byJohn F. Link
Production
company
Distributed byBuena Vista Pictures
Release date
  • November 23, 1994 (1994-11-23)
Running time
100 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$29.4 million[1]

Plot

Former LAPD detective Andre Shame is a private investigator who owns A Low Down Dirty Shame Investigations. He runs it with Peaches, whom he arrested six years before and has romantic feelings for him. Despite the high-risk jobs, Shame is unable to keep the firm afloat, and may be forced to close.

Five years ago, Shame and a team of detectives went into Mexico to apprehend drug lord Ernesto Mendoza. Though Shame seemingly shot and killed Mendoza in a shoot-out, the other detectives were killed, with Shame and Sonny Rothmiller being the only survivors. This caused Shame to leave the force in disgrace.

In the present day, Rothmiller, who is now working for the DEA, tells him that Mendoza is still alive. He hires Shame to find the only witness who would testify against him...his ex-girlfriend Angela, who was caught in the middle of a love triangle with the two men. Angela escaped from the Witness Protection Program in New York and is in LA. Shame is hesitant at first, but seeing this as a chance to arrest the man who took everything from him, decides to take the case.

Shame gets information on one of Mendoza's lieutenants, Luis, Shame's former childhood acquaintance, then goes to a restaurant and has Luis warn Mendoza that Shame is coming for him. Upon arriving home, Shame is attacked by Mendoza's henchmen and warned by a very much alive Mendoza to back away.

With the help of Peaches and her roommate Wayman, Shame tracks Angela to a posh hotel, and calls Sonny. Shame explains that he originally went to Mexico for her. She tells Shame that she was going to testify against Mendoza, but Mendoza found her location, forcing her to flee. Shame discovers that Rothmiller is working for Mendoza, and the two barely escape Mendoza's thugs. Shame drops Angela at Peaches.

Shame cleans himself up, then abducts Luis and takes him to an abandoned building. When Luis refuses to give Shame Mendoza's whereabouts, Shame has him stumble into a meeting of white supremacists. With the supremacists chasing him, he gives Shame his boss's location in exchange for a ride. But Shame leaves him at their mercy.

At the club, Shame and Mendoza exchange words, then get into a Mexican standoff with Mendoza using his date as a hostage. When Wayman attempts to get Shame's attention, Mendoza uses the distraction to escape. Shame goes to Peaches to find Angela gone (she and Peaches had gotten into an argument earlier), and Capt. Nunez waiting for him. He has Nunez place Peaches in protective custody, and heads off to find Angela.

Shame meets Angela at a storage locker and discovers the real reason Mendoza wants her dead: she stole $20 million of his money. At a motel, Shame receives a call from Mendoza informing him he has kidnapped Peaches; and will exchange her for Angela and his money. The two agree to meet at a Mendoza owned-shopping mall. Angela tries to convince Shame to leave with her, yet admitting that he cares for Peaches, Shame refuses and the two of them head to the mall.

Before the exchange, Sonny admits he killed the other detectives because they wouldn't take Mendoza's bribe without Shame. He left Shame alive to take the blame. Peaches and Angela are placed on the escalator, and Mendoza discovers that Angela is a mannequin. With a gun hidden on the escalator Peaches begins shooting. Shame kills the mercenaries hired by Sonny, Luis is attacked by the dogs that were supposed trying to kill Shame, and Sonny is killed by Angela.

Mendoza captures Peaches, only to be confronted by Shame. After winning a fistfight, Shame arrests Mendoza, who is then killed by Angela. She attempts to kill Shame, but Peaches knocks her out cold in a fist fight by grabbing Angela by her hair, slinging her over her back and slamming her to the ground. Nunez threatens to arrest Shame, but Shame reminds Nunez that he helped take down a drug lord, found a federal witness on the run (Angela, who is lead away in handcuffs for her crimes), and recovered $15 million in stolen drug money. Shame keeps $5 million for expenses, with Peaches getting perks of a romantic relationship with Shame.

Cast

Soundtrack
Main article: A Low Down Dirty Shame (soundtrack)

A soundtrack containing hip hop and R&B music was released on November 8, 1994, by Hollywood Records and Jive Records. It peaked at #70 on the Billboard 200 and #14 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.

Reception

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, with 22 reviews, the film has a rare approval rating of 0% – meaning no favorable reviews whatsoever – receiving an average rating of 3.6/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "A trifecta of failure for writer-director-star Keenen Ivory Wayans, A Low Down Dirty Shame lives repeatedly and resolutely down to its title."[2]

Year-end lists

References
  1. A Low Down Dirty Shame. Box Office Mojo.
  2. "A Low Down Dirty Shame (1994)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2020-12-31.
  3. Webster, Dan (January 1, 1995). "In Year of Disappointments, Some Movies Still Delivered". The Spokesman-Review (Spokane ed.). p. 2.
  4. Mills, Michael (December 30, 1994). "It's a Fact: 'Pulp Fiction' Year's Best". The Palm Beach Post (Final ed.). p. 7.
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