Leprechaun in the Hood: Warwick Davis, Ice-T, and the Rap Battle Nobody Asked For

By Johnny Rewind | Nostalgia Navigator

By the year 2000, the Leprechaun franchise had already sent its killer Irish myth creature to space (Leprechaun 4: In Space, 1996) and Las Vegas (Leprechaun 3, 1995). The logical next destination was the hood. Nobody involved in this decision appears to have questioned it. The result is one of the most gloriously committed pieces of direct-to-video nonsense ever produced — a film that takes its ridiculous premise with complete seriousness and somehow makes it work on its own deranged terms.

The Plot (Keeping It Real…ish)

Three aspiring rappers in Compton stumble across a mummified Leprechaun (Warwick Davis, returning for his fifth time in the role with full commitment) who has been trapped in stone by a music mogul named Mack Daddy O'Nassy. They steal his gold and his magic flute, which can control people's minds. The Leprechaun wakes up, wants his gold back, and proceeds to murder his way through the neighbourhood while also rapping. Yes, he raps. Warwick Davis raps in Leprechaun in the Hood and he does it with more conviction than most people bring to anything in their entire lives.

Behind the Madness

Warwick Davis has said in interviews that he approached every Leprechaun film as a serious acting job, finding the character's motivation in each new setting. This commitment is the secret weapon of the entire franchise. Davis never winks at the camera. He is always genuinely the Leprechaun — murderous, greedy, unstoppable, and in this instalment, apparently familiar with hip-hop culture. The film was shot in 18 days on a budget that would barely cover craft services on a studio production. It grossed over $4 million. The sequel, Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood, followed in 2003.

WTF Moments

The Leprechaun uses a bong as a weapon. He kills someone with a braid. The climactic rap battle is everything the phrase 'climactic rap battle against a murderous Irish mythological creature' promises and more. Ice-T appears as a pimp named Mack Daddy O'Nassy who has somehow captured and imprisoned a supernatural being using a medallion and a flute. Nobody explains how he knows about Leprechaun folklore. The film does not consider this a gap.

This Film Is in the Book.

Leprechaun in the Hood gets the full treatment in Straight-to-DVD Delirium — part of The Bad Movie Chronicles series by Johnny Rewind. The complete breakdown of everything wrong and right about this film is in there, including the drinking game that will have you on the floor before the third act.

Get Straight-to-DVD Delirium on Amazon — $6.99 Kindle

Be kind. Rewind. Watch your gold.