Deep Cover (1992)

A black uniformed policeman is recruited by a devious drug enforcement agent to infiltrate a smuggling organization seeking to expand into designer drugs. This 'ugly side of the war on ... See full summary »

Director:

Bill Duke

Writers:

Michael Tolkin (story), Michael Tolkin (screenplay),

Stars:

Lira Angel, René Assa, Laurence Fishburne

4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Lira Angel	...	Bijoux
René Assa	...	Guzman
Bruce Paul Barbour	...	Policeman (as Bruce Barbour)
Bilal Bashir	...	Rapper's Musician
Anna Berger	...	Congresswoman
Donald Bishop	...	Judge
Ed Cambridge	...	Crackhead #2
Jaime Cardriche	...	Shark
Alisa Christensen	...	Ivy's Driver
Alex Colon	...	Molto (as Alex Colón)
Cory Curtis	...	Young Russell Stevens Jr.
Victoria Dillard	...	Betty
James Encinas	...	Guzman's Guard
Joseph Ferro	...	James
Laurence Fishburne	...	Russell Stevens Jr. / John Hull (as Larry Fishburne)

Storyline

A black uniformed policeman is recruited by a devious drug enforcement agent to infiltrate a smuggling organization seeking to expand into designer drugs. This 'ugly side of the war on drugs' explores the context of race, identity and hypocrisy within a brutal and alienating investigation.

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Plot Keywords:

drugs | undercover | ethnic slur | gay slur | police | 

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Taglines:

There's a thin line between catching a criminal... and becoming one.

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence, language, drug use and sensuality

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 April 1992 (USA)

Also Known As:

Jenseits der weißen Linie

Filming Locations:

Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Gross:

$16,639,799 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Image Organization, New Line Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The rhymes that 'Lawrence Fishburne''s character recites, such as "The jungle creed says that the strong must feed on any prey at hand..." are lyrics taken from the record 'Reflections' by best-selling black author 'Iceberg Slim'.

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Goofs

When Felix Barbosa is slapping Eddie around in the pool hall at one point Eddie pulls all the food and glasses off the table. The food and drink reappear for one shot before disappearing for good.

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Quotes

David Jason: [of designer drugs] They've gotten a bad name 'cause, uh, I mean, there's a limited market for Parkinson's disease.

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Connections

Featured in Los Angeles Plays Itself (2003)

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Soundtracks

"Love or Lust"
Performed by Jewell (as Jewel)
by Dr. Dre, Colin Wolfe, Eric "The Drunk" Borders
Courtesy of Death Row Records

User Reviews

One of the best films I have ever seen

Like "The Crossing Guard," this film, "Deep Cover," kept me on the edge of my seat. The scenes between Larry Fishburne and Charles Martin Smith are superb, the writing is virtually flawless, the action is exciting and fresh, and the topic is so relevant it's hard to believe it came out fifteen years ago. It could be released today, it's that topical. I love political action thrillers such as the original "The Manchurian Candidate," but that film, as exciting as it was, left me cold. This film has so much heart and love in it on top of all the thrills that I found myself astonished by the virtuosity of the artists that composed this gem. I'm already a huge fan of the actors. I will now be searching IMDb for the subsequent work of the writers, directors, and producers of this masterpiece. Bravo, "Deep Cover"! I'm telling all my friends about you.