Fire Down Below (1997)

Environmental protection agent Jack Taggart is fighting big business types led by Orin Hanner who are dumping toxic waste somewhere in the Kentucky hills region. They also killed his fellow... See full summary »

Director:

Félix Enríquez Alcalá

Writers:

Jeb Stuart (story), Jeb Stuart (screenplay),

Stars:

Steven Seagal, Marg Helgenberger, Stephen Lang

4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Steven Seagal	...	Jack Taggart
Marg Helgenberger	...	Sarah Kellogg
Stephen Lang	...	Earl Kellogg
Brad Hunt	...	Orin Hanner Jr.
Kris Kristofferson	...	Orin Hanner Sr.
Harry Dean Stanton	...	Cotton Harry
Levon Helm	...	Reverend Bob Goodall
Mark Collie	...	Hatch
Alex Harvey	...	Sims
Ed Bruce	...	Sheriff Lloyd
Amelia Neighbors	...	Edie Carr
Richard Masur	...	Phil Pratt
Michael Krawic	...	FBI Agent #2
Clay Jeter	...	Walter Carr
Yvonne Pollard	...	Mrs. Carr

Storyline

Environmental protection agent Jack Taggart is fighting big business types led by Orin Hanner who are dumping toxic waste somewhere in the Kentucky hills region. They also killed his fellow agent and are killing the nature of the region.

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Plot Keywords:

church | toxic waste | undercover | spy | sheriff | 

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Taglines:

Beneath a land of wealth and beauty hides a secret that could kill millions. Undercover has never run so deep.

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and language

Details

Official Sites:

Warner Bros.

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 September 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

Alerte sous la Terre

Filming Locations:

Agua Dulce Air Park - 33638 Agua Dulce Canyon Road, Agua Dulce, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$60,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$6,073,094 (USA) (5 September 1997)

Gross:

$16,148,906 (USA) (24 October 1997)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros, Seagal/Nasso Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In Spain this movie was promoted as a sequel to On Deadly Ground, hence the Spanish title, "En tierra peligrosa 2".

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Goofs

Many scenes in the movie take place in a bar in Jackson. Jackson is located in Breathitt County, which is "dry", meaning the sale of alcoholic beverages is illegal.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Frank Elkins: I'm going to Kentucky to check on a case. When I'm back, we're gonna go hunting. Do some fishing. We'll get away from all this stuff.
Jack Taggert: I appreciate the friendship. Means a lot to me.

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Connections

Featured in Bad Movie Beatdown: On Deadly Ground (2009)

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Soundtracks

"Mannish Boy"
Written by Melvin London, Bo Diddley (as Ellas McDaniel) and Muddy Waters (as McKinley Morganfield)
Performed by Muddy Waters
Courtesy of MCA Records
By Arrangement with Universal Music Special Markets

User Reviews

Seagal is simply an authority figure with a heart of purest gold...

Steven Seagal is one of those actors with a totally winning personality… He is simply an authority figure, a killing machine with a heart of purest gold… I can't help it; I like the guy.

In 'Fire Down Below,' he is an outsider posing as a church sponsored carpenter while he works for the Environmental Protection Agency to stop a greedy coal baron from dumping extremely large quantities of toxic wastes in abandoned coal mines… Those dangerous chemicals could destroy the drinking water for thousands of miles and kill a bunch of people around the hills… Seagal gallantly promised not to leave the small town until the poison from the air, the streams and the earth is taken out…

Many thugs (with snakes, sticks, guns, and big trucks) are hired by the uncaring mining magnate to get rid of our action hero but Seagal remains virtually untouched…

'Fire Down Below' highlights new environmental message but fails to come up with the expectations… First, Seagal's amorous interest with the sad country woman seems artificial, used in the film to grant the 'new visitor' easy access to statements he might need… Second, the motion picture lacks the best villain whose prowess could equals Seagal's... Steven's character never really faces much of a challenge… In fact, the fight scenes are too short and extremely fast and easy…

If you are a fan of country music and you want to see Seagal playing guitar and singing, and you like to explore sweeping vistas with glorious sunsets, don't miss this movie!