Underworld (1996)

User Rating:

5.0/10   

Director:

Roger Christian

Writer (WGA):

Larry Bishop (written by)

Release Date:

9 May 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Thriller

Tagline:

Sometimes revenge is the best therapy.

Plot:

After spending seven years behind bars, Johnny Crown is back on the street, with lots of cash, a psychotherapy...

Plot Keywords:

Psychological Drama | Mass Murder | Massacre | Father's Day | Independent Film

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Denis Leary	...	Johnny Crown / Johnny Alt
Joe Mantegna	...	Frank Gavilan / Frank Cassady / Richard Essex
Annabella Sciorra	...	Dr. Leah
Larry Bishop	...	Ned Lynch
Abe Vigoda	...	Will Cassady
Robert Costanzo	...	Stan
Traci Lords	...	Anna
Jimmie F. Skaggs	...	Smilin' Phil Fox / Todd Streeb
James Tolkan	...	Dan 'Iceberg' Eagan
Heidi Schanz	...	Joyce Alt / Simone
Cristi Conaway	...	Julianne
Angela Jones	...	Janette
Michael David Simms	...	Mitch Reed
Amy Moon	...	Ava
Marc Baur	...	Leo

MPAA:

Rated R for pervasive strong language and violence, and for sexuality.

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Alphacine)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R18 | Argentina:13 | UK:18 (video premiere) | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

Trimark Pictures

Quotes:

Johnny Crown: The aim of all living things is eventually to kiss the dust.

A Gem

This film is really the close cousin of another film called "Trigger Happy" with Richard Dreyfuss, anyway, this film is set in the same Other Universe, one where there are no police and no rules. Johnny Crown (Leary) is out to get the people who turned his father into a vegatable and all hands point to the mysterious Frank Gavilan.

Some have said that this is a Tarantino or John Woo wannabe, no way! The writing by Larry Bishop is frequently hilarious (he also wrote Trigger Happy), he keeps the action moving, from Leary's endless one-liners to the idea that the man who put a bullet in his fathers head might be just too close to home.

Cool moments in the film include Ned (who killed Ed) going back to his roots, this means getting rid of everything, including money, jewels, car and Traci Lords, the hitmen shooting up the bar for something to do and that sandwich!

It came out in the wake of Pulp Fiction, but other crime movies came out then too, good ones at that: Trigger Happy, City Of Industry, Albino Alligator etc.

Underworld might be obscure, I own the video, but I'll never trade it in until I get the DVD (unavailable in the UK), that's how good this film is. Absolute gem. 10/10