Deep Cover

Made during the black film boom that followed the success of BOYZ N THE HOOD, DEEP COVER is that rare and beautiful thing--a genuinely smart action movie. Screenwriters Michael Tolkin (THE PLAYER) and Henry Bean have written a clever but gritty, hard-hitting script, and director Bill Duke (A RAGE IN HARLEM) brings just the right tone to the material. It has an appropriately gloomy palette of glaring reds and dark blues and a dissonant, hip-hop-influenced score that enhances the sardonic mood. Laurence Fishburne narrates and stars in the challenging role of Russell Stevens Jr., an undercover cop who finds himself slipping onto the wrong side of the law. The federal agent who runs the undercover operation (Charles Martin Smith) tells Stevens to enjoy his drug-dealer lifestyle. And when the motives of the government Stevens works for come into question, the line between cop and criminal gets even more blurred. Stevens, the somber cop, has the perfect counterpoint in David Jason (Jeff Goldblum), the hilariou...

Key Information
Stars		Laurence Fishburne
Actors		Glynn Turman
Available Formats		VHS
Directors		Bill Duke
UPC		794043408434
Genre		Action/Adventure
Subgenre		Suspense • Vengeance • Switching Roles • Cops • Betrayal • Drugs • Thriller
MPAA Rating		R (MPAA)
Release Date		1992
Running Time		1hr 47min
Languages
Original Language		English
DVD Editions
		DVD1hr 47minWarner Home VideoAugust 10, 1999R (MPAA)794043478024
VHS Editions
		VHS1hr 47minNew Line Home VideoNovember 04, 1992R (MPAA)794043408434Sound Features: HiFi, Stereo, CX Encoding
Credits
Screenwriter		Michael Tolkin
Professional Reviews
		(04/15/1992, p.53, Roger Ebert): "...This fresh material inspires the actors. Fishburne is strong and complex in a role that marks him for more leading work. Goldblum whirls through scenes with wacky dialogue..."