Deep Cover
| Deep Cover | |
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Theatrical poster
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| Directed by | Bill Duke |
| Produced by | Henry Bean Pierre David |
| Written by |
Michael Tolkin Henry Bean |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Michel Colombier |
| Cinematography | Bojan Bazelli |
| Edited by | John Carter |
| Distributed by | New Line Cinema |
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Release date
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Running time
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107 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $16.6 million |
Deep Cover is a 1992 American neo-noir crime thriller film starring Laurence Fishburne (this being the last film in which Fishburne was credited as "Larry") and Jeff Goldblum and directed by veteran actor Bill Duke. It is also notable for its theme song of the same name, composed by Dr. Dre and the then-newcomer Snoop Doggy Dogg.
In Cleveland, 1972, Russell Stevens Jr. is the son of a drug addicted, alcoholic man. His father tells his son never to be like him. Stevens then witnesses his father getting shot and killed while robbing a liquor store. He swears that he will never end up the way he has.
Twenty years later, in Cincinnati, 1991, Stevens is now a police officer. Officer Stevens is recruited by DEA Special Agent Gerald Carver to go undercover on a major sting operation in Los Angeles, claiming that his criminal-like character traits will be more of a benefit undercover than they would serve him as a uniformed policeman. Stevens poses as drug dealer "John Hull" in order to infiltrate and work his way up the network of the west coast's largest drug importer, Anton Gallegos and his uncle Hector Gúzman, a South American politician. Stevens relocates to a cheap hotel in LA and begins dealing cocaine.
One day Stevens is arrested by the devoutly religious L.A.P.D. Narcotics Detective Taft and his corrupt partner Hernández, when he buys a kilogram in a set-up by Gallegos' low-level street supplier Eddie Dudley. At his arraignment, Stevens discovers that he was sold "baby laxative" (mannitol) instead of cocaine and his case is dismissed. Stevens' self-appointed attorney David Jason, who is also a drug trafficker in Gallegos' network, rewards Stevens' silence with more cocaine and introduces Stevens to Felix Barbossa, the underboss to Gallegos. Felix realized that Eddie was working with the LAPD, which results in Felix killing him and enlisting Stevens as Eddie's replacement.
Stevens develops a romance with Betty McCutcheon, the manager of an art dealership which serves as a front to launder Jason's drug money profits. When one of Stevens' dealers is murdered by a rival dealer named Ivy, Stevens kills him and is awarded a partnership in Jason's new business venture; distribution of a synthetic chemical variant of cocaine. It turns out that Felix is working with Detective Hernández who pressures him into giving him more arrests. Felix immediately gives up Stevens, Jason, and Betty, since he views them as expendable and wants to kill Jason because of his business venture. Carver knows about the upcoming bust, but refuses to interfere forcing Stevens to violate orders and stop it himself. At the deal, Stevens exposes Felix as a police informant, which results in a vengeful Jason killing him.
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