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After Deep Cover, why didn't Bill Duke direct more features?


I watched "Deep Cover" last night for the first time in probably 20 years or more. I didn't realize Duke had directed it until I saw his name in the opening credits.

While not a perfect film, it's still a couple of notches above average and often regarded as an overlooked gem. It got a lot of enthusiastic reviews in its time, and per IMDB it doubled its budget in box office gross, and for a relatively low profile film it had a two well known leads and a number of good character actors in supporting roles.

I find it kind of puzzling, as Duke seemed to be positioned well to make the leap -- he had a solid track record as a director of TV episodes, and the cast and producers on this film all kind of suggest enough big-time Hollywood to open doors and get noticed.

The only notable (sort of) film he directed after this was "Hoodlum", a bigger budget period crime drama with a large and well-known cast that underperformed at the box office.

It sort of seems his directorial experience trends towards "black" pictures, but I can't tell if this is Duke getting pigeonholed or some kind of choice. It seems kind of hard to pin Hoodlum's box office disappointment on Duke alone.

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Bill Duke's lack of success as a actor and director astounds me.

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