MovieChat Forums > Deep Cover (1992) Discussion > Top 10 underrated scripts, perhaps ever?...

Top 10 underrated scripts, perhaps ever?

posted 19 years ago by RobSac
12 replies | jump to latest

Does Deep Cover qualify? This script is flawless. One catchy, deep, and humorous line after another, and all tied to to dialogue directly related to the storyline.

The story is of Oliver Stone or Mario Puzo caliber.

Also, the score was great, too. That eerie, hip hop sound, no matter how cheaply produced it may have sounded, combined with the exterior evening cinematography, captured L.A. circa 1992. Remember, this was the Rodney King era. Los Angeles was going through a cultural transformation on the streets. Even though this film was produced before the King verdicts, it could already be felt in the air. The King verdicts were the sound of horns.

It's a lot easier to see it now, over a decade and a world removed from THAT Los Angeles, than it was when I saw this movie at the drive in with a bunch of friends in high school, where it came off as the typical cop/drug flick. It's far more than that.

[–] 19 years ago

[deleted]

[–] The_Vapour 18 years ago

Great script? Yes. Flawless, nah. I nearly lost my suspension of disbelif when LF shot another drug dealer in toilet. No police officer would do that.

[–] baw1502 18 years ago

so you would rather LF get shot..yea that would be a great movie!

[–] kasparhauser44 17 years ago

the script is so tightly developed and systematically organized, i definitely agree that it is a masterpiece that has, for the most part been unrecognized. the structure of the screenplay reflects the drug pyramid: from eddie to jason to barbossa to gallegos to guzman. the film is not simply a story about an undercover cop, but one that exposes the hypocrisy of the law and politics in respect to drugs, it shows the economy of the drug trade from many angles, and the dialogue is terrific as well as the acting, direction, music, and photography. the film can really be summed up by the line by LF when he says that he's really a drug dealer pretending to be a cop, not the other way around.

[–] hypestyle 17 years ago

great film, underrated for real..

classic, better crime film than most..

"With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility"
Stan Lee, 1962

[–] dehumanized 17 years ago

I don't see how everyone's making it out as a crime classic. Personally, I much prefer "KING OF NEW YORK" for early 90's crime fare. "NEW JACK CITY" is a good one too. However-- this movie is pretty awesome. Cheesiest, although perhaps funniest, line ever: "I'd be all over you like stink on doo-doo." Love that *beep* Actually, my favorite thing about this movie is Dre and Snoop's classic song it spawned. Fun crime stuff. I give this one a 7/10. But seriously-- check out KING OF NEW YORK. That one is the bomb.

"Make me wanna holler, the way they do my life."
-Marvin Gaye

[–] fete_accompli 17 years ago

Yeah, along with Spice World- The Movie.

[–] assassin221 16 years ago

Well...no, not really. I'm actually surprised how much praise this film is getting on imdb. Not that I thought it was terrible, but essentially just a standard crime-drug thriller. Maybe upper-end, but still far from classic status. As for the script, it seemed like the writers had some interesting ideas and thought up some deep-sounding, dramatic lines, but didn't have what it took to deliver a real quality drug movie from start to finish (although I don't imagine that's an easy feat). It seemed like a movie written by people who had seen a lot of crime movies...not a lot of crime. The whole structure of the drug world, as well as the steps it took the narrator to break into it, seemed entirely oversimplified. There were also plenty of drug/crime cliches, with Jeff Goldblum's character and the government corruption and all.

I wasn't disappointed by this movie, partly because I didn't have very high expectations, but it's basically a standard (by which I mean, not very good) drug movie which gets elevated to a slightly higher level by a somewhat interesting moral conflict, Laurence Fishburne's screen presence, and a cool soundtrack.

"I am Jack's wasted life."

[–] uncarsenal 16 years ago

great script? puh-lEAAAAAASE! this is some of the most absurd writing i've ever seen.

"Let me warn you. I'm like a mad dog after a bone. I'd be all over you like stink on doo-doo. Trust me."

stink on doo-doo? what? how is that part of the script, especially when it was a serious moment. now if some joker said, "hey mang, i'm be on you like stink on doo-doo, ha ha ha!" that'd be fine. but seriously? that was his threat? that he'd be on him like stink on doo-doo???? give me a break.

WILD WILD WEST!!!

[–] MovieMaddis 16 years ago

Wasn't that doodoo line from Clarance William's character. He was deeply religious and would not have cursed but still tried to communicate with who he thought was as a drug dealer in slang. I thought it stood out and was true to the character. Thats probably why everyone remembers it.

I think this was a classic and holds up even 15 years later. For its time, a basically all minority cast in a movie about drug dealing was going to find it hard to stand out. The end seemed rushed and a bit garbled but the movie more than made up for it with memorable characters, great lines, and good action. Everytime "Eddie" pops up in a movie, I'm reminded of his performace in Deep Cover.

[–] zurichpoet 16 years ago

“He was deeply religious and would not have cursed but still tried to communicate with who he thought was as a drug dealer in slang”

Right. That’s what makes it a great script. Every character sounds like a different character. For instance: A Mamet or Pinter script: everyone sounds like Mamet or Pinter.

[–] desifir667 16 years ago

true