Gang Related
Gang Related is a 1997 American crime thriller film written and directed by Jim Kouf starring James Belushi, Tupac Shakur, Dennis Quaid, Lela Rochon, David Paymer and James Earl Jones. The film revolves around two corrupt cops who attempt to frame a homeless man for the murder of an undercover DEA agent they themselves had killed. The film, Shakur's last, was released over a year after his death.
Gang Related | |
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Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | Jim Kouf |
Produced by | John Bertolli Brad Krevoy Steven Stabler |
Written by | Jim Kouf |
Starring | |
Music by | Mickey Hart |
Cinematography | Brian J. Reynolds |
Edited by | Todd C. Ramsay |
Production company | Kouf/Bigelow Productions |
Distributed by | Orion Pictures |
Release date | October 8, 1997 |
Running time | 110 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Box office | $5.9 million[1] |
Synopsis
Vice police detectives Frank Divinci (James Belushi) and Jake Rodriguez (Tupac Shakur) gun down narcotics dealer Lionel Hudd (Kool Moe Dee), after the two engage illegally in drug trafficking; this is in order to recover the cocaine Hudd purchased from them. When Divinci and Rodriguez find out Hudd was actually a "deep cover" DEA agent — because Hudd's partner, Richard Simms (Gary Cole) drops by their precinct for help sniffing out the killers — they try to frame anyone else with the murder.
Cast
- James Belushi as Detective Franklin "Frank" Divinci
- Tupac Shakur as Detective Jacob "Jake" Rodriguez
- Lela Rochon as Cynthia Webb
- Dennis Quaid as William McCall/Joe Doe
- James Earl Jones as Arthur Baylor
- David Paymer as Elliot Goff
- Gary Cole as DEA Agent Richard Simms
- Wendy Crewson as Helen Eden
- Terrence C. Carson as Manny Ladrew
- Brad Greenquist as Richard Stein
- Kool Mo Dee as DEA Agent Lionel Hudd
- Robert LaSardo as Sarkasian
- Tommy "Tiny" Lister Jr. as Cutlass Supreme
Reception
Gang Related opened in North America in 1,260 theaters and made $2,443,237 with an average of $1,939 per theater, ranking at #10 at the box office. The film ended up earning $5,906,773.[1] The film received mixed reviews, and has the rating of 53% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on seventeen reviews, with an average rating of 5.4 out of 10.[2] The film was released in the United Kingdom on August 14, 1998, and opened on #11.[3]
About the movie's reception and box office results, Jim Belushi said: "Right around that time, when that movie came out, there was a gang related shooting at a movie theater in Los Angeles. That just ruined the opening of that movie. Everyone was afraid to go to the movie theatre, especially with the title Gang Related. Nobody went. Regardless, it’s become kind of a cult film since its release."[4]
Soundtrack
Year | Title | Chart positions | Certifications (sales thresholds) | |
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U.S. | U.S. R&B | |||
1997 | Gang Related – The Soundtrack
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2 | 1 |
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References
- "Gang Related (1997) - Box Office Mojo". www.boxofficemojo.com. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
- Gang Related (1997), retrieved 2019-05-19
- "Historical U.K. Weekend Box Office 14th August 1998 - 16th August 1998". www.25thframe.co.uk. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
- https://cannatechtoday.com/jim-belushi-tupac-cannabis-more/