Gang Related

Infobox Film | name= Gang Related

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caption = Theatrical release poster
director = Jim Kouf
writer = Jim Kouf
starring = James Belushi
Tupac Shakur
Lela Rochon
and Dennis Quaid
James Earl Jones
David Paymer
Wendy Crewson
Gary Cole
music =
producer =
distributor = Orion/MGM
released = October 10, 1997
runtime = 102 min.
country = USA
language = English
budget =
rating =
imdb_id = 0118900

"Gang Related" (1997) is a film written and directed by Jim Kouf which stars Tupac Shakur and James Belushi. The film revolves around two detectives who attempt to frame a homeless man for the murder of undercover DEA agent they themselves had killed. The film is also famous for being Tupac Shakur's last movie performance. A DVD version of the film was released on November 20, 2001.

Taglines

*"They're two of the deadliest criminals in this city...and both wear badges."
*"Some cops play by the rules...their own."
*"The best place to hide is behind a badge."
*"How do you solve a murder when you're the killer?"

Plot Summary

Police detectives Frank Divinci (James Belushi) and Jake Rodriguez (Tupac Shakur) gun down narcotics dealer Lionel Hudd (Kool Moe Dee), after the three 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 (Gary Cole) drops by their precinct for help sniffing out the killers--they try to frame anyone else with the murder. It doesn't help that Rodriguez has outstanding gambling debts, and that a huge man known only as "Mr. Cutlass Supreme" (Tiny Lister) is on his case for it.

After arresting numerous felons without success (because they cannot possibly link Hudd's murder to any of them), Divinci and Rodriguez arrest a homeless drunk by the name of Joe Doe (Dennis Quaid). While Joe is still intoxicated, the detectives convince him that he shot Hudd. They even make him sign a confession statement.

At his first legal hearing, Joe is declared mentally unfit to stand trial (he can't even remember his own last name). The trial is postponed accordingly. At Joe's second hearing, high-profile lawyer Arthur Baylor (James Earl Jones) attends the proceedings. Baylor reveals that his client's name is actually William Dathan McCall, that Joe is actually the missing-and-presumed-dead co-heir to the financial empire of a high-status family. Baylor asks the court to grant a one-week continuance so he can prepare his defense properly. The court agrees.

Divinci and Rodriguez convince local stripper Cynthia Webb (Lela Rochon), also Divinci's mistress, who was the "bait" in their trap for Hudd, to "identify" Joe in a police line-up. Afterwards, she is summoned to testify in court. She disappears for a period of time, but is finally discovered and brought in for "The People VS. William Dathan McCall." She gives her rehearsed (with Divinci and Rodriguez) testimony against Joe, at which time Joe informs Baylor that he lived in an alley next to Cynthia's apartment. Baylor questions Cynthia until she finally confesses to knowing Joe. The fact that she knows the defendant as "Joe" and not as "William Dathan McCall" shows that she had previous knowledge of the defendant, thus making her testimony for Joe being Hudd's killer to be false. She is arrested for perjury while the verdict of Joe's case remains unknown.

Divinci and Rodriguez hire Manny, a bail agent, to get Cynthia out of jail. They plan to kill her before she can testify. On the day she is to be "silenced," Rodriguez confesses to Divinci about feeling guilty regarding the numerous murders they've committed. Divinci suddenly suspects his partner of taping their conversation; such indeed turns out to be the case, after Frank forcibly searches Rodriguez. Rodriguez informs Divinci that he has already confessed to the DEA regarding what they've done. Unwilling to kill Rodriguez here and now, Frank renounces their friendship and drives off into the night. Rodriguez returns home to find his bookie, and Mr. Cutlass Supreme, waiting for him. Enraged about the preceding events, he attacks them out of rage, only to be shot dead for his trouble.

Cynthia, still in jail, strikes a deal with Baylor to testify against Divinci in return for her perjury case being dropped. Frank, upon hearing that Cynthia has confessed against him, breaks into her home. He shoots and mortally wounds her. The dying Cynthia is rushed to an emergency room at the local hospital, where Dr. William Dathan McCall prepares to transplant her organs for some needy recipients.

Divinci makes arrangements with Manny to sneak out of the country. The driver Manny hires for Frank turns out to be Clyde David Dunner, a murderer and arsonist...whose case was dropped because Davinci and Rodriguez, who had arrested him, stole his Magnum from the police-evidence room and used it to kill Hudd. Dunner pulls the same Magnum and blows Frank away.

oundtrack

A double disc audio soundtrack of the film was released on October 7, 1997. The soundtrack was released under Priority Records and featured a large variety of artists, 4 being by the supporting actor Tupac Shakur himself. In total, the soundtrack features 24 songs, 12 being on each disc.

DVD Features

* Available subtitles:
** English
** Spanish
** French
* Available Audio Tracks:
** English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
** French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
** Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
* "The Shining Soul of Tupac Shakur" segment: collection of various cast interviews and filming footage.
* Theatrical trailer

The Australian release by Cheap DVD Distribution company Flashback Entertainment is presented in 4:3 1.33:1. It is an un-official release and is suspiciously a bootleg. It is released on its own, a 3-Movie Pack and a 10-Movie pack.

Miscellaneous

* Before the credits roll "Dedicated to Tupac Shakur (1971-1996)" tribute appears on screen.
* Opening weekend, it made $2,443,237. It made a total of $5,906,773.

External links

* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118900/ Gang Related] at The Internet Movie Database
* [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005O06V Gang Related] DVD at Amazon.com