Bullet Points: The Underground (1997)
Just when I think I have gone to the PM Entertainment library once too often and there is nothing left for me to cover, I will have the good fortune of happening upon a movie like 1997’s The Underground. It’s moments like that, that I realize there’s still more PM Entertainment out in the world for me to experience…
- Not So Honest Abes: The Alligator Club is the place to be in Los Angeles as The Underground opens with a concert performance from up and coming rapper, Hot G. Among those in attendance is hip hop mogul The Hound (Willie C. Carpenter, Hard Target). The Hound is looking to sign Hot G to his label, but Hot G’s current manager/older brother Mr. Treat (Jastereo Coviare, L.A. Vice) tells The Hound to hit the bricks… Moments later three gunmen wearing Abraham Lincoln masks, start shooting up the joint, killing multiple people in the process (including Hot G), with their dirty work done, the masked trip hop head out to their van, blow up some police cars and then take off, much to the detriment of an innocent pizza delivery guy as The Underground gives us our first taste of PM vehicular mayhem! …The Alligator Club is soon swarming with members of the media and an army of cops, including the two detectives assigned to the case Brian Donnegan (Jeff Fahey, The Sweeper) and Tim Scully (Kenneth Tigar, Rage). Detectives Donnegan and Scully talk to Mr. Treat to see if he has any idea who would do this and Treat points the finger at The Hound.
- Rap is Crap: The next day Donnegan and Scully pay The Hound a visit at his studios where they happen to be recording a rap video. The Hound denies having anything to do with the murder of Hot G… pointing out he is a businessman and killing is bad for business… Moments later the three Abe Lincoln mask wearing gunmen storm the closed set and again start shooting up the place, among the dead is another rapper… I am beginning to think these guys aren’t hip hop fans. Donnegan manages to save The Hound when the bullets start flying, Scully meanwhile tries to take out the gunmen… but Scully is shot for his trouble and sadly there is no saving him. This case has just become very personal for Brian Donnegan and Fahey is the perfect guy to play a cop who becomes obsessed with catching the man who killed his partner.
- Disco Isn’t Dead: It turns out that the mysterious gunmen once had a successful recording career of their own as the Las Vegas Disco Express (which sounds like the name of a 1980s pro wrestling tag team) and trio have an issue with The Hound sampling some of the Las Vegas Disco Express’ greatest hits in the rap music he produces… rap music that they confirm they are not a fan of. The ring leader of the trio is Singer (Gregory Scott Cummins, Action U.S.A.). So it is no surprise when the trio go to The Hound’s home to pay him a visit and demand that he comes up with $10 million dollars.
- Meet Your New Partner: Donnegan is assigned a new partner in the form of South Central division transfer, Clarence Mills. In classic fashion, Donnegan rejects the idea of having a new partner and in even more classic fashion after a rocky road at first the two eventually get on the same page. That rocky road is quite literal when a call comes in over the radio about three men wearing Abraham Lincoln masks and despite being nowhere the location, Donnegan answers and tells dispatch they are on the way… this is where we get to see Donnegan’s devil may care driving style and knowledge of “short cuts” in play. It turns out the three guys in masks weren’t the members of the Las Vegas Disco Express and instead just some copycat crooks… but at least we got another awesome car chase out of the deal.
- Derailing the Express: Donnegan and Mills are able to convince The Hound to work with them to help bring down Singer and company. The plan goes completely awry with Singer outsmarting the cops every step of the way and at one point it looks like The Hound is going to be forced to help Singer get away to Las Vegas with the $10 million dollars. If you are thinking that a drive from Los Angeles to Las Vegas would be the perfect set up for another crazy PM Entertainment car chase, you would be right and this one includes Brian Donnegan on the hood of a speeding car!
Despite being a fun watch, I understand why I never heard any of my fellow PM Entertainment fanatics talk about The Underground before. The Underground checked a lot of the boxes of what made PM Entertainment films fan favorites… quality lead, great action, some sex appeal. But at times it felt like they put 10 pounds of story in a 5 pound bag. For example, the subplot with Donnegan’s marital problems with his hot model wife or the bit about The Hound not having a driver’s license probably seemed like good ideas on paper, but to me bogged things down and disrupted the flow.
Now feel me flow with these Bonus Bullet Points…
- Familiar Co-Workers: Brion James of Tango & Cash and Steel Dawn fame played Brian Donnegan’s boss, Captain Hilton… Jillian McWhirter of Last Man Standing and Stranglehold fame played Lucy, a fellow cop that has the hots for Donnegan… Tim Colceri of Private Wars and Riot fame played Palcone, one of Donnegan’s fellow detectives.
- AKA: In Poland, The Underground was released as Gangsterski Rap.
- Double Duty: The song “Life of a Gangsta” was written by Hot G and Mr. Treat themselves, Jastero Coviare and Kevyn B. Carter (or Ruthless Dirty Red for those in the know).
- If You Ever: …wanted to hear Jeff Fahey admit to purchasing a Barry Manilow CD, The Underground is the movie for you.
