Colors (film)
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| Colors | |
|---|---|
 Colors movie poster |
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| Directed by | Dennis Hopper |
| Produced by | Robert H. Solo Paul Lewis |
| Written by | Richard Di Lello Michael Schiffer |
| Starring | Sean Penn Robert Duvall Maria Conchita Alonso Don Cheadle |
| Music by | Ice-T |
| Cinematography | Haskell Wexler |
| Distributed by | Orion Pictures Corporation |
| Release date(s) |  April 15, 1988 August 4 August 17 August 26 September 9 September 29 November 24 |
| Running time | 120 min. |
| Country | U.S.A. |
| Language | English/Spanish |
| Official website | |
| All Movie Guide profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Colors is a 1988 film starring Sean Penn and Robert Duvall and directed by Dennis Hopper. The story takes place in South Central Los Angeles in 1987, and is about an experienced LAPD cop, Bob Hodges (Duvall) and his rookie partner, Danny McGavin (Penn) who try to keep the gang violence between the Bloods and the Crips under control.
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[edit] Plot introduction
Danny McGavin is a young officer who has just transferred to LAPD's C.R.A.S.H. unit from patrol. Teamed with 19-year veteran Bob Hodges, he is a hotheaded adrenaline junkie, much to Hodge's chagrin. McGavin allows no challenge to authority, however slight, to go unpunished.
The older cop is laid back on the surface, preaching "rapport" to gang members to encourage them to offer help when it is truly needed, and recognizes that every action white cops take is scrutinized by the people they are trying to help. The lessons are lost on McGavin, and his actions bring him quick notoriety that rubs off on Hodges.
Amidst this, a murder of a Bloods gang member leads to a series of escalations between two other gangs, a relentless intertwining of seemingly random incidents that culminates in a gang war. Meanwhile, after attempts of reason, friendship and finally intimidation fail to bring any change in McGavin, Hodges finally gives up and requests a partner transfer.
McGavin finally learns that being a hardened enforcer has repercussions in the lives of everyone he contacts, and most of all himself, and that force without diplomacy only leads to ruin.
[edit] Location(s)
[edit] Intro Location(s)
[edit] Trivia
The film's release in the spring of 1988 coincided with the rash of gang violence in the south west United States that was just starting to become a national media story at the time. Some reported incidents of violence took place at theaters where Colors was playing (similar rumors were circulated about The Warriors, another street gang film), prompting big name theaters to drop the film.
The film's theme song of the same title was performed by Ice T.
In 1987, during the film's production, Sean Penn was arrested for punching a photographer who was taking pictures of him without permission. He served a month in jail for this assault.
A mural of Jesus Christ on a wall in one scene can also be seen in a scene from Falling Down, a 1993 film in which Duvall appears as an experienced police officer.
The Game diss track song 240 Bars (Spider Joke) uses two lines from the movie. 1) is when Robert Duvall and Sean Penn see that High Topp is a blood. The say, "Look at the red, this kids a blood lemme see. *woah* *what* cancel chirstmas." 2) the second line is when Sean arrests High Topp for the first time saying,"That what you get for messing with the police."
The squad cars that Penn and Duvall drive were in the beginning they drive an unmarked burnt orange 1985 Chevy Impala [F41]. After a car chase with the Crips, they total the burnt orange Impala. After that, they get stuck with a lemon and turns out to be a yellow beat up 1978 Plymouth Fury. Other squad cars used in the movie were :
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- Black and white 1982-1985 Chevy Impala [F41's]
- Black and white 1979-1980 Dodge St. Regis
- Black and white 1982 Dodge Diplomats
- Black and white 1985 Ford LTD Crown Victoria
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[edit] Cast
- Robert Duvall as Officer Bob Hodges
- Sean Penn as Officer Danny McGavin (nicknamed Pac Man)
- Glenn Plummer as Clarence 'High Top' Brown
- Grand L. Bush as Larry Sylvester (nicknamed Looney Tunes)
- Don Cheadle as Rocket
- Damon Wayans as T-Bone
- Leon Robinson as Killer Bee
- Maria Conchita Alonso as Louisa Gomez (romantic interest of McGavin/Pac Man and member of 21st Street Gang)
- Trinidad Silva as Leo 'Frog' Lopez
- Gerardo Mejia as Bird
- Mario Lopez as 21st Street Gang member
- Karla Montana as Locita
- Sy Richardson as O.S.S. Sgt. Bailey
[edit] External link
- Colors at the Internet Movie Database
