Summary
Charlie Sheen’s forgotten crime film from 1992,Beyond the Law, is very accurate, according to a gang informant. Directed by Larry Ferguson in his debut, who previously co-wroteBeverly Hills Cop IIandAlien 3, the 1992 film follows an undercover cop who infiltrates an outlaw biker gang involved in drug trafficking and, to maintain their trust, must commit increasingly immoral acts. WithCharlie Sheen in the lead role, the cast also includes Linda Fiorentino, Michael Madsen, Courtney B. Vance, and Rip Thorn.
In a video fromInsider,a former Hells Angels chapter president, Pat Matter, broke down the realism of biker gang scenes in movies and television, includingBeyond the Law. Watch the portion of the video below, starting at the 12:50 minute mark:
Matter discussed the plausibility of law enforcement going undercover to infiltrate outlaw motorcycle clubs, which he says is very realistic, naming multiple instances of it actually happening. Overall,he ratedBeyond the Lawa near-perfect 9/10 for realism. Read his full comments below:
With an undercover police officer trying to infiltrate the club, Hells Angels have had a few undercover police try to infiltrate the club. One was Jay Dobyns. Until they did the raids is when he was finally exposed to who it was. And there was another incidence with Tony Tait. He never got found out either until they did raids. And what he did was he come to Minnesota, our club was doing security on membership that joined the meeting, and we had a bug detector. He seen that we was checking people and got scared. So I did have a little experience with a situation like this.
As I see here, Charlie Sheen, he’s trying to build his cover so they don’t figure out he’s working for law enforcement. In my experience, what I did actually was, I never worked undercover or anything like that. Most of mine was just, you know, confirming what I did in my business. Two individuals went to jail over that, and one was a Hells Angel, and one was my source. When I decided to cooperate, I was already in jail. I ended up going to federal prison for drugs, and if I didn’t cooperate, they was going to charge me with continuous criminal enterprise after they got enough informants. And so I decided that point, because of my family and my age, that I was going to cooperate. With the other charge, who knows what time I would’ve done. Could’ve been life.
I was a hard-core Hells Angel, and I don’t regret being a Hells Angel. I regret some of the actions that I did when I was a Hells Angel. That part is on me. As far as when I got out of prison, I was asked to do seminars for law enforcement. Just telling them about my life experiences and what happened to me and how they can maybe stop drugs if they can. This is 10, you know, or 9 or 10, because it does happen.
Why Beyond The Law Is So Accurate
It’s Based On The Real-Life Experiences Of Dan Black
Beyond the Lawis highly accurate, especially regarding its depiction of law enforcement going undercover to infiltrate outlaw motorcycle clubs, because its writer-director Larry Ferguson did extensive research for the film.He wrote the screenplay after reading the article “Undercover Angel"by Lawrence Linderman, which was published in a 1981 issue ofPlayboy, detailing the real-life experiences of Dan Black, an undercover cop who infiltrated a notorious outlaw motorcycle club in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
The story of Sheen’s character inBeyond the Law, Dan Saxon, closely follows that of Black’s actual undercover operation, giving the film a strong foundation in fact and a high degree of realism. Black even served as a technical adviser on the film and, because of his immense contributions, made a cameo appearance in the movie as an extra.Crime movies likeBeyond the Lawoften consult with real-life law enforcement officers, especially those with experience in undercover work, helping the filmmakers create a more realistic portrayal of the challenges, risks, and techniques involved in such operations.
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While many movies and shows –such asSons of Anarchy,The Bikeriders, andHells Angels on Wheels– accurately depict the brotherhood of biker gangs,Beyond the Lawdoes that and so much more. The film pays close attention to the culture, language, and behavior of outlaw motorcycle clubs. This includes the importance of brotherhood, but also the hierarchical structure within these clubs, and the rules and rituals its members must follow. This level of detail reflects the deep research the director did, and the input from law enforcement experts familiar with the culture of outlaw motorcycle clubs.
Beyond The Law
Cast
Beyond The Law is a 1993 action-drama film that follows Dan Saxon, a cop who goes undercover to take down a drug cartel. Starring Charlie Sheen, Linda Fiorentino, and Michael Madsen, the film directed by Larry Ferguson explores the dangers of undercover work and the blurred lines between good and evil.
