*Called the Robin Hood of the 'hood, Undercover Brother
is here to save the day and protect the world from an evil plan
to reduce the population to mindless zombies.
The new movie
"Undercover Brother" Stars Eddie Griffin in the title role, David
Chapel as Conspiracy Brother, Ingenue Ellis as Sister Girl,
Denise Richard's as White She Devil, Chi McBride as The
Chief, Neil Patrick Harris as the loyal intern, and Chris Kattan
as the evil Mr. Feather.
Plus, Malcolm Lee, who brought us
"The Best Man" in 1999, directs the film. With this ensemble
cast of very funny folks, "Undercover Brother" hopes to tickle
more than just your fancy when it opens next weekend.
Humor aside, the film, which tiptoes on the boundaries
of race myths, has been considered by many as politically
incorrect. But Griffin says political correctness has no place
in comedy.
"The First Amendment is comedy. We have to stretch the
boundaries. Imagine still doing what the Bob Hope road shows
did. What if it stayed there and no one pushed it beyond that,"
he challenged.
Through the direction of Lee, Griffin says the cast got to
work with the script a bit, adding their own quirks and nuances.
"We had some fun. Malcolm Lee was really great about letting
me, Dave and Kattan go. Coming in with comedy backgrounds,
he definitely caressed it rather than pushed it away. I definitely
like to freestyle, let the cameras roll. I give 'em one like it's
written. And then I just go off."
"When you put those outfits on ... shoo ... I see why platform
shoes came and went. You know why brothers used to walk like
that back in the '70s? They weren't trying to be cool, their feet
hurt," Griffin joked. "After wearing those things for a week, and
jumping and kicking in 'em, whoo, talk about some bunions.
That was a fun outfit. It will automatically make you physical
and take you to that '70s vibe."
So, what is a '70s vibe for Eddie Griffin?
"The '70s for me is my Uncle Bucky, my Uncle Curtis, my
Mom, my immediate family members. So, I didn't have to do any
research on the film - I grew up with 'em," he said, before going
into a "cool daddy" routine.
But, really. There had to be some research. Ya know, taking
a look at some Blaxploitation classics?
"Most definitely," Griffin said about watching black films from
the '70s. "I was watching all the Dolemite films so we could do that
campy martial arts thing. Rudy [Ray Moore] was the best at that.
He would throw a sidekick and would raise his leg higher than his
kneecap, but the guy's head flings back. So I got a lot of ideas
for the humor and choreography for the fight scenes."
Griffin says he loved filming the movie, revealing the other
challenges on the set that extended far beyond the polyester
suits and platform shoes. One of them was dealing with two
other very funny comedians on the set.
"Well, when you've got Dave and Kattan on the set any given
day, we were trying not to crack each other up. That would prolong
some of the scenes - us just going at it," he said. But Griffin says
that the toughest thing was actually putting the wig and sideburns
on. While the Undercover Brother's persona and look was hardest
for Griffin on the set, he says he was quite comfortable as alter
ego Anton.
"I was actually pretty comfortable as Anton. We didn't want
to do the black guy becomes white guy. So, instead, we wanted
to do a Black guy from suburbia...so I started watching Bryant
Gumbel," Griffin joked. "But that's where the idea really came
from."
Griffin says he would be glad to do another, but there are
no plans for an "Undercover Brother" sequel. He also says that
he hasn't really had time to soak up the idea of becoming the
Undercover Brother and having this film catapult him to
superstardom. He just says he's taking it all in stride.
"One of the things I used to say every day on the
set is, 'This is a comedy!'"
But although it is a comedy, the film has its poignant moments
and messages, including the ideas of community support and
brotherhood.
"Culturally speaking, as African Americans, we have to come
together and learn how to play economic ball together to elevate
our people. We've got to recycle the dollars ... and each one,
teach one. A little bit of brotherhood don't hurt."
"Undercover Brother" opens in theaters nationwide May 31.
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