To research the film, William Sachs spent three months riding with the LAPD gang unit at night, and going to the
juvenile court during the day. He originally intended the film to be a surrealistic satire on the justice system, but due to interference by the producers, the final film is partially a satire, partially a straight drama. Originally, for example, Sachs intended the film to start with a scene of the judge using a
taser on himself, but the producers re-edited it for a more serious tone. Sachs himself therefore calls the final film "patchy and uneven". The film was shot in 1988, but, due to legal issues, released four years later, in 1992. Sachs cast actual gang members to appear in the film, some as thugs, some in other roles. He was impressed by their professional attitude on set, keeping gang rivalries out of the working environment. ==Cast==