Customer Reviews

To Live and Die in L.A. [Blu-ray]

5 star:		(116)
4 star:		(35)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

It's nice to see that there are plenty of fans of this often-overlooked gem from 1985. This has to be one of the best crime movies in a long time, and easily one of the best counterfeiting movies as it shows this dirty business from all angles.

William Friedkin was on top of the world for a brief time in the 1970s. After Cruising (1980), he suffered personal and professional setbacks. This film is proof positive that he is an exceptionally talented director with some of the best technical skills in the biz. Indeed, Rules of Engagement and The Hunted provide recent proof that he can still deliver the goods.

To Live and Die in LA is not your ordinary cops and robber, dirty money, sex and violence tale. The casting and the scripting are excellent; there is a lot up on the screen. The characters are not superhero cops and crooks, but human beings driven by greed, revenge, hubris, and lust for money, power, and violence. William Chance (the excellent William Petersen of current CSI fame) is a Secret Service agent whose partner is murdered by counterfeiter extraordinaire Eric Masters (Willem Dafoe). Chance swears to take down Masters, one way or the other, a promise that sends he and his new partner Vukovitch into a tailspin of cat and mouse where they break the rules and get in over their heads. This is not the old buddy movie formula or the typical Dirty Harry and the new partner scenario by a long shot. Chance is an appropriate name for the hotdog agent who enjoys base jumping in his spare time (note the quick flash to his jump off the Vincent Thomas during the hectic chase). Vukovitch is caught between doing right by his partner and bringing his career and his life crashing down.

This is not your typical LA cop film; Friedkin has gone to great lengths to film LA differently than most directors. Indeed, this is the precursor to Heat and City of Industry, movies that dare to show LA as more than Hollywood and the hills and the downtown

area. The title indicates a `life is cheap' attitude that is reflected in the poor, industrial landscapes of the City of Angels. There's another Friedkin car chase that rivals The French Connection and was not made with any computer generated Matrix help. Wang Chung add an excellent score--no joke! The haunting piano riffs, synthesized screams for help, and loud, pulsing drum machine and sequencer tracks underscore the action without getting out shouted by the sound (like a lot of electronic film music). The disc is in print, though oddly enough their hit 'Dance Hall Days', featured in the film, does not show up. They even work the title of the film into a song(!)

The film is noir-ish quality in its character treatment. Chance shacks up with a hooker who feeds him info, but he's ready to throw her back in the can if she doesn't deliver the goods. There's a sleazy lawyer played by Dean Stockwell. There's a gangly, nervous turncoat played by John Turturro. There's a street hood played by Steve James who distributes 'paper' for Masters. And Vukovitch? I won't dream of giving up the ending here. There's even Ronald Reagan's voice making a cameo in the beginning.

This tough, violent film does not pull punches. The world of cops and robbers, dirty lawyers and convicts, police politics and male ego, and above all, dirty money, are all starkly presented. The lines are blurred when the agents will do anything to stop a suave
crook who is more complex than the cops themselves. I love the scene of Masters burning his new painting after completing it.

How has this film been out of print for so long? When a local video store was going out of business (squeezed out by a major), I snatched this tape up in the liquidation sale. Thankfully, the film is FINALLY getting a proper DVD release. Hopefully they'll widescreen it and give us a good print; the VHS version does not do the film any justice.

This is a film with style and substance, a moment in Hollywood where they got it all right. I don't think they can even turn out gems like this anymore. Do not hesitate to buy this.

When I saw "To Live and Die in L.A." in the 1980s, I was struck by its worldliness, its style, its sexual energy, and its shocker of an ending. It was immediately one of my favorite films of the decade. I recently watched the film again to see if it withstood the test of time. And I was a little surprised to find that "To Live and Die in L.A." is still one of the most complex and cynical neo-noir films, 20 years after it was made. The film was based on the novel "To Live and Die in L.A." by former Secret Service agent Gerald Petievich and adapted for the screen by Petievich and director William Friedkin, the creative force behind the previous decade's "The Exorcist" and "The French Connection". At the risk of being blasphemous, I have always found "To Live and Die in L.A." more memorable than "The French Connection", which is why I was tempted to see it again.

When his partner is killed while tracking down a notorious counterfeiter, hotshot Secret Service agent Richard Chance (William Petersen) vows to nail the killer at any cost. The counterfeiter is Rick Masters (Willem Dafoe), a promising abstract expressionist painter and cunning criminal. Together with his new straight-arrow but spineless partner John Vukovich (John Pankow), Chance tries surveillance, extortion, and subterfuge to incriminate Masters, but Masters is always one step ahead of him. Chance resorts to stealing funds for an undercover operation, and even the corrupt interplay of cops and criminals begins to unravel.

Director William Friedkin wanted a cast of virtual unknowns, and maybe that's why "To Live and Die in L.A."'s box office receipts didn't reflect its quality. More likely, the world of 1985 wasn't in the mood for a film in which everything is counterfeit: the money, the relationships, the cops, the criminals. Nothing is what it pretends to be. But Friedkin can hardly be faulted for choosing an excellent cast. This was William Petersen's first major film role, and I can't help but think that, together with 1986's "Manhunter", it would have made him a big star had it been made a few years later. Both films were ahead of their time. Not because they were better than other films being made in the mid-1980s -although it happens that they were- but that their themes were simply not timed to coincide with what audiences wanted at that moment. In any case, Petersen gets credit for generating the energy that keeps this story moving. John Pankow gets credit for being the human expression of a world falling apart, through whom we sense the chaos. William Friedkin gets credit for the fantastic counterfeiting sequence and the creative decisions in story, music, and cinematography -including the gutsy ending- that make "To Live and Die in L.A." exceptional. This is a must-see for fans of neo-noir.

The DVD (2004 Special Edition from MGM): There is a nice package of bonus features on the Special Edition disc, including a making-of documentary, an alternate ending, a deleted scene, a photo gallery, and an audio commentary. "Counterfeit World" (30 minutes) is a documentary about making the film that features modern interviews with director William Friedkin, the film's cast, and some principle crew, as well as a bit of on-set footage. Definitely worth seeing if you like the film. You can see the Alternate Ending (5 minutes) and Deleted Scene (4 minutes) with or without introductory featurettes. I recommend viewing the featurettes, so you'll understand what you're watching. The alternate ending was made at the request of the producers and is truly horrible. The "Stills Gallery" is a slideshow of stills and on-set photos. The audio commentary by director William Friedkin is worthwhile. It's not a scene-by-scene analysis, but comments on filming, story, casting, music, cinematography, and various interesting tidbits. Subtitles are available for the film in English, French, and Spanish. Dubbing is available in French and Spanish.

Richard Chance ( William Petersen), is a member of the Secret Service who loves to live on the edge, and play by his own rules. Eric Masters ( Willem Dafoe) is a master at creating counterfiet cash, and is at the top of the agency's most wanted list for killing Chance's long time partner. Now Chance is willing to do whatever it takes to take Masters down, and the line between cop and criminal is starting to run thin. Both Chance and Masters waver on both sides of the law, as they take us on a cat and mouse chase through the streets of L.A. that is extremely suspenseful and never lets up!

"To Live and Die in L.A.", has to be one of the most suspenseful and action packed crime films that I have ever seen. Director William Friedkin is best known for the films "French Connection" and "The Exorcist". However, this has to be his best film. This is the first crime film that I have ever seen, that deals solely with the Secret Service, and NOT the FBI, CIA, or the police. That alone, makes it original. Not to mention the fact, that this is the only crime film, where the hero of the story has traits of a villan and is vulnerable. Some of Petersen's actions are actually questionable. William Petersen is an outstanding actor , and I have enjoyed all of his films. Secret Serive Agent Richard Chance, is one of his best characters by far because he loves to live on the edge, and plays by his own rules. Willem Dafoe is amazing in everything he does, and Eric Masters is one of his best roles. Masters is the story's villan, who is cold, calculating, highly intelligent, charming, and extremely ruthless! You don't know whether to like the guy, or hate the guy. John Turturo and Dean Stockwell are also both outstanding in their roles. This film also has one of the most surprising and disturbing endings that I have ever seen. The soundtrack is also amazing. It is basically a Wang Chung's Greatest Hits CD. Wang Chung is one of the best 80's groups of all time. Every song used is perfect, and really drives each scene.

In my opinion, it will be extremely difficult to find a crime film better than this one. Everything about it is perfect. The story is EXTREMELY original, the acting is phenomenal, the overall suspense will keep you on the edge of your seat, and the soundtrack is amazing. All I can say, is that it about time that this film was released on DVD. An absolute must buy!!

If you're reading this, you've probably seen the movie--I'm not sensing a lot of people here who searched for this film.

So to the point: this movie will always remain in my mind for, first and foremost, its ending. Never before in a film had I seen the story line go the way this one did (those of you who've seen it know what I'm talking about). I was literally slack-jawed when all that went down... I just couldn't believe it.

Anyway, to the point, DVD owners: what's cool about owning it on DVD? First and foremost, the movie holds up. The Wang Chung soundtrack doesn't sound dated--it sounds like they created it in their own little timeless universe. Nobody really sounded like them anyway, and they didn't sound like anybody.

The story is a blast and what a rush to see before-they-were-famous performances from Petersen, Dafoe and John Turturro. They're all household names now, but at this point they were literally unknown.

The sound and the print are great; and the car chase is an all-time classic. Somebody here dissed it in comparison to the Matrix Reloaded--which is bunk, because 70% of that chase (although it's awesome) was CGI. This was actually done for real.

But what really makes the DVD awesome are the extras--the making-of short is a must-see, and it's a kick to see interviews with the original cast members, who obviously enjoyed being in this movie. There's a present-day CSI William Petersen reflecting fondly on the shoot, along with Willem Dafoe.

But the biggest kick of all is the alternate ending shot for the film, when the studio balked at the original (and final) ending--OMG, how ridiculous. The actors literally seem to be smirking through the scene, knowing how absurd it is. Thank the Lord the director never took it seriously.

Friedkin's commentary is very entertaining, if sometimes rambling. He doesn't necessarily dissect the movie scene-by-scene, but rather offers a general, overall philosophy of film making. What's also interesting in retrospect is that apparently this film didn't do to well at the box office; to me it's an easy Top 10, but on the other hand it would be hard to market a film which is not easily explainable in 25 words or less.

To own or not to own on DVD? The answer is: yes.

To Live and Die in LA is a movie that I MUST watch at least 2-3 times a year. It is one of my all time favorites. How this movie slipped under the radar of moviegoers and critics alike..I have no clue. It is awesome that the movie finally gets its due with a release on DVD.

The filming is beautiful. The acting of Petersen as a hell-bent on revenge secret service agent, and Dafoe as a twisted genius criminal is top notch. Dafoe's character of Rick Masters is one of the all time great villains. The action is quick, and suspense builds throughout the movie. The ending is shocking.

One of my all time favorite movies, for a reason not often cited. Most reviewers focus on the gritty reality, the detailed counterfeiting process, the car chase, the underbelly-of-LA atmosphere, etc. but the part that grabbed me was the relationship between the characters portrayed by Pankow and Petersen. I think we have all been in situations in which we wanted to impress and emulate someone we perceived as being somehow superior, and when Agent Vukovitch (Pankow) becomes paired with (the appropriately named) Agent Chance (Petersen) he finds himself in waaaay over his head. Chance is a wild man, while Vukovitch is straight laced and conscientious; similar to (but without the cartoonishess of) Mel Gibson and Danny Glover in the more recent Lethal Weapon series. No matter what dangers befall Gibson & Glover, you KNOW that somehow they will survive....not so with Chance & Vukovitch, whose expression reflects, with increasing horror, the rapid descent into hell brought about by his loyalty to a lunatic partner. The dangers they face are all too real, and Vukovitch acts like we would in this escalating situation...he becomes despondent, frantic, and tries to find a palatable way out of a nightmarish situation that only gets worse. Without revealing the surprise ending, lets just say that he finally does find a way to overcome a problem that he just can't beat, and in so doing provides a proper noirish ending to this gritty tale.

Additional observations: The sex is as raw and gritty as the rest of the movie, and graphically portrayed....and yes, that really is Daphne from "Frasier" as the lesbian temptress.

The DVD form of this movie contains valuable insights (provided retrospectively by the major stars and the director) into its production. Set up for the infamous car chase scene is fully explained, for those (like me) who always secretly suspected that they simply drove the wrong way on the freeway during rush hour, and filmed it. The directorial method that yielded such stark, unpolished realism (i.e. scenes like the lengthy and difficult opening of the silver briefcase) is well described and rather amusing. They actually did print about a million dollars worth of fake money, which is a felony, and were almost prosecuted for it. All in all, the DVD version is definitely the way to go for picture quality and additional features.

I won't go into the movie itself. Those who have seen it know what a gem this piece is from the 80's. Gritty, real, unexpected twists. Instead, I'll go into what the "Making Of" featurette spells out, which makes this movie even better than before.

What is amazing is the story behind the camera. The 30-minute featurette that accompanies this DVD really defines why this movie, it's actors and it's sets seemed so real. Because they were. No fake studios, no rehearsals, just actors playing out their real emotions and not even knowing it.

William Friedkin is a master of getting what he wants on film. The feature shows how he made the actors think they were in a rehearsal take, but Friedkin would have the cameras rolling and more often than not, that would be a take with no one knowing about it until Friekdin would say, "We're done!"

The whole scene where Chance and Vukovich steal the money and they finally get the guy down below the streets was supposed to be shot up until the point when Chance is about to slam the briefcase into the concrete piller. Friedkin never stopped shooting when Will Petersen started hammering the case into the wall. Having been told before by Friedkin, Petersen just went with the moment. The case bashing was not in the script and all the realism of when the case flies open finally and only a phonebook comes out was real. Petersen and Pankow didn't know what was in there. The emotions afterward of anger are real. Friedkin kept shooting because he didn't want to lose that edge that was present at that time. And you know what? It works to perfection.

The scenes of Pankow white as a ghost during, what is in my honest opinion one of the best car chase scenes ever filmed, are real. The whole scene took 6 weeks to shoot and Will Petersen did a LOT of the driving, which made Pankow cringe and wonder what was going to happen next, which is why his looks of fear are real. This car chase even beats the car chase in Matrix Reloaded because there are NO digitally enhanced cars added in, especially during the wrong-way drive down the highway. It's all real and scripted by one of the best former stuntmen and now stunt coordinator, Buddy Joe Hooker. What's even more amazing is something I never noticed until it's brought to your attention in this feature: Peterson and Pankow, even though they are driving head-on towards on-coming traffic, are actually driving on the right side of the road! The cars on the other side of the median going the same direction as Peterson and Pankow are actually driving on the wrong side (left) of the freeway. It was a trick Friedkin did to generate confusion, just as you probably would have if you actually DID drive down the wrong side of the freeway! Absolutely amazing and ingenious.

Even though this feature is only 30 minutes, it reveals so much of how this movie was made and covers everything. It doesn't seem too short and covers a lot of what went into making this movie.

The infamous counterfeiting scene with William DaFoe? That was real conterfeit money they were making and the Secret Service DID get involved due to a crewmember's kids getting ahold of one-faced twenty dollar bills (unknowingly) and trying to buy something from the local mart. In fact, they obtained a "creative consultant" who apparently actually did some time because of his help with this movie. I'm not sure if that's a joke that the crew members were telling during the feature, but it's still amazing what lengths Friedkin went to try and make this film as real as possible. William Friedkin wants realism in his movies, and in this one, it's gritty realism right down to the bone and that's because, he shot it in real locations, with real emotions from then unknown actors (Petersen and Pankow) who were told to play by their emotions.

There is even a part where Pankow explains how he was approached by an undercover cop who saw the movie a year earlier. In the scene were Vukovich is going nuts after the robbery gone bad, we see he is in a blind panic. The undercover cop stated to Pankow that he had been there and that Pankow nailed it; the emotions, the rage, the fear, everything. What better complement as an actor can you get than that?

Other features include a deleted scene between Vukovich and his wife and an alternate ending (which thankfully Friedkin refused to put into the final release) where Chance and Vukovich end up in the North Pole somewhere. You can either watch the scenes without commentary or else, you can get a quick explanation before the scene to understand what was going on and why. Excellent stuff.

You even get audio commentary from Friedkin himself. I haven't watched the movie with the commentary yet to see how it is, but to know it's there is great.

(...) No fluff, just pure gritty realism that leaves you breathless when it's all over. Oh, and the soundtrack by Wang Chung fits perfectly here. Get the soundtrack as well. It, like the movie, puts you in a different world, but it's a world that exists and not the one Hollywood would normally want you to see LA depicted as, but it's there and it's real.

To Live and Die in LA is an excellent movie, despite any minor flaws I may have noticed during my recent viewing. It stars William L. Petersen (Manhunter) as federal agent Richard Chance. He's an adrenaline junky, seemingly living for that next fix, unable or unwilling to establish any real connections with other humans other than that of his long time partner and mentor, a soon to be retiring agent. Did I say 'soon to be retiring' agent? Maybe I should have said soon to be dying, as, in Hollywood, they mean the same thing...major cliché, but I got past that, as the film is really good.

Anyway, the old-timer agent gets kakked, in a particularly nasty fashion, during a solo investigation of a recent facility used by a particularly skilled counterfeiter Eric 'Rick' Masters, played by Willem Dafoe. Seems Masters has been under investigation for a while, and this agent just happened to get a little too close. (As the editorial review gives away this plot point, I didn't feel like I was spoiling anything giving it up, too...)

With the death of his friend and partner, the investigation becomes personal for Agent Chance, and the boundaries of the law and proper procedures become blurred in his quest to take Masters down. This raises some serious conflicts with Chance's new partner, John Vulovich, played by John Pankow.

The pace is a little uneven, but that wasn't a negative issue for me. Friedkin does a wonderful job in keeping the viewer drawn to the screen. Sometimes I wondered how the investigators got from point A to point B, as there was some minor muddling in the plot, but this did little to reduce my enjoyment of the movie as a whole.

One of my favorite parts of the movie was the car chase scene where agents Chance and Vukovich procure monies needed to make a deal with Masters outside of normal practices, and are subsequently pursued by a number of mysterious individuals interested in stopping them. The scene is extremely gripping and realistically portrayed, reminiscent of the chase scene from The French Connection (1971), also directed by Friedkin.

While this movie is not at the level of The French Connection, it certainly holds it's own. It was really nice to see Friedkin return close to form with this movie. Also, this movie is helped along with a strong, supporting cast including John Turturro, Dean Stockwell, and Debra Feuer.

The picture and sound quality are excellent, and there are enough special features to make this 'special edition' actually fit the label, including an alternate ending and deleted scene, commentary by the director, a making of documentary, a photo gallery, and various trailers for the movie. After watching the movie, be sure to watch the alternate ending and see how the studio almost botched the movie by trying to tack on a completely goofy ending for fear that the original ending would not sit well with audiences. It's truly hilarious and serves as an excellent example of what happens when studio executives try to get involved in the creative process.

When I purchased my copy of this DVD, the clerk remarked "We're sure selling a lot of these!" with a perplexed look. I almost said something, but after guessing his age (he was probably 8 years old in 1985), I kept mum. Those "in the know" can tell you exactly why "To Live And Die In L.A." is flying off the shelves-it is simply the best "neo noir" to ever be criminally ignored by the home entertainment industry (until now!) Essentially a remake of "The French Connection", infused with the "Greed Is Good" 80's zeitgeist, this Noir fan's wet dream is every bit as good as we remember it, addressing the cinemaste's senses on all levels: visual, aural and visceral. Perhaps most amazingly, director William Friedkin's unique use of L.A. locales remains unmatched, despite the fact that it is the most oft-filmed city on the planet. Friedkin's L.A. is painted in contrasts of dusky orange and strikingly vivid reds and blacks; an atmospheric Noir Hell. The starmaking performances by William Peterson and Willem Dafoe top off a uniformly excellent cast. Interestingly, most "professional" movie critics gave this one the 'thumbs down' back in 1985-I would challenge them to view it again, in context of the Hollywood offal in current release, and make a re-assessment. DVD notes: The stunning widescreen transfer should allay any fears fans may have had that the studio would "blow it". One disappointment: No 2-channel stereo audio option. I'm sure 5.1 is wonderful for those who can afford expensive home theater set ups, but there are still many of us who run DVD audio through conventional stereos.

When people look back at great films, things that tend to stick with people, such as a great story/script that makes one think, and even debate pre conceived notions in their heads, cinematography that is breathtaking, a film that is arragned to have both dialouge and action, not to mention a soundtrack that helps move a move along, make the film into a classic if done correctly. To live and die in LA delivers on all accounts.

This film is as intense as you can get, but doesnt overwhelm. The story has no sympathetic characters, and shows the self destruction of its lead character Richard Chance(William Peterson) close up, as he becomes little different than the criminal Rick Masters(William DaFoe), and it shows the almost unwilling, and also coming undone of Chances new Partner, John Vukovich(John Pankow), be caught up in the downward spiral that Chance' life has become. Another highlight is supporting actor, Dean Stockwells role as a slick LA lawyer, working for Masters, but also giving advice to the by then way over his head Vukovich.

Not to give away any spoilers, the movie breaks up many cliches one usually sees in cop films, with failures to execute plans in a competent manner from both the law enforcement and criminal ends.

Also, director Willam Friedkin, whose carrer in terms of quality had been on a downward path for some time, went back to the top in terms of quality(though his return would sadly be short lived with a series of bland films afterwards). The pacing of the story was perfect, and the cinematography was nothing short of artistic. As other reviewers have mentioned, the film showed the gritty side of LA, with the smog drenched orange sun shineing down on an industrial wasteland. Also the soundtrack must be mentioned. While Wang Chung later became the butt of many jokes, they shined on this soundtrack, with the must obviously from the 80s, but still with a timeless quality as well that moves the story along.

Lastly, it is obvious that Friedkin on this film was heavily influenced by fellow director(and creator of Miami Vice) Michael Mann, in fact, Michael Mann sued, albiet unsucessfully, Friedkin because the story and direction was so similar to that of Manns on Miami Vice, but again, it only elevates this film.

PS Anyone who likes To Live and Die in LA should also check out Michal Manns 1986 film, Manhunter, the first and many say the best of the Hannibal Lector films, and also starring William Peterson.