To Live And Die In LA (1985)

Just spent a rainy day catching up with an excellent under-rated movie, Bill Friedkin's To Live And Die In LA on DVD.

I've never seen this movie and only knew it as that film with the Wang Chung music.

The newly released Special Edition of this movie is great. Director commentary and a very good "Making Of" documentary is included.

What makes me excited about this movie is that it is old fashioned. The car chases and action seem real. Unlike modern movies by people like Simon West, Michael Bay and Tony Scott....this one relies on what now looks like quaint actual real time editing and a good storyline that carries through.

The story slowly unfolds and the characters are fleshed out.

The women in the movie are particulary good, Debra Feuer and Darlanne Fluegel. Both beauties and rarley seen in other movies. They are both hot! Just get a load of the sex scene with William and Debra. Very real. Jane Leeves of Frasier fame even shows up as a sexy lesbian later in the movie.

This had to be William Petersen's finest film (now known on CSI). He is just excellent as Chance.
Also great are Willem Defoe (looking very young) and John Pankow.

I recommend putting this movie on your "to rent" list at Netflix. It looks and sounds great in 5.1 especially that great Wang Chung music.

 

A very good movie indeed! The whole feeling of this movie always reminds me of another great one: I forgot its title, but it was the blueprint - or even the original version - to Michael Mann's "Heat": same story, same director, a few years earlier... ...and better!

 

The best post-70's car chase scene ever filmed. I'm so happy to hear it's finally on DVD! Thanks!

 

Target had TO LIVE & DIE IN L.A. on sale for $10 this past weekend -- check if it's still a special.

 

yeah, i'm gonna have to buy a copy of this movie...it is that good.

can't believe I have always missed this one on TV over the years.

 

Oh man! I haven't seen this movie since it was in theaters and I watched it with a friend. I think about it now and then, it was WAY cool!.
Thanks for posting, now I'll be buying the DVD. Didn't know it was even out.

Didn't they shut down the freeway in LA one Sunday morning to shoot one of those amazing scenes?

Dan C

 

Oh man, I remember that movie...isn't there a scene where Dafoe sits naked in front of a fireplace full of burning counterfeit money? Also I seem to remember a hit on a guy from a trash dumpster. I have to rewatch that one but thanks for the reminder. That's a good one!
Best-
Norm

 

I watched this film several times in the eighties, and I never quite got the ending. There's an alternate ending on the new disc I'll be curious to see.

I agree this film contains perhaps the greatest pre-CGI car chase in history -- they must have hired every stunt driver in California to pull that one off.

 

I've been waiting for this ever since DVD started and was really pumped to get it for Xmas. It meets my expectations. I've got he soundtrack--spectacular IMO--on both LP and CD.

One of the things I never noticed--and found out from the commentary--is that the final part of the chase, on the freeway, is filmed such that it is more appropriate for England: the cars are driving on the left!

John K.

 

I forgot to mention: If you like William Peterson as an actor (and I do), I think that his performance in "Amazing Grace and Chuck" rivals this in terms of craft (if not in intensity!).

John K.

 

I was just at Target. They want $14.44 for the DVD at this time.

 

It's at the top of my Netflix queue.
I just have to return Monster's Ball first.