To Live and Die in L.A. (1985)

This begins so well. Even the titles are eye-catching in that day-glow red and green. Actions is immediately confusing but dazzling with wonderful photography. A great sense of excitement is established in the first half hour but it is slightly concerning that with so many interested parties and police it is never absolutely clear what is going on. Then all becomes clear but the stunning visuals disappear and the action becomes almost laughable. It is then that I began to notice the inconsistent acting, due presumably to an element of improvisation encouraged by Friedkin. Matters are satisfactorily resolved in the end but that feeling of disengagement was never made good and it would discourage me from a second viewing despite all that fantastic early footage.

A fearless Secret Service agent (William Petersen) will stop at nothing to bring down the counterfeiter (Willem Dafoe) who killed his partner (Michael Greene).As with many movies, this one began as a novel by a former Secret Service agent. Director William Friedkin read the book and loved it, attracted to what he saw as a "surreal" aspect of the Service: the balance of one day living the high life with the president and the next chasing counterfeiters through the slums of America. How much of the novel was based on fact is open to debate (clearly some parts of the film are not realistic). For the parts that are factual, you have to admire Friedkin's attention to detail. The scenes of twenty dollar bills being counterfeited were overseen by a man who had actually served time for counterfeiting (unfortunately left unnamed). What we see is not just Hollywood, but an actual demonstration of how the process was really done. (The bills made on screen were so real, in fact, that the Treasury Department hounded Friedkin and prop master Barry Bedig for months.)Friedkin also puts his actors in some unusual positions, creating amazing results. If he and Petersen are to be believed, the script was very fluid and often scenes that should have been shorter (if the script was followed) kept going as long as the actors would stay in character. For example, much of the "bagman scene" is allegedly unscripted -- the briefcase busting open, the physical confrontation. Other scenes were filmed when actors thought it was only a rehearsal, meaning much of the film is done in one take. For all of this to play out so perfectly through sheer improvisation is just incredible and creates some of the most memorable scenes.There is a great deal to admire about this film. The acting is great, and even better in retrospect given that these are the early roles of some big names. The soundtrack is thumping, and makes Wang Chung seem better than they are often perceived. The action is over the top and at times unbelievable, but this only adds to the appeal. And the cinematography is great -- there are a few mirror shots, for example, which are expertly lined up and crafted. And the methods needed to follow such an intricate chase scene? Wow. Just wow.The car chase runs a bit long, but this is excusable because it adds to that surreal quality the film was going for. What bothered me was the character played by John Turturro. He has a steady subplot throughout the picture, but seems to just magically disappear at one point. It seems like his story is built up but never finished. Is there a cut scene, or did something go over my head?The Blu-ray from Shout! Factory is ridiculously impressive. From a previous release, they ported over the audio commentary with director William Friedkin and kept the featurette "Counterfeit World: The Making Of To Live And Die In L.A.". But that was only the beginning, because they brought us a 4K scan of the negative supervised and approved by Friedkin, so you know the movie has never looked better. And there are plenty of new interviews: 20 minutes with star William Petersen (whose career took off following this film) who explains how Gary Sinise got him the part, stunt coordinator Buddy Joe Hooker, Wang Chung (Jack Hues And Nick Feldman), actress Debra Feuer and actor Dwier Brown.

A lot of people (the great Roger Ebert included) would have you believe that To Live and Die in L.A. is a stunning, suspenseful thriller beautifully shot and directed by William Friedkin. I know that the eighties were a lean time for quality cinema, but the pumping Wang Chung soundtrack and William Peterson's appalling acting annihilates any tension that may have been attempted in pretty much any given scene.Oh. And when I say "Wang Chung soundtrack" I don't mean a handful of tastefully or cleverly placed songs, like say, The Graduate, Harold and Maude or Magnolia. I mean SOUNDTRACK. Not just the appalling songs distastefully and carelessly strewn in the background, but weird techno-synth monstrosities attempting to build the tension of action scenes or underscore quiet moments.When someone says that this film is a "lost treasure"... and a lot of people do... It only makes sense if they are referring to it as one of the great lost comedies of the eighties. I still regularly, randomly will laugh out load thinking about one particularly Wang Chung heavy chase sequence in that movie and a couple of ludicrously overwrought faces that William Peterson makes with his "acting".Five Stars.......Out of Ten

By the end of the film, I thought it was a cheesy clichéd 80s crime thriller. But then I realized all of the films that I was comparing it to, copied off of this film. This film set the bar for the 80s crime thriller, and the crime thriller in general. Of course, it is undeniably 80s. Wang Chung provided the soundtrack. However, Friedken does not disappoint with his chase scenes. Chase scenes that some films today can't even hold a candle to. What adrenaline, there are not many films that can get your heart beating as fast as this one can. William Peterson gives a truly dynamite performance. But, personally, I believe Willem Dafoe stole the show. Nobody does the criminal like he does. Jesus Christ, he was so evil! This is a film that would not let me look away. I really was mesmerized by it. Friedken, thanks to the French Connection and this Film, is officially the king of the chase. What a wild ride, definitely worth a view.