To Live And Die In L.A
What?
If you’re looking for the grit and grind of city street action then director William Friedkin is your man. With films like The French Connection and To Live and Die in L.A. under his belt, I feel that he practically defines the rough world of metro life, which must be protected by anti-hero cops. Even though French Connection and To Live and Die in L.A. have some startling parallels—namely that of a vigilante cop in a major crime filled city fighting for his life—the two make for a pretty strong pair of streamlined action pictures. While the 1970’s French Connection had an old-time charm, To Live and Die in L.A. seems to possess an ultra energetic window into the Los Angeles’ underground crime scene. Instead of pushing heroin, To Live and Die in L.A. is about a prominent counterfeit artist who makes a living by printing his own money—lots of money—and a hardened secret service agent that’s hot on his trail. With a volatile group of characters that are all filled out to their individual minute details, the steamy L.A. backdrop is a fitting venue for this stylish 1980’s roller coaster ride. The last time I saw To Live and Die in L.A. feels like ages ago. But after watching this Blu-ray release a few times, I was reminded of how mesmerizing the film can be. Every character is given a robust personality that is infinitely enhanced by the corresponding actor. Character vitality is the lifeblood of this film. While this may have much to do with the original novel material, the actors add a certain dynamic to their counterparts. Obviously Petersen’s breakout performance has the goods, but the supporting cast of Turturro and Defoe are simply terrific. It’s as though the story was written specially with these actors in mind. You know, I thought real long and hard about whether there were any obtuse issues with the film that would deter an audience from purchase. And I have to admit there wasn’t much to be bothered by. I’ve heard the complaints that there are many clichés throughout or that the 1980’s panache oversaturated the plot. For starters, when this movie came out these “clichés” weren’t as worn as they have become now. As for the 1980’s aspect, yes, To Live and Die in L.A. is a walk down a path of nostalgia. A slick 80’s action thriller with flare to spare, I was tickled pink to revisit “Friedkin’s finest hour.” What pleased me even more were the twists, which felt just as genuine after multiple views as it did the first time around. Twists are often times heavy handed, but these felt cleverly appropriate. To Live and Die in L.A. has a lot going for it and justifiably deserves a welcomed embrace into your Blu-ray library.
Optics:
Now, what To Live and Die in L.A. doesn’t have in common with The French Connection is the overbearing grain found on the respective Blu-ray release. French Connection just had way too much thick grain that, to me, was beyond distracting. Conversely however, To Live and Die in L.A. is given a thin, accommodating veil of grain that suits the film benevolently. I was just as happy with the video transfer as I was with the film. Gooey, almost gushing colors and incredibly deep detail make for a hell of a classic BD. A naturally kept image helped produce a sense of authenticity or reality. I failed to catch any blemishes or severe print damage as well as any digital noise reduction, blatant edge enhancements, or mucky shadows. It came correct with or without the hands of Friedkin all over it. Clean, clear, and practically problem free!
Sonics:
I loved the funky 80’s techno in To Live and Die in L.A. just as I loved the 1980’s. A blast from the past and infused very nicely with the time in which this was made, the musical score works on so many levels. The new 5.1 lossless DTS-HD MA made the car chase scene feel like I was there. Ambiance and field were alive and well with jubilation and the bass never seemed to be out of the action. The track has been just as carefully maintained as the image. An action movie with the sound to prove it; this is a keeper! Prepare for the 1980’s to be all up in your ears. A solid mix to say the very least!
Extras:
Quantity and bonus material are the buyer’s closest friend. MGM has thrown in a DVD, deleted scenes, a pretty interesting alternate ending, a picture gallery, and about a half an hour-long making-of featurette. There’s a modest chunk but the making-of has the most meat. I guess the DVD addition is nice to have, but I’m in it for the on disc goodies. Nevertheless, a close ace for the extras!
Well?
To Live and Die in L.A. never shies away from what it wants you to see. This has Friedkin at his tip-top and the Blu-ray provides quite the bang for the proverbial buck. With a price to sell and region free, this is an simple one—really recommended!
Grant Iwan
If you’re looking for the grit and grind of city street action then director William Friedkin is your man. With films like The French Connection and To Live and Die in L.A. under his belt, I feel that he practically defines the rough world of metro life, which must be protected by anti-hero cops. Even though French Connection and To Live and Die in L.A. have some startling parallels—namely that of a vigilante cop in a major crime filled city fighting for his life—the two make for a pretty strong pair of streamlined action pictures. While the 1970’s French Connection had an old-time charm, To Live and Die in L.A. seems to possess an ultra energetic window into the Los Angeles’ underground crime scene. Instead of pushing heroin, To Live and Die in L.A. is about a prominent counterfeit artist who makes a living by printing his own money—lots of money—and a hardened secret service agent that’s hot on his trail. With a volatile group of characters that are all filled out to their individual minute details, the steamy L.A. backdrop is a fitting venue for this stylish 1980’s roller coaster ride. The last time I saw To Live and Die in L.A. feels like ages ago. But after watching this Blu-ray release a few times, I was reminded of how mesmerizing the film can be. Every character is given a robust personality that is infinitely enhanced by the corresponding actor. Character vitality is the lifeblood of this film. While this may have much to do with the original novel material, the actors add a certain dynamic to their counterparts. Obviously Petersen’s breakout performance has the goods, but the supporting cast of Turturro and Defoe are simply terrific. It’s as though the story was written specially with these actors in mind. You know, I thought real long and hard about whether there were any obtuse issues with the film that would deter an audience from purchase. And I have to admit there wasn’t much to be bothered by. I’ve heard the complaints that there are many clichés throughout or that the 1980’s panache oversaturated the plot. For starters, when this movie came out these “clichés” weren’t as worn as they have become now. As for the 1980’s aspect, yes, To Live and Die in L.A. is a walk down a path of nostalgia. A slick 80’s action thriller with flare to spare, I was tickled pink to revisit “Friedkin’s finest hour.” What pleased me even more were the twists, which felt just as genuine after multiple views as it did the first time around. Twists are often times heavy handed, but these felt cleverly appropriate. To Live and Die in L.A. has a lot going for it and justifiably deserves a welcomed embrace into your Blu-ray library.
Optics:
Now, what To Live and Die in L.A. doesn’t have in common with The French Connection is the overbearing grain found on the respective Blu-ray release. French Connection just had way too much thick grain that, to me, was beyond distracting. Conversely however, To Live and Die in L.A. is given a thin, accommodating veil of grain that suits the film benevolently. I was just as happy with the video transfer as I was with the film. Gooey, almost gushing colors and incredibly deep detail make for a hell of a classic BD. A naturally kept image helped produce a sense of authenticity or reality. I failed to catch any blemishes or severe print damage as well as any digital noise reduction, blatant edge enhancements, or mucky shadows. It came correct with or without the hands of Friedkin all over it. Clean, clear, and practically problem free!
Sonics:
I loved the funky 80’s techno in To Live and Die in L.A. just as I loved the 1980’s. A blast from the past and infused very nicely with the time in which this was made, the musical score works on so many levels. The new 5.1 lossless DTS-HD MA made the car chase scene feel like I was there. Ambiance and field were alive and well with jubilation and the bass never seemed to be out of the action. The track has been just as carefully maintained as the image. An action movie with the sound to prove it; this is a keeper! Prepare for the 1980’s to be all up in your ears. A solid mix to say the very least!
Extras:
Quantity and bonus material are the buyer’s closest friend. MGM has thrown in a DVD, deleted scenes, a pretty interesting alternate ending, a picture gallery, and about a half an hour-long making-of featurette. There’s a modest chunk but the making-of has the most meat. I guess the DVD addition is nice to have, but I’m in it for the on disc goodies. Nevertheless, a close ace for the extras!
Well?
To Live and Die in L.A. never shies away from what it wants you to see. This has Friedkin at his tip-top and the Blu-ray provides quite the bang for the proverbial buck. With a price to sell and region free, this is an simple one—really recommended!
Grant Iwan
Director:
William Friedkin
Starring:
William Petersen
Willem Dafoe
John Pankow
John Turturro
Robert Downey Sr.
Christopher Allort
Debra Feuer
Best line:
- "Why are you chasing me?" - "I don’t know, why you running?" - "Because you’re chasing me!"
Tagline:
"A federal agent is dead. A killer is loose. And the City of Angels is about to explode."
Description:
MGM
US
Rated R
Region free
1 Hr 56 Min
1.85:1
MPEG-4/AVC/BD50
DTS-HD MA 5.1
(English, Fr., Span.)
Subtitles: Eng, Spa, Kor, Cant
DVD
Theatrical Trailer
Deleted Scenes
Alternate Ending
Making Of
Gallery
Ratings: (Out of 10)
Film 9.0
Optics 8.0
Sonics 8.0
Extras 8.0
Overall 8.0
