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To Live and Die in L.A. - Collector's Edition
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray A - America - Shout! Factory Review written by and copyright: Anthony Arrigo (27th January 2017). |
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The Film
 There exists another apocryphal Hollywood tale that suggests after seeing director William Friedkin’s “To Live and Die in L.A.” (1985) Michael Mann, creator of the then-hot television series “Miami Vice” (1984-1990) sued Friedkin in court, claiming he had ripped off his intellectual property and demanded to be compensated for what was tantamount to plagiarism. Per Friedkin, however, in his autobiography “The Friedkin Connection” he states this is simply not true, he has no idea how the falsehood originated, and that he and Mann have been good friends for over 30 years. There are some parallels that can be drawn between the two concepts but the similarities stop pretty quickly. While “Miami Vice” absolutely has some pulse-pounding episodes, the level of intensity and white-knuckle tension is handily won by Friedkin’s opus, a return to form after he experienced a string of commercial failures. More ferocious than ever before, “To Live and Die in L.A.” is a deeply layered crime picture that is told with such authenticity and attention to even the minutest details that it is impossible for anyone not to be swept up in its twisted plot. Agent Richard Chance (William Petersen) is a Secret Service Agent assigned to combat counterfeiting in Los Angeles. He goes hard; real hard. Chance stops at nothing to get his man. His partner, Agent Jimmy Hart (Michael Greene), is “too old for this shit” and a mere three days from retirement, when he can spend all of his free time drinking and fishing. Richard even bought him a sweet fishing pole! So, naturally, he’s bound to die soon enough at the hands of Eric “Rick” Masters (Willem Dafoe), the top maker of “funny money” on the West Coast. Chance follows up on Hart’s lead after his partner is wasted, putting him right on the trail of Masters, who is a very hard man to catch. Chance gets himself a new partner, John Vukovich (John Pankow), a cop who is no less tough than Chance but this guy prefers to do things by the book. The guys put one of Masters’ associates under surveillance and are eventually able to get to Masters’ attorney, Bob Grimes (Dean Stockwell). Vukovich does things the old fashioned way, whereas Chance’s informant is a prostitute he extorts for information. The men pose as two businessmen from Palm Springs looking to acquire $1,000,000 in counterfeit money. Masters agrees to their request and simply asks for $30,000 in front money, aware that amount is three times the current limit for undercover buys. But Chance, completely undaunted by this obstacle, hatches a plan to rob a criminal jeweller he was told is coming to town with $50,000. As the line is continually blurred between cop and criminal Chance pulls out all the stops to make one final run at Masters for the revenge he seeks. Remember how William Petersen went deep and intense for his role as Will Graham in “Manhunter” (1986)? Just one year earlier, he is that level of ferocity multiplied tenfold. Chance is a loose cannon, completely disinterested in governmental bureaucracy and singularly focused on stopping his man no matter the cost. I know the film is over thirty years old so spoilers shouldn’t be an issue, but I feel like to give away some of Chance’s biggest “WTF” moments would spoil the insanity of just how far over the edge he is willing to go. Vukovich is by no means a conservative partner, and he follows Chance into hell knowing full well it could be his ass at any moment, but he wants to catch his prize by the letter of the law so as not to compromise any judicial proceedings. Chance has no such qualms, putting his own life and the lives of everyone around him at risk. His tunnel vision is astounding. He’s no sweetheart, either. When his informant/hooker asks what he’d do if she stopped giving him info his response is, “I’d revoke your probation” and you know he means it. There is a line that cinematic reckless cops have to lightly tread because crossing over too far can only lead to one form of comeuppance. The ending for this film absolutely should not be spoiled for anyone who has yet to see it so I will simply say it is brave; it is controversial; it is ballsy. Studio pictures don’t get this kind of conclusion often, so savor what Friedkin was able to get away with here. Music always has a tremendous effect on a film and the decision to hire Wang Chung to compose the soundtrack was a smart move. It does have unintended (?) effect of making it feel akin to “Miami Vice” in some ways, what with all the synthesizers and electronic beats, but it’s hard to imagine any other instrumentation being able to capture the essence of 1985 and the aggression of each high octane scene so strongly. “To Live and Die in L.A.” is a masterwork of cinema, expertly directed – often with just one take or even only a rehearsal getting a roll – by one of the greatest directors of all time. Everything feels genuine and heavily researched, adding a level of authenticity that similar pictures can’t even begin to match.
Video
Shout! Factory touts a “new 4K scan supervised by director William Friedkin”, which may not set some concerns at ease given that old “French Connection” (1971) Blu-ray debacle. Rest assured, the 1.85:1 1080p 24/fps AVC MPEG-4 encoded image has been respectfully reproduced, likely as close to the theatrical exhibition as possible. The first thing I noticed was that skin tones appear a bit on the warm side, with flesh looking a touch red. Los Angeles is presented as a sweaty, dirty petri dish for criminal activity; it is sweltering. Grain looks cinematic and doesn’t appear clumpy or noisy, even during night shots. Definition is very strong, allowing every detail from the exceptionally clean print to shine through, especially during daylight scenes.
Audio
The English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound track provides the perfect sound field for Wang Chung’s immersive score to assault viewers, but some of the more robust moments in the film could have benefitted from a little boosting. The car chase, in particular, while sounding very good doesn’t quite put viewers in the driver’s seat like it could have. Dialogue levels are perfectly set and nothing is lost to the constant cacophony around the characters. An English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo track is also included. Subtitles are available in English for the hearing impaired.
Extras
Shout! Factory continues to impress with their Select Series line, with this latest release boasting a plethora of great interviews and new features. Director William Friedkin’s audio commentary has been ported over from the previous release and anyone who has heard him speak will know this is well worth taking the time to hear. “Taking a Chance – An Interview with William Petersen” featurette (1080p) runs for 20 minutes and 41 seconds. “Wrong Way: The Stunts of To Live and Die in L.A.” (1080p) is an interview featurette with stunt coordinator Buddy Joe Hooker, running for 35 minutes and 38 seconds. “So In Phase: Scoring To Live and Die in L.A.” (1080p) is an interview featurette that runs for 12 minutes and 43 seconds, featuring the band Wang Chung (Jack Hues & Nick Feldman). “Doctor for a Day – An Interview with Actor Dwier Brown” featurette (1080p) runs for 8 minutes and 52 seconds. “Renaissance Woman in L.A. – An Interview with Actress Debra Feuer” featurette (1080p) runs for 14 minutes and 55 seconds. A deleted scene and alternate ending (1080p) are presented along with a brief intro and explanation on why they were cut by Friedkin, both of which run together for 13 minutes and 6 seconds. “Counterfeit World: The Making of To Live and Die in L.A.” (1080p) is a making-of featurette that runs for 29 minutes and 51 seconds. A still gallery (1080p) contains 65 images, running for 5 minutes and 27 seconds. The film’s theatrical trailer (1080p) runs for 2 minutes and 6 seconds. Finally, a radio spot runs for 1 minute and 4 seconds.
Packaging
The single disc comes housed in a standard Blu-ray keep case. The cover art is reversible and a slip-cover is included on first pressings.
Overall
Searing in every way, Friedkin’s 80's police thriller is one of the all-time greats of that genre. Shout! Factory’s latest Blu-ray smokes all previous editions and comes armed with hours of bonus footage, making this one absolute must-own title.
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