NationMaster - Encyclopedia: To Live and Die in L.A.

To Live and Die in L.A. is a neo-noir American film released in 1985 and directed by William Friedkin. Image File history File links To_Live_and_Die_in_L.A..jpg Summary url from: http://images. ... William Friedkin (born August 29, 1935 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American movie and television director, producer, and writer best known for directing The Exorcist and The French Connection in the early 1970s. ... William Friedkin (born August 29, 1935 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American movie and television director, producer, and writer best known for directing The Exorcist and The French Connection in the early 1970s. ... William Petersen, an American actor, was born on February 21, 1953, in Evanston, Illinois. ... William Dafoe, Jr. ... John Pankow, an American film and stage actor. ... Dean Stockwell (born March 5, 1936 in North Hollywood, California) is an Oscar-nominated American film and television actor. ... John Nicodemus Turturro (born February 28, 1957) is an Emmy Award winning American actor noted for his performances in To Live and Die in L.A. (1985), The Color of Money (1986), Five Corners (1987), Do The Right Thing (1989), Barton Fink (1991), Men of Respect (1991), The Big Lebowski... Wang Chung is a British New Wave music group. ... MGM logo Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer or MGM, is a large media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of cinema and television programs. ... November 1 is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 60 days remaining. ... 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Arabic ( or just ) is the largest living member of the Semitic language family in terms of speakers. ... Neo-noir is a term given to the modern trend of incorporating aspects of film noir into films of other genres. ... Film is a term that encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. ... // Back to the Future, starring Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd and Lea Thompson Rambo: First Blood Part II, starring Sylvester Stallone Rocky IV, starring Sylvester Stallone The Color Purple, starring Whoopi Goldberg, Danny Glover, Oprah Winfrey, Margaret Avery, Rae Dawn Chong, Adolph Caesar Out of Africa, starring Meryl Streep and... William Friedkin (born August 29, 1935 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American movie and television director, producer, and writer best known for directing The Exorcist and The French Connection in the early 1970s. ...

The movie is based on the novel written by former Secret Service Agent Gerald Petievich, who co-wrote the screenplay with Friedkin.^[1] A novel (from French nouvelle Italian novella, new) is an extended, generally fictional narrative, typically in prose. ... The United States Secret Service is a United States federal government law enforcement agency that is part of the United States Department of Homeland Security (prior to the foundation of that department in 2002, it was under Treasury). ...

The picture stars William L. Petersen, Willem Dafoe, John Turturro, John Pankow, and others. Wang Chung composed and performed the soundtrack. William Petersen, an American actor, was born on February 21, 1953, in Evanston, Illinois. ... William Dafoe, Jr. ... John Nicodemus Turturro (born February 28, 1957) is an Emmy Award winning American actor noted for his performances in To Live and Die in L.A. (1985), The Color of Money (1986), Five Corners (1987), Do The Right Thing (1989), Barton Fink (1991), Men of Respect (1991), The Big Lebowski... John Pankow, an American film and stage actor. ... Wang Chung is a British New Wave music group. ...

The film tells the story of how two U.S. Secret Service agents set out to arrest a counterfeiter, using any means necessary. The agents don't let the law stand in their way.

Tagline

Plot

Richard Chance (William Petersen) is a Secret Service agent for the U.S. Treasury with a reputation for reckless behavior. William Louis Petersen (born February 21, 1953) is an American actor, best known for playing Gil Grissom on CSI. // Petersen was born in Evanston, Illinois of Danish ancestry. ... Because of both the secrecy of secret services and the controversial nature of the issues involved, there is some difficulty in separating the definitions of secret service, secret police, intelligence agency etc. ... The U.S. Treasury building today. ...

His partner, Jimmy Hart (Michael Greene) is days away from retirement, but takes on one last mission to investigate counterfeiter Rick Masters (Willem Dafoe). After Hart is killed by a Masters associate, Chance is outraged and seeks revenge. Chance explains his outlook to his new partner, John Vukovich (John Pankow) this way: William Dafoe, Jr. ... John Pankow, an American film and stage actor. ...

"Let me tell you something, amigo. I'm gonna bag Masters, and I don't give a shit how I do it."

The two T-men try to track down Masters, to no avail. Chance and Vukovich finally engage Masters, by posing as potential counterfeiting clients interested in Master's services.

Chance and Vukovich eventually break the law in their relentless pursuit of Masters. In order to get enough money to convince Masters that they are "real" clients, they steal the money from a man who, unbeknownst to them, is an undercover F.B.I. agent. In the ensuing chase, the F.B.I. agent is shot to death.

Later, Chance meets with Masters, and pays him the "front money" Masters has requested. During a set-up transaction, Chance tries to arrest Masters and his bodyguard, but the resulting shootout leads to the death of Master's bodyguard and Chance.

Exhibition

The film premiered in the United States on November 1, 1985. November 1 is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 60 days remaining. ... 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

It was screened at various film festivals, including: the Cognac Festival du Film Policier, France; the Noir in Festival, Italy; the Turin Film Festival, Italy; and others. The Cognac Festival du Film Policier (English: Cognac Police Film Festival) is a film festival that has taken place since 1982 with no festival being held in 1991. ...

The movie was banned in Norway in theatres when it was first released and this lasted until 2003 (it was available in video with a 18 rating in 1987). The film had to be cut in Finland to obtain a K-16 rating at the time of release.

DVD release
A DVD was released by MGM Entertainment on December 2, 2003. The DVD contains: in a new restored widescreen transfer, an audio commentary featuring director Friedkin where he relates stories about the making of the movie, a half-hour documentary featuring the main characters, a deleted scene that involves actor John Pankow, and an alternate ending Friedkin refused to use.^[2] DVD (also known as Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc) is an optical disc storage media format that can be used for data storage, including movies with high video and sound quality. ... December 2 is the 336th day (337th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Documentary film is a broad category of visual expression that is based on the attempt, in one fashion or another, to document reality. ...

Production

The climactic scene in which Chance is killed was not very well-received by MGM executives, according to William Friedkin on the Special Edition DVD. To satisfy the studio, he shot a second ending, in which Chance is shot in the stomach and lives, and then a different scene in which Chance and Vukovich, for reasons unexplained, are transferred to Alaska, and watch their boss Thomas Bateman being interviewed on TV. Friedkin was disgusted by the new ending, and kept the original.^[3] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... For alternate meanings of MGM, see MGM (disambiguation). ...

The backwards car chase on a Los Angeles freeway was William Friedkin's attempt to outdo the car chase from his 1971 film, The French Connection.^[4] Nickname: Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates: State California County Los Angeles County Incorporated April 4, 1850 Government - Type Mayor-Council - Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa - City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo - Governing body City Council Area - City 498. ... Interstate 80 (Eastshore Freeway) in Berkeley, a typical American freeway (MUTCD definition) A freeway is a type of highway that is designed for safer high-speed operation of motor vehicles through the elimination of at-grade intersections. ... William Friedkin (born August 29, 1935 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American movie and television director, producer, and writer best known for directing The Exorcist and The French Connection in the early 1970s. ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday. ... The French Connection is a 1971 Hollywood film directed by William Friedkin. ...

The shot of William L. Petersen running along the metal railings of a moving sidewalk in LAX got the filmmakers into trouble with the airport security. The airport had prohibited this action, mainly for Petersen's safety, as they felt that their insurance wouldn't have covered him had he hurt himself. William Petersen, an American actor, was born on February 21, 1953, in Evanston, Illinois. ... Runway layout at LAX â€œLAXâ€ redirects here. ...

Image File history File links Rickmasters. ... Image File history File links Rickmasters. ... William Dafoe, Jr. ...

Filming locations

Parts of the film were shot in known gang Los Angeles territory: Nickerson Gardens in Watts and parts of East Los Angeles. This article or section needs copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone and/or spelling. ... Nickerson Gardens is a public housing apartment complex in Watts, Los Angeles, California completed in 1955. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... East Los Angeles, California (unincorporated community) East Los Angeles (region) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

Other locations include: Los Angeles International Airport; Malibu; Union Station, Los Angeles; Vincent Thomas Bridge, San Pedro; and Wilmington, Los Angeles. Location of Malibu in California Coordinates: Country United States of America State California County Los Angeles Incorporated (city) 1991-03-28 [2] Government - Mayor Ken Kearsley [1] Area - City 100. ... A view of Union Station familiar to many of downtown Los Angeles visitors. ... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area City 1,290. ... The Vincent Thomas Bridge is a 1,500-foot long suspension bridge crossing the Los Angeles Harbor linking San Pedro, California with Terminal Island. ... // San Pedro is connected to Los Angeles by a thin strip of land called the Harbor Gateway which roughly follows the 110 freeway. ... Wilmington, California is a neighborhood of Los Angeles, with industry as its primary economical activity. ...

Controversy

After the film was released, Michael Mann unsuccessfully sued William Friedkin for plagiarism. He accused Friedkin of taking the concept of his television series Miami Vice. Michael Kenneth Mann (born February 5, 1943 in Chicago) is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. ... William Friedkin (born August 29, 1935 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American movie and television director, producer, and writer best known for directing The Exorcist and The French Connection in the early 1970s. ... Miami Vice S4 is out on uk DVD 13TH AUGUST For the 2006 movie, see Miami Vice (film). ...

Critical reception

The film was well received by film critics and at the film festivals it was shown.

Roger Ebert, writing for the Chicago Sun-Times liked the film's screenplay, the action, the acting, and the direction. He said, "[T]he movie is also first-rate. The direction is the key. Friedkin has made some good movies...and some bad ones. This is his comeback, showing the depth and skill of the early pictures. The central performance is by William L. Petersen, a Chicago stage actor who comes across as tough, wiry and smart. He has some of the qualities of a Steve McQueen, with more complexity. Another strong performance in the movie is by Willem Dafoe as the counterfeiter, cool and professional as he discusses the realities of his business."^[5] Roger Joseph Ebert (June 18, 1942) is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American film critic. ... The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago. ... Nickname: Motto: Urbs In Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Location in the Chicago metro area and Illinois Coordinates: Country United States State Illinois County Cook & DuPage Incorporated March 4, 1837 Government - Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) Area - City 234. ... Steve McQueen (March 24, 1930 â€“ November 7, 1980) was an American movie actor, nicknamed The King of Cool. He was one of the biggest box-office draws of the 1960s and 1970s due to a popular anti-hero persona. ...

Critic Janet Maslin was dismissive of the film. She said, "Today, in the dazzling, superficial style that Mr. Friedkin has so thoroughly mastered, it's the car chases and shootouts and eye-catching settings that are truly the heart of the matter." She also thought the work of Willem Dafoe would be forever typecast by this film when she added, "he's a fine actor with a face that will bring him villain's work forever."^[6] Janet Maslin is a book critic for the daily New York Times. ...

Currently, the film has a 86% "Fresh" rating at Rotten Tomatoes, based on twenty-one reviews.^[7] This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Cast and ratings

A motion picture rating system categorizes films with regard to suitability for children and/or adults in terms of issues such as sex, violence and profanity. ... British Board of Film Classification logo The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), originally British Board of Film Censors, is the organisation responsible for film and some video game classification and censorship within the United Kingdom. ... The MPAA film rating system is a system used in the United States and territories and instituted by the Motion Picture Association of America to rate a movie based on its content. ... William Louis Petersen (born February 21, 1953) is an American actor, best known for playing Gil Grissom on CSI. // Petersen was born in Evanston, Illinois of Danish ancestry. ... William Dafoe, Jr. ... John Pankow, an American film and stage actor. ... John Nicodemus Turturro (born February 28, 1957) is an Emmy Award winning American actor noted for his performances in To Live and Die in L.A. (1985), The Color of Money (1986), Five Corners (1987), Do The Right Thing (1989), Barton Fink (1991), Men of Respect (1991), The Big Lebowski... Darlanne Fluegel is an American actress, born 25 November 1958. ... Dean Stockwell (born March 5, 1936 in North Hollywood, California) is an Oscar-nominated American film and television actor. ... Steve James (February 19, 1952- December 18, 1993) was an American actor who starred mostly in low-budget action films such as the American Ninja series, The Delta Force (1986) or Enter the Game of Death (1978). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Awards

The Cognac Festival du Film Policier (English: Cognac Police Film Festival) is a film festival that has taken place since 1982 with no festival being held in 1991. ...

Footnotes

The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is an online database of information about movies, actors, television shows, production crew personnel, and video games. ... December 3 is the 337th (in leap years the 338th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... August 12 is the 224th day of the year (225th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... November 1 is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 60 days remaining. ... 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The New York Times is a daily newspaper published in New York City by Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Jr. ... November 1 is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 60 days remaining. ... 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... March 17 is the 76th day of the year (77th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the CE era. ...

External links

v • d • e

Films directed by William Friedkin

Good Times (1967) • The Birthday Party (1968) • The Night They Raided Minsky's (1968) • The Boys in the Band (1970) • The French Connection (1971) • The Exorcist (1973) • Sorcerer (1977) • The Brink's Job (1978) • Cruising (1980) • Deal of the Century (1983) • To Live and Die in L.A. (1985) • Rampage (1988) • The Guardian (1990) • Blue Chips (1994) • Jade (1995) • Rules of Engagement (2000) • The Hunted (2003) • Bug (2007) This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... William Friedkin (born August 29, 1935 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American movie and television director, producer, and writer best known for directing The Exorcist and The French Connection in the early 1970s. ... Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... The Birthday Party is a 1968 film directed by William Friedkin. ... The Night They Raided Minskys is a 1968 film that purports to show the story of how striptease was invented at Minskys Burlesque circa 1927. ... Leonard Frey as Harold The Boys in the Band is a 1970 film directed by William Friedkin. ... The French Connection is a 1971 Hollywood film directed by William Friedkin. ... The Exorcist is an Academy Award-winning 1973 American horror and thriller film, adapted from the 1971 novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty, dealing with the demonic possession of a young girl, and her motherâ€™s desperate attempts to win back her daughter through an Exorcisim conducted... Sorcerer is a 1977 film produced and directed by William Friedkin, starring Roy Scheider, Bruno Cremer, Francisco Rabal and Amidou. ... The Brinks Job Starring Peter Falk Peter Boyle Allen Goorwitz Warren Oates Gena Rowlands Paul Sorvino Directed by William Friedkin 1978 Dino De Laurentiis Corp. ... Cruising is the name of a film released in 1980, directed by William Friedkin and starring Al Pacino. ... Deal of the Century promotional poster. ... Rampage is a 1988 movie directed by William Friedkin. ... The Guardian is a 1990 film directed by William Friedkin and starring Jenny Seagrove, Dwier Brown and Carey Lowell. ... Blue Chips is a 1994 film about basketball, starring Nick Nolte as a college coach and real-life basketball stars Shaquille ONeal and Anfernee Penny Hardaway as talented finds. It features cameos from Bobby Knight, Bob Cousy, and Larry Bird. ... Jade is a erotic crime film/thriller film released in 1995. ... Rules of Engagement is a 2000 American movie starring Samuel L. Jackson and Tommy Lee Jones, directed by William Friedkin. ... The Hunted is a 2003 film directed by William Friedkin and starring Tommy Lee Jones and Benicio del Toro. ... Bug is an American film released on the 25th May 2007[4] from Lionsgate. ...