Rating: 
Summary: Fast Paced Cop/Buddy Drama, Lot's Of Twists, Great Music
Review: Wilem DeFoe plays a great bad guy being chased by a couple of undercover cops (William Peterson & partner) in a counterfiting scheme. Classic Music Score by Tears for Fears & wonderful camera work and editing. Let's get this movie re-released for purchase.
Rating:
Summary: IT'S ABOUT TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A CLASSIC!!
Review: *WARNING - SPOILERS AHEAD*Finally, "To Live and Die in L.A." is brought to DVD, where it belongs. A seminal action piece, this film defines the 80's decade of greed and paranoia. Sleazy Secret Service agent Richard Chance (a young William Petersen of TV's "CSI") decides early on he will stop at nothing to nab counterfeit criminal mastermind Willem Dafoe after believing Dafoe has killed his partner. This includes breaking laws, beating people up and even committing robberies!!!!!!!! Film is beautifully shot by German cinematographer Robby Meuller and given a fine techno score by Wang Chung. The acting is all first rate: from Petersen's adrenaline junkie Secret service agent, to Dafoe's evil counterfeiter, Dean Stockwell as a high-priced lawyer, and John Pankow as Petersen's anxiety-ridden partner, everyone does an excellent job. The real kudos go to director William Friedkin, who really delves into the world of Los Angeles. The gutters, the back alleys, the freeways, the cheap suburban homes. The movie just reeks of authenticity. Friedkin got everything absolutely right about the atmosphere. He absolutely nails Los Angeles in a way few other directors have. I am very glad "To Live and Die in L.A." is finally coming out on DVD. It is probably the best action film of the eighties. A brilliant, at times almost expressionistic film about greed, rage, and MONEY. SEE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Living And Dying Again
Review: Director William Friedkin, the man who brought us The French Connection and The Exorcist, fell into a bit of a slump after those box office successes. To Live And Die In L.A. was the shot in the arm he needed. And while the movie is not perfect, it's still very good, and worth your time. When a notorious, highly sophisticated counterfeiter murders his partner, Secret Service agent Richard Chance (William Petersen) launches a furious vendetta to capture the man responsible. But master counterfeiter Rick Masters (Willem Dafoe) is always just one step ahead of Chance. Clashing with one bureaucratic road block after another, Chance is forced to break the rules in order to obtain enough cash for a sting operation, in the hope of bringing Masters down. The risks he takes soon spiral out of control though, leading to a wave of violence with moral reprecussions, taking Chance down to a morally ambiguous road from which there may be no return. One of the things that makes To Live And Die In L.A. work is the fact that the hero isn't exactly a saint. In fact, he can be as "dastardly", as the villian of the film, doing things that are just as awful. Petersen goes to those darker places and gives a great perfomance. Based on Gerald Petievich's novel, the script, written by Friedkin and Petievich, allows for plenty of drama and action. As director and the "father" of the modern car chase, Friedkin almost tops the one he crafted for the aforementioned film, The French Connection...Almost. For its DVD debut, MGM has put together a nice special edition, complete with some fine extras. The talky audio commentary from Friedkin is a good...but I wonder if it wouldn't have turned out better if Petersen sat in for it as well? The 30 minute documentary,"Counterfeit World: The Making of To Live and Die in L.A." is a nice retropective--some info from the commentary is repeated here though. There's also a deleted scene and the very controversial alternate ending, that caused a stir at the time in '85, for all to see in a featurette. A photo gallery and the theatrical trailer top off the bonus material. As I said at the outset, To Live And Die In L.A., is well worth a look, for both fans and newcomers alike.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Greatest
Review: If you're reading this, you've probably seen the movie--I'm not sensing a lot of people here who searched for this film.
So to the point: this movie will always remain in my mind for, first and foremost, its ending. Never before in a film had I seen the story line go the way this one did (those of you who've seen it know what I'm talking about). I was literally slack-jawed when all that went down... I just couldn't believe it.
Anyway, to the point, DVD owners: what's cool about owning it on DVD? First and foremost, the movie holds up. The Wang Chung soundtrack doesn't sound dated--it sounds like they created it in their own little timeless universe. Nobody really sounded like them anyway, and they didn't sound like anybody.
The story is a blast and what a rush to see before-they-were-famous performances from Petersen, Dafoe and John Turturro. They're all household names now, but at this point they were literally unknown.
The sound and the print are great; and the car chase is an all-time classic. Somebody here dissed it in comparison to the Matrix Reloaded--which is bunk, because 70% of that chase (although it's awesome) was CGI. This was actually done for real.
But what really makes the DVD awesome are the extras--the making-of short is a must-see, and it's a kick to see interviews with the original cast members, who obviously enjoyed being in this movie. There's a present-day CSI William Petersen reflecting fondly on the shoot, along with Willem Dafoe.
But the biggest kick of all is the alternate ending shot for the film, when the studio balked at the original (and final) ending--OMG, how ridiculous. The actors literally seem to be smirking through the scene, knowing how absurd it is. Thank the Lord the director never took it seriously.
Friedkin's commentary is very entertaining, if sometimes rambling. He doesn't necessarily dissect the movie scene-by-scene, but rather offers a general, overall philosophy of film making. What's also interesting in retrospect is that apparently this film didn't do to well at the box office; to me it's an easy Top 10, but on the other hand it would be hard to market a film which is not easily explainable in 25 words or less.
To own or not to own on DVD? The answer is: yes.
Rating:
Summary: Groundbreaking action yarn
Review: "To Live and Die in L.A." is one of those films I heard a lot about when it first came out, heard even more about in the intervening years, yet only recently got around to watching. Friends praised this film directed by William Friedkin as one of the coolest crime thrillers to ever hit the big screen. Friends whose opinion I greatly value when it comes to films said the same thing. Obviously, I thought, I've got to find some time to include this one in my to see list. After all, there is nothing like a great shoot 'em up film loaded with tons of car chases, violent killings, and do or die macho dialogue to help decrease high stress levels. Give me Charles Bronson sweeping through a gang of punks like he's the Angel of Death, Chuck Norris mowing down the baddies, or none other than Arnie Schwarzenegger dealing out doom to worthy recipients and I'm a happy camper. Let 'em use bullets, grenades, heavy artillery, hand to hand techniques, water, fire, missiles, swords, knives, ropes, whatever--anything that will do in the various enemies they encounter during the course of the film. You can probably tell I'm not that demanding when it comes to this genre.
Occasionally I am demanding, however, as in the case of "To Live and Die in L.A." It's the story of a Secret Service agent by the name of Richard Chance (William L. Petersen) who moves over to a new position in the Treasury department after he thwarts an assassination attempt on the president. His new job involves hunting down a most interesting criminal, a master counterfeiter by the name of Eric Masters (Willem Dafoe). This guy spends a lot of his time painting elaborate works of art and then burning them outside his house. He fills the rest of his hours running off thousands of sheets of money out in a warehouse in the desert. He's good, the best that there is, and the feds have been trying to shut his operation down for years. Chance's involvement becomes personal after his partner, a man very close to retirement, decides to launch a solo investigation of the warehouse only to meet his doom at the hands of Masters. Now Agent Chance will do anything in his power, both inside and outside the law, to bring the counterfeiter to justice. It won't be easy, however, since Masters is an absolutely ruthless thug who kills anyone--be it law enforcement officers, associates, or underlings--who gets in his way. Got a great idea for double-crossing Eric Masters? Forget about it; he will find out and pay a most painful visit to sort things out.
Chance soon gets another partner, the rather uptight John Vukovich (John Pankow), and the two start gunning for Masters with a vengeance. The agents shake up one of Masters's underlings, a guy named Carl Cody (John Turturro), in an attempt to make him turn snitch. They also set up a stakeout on a chap known to be one of Eric's best customers. In both instances, the feds botch the job. In order to get Carl Cody released from prison and into the custody of the Treasury Department, Chance had to convince a grouchy judge that signing a release order would help nab Masters. Unfortunately, Cody beats Chance to a bloody pulp and runs off at the first opportunity. The stakeout goes south when Masters manages to sneak past the prying eyes of Chance and Vukovich, kill the guy under surveillance, and escape without a scratch. These failures and the steadfast refusal of Treasury Department superiors to authorize a large cash payout to sting Masters leads Chance to take steps beyond the law. I won't spoil the ins and outs of how Agent Chance and the increasingly guilt ridden Vukovich procure the money, but the killings and resulting car chase form the most memorable aspects of "To Live and Die in L.A." So does the ending, which truly turns the action genre on its head.
I want to say I loved this movie. It does have great things going for it, including solid performances from Petersen, Pankow, Turturro, Dafoe, and Dean Stockwell as a sleazy attorney. It's also incredibly nuanced for an action film, with lots of twists and turns that you'll never see coming and characters that possess both good and bad traits. The action sequences grab the eye, especially the two scenes where characters take a shotgun blast to the face--surprisingly, the camera doesn't pull away when this occurs. What prohibits me from professing total adoration for "To Live and Die in L.A."? First, the car chase didn't impress me. I'm sure that it took forever to stage this sequence, and I have no doubt that it looked impressive back in 1985, but so many films made since have elevated chase scenes far beyond what we see here. Second, I could never get my mind around the Treasury Department's refusal to authorize more money for the sting that would reel in Masters. Here's a criminal responsible for the death of a federal agent, a guy churning out hundreds of thousands of sheets of top notch funny money, and the feds don't want to cough up a few bucks to catch him? Nope, I'm not buying it.
The DVD contains several extras, including a commentary with Friedkin, a making of feature, and deleted scenes and an alternate ending. Kudos to the director for sticking to his guns and insisting the studio keep the original ending intact. The alternate conclusion is so ridiculous that had the film initially used it, it's highly likely that "To Live and Die in L.A." would not have the following it has today. An enjoyable film, one that is highly evocative of the 1980s, "To Live and Die in L.A." is well worth watching. It's just not the masterpiece many make it out to be.
Rating:
Summary: Satisfying thriller
Review: This movie was co-scripted by Gerald Petievich -who wrote the original novel on which it is based ,and this is a great plus point in the movie's favour as it helps in preventing a dilution of the message in the book ,namely the essential corruptability of every man
It is a tough and gritty movie about two US Treasury agents ,Chance and Vukovich ,played by William L Peterson and John Pankow ,to get the goods on a slick and depraved violence ridden counterfeiter ( Willem Dafoe) who killed Chance's partner .
Chance is wholly dedicated to his job and has no life or relationships outside the strictly professional ones dictated by his work -which is also his mission in life .Everything and everyone is a means to an end -the destruction of his enemy , Masters
The well made violence riddled movie is the story of his pursuit .To the accompaniment of a pounding score ,and punctuated by car chases and shootouts he sets about achieving his goal
This a movie with style and great performances but without a real hero or a moral centre .It is a grimly cynical picture in which all the characters are driven beings and this is problem in one way because there is no one to really root for or identify with .
Provided you don't object to this then sit back and enjoy a visceral movie with a uniquely dark vision which compensates for its lack of real narrative suprise or moral sensibility.
The direction of William Friedkin is lean, economic and powerful -like the movie
Rating: 
Summary: OOOOOOOVER RAAAAAATED BY FAR
Review: YOU TALK ABOUT HYPE. THIS ROUGE DEA COP WHO'S OUT FOR JUSTICE BECAUSE HIS PATNER IS KILLED.WHAT DID HE DO THAT WAS SO OVER THE TOP?????? ACTION, YEA MAYBE IF YOU TURN THE TV OFF AND LISTEN TO WANG CHUNG. OK MOVIE YEA AT BEST TOO LONG, NO ACTION AND THE BEST CAR CHASE MAYBE OF ALL TIME, PLEASE THIS WAS MADE IN 1985. I KEPT WAITING FOR SOMETHING IN THE CHASE TO BE ABOVE AND BEYOND. NOT. NOW KIDDIES THIS IS ONLY MY OPION. I LIKE DEAD BANG ALOT, I LIKE XXX AREAL LOT, I THINK CRIMSON TIDE KICKS RED OCTOBERS ASS. SO I'M NO EXPERT,LIKE SOME OF THESE CLOWNS. WORST MOVIE IN THE WORLD OR BEST MOVIE I HAVE EVER SEEN. PLEASE. IF IT'S THE BEST THAN THERE CAN'T BE ANOTHER BEST OR WORST. IF IT ENTERTAINS YOU WHO CARES ABOUT TEC STUFF. THIS MOVIE WAS SLOW AND I WAS WAITING FOR SOMETHING TO HAPPEN. IT NEVER DID. DONE GONE PEACE!
Rating:
Summary: Cool Movie
Review: I can't believe other reviewers have rated this movie so well. I thought I was the only person who enjoyed this movie. Despite the movie being very very eighties it's actually really great. The fact that it has a nostalgic 80's quality to it makes it even cooler. The cast is really the thing that makes this movie work. In 1985 when this movie was released this film was seen as a small gritty independant film with a bunch of nobody stars. Willem Dafoe(Spiderman)had yet to breakthrough with "Platoon" and had done virtually nothing before this film. He talks about the risk the director took with his actors in the extra stuff on the dvd. You probably will recognize William Peterson from "Manhunter" and the current "CSI" on television. Then theres John Turturo(O Brother Where Art Thou) who was also virtually unknown who would go on to make numerous films. When I first saw this movie years and years ago it was like watching real events unfold. Mostly because the film is gritty and was even grittier made by the horrid version available on tape at the time. It was also really grittily realistic because you didn't know any of the people that were in it, so it felt much more real. But it still stands up as a good movie after all these years. It also has an outstanding car chase, probably one of the most intense I've ever seen. I mean the Matrix 2 car chase was cool but it was all that cgi crap. Every inch of this carchase is real and it shows. Maybe some of the directors of today can take a few notes from watching these old movies and realize that taking the time and effort to do real stunt work really does pay off.
Rating:
Summary: FRIEDKIN KNOWS HOW TO SHOOT THRILLERS!!!
Review: I strongly recommend this film for the ones looking for differents types of films. The story may seem conventional but that's probably why it hasn't drawn much attention in France but what makes this movie very worthwhile is the brooding atmosphere created by the hyperrealisttic settings, the dusky scenes and such a compelling soundtrack thanks to Wang Chung's cooperation. Another interesting aspect is that the main protagonists are torn apart between their eagerness to avenge their partner (esp. the main character W. Chance) and their fear to breach the legal rules cops are supposed to comply with (whereas Vukovich is often afraid of getting into trouble on account of their misdemeanors). Such a film has stood out sharply to me since the first time I saw it on TV and it has been contented so far by the critics sofar despite its apparent commercial failure. Director W Friedkin showed once again how talented he was in this particular field (remember "French Connection"?). If you expect the next cop movie you intend to watch to be very original and captivating, take a look a this shot and you won't be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: William Peterson's Best Role
Review: This is a movie that you have to see. It is by far William Peterson's best performance. This movie also has an up and coming villian played by a young Willem DeFoe. I would have to say that the car chase in this movie is one of Hollywood's greatest. This movie is in my top 5 by far. Don't miss your chance to see one of the greatest movies of all time!
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