To Live And Die In L.A.

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

Runtime: 116 minutes

Directed by: William Friedkin

Starring: William Peterson, Willem Dafoe, John Pankow, Debra Feuer, Darlanne Fluegel

From: United Artists

Once again I'll thank Turner Classic Movies for providing me with entertainment last night. Of course this was something I had seen before... many, many years ago. This was long overdue; by this point how loud this screamed “1980's” had faded from my memory banks. The opening credits-in bright red and neon green-were a sharp reminder that this is from the decade of excess. Before I continue on, this has a small role from Robert Downey, Sr. Later in the year I'll watch at least one film directed by him; he was more than just someone who had a huge star for a son. For now, RIP to him.

Even if a plot point or several could be nitpicked, the film is a very good look at how even a United States Secret Service agent can be victim of both revenge and obsession. His partner is only a few days away from retirement... so you know what that means. Yes, he's a goner and with his more grounded new partner, agent Richard Chance becomes increasingly unhinged as he goes after the culprit... counterfeiter Willem Dafoe. It is a tale where the protagonist becomes less sympathetic the further in the plot you progress & the world is chock-full of crummy conniving characters. Not everyone will find that compelling but it is quite the ride-literally in one epic scene which has a legendary car chase.

In the bloody red sun of fantastic L.A., it is an ironic setting for a neo-noir tale yet in this case it works. It has a quality cast-between this and Manhunter I am unsure why William Peterson did not become a bigger star and it took a silly TV show years later for him to become popular for a bit. Of course Friedkin directs the hell out of this and several bold story choices were made (none of which were of the “subverting expectations” nonsense) but the actual MVP was... the score and soundtrack from Wang Chung? Yes, that act was more than just Everybody Have Fun Tonight and Dancehall Days. They provided pulsating, vibrant music that fit this story like a glove. I've seen multiple people describe this as “a coke-fueled adventure” and that is indeed true.

The biggest laugh I got last night was seeing that somehow, TCM gave this a TV-14 rating. Yes, it was unedited and features multiple F-bombs, several people's brains exploding from gunshots, many dark themes... and nudity that includes Peterson's bait & tackle! It's not the only time this has happened but this was the most flagrant example of someone obviously not watching the movie before throwing a rating at it.