To Live and Die in L.A. (1985) French,Spanish Sub & Dub "Willem Dafoe" "R"Rating Action Crime Film / NEW DVD - NTSC, All Region only STARVISION

“I’m getting too old for this s***,” one character utters early on in this stylish 1985 thriller from the formidable William Friedkin. The veteran director doesn’t bring much of his recent black humour to this hard-boiled cop thriller, but the brutal cynicism is present and correct. After the questionable Cruising and the forgotten comedy Deal of the Century, this was Friedkin back on Sorcerer form.William Peterson, who would smoulder even more intensely the following year in Michael Mann’s Manhunter, plays Secret Service agent Richard Chance. And boy does he take chances. A thrill-seeker who spends his spare time bungee-jumping off bridges, when his soon-to-retire partner is gunned down he goes after the culprit with reckless abandon. His prey is Rick Masters (Willem Dafoe), a completely amoral counterfeiter who slaughters with a smile.Chance is paired with a by-the-book agent named Vukovich (John Pankow), who’s dragged deeper into this violent mess thanks to a ruthless code of honour. What ensues is an action thriller somewhere between the rawness of Friedkin’s own The French Connection and the glossy buddy thrillers that were soon to become a Hollywood staple. There are shoot outs, intricate car chases, fist fights, and a conspicuous amount of ball-kicking.You can forgive some of the film’s flaws for their pay-off. Sure, Chance might blunder into situations with facepalming recklessness, but that’s consistent with his character. Similarly, even when the storytelling is stripped down to the point of being nonsensical (characters leap about locations in the space of a jump cut), you accept it for the thrilling briskness and the efficiency of storytelling.You won’t be surprised that Peterson excels at glowering and Dafoe revels in his menace. Chance isn’t a complex character but he does take us on a journey, from sympathy to something like repulsion. He exploits others and ignores the rule of law to get the job done – so, is he so different from the villain he’s preying upon?Par for the genre, women are sidelined as strippers or victims, although in Friedkin’s defence the ample nudity is generous to both genders. Plus, in a thematic sense, one could see the film as one big critique of the single-minded alpha male. If there are winners in the end, it’s not who you’d expect.On the whole, however, expectations are satisfied more than they are defied. Cliché follows cliché, but it’s all done with great energy and style. L.A. is perennially clad in orange sunset, and the saucy 80s rock soundtrack (from British new-wavers Wang Chung) locks the film in time. Mann would remake his own 80s effort with Heat in 1995, providing the final word on the L.A. neo-noir genre. But in To Live and Die we see its overture: a relocated Miami Vice writ large. It’s nasty, dated, and fun.

To Live and Die in L.A. is directed by William Friedkin who co-adapts the screenplay with Gerald Petievich from Petievich's own novel. It stars William Petersen, Wiiliam Dafoe, John Pankow, Debra Feuer, John Turturo, Darlanne Fluegel and Dean Stockwell. Music is by Wang Chung and cinematography by Robby Muller.Secret Service agent Richard Chance (Petersen) swears to bring down those responsible for the death of his partner...Critics of the time were very divided on the quality of Friedkin's movie, with some being way off the mark by trying to put it in the same ball park as TV show Miami Vice! On reflection you like to think that many of those critics view it now and see just how damn down and gritty it actually is. A common misconception is that the film wasn't supported by the paying public, with some quarters suggesting it flopped, not so since it cleared $10 million in profit in North America alone.The story is set over 41 days in December and January, but forget any notion that this has any hint of the Christmas holidays, for there is no joy here. This trawls the unglamourous side of Los Angeles, crime and corruption dwells here in a world of strip joints and working class graft locales. There are no heroes either, all characters are either flawed or trapped by their situation, alienation figures prominently, as does fatal obsession, and Robby Muller's photography dovetails with the character's mental health by way of colour and composition. In short, this is classic neo-noir.As an action film it also scores high, with the brutal violence handled with kinetic assurance by Friedkin, while the "famous" car chase that precedes the finale is worthy of all the praise thrown its way over the years. Taking six weeks to shoot, and with Friedkin challenging himself to trump the car chase in The French Connection, it's a dizzying array of accelerated thrusts, spins and nail biting breathlessness, one of the finest car chases in cinematic history for sure. That finale that follows also proves to be a throat grabber, no cop-outs here as Friedkin sneakily put in the ending that the studio didn't want. The script stings with snide asides and moody exchanges and a splendid cast are led by Petersen and Dafoe turning in classical noir protagonist/antagonist portrayals.It's very 80s, Wang Chung's electro synth musical score ensures that is the case, as do the garish reds and greens that adorn the opening credits, but this is a good thing, for it's not a film of god awful mullets and spangle dressage. A moody and miserable film it is, and thankfully so. 8/10

About the supplier... Yeah, I got next day delivery but no thank you message, shame because being courteous goes a long way especially in today's world.The product came sealed and all seems legitimate. A genuine copy. I was very sceptical at 1st.Plays without any problems.The Film...If you are over 18yrs old & have Not seen this movie, Why not? Where have you been?It's 80's film at it's very best accompanied with a fantastic timeless soundtrack written especially for this movie by Wang Chung.It's a Film about money laundering and cop buddy buddyness with a raw gritty gory life adult story with shooting scenes, early gay sex scenes, racist's language that made this film very controversial in its day but it was and still is a fantastic cop n baddie cat n mouse film packed with an awesome balance.Graphic Gory Violence, sex, drama, racist language are all present within this movie, you've been warned.Does it fit in today's society, well if a black man is the one dishing out the racist dialogue, then you decide.This is a film made before politics so it is very raw in today's society but it is an amazing movie and very easy to overlook politically. Sad because this is a truly great thriller, a timeless classic.This is 80's in its raw L.A form and a film not to be missed anymore.You have 2hrs to kill or want a fantastic thriller to watch, 'To Live & Die in L.A' IS that film to get totally immersed in.