WREAKINGhavoc

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

Directed By: William Friedkin

Written By: Gerald Petievich (novel)

William Friedkin (Screenplay)

Starring: William Petersen, Willem Dafoe, John Pankow, Debra Feuer, & John Turturro

Starring that guy from CSI and his penis…

Los Angeles.

William Petersen is Richard Chance, a Secret Service Agent whose partner is killed (only a couple days from retirement no less!) whilst on the trail of Serial Counterfeiter Eric “Rick” Masters – played by the always-a-bad-guy-even-when-he’s-a-good-guy Willem Dafoe (luckily, for this film, he didn’t need to try and play good). Now, first of all, anybody who is creative enough to be named Eric and have the nickname of Rick is somebody to look out for.

It’s like they say in Once Upon a Time in The West – never a trust a man who wears a belt and suspenders. Well, never trust a man whose nickname is just as many letters as his actual name.

After the death of his partner, CSI Guy is understandably upset. He is partnered up with The Artist Who Would Go On To Be Known As The Annoying Brother on Mad About You - John Pankow.

Petersen doesn’t really give a two-bit crap about laws and rules and morals at this point. He’s desperate and determined and damn-near possessed in his pursuit of revenge and “justice”

He risks his and his partner’s lives and careers, and he’s fairly nonchalant about the whole affair. Yeah, you can tell he’s stressed, and nearing the breaking point, but he doesn’t really seem to ponder too long on his decisions and their almost guaranteed repercussions.

Well, at least I know what film Scorsese was watching when he was trying to come up with an ending for The Departed…

I had never seen this little bloody thriller from Friedkin until recently.

Even though I always like “discovering” old films, I also find it quite annoying.

For example - this came out in ‘85 - so I was only 5 years old - and you see stuff in the film that sometimes seems cool - sometimes seems cliche - but almost always seems like something you’ve been seeing in films for 20+ years…

So it’s always tough to judge it in its actual context at time of release…

I don’t know if that makes any sense whatsoever…

But I think what I’m trying to say is that I wasn’t really blown away by the film…but it could actually be a pretty good film - if I was a kid - I would’ve found the head shots and brief boobs enjoyable - but as a whole I might’ve been bored - if I had been the age I am now - back in ‘85 - I know I would’ve enjoyed it quite a bit actually…

I felt very similar when I watched The French Connection a few years ago (also Friedkin…hmmm)…

Which I can see quite a bit of in this movie as well - but Petersen and Pankow are no Hackman and Scheider…

I would assume it would’ve been a pretty big surprise/shock when Petersen took the shotgun blast to the face…even though it’s been done many times before, I was still quite surprised…

I’m wondering if that was one of the things that would’ve been a little more unique/original back in the day…

It’s a film (or novel I guess technically) that I could see them remaking…

It would (maybe) look prettier - but it would lose it’s edge…It’s edge mostly being Friedkin…

Friedkin has a way of making something appear to be mainstream - but then throwing in something, anything, sometimes many things that might make the mainstream uncomfortable…

I could feel the peppering of the independent vibe throughout…

Kinda of an equal mix of flashy studio cliches mixed with Friedkin’s sensibilities…

Actually, people are gonna remake films no matter what, so if I had a choice, I wouldn’t mind seeing a Paul Verhoeven version of TL&DILA…

They could get David Caruso’s penis to star in it…

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