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To Live and Die in L.A. [DVD] [Special Edition]

1 disc
Region 1 USA/CA (info)

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 in William Friedkin's thrilling, suspenseful crime drama. With violent shoot-outs and a turbulent chase scene reminiscent of Friedkin's own THE FRENCH CONNECTION, TO LIVE AND DIE IN L.A. broke with tradition by making the ostensible hero as morally reprehensible as the villain he pursues. Clashing with bureaucratic obstacles, Chance is forced to break the rules in order to procure cash for a sting operation, but the risks he takes snowball into an avalanche of violence and moral repercussions, leading to a morally ambiguous cul-de-sac from which there may be no return.
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Additional Info

Manufacturer Part Number (MPN): M1004604
Credits

William L. Petersen, William Petersen, Willem Dafoe, William Dafoe, John Pankow, Dean Stockwell, John Turturro, Darlanne Fluegel, Darlanne Fleugel, Robert Downey
Critic Reviews

"...TO LIVE AND DIE IN L.A. is Friedkin at his glossiest....It's the car chases and shoot-outs and eye-catching settings that are truly the heart of the matter."
New York Times
"...Engrossing....Extremely well cast....Everyone here seems capable of deception and moral duplicity, and then live up to those expectations..."
Variety
"...One of the great underrated films of the Eighties....A movie with a vision..."
Film Comment
"...Vibrant....It's a kick to watch a lanky, fresh-faced Petersen..."
Entertainment Weekly
"[With] kinetic action scenes....Three new faces made significant early impressions..."
USA Today
"Ridiculously entertaining car chase and all....The movie benefits from LA shimmer..."
Uncut
3.5 stars out of 4 -- "An unapologetic 80s action noir that helped redefine the modern cop movie."
Premiere