To Live and Die in L.A. (1985)
83%RT Audience Score:
Awards & Nominations: 3 wins
To Live and Die in L.A.” is a film that is as polarizing as it is thrilling. While some critics find it to be a scuzzy, tasteless mess, others praise it for its attention-grabbing technique and solid character development. The film’s soundtrack and visuals are undeniably impressive, with a car chase scene that is considered one of the best ever captured on film. However, the film’s weaknesses lie in its inconsistencies and lack of credibility. Overall, “To Live and Die in L.A.” is a pulse-quickening action picture that is both entertaining and exhausting, leaving viewers with a mixed bag of emotions.
To Live and Die in L.A.” is a wild ride through the seedy underbelly of Los Angeles. While some critics found fault with the film’s lack of credibility and taste, I found it to be a pulse-quickening action picture that kept me on the edge of my seat. The car chase scene alone is worth the price of admission. And let’s not forget the killer soundtrack that’s hotter than a summer day in the City of Angels. If you’re looking for a gritty, fast-paced thriller, this one’s for you. Just don’t expect it to be pretty.
Production Company(ies)
Santana Pictures, Corporation,
Distributor
MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc., Vestron Video
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
600 Mesquit Street, Los Angeles, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
R
Year of Release
1985
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Stereo
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:1h 56m
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Language(s):English, Arabic, Spanish
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Nov 1, 1985 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 2, 2003
Genre(s)
Crime/Drama
Keyword(s)
To Live and Die in L.A., William Friedkin, Irving H Levin, William Friedkin, Gerald Petievich, Crime, Drama, R, William Petersen, Willem Dafoe, John Pankow, Debra Feuer, John Turturro, Darlanne Fluegel, Box Office, $16.6M, Dolby, Surround, Flat (1.85:1), reviewed by Jay Boyar, Catherine Rambeau, Kathleen Carroll, Michael Blowen, Gene Siskel, Paul Attanasio, Cory Woodroof, Jas Keimig, Malcolm Johnson, Bob Ross, Patrick Taggart, starring William Petersen as Richard Chance, Willem Dafoe as Eric ‘Rick’ Masters, John Pankow as John Vukovich, Debra Feuer as Bianca Torres, John Turturro as Carl Cody, Darlanne Fluegel as Ruth Lanier, directed by William Friedkin, written by William Friedkin, Gerald Petievich
Worldwide gross: $17,307,019
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $48,883,586
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,344
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 5,330,816
US/Canada gross: $17,307,019
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $48,883,586
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,080
US/Canada opening weekend: $3,551,761
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $10,031,931
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 958
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $8,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $22,595,959
Production budget ranking: 1,306
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $12,167,924
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $14,119,703
ROI to date (est.): 41%
ROI ranking: 1,192
Willem Dafoe – Eric ‘Rick’ Masters
John Pankow – John Vukovich
Debra Feuer – Bianca Torres
John Turturro – Carl Cody
Darlanne Fluegel – Ruth Lanier
Director – William Friedkin
Producer – Irving H. Levin
Writers – William Friedkin, Gerald Petievich
Director(s)
William Friedkin
Writer(s)
William Friedkin, Gerald Petievich
Producer(s)
Irving H. Levin
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
3 wins
Academy Awards
All Critics (48) | Top Critics (12) | Fresh (41) | Rotten (7)
If Friedkin occasionally goes overboard, he certainly commands an attention-getting technique and manages to tell a fascinating story.
August 22, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Jay Boyar
Orlando Sentinel
TOP CRITIC
Comparisons to TV’s “Miami Vice” are probably inevitable because of the picture’s look and sound track. But “To Live and Die in L.A.” is hotter, faster, kinkier, and has better music.
August 22, 2021 | Rating: 8/10
Catherine Rambeau
Detroit Free Press
TOP CRITIC
This movie leaves one feeling just squeamish and bored.
August 22, 2021 | Rating: 2/4
Kathleen Carroll
New York Daily News
TOP CRITIC
“To Live and Die in L.A.” isn’t the prettiest film of the year, but it’s one of the best.
August 22, 2021
Michael Blowen
Boston Globe
TOP CRITIC
Petersen is to be congratulated for creating a solid character out of a film that likes its decor and soundtrack more than its actors.
August 22, 2021 | Rating: 3/4
Gene Siskel
Chicago Tribune
TOP CRITIC
“To Live and Die in L.A.” will live briefly and die quickly in L.A., where God hath no wrath like a studio executive with bad grosses.
January 2, 2018
Paul Attanasio
Washington Post
TOP CRITIC
A scuzzy, sun-drenched LA neo-noir where nobody is good forever and everyone has something to hide.
June 25, 2022
Cory Woodroof
615 Film
The thrilling car chase at the center of the movie is perhaps one of the best ever captured on film.
June 17, 2022
Jas Keimig
The Stranger (Seattle, WA)
“To Live and Die in L.A.” is weak at the center.
August 22, 2021
Malcolm Johnson
Hartford Courant
The film’s non-stop cinematic cheap thrills come at the expense of credibility and taste.
August 22, 2021 | Rating: 1.5/4
Bob Ross
Tampa Tribune
It’s a well-made, pulse-quickening action picture, but one that is, finally, as exhausting as it is entertaining.
August 22, 2021
Patrick Taggart
Austin American-Statesman
The film is nothing if not fast, and if you are willing to settle for that, if you are willing to look beyond the inconsistencies, you’re likely to enjoy the film. It’s hard.
August 22, 2021 | Rating: 2/4
Lou Cedrone
Baltimore Sun…
Plot
Working largely in cases of counterfeiting, LA based Secret Service agent Richie Chance exhibits reckless behavior which according to his longtime and now former partner Jimmy Hart will probably land him in the morgue before he’s ready to retire. That need for the thrill manifests itself in his personal life by his love of base jumping. Professionally, it is demonstrated by the fact that he is sextorting a parolee named Ruth Lanier, who feeds him information in return for him not sending her back to prison for some trumped up parole violation. With his new partner John Vukovich, Chance is more determined than ever, based on recent circumstances, to nab known longtime counterfeiter Ric Masters, who is more than willing to use violence against and kill anyone who crosses him. Masters is well aware that the Secret Service is after him. Masters’ operation is somewhat outwardly in disarray, with Chance being able to nab his mule, Carl Cody, in the course of moving some of the fake money, and one of his associates, a lawyer named Max Waxman, probably stealing money from him. Partly with information from Ruth, Chance is trying to find and exploit the weaknesses in Masters’ operation. To accomplish his goal, Chance takes more and more unethical and illegal measures, which may be problematic for Vukovich, who comes from a family of police officers who are sworn to uphold the law.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
No goofy or funny or odd comments were found in the Fresh Kernels database for “To Live and Die in L.A.”
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