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

R  |   |  Action, Crime, Drama  |  1 November 1985 (USA)
7.2
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Ratings: 7.2/10 from 19,560 users  
Reviews: 215 user | 83 critic

A fearless Secret Service agent will stop at nothing to bring down the counterfeiter who killed his partner.

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(novel), (screenplay), 1 more credit »
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
Richard Chance (as William L. Petersen)
...
...
...
...
...
Ruth Lanier (as Darlanne Fleugel)
...
...
...
Thomas Bateman (as Robert Downey)
Michael Greene ...
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Jack Hoar ...
Valentin de Vargas ...
Judge Filo Cedillo (as Val DeVargas)
...
Michael Chong ...
Edit

Storyline

Two cops in Los Angeles try to track down the vicious criminal Eric Masters. Then, one of them is killed by Masters and the other one swears revenge no matter what the cost. After that, the hunt becomes an ob- session and the law he once swore to uphold becomes meaningless to him. Written by Harald Mayr <marvin@bike.augusta.de>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Taglines:

The director of "The French Connection" is on the streets again! See more »


Certificate:

R | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

Language:

| |

Release Date:

1 November 1985 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Vivir y morir en Los Ángeles  »

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$967,312 (USA)
 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

| (TV)

Sound Mix:

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See  »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The car chase sequence took six weeks to shoot. It was the last thing shot - apparently so that, if anything happened to the principal actors, the filmmakers would at least have the bulk of their movie completed without having to replace anybody. See more »

Goofs

When Chance goes the wrong direction on the freeway in the big car chase scene, he's actually driving on the correct side and the rest of traffic is driving on the left side of the road. See more »

Quotes

Eric 'Rick' Masters: A 19th Century Cameroon, yes? Your taste is in your ass!
[shoots Waxman in the face]
See more »

Crazy Credits

Right at the end, after the credits, there is a shot of William Petersen's face See more »

Connections

Referenced in The Big Hit (1998) See more »

Soundtracks

Uphill Climb to the Bottom
Performed by Walter Jackson
See more »

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User Reviews

 
Excellent Non-Stop Action And Politically Incorrect Police Story
4 June 2005 | by (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) – See all my reviews

In Los Angeles, the secret agent Richard Chance (William L. Petersen) loses his partner and friend Jim Hart (Michael Greene) in an investigation of counterfeit, two days before the retirement of Jim. The agent John Vukovich (John Pankow) is assigned to work with Chance, who is obsessed to capture Eric 'Rick' Masters (Willem Dafoe), the criminal responsible for the death of Jim. Chance risks his partner and his own career, trying to arrest Rick.

"To Live and Die in L.A" is an excellent non-stop action movie, having an excellent pacing and being a politically incorrect police story. All the characters are amoral, dirty and sordid, and it is impossible to feel sympathy for any of them. There are excellent scenes, such as the car chase in the streets of Los Angeles, or the surprising lethal shooting in the end of the story. The DVD shows a commercial alternative ending of the story, fortunately not accepted by the director William Friedkin. The unpredictable and credible end as it is makes the great difference of this outstanding movie. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Viver e Morrer em Los Angeles" ("To Live and Die in Los Angeles")


54 of 69 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you?

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