Review: To Live and Die in L.A. 4K UHD

Secret Service agent Richard Chance (William Peterson) vows revenge on the murderer of his partner. Little does he know that his vengeance will lead to him crossing paths with master counterfeiter Eric Masters (Willem Dafoe) in a twisting tale in which nobody can be trusted.

Director William Friedkin constructs a narrative that intertwines the glossy, pastel hued vistas for which the 80’s were renowned, while also underpinning it all with a sense of gravitas and exploding violence that helped to make The French Connection such a success 14 years earlier.

To Live and Die in L.A. is a movie where the protagonist is definitely not the traditional ‘clean cut’ hero. With an adrenaline thrill that is only partially fulfilled by base jumping, Richard Chance spirals down a rabbit hole of drugs, deception and death. Culminating in a ‘do or die’ situation whereby he is persona non grata with both the Secret Service and the counterfeiting underworld.

Featuring a car chase that is the epitome of a ‘white knuckle ride’, To Live and Die in L.A. is a smorgasbord of sudden outbursts of shocking violence, a twisting storyline featuring characters that can never fully be trusted, and cinematography that frames all the action in the sweaty neon underbelly of 1980’s Los Angeles.

To give away any further details of the storyline would spoil the twists and turns crafted by Gerald Petievich; author of the original novel and one of the screenplay writers, along with William Friedkin.

This is definitely a movie that demands your attention as allegiances are swapped, deals are made, and lives are endangered. Don’t be fooled by the Wang Chung soundtrack, this is a gritty drama that is as far removed from its 80’s cop counterparts; Miami Vice, 48 Hours, et al, as you can get. I am SO pleased that the end of the movie was kept and not changed to the watered down atrocity that the studio tried to enforce onto Friedkin and is presented in yet another stunning selection of special features from Arrow Films in this superb 4K UHD release, which really helps capture that 80’s vibe with a wonderful colour palette.

4K ULTRA HD LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS

• 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
• Original stereo audio and DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround audio option
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Audio commentary by director and co-writer William Friedkin
• Taking a Chance, an archive interview with actor William Petersen
• Doctor for a Day, an archive interview with actor Dwier Brown
• Renaissance Woman in L.A., an archive interview with Debra Feuer
• So In Phase: Scoring To Live and Die in L.A., an archive interview with composers Wang Chung
• Wrong Way: The Stunts of To Live and Die in L.A., an archive interview with stunt co-ordinator Buddy Joe Hooker
• Counterfeit World: The Making of To Live and Die in L.A., an archive featurette containing interviews with Friedkin, actors Petersen and Willem Dafoe, and others
• Alternative ending
• Deleted scene
• Stills gallery
• Trailers
• Radio spot
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Eric Adrian Lee
• Collectors’ booklet featuring writing by Anne Billson and Ric Gentry

Review by Dave from a disc kindly supplied by Arrow Films via Fetch Publicity.