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Reviewed by Cas Harlow, 15th February 2010
To Live and Die in L.A. is a vastly underrated 80s thriller which, whilst it may seem somewhat clichéd by todays standards, should really be remembered as the fresh, somewhat dark, and standard-setting original that it was at the time. So, much like the Director William Friedkins earlier classic The French Connection, this one deserves a place in anybodys collection of classic movies, an underappreciated gem which features some taut action, a twist-ridden gutsy story, a standout car chase, and some great performances. It marks one of William CSI Petersens two noteworthy 80s crime thrillers, and I have no idea why the guy wasnt more successful off the back of this and the equally underrated Manhunter.
Finally hitting Blu-ray after many an unnecessary delay, this US High Definition release sports superior video and audio to its previous incarnation on DVD (even if it does not stand up to post-Millennium blockbuster standards), but is a bit of an insult when it comes to the packaging of the extras. Rather than bother to actually put them (or anything new) on the main Blu-ray, instead the Studios have just included the exact original DVD release of the movie, which means that you have to sit through the entire movie in standard definition just to listen to the audio commentary, and also endure all of the visual extras in a limited standard definition format. Still, it is a good collection of extras, and having them all here certainly makes things more clear when it comes to upgrading, as you can guarantee youre not going to lose out on anything. And with the fairly reasonable retail price you should have no reservations about picking this classic up and adding it to your collection. Highly recommended.
Read the full review...
To Live and Die in L.A. is a vastly underrated 80s thriller which, whilst it may seem somewhat clichéd by todays standards, should really be remembered as the fresh, somewhat dark, and standard-setting original that it was at the time. So, much like the Director William Friedkins earlier classic The French Connection, this one deserves a place in anybodys collection of classic movies, an underappreciated gem which features some taut action, a twist-ridden gutsy story, a standout car chase, and some great performances. It marks one of William CSI Petersens two noteworthy 80s crime thrillers, and I have no idea why the guy wasnt more successful off the back of this and the equally underrated Manhunter.
Finally hitting Blu-ray after many an unnecessary delay, this US High Definition release sports superior video and audio to its previous incarnation on DVD (even if it does not stand up to post-Millennium blockbuster standards), but is a bit of an insult when it comes to the packaging of the extras. Rather than bother to actually put them (or anything new) on the main Blu-ray, instead the Studios have just included the exact original DVD release of the movie, which means that you have to sit through the entire movie in standard definition just to listen to the audio commentary, and also endure all of the visual extras in a limited standard definition format. Still, it is a good collection of extras, and having them all here certainly makes things more clear when it comes to upgrading, as you can guarantee youre not going to lose out on anything. And with the fairly reasonable retail price you should have no reservations about picking this classic up and adding it to your collection. Highly recommended.
Read the full review...