Scene of the Week: To Live and Drive in L.A.
To Live and Die in L.A. is underrated action crime film from the mid 80’s. It expertly captures a darker side of the City of Angels as we follow Secret Service agent Richard Chance (William Petersen) in his all out effort to stop counterfeiter Eric Masters (Willem Dafoe.)
Anyone that has ever been in Los Angeles knows that in order to live (and die for that matter) in a city with near perfect weather, being surrounded by beautiful people and awe inspiring scenic vistas there is a price. That price is some of the worst traffic known to man. So when you get an action film directed by William Friedkin (The French Connection) set in city known for traffic you better believe there is a top notch car chase. A couple of points stick out making this chase unique and worth watching. First, our heroes Chance and his partner Vukovich are the ones being chased by the authorities after they rob who they think is a criminal. Second, they decided to drive in the wrong direction on the highway in busy L.A. traffic. Watching the clip should be enough for you to want to see To Live and Die in L.A., but if you need more how about Steve James and a Wang Chung soundtrack!
