MONEY (THAT'S WHAT I WANT)
(no images this week -- sorry!)
Let's observe a moment of silence for the late, great "Miami Vice." Granted, it started getting old around the third season, but its combination of post-MTV audio-visuals and atypical characters (e.g. Lt. Castillo, TV's first "Zen cop") made it stand out from the rest of the 1980's boob-tube pack. "Vice" was a product of pure Reaganomics -- lots of disposable cash, and cars/guns/coke to spend it on -- and inspired a glut of so-so series imitations ("Silk Stalkings," anyone?) and one underrated film. And since this page is entitled "B-Movies," not "The Glass Teat" or "TV Eye," it's the movie that we'll be focussing on.
TO LIVE AND DIE IN L.A. (1985) -- director William Friedkin's West Coast update of his own FRENCH CONNECTION, from a screenplay and novel by ex-Secret Service agent Gerald Petievich-- starts off, appropriately enough, with then-president Ronnie giving a speech in a hotel while two of his Secret Service agents foil an attempted suicide bombing by an Arab terrorist. The senior of the two T-men (Jack Hoar), although days away from retirement, decides to take one last shot at busting Eric Masters (Willem Dafoe) modern artist-cum-"funny money" creator (counterfeiter to you) and a long-time thorn in the Treasury Dept.'s side. But his investigation takes a downturn (to put it mildly!) when Masters and his right-hand goon catch Jack poking around their desert warehouse and ventilate his forehead with a shotgun. This does not sit well with Jack's headstrong young partner Richard Chance (William L. Petersen, of MANHUNTER and COUSINS fame), who vows to bring down Masters personally and screw the consequences.
Along with his new partner, the cautious, by-the-book Vukovich (John Pankow), Chance decides to set up a sting to trap Masters into selling them some bogus bills. Unfortunately, Chance's superiors won't approve the higher-than-authorizable sum he needs to arrange a buy. Then Chance learns from his low-life girlfriend (Darlanne Fluegel) that a money-laden drug smuggler will be arriving in town later that week. To Vukovich's consternation, Chance decides that the two of them will kidnap the smuggler and relieve him of his cash. The caper goes disasterously wrong: the smuggler is killed, Chance and Vukovich find themselves surrounded by gun-wielding cops, and the only way out is a fast dash up the L.A. Freeway. Or, should I say: the wrong way up said Freeway! (The chase scene is a stunner, even by Friedkin's standards -- remember, FRENCH CONNECTION raised the bar for cinematic pursuit scenes, as well as pioneering the "I'm no angel" protagonist in Gene Hackman's Popeye Doyle.)
TO LIVE... got something of a bum rap upon its initial release, but it held enough thrall over da Flatline to insure a place in the Permanent Video Vault, and you action movie fans might get a kick out of it as well. It's not perfect -- Petersen sometimes goes out of his way to make Chance a flaming asshole, the sullen, whiny Fluegel has never been my cup of tea, and some of the gore-killing effects are ludicrous. (A real surprise there, since THE EXORCIST -- Friedkin's other big blockbuster -- also raised the bar for onscreen makeup illusions.) On the other hand, Willem Dafoe (owner, along with James Woods and Michael Ironside, of one of the three coldest smiles in Hollywood) brings a slimy arrogance to the role of Masters, the lovely Debra Feuer is easy on the eyes as Masters' bisexual moll, Wang Chung supplies a driving soundtrack, and there are good supporting performances from the likes of John (BARTON FINK) Tuturro, Dean Stockwell, and AMERICAN NINJA sidekick Steven James. Not to mention one climactic surprise that you will not see coming.
And if you buy/rent this sucker with a bill larger than a twenty, don't be surprised if the dude behind the register checks the greenback for authenticity. Given the subject matter, it's only appropriate...
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