Director Ian Pfaff joins to discuss William Friedkin's 1985 crime thriller TO LIVE AND DIE IN L.A. starring William Petersen, Willem Dafoe, John Pankow, Debra Feuer, and John Turturro. The film follows a pair of Secret Service agents resorting to extreme measures to catch a notorious counterfeiter. As a west coast equivalent to Friedkin's own The French Connection, TO LIVE AND DIE IN L.A. is remembered for its iconic opening titles, highly authentic counterfeiting sequences, pulse-pounding car chase, and new wave soundtrack by Wang Chung. But underneath the '80s style, is there a film of substance? Or is this slick neo-noir an elaborate counterfeit job itself? Join us as we discuss this long-time MNAM favorite along with reckless diversions into Miami Vice, art school, Frasier, Ray Liotta, Tangerine Dream, Compulsion, Ted Danson, and much much more!
TO LIVE AND DIE IN L.A. is not currently streaming, but is posted in its entirety to the Internet Archive.
