To Live and Die in L.A. (Collector’s Edition): Blu-Ray Review

Arriving this week on Collector’s Edition Blu-ray is William Friedkin’s 1985 action-thriller, “To Live and Die in L.A.”.  This is a film I had always meant to see but just never got around to it.  Like most film lovers, I am a fan of the filmmaker’s work. “The Exorcist”, “The French Connection”, and even the underrated “Blue Chips”.  Thankfully, Shout! Factory has delivered a fantastic looking 4K scan and an impressive list of bonus features to make this the best possible way for me to see it for the first time.

Having never seen it before, I had no idea what to expect going into “To Live and Die in L.A.”.  I must say that it surprised me quite a bit, as I did not expect for the story to play out the way it did.  It’s great seeing William Dafoe early in his career play such a great villain and catching William Peterson in his first leading role, years before his fifteen-year gig playing Gil Grissom on TV’s “CSI”.

“To Live and Die in L.A.” is over-the-top and ultra-violent and it also includes some very impressive car chases which Friedkin proved he could deliver in “The French Connection”.  If you are a fan of the film, then this Collector’s Edition release is something you should include in your collection.

Bonus Features

• NEW 4K Scan Of The Negative Supervised And Approved By William Friedkin
• NEW Taking A Chance – An Interview With William Petersen
• NEW Wrong Way: The Stunts Of To Live And Die In L.A. – An Interview With Stunt Coordinator Buddy Joe Hooker
• NEW So In Phase: Scoring To Live And Die In L.A. – An Interview With The Band Wang Chung (Jack Hues And Nick Feldman)
• NEW Renaissance Woman In L.A. – An Interview With Actress Debra Feuer
• NEW Doctor For A Day – An Interview With Actor Dwier Brown
• Audio Commentary With Director William Friedkin
• Deleted Scene And Alternate Ending
• Counterfeit World: The Making Of To Live And Die In L.A.
• Still Gallery
• Theatrical Trailer
• Radio Spot

By: Marc Ferman

Order: To Live and Die in L.A. (Collector’s Edition): Blu-Ray