To Live and Die In L.A.

William Friedkin left a blistering mark on cinema forever. One of the most influential figures among the seventies “movie brats”, Friedkin was in many ways the archetypal American movie director – brash, vulgar, commercial – but driven by an irrepressible commitment to his craft. Navigating genre with both mercenary efficiency and boundless panache, to call Friedkin’s filmography an embarrassment of riches feels somehow an understatement. In his honour, on October 18th, we will be showing his 1985 neo noir To Live and Die in L.A.

Something of a spiritual successor to Friedkin’s uncompromising crime classic The French Connection, To Live and Die In L.A. follows a corrupt cop (William Petersen) on a revenge mission after his partner is gunned down in the line of duty by a ruthless counterfeiter (Willem Dafoe). Ludicrously stylish, with expertly crafted action sequences and phenomenal performances from Chambers and Dafoe, To Live and Die In…