SQUIB GAMES #12: TO LIVE AND DIE IN LA

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SPECIAL NOTE: SEASON 15 OF THE GOOD, THE POD AND THE UGLY CELEBRATES THE USE OF THE PRACTICAL AND DIGITAL EFFECT KNOWN AS THE SQUIB. IRL GUN VIOLENCE IS INTOLERABLE AND RENOUNCED BUT... CINEMATIC VIOLENCE WILL BE CELEBRATED IN A WAY WHICH WILL DISTURB SOME LISTENERS. 

TGTPTU returns to its regularly scheduled Squib Games (S15) with the earlier of its latest temporal pincer movement pairing, TO LIVE AND DIE IN LA (1985).  

Directed by William Friedkin, this is another Big Willie movie but not a Wyler: the second William has the credited surname of Peterson and this is his first film. William Peterson was so new to film acting that he called his fellow Chicagoan thespian buddy John Malkovich to see what he should quote as his asking price to play the lead character of Richard Chance, a thrill-seeking Secret Service agent who’ll lose his partner only days from retirement (red-shirted partner’s, not Chance’s) and will get a new partner in John Pankow’s Agent John Vukovich to pervert in his (Chance’s) vengeful pursuit of a counterfeiter played by Willem Dafoe. (Next year Peterson would play another officer of the law in Manhunter as covered during TGTPTU’s Mann Aged Season {S5,E5}; as an EPISODE CORRECTION Pankow did not portray Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in Miloš Forman’s film Amadeus but had done so at the Broadhurst Theatre, replacing Tim Curry.)  

Because it’s a Friedkin flick, there’s an epic car chase meant to top The French Connection; because it’s shot from a Friedkin script (adapted from a novel by former Secret Service agent Gerald Petievich, who receives a cowriting credit), there was a lot of improvisation on set driven by the actors, with both the ending and opening scenes re/written during shooting. Mentioning actors, the film is stacked with supporting roles by Dean Stockwell, John Turturro (who’ll get more mention later in Season 15), and the Michael Mann-created film noir for television Crime Story’s very own Darlanne Fluegel (listen back to S5,E6 for insights on this TV series).   

TGTPTU hosts become split on the merits of the film. Thomas describes the movie as The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973) on neon cocaine, but—no spoilers—you’ll have to listen to the ep for whether he believes this is a good thing. Also, Jack lets out the three-legged dog and Ryan, while finding it impossible to resist singing the title, has issue with William Pederson. Ken convinces everyone to Wang Chung tonight.  

THEME SONG BY: WEIRD A.I.
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Podcast: goodpodugly
Ken: Ken Koral
Ryan: Ryan Tobias