L.A. Confidential

Starring:Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, James Cromwell, David Strathairn, Kim Basinger, Danny DeVito, Graham Beckel, Paul Guilfoyle (II), Ron Rifkin, Matt McCoy, Paolo Seganti, Sandra Taylor, Steve Rankin, Elisabeth Granli, Allan Graf, Precious Chong, Symba Smith, Bob Clendenin, Lennie Loftin
Director: Curtis Hanson
Studio: Warner Home Video
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

In a time when it seems that every other movie makes some claim to being a film noir, L.A. Confidential is the real thing--a gritty, sordid tale of sex, scandal, betrayal, and corruption of all sorts (police, political, press--and, of course, very personal) in 1940s Hollywood. The Oscar-winning screenplay is actually based on several titles in James Ellroy's series of chronological thriller novels (including the title volume, The Big Nowhere, and White Jazz)--a compelling blend of L.A. history and pulp fiction that has earned it comparisons to the greatest of all Technicolor noir films, Chinatown. Kim Basinger richly deserved her Supporting Actress Oscar for her portrayal of a conflicted femme fatale; unfortunately, her male costars are so uniformly fine that they may have canceled each other out with the Academy voters: Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, Kevin Spacey, and James Cromwell play LAPD officers of varying stripes. Pearce's character is a particularly intriguing study in Hollywood amorality and ambition, a strait-laced "hero" (and son of a departmental legend) whose career goals outweigh all other moral, ethical, and legal considerations. If he's a good guy, it's only because he sees it as the quickest route to a promotion. --Jim Emerson

Customer Reviews:

An unnostalgic, modern noir spectacle.......2007-05-27

Curtis Hanson's "L.A. Confidential," based on the third book in a series by James Ellroy, works so well because, unlike most neo-noir films, it's not a homage to the noir films of old. In fact, it was probably the first true film noir to forget about its predecessors since the 1950s, the time period around which the film is set. And it was just what a film noir should be: gritty, tough, unflinching, intricrate, and confounding. Each of the film's leading actors, Guy Pearce, Russell Crowe, and Kevin Spacey, as well as its lead actress, Kim Basinger, felt like they could've appeared in a film noir straight out of the 1940s. It's this unnostalgic, straightforward approach that made "L.A. Confidential" so great.

The storyline had a classic vibe to it: in 1950s L.A., three cops ferret out the corruption beginning to eat away at the police force. How each of them does this differs. You've got your good cop, played by Guy Pearce, a strictly by-the-book wannabe detective and the son of a legendary officer who died in the line of duty. You got your bad cop, Russell Crowe, a violent star on the force, always on the edge and with a particularly nasty dislike for women abusers. Then you have a cop who doesn't quite know where he stands, played by Kevin Spacey, except on the set of TV's number-one hit police drama "Badge of Honor," which he supervises. One of the film's best scenes is when Pearce's character tells Spacey why he became a cop in an effort to convince Spacey to work with him. Afterwards he asks, "Why did you become a cop?" Spacey smiles sadly and sighs, "I don't remember." Picking a favorite of this police trio is hard, because each is perfectly cast: Pearce as an inherently contemptable and ultimately honorable goody-goody, Crowe as an apparent maniac who is smarter than he looks and just trying to do what's right, and Spacey as the pitiful once-cop who's lost his way.

But it seems like when most people remember "L.A. Confidential," they remember Kim Basinger, who won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar. She deserved it. Basinger played a prostitute in high demand because she bears a strong resemblance to Veronica Lake (so does Basinger) - but there's much more to her than just a divine appearance. Similarly, there's more to Basinger than just a fine body, and she proved it here with a surprisingly deep performance, particularly for a supporting role.

With all that said, it's apparent that the film garnered much of its power from its sharp-cut characters. There's no one who is clearly "good" the whole way through, but never once is a character in the grey: they're either good, or they're bad. They are also some of the most realistic and human people ever to appear in a film noir. The movie's script, by director Hanson and Brian Helgeland, finds a seamless balance between its characters and its story, and surprisingly holds very little of the snap, crackle n' pop dialog one expects in a film noir.
Jerry Goldsmith's score was the one homage the film allowed, with the same sort of morose brass you might expect in an old Bogey pic (and which distinctly recalls the same woeful trumpeting of Goldsmith's theme from Roman Polanski's own neo-noir, "Chinatown"). It was one of those elusive scores that adds life to each scene but also expands the film as a whole.

There's something about the look of the film that hangs in my mind. It may be the color scheme, which consists mostly of black but with the occasional surprise vibrance thrown in through a red or yellow. Or perhaps it's the lighting, a bright light that makes what's in front of us perfectly clear and a surrounding black mist that begs the question: what does it hide within its shadows? There is a scene in which Pearce's character pulls up in front of the Nite Owl bar. That scene brings to mind the painting "Nighthawks" by Edward Hopper (which inspired the look of Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner"). Hanson took a very stylistic approach in his directing of the film, and much of that showed through its dark visuals.

It wasn't all darkness, though. One of the film's most memorable scenes involved an attempted interrogation by Pearce and Spacey at a popular club late at night. They corner a mobster dating a girl they believe is a prostitute belonging to a popular company which advertises prostitutes who resemble celebrities, in this case Lana Turner. As Pearce begins throwing out insults at the mobster and especially at his date, we notice Kevin Spacey holding back laughter in the background. "A w---e who looks like Lana Turner is still a w---e," Pearce says. The "prostitute" tosses her drink in his face and he stands there, soaked and incredulous, as Spacey says, "That IS Lana Turner."

It came as little surprise that "L.A. Confidential" wasn't awarded the Oscar for Best Picture, but fortunately critics recognized it as one of the best films of 1997 and, more importantly, of the decade. It wasn't only one of the best films of the decade, but one of the best films ever made, a stylish, gritty, cynical yet realistic noir drama that didn't look back at the classics which inspired it. It didn't need to, because ten years later, we're still looking back at it.

dvd purchase.......2007-03-22

the dvd came in a timely manner, packaged well and I have had no problems with the item. It seems to be in great condition.

Brilliantly Casted Film.......2007-03-09

Kevin Spacey proves that he is a great actor in this one, and he's not even the main character. Guy Pearce's come-out movie showed that he could stand up at the top with the best. Russell Crowe's part is great for him. Really the first movie I say him in, and you can see why he eventually one best actor in Gladiator. James Cromwell and Danny DeVito are perfectly cast in this film. If you like movies set in the 40s, 50s but with an edge with real life drama this is a great movie for you! Jerry Goldsmith's score is breathtakingly brilliant - he should have one the Oscar!

A thriller for people who normally don't like thrillers.......2007-03-09

Devotees of noir & period pieces probably will not be as pleased with this as will the rest of this, but Curtis Hanson apparently decided that putting together a coherent & well-crafted film was more important than remaining faithful to one particular genre or another. Aside from specific historical references (Bloody Christmas, for example), it is quite easy to forget that this is set in 1950's Los Angeles. One could regard this as a shortcoming (it is, nominally at least, supposed to be a period thriller) or as an asset (a really well-told story will trump all other details), depending on one's perspective.

In any case, Hanson and a top-notch cast works with a pretty complex plot and manages to keep all of the balls in the air. I always enjoy a movie where the audience figures out most of the twists before the characters do, because then we get to enjoy watching the unfolding of consequences of decisions made or avoided. Spacey, Crowe & Pearce manage to give us wonderfully ambivalent & complex characters, all of whom are far from being beyond reproach and continue to have some dubious motives right up to the film's conclusion. Personally, I always like a film that deliberately avoids a tidy ending and leaves the viewer knowing that, after the credits finish rolling, the other shoe will eventually have to drop.

I agree with others that Kim Basinger's breathy whispery performances is simply annoying & that she is woefully miscast in this role. Why she got an Oscar for this is almost as big a mystery as any portayed in this film. However, it is not a glaring flaw and is obscured by the stellar performances of the rest of the cast. Top notch from start to finish!

Unhistorical Murder Mystery.......2007-02-21

The film opens in 1950s Los Angeles and introduces the people in this story. There is a pot bust of two minor movie stars, well planned to provide headlines. Some men are arrested for assaulting two policemen, and many officers beat them as summary punishment. Photographs of this create a scandal. The meeting tells how the deal is done: some win, some lose, and justice is done. Standards will be upheld for the future. There are two gunmen who are bumping off Mickey Cohen's gang members. Then there is a slaughter of people at a late-night restaurant. A senseless killing or a planned rub-out?

The police investigate those connected to the people killed at the restaurant. Suspects are arrested, they have to get them to talk about what they did. Various methods are used. They get a lead and find another suspect. Detective White stops another criminal. Then the three suspects escape somehow. They are tracked down and a shoot-out finishes them off. "Shotgun Ed" wins an award for heroism. We see how a reformer politician can change his mind about a highway project. There is a plot to embarrass the D.A. by getting a young actor to meet him. When Detective Vincennes shows up he finds the young actor dead! Detective White follows up on Susan Lefferts and finds something in her Mom's basement. Exley and Vincennes investigate another case. Exley visits White's girlfriend and learns more about her. Vincennes makes an error in judgment, his last. Then pictures are given to White to enrage him. Exley does research on the murdered former cop Meeks who was found in the basement. Exley and White talk to the D.A. and get him to cooperate. Dudley Smith and Patchett may be in cahoots.

Someone calls Exley and White to arrange them to meet at a motel; this is a trap. [All those shots and no one to hear them?] The two detectives hold off their attackers. There is a final resolution to the conflicts at the ending. Exley tells the facts about the crimes, there will be another cover-up, and another award for Lt. Exley. A happy ending? Sensational action masks a weak story.

Scenes take place at night since outdoor scenes would show present-day LA. The film did not create the LA of 50 years earlier. It is loosely based on some real events from that era. One book about the "Black Dahlia Avenger" said newspapers and reporters cooperated in the 1940s, there would be no embarrassing pictures then. The ruling powers wanted new highways, no blackmail was needed. One anachronism was the powered garage door of Patchett. A real history book will give the facts about LA in that time, it would be better than fiction. Is the film better than the novel?

Kitchen Confidential - The Complete Series

Average customer rating:

"Yes Dear" survives, but THIS gets cancelled?
Brilliant comedy that was never given a chance
great series
This is MUST SEE TV!
Hysterical Show

Kitchen Confidential - The Complete Series
Director: Lev L. Spiro , Matt Shakman , Fred Savage , and Victoria Hochberg
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

Grosse Pointe - The Complete Series
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The O.C. - The Complete Fourth Season
Scrubs - The Complete Fifth Season

ASIN: B000OCXLA0
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Amazon.com

Having been described as "wicked" and "debauched," Anthony Bourdain's culinary memoir was bound to be a tough sell for network TV. In Kitchen Confidential's sitcom incarnation, dark-haired Anthony becomes blond, blue-eyed Jack (Bradley Cooper). In the pilot, the recovering alcoholic moves from a pizzeria to a brasserie. The catch is that he has to hire a staff in 48 hours, so he turns to pastry expert Seth (Nicholas Brendon, Buffy the Vampire Slayer), seafood genius Teddy (John Cho, Smiley Face), and sous-chef Steven (Owain Yeoman). He also inherits kitchen worker Jim (John Francis Daley, Freaks and Geeks). In reality, Bourdain ran the shop at New York's celebrated Les Halles. In the show, Jack oversees the kitchen at the fictional Nolita. Pino (Frank Langella, terrific as usual) manages the joint, while the wait staff includes his tightly-wound daughter, Mimi (Bonnie Somerville, NYPD Blue) and the bubble-headed Tanya (Jaime King, Pearl Harbor). As in producer Darren Star's Sex and the City, the central character narrates, there's no laugh track, and more of the comedy revolves around sex than work.

While Cooper (The Wedding Crashers) isn't the most obvious choice to play Bourdain--and although Kitchen Confidential would've made more sense on cable--he does a surprisingly credible job, even if the writing lets him down on occasion. Realistic or not, severed fingers and singed eyebrows tend to play better in print than on the screen. Of the 13 episodes produced, FOX only aired four (back-to-back with Arrested Development), which is a shame as it was just starting to hit its stride. Guest stars include Bitty Schram ("Exile on Main Street"), John Larroquette ("Dinner Date with Death"), and Cooper's Alias co-star Michael Vartan ("French Fight"). --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Description

Jack Bourdain had it all but messed it up going wild. Four years later, he ends up with a crappy job in Pizza Chain. Then, he gets an offer to get back in the game as the chef of a famous restaurant.

Customer Reviews:

"Yes Dear" survives, but THIS gets cancelled?.......2007-06-30

There really is no justice in the world when a sitcom like this gets cancelled after four episodes--four SUPERB episodes. What was Fox thinking? Alas, its appearance on DVD is some comfort. Commercial TV is full of head-scratching decisions, and this is one of them. But now's your chance: Get the DVD and enjoy what could have been! The cast is uniformly good, the music only adds to the quirkiness and the plots are hilarious. And of course, Bradley Cooper makes a perfect lead.

Brilliant comedy that was never given a chance.......2007-06-27

It's a real crime that Fox never let this brilliant comedy (they only aired 4 of 13 episodes) find an audience. Like "Arrested Development," it was canned way before its time. Bradley Cooper leads an ensemble cast as a fallen chef who is given a second (or last) chance to prove himself. He gathers a rag tag team and they mix like oil and water with the wait staff, with plenty of laughs and sexual tension thrown in. Some of the best episodes include "Rabbit Test," where today's special arrives alive; "Teddy Takes Off," where the temperamental fish guy wants recognition for his recipes; and the hilarious "French Fight," featuring Cooper's former "Alias" co-star as a rival chef who steals a recipe and starts a war. The casting is great, the writing witty, and the premise is fresh and far more entertaining than all the reality restaurant shows combined.

Extras include a tour of the Nolita restaurant set and interviews with some of the cast who also seem dumbstruck as to why the show was canceled.

Yep, they canceled this and yet junk shows like "Fact of Life" and "Full House" managed to stay on nearly a decade. And God help us, both live on in reruns.

great series.......2007-06-27

I wish they had continued the show. It is funny to see the similarities from the show and actual restaurant work.

This is MUST SEE TV!.......2007-06-21

Name one FOX half hour comedy that has been a hit in recent years -- cartoons excluded. If "Kitchen Confidential" aired on NBC, it would have at least been a decent hit -- if not a huge one. This show would have been perfecd for NBC's Thursday's. Instead, it aired on FOX. There audience just isn't sophisticated enough to enjoy a show like this.

That said, I thoroughly enjoyed this DVD. The show is funny. It depicts the ongoings of the restaurant business in (sort of) a realistic way... more so than any other series. The acting is well done.

I highly recommend this DVD.

Hysterical Show.......2007-06-13

One of the best comedy series in a long time. I laughed 'til I cried!

The Best Crime Dramas: Swordfish/Heat/L.A. Confidential

Average customer rating:

The Best Crime Dramas: Swordfish/Heat/L.A. Confidential

Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Film Noir Triple Feature Vol. 1 (Too Late For Tears/He Walked By Night/Kansas City Confidential)

Average customer rating:

Not the greatest.........

Film Noir Triple Feature Vol. 1 (Too Late For Tears/He Walked By Night/Kansas City Confidential)
Starring: Lizabeth Scott , Don DeFore , Dan Duryea , Arthur Kennedy , and Kristine Miller
Director: Byron Haskin , Anthony Mann , and Alfred L. Werker
Manufacturer: Good Times Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Film Noir | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

All Deals | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( F ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B00019G4KU
Release Date: 2004-03-30

Customer Reviews:

Not the greatest................2004-06-29

This disc is OK if you really don't care about quality. The prints they used show alot of wear. For "HE WALKED BY NIGHT", i would suggest you buy the disc put out by MGM. The print they used here for "TOO LATE FOR TEARS" looks like the same one that Image Entertainment used. It has several splices and scratches. TOO LATE FOR TEARS was also released under the title "KILLER BAIT" which is available in a better quality print in a 6 disc set called "5 Killer Film Noir Classics". As for "KANSAS CITY CONFIDENTIAL", if i remember right the disc put out by Image is of better quality. (This review is for the "Film Noir Triple Feature Vol. 1" disc put out by Goodtimes Video")

Warner Box Office Hits Collection (Contact/City of Angels/L.A. Confidential/A Perfect Murder)

Average customer rating:

city of angels
Not too spectacular
Special Edition Gift Set: Warner Home Video

Warner Box Office Hits Collection (Contact/City of Angels/L.A. Confidential/A Perfect Murder)
Starring: Michael Douglas , Gwyneth Paltrow , Viggo Mortensen , Sarita Choudhury , and Michael P. Moran
Director: Andrew Davis , Robert Zemeckis , and Brad Silberling
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Action & Adventure | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

( W ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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Swordfish

ASIN: 0790739860
Release Date: 1998-11-24

Customer Reviews:

city of angels.......2004-02-10

I would like to own the dvd city of angels,
also the soundtrac of the movie city of angels
and the cd of sarah mc-lachlan with her song in the arms of an angel. if you want to sell it to me jaime63a@hotmail.com

Not too spectacular.......2003-12-16

LA confidential is awesome, but I can't really see the logic in packaging it with a bunch of mediocre "hits". City of Angels is not a good movie, and a perfect murder lacks any depth whatsoever. Contact is interesting, but too slow to hold much interest. Don't buy this gift set, instead, pick out the movies individually....LA confidential being the best.

Special Edition Gift Set: Warner Home Video.......2000-06-14

It is always gut to see really gut movies.. and we all love gift sets

Charlie Rose with Kim Basinger; Joyce Carol Oates (May 8, 2000)

Average customer rating:

Charlie Rose with Kim Basinger; Joyce Carol Oates (May 8, 2000)

Manufacturer: Charlie Rose
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Description

Actress Kim Basinger on her career and her latest movie, I Dreamed of Africa, based on the story of conservationist Kuki Gallmann. Later, writer Joyce Carol Oates talks about her new book, Blonde, a fictionalized version of the life of Norma Jean Baker and her transition to Marilyn Monroe.

Average customer rating:

An unnostalgic, modern noir spectacle
dvd purchase
Brilliantly Casted Film
A thriller for people who normally don't like thrillers
Unhistorical Murder Mystery

L.A. Confidential [Region 2]
Starring: Kevin Spacey , Russell Crowe , Guy Pearce , James Cromwell , and David Strathairn
Director: Curtis Hanson
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Thrillers | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

( L ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B00004RYG9

Amazon.com essential video

Customer Reviews:

An unnostalgic, modern noir spectacle.......2007-05-27

dvd purchase.......2007-03-22

the dvd came in a timely manner, packaged well and I have had no problems with the item. It seems to be in great condition.

Brilliantly Casted Film.......2007-03-09

A thriller for people who normally don't like thrillers.......2007-03-09

Unhistorical Murder Mystery.......2007-02-21

Charlie Rose with Curtis Hanson; Louis Auchincloss; Richard Trank, Mark Jonathon Harris & Marvin Hier (October 24, 1997)

Average customer rating:

Charlie Rose with Curtis Hanson; Louis Auchincloss; Richard Trank, Mark Jonathon Harris & Marvin Hier (October 24, 1997)

Manufacturer: Charlie Rose
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Description

Filmmaker Curtis Hanson talks to Charlie about his film L. A. Confidential based on the novel by James Ellroy. The film, which is receiving much critical acclaim, starts Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Danny DeVito and Kim Basinger. Next, Author Louis Auchincloss discusses his book, The Atonement, that follows a young man who committed a financial crime. Finally, filmmaker Mark Jonathon Harris, producer Richard Trank and Rabbi Marvin Hier tell Charlie about their documentary called, The Long Way Home. The film focuses on the years 1945 to 1948 of the holocaust when many Jews were ignored by their governments.

Average customer rating:

An unnostalgic, modern noir spectacle
dvd purchase
Brilliantly Casted Film
A thriller for people who normally don't like thrillers
Unhistorical Murder Mystery

L.A. Confidential [Region 2]
Starring: Kevin Spacey , Russell Crowe , Guy Pearce , James Cromwell , and David Strathairn
Director: Curtis Hanson
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Thrillers | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( L ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

The Usual Suspects (Special Edition)
Chinatown
Fargo (Special Edition)
American Beauty (Widescreen Edition)
GoodFellas (Two-Disc Special Edition)

ASIN: B00004CXMU

Amazon.com essential video

Customer Reviews:

An unnostalgic, modern noir spectacle.......2007-05-27

dvd purchase.......2007-03-22

the dvd came in a timely manner, packaged well and I have had no problems with the item. It seems to be in great condition.

Brilliantly Casted Film.......2007-03-09

A thriller for people who normally don't like thrillers.......2007-03-09

Unhistorical Murder Mystery.......2007-02-21

Charlie Rose with Kevin Spacey (September 30, 1999)

Average customer rating:

Charlie Rose with Kevin Spacey (September 30, 1999)

Manufacturer: Charlie Rose
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Charlie Rose with Richard Holbrooke; Kevin Spacey (January 14, 1997)
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ASIN: B000IU32FW
Release Date: 2006-09-18

Description

An hour-long interview with actor Kevin Spacey. Spacey discusses his performance in the film American Beauty, talks about working with actress Annette Bening, and reflects on some of his previous roles. Later, Spacey describes his formal education in theatre and transition from stage acting to Hollywood.

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