L.A. Confidential

UPC: 085391165118

Studio: Warner Home Video

MPAA Rating: R   Contains:[Violence, Not For Children, Sexual Situations]

Summary: Based on the best-selling novel by James Ellroy and directed by Curtis Hanson, this award-winning crime drama explores both the dark side of the Los Angeles police force and Southern California's criminal underbelly in the early '50s, when Hollywood was still seen as America's capital of sophistication, glitter, and glamour. Dudley Smith (James Cromwell) is the head of the LAPD and is loyal to his officers and eager to turn a blind eye to violence or corruption within his department, as long as it's the "bad guys" who are getting hurt. Bud White (Russell Crowe) is a police detective whose violent and cynical nature is often at war with his basic sense of decency and justice. Ed Exley (Guy Pearce) is a beat cop-turned-detective whose strict by-the-book philosophy and willingness to blow the whistle on other officers is balanced by a shrewd and opportunistic understanding of the internal politics of the department. And Jack Vincennes (Kevin Spacey) is a flashy "Hollywood" detective who serves as technical advisor for the TV series Badge of Honor. He is also in cahoots with Sid Hudgeons (Danny DeVito), publisher of the scandal sheet Hush Hush, who throws kickbacks to Vincennes in exchange for being brought along when showbiz figures get busted. White, Exley, and Vincennes find themselves drawn into a tangled and sticky web of violence and betrayal following a multiple murder at a coffee shop that is believed to be part of an effort by Mickey Cohen (Paul Guilfoyle) to consolidate his hold on organized crime in L.A. This lead appears to be connected to the discovery of a bizarre pornography and call-girl ring operated by Pierce Patchett (David Strathairn), whose women are given plastic surgery so that they more closely resemble well-known movie stars. White's role in the investigation is complicated when he falls for Lynn Bracken (Kim Basinger), one of Patchett's prostitutes, who is the spitting image of Veronica Lake. L.A. Confidential was nominated for nine Academy Awards and netted two, with Brian Helgeland honored for Best Adapted Screenplay, and Kim Basinger taking home a statuette as Best Supporting Actress. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Category: Crime

Awards: Best Picture - Drama – null Best Supporting Actress – null Best Director – null Best Screenplay – null Best Screenplay – null Best Original Score – null Best Picture – Los Angeles Film Critics Association Best Director – Los Angeles Film Critics Association Best Screenplay – Los Angeles Film Critics Association Best Screenplay – Los Angeles Film Critics Association Best Cinematography – Los Angeles Film Critics Association Best Picture – Broadcast Film Critics Association Best Adapted Screenplay – Broadcast Film Critics Association Best Adapted Screenplay – Broadcast Film Critics Association Best Director – Directors Guild of America Best Adapted Screenplay – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Adapted Screenplay – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Art Direction – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Art Direction – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Cinematography – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Director – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Editing – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Dramatic Score – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Picture – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Sound – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Sound – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Sound – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Supporting Actress – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Picture – National Board of Review Best Director – National Board of Review Best Picture [Runner-up] – Toronto Film Critics Association Best Director [Runner-up] – Toronto Film Critics Association Best Picture – Chicago Film Critics Association Best Director – Chicago Film Critics Association Best Screenplay – Chicago Film Critics Association Best Screenplay – Chicago Film Critics Association Best Picture – National Society of Film Critics Best Director – National Society of Film Critics Best Screenplay – National Society of Film Critics Best Screenplay – National Society of Film Critics Best Supporting Actress – Screen Actors Guild Best Ensemble Acting – Screen Actors Guild Best Cinematography – American Society of Cinematographers Best Picture – New York Film Critics Circle Best Director – New York Film Critics Circle Best Screenplay – New York Film Critics Circle Best Screenplay – New York Film Critics Circle Best Picture – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Director – Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Picture - Drama – Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Original Score – Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Screenplay – Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Screenplay – Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Moti – Hollywood Foreign Press Association

Features: Disc 1:
Commentary by critic/historian Andrew Sarris, James Ellroy, Russell Crowe, Kevin Spacey, Guy Pearce, James Cromwell, Ruth Myers, David Stathairn, Kim Basinger, Brian Helgeland, Jeannine Oppewall, Dante Spinotti and Danny DeVito
Music-only track (5.1) showcasing Jerry Goldsmith's score
Trailer gallery

Disc 2:
All-new featurette gallery uncovering the case of a contemporary cinema classic: Whatever You Desire - Making L.A. Confidential
Sunlight and Shadow - The Visual Style of L.A. Confidential
A True Ensemble - The Cast of L.A. Confidential
L.A. Confidential - From Book to Screen
Off the Record - Vintage cast/creator interviews
L.A. Confidenital tv series pilot
Director Curtis Hanson's photo pitch
The L.A. of L.A. Confidential interactive map tour

L.A. Confidential

Format: DVD

Release Date: 09/23/2008

Audio: DD5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1

Runtime: 138 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English

Subtitles: English,French

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Disc #1 -- L.A. Confidential: The Movie
1. Come to L.A. [2:44]
2. Meet Bud White [2:07]
3. Meet the Big V [1:30]
4. Meet Ed Exley [2:14]
5. Mystery Woman [2:55]
6. Premiere Pot Bust! [1:32]
7. Bloody Christmas [4:06]
8. Will You Testify? [5:23]
9. A Muscle Job [1:49]
10. Hit the Road to Dreamland [2:09]
11. Stens' Last Day [3:25]
12. Nite Owl Massacre [7:24]
13. Whatever You Desire [3:39]
14. Lake Look-Alike [4:53]
15. Maroon Merc. [3:43]
16. Interrogation [6:24]
17. Justice for Inez [3:52]
18. Shotgun Ed [2:11]
19. Wheel of Fortune [3:35]
20. Lynn's Bedroom [1:57]
21. Showbiz [4:44]
22. Jack's Discovery [3:01]
23. A Real Detective [2:44]
24. Mrs. Lefferts [4:52]
25. Rollo Tomasi [3:44]
26. Muscle for Hire [2:15]
27. Fleur de Lis Again [1:31]
28. Johnny and "Lana" [1:10]
29. "I See Bud" [4:45]
30. Jack's Valediction [4:12]
31. Hush-Hush [5:01]
32. Working Together [5:39]
33. Good Cop/Bad Cop [3:07]
34. Tying Up Loose Ends [3:00]
35. Victory Motel [2:48]
36. Shootout [3:08]
37. The Politician [3:21]
38. The Truth [3:01]
39. Goodbye [3:00]
40. End Credits [4:49]

Lucia Bozzola

A polished policier in the tradition of Chinatown (1974), with a plot as convoluted as film noir chestnut The Big Sleep (1946), L.A. Confidential (1997) proved that it was still possible to fashion an actor-driven detective yarn in 1990s Hollywood. Adapting the story from James Ellroy's novel, director Curtis Hanson deftly captures the glamour and sleaze of post-war Los Angeles, where hookers look like movie stars and movie stars are mistaken for hookers, as an antagonistic trio of police detectives discovers how deeply ingrained the city's corruption has become. Russell Crowe's pugnacious White, Guy Pearce's smug Exley, and Kevin Spacey's smooth, celeb-struck Vincennes are all somewhat tainted, but even they cannot quite believe the rot they uncover; the accompanying gallery of rogues and innocents, including scandal mongers, prostitutes, and other cops, constantly shifts the moral order. Dante Spinotti's cinematography and Jeannine Oppewall's detailed production design lend a period sheen while richly alluding to the shadowy truth hidden by symbols of law and order. Opening to raves, particularly for the lead trio and Kim Basinger's Veronica Lake-esque pro, L.A. Confidential swept the critics' awards for Best Film and received nine Academy Award nominations. In the wake of Titanic, though, only Basinger and co-screenwriters Hanson and Brian Helgeland won statuettes. ~ Lucia Bozzola, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Paolo Seganti  Actor 
Matt McCoy  Actor 
Graham Beckel  Actor 
Gwenda Deacon  Actor 
Ron Rifkin  Actor 
Simon Baker-Denny  Actor 
John Mahon  Actor 
Amber Smith  Actor 
David St. James  Actor 
Paul Guilfoyle  Actor 
Sally Insul  Actor 
Darrell Sandeen  Actor 
Fred Scialla  Actor 
Jerry Goldsmith  Composer (Music Score) 
Curtis Hanson  Director 
Curtis Hanson  Producer 
Curtis Hanson  Screenwriter 
Brian Helgeland  Screenwriter 
Arnon Milchan  Producer 
David L. Wolper  Executive Producer 
Dan Kolsrud  Executive Producer 
Michael Nathanson  Producer 
Kevin Spacey  Actor 
Russell Crowe  Actor 
Guy Pearce  Actor 
James Cromwell  Actor 
Kim Basinger  Actor 
David Strathairn  Actor 
Danny DeVito  Actor 

Country: USA