Reviews

I have to say that I always have loved this episode.

In fact despite the technological superiority that shadowy crime syndicate "Mercury" displayed in construction of a circa 1945 era atomic bomb they pretty much demonstrated why no city has ever been hit by nuclear terror.

The plot basically is that mysterious and well-funded gangsters have a nuclear bomb factory somewhere in Honolulu- and will deliver the destructive device by moving van. Yes- you heard me right- an atomic bomb delivered by diesel.

The plot hinges on the watchman for the building at ground-zero signing for a five-ton parcel, which is emanating a loud ticking noise- on a Saturday no less. I bet that HE got fired.

There is a subplot about a radiological test which kills the bomb designer- and Danno giving the order to blow up a plane carrying a hundred million dollars- which is all the money in the West Coast- in cash. I certainly hope that McGarrett wrote down the serial numbers for all those bills.

Now if a nuke could just be made that fits in a suitcase....................................

I see the same reviews over and over again- that damn "To Live and Die in LA" (sic) as an "80's Movie".

Well is "The French Connection"- which is set in 1963- a "60's Movie"? Was Friedkin's "Cruising" which show gays popping poppers in a pre-AIDS world a "70's movie"?

For that matter if you order french-fries does the make you "French"? If you order a Polish sausage does that somehow turn you into a Polak? Well it might if you order one in a Laundro-mat.

That's about how I feel about this movie.

Meet special agent Richard Chance (William Petersen) who apparently joined "The Service" for the same reason that Euro trash are joining ISIS- for the rush.

Now like all of William Friedkin's movies there are multitudes of interesting shots- from the endless refineries of the Harbor Gateway to tough-looking street agents in their cluttered vestibules and walking, guns bulging from underneath leather jackets, through labyrinths of tunnels under the Federal Building- something the public just doesn't get to see.

As you get from the other reviews the lynchpin- and the major selling point- of "To Live and Die in LA" is an apocryphal car chase through the streets of Los Angeles that causes a major traffic tie-up.

But before the big chase it really should be apparent that Agent Chance (Petersen) has gone from mad-man on a mission to looney psychopath when he is told that he can't take down a "Chinaman" (remember that this is still the '80's) who will be carrying $50,000 dollars- it's the '80's you know and that was a lot of money then. Agent Chance, a lawman trusted to protect the president- then tells his informant that he can do anything he wants.

But like flipping a light switch- almost like the director had watched too many Eddie Murphy movies- the characters turn not just likeable- but downright cute.

Not to get too graphic but the movie shows gunshot wounds that look like they are out of a medical textbook. You can Google ".357 magnum suicide" and pretty much get the drift of the end of the movie.

But wait! Google "Alternate Ending" of this movie- and you will see that "To Live and Die in LA" really could have been an "80's" film- Ferris Bueller's day off with a green eye shade- as a counterfeiter?

Episode One, Season One. The Rockford Files' solid regular season debut brings us an Only-in-Los Angeles phenomenon. Larry Kirkoff (James Woods) is a wealthy double Murder suspect who's rich and free even though everybody KNOWS he is Guilty- Even the man he hires to Find the "Real Killers" of his parents- the erstwhile P.I., in constant suffering under the opprobrium of Kirkoff, Jim Rockford.

The clock is ticking as the cops are waiting to make their case against Woods air-tight with a key piece of evidence so that the vile Kirkoff (Woods), for whom to know is to despise, doesn't walk off into the sunset with his parents' fortune.

A noirish thriller with the pocked-marked James Woods at his most intense. Woods comes off as combination of Leopold/Loeb and the Menendez Brothers as he tries to evade the wrath coming to him.

I see someone already gave away the surprise ending- too bad. But this episode is worth watching, if just for the skin-crawling performance by Woods.

The Pilot for the Emmy award winning Series "The Rockford Files". No Answering Machines and a more subdued "Rocky" (Replaced in later episodes by the Iconic Noah Beery). This episode is a standout even in in an era that had what some may consider a surfeit of "Cop Shows". The late Roy Huggins wrote his original episode under a Pseudonym for some reason although it's plot is pretty respectable. The main weakness here is that this episode gets kind of lost in a sub-plot about Billy Mumy (The kid from "Lost in Space) that would have been the key to the entire caper- But only serves to muddy up the Episode. You can bet that REAL cops would have been VERY interested in a Kid's involvement in a conspiracy to steal $10 Million Bucks and the Murder of his Dad. Not to give anything away- But Rockford shoots down a light plane going about 120 mph (on a strafing run no less!) with a snub nose Revolver- a shot not even the world's finest marksman could make- and steals a cement mixer from someplace to use as temporary "Holding Cell". Fortunately this series in it's subsequent episodes took a turn from the cartoonish and you can see the Genesis of the fine Dialogue of later episodes- Including a Hulking Psycho (The era's Ubiquitous TV "Bad Guy" William Smith) with the Banal name of "Jerry"- A running joke throughout the Episode and the Pusillanimous Rockford threatening Mayhem on the Diminutive Mumy in Billy's only scene. I must say that in the days of Columbo, Mannix and Hawaii-Five-O I hardly noticed the debut of "Rockford"- But this series is the one that stood the test of time. A "Must See"- But only for the Rockford Fan.

The Late Emmy Award Winning Rockford Series Co-Creator Stephen J. Cannell firmly establishes "Rockford" as a Character driven crime drama in this Episode with superb dialogue that would have given even the Great Crime Novelist Elmore Leonard a run for his money. Angel (Stuart Margolin) for the first time becomes the central character in twisted plot that has him unknowingly ripping off his own employer and unwittingly becoming indebted to shady characters. Angel exclaims after a run in with Sgt. Becker (Series Regular Joe Santos) that "I'm Getting a Bad Case of the Fifth Amendment". Local Mobsters propound on the authenticity of Los Angeles Pizza while trying to get their hands on the stolen loot and Jim composes a hilarious "Obituary" exposing Angel's awful real First Name and his shoddy record of desertion under fire in Korea. David Chase now gets all of the writing accolades for this excellent series- But this Episode written by Cannell is one of the Finest. A must see for the serious "Rockfordphile".