WHV Press Release: L.A. Confidential Two-Disc Special Edition

“Off the record, on the QT, and very hush-hush!”
- Sid Hudgens LA Confidential

L.A. CONFIDENTIAL TWO-DISC
SPECIAL EDITION

New Regency’s Oscar®-Winning Tour-de-Force
Comes to DVD and Blu-ray™ Hi-Def™
September 23 from Warner Home Video


Burbank, Calif., June 16, 2008 – Everything is suspect, everyone is for sale and nothing is what it seems. Word on the street is that on September 23, Warner Home Video will revisit 1950s Hollywood with New Regency’s intense film noir L.A. Confidential, to be digitally remastered and released as a Standard Definition Two-Disc Special Edition ($20.97 SRP) and single disc Blu-ray™ Hi-Def ($28.99 SRP).

Kevin Spacey (American Beauty, The Usual Suspects), Russell Crowe, (Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind), Guy Pearce (Memento, Priscilla Queen of the Desert), Kim Basinger (Batman, I Dreamed of Africa) and Danny DeVito (Batman Returns, Erin Brockovich) star in L.A. Confidential which was directed by Curtis Hanson and based on James Ellroy’s “L.A. Quartet” series of novels. Nominated for seven Academy Awards,® including Best Picture and Best Director, the film won two Oscars® (Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress for Ms. Basinger). The evocative and sordid tale of Hollywood back in the day, about three cops, a call girl, a mysterious millionaire and a tabloid journalist, is rife with mystery, ambition, romance and humor. Chicago Sun-Times’ Roger Ebert called the film “seductive and beautiful, cynical and twisted -- one of the best films of the year.”

Special Features

Disc 1
Commentary by Andrew Sarris
Music Only Track
Trailers and TV Spots
Showest
Nite Owl Action
Hollywood
Theatrical Trailer
Soundtrack Promo

Disc 2
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
Photo Pitch
The L.A. of L.A. Confidential Hollywood Center Motel
Formosa Café
Sid Hudgen's Office
Victory Motel
Bidwell's Office
Nick's Liquor
Lynn Bracken's House
Frolic's Room
Pierce Patchett's House
Movie Premiere Pot Bust
Mrs. Leffert's House
Nite Owl Café
Navarette's Hole-up
Fitch House
City Hall
L.A. Confidential [2000 TV Pilot]


L.A. Confidential Two-Disc Special Edition
Street Date: September 23, 2008
Blu-ray™ Hi-Def
$28.99 SRP

Run Time: 138 Minutes; Rated R
16X9; Widescreen; Color

Re: WHV Press Release: L.A. Confidential Two-Disc Special Edition

The Sarris commentary is okay, but I was really hoping they'd get Ellroy to do one.

"When I wrote the book I pictured Bud as a big [bleep] like Sterling Hayden. Crowe's all right, but Hayden would kick his [bleep] [bleep] until he [bleep] [bleep] [bleep] and bled out his [bleep]."

Re: WHV Press Release: L.A. Confidential Two-Disc Special Edition

Funny AND accurate.

Re: WHV Press Release: L.A. Confidential Two-Disc Special Edition

That would've been the first DVD commentary to come in a plain brown wrapper!

Re: WHV Press Release: L.A. Confidential Two-Disc Special Edition

Having worked on the production, I can say there were two scenes we filmed that were deleted from the movie.

One was a confrontation between Jack Vincennes and DA Ellis Lowe after Vincennes finds the dead body of the young actor at the hotel. The second was a post-passion conversation in bed between Exley and Lynn Bracken. It's possible that pieces of either scene might show up on the featurettes.

I should note that it was a very difficult shoot - moving around Los Angeles on location and trying to turn the clock backward by 45 years on a very limited budget. There are some great performances in the movie, but it was no picnic.

Re: WHV Press Release: L.A. Confidential Two-Disc Special Edition

Ha ha, he pretty much says that on the commentary to "Crimewave" found on the Film Noir Vol 4 colelction by warners.

I'll grab this release, love the movie and passed on the old one.

Re: WHV Press Release: L.A. Confidential Two-Disc Special Edition

Can't wait to pick this one up!

If you think he's good on Crime Wave, listen to his commentary on Zodiac. He's in full James Ellroy mode on that.

Re: WHV Press Release: L.A. Confidential Two-Disc Special Edition

I have, goood stuff there too. I just finished reading BLACK DAHLIA, and am about to dip into the book leading into LA CONFIDENTIAL. This release should be a nice capper to reading the LA QUARTET.

Re: WHV Press Release: L.A. Confidential Two-Disc Special Edition

I wonder why Warners didn't release this last year as a 10th Anniversary Edition?

Good thing the pilot wasn't picked up, otherwise, 24 wouldn't exist!

September is going to be one expensive month!

Re: WHV Press Release: L.A. Confidential Two-Disc Special Edition

Nice to know. Both those scenes sound pretty interesting as some of those elements (especially Vincennes' reaction to the kid getting killed) weren't made all that clear in the movie.

Re: WHV Press Release: L.A. Confidential Two-Disc Special Edition

Was recently shown on Starz HD but at 1:78:1 ratio. Will be great to see in HD in its proper 2:35:1 ratio.

Re: WHV Press Release: L.A. Confidential Two-Disc Special Edition

I KNEW holding off on buying this for six years would pay off in the end! (I NEVER EVER double dip.)

*does victory dance*

Re: WHV Press Release: L.A. Confidential Two-Disc Special Edition

Danny DeVito was in Erin Brockovich? I watched that recently and don't remember seeing him in it...

Re: WHV Press Release: L.A. Confidential Two-Disc Special Edition

DeVito's company had a hand in producing ERIN BROCKOVICH.

Re: WHV Press Release: L.A. Confidential Two-Disc Special Edition

He was the desk Erin worked at.

Re: WHV Press Release: L.A. Confidential Two-Disc Special Edition

I normally don't double dip but this one will be an exception. One of my favorites of all time and by being released in the Fall, it synchs up with my BD player purchase plans. Yes, an expensive September.

Oh, and "LA Confidential" was robbed of the Best Picture Oscar, IMHO.

Wow!!! Its coming in September [does even bigger and more elaborate victory dance than the other guy]!!! I still agree that because of all that was involved [and risked] in its making that Titanic still should have gotten Best Picture for 1997. The commentary track by Sarris will be good but has he done any tracks for movies? I still wish that Ellory or Hanson had made a commentary track. THANK YOU WARNERS [AND GEORGE FELTINSTIEN] FOR A GREAT DVD. All the people that said Warners would let us down this year [Bonnie & Clyde, L.A. Conf, and B berkley 2, ETC]. HAAAAAAAAA! Thanks WB.

Re: WHV Press Release: L.A. Confidential Two-Disc Special Edition

Press release sounds amazing and I can't believe the wealth of extras on this one!

Any art work available yet?

Re: WHV Press Release: L.A. Confidential Two-Disc Special Edition

Yay! One of my favorite crime movies. I was disappointed when this didn't show last year, but this year is just as good.

Re: WHV Press Release: L.A. Confidential Two-Disc Special Edition

You're not the only one who feels that way.

Have there ever been any deleted scenes released for this film?

Re: WHV Press Release: L.A. Confidential Two-Disc Special Edition

I wonder if all those "extras" involving such locations as "Sid Hudgen's Office" and "The Frolic Room" are the same ones found on the original DVD. I remember those being very, very short in length,and although they made for a great "interactive" feature on what was a very early DVD, I don't see why the press release lists each snippet individually, except to make the buyer think the special features disc is more "packed" than it really is.

The rest of the extras sound great, and I will be picking up the Blu Ray of this great, great film.


Russell: I read The Black Dahlia almost immediately seeing L.A. Confidential, and all I could think about while reading was "Man, David Fincher needs to make this film, and Arthur Max HAS to do the production design. The book was so drenched in filth that I needed to shower after every chapter. My heart leapt when I found out Fincher was going to direct. Then look what happened...

Re: WHV Press Release: L.A. Confidential Two-Disc Special Edition

Check out Kevin EK's post (#5).

And yes, Don, it does sound like they listed the locations of the interactive map feature on the old disc. A bit tricky of them, but what can a guy do?

The extras sound pretty good. I'm hoping those new documentaries are lengthy as well. I wouldn't have minded a commentary with someone that worked on the film (maybe Helgeland and Ellroy together?), but it sounds pretty decent overall. I'm also glad they're including the TV pilot. Ever since hearing about it, it's remained something of a curiosity for me.

Re: WHV Press Release: L.A. Confidential Two-Disc Special Edition

I saw that, which is what made me curious as to whether or not any deleted scenes had ever been released on LD or DVD, etc. (aside from the 2 scenes he mentioned, of course, since I gather those have never been seen).

Re: WHV Press Release: L.A. Confidential Two-Disc Special Edition

My bad. Misread your post. But, no, no deleted scenes have ever been made available for this title.

Re: WHV Press Release: L.A. Confidential Two-Disc Special Edition

As far as I know, the two deleted scenes have never been seen outside of the editing room for the movie. I had thought they would have been included, but Curtis didn't put them on the first DVD or this one. As I said before, there might be a snippet of either one in the featurettes, or there might be some EPK B-roll of the Vincennes/Loew confrontation.

Ray H, you would have seen Vincennes burst back into the party that the kid left with Loew, only to find Loew back in the swing of things. Vincennes then gets in Loew's face and keeps demanding "Where's your tie? Where's your f-ing tie?" At which, as the crowd stops and watches, Loew pulls his tie out of his pocket and glares at Vincennes, someone tells Vincennes he's "finished", etc. And Vincennes storms out. I think Curtis just thought that he'd made his point with the immediate reaction shot of Vincennes at the hotel, and that he didn't need to show him going ballistic about it.

The bed scene between Exley and Bracken was actually a friendly scene. Exley lets his guard down a bit, as does she, and it's a pleasant moment. In this case, it's a direct arrow away from the calculated setup of Exley and the really ugly consequences that are about to follow.

A couple of trivia notes from the filming. One was that I only remember seeing Ellroy there once - when we filmed the raid at the Fitch house. The other was that I used to exchange "good mornings" on the set with Brian Helgeland with my favorite line from the script - he and I would look at each other, shake our heads, and mutter "F-ing Exley..."

Re: WHV Press Release: L.A. Confidential Two-Disc Special Edition

Thanks for that, Kevin. The Vincennes/Loew confrontation interests me because Vincennes seemed to get the short shrift in the film compared to the other two leads considering they all had about equal page time in the book. But I guess much of Vincennes' story in the book revolves around his past. When they decided to cut the backstory, much of the character went with it. Nevertheless, Spacey, Hanson, and the bunch did a great job with the character's screentime, allowing him to pop and become a favorite of the audience.

Hanson was correct that Vincenne's reaction to discovering the body at the hotel was an effective way to deal with it, but it was too effective for me. I wanted some sort of confrontation between Vincennes and Loew since it seemed odd for Vincennes to discover the body and leave it at that, knowing full well who the perp was. For the rest of Vincenness screentime, I was left wondering how he would follow up on it since it was such a big character moment for him, but he only mentions it once, almost in passing, before exiting the picture.

Re: WHV Press Release: L.A. Confidential Two-Disc Special Edition

They also cut out a lot of Ed's material from the book -- his relationship with the rape victim and the whole deal with his father and the Disneyesque businessman. The stuff with the rape victim is a major change since it reduces the moral choice he has to make in reopening the Nite Owl case to a question of whether he'll risk his career.

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Now playing: Bernie Skelton - Drop In To See Me
via FoxyTunes

Re: WHV Press Release: L.A. Confidential Two-Disc Special Edition

Yup. The one with most of his backstory intact is Bud. But they cut a lot of his investigating, etc. Heck, they cut a lot of the investigation. The whole case in the book is insanely unwieldy and complicated with a dozen different guys that all tie into it somehow. It goes to show just how well this was streamlined and adapted into a feasible movie.

The funny thing is that with the main characters' backstories largely altered/absent in the movie, it changes them from the unlikeable and morally despicable guys they are in the book to pretty decent guys that are flawed, but come through in the end. In the movie, Exley is pretty ambitious, but in the book, he's a major douche bag.

Re: WHV Press Release: L.A. Confidential Two-Disc Special Edition

You're describing the ways in which a pretty complex Ellroy novel becomes a 2 hour movie. There's a lot of great stuff in the book that didn't make it in, or got totally streamlined. I remember the Disney character and the hideous son, as well as the doubling throughout. (The clear thematic idea being that nobody is who or what they seem to be)

Curtis did try to stay as true as possible to things like Exley being a bastard. That's part of the reason why I loved exchanging that line with Helgeland - even in the film, Exley is pretty much just out for himself throughout, and even he seems to realize that when he smirks at the guys through the 2-way mirror at the end. The "Bloody Christmas" cell block riot is one moment of the film showing that these guys are pretty messed up.

One other trivia note - I have a fond memory of sitting with Graham Beckel at his trailer on the night we filmed his body at the Nite Owl. In the book, his character winds up on Death Row, I think. There's a letter from him to Bud before his execution where he expresses his regrets over how he led his life. I brought the book to work and asked Graham to read the letter to me, so I could hear it in the character's voice. He was very kind and obliged me.

Re: WHV Press Release: L.A. Confidential Two-Disc Special Edition

Just in case it slipped by, the cover art for the SD and BD has been released.

It's certainly different from the poster art we're used to, but I kinda like it. As far as photoshopped covers go, it looks pretty good. Oddly, the worst bit of photoshop on the cover is Ms. Bassinger's chest. I don't care much for the font used for the title though. And it would've made more sense to have the cast photos in B&W.

Also, The Digital Bits is reporting that in addition to the already announced extras, this release will include 14 deleted scenes!