WTF Happened to L.A. Confidential?

[@Zed-fq3lj]

This is one of the crown jewels of the 90s, a brilliant movie, outstanding cast, screenplay - perfection, unique and rewatchable a hundred times over!

[@paulfrantizek102]

A great double feature along with Mullholland Falls.

[@cjewe1z]

That was the best period for films ever.

[@laurarules3642]

You can take any bad movie or average movie from the 70's 80's and 90's and watch them now and they seem like masterpieces compared to all the tripe and garbage the entertainment industry has made the past few years

[@Zed-fq3lj]

Couldn't agree more. Though people tend to underestimate early and mid 2000s which were just an extended 90s with advanced special effects. The industry needs a total reset with focus on those great decades in order to rise again (but I doubt that will happen) @@laurarules3642

[@igg3937]

The 90s had about 20 classic films. Says a lot about the state of modern cinema!

[@Locadel2003]

This movie made Russel Crowe & Guy Pearce legendary. Also was an excellent comeback for Kim Basinger and another solid turn by Kevin Spacey

[@cjewe1z]

Spacey was unstoppable during that period. Every film he made was good and above. And I'm not even a fan of his.

[@jenisedai]

@@cjewe1z My kids are anti-Spacey (understandably), but enjoyed his performance in this. And they loved his ending.

[@johnjim6793]

The movie turned Russell Crowe into one of the greatest stars of last 25 years (his very intelligent selection of movie roles also helped with this, of course). Also noteworthy how LA Confidential established David Strathairn and James Cromwell as future mentor/elder statesman characters, like in Fracture (Strathairn) or Succession (Cromwell). That's one of the coolest and most reliably profitable character types that you can have when you reach a certain age.

[@thegreatpiginthesky3904]

​@@jenisedaiwasn't it proven that he was innocent?

[@jenisedai]

@@thegreatpiginthesky3904 he was acquitted, that's not the same thing.

[@bangslamwham88]

This was one of the biggest movies of 1997. Still don't get why it's no longer talked about anymore. It's a truly great movie.

[@Martyn2021]

Because one of the cast members is Kevin Spacey, and a few years ago he was called out of extremely ungentlemanly behavior.

[@bangslamwham88]

@@Martyn2021 The movie faded from the public conciousness long before the allegations against Spacey.

[@JackBirdbath]

@@Martyn2021Freeze! Police!

[@simonkevnorris]

@Martyn2021 He's been cleared of the charges.

[@JackBirdbath]

@@simonkevnorris that must mean he never raped anyone, right? Because of the charges? Isn’t that what you’re implying?

[@everyoneash]

Best movie of 1997....no matter what titanic might say

[@gwenfluker3436]

Should have won best picture over that boat movie.

[@ajtaylor8750]

One of the best films of the 90s and of the crime mystery genre.

[@Omar-wq9dz]

James Ellroy may have not liked the adaptation, but it’s become a very beloved movie. First time I saw it was in a college film class

[@motherplayer]

Just another example that author approval doesn't always have to be necessary for a enjoyable story/adaptation. Again, we have Willy Wonka, The Shining and such.

[@joseantoniomillabrito2764]

I don't care about James Ellroy. This movie is as good as it can be. Very rewatchable.

[@pjmlegrande]

I like his books but Elroy is one crazy daddy-o

[@oophorror2251]

@@pjmlegrandeDemon Dog of American Literature.

[@denroy3]

​@@pjmlegrandemy thoughts exactly, he is a nutjob. I think he changed his opinion to get press...lol

[@richardleau]

One of my favorite movies. Not a missed note, not a dropped beat. Fine script, fine performances, fine editing, fine cinematography, fine score. Lost a lot of respect for James Ellroy for his comments on the film.

[@robertwilson8950]

How James Cromwell was overlooked for a Best Supporting Actor nod is beyond comprehension.

[@salvatoresultana4058]

Same can be said for Crowe and Pearce

[@snsdkbopper7819]

Yes, LA Confidential is a excellent movie without question! And I just rewatched it in 2023.

[@chrisglazener3613]

Mulholland Falls is another really good LA based neo-noir crime film with a fantastic cast. It came out in 1996 a year before L.A. Confidential.

[@denroy3]

Not nearly as good.

[@jegerm6752]

This is, in my opinion, one of the perfect movies. It has everything. Just very enjoyable to watch, and rewatch in a few years.

[@desfoley6335]

It's one of those films that make you sit down and watch it if it comes on the TV, no matter how many times you have seen it. A true classic

[@mastermindmartialarts]

I saw this in theaters during it's release. The film had been out for a while and the theater was still almost full. Great movie and it's been so long since I've seen it that I think it's time to revisit it again.

[@Omar-wq9dz]

Speaking of James Ellroy, how about a WTF Happened To Black Dahlia? Apparently, Brian De Palma’s preferred 3 hour cut was far better than the theatrical cut with even Ellroy praising it

[@cjewe1z]

Please sign the petition. We have to force their hand.

[@sokar_rostau]

I like to imagine that The Mouse has buried the good version of Mission to Mars deep in the Disney vaults because it was too dark to sell a theme park attraction to children. The depths of that film's badness is baffling. There has to be a reason.

[@cjewe1z]

@@sokar_rostau 100%. De Palma doesn't make OK films. Even his lesser films like 'Snake Eyes' can be watched again for the excellent technique.

[@Mithrandir39]

This movie blew me away when I first watched it. Kind of like another movie you mentioned in here "The Usual Suspects" This is a great film noir and I watch this at least once a year it is so good.

[@trevornott2488]

All time great movie. Can re-watch it and still be entertained

[@trinaq]

Shame that Kim Basinger's career floundered after winning the Oscar for her work here. She was brilliant in this film, despite only having limited screentime.

[@allanlomas5133]

What was so brilliant about her performance?

[@trevornott2488]

@@allanlomas5133 do you not have a set of working eyes? She was stunning through the whole movie.

[@firouz256]

She was elevated, almost method acting. She managed to underact and by doing so bring debth into a role that could have ended up stereotypical and victimizing to the character. She managed to capture the full attention on every scene without overacting, trying too hard or being gimmicky (despite the looks and outfits of the era that she had to pull off)! If I was Kim, I would have stopped acting right after the Oscar! Perfect time to stop a career actively on a high. She has bothing to prove to anyone. She is a blueprint, beauty Icon, former successful model, actress and not a stranger to gossip, glam and struggles. A woman with ups and downs and authentic to her own self. I wish more actresses were like her instead of trying to keep up a fake persona and cater to to press and media instead of her own truth.

[@joemckim1183]

The only really good thing she did after winning the Oscar was 8 Mile.

[@arp3259]

It’s the female Oscar curse. Notice how almost every Oscar winner. Most career falls off Look at Hilary swank

[@1anonymousb]

I like watching this and The Nice Guys as a LA detective noir double feature. One is drama, one is comedy, but their tones match up for me. Russel Crowe and Kim Basinger are coincidentally in both.

[@unkindestcut]

Nice Guys is absurdly underrated. It’s a throwback to the golden age of Neo-Noir in the 1970s leavened with modern humor and featuring stellar performances.

[@joemills4603]

Great call - they work really well together! I also like to include them both in my Christmas movies list, which is really a christmas antidote list.

[@archimmes]

I remember, as a 13 year old kid, sneaking into a “double feature” movie, which was this gem, and “Jackie Brown”. What a great year for cinema.

[@elpulpo800]

Also the year of Boogie Nights, Donnie Brasco, and Copland.

[@spankflaps1365]

Pearce and Crowe were well known at the time in the UK and Australia, because they were in the hit soap “Neighbours”, which is more famous for starting Kylie Minogue’s career.

[@joemckim1183]

I think pretty much every Aussie actor has a stint on Neighbours. I've never seen the show since I don't really care for soap operas let alone Aussie soap operas but I do know that its basically a regular thing for actors down under to get well known on the show. Russell Crowe while not a superstar before this movie was still getting regular work in hollywood with things like Virtuosity and The Quick and the Dead.

[@Malryth]

I first saw this movie in 1987 and loved it so much I picked it up on VHS. I recently (finally) got the movie on DVD from Amazon and have enjoyed re-watching it every once and a while. It is one of those movies that makes you forget about your own life for a while. It captures a bygone era perfectly and the performances of all the actors is flawless IMHO. Thanks for giving this movie some love in your video!

[@simonkevnorris]

I've had it on VHS, DVD and Blu-Ray. Excellent cast. Needless to say I enjoy the movie and do rewatch it regularly.

[@dylanmeyer6614]

Similarly to James Elroy, I always call my own work a masterpiece.

[@alyzu4755]

This was filmed one night in our neighborhood in L.A. I took my dog for a walk and she walked over to smell Russel Crowe's foot before I could stop her. 😊 He was sitting in a quiet corner on the sidewalk and I didn't see him at first.

[@guywgane3]

One of the greatest films ever made.

[@sabster79]

The writers and Basinger deserved their Oscars 💯💯💯💯.

[@candaceshirley8173]

This was a great film, the director genius and the actors and screenplay

[@balthazarasquith]

Absolutely love this film. Rolo Tomasisi 😊

[@MsLizziebeth1]

*RoLLO TomASI.

[@flarrfan]

One of the greatest twists in cinema history IMO.

[@MsLizziebeth1]

​@@flarrfan - which hung on a single thread of name recognition minus facial reaction by Guy Pearce's good cop, once it got repeated to him. ......The only time I recall Kevin Spacey being obliquely heroic! BEST NOIR FILM (I usually loathe their positivist/reductionist oversimplifications). ......Since you liked this, watch "Where's Marlowe (1999)", a quirky & clever NOIR MOCKUMENTARY! Let me know what u think of that one.

[@flarrfan]

@@MsLizziebeth1 This and Chinatown are the two best neo-noirs...And for adapting the noir style to something completely different, it's hard to beat Who Framed Roger Rabbit!

[@balthazarasquith]

@@flarrfan I totally agree with you there

[@Bluboy30]

I'm still waiting for a 4K release. This film will look amazing with a new film scan and hopefully it will also get a new Dolby Atmos remix for the sound.

[@Nhamp2000]

I can't believe this movie was beat out for Best Picture by a movie about a girl who had a fling on a boat. I had never heard of James Ellroy until this movie, and I immediately started reading everything that I could.

[@klabkebash]

One of the Best Films ever made. Top 5 90's movie for sure.

[@MattUFL]

A top 10 all-time movie, for sure. It is flawless with great atmosphere and a brilliant cast.

[@MarcAmAlb]

Masterpiece. One of my favourite movies of the last 40 years.

[@quasarleon4645]

I wish we could get an entire movie with Russel Crowe's character alone from this movie :)

[@brianhegarty2902]

Definately one of the greatest films of the 1990's and an all time classic. The 90's was a great decade for films.

[@TaipeiAnimal]

Loved this movie. I bought it on VHS and gave it to my father so we could watch it together. We watched it several times together before he died 20 years ago. Haven’t been able to bring myself to watch it again since. Maybe I’ll watch it again with my son once he’s old enough in 10 years or so.

[@Hexon66]

Just like Humphrey Bogart, with Howard Hawks and John Huston, rose above the source material of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett, for The Big Sleep and The Maltese Falcon, respectively... Curtis Hanson and the brilliant cast of L.A. Confidential rose above what James Elroy provided. He should be grateful.

[@elpulpo800]

Nobody rose above anything. Books and Movies are a completely different medium. You cannot do in movies what is done in books. You have to adapt to the medium. More often than not the adaptation is a failure. When it is successful it is a successful move not a movie that "rises above the source material." It is a movie that rises above other movies that didn't rise above the source material. Now that's an apples to apples comparison.

[@cooperjackson614]

1997 was an amazing year for movies, this was one of the best.

[@vikashv1]

The first big boy movie I saw in the cinema at 14 gave a real appreciation for film.

[@camaronshoultz6137]

This is easily top 10 all time for me! Possibly top 5. Literally a perfect movie!

[@MelloMood1]

L.A. Confidential is a great movie, it's on my Top 10 All Time favorite movies list.......Classic film ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[@LukeLovesRose]

Screw Ellroy. LA Confidential is more proof that 1997 is one of the greatest years and the 1990s is one of the greatest decades in film history

[@cjewe1z]

It is the greatest of all times decade for films.

[@asamcbrez4930]

Stupid WB. I never read the book but the screen writers, two guys instead of a committee , wrote an exceptional screenplay and the director captured the feel of early 50's L.A. Very rewatchable, complex story and well fleshed out characters. Good job JoBlo. Thanks

[@fanmadechannelnocontentmad6763]

Just watched it again never disappoints you can go back to it periodically!

[@joseantoniomillabrito2764]

I wouldn't know about this author guy if it wasn't for the movie adaptation. Congratulations Mr. Henson.

[@unkindestcut]

Do you read crime novels? The author is legendary in that genre and is a considerable character all on his own.

[@pjmlegrande]

2 negative comments out of 215+. Not bad. It was unusually well put together and intelligent with a great story, characters and actors. The attention to period detail of 50s L.A. was astounding (yes, I’m an Angeleno and my 97 year old father-in-law damn near knows every detail of the L.A. of that time). One of the standout films of the past 30 years. It’s not often that I immediately re-watch a movie, but I saw this 3 times during its initial release - I kept dragging friends to see it. I think I’ll re-watch it again, it’s been a long time.

[@franksizzllemann5628]

Good analysis, and I'm burying this negative comment because the clip is well produced. _Too bad the editor has to resort to a clickbait title theme to get clicks_ That's an indictment of the genre and publisher not the content creator.

[@edvaira6891]

Brian Helgeland is one of only two screenwriters I know of who won both Best Screenplay (LA Confidential) and Worst Screenplay (The Postman)….Akiva Goldsman being the other…but Helgeland did it IN THE SAME YEAR

[@evancarmichael84]

My favorite film along with Pulp Fiction and Shawshank.

[@cafeabasedecinema]

This film is a masterpiece.

[@stephenfaust2]

Just watched this tonight. Wow. Just wow.

[@awwwshucks443]

One of my favorite movies as i was becoming an adult.

[@Constantine_IA]

Robbed at the Oscars because of TITANICs insane success&hype a great neonoir film

[@JnEricsonx]

Saw this 4 times in the theater. Helped that I saw it for free cause I worked there,but damn I loved this film.

[@johnjim6793]

One of the best screen plays that I've ever seen, and certainly the most intelligent book adapation. When you read the book, you'll see that the plot in the book and in the movie are considerably different, yet the atmosphere, the characters and central locations like the Night Owl Coffee Shop remain identical.

[@thomashernandez6985]

One of my all time favorite movies.

[@baronvg]

I was in high school when this was coming out and I remember it being one of those movies that just blew up because of good word of mouth.

[@jjsolis8259]

I saw this again a few years ago at The Egyptian in Los Angeles. James Ellroy spoke for about 45 minutes. He did nothing but bash the film. A guy in the theatre yelled out, "It's a great movie!". Ellroy yelled back, "F*ck you!"

[@elpulpo800]

I think Ellroy was screwing with you. Time and time and time again I've seen him praise this movie.

[@localcrew]

Love this film. An all-time classic.

[@hdoghillyer8932]

If it weren’t for Titanic, this would have won Best Picture easily.

[@JoRN1222]

I rewatched this film today. The movie was and is awesome. What a cast!❤

[@mmssocialmedia]

My second favorite movie! ❤ Perfect timing too. Thank you so much for this since the reality of Hollywood is rearing its ugly head presently. New gen needs to watch this movie.

[@handsolo1076]

Tough, fast & gritty. An amazing neo-noir cinematic gem with a knockout cast!

[@bosserman444]

I just saw it yesterday, such a good movie, one level under life changing, which they could’ve made more

[@SirSmoldham]

GREAT PIECE. I first saw this movie at a screening in Westwood where James Ellroy was signing copies of his book (I framed my ticket). I love this movie beyond reason. Curtis Hanson and Brian Helgeland managed to adapt the impossible and I was already a huge Hanson fan after seeing "The Silent Partner" with Elliott Gould (another example of Hitchcock done right). And, as I've said many times before, Jerry Goldsmith RULES.

[@NEO-jy3yn]

Saw this last night for the first time and omg what n awesome movie.

[@pishposh4506]

The storyline of the video game LA Noire is basically a combination of LA confidential and Chinatown

[@jamesmorant1406]

One of the best movies of 1997, the cast was fantastic well deserved Oscar for Kim Basinger

[@tylerdordon99]

Curtis hanson also wrote a Canadian thriller called The Silent Partner with Elliot Gould and Christopher Plummer. it's a highly underrated movie imo with a clever screenplay and unexpected twists. also both leads give one of their finest performances ever.

[@whitepaladin1959]

Thanks for that. I loved that movie and had totally forgotten about it. It was also the first movie that watched and then realized well into the movie that I had read the book.

[@raystewart3648]

A really really good film. One of the best. Have seen this film multiple times over the years and it still is my favourite of this gen.

[@soloistdeve]

It's a great film. James Ellroy can have his Stephen King moment, who cares.

[@lordofthereels6790]

I'd have loved an all Aussie lead Confidential with Kidman in Bassinger's role, Hugo Weaving in Cromsell's, Hugh Jackman in Spacey's role and Brian Brown as Pierce Patchett

[@currypablo]

One of my favorites from the 90s. Great film 🎥 decade.

[@eileenfryan]

First time I’d seen Russell Crowe. Haven’t stopped since. A great actor

[@formulahank1250]

I think it’s a much better film than Titanic and has a lot more substance

[@stephenosullivan9016]

This is indeed a masterpiece. Unfortunately It suffered the same fate at the Oscar’s as “The Fugitive” in ‘93. That year Schindlers List came out and there was no doubt as to the best picture that year…or decade even. L.A. had to contend with Titanic, which to me was a sprawling epic in the classic old Hollywood sense. However, I think the margin of winning was much tighter. I can’t really say if LA “should” have won because I think Titanic is extremely well made and excellent in its own right. But Titanics legacy certainly wouldn’t have been hurt by losing to such a great film.

[@elpulpo800]

It's in the National Film Registry. That's much higher honor than an Oscar. That's like the Nobel Prize for movies.

[@stephenosullivan9016]

@@elpulpo800 So is Titanic. Oscars are just contest for filmmakers in the end. Stroking egos everywhere. There are many Best Picture winners that have faded away. Meanwhile plenty of non-winners have survived and thrived in the test of time. LA Confidential being one of them. Excellent reputation. Great, great film.

[@user-xq7pn4hc9m]

Actually this may be the first instance of a film being better than the novel. They pared a meandering, character-laden story of the book to a tight, full-speed-ahead film that featured some of the best acting ever.

[@JoJoJoker]

The Prestige, also a nearly perfect film, is another example.

[@sic6664]

Just saw this for the first time a few years ago. A masterpiece.

[@jtcbrt]

Nicely done.

[@PerfPopcorn]

One of the best AI / cloned voiceovers I’ve hear ! Damn AI Is good 😅

[@paulzenco6182]

What an awesome film. I watched it almost 10 times from 1998 to 2005

[@johnwilkins7321]

its the reason i read the book. its a magnificent movie. It shows how good Crowe can be when he sets his mind to it

[@briandonnelly638]

Perfect novel, perfect movie, would love to see The cold six thousand adaptation to screen.

[@ericsarnoski6278]

Definately one of all time favorites in my movie library.

[@g_vezz]

IMO Best movie of the year. Way ahead Titanic.

[@WH250398]

Absolutely amazing movie.

[@highwind1991]

One of my favorite film noirs!

[@DinHamburg]

seen many times - looking forward to many more times

[@lostsock9852]

This is one of my favourite films of all time. Honestly, I think McEllroy's recent comments are more a reflection on him than it. And it's not good.

[@TommyRibs]

Great movie. It’s hard to believe that it has been over 25 years since it came out.

[@56postoffice]

This is the film that should have battered *"Titanic"* on Oscar night in 1998, after getting 8 nominations. Instead, it won two whereas *"Titanic"* cleaned up with 11. Which of those two is rightly seen as a masterpiece now.

[@LoepkeVisionFilms]

We definitely need a video about The Hand That Rocks The Cradle!!

[@sabster79]

“That IS Lana Turner” 😂😂😂. Best part of an amazing film.

[@paulryan2128]

Nice work, Jo Blo. Saw this in the theater & I thought it was a good-to-great movie at the time. Can't judge a movie by how it does at Oscars award show ... you have to actually SEE it, preferably at a theatrecw/other ppl

[@jenisedai]

This is my favourite movie, and I love watching it and then doing a double feature with Nice Guys- two dark LA noire pieces with fantastic turns by Crowe.

[@walterbowman3883]

I always felt that LA confidential should have won best picture

[@garywest8705]

Love crime movies based in LA in the 40s and 50s. Mulholland Falls, The Two Jakes, Hollywoodland, and Chinatown although it was based in the 30s.

[@SPACEM0NKEY1102]

The old lady in Titanic did not deserve that award. Glad Kim won it.

[@Warped9]

A fantastic film!

[@K.Impact]

I've always wondered if the video game LA Noire took inspiration from this movie.

[@jackabalas]

Russell Crowe is a Kiwi not an Aussie

[@FrankinDallas]

One of my favorite movies, this plus Justified puts Leonard into historical status.