As Los Angeles largely enters into recovery stage from the recent wildfires, I dedicate this article to that wonderful city that has given us so many timeless classics. Below you will find 5 movies that made us love Los Angeles.
(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.)
Certainly, there are a lot of movies with an L.A. setting; it’s literally the home of the American movie industry, after all. And yet, L.A. movies seem somehow less exalted than other locales. There’s quite a few reasons; certainly the city is harder to romanticize, since we mostly think about congestive traffic. But these five great Los Angeles films really standout.
5. Heat (1995)
Okay, for the most part Heat takes place in Michael Mann land; a cool, urban landscape of postmodern interiors bathed in gunmetal-blue twilight. Not many filmmakers are as known for their stylish terrain as Mann. That being said, the film’s heist centerpiece, as it spills out violently onto downtown Flower Street, is 100% Los Angeles, and one of Hollywood’s finest bits of mayhem.
Heat has an A Cute Film Addictive Rating of 8.6/10 and is currently streaming on Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and Plex.
4. Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
Singin’ in the Rain is the crown jewel of Hollywood musicals, and its subject is Tinseltown itself. Hollywood royalty Gene Kelly plays a silent-movie star making an uneasy transition to sound. Kelly’s failed screen test is a classic comedy set piece, but it’s the giddy, astonishing musical performances that make the film really shine, especially the peerless title love ballad that was shot on a two block long backlot set that will forever remain one of La La Land’s most iconic moments.
Singin’ in the Rain has an A Cute Film Addictive Rating of 8.6/10 and is currently streaming on Max.
3. Sunset Boulevard (1950)
Sure, there are a lot of successful people in the Los Angeles movie industry, but there are also screenwriters just trying to get by and former stars that are fading into the background. In Sunset Boulevard, we get these two types running into each other with disastrous consequences. The movie opens with William Holden’s screenwriter dead in a pool, and we then go back to find out how he got there.
Sunset Boulevard has an A Cute Film Addictive Rating of 8.7/10 and is currently streaming on Paramount+. It is also available to rent or buy through Amazon Prime here.
2. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
The source of many of movie scenes, the Los Angeles River plays a predominant role in Terminator 2. Though I have never been there personally, I have been told that most of the year there is barely any water flowing in the river, which leaves a lot of concrete and open space for filming. Most of us have definitely seen the basin that the Los Angeles River runs through in films that includes Grease, and, of course, the big car chase scene in this movie.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day has an A Cute Film Addictive Rating of 8.9/10, and is currently streaming on Paramount+. It is also available to rent or buy through Amazon Prime here.
1. Pulp Fiction (1994)
There is no doubt the film industry of today owes a debt of gratitude to Los Angeles native Quentin Tarantino‘s second feature film, and the world of independent cinema it helped to create. One thing’s for sure, no one who strikes up a discursive conversation in a car stuck in Los Angeles traffic will ever fail to be conscious of the fact that they are going through the same motions as Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson) as they considered the “Royale with Cheese.”
Cars, and the distances, specifically, they have to travel in a town like Los Angeles, are an integral part of the fabric of the Pulp Fiction story. Harvey Keitel’s character offering Vincent and Jules rides home until he hears they live in Redondo Beach and Inglewood: “In your future… I see… a cab ride.”
Pulp Fiction has an A Cute Film Addictive Rating of 9.2/10 and is currently streaming on AMC+. It is available to rent or purchase through Amazon Prime here.
The Final Word:
”And you know what they call a…a…a Quarter Pounder with Cheese in Paris?
Until next time, enjoy your time at the movies! As always, your thoughts are welcome in the comments section below. If you want to get my posts delivered to your inbox, please subscribe below as well.
Leave a Reply