Los Angeles Plays Itself
Los Angeles Plays Itself is a video essay by Thom Andersen, finished in 2003, exploring the way Los Angeles has been presented in movies. Consisting almost entirely of clips from other films with narration, the film was not initially released commercially. The film was only seen in screenings presented by Andersen, occasional presentations at American Cinematheque and copies distributed via filesharing and other person-to-person methods. In 2014, it was announced that the film would finally be released officially by Cinema Guild.[1]
Andersen stated that the film idea occurred to him after a lecture he gave at the California Institute of the Arts, where he talked about his objections to L.A. Confidential, the 1997 Curtis Hanson film adapted from James Ellroy's novel.[2]
In the film, Andersen argues that the influence of Hollywood overshadows Los Angeles and one of the reasons the city is frequently abbreviated.[2] He makes the case that directors have a distate for modernist architecture, which is regularly used for villain's homes.[2]
References
- ↑ http://thedissolve.com/news/2681-thom-andersens-los-angeles-plays-itself-is-finally
- 1 2 3 SCOTT FOUNDAS (July 25, 2004). "FILM; L.A. Residential". NY Times. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
External links
- Los Angeles Plays Itself at the Internet Movie Database
- The Reality of Film; Thom Anderson on Los Angeles Plays Itself
- Bringing It Back: An Interview With Thom Andersen
- Urban Renewal:The dreamlife of Angeles: A film professor reclaims his city
- Thom Andersen interview with StopSmiling Magazine
- Interview with Thom Andersen on WNYC Radio
- Collateral Damage: Los Angeles Continues Playing Itself by Thom Andersen
- List of movies mentioned in Los Angeles Plays Itself (in order of appearance)