Review of Los Angeles Plays Itself (2004) by Charlie M — 23 Feb 2015

Those who live in L.A. are quick to point out famous movie locations of films that didn't even exist in that city. Due to small budget many films can't travel outside of tinsel-town and have to use L.A.'s random side streets as anonymous backdrops. Other architectural landmarks double as hideouts for villainous drug lords and malevolent Japanese corporations. Being the home of Hollywood, it's the most filmed city in the world. How the city has been known over the past 80 years is more defined by movies than by realities. Here that idea is explored in every aspect from architecture to history to culture through Dragnet, Blade Runner, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, Repo Man, Chinatown, and Rebel Without A Cause.

This anthropological study as told by a cinephile that looks to redefine the city's image for movie lovers. It's enjoyable if you're interested in the city and if you just love film, but at a runtime of nearly 3 hours it's a bit of a haul. As a 3 part PBS miniseries I think it would have been a little more manageable. Still very intriguing and worthwhile.