#l.a. takedown

[courseyoulovemeyoudontknowme]

Heat (1995, Michael Mann)

24/02/2025

[watching-pictures-move]

Movie Review | L.A. Takedown (Mann, 1989)

This is obviously nobody's favourite Michael Mann movie, but despite not being a hardcore Mann-head (nothing against the guy, I just haven't really dug in past a certain point), I did find this interesting to consider within the context of his career. This is obviously in the shadow of Heat, and you can see embryonic forms of the latter movie's iconic scenes rendered in a crisp, televisual style. But there's a fair bit of Miami Vice in this one's DNA, and I'm not just saying that because I've been obsessed with that show for the last few months. I mean, even the title plays like a response to that show. (If you must know, I just finished the entire series a few days ago. I suppose I should write something about the finale, but in any case, our long national nightmare of me bringing up the show at every opportunity is finally over... NOT!) 

You get a neon-tinged nighttime driving scene like the famous "In the Air Tonight" montage from the pilot episode "Brother's Keeper", although the music choice here, Billy Idol's cover of "L.A. Woman", is a lot more on the nose. (I do think this movie makes better use of it when it recycles it towards the end, accentuating the verve of the final showdown.) But the visual style, with the extra dark interior and nocturnal scenes and sunburnt daytime scenes, brings to mind the look of the not particularly beloved (but still worthwhile, in my opinion) fifth season. Apparently Mann shot this unusually quickly, and he's understandably unable to give L.A. the same curated sense of visual identity he achieved through the extensive location scouting in Vice, but there is an interesting squarish sense of geometry to the movie. Obviously some of that comes with the realities of architecture (buildings and their fixtures only come in certain shapes), but the rigid angles extend to the screen composition and even the action, which is often captured either perpendicularly or directly aligned to us. Despite the relatively bloodless confines of network television, the violence here has a real kick.

And with Vice's casting director Bonnie Timmermann involved, you unsurprisingly get a season's worth of great character actors packed into this. Best is Xander Berkeley as Waingro, playing his character like a more deranged Bruce Willis. Worst, surprisingly, are Scott Plank and Alex McArthur in the Al Pacino and Robert De Niro roles, respectively. Obviously when you're put up against two all time great actors, it's hard to measure up, but you can just look at the coffee scene here to see just how much they come up short. Plank is doing a lot of the shouting that I assumed was Pacino's contribution, and absolutely not pulling it off. Especially bad are the shouting matches he has with his wife, played by Ely Pouget from "Junk Love", who despite her valiant efforts, is given nothing by Plank to play off of. While I haven't seen Heat in some time, I remember the relationship stuff being the worst part, and that's definitely the case here. I should note that the copy I watched on YouTube dropped the audio for a few minutes late in the movie, but it was during these boring ass relationship drama scenes, so I probably didn't miss much. At least when Crockett or Tubbs had bad luck with women, Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas could pull off the material, and there were often wild and highly entertaining twists to boot, like in "Definitely Miami" and "Little Miss Dangerous". 

Apparently NBC offered to pick this up if Mann replaced Plank as the lead, which Mann refused to do, so it never went to series. I respect Mann's loyalty to his guy... but Plank sucks and NBC was right to want to replace him.

[power-chords]

Also from L.A. Takedown, here's Xander Berkeley as the OG Waingro. Berkeley has a bit part in Heat as Ralph ("Shut up, Ralph. SIT DOWN!!!"), Justine's effete, nerdy side piece. In his clothing is a prime example of Mann's thoroughly developed costuming language: abstract and/or geometric patterns to represent psychological instability (as a function of fragmentation, or permeability). You also see this in the almost Enid Marx-looking shirt Sadak wears in Blackhat, and Francis Dollarhyde's hideous splotchy button down in Manhunter. The brighter and louder or more fine-grained the print, the more trouble you're in.

[oldshowbiz]

A car chase speeds past a midcentury Pioneer Chicken in the film L.A. Takedown (1989)

[franki-lew-yo]

Just finished rewatching all of Bojack Horseman cause it's so dang good like wow it's incredible.

There were a lot of bits I actually had avoided watching the first time around like "Escape from L.A." or really most of season 1 for whatever reason, but I gotta tell you the scene that breaks me the most and which I had to skip through is near the end of the show when Bojack's AA meeting literally all judge him and leave him behind.

Of course you understand why they do it but something about Bojack being so harshly rejected by those strangers hurts way more than him being rejected by his friends whom he did at some point genuinely hurt.

The bittersweet part of this whole show is how some justice or the performance of justice is never the same thing as true justice. Bojack's reputation and life will never be the same and the people who cut him out will continue to do so, but he's mostly okay with that and he still technically has Mr. Peanutbutter, Todd and Princess Carolyn even if they're at an arm's length. He has changed, but he sure as hell ain't really being punished. Meanwhile we never hear if Penny is actually going to be alright and cope with her trauma; Sarah Lynn's tragic demise is still being used for clout by her abusive parents who don't appear to be getting any real heat for their own mistreatment of her; the kid who found Bojack in the pool seems to be on the path to being exploited; Vance Wagner is not arrested-

Bojack may not be very subtle about it but it's one of the most poigent love-letter/takedowns/therapy sessions with Hollywood and the consumer media out there.

[maguireboyd]

L.A. Takedown (1989)

[loscerritoscommunitynews]

Show to Document the Murder of Deputy and Operation Takedown in Hawaiian Gardens

Officer Jerry Ortiz was shot and killed. November 2, 2023 By Brian Hews The killing of Jerry Ortiz, a 15-year veteran of the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department who worked on gang suppression, rocked the city of Hawaiian Gardens in 2005. After a massive door-to-door search, Jose Luis Orozco, a 27-year-old reputed gang member with devil horns tattooed on his head, was arrested in Hawaiian…

[kworldsportsnews]

Goalie Clash Nearly Ignites in Kings' Blowout Win Over Bruins

A lopsided Sunday night game at Crypto.com Arena turned into something far more memorable than just the final score. The Los Angeles Kings trounced the Boston Bruins 7-2, but what had 18,000 fans on their feet wasn’t a goal — it was what almost became a rare, full-blown goalie fight between Darcy Kuemper and Jeremy Swayman.

In a league where true netminder scraps have become unicorns, this nearly-happened moment had all the ingredients: rising tension, flying gloves, exposed fists, and the electricity of two goalies skating to center ice, ready to square off.

It didn’t happen — but it almost did. And sometimes, that’s even better.

Heat Sparks in Second Period Chaos

The sequence that set the firestorm in motion came late in the second period. Bruins forward Marat Khusnutdinov was sent flying into Kuemper after taking a shove from Kings winger Tanner Jeannot. Though the collision looked more like a result of the domino effect than malicious intent, Kuemper wasn’t having any of it.

In a flash, the Kings netminder was on his feet, grabbing Khusnutdinov and tearing off his helmet in frustration. The building erupted, both benches stood up, and the referees jumped in to dish out a pair of penalties — one for roughing to Kuemper and one for goaltender interference to the Bruins.

From the other end of the rink, Jeremy Swayman watched it all — and then made his move.

He skated out, slow and deliberate, eyes locked on Kuemper. Without hesitation, Kuemper met him halfway. Both tossed their gloves. Both shed their helmets. The fans went absolutely berserk.

And then — nothing. No punches. No takedown. No fight. Just adrenaline hanging in the air, heavy and unfulfilled, as the officials stepped in just in time to separate the two.

It was a moment frozen in time — the kind that makes highlight reels even if no punches are thrown.

Coaches Hold Their Breath, Fans Cry Out for More

On the Kings bench, head coach Jim Hiller looked both amused and uneasy.

“Fans probably loved it,” Hiller said postgame, cracking a smile. “But us coaches? Nah. You don’t want your number one goalie risking injury like that.”

He has good reason to be protective. Kuemper has been a fortress at home this season, not losing in regulation on home ice since early December. With a 25-3-4 record at Crypto.com Arena, L.A. has the NHL’s best home performance — and Kuemper is at the heart of it.

“Best hockey he’s played in a long time,” Hiller added. “We need that guy healthy in April. Not throwing uppercuts in March.”

Swayman’s response was more emotional — a flash of loyalty.

“He ripped off one of our guy’s helmets,” Swayman told reporters. “I’m not just going to sit back and watch that happen. I was ready. He was ready. But the refs did their job.”

Both goalies were slapped with minor penalties for leaving their creases, but neither was ejected. Cooler heads prevailed — just barely.

Rare Sight: The Goalie Fight That Almost Was

Full-on goalie fights are almost extinct in today’s NHL. You’d have to go back over five years to find the last real instance — February 1, 2020 — when Mike Smith and Cam Talbot went toe-to-toe during a Battle of Alberta between Edmonton and Calgary.

Since then, the league has flirted with a few close encounters. In 2023, St. Louis’ Jordan Binnington tried to bait Marc-Andre Fleury into a duel, but linesmen ended it before it began. Even then, Binnington got suspended for taking a swing at another player.

Swayman, interestingly enough, seems to be looking for that old-school heat. He previously tried to spark a scrap with Joseph Woll of Toronto last season. Woll didn’t engage.

“He’s not reckless,” said one Bruins teammate. “He just has pride. He stands up for the boys.”

On Sunday night, Kuemper showed he’s got that edge too. Maybe it’s a goalie thing. Maybe it’s the playoff pressure starting to simmer early. Whatever it is, both men walked away with added respect from fans and teammates alike.

Beyond the Scoreboard: A Message Sent

The Kings didn’t just win — they dominated. From puck drop to final buzzer, it was their show. Goals came early, often, and from all over the lineup. But what lingered wasn’t the goals. It was the stare-down. The gloves on the ice. The referees yanking giants apart.

“It lit a fire,” said Kings forward Adrian Kempe. “It gets the bench buzzing. Like, hey — we’re in this together. No one’s pushing us around.”

Moments like this are reminders that hockey isn’t just a sport of skill. It’s a game of heart, of heat, of loyalty. And when two goalies are willing to cross center ice to make a point, it sends a message bigger than any stat line.

Will We See Round Two?

With the regular season winding down, it’s unclear if these teams will meet again. But if they do, fans won’t forget what nearly took place in Los Angeles.

Kuemper and Swayman didn’t land punches, but they landed something else — a moment burned into the memory of the arena and the wider hockey world.

Social media exploded within minutes. Clips of the encounter went viral. Commentators dubbed it “the highlight of the game,” even in a 7-2 blowout.

These kinds of encounters are rare now. Maybe that’s what makes them so electric. When goalies — the last line of defense, the most protected players on the ice — decide to take matters into their own hands, the whole game changes, even for just a second.

Final Thoughts: The Fight That Didn’t Happen — But Left a Mark

In a sport that thrives on raw emotion, grit, and moments that can’t be measured in box scores, Sunday night’s goalie showdown-that-wasn’t was exactly the kind of theater hockey fans live for.

No fists flew. No one got hurt. But still, everyone walked away knowing something special almost happened.

And maybe that’s enough.

Source: Kings vs Bruins

[cinematicendevaourz]

While the streets of L.A. are buzzing about the takedown of Big U and the notorious Rollin' 60's Crip gang, Barry Levinson's "The Alto Knights" hits the box office to double down on the facts of U.S. organized crime and how snitches and rats are apart of the dirty game. Mafioso legend Robert DeNiro stars in the opposing roles as both Frank and Vino - childhood friends who take differing paths to gain influence in Manhattan's underbelly. The former an illegal gambler who launders his winnings amongst politicians and the latter a hothead who is involved in nearly every murder within the film because of his ignorant passion. I believe I was listening to "The STAR Report" when the question was posed as to why DeNiro does not get reprimanded by the Italian community by consistently portraying stereotypical Italian mafioso's in U.S. cinema. It can be chalked up to the fact that film's like "Alto Knights" are period pieces - reflective historical accounts. By that merit, I dont mind seeing DeNiro in this as he admits towards the end of the film that immigrant classes (such as the Italians) got rich off crime in the states and that the U.S. essentially was built off the backs of exploiting it's indigenous people to allow crime to run rampant by primarily European immigrants that paid bribes to law enforcement and politicans to look the other way and keep the cogs of criminality turning. It's as sobering as watching the many sit-downs between Vino and Frank as Vino constantly reminds Frank that he's still a criminal, no matter how much he dresses it up. Given my personal demographic as a Black U.S. citizen who gets criminalized often just for being apart of the class of the working homeless, I enjoyed watching the gangsters get taken down in this film as much as I enjoy criminal enterprises get taken down in 2025. I have always lived by the axom ascribed by 50 Cent - "If I can't get no money witcha, then fuck ya". As I transition into my 30's, throughout my 29 years in the physical, no one ever put me into any route to fast money through criminality and I am international now. I come from a metropolis. So I have no pity when I see sting operations go down or criminals in cuffs. Having drug addicts essentially as my neighbors on the streets nationwide for the past four years has also given me a particular disdain towards drug peddlers. So I dont look at bootleg liquor runs during the U.S. Prohibition-era as something to be celebrated. If I would have saw "Alto Knights" as a kid, I would have most likely taken this film as a glorification picture of the mafioso lifestyle. As an adult, who has now lived around Italians in the East Coast, I took in "Alto Knights" as a story that shows just how ugly U.S. history is. The only time I applauded throughout the film was when Frank walked out of the court proceedings using an agency of natural law. That moment, was something that reminded me that there are loopholes in the U.S. and it's crooked system that values criminality over most other tenets. Other than that, a film like this made me disgusted that as a child I ever aspired to get into a gang lifestyle. From DeNiro to Fraiser, everyone in this film looked incredibly sloppy. When it was revealed that Vino dies of congestive heart failure, I laughed aloud. Platters of excessive flesh were served throughout the film, penthouse suites depicted, one mob boss even brags about his "16 sq. ft. living room" … minks on dogs, U.S. decadence all built off the backs U.S. criminality, it just did not sit right with me. The last film I saw DeNiro in he was playing grandfather to some kid with special needs. Frasier ? "The Whale". "Alto Knights" just feels like a regression of sorts for every notable actor that starred in this film.

Even Ford Coppola got the picture last year and did "Metropolis". "Alto Knights" in the DJ Vlad / U.S. immigrant crisis era is honestly a film released in bad taste, piling on further evidence as to why this European country is not as great as advertised.

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C.V.R. The Bard 20th/Mar.2k25

[jimenezpfacundo]

L.A TAKEDOWN / MIAMI VICE: THE HOME INVADERS

[omercifulheaves]

L.A. Takedown (1989) Art by Enzo Sciotti a.k.a. Heat: The Rough Draft

[power-chords]

A still from Michael Mann's television film and Heat prototype L.A. Takedown, 1989, with Scott Plank (L) as Vincent Hanna, and Alex McArthur (R) as Patrick McClaren, who would six years later become Neil McCauley. You may recognize Plank from Melrose Place; he was also a Miami Vice cast alumnus. McArthur was in William Friedkin's Rampage as well as the music video for Madonna's "Papa Don't Preach."

[oldshowbiz]

The Penguin, a midcentury diner, as seen in L.A. Takedown aka Made in L.A. aka Corrupcion Los Angeles aka Showdown in L.A.

[launderground]

L.A. TAKEDOWN : WHEN IT'S OVER

[creme-de-synthe]

[allhailkingrooker51]

Rooker in L.A. Takedown (1989)