History YMMV / ToLiveAndDieInLA

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: To modern audiences, it can seem like a litany of every [[TheEighties '80s]] and [[TheNineties '90s]] cop movie trope/cliche eventually parodied in ''Film/LastActionHero'' and the [=McBain=] movies-within-the-show on ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' - from [[{{Retirony}} the cop days from retirement who gets killed on the job]] to the [[HollywoodCalifornia totally tubular LA setting]] to the exact line (''[[BeamMeUpScotty not]]'' [[BeamMeUpScotty uttered in]] ''Film/LethalWeapon''), "I'm getting too old for this shit." Except when you look closer, it turns out this movie predates TropeCodifier ''Film/LethalWeapon1987'' by two years and would have been well into production around the same time ''Series/MiamiVice'' debuted. It's also (arguably) a GenreDeconstruction.

* TrueArtIsIncomprehensible: Probably why Masters burns his paintings and hangs out with strangely-costumed interpretive dancers.

* AcceptableEthnicTargets: In the very opening: a kefiah-wearing suicide bomber is yelling "death to Israel and America, and all the enemies of Islam!".

* SpiritualAdaptation: This very much feels like a ''Series/MiamiVice'' film. So much that there was a story that Creator/MichaelMann sued Creator/WilliamFriedkin for plagiarism.

* FoeYay: Masters and Chance; the former certainly enjoys patting down the latter shortly before he tells him "You're beautiful." Chance later returns the favor, presumably sarcastically, but it's hard to be sure.

* MagnificentBastard: Masters, according to some.

* SoBleakItsBoring: Especially considering it was a throwback to grim and gritty 70s-era crime films during a decade when feel-good, BlackAndWhiteMorality action films were the order of the day.

* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: The score by Music/WangChung, especially [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bf4x36XKhsM the theme song]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upgCCAUI6TI "City of Angels"]].

* DarknessInducedAudienceApathy: Especially considering it was a throwback to grim and gritty 70s-era crime films during a decade when feel-good, BlackAndWhiteMorality action films were the order of the day.

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: To modern audiences, it can seem like a litany of every [[TheEighties '80s]] and [[TheNineties '90s]] cop movie trope/cliche eventually parodied in ''Film/LastActionHero'' and the [=McBain=] movies-within-the-show on ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' - from [[{{Retirony}} the cop days from retirement who gets killed on the job]] to the [[HollywoodCalifornia totally tubular LA setting]] to the exact line (''[[BeamMeUpScotty not]]'' [[BeamMeUpScotty uttered in]] ''Film/LethalWeapon''), "I'm getting too old for this shit." Except when you look closer, it turns out this movie predates TropeCodifier ''Lethal Weapon'' by two years and would have been well into production around the same time ''Series/MiamiVice'' debuted. It's also (arguably) a GenreDeconstruction.

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: To modern audiences, it can seem like a litany of every [[TheEighties '80s]] and [[TheNineties '90s]] cop movie trope/cliche eventually parodied in ''Film/LastActionHero'' and the [=McBain=] movies-within-the-show on ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' - from [[{{Retirony}} the cop days from retirement who gets killed on the job]] to the [[HollywoodCalifornia totally tubular LA setting]] to the exact line (''[[BeamMeUpScotty not]]'' [[BeamMeUpScotty uttered in]] ''Film/LethalWeapon''), "I'm getting too old for this shit." Except when you look closer, it turns out this movie predates TropeCodifier ''Lethal Weapon'' by two years and would have been well into production around the same time ''Series/MiamiVice'' debuted.

* RetroactiveRecognition:
** It's [[Series/{{CSI}} Gil Grissom]].
** Also, [[Series/QuantumLeap Al Calavicci]] in a supporting role.
** And [[Film/SpiderMan1 Norman Osborn]] was messing around with another form of green.
** [[Film/TheBigLebowski Jesus]] is a jailed counterfeiter Chance needs the services of.
*** Taking it even further, [[Film/TheBigLebowski Jesus]] is working for [[Film/TheLastTemptationOfChrist Jesus Christ]].

* BrokenBase: The jury is still out whether or not this movie is ''better'' than ''Film/TheFrenchConnection'' or simply one of Friedkin's best. Or just an average movie from a director with his glory days behind him but a long way still to go before hitting rock bottom.

** Masters as well. Some see him as a MagnificentBastard, a WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds with NietzscheWannabe tendencies, or just a straight bad guy.

* EarWorm: "I wonder why in L.A./[[TitleDrop To live and die in L.A.]]"