L.A. Takedown

L.A. Takedown (1989)

If you thought Miami was rough, you haven't worked the streets of L.A.

The tale of two skilled professionals--one a cop, the other a criminal--who aren't as different as they think. Vincent Hanna is an intense cop on the trail of ruthless armed robber Patrick McLaren. After a botched heist, the two men confront each via a full scale battle on the seedy streets of Los Angeles.

Date of release
1989-08-27
TMDB
5.4 / 10 (66)
Runtime
1h 34m
Genres
Crime, Thriller, TV Movie, Drama
Director
Michael Mann

Casting

Interesting facts

L.A. Takedown, also called L.A. Crimewave and Made in L.A., is a 1989 American crime action television film written and directed by Michael Mann. Originally filmed as a pilot for an NBC television series, the project was reworked and aired as a stand-alone film after the series was not picked up. The film was later released on VHS and, in Region 2, on DVD. It is the basis for Mann's 1995 film Heat.

Background and production

The origins of L.A. Takedown lay in real life. Michael Mann, the film's producer and screenwriter, cited producer, screenwriter and Chicago ex-police officer Chuck Adamson as an inspiration for the character of Vincent Hanna. Mann, who collaborated with Adamson on Miami Vice and Crime Story and several minor projects, was told of an investigation Adamson partook in. In 1963, he was investigating Neil McCauley, a professional robber.

In 1979, Mann wrote an early 180-page draft for the screenplay. After making his first feature film, Thief, he re-wrote the draft. In a 1983 interview, he mentioned he was planning to make a film based on the draft and was looking for someone to direct it. He later offered the director position to Walter Hill, but Hill refused. In the late 1980s, NBC commissioned Mann to produce a new television series.

The pilot was shot in nineteen days, with ten days of pre-production, which was described as atypically fast for Mann. The film score was written by Tim Truman, and cinematography done by Ron Garcia. The soundtrack also featured the song "L.A. Woman" performed by Billy Idol.

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