Los Angeles Plays Itself

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Los Angeles Plays Itself

2004

2h 49m

Documentary

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

96%

Tomatometer

45 Reviews

84%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

Consisting mostly of shots from other films, this documentary discusses the many representations of the city of Los Angeles in film and on television. Professor Thom Andersen compares the city as it exists in real life with its depictions on screen to examine how L.A. and its massive community have been misrepresented over the years. In addition to critical analysis, Andersen explains how directors portray the city itself as a character, and he also delves into L.A.'s dark history.

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Critics Consensus

A treat for cinephiles, this documentary is a comprehensive, academic, and enlightening film essay concerning Los Angeles and its depiction in the movies.

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Nick De Semlyen

Empire Magazine

Oct 22, 2024

2/5

Interesting in places, but let down by a narrator/director who is as dull as dishwater.

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Justin Chang

Los Angeles Times

Sep 1, 2016

A definitive statement about how the movies have distorted our perceptions of this city's architectural, cultural and historical identity ..

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Richard Brody

The New Yorker

Apr 4, 2016

Blends a complex kaleidoscopic portrait of the city and a powerful work of film criticism with Andersen's personal story of living in Los Angeles.

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Dennis Harvey

48 Hills

Aug 26, 2022

Its first half a sensuous nature idyll, it then gives way to an experimental-cinema bad trip whose fragmented domination interlude is redolent of LSD and Kenneth Anger.

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Dan Sallitt

Senses of Cinema

Oct 17, 2018

Ultimately, Los Angeles Plays Itself plays out as a document of the conflict between Anderson's love of movies and his distrust of mass media.

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Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

May 21, 2015

A-

This unusual brainy pic acts to show, in a provocative way, how Hollywood transforms a fiction film into a documentary.

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Kyle M

@RT77296778 Mar 3, 2026

From the architectural reputations and geographical ranges to residing social archetypes, Andersen truthfully instill a comprehensive attempt in arguably framing one of the country’s most popular cityscape destinations with proper examining correction that’s personally limited yet fascinatingly thought-provoking as his achieved extent. (B+)

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Jacob F

@RT61936779 Mar 6, 2025

The clips are interesting if you ignore the ranting of the narrator, who seems strangely neurotic. The movie is really long and would be hilarious if the delivery didn't seem so lacking in self-awareness.

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Niven H

Sep 2, 2019

Great archive but strange meandering structure.

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david f

@dfulmer Feb 27, 2019

An excellent and thoroughly comprehensive documentary about films set in Los Angeles with tons of scenes from movies both famous and obscure.

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Jul 5, 2016

The first part of this documentary is interesting and fun, but skip the second half as it's bog down into the director's take on what he thinks other directors have interpreted LA to be.

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Oct 11, 2015

Long, but worth it for film freaks.

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Thom Andersen

Director

Encke King

Narrator

Thom Andersen

Producer

Deborah Stratman

Cinematographer

Seung-Hyun Yoo

Film Editing

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Synopsis

Consisting mostly of shots from other films, this documentary discusses the many representations of the city of Los Angeles in film and on television. Professor Thom Andersen compares the city as it exists in real life with its depictions on screen to examine how L.A. and its massive community have been misrepresented over the years. In addition to critical analysis, Andersen explains how directors portray the city itself as a character, and he also delves into L.A.'s dark history.

Director: Thom Andersen
Producer: Thom Andersen
Production Co: Thom Andersen Productions
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 1, 2004, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 14, 2014
Runtime: 2h 49m

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