Chris Chiarella

Could the acclaimed director of The French Connection still be relevant in the MTV era? That’s a big 10-4, with William Friedkin delivering another edgy tale of cops and robbers in 1985’s To Live and Die in L.A., this time set on the left coast, and even helming the Wang Chung music video for the title tune.

Under the guise of an invitation-only tournament for the world’s most elite fighters, the notorious crime lord Han is in fact planning something far more sinister. After some convincing from British intelligence, martial arts master Lee (Bruce Lee) agrees to participate, with the dual agenda of gathering the evidence needed for a government takedown plus revenge upon the man responsible for the death of his sister. A couple of newfound friends share Lee’s opposition to Han, but it will take more than these three to win this fight.

See, when studios invest hundreds of millions of dollars in their intended tentpole movies, they’re betting that sufficient tens of millions of people will be buying seats and popcorn to offset these exorbitant costs.

One of the ways they hedge these bets is to feature familiar characters in sequels, remakes, reboots and other sorts of “franchises'' with (they assume) a certain built-in audience. Of course, the movies need to be of a certain level of watchability and even rewatchability to reach that goal, and therein lies the challenge.

Funny how some movies debut to great negativity; either due to controversy or harsh criticism, possibly both; and yet possess that certain something that enables them to transcend over time. Waterworld is a fine example, plagued by countless production woes and subsequent budget overruns, considered a flop despite its big box office, and now years later, a great many folks appreciate its charms and have even granted it cult status.