Episode 774: Cop (1988)

Special Guest: James B. Harris
Guest Co-Hosts: Andrew Nette, Rod Lott

Noirvember 2025 closes out with a hard-edged dive into Cop (1988) , James B. Harris’s blistering adaptation of James Ellroy's novel Blood on the Moon. Mike teams up with Andrew Nette and Rod Lott to unpack this gritty Los Angeles thriller, led by one of James Woods’s most volatile performances as Detective Lloyd Hopkins-—a cop who bulldozes every rule on the hunt for a killer.-

We dig into the film’s tangled lineage: how Harris reshaped Ellroy’s novel for the screen, how Woods weaponizes charisma and menace in equal measure, how Blood on the Moon compares to the earlier L.A. Death Trap, and how Cop fits into the larger landscape of late-’80s neo-noir. Along the way, expect conversations about Ellroy’s amoral universe, the film’s sleazy-sunset L.A. atmosphere, and why Lloyd Hopkins may be one of the most unnerving Reagan-era "hero" of crime cinema.

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Episodee 774: Cop (1988)" on Spreaker.

Interviwe with Lesley Ann Warren:

Listen to "Special Report: Lesley Ann Warren on 3 Days with Dad (2019)" on Spreaker.

Links:
Become a supporter of The Projection Booth
Buy L.A. Death Trip, the manuscript
Read The Dark Places of James Ellroy by Mike White
Buy Blood on the Moon by James Ellroy
Buy Cop on DVD
Buy James Ellroy: Demon Dog of Crime Fiction by Steven Powell

Music:
"Cathy's Clown" - The Everly Brothers

Watch:

Episode 355: L.A. Confidential (1997)

Special Guest: James Ellroy
Guest Co-Hosts: Richard Edwards, Eric Cohen

Eric Cohen and Richard Edwards return to take a ride in a convertible time machine, be-bopping back to the year 1997 to look at Curtis Hanson's L.A. Confidential. Starring more folks from down under than you can shake a boomerang at, this jazzy flick plays with many classic noir tropes while playing fast and loose with the third book of James Ellroy's first L.A. Quartet.

We examine how Hanson and co-writer Brian Helgeland masterfully condensed Ellroy's compelling and complicated story to craft a Neo-Noir that some rank among the best. The film features dazzling performances from "newcomers" Russell Crowe and Guy Pearce.

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Episode 355: L.A. Confidential (1997)" on Spreaker.

Links:
Buy L.A. Confidential on Blu-Ray
Buy L.A. Confidential by James Ellroy
Listen to the Out of the Past episode on The Black Dahlia
Read The Dark Places of James Ellroy by Mike White
Buy L.A. Confidential by Manohla Dargis

Music:
"Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive" - Johnny Mercer
"Bloody Christmas" - Jerry Goldsmith

Watch: