The heart of Hollywoods star-studded film industry for more than a century, Los Angeles and its abundant and ever-changing locales from the Santa Monica Pier to the infamous and now-defunct Ambassador Hotel have set the scene for a wide variety of cinematic treasures, fromChinatowntoForrest Gump,Falling Downto the coming-of-age classicBoyz n The Hood.This volume marks an engaging citywide tour of the many films shot on location in this birthplace of cinema and the screen spectacle. World Film Locations: Los Angelespairs fifty incisive synopses of carefully chosen film scenes both famous and lesser-known with an accompanying array of evocative full-colour film stills, demonstrating how motion pictures have contributed to the multifarious role of the city in our collective consciousness, as well as how key cinematic moments reveal aspects of its life and culture that are otherwise largely hidden from view. Insightful essays throughout turn the spotlight on the important directors, thematic elements and historical periods that provide insight into Los Angeles and its vibrant cinematic culture. Rounding out this information are city maps with information on how to locate key features, as well as photographs showing featured locations as they appear now. A guided tour of the City of Angels conducted by the likes of Robert Altman, Nicholas Ray, Michael Mann and Roman Polanski,World Film Locations: Los Angelesis a concise and user-friendly guide to how Los Angeles has captured the imaginations of both filmmakers and those of us sitting transfixed in theatres worldwide.