'L.A. Confidential'

This film was released 1997. I hardly doubt that anyone realized that it would -- for all intents and purposes -- launch the careers of three of the better actors' careers of the past 20 years.

Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce and Kevin Spacey were relative no-names. None of which had done their marquee films ("Gladiator," "Memento" and "American Beauty") and all three put up fantastic performances here.

Ironically, the one name who adorns all the posters and DVD covers is Kim Basinger, who hasn't done a single good film since (and has since gone on to terrorize Alec Baldwin). Right now, I'd put her below -- in terms of a career -- Pearce, Crowe, Spacey, David Strathairn, Danny DeVito and James Cromwell. Hell, even Ron Rifkin was in "ALIAS."

I consider this a better, more updated version of "Chinatown."

Also, it was good to see "Lloyd Braun" playing the actor on Spacey's cop TV drama.