ABCs at the Movies: The Doubles Round!

[memento]

From IMDB: The Winter Hill Gang is a mere shadow of its former self. Times are tough in a city where the working class they prey upon are replaced by increasing numbers of students and yuppies, so when the latest boss Sean catches wind of an Italian heroin deal he sees a chance to help bring the organization back to its earlier heights. While some are nervous about outright aggression against the stronger group, the young enforcer Molly Finn sees this as a chance for the gang to rise up, not realizing what the ultimate cost could be.

The Leone Family based in Boston's North End is in an even worse situation. Their leadership crippled after years of federal investigations, those in command now find themselves behind the wheel of an organization they cant lead. Abandoned by Providence, with New York snapping at their heels, college-dropout Sergio and his cousin Nick take a serious risk with hopes of setting things right. One Connecticut-born low-level scumbag named Jimmy the Weasel, however, is fated to ruin everything.

=aside= Fran
I decided to go with the wildcard but the birthplace is a good idea for future rounds.

[Fran]

From IMDb:  Connie (Ricki Lake) lost her mother at twelve in Hoboken, New Jersey. Because she did not get along with her father, Connie left NJ at 18 and went to NYC. Unfortunately, she immediately hooked up with a low-life named Steve and became pregnant. Steve was less than thrilled with the news and threw Connie out of the house. Although she works as a waitress for a while, when her delivery date draws near, she finds herself broke and homeless. The next day, Connie boards a train she thinks is the subway but which turns out to be a railway to Boston. There, she is befriended by handsome, rich Hugh and his new and very pregnant wife Patricia. The train derails. Hugh and Patricia are killed. But, by a twist of fate, Connie is mistaken for Patricia and finds herself and her new baby in a private hospital, as befitting the wife of a member of the rich Winterbourne family. She meets her new mother-in-law (Shirley MacLaine) and her "husband's" twin brother, Bill (Brendan Fraser) and goes home to a posh Boston mansion, complete with servants. Just how long will she be able to fool everyone into thinking she really is a part of the family?

[Fran]

The City of Angels Round!

Featuring movies set in or with a connection to Los Angeles

[oilgun]

Plot:   The story follows Derek Vinyard (Edward Norton), the leader of a Venice Beach gang of skinheads, who is released from prison after doing time for killing two black crooks he caught breaking into his car. His younger brother Daniel (Edward Furlong) is now following in big bro's footsteps and looks up to him for leadership. But he discovers that his brother has changed a great deal during his stint behind bars.

==COMMENT==
Does Venice Beach count?

[memento]

From IMDB: The story of life in South Central Los Angeles, following the fortunes or otherwise of a group of young blacks. Struggling to escape the violence and drugs, some of them opt for education, pinning their hopes on college, others are caught up in the violence that is endemic to the neighbourhood.

[Fran]

From IMDb:  Inspired by actual events that occurred in 1920s-era Los Angeles, Clint Eastwood's "Changeling" tells the story of a woman driven to confront a corrupted LAPD after her abducted son is retrieved and she begins to suspect that the boy returned to her is not the same boy she gave birth to. The year was 1928, and the setting a working-class suburb of Los Angeles. As Christine (Angelina Jolie) said goodbye to her son, Walter, and departed for work, she never anticipated that this was the day her life would be forever changed. Upon returning home, Christine was distressed to discover that Walter was nowhere to be found. Over the course of the following months, the desperate mother would launch a search that would ultimately prove fruitless. Yet just when it seemed that all hope was lost, a nine-year-old boy claiming to be Christine's son seemed to appear out of thin air. Overcome with emotions and uncertain how to face the authorities or the press, Christine invites the child to stay in her home despite knowing without a doubt that he is not her son. As much as Christine would like to accept the fact that her son has been returned to her, she cannot accept the injustice being pushed upon her and continues to challenge the Prohibition-era Los Angeles police force at every turn. As a result, Christine is slandered by the powers that be and painted as an unfit mother. In this town, a woman who challenges the system is putting her life on the line, and as the situation grows desperate, the only person willing to aid her in her search is benevolent local activist Reverend Briegleb (John Malkovich).

=aside= Gil
Yes, Venice Beach is definitely close enough. No worries.

[Lynne]

from Wiki:

Devil in a Blue Dress (1995) is an American neo-noir film directed by Carl Franklin and photographed by Tak Fujimoto.

The motion picture was based on the novel of the same name written by Walter Mosley, who was brought in to help produce the film. The movie was executive produced by Jonathan Demme, and featured in the drama are Denzel Washington, Tom Sizemore, Terry Kinney, Jennifer Beals, and Don Cheadle.

In this noir, that takes place in 1948 Los Angeles, Ezekiel "Easy" Rawlins is a World War II veteran who has been unfairly laid off at the aircraft factory. He becomes a private eye to make ends meet and pay for his mortgage. Trouble is he's never done work as sleuth.

[memento]

IMDB: The Blands are a couple living in swinging Los Angeles, with their ultra-conservative ways, they find it hard to live life in the midst of completely obnoxious swinging bachelors. But one incident too grand to ignore leaves one of them dead, with a wallet full of cash. The birth of a scheme comes to light when they decide to off the swingers in their apartment with the use of a frying pan to the head. But fate intervenes when they meet a cat burglar named Raoul, who devises a plan for them to dispose of the bodies. But things take a turn for the worst when people become untrustworthy leaving one of them for dead.

[Fran]

From IMDb:  Phillip Marlowe (Robert Mitchum) is hiding in a hotel telling Los Angeles Chief Detective Nulty (John Ireland) of all the events leading up to this day. Told in flashback the story concerns Moose Mallory (Jack O'Halloran), fresh out of jail, hiring Marlowe to find his lost love Velma who has quit writing to the jail bird. At the same time an effinanent gentleman Marriott (John O'Leary) hires Marlowe to accompany him to a secluded location to buy back a string of jade that has been stolen. When Marriott is killed and Marlowe is slugged unconscious the police get involved attempting to pin the murder on the private Dick. As he gets deeper into the case Marlowe discovers that the jade Marriotte was buying back belonged to Mrs. Grayle (Charlotte Rampling), a trophy wife with a personal agenda. As he finds out more Marlowe discovers corruption in the heart of Los Angeles that flows up the higher echelons of society.

[Lynne]

From IMDb:
Told from three perspectives, a story of a bunch of young Californians trying to get some cash, do and deal some drugs, score money and sex in Las Vegas, and generally experience the rush of life.  Written by Vladimir Zelevinsky {[email protected]}

'Go' is set mostly during one long Christmas Eve in the lives of a group of young adults on the events surrounding a drug deal in Los Angeles replayed three different times from three different views. In a straightforward manner; when slacker Simon Baines takes off for a getaway to Las Vegas with his friends, Ronna takes his shift at the 24-hour grocery store where they work. When two guys, named Adam and Zack, walk in asking to score some dope from Simon, Ronna takes it upon herself and her friends Claire and Mannie to buy some some stuff from the local drug dealer Todd Gains. But the drug deal is a sting that Adam and Zack are forced to set up by an overzealous narcotics agent, Burke. Ronna is forced to dispose of the drugs. With no other alternative, she tries to double-cross Todd with phony drugs. Meanwhile in Las Vegas, Simon's adventures with his best friend Marcus hit an unfortunate turn during a trip to a strip club, while Adam and Zack end up spending Christmas Eve with Burke and his wife Irene, and afterward while driving to a rave that Ronna is dealing, the guys accidentally hit Ronna with their car and leave her for dead. Nearby, Mannie nearly OD's on dope, and Claire gets more friendly with a vengeful Todd whom is now looking for Ronna. Written by Matthew Patay