Los Angeles Plays Itself (2003): Thom Andersen’s Docu (Hollywood on Hollywood)

Using clips from more than 200 films shot in Los Angeles, Thom Andersen’s Los Angeles Plays Itself draws an insightful portrait of how movies have defined the city.

From classics like “Blade Runner” and “Double Indemnity” to cult treasures like “Exiles” and Charles Burnett’s “Killer of Sheep,” the extensive compilation looks at how the stereotypical Hollywood image is often at odds with a metropolis that’s both gritty and glamorous.