Novelist and screenplay writer James Elroy has dominated the Los Angeles cop genre. His big mouth, big head, and gigantic ego have led him to one story and one story only. A story that he is refining to the tune of millions of dollars, disgruntled ex-wives, an unforgettable hard-on for the unsolved murder of his mother, and a complete lack of concern for politically correct dialog. Elroy keeps writing about the same “bad cop” archetypes who are favored with nepotism: SIS detectives planting guns, down-and-out snitches working together to some degree or another while interpreting the meaning of exigent circumstances, and a secret who elite continue to run the show.

Elroy’s second screenplay and possibly his best and most insightful L.A. cop story is titled “Rampart.” Directed by Oren Moverman (“Jesus’ Son,” 1999), the film deals with the same “bad cop” model, but is spun with new scenarios and complexities.

“Rampart” is about one of the biggest police corruption scandals in history. And about seven and a half minutes into the film, a radio broadcaster warns the viewers about the repugnant story they are about to hear.

Los Angeles paid out more than $60,000,000 to suspects who were falsely prosecuted and convicted; some suspects were even killed by cops hustling the streets with a badge. In the mid-to-late ‘90s, more than 70  L.A. police officers were involved in unprovoked shootings, unprovoked beatings, planting of evidence, framing suspects, stealing and dealing narcotics, bank robbery, perjury, and covering up evidence. This was known as the Rampart (CRASH) Scandal.

Taking place in 1999, “Rampart” portrays a police officer whose solo/rogue activities, whether lawful or not, are given great attention in order to deflect the news media’s attention away from the scandal at large. The police officer/“bad cop” with patriarchal ideas, who is losing his family while doing a tough job (which he may or may not be making more difficult due to his misanthropy) is Dave Brown. Brown, who is not the typical “bad cop” caricature, goes by the moniker “Date Rape Dave” because he murdered an alleged repeat date rapist. The character is played by Woody Harrelson, who has come a long way from the TV show “Cheers.”

I loved Harrelson’s acting as a dopey bar-back and now I love him as a misogynistic, allegedly racist, misanthropic, ass-kicking, corrupt cop. Harrelson might be one of the most courageous and most versatile actors working in Hollywood. He has played characters who are both hated and loved from: “Natural Born Killers” and “King Pin,” to the biographical depiction of the pornography and publishing mogul Larry Flynt, to having his balls blown off and dying – quite dramatically –  in Thin Red Line,” to playing a flamboyant homosexual Southern socialite in “Walker.” And now he is presenting movie goers with a performance as a complicated police officer who is quite willing to break the law to protect the law, as well as himself. Brown has completed law school but flunked the bar, while following his father’s footsteps into law enforcement. He becomes a pill-popping, anorexic, murderous and thieving “peace officer,” who is forced to consider and come to terms with his actions and his beliefs.

Other notable actors in the film include Steve Buscemi, Robin Wright, Sigourney Weaver, Ned Beatty, Anne Heche, Ice Cube and Ben Foster – who magnificently plays a crippled homeless guy named General.

Other notable L.A. cop films include “To Live & Die In L.A.” (1985); “Cop” (1988), story based on James Elroy’s novel “Blood on the Moon”; “Colors” (1988); “L.A. Confidential” (1997), screenplay adaptation of James Elroy’s novel with the same name; “Training Day” (2001); “Dark Blue” (2002), story by James Elroy; “The Black Dahlia” (2006), screenplay adaptation of James Elroy’s novel with the same name; “Street Kings” (2008), written by James Elroy, Kurt Wimmer and Jamie Moss.

Look for “Rampart” on Jan. 27, 2012.