The Brotherhood (1968)

Director: Martin Ritt

Writer: Lewis John Carlino

Composer: Lalo Schifrin

Starring: Kirk Douglas, Alex Cord, Irene Papas, Luther Adler, Susan Strasberg, Murray Hamilton, Eduardo Ciannelli, Joe De Santis, Connie Scott, Val Avery, Val Bisoglio, Alan Hewitt, Barry Primus, Michele Cimarosa, Luis Badolati

More info: IMDb

Tagline: Honor. Loyalty. Betrayal.

Plot: The son of a powerful Mafia don comes home from his army service in Vietnam and wants to lead his own life, but family tradition, intrigues and powerplays involving his older brother dictate otherwise, and he finds himself being slowly drawn back into that world.

My rating: 7/10

Will I watch it again?  Maybe.

No one ever says it's the Mafia but we all know what's going on.  There are hints at what's to come with THE GODFATHER (1972).  The IMDb trivia says that Paramount was reluctant to do THE GODFATHER because this picture failed at the box office.  Fans of Mafia pictures are going to need to see this.  The performances are strong, Schifrin's score works very well and if you've seen a lot of Mafia pictures from the last fifty years then you'll see a lot that's familiar in this one and the ending doesn't disappoint.  There's not much action but it doesn't claim to have any but it's a good Mafioso crime drama that feels like a nice companion piece to the film that redefined the genre just four years later.

Whitey: United States of America v. James J. Bulger (2014)

Director: Joe Berlinger

Composer: Wendy Blackstone

Starring: James 'Whitey' Bulger, Stephen Rakes, Tommy Donahue, David Boeri, Steve Davis, Dick Lehr, Shelley Murphy, Patricia Donahue, J.W. Carney Jr., Kevin Cullen

More info: IMDb

Tagline: The FBI thought they had him. It was the other way around.

Plot: From Academy Award-nominated director Joe Berlinger, Whitey: United States of America v. James J. Bulger is a sweeping and revelatory documentary film that follows the trial of the infamous gangster James "Whitey" Bulger, using the courtroom action as a springboard to examine accusations of multi-faceted corruption within our nation's law enforcement and legal systems.

My rating: 7.5/10

Will I watch it again?  Yeah.

If you'd like a frame of reference for who this guy is, Jack Nicholson's character in THE DEPARTED (2006) was loosely based on him.  He ruled the Boston underworld for a lot of years.  I guess you could say he was a man of honor.  He admits to being a murderer, drug dealer, and all 'round bad criminal type but even though he clearly cooperated with the FBI, he denied it to the end.  He was a rat but he had his own spin on it.  It's clear that he was a cheese-lovin', disease-ridden rodent, fleas and all. This film takes us through his life, from his being on the lam for something like 16 years and finally getting caught at the age of 81.  SPOILER ALERT...he'll die in prison.  END OF SPOILERS...YARRRRR!  I love true crime docs and movies so I'll definitely return to this one someday.  It's currently streaming on Netflix.

Chicago Overcoat (2009)

Director: Brian Caunter

Writers: John Bosher, Brian Caunter, Andrew Dowd, Josh Staman

Composer: Greg Nicolett

Starring:  Frank Vincent, Kathrine Narducci, Mike Starr, Stacy Keach, Armand Assante, Danny Goldring, tim Gamble, Martin Shannon, Barret walz

More info: IMDb

Tagline: The glory days are back

Plot: The fates of an aging hitman and a washed up detective become entwined when one last job leads to one last chance to settle an old score.

My rating: 7.5/10

Will I watch it again? Yes.

Lou's (Vincent) existence in the Mob is a lot lonelier than you see in other pictures.  It doesn't help that he's out-lived most of his friends (age will do that).  The story does have a lot of the organized crime cliches but then it's got to be tough to avoid all of them since we've been seeing these kinds of pictures, and there have been a lot of them, for more than forty years now.  What it does right is give some fine performances from nearly all of the cast.  There are some line deliveries that don't quite make it (maybe shooting time was limited) but by and large this is a great cast.  It's nice to see Vincent in a leading role after so many outstanding smaller roles in classic films like GOODFELLAS (1990) and CASINO (1995).  The MVP for acting in this picture though without question goes to Danny Goldring, the cop who's after Lou.  Great fucking job.  And the ending?  Loved it AND it took me by surprise.  I dig it when a picture does that.  While it might not make most people's top 20 Mafia pictures list, it's definitely worth a look for fans of the genre.

...Now go home and get your fucking shine box!

Inside the American Mob (2013)

Director: Ryan Miller (unkown episodes)

Writer: ???

Composer: ???

Starring: good guys and bad guys

More info: IMDb

Plot:  Documentary film about the Italian Mafia and their organised crime activities in USA, mainly New York, between the '60's to mid '90's. Well documented with plenty of interviews and original footage. Story told by ex-members of Mafia, FBI agents and prosecutors at that time, cops and journalists. It explains how they functioned, the rule of omerta, which five families ruled New York and how; and also how the FBI and US government managed to dismantle them after 30 years of the crime syndicate being untouchable. Listen to what Rudy Giuliani, Joseph D. Pistone aka 'Donnie Brasko' and many others had to say about it.

My rating: 9/10

Will I watch it again? Yes.

WOW!!!  I caught this on Netflix streaming and I couldn't stop watching, going through all six episodes (around 270 minutes total) in twelve hours.  It's fascinating.  What you get is a great overview of the height of the NYC Mafia's control from the 1970s through the monumental trail in the 80s that saw a multitude of convictions including the heads of the five families to the continued decimation into the early 90s.  There are countless personal stories of the crime life from those who committed it as well as fantastic tales of how the good guys used their brains to bring them down.  If you're into this sort of thing then this is a must watch, no doubt about it.  Hearing about the 6 years of deep undercover work by Joe Pistone (AKA Donnie Brasco) is more fascinating than the Johnny Depp picture they made.  And what's better is you get to hear it from the man who made one of the biggest contributions to bringing the mob to their knees.  I can't recommend this series enough.   And honestly, I was saddened when I realized there weren't more than 6 episodes.  I just wanted it to keep going.  

The Boss (1973)

Original title: Il Boss

Director: Fernando Di Leo

Writers: Peter McCurtin, Fernando Di Leo

Composer: Luis Bacalov

Starring: Henry Silva, Richard Conte, Gianni Garko, Antonia Santilli, Corrado Gaipa, Marino Mase, Howard Ross, Claudio Nicastro, Gianni Musy, Mario Pisu, Vittorio Caprioli, Pier Paolo Capponi

More info: IMDb

Plot: A bomb attack in a cinema in Palermo kills all the fellows of Attardi's clan a part from Cocchi. He immediately understands that the author of the bomb attack is Daniello from Don Corrasco's clan. Cocchi is determined to revenge. His actions, including the Corrasco's daughter kidnap, in a Palermo in which also the police is corrupted, will soon destroy the old equilibrium giving the way to an escalation of violence that won't save anyone. If Cocchi will survive to the mafia war he will be the new boss for sure.

My rating: 7.5/10

Will I watch it again? Yes.

A dozen years ago I saw this for the first time and I didn't think much of it.  I recall it bored the piss out of me.  Now that I've seen it again I'm appreciating more of it.  Yeah, it's still a slow picture with A LOT of talking and a little action (the opposite of what you normally get in a Mafia picture, right?) but it's also a more mature film for Di Leo.  It's grounded in reality and if there's room for humor, it's dark.  There's no comic relief in this one.  Henry Silva kicks ass and looks great doing it.  It's one of his finer performances.  The story isn't all that complicated but there are a lot of double crosses that make for an interesting watch.  As I said, it's a talky flick that drags a little because of it but when there killing to be done, it's very violent and all kinds of fun.  The ending is great and a title card tells us it's to be continued but I can't find anything that follows this up. Someone suggested it's Di Leo's way of saying this type of thing goes on and on.  That sounds reasonable enough.  It's too bad there wasn't a direct sequel.  The Raro Blu-ray (from the Fernando Di Leo Crime Collection volume 1 set) looks marvelous.  It comes with a 20+ minute featurette with interviews from the cast and crew that provide a good deal of insight to the picture.  

Rulers of the City (1976)

Original title: I Padroni della Citta

Director: Fernando Di Leo

Wrtiers: Fernando Di Leo, Peter Berling

Composer: Luis Bacalov

Starring: Jack Palance, Al Cliver, Harry Baer, Gisela Hahn, Enzo Pulcrano, Roberto Reale, Edmund Purdom, Vittorio Caprioli, Rosario Borelli, Pietro Ceccarelli

More info: IMDb

Tagline: Revenge....Italian Style!

Plot: Tony, a mob loan collector, is dissatisfied with his station in life. Though he dreams of one day being rich, he is stuck with the dead-end job of beating up borrowers who fall behind in their payments. After meeting up with Napoli, another mob enforcer who's just been fired from his job, the two hatch a plan. Together, they will con mob boss Manzari out of a fortune, after which they can retire and live in luxury. Manzari, however, is not about to let them go so easily.

My rating: 6/10

Will I watch it again? Probably not.

Don't take this one seriously and you'll fare better for it. It's so light in tone and far-fetched that you can't look too much into it.  Jack Palance looks like a badass mob boss but he's about as effective as Jello with a cigar.  The people he has around him can't do squat and it's hard to believe that this punk ass kid Tony (Baer) can get away with the shit he pulls. He's a cocky sumbitch that Tony.  He's very physical and his fight scenes are pretty good.  From the first few seconds you can tell it's a 70s Italian picture.  I normally like Di Leo (MILANO CALIBRO 9 & THE ITALIAN CONNECTION (both 1972) are the shit) but this one feels lazy.  The pacing is OK but the picture plays out like it wants to be a lot of things (comedy, crime, action, thriller) without being confident enough to deliver them.  The B-story that ties into the beginning could have been better handled as well as Tony being less of a footloose and fancy free kind of guy. That would've helped but in the end, I did enjoy it enough not to regret buying the first volume of the Fernando Di Leo Crime Collection on Blu-ray.  The transfer looks great and it's got a twenty minute featurette with interviews of the cats that made it.  That was fun. I'm looking forward to getting through the rest of this set and the second set.  Like every genre, 70s Italian crime films have their ups and downs.  I would recommend starting with the two films I mentioned above because if you see this one first you're likely to thumb your nose at the rest before giving them a chance. 

Mobsters (1991)

Director: Michael Karbelnikoff

Writers: Michael Mahern, Nicholas Kazan

Composer: Michael Small

Starring: Christian Slater, Costas Mandylor, Richard Grieco, Patrick Dempsey, Robert Z'Dar, Michael Gambon, Anthony Quinn, Chris Penn, F. Murray Abraham, Seymour Cassel, Lara Flynn Boyle, Joe Viterelli, Titus Welliver

More info: IMDb

Tagline: They had what it took to build an empire...They just built it on the wrong side of the law.

Plot: The story of a group of friends in turn of the century New York, from their early days as street hoods to their rise in the world of organized crime. As their crime empire expands, they have to deal with many problems, including their own differing opinions on how to run their business, the local Godfather, and the psychotic Mad Dog Coll.

My rating: 5.5/10

Will I watch it again? No.

Oh boy is this underwhelming and cheesy as shit.  Did you get a load of that trailer?  Wow.  It's hard not to laugh at it (they made better trailers for it but this one was the first one I watched on the DVD and I about fell out of my chair in disbelief of how bad it was).  It felt so contrived that I'm compelled to look up the facts just to see how fast and loose they played with them.  The connect the dots plot was often paper thin.  They tried to cover a couple of decades in the span of 100 minutes and with a cast of pretty boys.  Some of their acting was OK and some pretty sloppy.  It shouldn't have been so for a high profile Hollywood picture.  And I get why they throw the true story out the window, but did they hit the plot tropes that go with the rise and rise of a crime figure.  Knowing that so much of this is bullshit hurts in trying to enjoy the show but there are some things I dug.  The spinning newspapers and machine gun montages were outstanding and lots of fun.  Shit.  Now I'm trying to think of some other stuff I thought was nicely done and I can't think of any, even an hour outside of watching it.  Nuts.  I remember the love scene being unnecessary and bringing the film to a screeching halt.  F. Murray Abraham is awesome in everything.  That much I know.  It kind of felt like a gangster version of YOUNG GUNS (1988) with all of the popular pretty boys of the day.  If you're a Great Depression-era gangster fan like me, you're going to have to see this but for everybody else, watch a few seasons of the excellent BOARDWALK EMPIRE (2010) instead.  At least it's closer to the truth and they're all trying really hard to make something worthwhile.

My Blue Heaven (1990)

Director: Herbert Ross

Writer: Nora Ephron

Composer: Ira Newborn

Starring: Steve Martin, Rick Moranis, Joan Cusack, Melanie Mayron, Bil Irwin, Carol Kane, William Hickey, Deborah Rush, Daniel Stern, Jesse Bradford, Corey Carrier, Ed Lauter, LaWanda Page

More info: IMDb

Tagline: The stars of Parenthood in a comedy about an urban hood finding suburbanhood.

Plot: FBI agent Barney Coopersmith is assigned to protect former Mafia figure turned informant Vincent Antonelli. In the witness protection program one is supposed to keep a low profile, but that is something that Antonelli has trouble doing. Coopersmith certainly has his hands full keeping Antonelli away from the Mafia hitmen who want to stop him testifying, not to mention the nightclubs...

My rating: 9.5/10

Will I watch it again? YES!!!

I can't tell you how much I adore this picture.  It's freakin' hilarious from start to finish.  Steve Martin has rarely been as funny as he is here.  He embodies Vinnie so naturally that you'd think he'd been living as this character for years.  It's loaded with laughs and funny performances from everyone.  Rick Moranis knocks the funny out of the park.  Joan Cusack couldn't be better.  Carol Kane...mmmmmm.  She could melt...all...that...stuff.   Priceless.  Nora Ephron's script is too funny for words.  Released the same year, this picture makes an amazing double feature playing after GOODFELLAS (1990) as if it were intended as the sequel comedy.  It's no surprise that Efron was married to GOODFELLAS novelist and screenwriter, Nicholas Pileggi and that MBH is based on the exploits of Henry Hill. Ira Newborn's music is fantastic and the merengues he wrote are infectiously fun.  There's not a dull moment in this picture and it's one of those films that makes me feel all giddy and warm inside.  So where the hell is a widescreen DVD or Blu-ray of this thing?  Huh?  I could keep going on about this but I'd rather watch it again instead.

Johnny Cool (1963)

Director: William Asher

Writers: Joseph Landon, John McPartland

Composers: Billy May, Johnny Worth

Starring: Henry Silva, Elizabeth Montgomery, Richard Anderson, Jim Backus, Joey Bishop, Brad Dexter, Marc Lawrence, John McGiver, Mort Sahl, Telly Savalas, Sammy Davis Jr., Frank Albertson, Elisha Cook Jr.

More info: IMDb

Tagline: Headline-Hot! The Terror Behind Cosa-Nostra-Brotherhood of Crime!

Plot: Colini, an exiled American gangster living in Sicily, rescues Giordano, a young Sicilian outlaw, from the police. After Giordano is groomed, polished, and renamed "Johnny Cool," Colini sends him on a vengeance mission to the United States to assassinate the men who plotted his downfall and enforced exile. Johnny arrives in New York and quickly kills several of the underworld figures on Colini's list. Meanwhile, he picks up Dare Guiness, a wealthy divorcée who becomes his accomplice, and she is severely beaten by the gangsters as a warning against the vendetta.

My rating: 7.5/10

Will I watch it again? Yes.

Catch this on Netflix streaming while you can before it goes away because it's all kinds of fun.  If you're a fan of OCEAN'S ELEVEN (1960) on any level then you really need to see JOHNNY COOL.  There are a lot of familiar faces from OE and then some.  You've got some nice B&W photography, a cool score by the great arranger Billy May who arranged a lot of Frank Sinatra's best tunes and a whole lot more.  The cast alone is worth the price of admission.  Even if you find Henry Silva's acting a little stiff like me (sorry but the guy could be a little more fluid and throw out some more charisma), just seeing the delightful Elizabeth Montgomery barely pre-BEWITCHED (1964) is fun.  And then there's TONS of cameos and small rolls for greats like Sammy Davis Jr., Telly Savalas (with some hair even), Marc Lawrence, Jim Backus, Elisha Cook Jr., Mort Sahl, Joey Bishop and so on. 

Story wise it's just about the rise and fall of a tough Mafia gangster who kills everyone who gets in his way.  Is he cool?  Not so much, really.  That's the big disappointment.  He's ruthless but he doesn't really show why he deserves the moniker of Johnny Cool.  He's got a moment here and there but he's not cool in the way the audience will like him.  And then there's what Darien (Montgomery) does in the final seconds of the picture.  Maybe it's her guilt that motivated her to do what she did but it wasn't necessary.  I would have liked the ending proposed by the guy on the boat who was ready to tell the 'visitors' when they showed up.    But all of this is nitpicking when compared the fun that's constantly sprinkled throughout this picture. 

Goodfellas (1990)

Director: Martin Scorsese

Writers: Nicholas Pileggi, Martin Scorsese

Composer: none

Starring: Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco, Paul Sorvino, Frank Sivero, Tony Darrow, Mike Starr, Frank Vincent, Chuck Low, Frank DiLeo, Henny Youngman, Gina Mastrogiacomo, Catherine Scorsese, Charles Scorsese, Suzanne Shepherd, Debi Mazar, Jerry Vale, Michael Imperioli, Frank Pellegrino, Tony Sirico, Illeana Douglas, Samuel L. Jackson, Tobin Bell

More info: IMDb

Tagline: "As far back as I can remember, I've always wanted to be a gangster." -- Henry Hill, Brooklyn, N.Y. 1955.

Plot: The lowly, blue-collar side of New York's Italian mafia is explored in this crime biopic of wiseguy Henry Hill. As he makes his way from strapping young petty criminal, to big-time thief, to middle-aged cocaine addict and dealer, the film explores in detail the rules and traditions of organized crime. Watching the rise and fall of Hill and his two counterparts, the slick jack-of-all-trades criminal Jimmy Conway and the brutish, intimidating Tommy DeVito, this true story realistically explores the core, blue-collar part of the mob.

My rating: 10/10

Will I watch it again? Duh.

Without question, this is my favorite Martin Scorsese picture and one of my favorite movies of all time.  I can't believe it's been over six years since I last saw it.  But then, I've seen it so many times I can probably re-watch it from memory.  It's one of the greatest casts ever assembled and it's the standout roles for Joe Pesci and Ray Liotta who are both magnificent.  The first half of the picture glamorizes the Mafia through the eyes of Henry Hill (Liotta) and his, and his pals', rise through the ranks.  It's fun, funny and thrilling.  It's a treat to see this side of crime be so alluring.  And then things start to go downhill for everyone and it's a slow descent to their eventual end of the dream.  Everything about this picture is absolutely superb - the music selection, editing, dialogue, performances, lighting, cinematography, EVERYTHING.  I particularly like the frenetic pacing through all of the events that happen on the day of Hill's arrest.  We're made to feel uncomfortable and on edge just like how Hill feels.  Brilliant.  It's a shame this didn't win for Best Picture at the Oscars.  DANCES WITH WOLVES was the winner and only real competition.  It's a very good picture but it's not the master stroke GOODFELLAS is.  It was also up against AWAKENINGS, GHOST and THE GODFATHER: PART III if you can believe it.  At least Pesci won for Best Supporting Actor.  Not even the screenplay or editing won.  Travesty.  Somebody sick the dogs on 'em.

The St. Valentine's Day Massacre (1967)

Director: Roger Corman

Writer: Howard Browne

Composers: Lionel Newman, Fred Steiner

Starring: Jason Robards, George Segal, Ralph Meeker, Jean Hale, Clint Ritchie, Frank Silvera, Joseph Campanella, Richard Bakalyan, David Canary, Bruce Dern, Harold J. Stone, Joe Turkel, John Agar, Alex Rocco

More info: IMDb

Tagline: A WARNING! This motion picture depicts without flinching the most shocking event of America's most lawless era...

Plot: Chicago February 14th 1929. Al Capone finally establishes himself as the city's boss of organised crime. In a north-side garage his hoods, dressed as policemen, surprise and mow down with machine-guns the key members of Bugs Moran's rival gang. The film traces the history of the incident, and the lives affected and in some cases ended by it.

My rating: 7.5/10

Will I watch it again? Absolutely.

I LOVE the occasional narration by Paul Frees.  When you meet the principal characters he gives you a little bit of deadpan, ala DRAGNET, facts about their life and eventual death.  It's a great technique that I've never seen before and it works beautifully with this kind of picture.  Jason Robards does a fine job as Capone despite not looking an ounce like him.  For me, though, the scene-stealing performance came from George Segal as gangster Peter Gusenberg.  He's really laying it on thick but he's having fun with it.  So besides lots of gangster action and scenery chewing it's really neat that it's a Roger Corman picutre.  This is so unlike any of his other films.  The budget it larger, the subject is different and his direction is different.  And because it's a Corman picture you get some bit parts filled by the likes of Dick Miller and Jack Nicholson.  It's a fun flick and a must see for fans of Depression-era gangsters.

Kill the Irishman (2011)

Director: Jonathan Hensleigh

Starring: Ray Stevenson, Vincent D'Onofrio, Val Kilmer, Christopher Walken, Linda Cardellini, Tony Darro, Robert Davi, Vinnie Jones, Tony Lo Bianco, Paul Sorvino

More info: IMDb

Tagline: Based on the true story of Danny Greene the man the mob couldn't kill

Plot: The true story of Danny Greene, an impoverished but charismatic young Irish-American who rises to power as president of the longshoreman's local union and is charged with corruption but evades serious jail time by becoming an FBI informant. With fearless nerve he joins forces with a Mafia gangster to rise to power in Cleveland's underworld, gaining the reputation of a Robin Hood-like figure with nine lives as he escapes countless assassination attempts.

My rating: 7.5/10

Will I watch it again? Nah.

As a big fan of Ray Stevenson, I'll watch anything he does so this is a no brainer.  That it's also got Paul Sorvino, Christopher Walken, Robert Davi, Tony Lo Bianco and Vinnie Jones is just five layers of icing on the cake.  It's got that GOODFELLAS (1990) vibe in the opening and then it becomes its own thing.  It's not exactly compelling.  It lacks that certain something that grabs you by the short and curlies and doesn't let go.  That's not to say it isn't interesting or good.  No, it is.  The cast does a fine job and the pacing of this thing is fast.  There's little bits of action all through it and Stevenson as Greene is very likable and fun.  I liked the use of actual 1970s local news coverage used throughout the picture.  It's just one more layer the film makers used to evoke the time period and that this shit was really going down.  In 1976, there were 36 bombings in Cleveland!!!  Can you imagine how that would go down today?  A lot's happened in forty years.  IRISHMAN is a good action thriller timepiece that's worth your attention.  The biggest crime here is that i just realized I haven't seen GOODFELLAS, one of my all time favorite movies, since I started this blog in 2007.

Deadly Weapons (1974)

Director: Doris Wishman

Starring: Chesty Morgan, Harry Reems, Richard Towers, Saul Meth, Phillip Stahl, Mitchell Fredericks, Denise Purcell, John McMohon, Louis Burdi, Doris Wishman

More info: IMDb

Tagline: Seeing is Believing! 73-32-36!

Plot: After the mob hits a guy with a list, one of the hoods keeps the list for himself to blackmail the people on it. When the mobsters find out he's a double-crosser, they off him, which angers his busty girlfriend. She goes after them using the only two weapons she has.

My rating: 4/10

Will I watch it again? Maybe.

If you like your tits the size of Volkswagens and you like seeing them A LOT then boy is this picture for you.  I need to warn you that there's a bath scene that goes on a little too long so you might get bored.  Just sayin'.

I suspect they did that so that your eyes would take some time to adjust to those melons.  You wouldn't want to strain them...your eyes, that is.  It's too bad Chesty's voice was dubbed.  I'd like to hear what her accent sounded like.  It was the same way in her other, better picture, DOUBLE AGENT 73 (1974). 
 

Yarrrrrrrr!

Wow.  That's some serious support hose.


Harry Reams was a gas.

Why the long face?

There's clearly only one draw for this movie (two, I guess) and that's Chesty Morgan's massive mammaries.  There's nothing else in this picture that's worth a spit.  At 74 minutes long it's way too long and the longer than necessary scenes are wasteful and that includes the extended boob scenes (please don't take away my Man card). It gets old and fast. 

After seeing the very fun DOUBLE AGENT 73, I expected more out of this picture.  Watch DOUBLE AGENT 73 instead.  You get 30 miles of boobs just like this one but you'll also laugh and be entertained at the same time.  I ended up buying the Blu-ray that has both films plus a third one (sadly not starring Chesty) with extras.  You're going to want to see those cans in hi-def, Man!

The Sicilian (1987)

Director: Michael Cimino

Starring: Christopher Lambert, Terence Stamp, Joss Ackland, John Turturro, Richard Bauer, Barbara Sukowa, Giulia Boschi, Ray McAnally

More info: IMDb

Tagline: Only one man ever dared to stand alone.

Plot: Giuliano robs from the rich conservative landowners to give to the poor, serf-like peasants, who in turn hail him as their savior. As his popularity grows, so does his ego, and he eventually thinks he is above the power of his backer, Mafia Don Masino Croce. The Don, in turn, sets out to kill the upstart by convincing his cousin and closest advisor Pissciota to assassinate him.

My rating: 3/10

Will I watch it again? No.

Bored...the...piss...out...of...me. And this was the extended, preferred cut that runs about two and a half hours.  The acting is bland and stilted and Lambert is the worst offender.  He's so dull and lifeless.  I didn't care about his character at all which makes for a long and trying two and a half hours.  The picture is well shot.  I'll give Cimino that much.  You get a sense that he was going for an epic mafia story, as if this were to be his THE GODFATHER (1972) but the acting and pacing kills it.

The Iceman (2012)

Director: Ariel Vromen

Starring: Michael Shannon, Winona Ryder, Chris Evans, Ray Liotta, David Scwimmer, Robert Davi, Stephen Dorff, James Franco, Danny A. Abeckaser, John Ventimiglia

More info: IMDb

Tagline: Loving husband. Devoted father. Ruthless killer.

Plot: The true story of Richard Kuklinski, the notorious contract killer and family man. When finally arrested in 1986, neither his wife nor daughters have any clue about his real profession.

My rating: 8/10

Will I watch it again? Nah.

What a cast!  Michael Shannon is one of my favorite actors that has cropped up in the past few years.  He's a beast.  Here he's going for that cool, calm, collected and intense vibe and he nails it.  You can tell what's going on inside without much work on his part.  You also get some info from Richard's (Shannon) brother that suggests he could have turned out to be a serial killer if he hadn't become a contract killer for the mob.  It's said that he killed over 100 people during his career.  Even if he did half that, that's a pretty good fucking score.  The supporting cast does a fine job, too.  If it weren't for Chris Evans' voice I wouldn't have recognized him.  It's always great to see Ray Liotta and Robert Davi in pictures.  They should do more.  And both of these guys are aging really well.  While there is a little action, it's mostly a crime drama about a man who loves his wife and kids more than anything else in the world but who also loves his work and does a damn fine job of managing all of it until the end, of course.  Very good flick.  Today is the last day it's playing in the theaters locally so it'll be out soon, I'm sure, to a video outlet source.

Raw Deal (1986)

Director: John Irvin

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kathryn Harrold, Darren McGavin, Sam Wanamaker, Paul Shenar, Steven Hill, Joe Regaibuto, Robert Davi, Ed Lauter

More info: IMDb

Tagline: The government gave him a raw deal. Nobody gives him a raw deal.

Plot: Mark Kaminsky is kicked out of the FBI for his rough treatment of a suspect. He winds up as the sheriff of a small town in North Carolina. FBI Chief Harry Shannon, whose son has been killed by a mobster named Patrovina, enlists Kaminsky in a personal vendetta with a promise of reinstatement into the FBI if Patrovina is taken down. To accomplish this, Kaminsky must go undercover and join Patrovina's gang.

My rating: 6.5/10

Will I watch it again? Probably not.

I remember seeing this in the theater way back when and liking it like most 17 year olds did back then. That was 26 years ago. I still like it. Although it's by no means a great flick, it's still a good deal of fun and Arnold is 87.4 times better in it than he was in RED HEAT (1988). After watching this one it makes me want to lower RH's score as this picture is tons more fun than that one. It's great to see Darren McGavin in anything (I forgot he was in it) and Davi is always fun and menacing as a villain but the real star is Arnold. You get the idea that he's actually having a good time on the set and he's a lot more relaxed and jovial than usual. Overall it's got plenty of action and enough fun characters, dialogue and situations to keep you entertained for nearly a couple of hours. Now that I'm thinking about it, I would have LOVED to see Jack Palance or John Vernon in the role of the mob boss. That would kick this up to a 7.5.

The Godfather: Part II (1974)

Director: Francis Ford Coppola

Starring: Al Pacino, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, Robert De Niro, John Cazale, Talia Shire, Lee Strasberg, Michael V. Gazzo, G.D. Spradlin, Bruno Kirby, Joe Spinell, Troy Donahue, Harry Dean Stanton, Danny Aiello, Roger Corman

More info: IMDb

Plot: The continuing saga of the Corleone crime family tells the story of a young Vito Corleone growing up in Sicily and in 1910s New York; and follows Michael Corleone in the 1950s as he attempts to expand the family business into Las Vegas, Hollywood and Cuba.

My rating: 9.5/10

Will I watch it again? Double duh.

While I prefer the first film over this one, it's not by an awful lot. This sequel is still one hell of a fucking movie. It's a natural continuation of the first film and it's really nice that we get to see the elder Corleone in his younger years and it's nice how it's woven into Michael's story. Everything that was great about the first one applies here. It's 30 minutes longer (and over 3 hours long) than the first film which wears on my just a teensie little bit but there's not a scene I could live without. It's a masterpiece and a worthy follow-up to the '72 film but it's not quite as solid as its predecessor. And what about the third film? I'll get around to watching that one again at some point. It gets a bad rap, and deservedly so, but it was warranted. If it had been a better film people wouldn't trash it by saying it wasn't necessary but it is nice to see Michael's story come to a definitive end.

The Godfather (1972)

Director: Francis Ford Coppola

Starring: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Richard S. Castellano, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard Conte, Al Lettieri, Diane Keaton, Abe Vigoda, Talia SHire, John Cazale

More info: IMDb

Plot: Vito Corleone is the aging don (head) of the Corleone Mafia Family. His youngest son Michael has returned from WWII just in time to see the wedding of Connie Corleone (Michael's sister) to Carlo Rizzi. All of Michael's family is involved with the Mafia, but Michael just wants to live a normal life. Drug dealer Virgil Sollozzo is looking for Mafia Families to offer him protection in exchange for a profit of the drug money. He approaches Don Corleone about it, but, much against the advice of the Don's lawyer Tom Hagen, the Don is morally against the use of drugs, and turns down the offer. This does not please Sollozzo, who has the Don shot down by some of his hit men. The Don barely survives, which leads his son Michael to begin a violent mob war against Sollozzo and tears the Corleone family apart.

My rating: 10/10

Will I watch it again? Duh.

I'm a little behind with some flicks I've watched but haven't gotten around to adding to the blog but after watching SCARFACE (1983) last night I feel compelled to talk briefly about the first two GODFATHER movies. I'm probably in the minority that SCARFACE isn't a very good movie and THE GODFATHER is better than its sequel (if only a little bit).


There's nothing I can add that most people don't already feel about this picture. It's brilliant in every way. The acting across the board is magnificent, the script, Nino Rota's score, the cinematography, the works. Brando is a piece of work like no other. Watching this film takes me to a place in time I'll never be able to visit otherwise. It's my gangster security blanket and the granddaddy of the genre that will never be toppled...not even by its sequel.

Capone (1975)

Director: Steve Carver

Starring: Ben Gazzara, Harry Guardino, Susan Blakely, Sylvester Stallone, John Cassavetes, Frank Campanella, John Orchard, Dick Miller, Martin Kove

More info: IMDb

Tagline: The man who made the twenties roar! Now, after 45 years, his true story can be told!

Plot: The story of the rise and fall of the infamous Chicago gangster Al Capone and the control he exhibited over the city during the prohibition years.

My rating: 6/10

Will I watch it again? Nah.

I digs me some Great Depression era gangster pictures or ones that take place during that time. I'd never seen this one before so why not. It's got a great cast. Cassavetes is in it for a few minutes in the beginning. Gazzara does a good job but he looks too thin but then Roger Corman produced this so there you go. Sometimes he looks like Bob Hoskins as Al Capone...



Sometimes he looks like Robert De Niro as Al Capone...



and sometimes he looks like Ben Gazzara as Al Capone...



One neat thing about his picture is an very early and prominent performance by Sylvester Stallone as Capone's enforcer, Frank Nitti.



CAPONE isn't as accurate as I'd like but there's plenty of action and a little bit of nudity.



There's so much action that it gets old after a while. Somebody shoots someone in Capone's crew so he has to retaliate and so on and so on. It's one drive-by shooting after another. There are so many that they lose their impact and become almost laughable. By the time it was over I was about ready to make my own bathtub gin so I could get liquored up and fall asleep. It's not that bad but you get the point. There are better pictures out there on the subject which doesn't mean skip this one but if it sounds like your cup of tea, you'll probably enjoy it for what it is - cheap entertainment. Netflix didn't have it so I had to watch a bootleg (ahahahahahahaha). I'm now going to give it back.