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S3.E10: Is Goodfellas Really the Best Mob Movie Ever? (ft. @afterhrsvideo)
22 Plays15 days ago
Episode Description – S3.E10: Goodfellas (1990) Review with Steven from After Hours Video
“As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a podcaster…”
This week, we’re diving into the mob classic Goodfellas (1990) with our good friend Steven from After Hours Video. From iconic one-liners and unforgettable tracking shots to the real-life rise and fall of Henry Hill, we break down the Scorsese masterpiece using our unique scoring system. Did it live up to the hype, or did it leave us reaching for the cannoli?
If you missed the YouTube livestream, catch the full episode now wherever you get your podcasts. Don’t forget to share your score with us using one of our three scoring methods – find them on our Instagram!
Check out our recording software, Zencastr, and start your own show here: https://zencastr.com/?via=theaverage
#Goodfellas #Podcast #MovieReview #Scorsese #MafiaMovies #RobertDeNiro #JoePesci #RayLiotta #TrueCrime #FilmCommunity #CinemaLovers #PodcastLife #TheAverageReviews #MovieScore #TheAverage #PopCulture #FilmNerds
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Transcript
Introduction to 'Goodfellas' and Key Players
00:00:41
Speaker
and to us there we go all
00:00:47
Speaker
um right folks welcome back to the average where the real review happens with your friends today we're tackling a heavy hitter martin scorsese's 1990 masterpiece goodfellas that's right one of the most iconic mob movies of all time it's the film that turned joe pesci into a household name for his unhinged performance and solidified ray liotta as a legend And if you're here, you know the drill.
00:01:12
Speaker
We break down each movie with our unique scoring system, diving into everything from acting and directing to music, impact, and more. If you're new here, check out our Instagram for a scoring card so you can follow along and give Goodfellas your own rating.
00:01:27
Speaker
And don't forget, we want to hear from you. If you think this movie is an untouchable classic or maybe a little overrated, drop your scores in the comments and let's keep the debate going. We're not doing this one alone either.
00:01:39
Speaker
We got a special guest with us today, our buddy Steven from After Hours Video, a guy who knows his way around a movie breakdown. What's going on guys? ah So I am, thank you so much for having me on this episode. I'm super stoked to talk about one of my favorite movies of all time with you guys.
00:01:58
Speaker
Yeah, we're excited to have you. i did met Steven doing an episode of Beyond the Blood podcast with a mutual buddy at Bearded Film Guy on Instagram.
00:02:09
Speaker
ah We're all going to be part of plugging it now. The Dread broadcast coming at the end of the month. very very exciting yes so keep your eyes out for that horror news recap of the month I am so excited for that but back to goodfellas yeah it's gonna be a good one so pour yourself a drink settle in and let's talk about one of the greatest crime dramas ever made Don't forget to like, follow, and subscribe if you haven't already.
Authenticity and Style in 'Goodfellas'
00:02:38
Speaker
And before we get too deep into our scores, let's lay a little groundwork. Goodfellas dropped in 1990, directed by the legend himself, Martin Scorsese.
00:02:49
Speaker
It's based on the book Wise Guy by Nicholas Pelleggi, which tells the true story of Henry Hill and his life in the mob. Yeah, Pelleggi co-wrote the screenplay with Scorsese, and the two of them worked closely to keep the film as authentic as possible.
00:03:04
Speaker
In fact, Henry Hill served as a consul as a consultant for the movie, providing first-hand details that made the film feel so real. And the cast is stacked. We have Liotta as Henry Hill, Robert De Niro as Jimmy Conway, ah and of course, Joe Pesci as the wet bandit, ah Tommy DeVito.
00:03:24
Speaker
Pesci's performance earned him an Oscar for best supporting actor and rightfully so. The guy is unhinged in this role. Yeah, that funny house scene, completely unscripted.
00:03:38
Speaker
Pesci came up with the idea based on a real action interaction he had with a made guy. Scorsese just let the cameras roll, and the other actors had no idea how would play out. And that improvised improvisational style is all over this movie.
00:03:53
Speaker
Scorsese encouraged the cast to ad-lib, which gives the dialogue that raw, unpredictable edge. It's part of what makes Goodfellas feel so alive. It's not just a script being read, it is a world being lived in.
00:04:07
Speaker
And it's a brutal world at that. The violence in this movie is intense, but it's also strangely beautiful. Scorsese uses slow motion, freeze frames, and that incredible tracking shot through the Copacabana to pull you into Henry's life.
00:04:22
Speaker
And that Coco Cabana shot, one of the most talked about long takes in film history. three minute single shot that follows Henry and Karen from the street, through the kitchen and into the club, capturing the allure of mob lifestyle in one fluid move. And I'll be talking about that shot more later.
00:04:40
Speaker
but And let's not forget about the music. Scorsese curated the soundtrack himself using everything from Tony Bennett to the Rolling Stones. The music in Goodfellas isn't just background noise, it's a critical part of the storytelling.
00:04:53
Speaker
Exactly. He uses songs to reflect the changing moods and eras as Henry's life spirals out of control. Layla's piano outro over the montage of bodies being discovered?
00:05:04
Speaker
Perfection. uh yeah and you can't talk about this movie without mentioning the editing by thelma shoemaker uh she's scorsese's long time editor and one of the best in the business she perfectly captures the chaos and energy of the mob lifestyle all right so we've got a lot to cover now that we just told you how great this movie is so from the rise and fall of henry hill to some of the wild behind the scenes stories that make this film a classic If you're listening along, grab your scorecard, drop your thoughts in the comments and let's see Goodfellas really is the masterpiece everyone claims it to be.
Character Analysis and Storytelling
00:05:36
Speaker
All right. So we start off our scores with story. How do we feel about the story? So Steven, we do this as just an open conversation.
00:05:47
Speaker
We drop our score at the end before we move on to the next category. Okay. Um, So basically i i hold this movie in probably the highest regard when it comes to just across the board. So for me, first time at watching this film, I felt like you're in in the passenger seat for like how seductive this lifestyle can be.
00:06:15
Speaker
And I feel like in a way, you know, it it basically drags us through essentially what Henry Hill's going through during the course of the entire runtime. And I never experienced anything like it.
00:06:26
Speaker
It was kind of my gateway into a lot of these like crime, essentially these crime films and Martin Scorsese ah and was basically my gateway into eventually getting into The Sopranos at a later point.
00:06:41
Speaker
Yeah, I can definitely see how this movie is a gateway. I have gone through mob phases in film. um ah really started with Boardwalk Empire on HBO way back when, because just because I loved that time period.
00:06:57
Speaker
i loved, ah why can't I think of it, Buscemi. loved him yep so i was drawn into that i probably you're probably gonna leave the stream if you're watching right now i never really cared much for the godfather oh no way it was now my cup of tea no it's and that's probably because i watched it a long time ago i probably need to go back and give it a rewatch now uh but yeah i do wrote to perdition is one that i remember vividly based on a comic by max allen collins fantastic
00:07:32
Speaker
But I can see this movie, the big hook for me that I loved. And I learned this after I came into this. I'm the newbie here. I have never seen Goodfellas, but it was always one. It's Scorsese, who I've seen multiple of his films, mostly ones like ah The Aviator and Wolf on Wall Street and Shutter Island.
00:07:55
Speaker
I've seen a lot of the newer stuff and I need to go back and see the older stuff. But this is one that I'd always wanted to see and I'm very glad I did. But what hooks me on this is the true story.
00:08:08
Speaker
That it is based on a true story. And I went in and I was like, okay, We see all the time movies based on true stories. The Strangers is based on a true story.
00:08:21
Speaker
That true story is very different than the final film. So I wanted to know how true is what's happening in the movie. And surprisingly, it's like 80 to 90% the way it happened.
00:08:36
Speaker
It's very accurate. so there's some stylistic changes made for the purpose of story moving the story along for film but outside of that it's an extremely accurate story to what happened in real life i think that is a major hook for this film in all honesty i love that about this one exactly the fact that it's based on a true story makes it all the more impressive and awesome and everything that we see and hear throughout all of the throughout the whole film i swear it's uh i mean i know that there was like a few things that they omitted for the sake of like
00:09:19
Speaker
you know, i think allowing for the story to be able to
First Impressions and Favorite Films
00:09:22
Speaker
breathe. But, you know, ah how was it for you? First time watch? Was it what you were expecting then? Or it was not at all what I was expecting.
00:09:30
Speaker
First time watch. I was jarred. I messaged you about it, actually, because ah I spent this week at a training thing for work. And I my goal was the first night I was like, OK, we have a team dinner after the training. I'm going to go back to the hotel room, put this on and relax.
00:09:48
Speaker
and And i was so tired, I fell asleep. And it wasn't because the movie bored me. It's because it wasn't what I expected. I think I expected it to be far more intense than it was.
00:10:03
Speaker
And that's not to say the movie's not tense, what's happening isn't dramatic. It really, this kind of falls into the direction category later. It gave me Quentin Tarantino, Pulp Fiction-esque vibes in the way it tells the story.
00:10:19
Speaker
Not nonlinear, but kind of the way it's narrated, the way it's shot, like some quick cuts, almost with this dark edge humor along with the story was completely unexpected.
00:10:34
Speaker
I think I expected the Godfather and it wasn't. So I was, I was a little surprised by that and pleasantly so. So it feels like, cause know you were talking about the Godfather. It feels like a ah more like,
00:10:50
Speaker
accurate take on what that life would be like compared to the godfather the godfather i feel like is very as much as i love those movies are very romanticized and this feels like you know it kind of shows like the the glamorous parts of it and like the not so great aspects about that type of life oh absolutely i that was that was the one thing that stood out in this watching is that by the end of this movie I was stressed for him and going, I would not want to live this life.
00:11:21
Speaker
Constantly wondering if I'm the next one going to get whacked. Not for me. no Not for me. I'm like, how do you you live like this and think this is a great life? i'm like, man.
00:11:32
Speaker
constantly looking over your shoulder basically your entire life you know yeah that's no fun that's a paranoia after you kind of messed up say the wrong thing to the wrong person you know that slip here there it could be the end of you and yeah that's that you then they find you in a dumpster somewhere or who knows where uh it's it it can be very scary and then not just that but like Through most of the film, you've got Henry doing the narration, but every once while, you've got Karen with her little bits in there and getting that surprised me versus her per angle of things as a wife and a mother dealing with all this crazy stuff going on.
00:12:07
Speaker
You know, mean, it's got to be terrifying for her. Absolutely. We're fearing for her and her kids and what's going on with like this type of lifestyle. Absolutely. Uh, it goes into script, but that scene when she's narrating and he beats the guy across the street.
00:12:24
Speaker
go Yeah. spell by It's a great scene, but when he hands her the gun and she is narrating and goes, most girls when being asked to hide a gun by a man would leave right then.
00:12:39
Speaker
And she's like, I was kind of turned on. I was like, all right. But that was an interesting perspective to hear. Like she is aware that what she's getting into is unpredictable violent.
00:12:53
Speaker
And she's bought in at that point, you know, that's what she's there for. You know, she's turned on a little bit by those events. So I was surprised by the story.
00:13:03
Speaker
i love how interesting it is as a biograph, almost biographical film. It's extremely close to the real life events.
00:13:17
Speaker
ah Even i don't i want to get into it because that talks about the performance as well. But yeah, thought it was excellent. So story for me. Big plus to it being very true to life.
00:13:32
Speaker
I'm a five on this story.
00:13:36
Speaker
I'm feeling the same way, man. Like the portrayal of everything from him as a kid when he first gets his start into it to the very end, you know, once he's finally out of it and living that schmuck life he so despised all those years, you know, man, it's fantastic. You know, I'm five all day on it.
00:13:52
Speaker
I would have to agree with you guys because as long as the, the runtime to this movie is, I can easily just sit down and watch this and kill probably about like close to like three hours.
00:14:03
Speaker
Um, and it doesn't feel like it because it's, it feels like the script is super engaging. um you're you're there's really no dull moments in the film and then by the end of it it's basically you're you've got those anxiety waves as you're trying to like figure out where the the conclusion is going to come and and how things are going to wrap up eventually but i'd have to give it ah five out of five so you mentioned the conclusion and that's why i almost gave it a four in all honesty is because i was waiting for some kind of dramatic
00:14:36
Speaker
big event to be the conclusion to this film. And then it just ends. And that surprised me. I was expecting something a little more violent, more jarring, but that it did shock me a little bit the first time. I was like, oh, okay, okay.
00:14:53
Speaker
It's a nice ending. I get it, the real life, in entering witness protection, which is fun because this movie, I believe it was him.
00:15:04
Speaker
It might have been the character De Niro played, but the witness protection ended because of this movie. Oh, really? the the care The guy could not stay quiet. He could not keep to himself and was getting out in public. And they're finally like we can't keep you secret anymore.
00:15:24
Speaker
Your witness protection is over. He was very outspoken. Yes. Kind of like almost to a fault. I know that I feel like that that got him in some hot water, especially after I think he he definitely took full advantage of all the attention he got from as a result of this movie.
00:15:40
Speaker
Oh, they they said that was the only way he could make money. After his past in the witness protection, the only way he could make money as himself was to basically merchandise his story.
00:15:57
Speaker
Yep. And and so he he made money. And I don't blame him at all, but it's also, i was watching an interview and the commentator kind of said afterwards, like,
00:16:09
Speaker
I kind of understand why he descended into alcoholism, ah having to relive the worst things he's ever experienced over and over and over again to tell his story.
00:16:22
Speaker
So it's kind of profound in a way and tragic. And i think that adds to this movie because like we talked about earlier,
00:16:36
Speaker
I don't think this movie romanticizes the life quite as much as the Godfather does. No, not at all. I think this movie shows how anxiety inducing this life is.
00:16:49
Speaker
Well, it's very unpredictable. And i mean, it's, it's like what we were talking about earlier is that you're constantly looking in the rear view mirror, you know, to see like what could be coming, you know, either like coming at you or, or you know, what type of problems could arise, but.
00:17:05
Speaker
I mean, I can't imagine after watching this movie, I don't know how many people would be you know out there wanting indulge in this lifestyle. you know I watched this and said, nope, not for me, please. Maybe the earlier part of it, like where where Henry's a kid kid, you know, kind of work in the cab.
00:17:22
Speaker
yeah so that That's something that a lot of young people will probably get into because, you know that lack of having to maintain the the regular standard of life by going to school and doing all this other stuff and doing regular jobs, that maybe we see a little more romanticized. For sure. Once you really get into that gangster lifestyle, then that's where it kind of like, okay, this is not so great.
00:17:41
Speaker
I'm scared out of my fucking mind. but Yeah, it's it's definitely, there's, I think it by the end of it, I mean, you've you've just seen like so much tragedy that that our tragedy that's happened ah by the time everything's all said and done. But I wanted to point out, I don't know if you guys caught the reference, the you guys were talking about the the very end of it.
00:18:02
Speaker
And in that closing shot, after he talks about like how he, you know, is going to live live like, you know live life basically like a schmuck, you know, they do they kind of pay that that homage to the great train robbery yes with with Joe Pesci's character shooting at the screen.
00:18:19
Speaker
And I've known about that because I had taken a film class you know like right around that time. So i was like, it's like that ah was the the Leonardo DiCaprio where he's like he's you know getting up in his chair, he's pointing at the TV screen. It's kind of like one of those moments.
00:18:32
Speaker
Yeah. Yep. Yep. Yep. there's There's a lot of great stuff in this film. So onto the characters. So we kind of kind of covered it in the story.
00:18:45
Speaker
because it's about this guy's life. It is his life story from beginning to end. Henry Hill, ah not beginning. We don't see the birth. That's not that doesn't matter. We do see the kid.
00:18:58
Speaker
And one of the interesting things I was watching after this because I was curious about this movie made me curious about the true story, which is a plus to this movie. I like that about it. He he wanted and this isn't in the movie. They don't really touch on this.
00:19:15
Speaker
He wanted out of the gangster life by 16. He had already kind of seen enough and was ah kind of like, i don't want to keep doing this.
00:19:28
Speaker
So he enlisted in the Air Force, I believe. Enlisted in the Air Force. And that's the movie picks up when he comes back. And so while he was in the air force, he got in trouble for drugs and things like that.
00:19:44
Speaker
But when he came back, he slipped right back into that ah old life because it was come comfortable, easy. You can make money doing it and he slipped right back into it.
00:19:56
Speaker
But this movie doesn't really talk about that. Like he had seen so much by the time he was 16 that he enlisted in the air force to escape it. It's very seductive, like for the lifestyle as a whole, or mean, at least they portray it that way. and It definitely i thought they definitely do.
00:20:12
Speaker
I never really got the impression watching it that he wanted out. No. Yeah. So even even with the paranoia of the FBI thinking every helicopter that flies over as the FBI.
00:20:25
Speaker
ah I never got the impression that he was like, man, I regret this life. I want out of this life is like, hey, this is the consequences of this life. I'm living with it. and As far as i typically judge on character arc, I think this movie has full character arc from romanticizing and glamorizing as a kid.
00:20:49
Speaker
Like, this is awesome. I'm making so much money at 13. Like, heck yeah. yeah To the end becoming the very thing he hated, as he says.
00:21:01
Speaker
You know? That is not something you come to easily. It's not something you come to lightly. It was a journey for him to discover that, Hey, this is where I'm going to land. This is, this is what's best.
00:21:15
Speaker
we said He's hit the highest highs, you know, like you've you you've lived it all all and done it all. And then for you to basically drop back down to reality, like most of us, it's like, you know,
00:21:25
Speaker
obviously he's a witness protection but he doesn't have access to all these these glamorous things about that lifestyle mean it's you're you're basically stripped of everything and then youre you end up alone you know yeah exactly with the arc in this man it's not just him it's not just henry but like the arc of what you see happen to other people around him as well yep um you know, probably with with Henry and his Sicilian Irish roots between his mom and dad, you know, he connects in different levels, like with Jimmy Conway played De Niro, um you know, him being an Irishman.
00:22:05
Speaker
you know he gets in good with him because they've got that sense of, you know, connection there. And then Tommy being on the the Sicilian side, you know, and how they become that kind of trio that's always doing stuff together, you know, how come how tight did they become and how you see them kind of get worse and worse and worse until their end.
00:22:22
Speaker
You know, you first tell Tommy's just a punk kid who's a little wild side, but then you see him just get just more vicious, know, you know and then henry seeing this realizing you know because like in by the time henry's in his 20s and the early 20s in this film he's like at his peak of awesomeness and enjoying things and how wonderful it is but then as it goes on past that you know he's to see like man these dudes are they're really twisted and they really let it get to them yeah like it's ah how Tommy's fucking around and he shoots that kid in spider in the foot.
00:22:52
Speaker
And then eventually later and a little later on the film, ends killing the kid the guy yeah know in his rage, just unbridled, just careless, thoughtlessness, and just bam, bam, bam. yeah And then brushes it off like it's nothing.
00:23:04
Speaker
you know And then finally seeing him meet his end after what you you see them do with with bats at the beginning. you know, and how he gets his comeuppance on that, you know, there's there's arc in that.
00:23:15
Speaker
And then Jimmy Conway and his paranoia and how he starts getting rid of everybody after that big heist, you know, just to make sure there's no sense more money for himself and eventually getting taken out. It's crazy, man.
00:23:28
Speaker
And oh, it's rough. it It definitely serves as like you kind of those those specific events that happen throughout the movie. I feel like it serves as reminders that at the end of the day, as as glamorous as they make it out to be, i mean, these these real life individuals are like psychopaths essentially. So, you know, it just kind of...
00:23:48
Speaker
kind of, you know, strips it back down to reality that these are the people that you would not want to get, you know, be affiliated with, or, um they've done obviously some terrible things and, you know, yeah respectively to each of these characters, they unfortunately have to pay the consequences by the end of the movie or, or even post the movie. Right.
00:24:07
Speaker
That's the thing you said, they're kind of like psychopaths. And I think that's one of the things this character, this movie does extremely well. ah I'm terrible with names and there's a lot of like Jimmy, Joey, whatever names in this movie. Peter's false marries. Yeah. no i It's hopeless for me to remember all these names.
00:24:28
Speaker
But there's one scene where Hill is trying to get money. And the guy just, like, comes up and starts choking him out. And he's you're going to pay, you're going to pay.
00:24:40
Speaker
And I'm just like, flip of a switch, this guy is terrorizing this man to get his mate. Maury, the wig man. Yeah. The wigs that never come off.
00:24:51
Speaker
This movie does such a good job of showing those, like, instant flips to violence. One of the best examples of this for these characters is the pre pre famed Samuel L. Jackson scene.
00:25:08
Speaker
Yeah. stacks yeah ah That scene. was one where I was like, it's done so well that it's casual, it's chill, but I'm sitting there my first time like this isn't going go well.
00:25:21
Speaker
This isn't going to go well. And sure enough, boom, it still shocked the crap out of me. Not having seen it before, I was like, oh, oh, and just so violent, so sudden and humor, that dark sense of humor.
00:25:38
Speaker
So I find this movie very funny because of have a very dark sense of humor. ah The whole time. I think Joe Pesci in this movie is absolutely hilarious in almost every scene. And it's probably bad, but I think it's very funny.
00:25:51
Speaker
i also, we'll get we'll get to that ah funny scene on script. But yeah, like you mentioned, these characters are kind of psychopaths.
00:26:01
Speaker
And this movie does a great job of saying it's the littlest thing where they just snap and that's it. It's over. The violence has happened and we're now dealing with it.
00:26:15
Speaker
I just, one thing I just wanted to point out is, is during that scene with Samuel Jackson, when they're, they're like at his place and then Frankie Harbone, like, isn't sure what to do with the coffee. um And it's just like, it's so awkward. i was like,
00:26:31
Speaker
they're just so casual about it i think that that's what i'm dying yep yep it's so funny it's so funny i wasn't serious listen i if i were in his shoes i would have taken the coffee to go but oh what no whatever pesci says is happening i am doing it uh i love i've seen I've seen things on, I don't know if it was Reddit, some internet crapple where I saw like ah joe Joe Pesci's character in Home Alone is actually his character from this movie. He survived the gunsh the gunshot wound to the head, but it did some damage and now he's just a wet bandit in Home Alone.
00:27:12
Speaker
So that's the Goodfellas cinematic universe. Yeah. The Goodfellas cinematic universe leads to Joe Pesci, just robbing Kevin McCallister's house. The bullet did some damage. That's why he, he pretty forgot forget forget like, i it works.
00:27:28
Speaker
i I would believe it. ah yeah I want to see the home alone cut where we take Joe Pesci's dialogue from Goodfellas and put it on top of the home alone film. Oh God. Because most of the time,
00:27:42
Speaker
he's not saying real lines in Home Alone. He's just swearing under his breath. And that's what makes it so good. But characters in this film.
00:27:52
Speaker
I got to I'm a four on characters. I'm a four. Agreed. I'm a four as well.
00:28:00
Speaker
i yeah I feel like I'm like just completely favoriting this movie. It's five for me just because they're they're just they're so memorable. like i think it's I couldn't picture anyone else ah with their performances for this film. You see a lot of characters or well actors and actresses that eventually so went to um star and good fellows from Goodfellas into The Sopranos. and i think it's it's cool to see those nods in in you know various scenes, but uh yeah it definitely kept me engaged the entire time i was watching this film it's hence the reason why i come back to it so often yeah definitely i think um i think this is one where the more time i spend with the film repeated watches would help me appreciate those characters a little bit more having only seen it two times uh
00:28:56
Speaker
There's still a lot of names and a lot of people that I'm not sure exactly how they play out throughout the movie, just because I'm terrible with large casts of everything. I'm terrible at names, terrible at large casts.
00:29:09
Speaker
But I definitely think with repeated watches, I could start to pick up those intricacies on how these characters play together for sure. So on to the next category.
00:29:21
Speaker
We have the music and sound design. This one. This one. Such good category. both Both of you had sound effects to go with the music and sound design.
00:29:34
Speaker
So who's kicking it off? go for Steven okay it's I think the soundtrack probably is my favorite thing about this film each it just feels so methodical the way that Martin Scorsese picked this or if that maybe it maybe was just him or or I don't know if there's anyone else involved but the way they picked out these songs for each key scene it just it puts it over the edge because I just feel like it enhances each ah each scene, brings it to life, and again, i think it just paints the picture like this life is so glamorous and um just, I don't know, I just feel like each scene tries to like sweep you off your feet you know to to get you to come around to it.
00:30:17
Speaker
But the music is is top tier.
00:30:21
Speaker
Yeah, I love the soundtrack on this, man, because it's not just an accent. It's not just a background thing that just kind of blends to tone. It really sets a lot you know between like Tony Bennett, Cadillac, Chantel, Shangri-La's, Areece, The Franklin, Cream, so much more. like There's so much good music in this film that you can't help but not appreciate it.
00:30:46
Speaker
Oh, I 100% agree. ah the other thing that I noticed is i don't think there's composed music in this movie.
00:30:58
Speaker
Uh, I, I, I don't believe there is. I think it is all licensed tracks. Yeah, it looks like that. Yeah. And we got some George Harrison Rolling Stones in there. So Sid Vicious from with his very version of my way.
00:31:15
Speaker
I thought it was super awesome. Yeah. I always love hearing that at the end of the movie. I love how we get this incredible jazzy kind of like what I associate with mob movies, to be honest, jazzy swing crooners, Tony Bennett, the Cluff Tones, Otis Williams, all of that at the beginning. And then as time in the film progresses, we're getting time appropriate progressions in music as well.
00:31:46
Speaker
which is just genius to me. also really love the Frankie Valli name drop in the film. i i Frankie Valli is great.
00:31:58
Speaker
I don't care what anybody says. He's awesome. um aretha franklin in there rolling stones couple songs by the rolling stones that's like that's very key in a lot of martin scorsese's films like you you pick up on that that he uses a lot of the rolling stone songs throughout his films so um i thought it was just initially for this film and and it's just like a reoccurring uh theme that he has his movies it's his thing he likes it Uh, but yeah, I was, I was impressed.
00:32:29
Speaker
And this is one where, um, I'm pretty sure i love when they do this. I love when any movie does this. Tarantino does this a lot. Scorsese does this a lot in this film, but where shocking violence is accompanied with whimsical, lighthearted music.
00:32:49
Speaker
And that happens in this and it kind of,
00:32:54
Speaker
and makes it easier to digest what's happening on screen and it's also a little bit more horrifying at the same time like it doesn't go down quite as hard but you're like wow that's brutal this song is really peaceful and it kind of it creates a reaction in you and i love that about this film i think he does that really really well throughout i'm trying to think um
00:33:26
Speaker
like exactly when I'm trying to think of exactly
00:33:35
Speaker
for like when they're they're using the music to like kind of counter the like violence. Cause I, one of the scenes that comes to mind is right smack dab right at the beginning where they're playing Tony Bennett's rag to or rags riches right after they, they get done stabbing ah Billy bats in the back of the trunk. yep and It's, it's like, we didn't, didn't even have an opportunity to let, let that try to, ah you know, like settle in.
00:34:04
Speaker
It's just, you're, you're strictly, you're like basically going from that horrific, instant that just happened and then boom, you're getting you're getting hit with the title card. Yes. Yeah, we get up.
00:34:15
Speaker
I can't pronounce that. It's Italian. Giuseppe DeStefano is second time he's played when Tommy kills spider that just a couple times that that happens.
00:34:26
Speaker
ah The same song by Giuseppe is played earlier when um I think Giuseppe Di Stefano. I'm really bad at this. You're doing good.
00:34:46
Speaker
I'm not I'm not that great at pronunciation. He ah the same song also plays when young Henry gets pinched for selling cigarettes at the beginning. Oh, yeah. Used a couple times throughout.
00:34:58
Speaker
But I I'm a sucker for that. One of my favorite musical like companion accompaniment scenes. is and any movie and it's ridiculous.
00:35:09
Speaker
Uh, the music that pairs with shoshana's death and inglorious bastards oh yep that is the perfect example of shocking sudden violence and just beautiful music that doesn't fit the scene but yet somehow does that's one of my favorites but this movie is filled with scenes like that and that's why i say this movie like the choices made in this movie kind of give me that When I say Pulp Fiction, I don't mean Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction. I mean the genre Pulp Fiction vibe to the whole thing. It gives it this punk rock, Pulp Fiction-esque vibe to this story.
00:35:51
Speaker
I feel like you were talking about Quentin Tarantino and he's another director that I just feel like is like so honed in on song choices that it like, you know, even in Reservoir Dogs where where he's cutting the police officer's ear off and it's, it's just a complete contrast to the song.
00:36:09
Speaker
um that's being played. It's obviously something so, so terrible that's happening to this guy, but then you get something that's like a little bit more lighthearted and it just, ah you know, I think that's, I think why I like these directors so much is because they have such like top tier song choices.
00:36:25
Speaker
I agree. I think it definitely adds, it adds a layer of intention to what they are doing. And it's, I think it's incredibly difficult to go through the process of picking a song that's going to fit this.
00:36:43
Speaker
It's one thing to have John Williams compose something incredible to go with it. That's one thing that's hard. That's amazing. It's another thing to go through a catalog of thousands of songs and be like, yeah, I think this is the one.
00:36:58
Speaker
I think this is the one. i I will say, kind of jumping off of that, where they go into, i believe it's a scene where they go into the Copacabana and they play the song by the Crystals and he kissed me.
00:37:12
Speaker
it's It's like perfection. it's It's just, it sets the stage for not only such, it's for one of my favorite scenes in any movie for that matter, but it just it just elevates it that much more with with how...
00:37:29
Speaker
i I don't know. I don't know what it is about the song. It just, it's like, I couldn't picture anything else being played in the background when that scene's taking place. No, it's a great choice. Yeah. Like same with the, like with the hostess party when Karen's like looking at everybody and realizing what's going on and how tight <unk> everything is.
00:37:46
Speaker
And there's no outsiders and they're playing leader of the pack by the Shangri-Las. Yep. and Like they just, they, they really had a really great way of like setting scenes with the music as they're like going through all this.
00:37:59
Speaker
So song choices, music for me, as well as the sound design. So also talking about how the movie sounds without music.
00:38:11
Speaker
It's great in this film. It is well rounded all the way across. It sounds very real to me. One of the things I really like too, and maybe it's ridiculous.
00:38:23
Speaker
um I love that throughout the 80s, even into the 90s, a lot of times fighting, punching, we got those heavy
00:38:35
Speaker
for punches. This movie doesn't feel like that. This movie feels a lot more grounded, a lot more more realistic in that area. So it's a five across the board for the music and sound design for me.
00:38:52
Speaker
I went with a four. five s is you know it Nothing's ever perfect for me, so I had to hit four. I think I'm the odd one out then. I love the soundtra i love the soundtrack so much. I guess I'm partial to to this movie for sure, but um I promise if if we review another movie, I won't i won't be so kind.
00:39:13
Speaker
but I would listen to this soundtrack just on its own. 100%. My wife. I was watching it again ah today and my wife was in the other room just getting things together and the soundtrack pulled her in like she could hear the variety of songs and she loves 50s and 60s music and a lot of those songs.
00:39:36
Speaker
She's like, what are you watching? And I was like, Goodfellas. And she's like, oh, but the music is so good.
00:39:48
Speaker
So on editing special effects, man, any other particular things stand out to you on this one? What all the bloods, all the bloods, the splatters, the the effects of it, like bats in the car, how messed up he looks, you know, stacks after they shoot him and the blood spray everywhere.
00:40:09
Speaker
man like the vicious like even when Henry you know picks up Karen after that jackass we're cross street kicks her out of the car oh my God it comes up and just starts fucking pistol whipping the shit out of him you know my mother you ever touch her again i you know yeah everything going on man I love all that and then um with how he looks when he's all coped up on other man and he's all paranoid and like driving that that day of trying to like get his brother set the dinner they're making they're making the sauce yeah the sauce and the feeling connection and paranoia of the pair of the helicopters and how he just looks more stressed and stressed and sweating and the look around his eyes and everything man like man he's so messed up through all that they did a great job with that yeah i i have to uh yeah so i was watching
00:41:03
Speaker
go ahead Oh, ah sorry. I think go for it it was ah like lagging a little bit, but um yeah, I just real quickly had to go off of like when he goes over to the neighbor and just like beats the shit out of him.
00:41:15
Speaker
ah There's something about like the sound. So it, you know, like high marks for the sound, but it is so uncomfortable watching that, that scene take place. Cause it's just, you can hear like the, I don't know whatever they did, but it feel it feels like you're literally listening to like bones being like, like just broken.
00:41:34
Speaker
Yep, metal on skull, man. just yes yeah
00:41:41
Speaker
I'm pretty sure that's a continuous take, too. Is it not? like He gets out of the car. We track him across the street. He beats the crap out of that guy. And then we cut back.
00:41:52
Speaker
And the camera doesn't cut back. the wrong choice of words. We follow him back. But the camera doesn't cut until he gets back to his girlfriend. Which to film a scene of that kind of violence without cutting is awesome.
00:42:10
Speaker
It's an accomplishment. 100%. And it makes it that much more visceral. It's so that scene stands out. it It's good.
00:42:23
Speaker
What about the scene where the commenting that I love a continuous take? Yes. Yep. I'm with her on there on that. I will say. what i do. I do. I will say a couple of the scenes that I felt like also stood out to me is when they're doing the montage of like, basically Jimmy's going through and he's cleaning, cleaning up everyone associated with the heist. You get Frankie Harbone.
00:42:44
Speaker
I believe he's, he's in the meat locker, I remember correctly. And then, yep. And then one of the, one of the guys, he rolls out of the back of like the garbage truck and it just looks like just gnarly looking, just like, you know, it's I don't know. That's probably what i i would imagine. Someone's going to looking pretty pretty nasty looking if you find them that way. well yeah and the The one guy and his wife in that pink Cadillac.
00:43:07
Speaker
yeah Oh my god, that Jimmy was so pissed about. yep and that's Talk about top tier song choice getting Layla the piano exit portion of it.
00:43:19
Speaker
it's I don't know. i i just It's great.
00:43:25
Speaker
It's a great song choice for a horrific scene. who I'm lagging, aren't I? Not bad. yeah You're alright. But is isn't this like the section where you want to talk about the long cut?
00:43:38
Speaker
We have a storm blowing through right now, so I think it's affecting me.
00:43:45
Speaker
You'll be okay. Oh, I was going to put that in direct. oh it's Okay, that's fine. we We can put it in here now.
00:43:57
Speaker
i love... that long take i don't like i saw some youtubers just obsessing about that long take and how it's the greatest ever there are a lot of long takes i love all of them um i'm not gonna say this is greatest one ever but i love the story behind that this was take number seven that ended up in the film they spent three days trying to get the shot you with which is insane.
00:44:29
Speaker
Awesome. um But take number six was perfect, except the take ends with the comedian giving his lines, right?
00:44:42
Speaker
the Oh, yeah. if Number six is perfect, but the comedian forgot his lines. Oh, no, that's insane. So they had three minutes of it, basically, and then had to do take number seven because he he forgot the lines.
00:44:56
Speaker
But I just love that little bit about it. I love that long takes require the actors, everything. It's a dance. A long take is a dance. It is a performance.
00:45:07
Speaker
It's a stage play more than like, all right, we need 10 seconds of you doing this. That's not a long take is you are in character for minutes. You got to have all your lines.
00:45:19
Speaker
That to me is the peak. of film that's when you're the actor has to stay in character the actor has to be memorized has to remember move here at this time do all that i love i'm a sucker for him i love him i love him
00:45:38
Speaker
i I will say, though, like, one of the the key scenes I felt like was directed so well by Scorsese was the scene where um Karen goes to see Jimmy at the store. And it's this, like, mounting tension. We obviously already know that things are going off the rails for both ah her and Henry.
00:46:01
Speaker
And the way that he directed that scene specifically is just... it's, it's so uncomfortable. Like, you know, we're basically in, in her position knowing that like, probably if she, she like makes one wrong move that she could end up getting clipped.
00:46:18
Speaker
Um, but the way that Scorsese did that scene was just, just like exceptional. Yeah. I could, it's also good.
00:46:30
Speaker
The only thing that kind of jarred me on the editing that I wasn't a big fan of, but i it wasn't like it ruined the movie for me. It's just a personal preference was there are a lot of I would consider unnecessary zooms.
00:46:49
Speaker
specifically on faces it's like face zoom cut and then it would do the same thing again in the very next scene and that to me that's just a personal preference but that is one of the things that i think adds to that pulp fiction genre vibe of the film Yeah, for me, I could see it.
00:47:09
Speaker
So that is at first I was like, man, that's a lot of zooms. And then I just get into the movie and I don't really care. um I'm having a good time with the film. But at first it was a pretty jarring. So editing special effects, Jonathan mentioned the blood effects, the violence.
00:47:27
Speaker
is as convincing today as it was in the 90s. There's no degree. There's nothing in this that I'm like, that looks good. Like as good as violence can look, it looks it looks good.
00:47:40
Speaker
The effects are excellent in this. This movie definitely holds up. I think the longer time goes on, kind of a testament that, like, the effects and just um a lot of... You can see that this movie influenced so many other films that followed after it, especially with ah the choice to, like, do, like, the narration part of it. You see that...
00:48:02
Speaker
kind of as a reoccurring theme, even in, i don't know if you guys have seen the Irishman, but that's like another stylistic choice that, um, I felt like he kind of called back to this film, uh, with, with that film.
00:48:16
Speaker
I still need to watch that. It's on my list and I just, I haven't gotten around to it yet. Is that the one that's like four hours long? Yeah. Carve out a whole knife for it. Yeah. Okay. No, thanks no it's it's it's not it's not that bad, but it's it's definitely one where I would say it's not as fast paced as Goodfellas or Casino for that matter. Just it's a little bit more like you're seeing the side of the life from early on all the way to like the very end. And this is like...
00:48:46
Speaker
ah we don't need to go into detail on it, but ah you know, that's, that's a much different situation where somebody is a lot older by the time, you know, the movie wraps up. Okay. Okay. So editing special effects, ah I'm a five cause it's tight from beginning. And even if I don't necessarily care for zooms.
00:49:07
Speaker
That's that's a personal preference. It's not something that ruined the film or was poorly done. It was consistent throughout the film. It was a stylistic choice.
00:49:18
Speaker
I wouldn't have used it, but it's not something that was started to be in abandon at the end. It stayed consistent through it through the film. And yeah, I'm a five because the rest of it is real tight.
00:49:35
Speaker
I'm a four.
00:49:38
Speaker
You guys already know where I'm going.
00:49:42
Speaker
um Yeah. Yeah. I mean, there's just stylistic choices with with his directing. Like one of the scenes that just comes to mind is when, um you know, spoilers, if you guys, you know, anyone out there who hasn't seen the movie, but Tommy. official spoilers Okay. Okay. So eventually Tommy gets waxed and you see like the overhead shot of him, like just laying there on the floor. yep ah Blood pool. Yeah, blood pool comes out. um Like the scene we were talking about earlier where, ah you know, the pink Cadillac scene where where you see, you know, the kids walk up and and they bear witness to, um you know, double murder that's taken place. it's It's just very, very, like, very...
00:50:25
Speaker
very specific choices that were made in the directing style and the color palette throughout the film. I don't know if that's something you guys ever noticed, but um there's definitely you have like when they're out out and about and it's like a more like ah like brighter color palette. And then obviously when it's like, you know, they're behind closed doors or they're doing things that aren't that great.
00:50:47
Speaker
Seems like it just takes like a very dark tone to like whatever the scene is. Oh, Once they get their their second house after Henry gets out of prison, everything's like black and gold throughout a lot of the house. And then you see Henry's closet and he's got that cascading color set of suits.
00:51:03
Speaker
Yeah. Like I was kind of envious of that. It's like, yeah I wish I had an awesome so in that kind of scale of color. Like that was really cool. Yeah. No, I. ah the one scene stands out color palette for me is when they're burying the body yep yeah oh that is just red and black red and black fantastic fantastic yep that that one stands out for sure that that's one of the key elements why i i lean a five on this one um script
00:51:43
Speaker
This is one, so script, call because there a lot of ad-lib in this film. that I don't think I can count that against a script if there's some ad-libbing.
00:51:56
Speaker
So, in fact, I think that probably helps this movie. um But, ah wanted to talk about the
00:52:09
Speaker
You Think I'm Funny scene. h Insane.
00:52:14
Speaker
I am on the edge of my seat in that because i'm he's about to just flip out and do what he did to Spider. It's tense as shit. Is that right, Spider? Yeah. Yep.
00:52:26
Speaker
Yep. Yeah. It's so good. But so Joe Pesci based that on interaction he had with a guy who was made in the mafia.
00:52:40
Speaker
And Joe Pesci was the one who said, you're kind of funny. And the guy did that interaction with him in real life.
00:52:51
Speaker
And so Joe Pesci was on set recounting this story that happened to him. And the Scorsese shared it with Joe was telling the story. Scorsese shared it with Ray.
00:53:05
Speaker
And those were the only two people in that scene who knew what was happening. Everybody else was blind to this and their reactions on the sidelines are genuine to what is happening.
00:53:17
Speaker
It's very magnetic. Oh, and I, actually, man, I keep cutting out Joe Pesci was just, he's insane in this film. He's so good in this film, but he is like,
00:53:40
Speaker
I don't the threat of violence with him is just always there. It's imminent. Very scary. So even when he's in a good mood, you're just
00:53:57
Speaker
you're just waiting for him. Yes. Yes. ah yeah I feel like he I mean, exactly it kind of goes off what you're saying, though. Is it kind of a little bit?
00:54:11
Speaker
some some lag again. Yeah, because. You're still there. Yeah, I'm getting so i don't know. I'm getting strong wins out here. i imagine that probably has to do with it, but.
00:54:25
Speaker
uh go ahead oh no i was just gonna say though is that you kind of see that as like the precursor to like how how quick he can flip a switch right so he's he's doing that bit where he's improvising um you know like you think i'm funny he goes it goes through that whole thing but then you know pull pulls back the reins you know with with ray liotta However, you see this later on when it's like, you could say something kind of sarcastic or you're, you're messing with him and you could have a completely different reaction, obviously with spider. I mean, that's, that's obviously, uh, significantly worse or, or with, uh, uh, Billy bats is another one. It's just, you, you see how unhinged these, uh, character, I mean, they're not, yeah I mean, they're characters in the movie, but, but based on real people, just how unhinged these, these individuals are, you know?
00:55:24
Speaker
Absolutely. With the script, I mean, with so much ad lib that there is in here, it's pretty awesome. But like when it comes to script, I think most of what I like about is the the narration part of it from that end.
00:55:38
Speaker
Yes. But when it comes to the actual scenes, though, like when you see the the part in the bar that lead up to them killing Bats after they close out everything, like that whole thing, that whole interaction between Tommy and Bats, like no more shines, Billy. And he's like, what? He's like, I said, no more shines.
00:55:57
Speaker
Maybe didn't hear it, but it you've been away a long time. yeah they They didn't go tell I don't shine shoes anymore. And that that whole dialogue between the two of them and how tense that shit got, man. that Man, I love that part of the script, dude. That that was so good.
00:56:10
Speaker
i I love, i mean, if I feel like Frank Vincent is such a key component of this movie because he's obviously, his character basically kicks off the entire movie in in a terrible way. But like, you know, hes he's part of that opening scene and then it comes full circle with ah the shine box ah moment you were talking about.
00:56:32
Speaker
absolutely and then um the the dialogue at the end you know after henry's in the witness protection program where he's talking about how anything he wanted was like a phone call away free cars you know keys was in hideout flats around the city like all that it's just it's so well written and to express like how shitty it is now that he doesn't have access to that anymore that's pretty great yeah no i absolutely agree so after watching After watching some interviews with Hill, ah one thing I really appreciated was in the interviews, Hill speaks exactly like they do in the film.
00:57:14
Speaker
quote Exactly like they do. And I thought that added, like, it's not something you necessarily know just watching the movie, but you go back, have interviews with Hill talking about these scenes and it is the same kind of inflection, the same kind of sentence structure, same dropping, dropping the F bomb frequently.
00:57:37
Speaker
Like that is the way he talks. Yeah. And I really thought that added a layer of authenticity to the script. That was fantastic.
00:57:50
Speaker
I'm a five. yeah Yeah. Man, see, I put a four, but now I feel like I got to change to a five on on script. Yeah, I'll do it. Yeah, I'll five on script.
00:58:02
Speaker
Yeah. Okay. Okay. I'll have to go five on this one. and it is i was missing We know what Steven is. Yeah, you guys have nothing to worry about with this one. I'm just going to want, I'm i'm along for the ride, just like this movie. um No, it's, a the the script is is just so fine-tuned. There's so many like just iconic moments. I feel like a lot, I mean, I'm sure as you guys, after seeing this movie, maybe for the first time, you see a lot of this culturally has, has made its way into, um kind of cultural zeitgeist, you know, ah like skits and, and, you know, various movies have paid, ah paid homage to it. And it's just, uh, it's just cool to see the impact that this movie's had, you know all these years later.
00:58:49
Speaker
Yeah, I would agree. That's something I wasn't even thinking about. But the fact is. Present. I don't want to say. You know, it's talked about still and in all these other mediums from I believe it was the Animaniacs in the 90s were doing scenes inspired by this.
00:59:14
Speaker
ah We'll get into the cultural significance. But yeah, the script five for me on to acting. Who? The acting is kick ass in this movie. I can't really say a bad thing about anybody in this movie in regards to acting like even Karen, like when she finds out about the other woman, Janice Rossi.
00:59:38
Speaker
and her flipping the yeah fuck out and going to that building jamming on there harassing that woman just going off and then like jamming all the buttons and telling everybody and calling like the building manager and going off and being unhinged oh my god and then like Henry laying ab bed waking up to her on top of the gun in his face just raising another green gaslighting the fuck out of her oh my gosh and then flipping around and being like what the hell yeah man There's a lot, a lot of intense moments throughout this movie, man.
01:00:12
Speaker
crazy. That scene in particular is excellent. Another example of tension. But that scene is kind of why Ray Liotta was.
01:00:26
Speaker
So Ray wanted this part. Scorsese did not want him. Which I don't know if you've seen. um entourage. I've talked about it on a couple episodes because I'm rewatching it now, but I can't imagine being an actor on set when the director didn't want you as their first choice. I imagine that's immediately difficult.
01:00:49
Speaker
ah But Ray auditioned Scorsese didn't really care for it and had moved on. But Ray, during screening of some other film,
01:01:00
Speaker
Ray pushed his way through Scorsese security to talk to Scorsese about like, I really want to do this movie. And that was enough to convince Scorsese because he saw how cool Ray was under pressure in a tense moment.
01:01:21
Speaker
And he saw that and goes, that is exactly the way he'll acts in his story. He is calm and cool under multiple and various scenes of tension and pressure.
01:01:37
Speaker
And so that kind of convinced him to hire Ray for the role, which is precisely when he wakes up with his wife holding a gun to his head and he keeps his cool. He's just like, Whoa, whoa.
01:01:51
Speaker
It's excellent. He does an amazing job of it. My favorite is I've talked about him the whole show. Joe Pesci is insane in this movie. And I know he's he's kind of the same character in Home Alone that I joked about later.
01:02:05
Speaker
Just the PG version. But he carries that line of just insanity around. so well in this film, the people who knew the real life people who these characters are based on Joe Pesci is about a foot smaller and half the weight of the guy he was playing.
01:02:29
Speaker
The real guy who was playing significantly smaller. But everybody who knew the real guy walked away saying Joe captured him perfectly.
01:02:40
Speaker
Damn, which is terrifying to think about.
01:02:46
Speaker
a giant of a man. They said he was like, he's well over six feet tall and twice the weight of Joe Pesci, which huge, huge deal.
01:02:59
Speaker
But to think of that guy doing what Joe does throughout the film, but Joe himself carries this weight of menace and this threat with him and everything he does.
01:03:11
Speaker
He's cracking jokes and I think they're hilarious. He's also like about to shoot the waiter, you know? So it it's insane. And he much deserved the award for supporting actor in this film. I think he was so good.
01:03:30
Speaker
Hell yeah. You always see like such a fun guy. but you yeah know you like so like Even when you see him with his mom you know at the house, you know they just like that just that casual, loving son-mother dynamic, but the dude is an off-rocker.
01:03:45
Speaker
Yeah.
01:03:48
Speaker
No, I definitely feel like Joe Pesci shines in this movie, for sure. I feel like mean he's such a key component of you really being able to see range with these actors, because I think, uh, Robert De Niro's performance is, is not obviously it's, it's dialed up. He's violent, but Joe Pesci's character obviously takes it to like a whole nother level.
01:04:14
Speaker
And then you have Liotta who plays a little bit more of like a laid back guy for the most part, kind of quiet, like yeah that, the you know, the dinner scene. um I feel like an actor in this movie, like Paul Servino, he carries like himself with like... kind of like like at at the one of the scenes where they're talking about, you know, he he doesn't have to move move fast because he doesn't have to, essentially. like He's just this very physically imposing guy, you know, playing ah paul paule Paul in the movie as well. But um yeah, it's it's great.
01:04:51
Speaker
like the the cast in this is I got go. Like, I don't know. They, they, they feel so like the actress and actresses in this film film. I couldn't picture anyone else portraying these characters.
01:05:08
Speaker
And i don't know about you guys, but I feel like they did a great job with the casting. but agree i think, I think they nailed it on casting. um The only other thing that I was thinking of while we were talking was i mentioned the that I'm rewatching.
01:05:26
Speaker
um Entourage as I'm going through this. So I was surprised to see that his girlfriend in this movie um
01:05:39
Speaker
Sandy okay is played by Debbie Mazur, Debbie Mazar, deie mazar yeah who is actually in entourage as a PR person for the actor in entourage.
01:05:51
Speaker
Oh, no way. Yes. Which was 2003, 2005. So 10, 15 years after this, she's playing a PR rep on a TV show. And I see her in this and I was like, no way. Yup. So yeah i thought that was pretty cool. But the acting from the eight balls.
01:06:08
Speaker
The acting for me, the acting is a five in this. The performances ah are amazing. Yep. I can. i one thing I just wanted to point out is i believe it was.
01:06:22
Speaker
I believe 27 actors and actresses were selected for The Sopranos after this film. So it's just, it's crazy. Cause I, in a way I look at this and it's like, as much as I hold Goodfellas in high regards, the same way that hold The Sopranos, I feel like if you wouldn't have one without the other, essentially.
01:06:40
Speaker
hmm that's that's interesting i still need to go back and watch the sopranos oh man oh yeah i've seen bits of pieces but i've never like watched the whole thing but it's funny that spider who gets shot and killed in here michael imperioli yep is like one of the main guys in the sopranos you know it's awesome yeah that's like five on acting this so five all day all right we're we're fives across the board for the acting in agreement there so the direction I already talked about I'm a sucker for the long takes the long shots.
01:07:14
Speaker
ah When a director chooses to do that, it automatically elevates the film for me. I automatically love it. Not just love the film, usually love the shot that they're going for. It adds a level to accomplish it. It adds in a level, a level of skill to what they're doing.
01:07:35
Speaker
It's pretty easy to keep a static camera Quick takes do that. That's I don't want to say easy. Making movies not easy, but compared to trying to get a three minute continuous take that moves from the street into the interior of a bill, not an easy thing to do.
01:07:56
Speaker
Lots of moving parts in that. That's impressive. ah Oh, yeah. See, I told you, I think my Internet's cutting because of a storm. Yeah. I'm going through right now. Yeah.
01:08:09
Speaker
The choice to I've mentioned it a couple times. It's like it's film ish with that Pulp Fiction attitude where everything is casual, ultra violent, but we're still having a good time.
01:08:28
Speaker
You know, it that attitude to approach this movie, I think works really well. That's a decision that Scorsese had to make going into this. Was he going to take it super serious in Godfather?
01:08:42
Speaker
or do something a little different with it. And I think doing something a little different with it works in this case. I like it. The starting with them with the who are they killing in the trunk?
01:08:58
Speaker
Oh, Billy Bats. Yeah. Killing Billy in the trunk, starting with that and then going back and then getting to that scene. It's an interesting choice, but it works for this film. It kind of hooks you at the beginning. I was like, oh, this is what I'm getting into.
01:09:12
Speaker
i this stands out to me i know a lot of people think scorsese has done better since not going to argue that right now i would have to watch some of those other movies um i do think this one is a powerhouse performance from a director i think he nails the vibe he nails the atmosphere, the story, the narrative.
01:09:44
Speaker
He pulls all of those pieces together. Apparently he was so meticulous on set that he would redo Ray Liotta's tie himself if it didn't look correctly tied.
01:10:01
Speaker
Like if if an actor did not look professional enough for a mob person, Scorsese would fix it. Like that's the kind of attention to detail that he put into this film. And I think it shows.
01:10:18
Speaker
would agree with that.
01:10:24
Speaker
ah I don't have much to say on direction. This is always one of my worst sections. So you go ahead. I mean, there's just. um i mean there's just there's just so many iconic scenes in this film. And I feel like it was very like with, between like the editing and the directing, the music choices, you know, having the right, right people and pivotal scenes. I feel like it's a culmination of all of that.
01:10:48
Speaker
Um, there's just, you know, we touched on a lot of like the, the, the, just pivotal scenes that take place throughout the film. um You know, the, the one that I really liked is like when, when Tommy is being made and they reference, it's like basically, yeah.
01:11:04
Speaker
Yup. So like, it's like a callback when they, they mentioned, you know, he's a good fella comes full, like a full circle moment. You get, get why they're, you know, that's the the film's called why it's called. um Yeah.
01:11:15
Speaker
One, one scene that I did want to mention was a scene where um after they, they kill Billy bats and they go over to Tommy's mom's place.
01:11:28
Speaker
So it's a very organic conversation. It's almost like you could put yourself in that position, obviously without the, the, the murder, but like you can put yourself in that position where it's like, you know, his mom's warm, inviting, naive. I mean, she may or may not know what what he does, but, um, they, there's something just so organic about that conversation and just the direction of where it goes. And,
01:11:53
Speaker
Fun fact, that's actually Martin Stacy's mom in real life. who Yeah. yeah Oh, wow. yeah So his parents showed up in quite a few of his his films. So it's pretty cool to see ah that little, like, I don't want to say the Easter egg, but that cameo.
01:12:08
Speaker
That's cool. Speaking of cameos, I forgot to bring this up on the acting. ah At the end, when ah Hill is speaking to the FBI and going into witness protection.
01:12:23
Speaker
That is the act actual FBI agent who took in the real life Hill. No shit. Yeah, I didn't know that. That's crazy. According to the random YouTube video I watched that is going over it.
01:12:37
Speaker
ah Apparently, that's cool. The real FBI agent, which I think that's super cool. But when it comes to the Acting. Oh, we did acting. Direction.
01:12:51
Speaker
I am a five on this film. There were not just the one long take. There are multiple that people obsess about the one at the Copacabana.
01:13:02
Speaker
I personally love that one of him beating the guy in the driveway. I think that one is so good. So I'm a five on that. I'm a five on the direction.
01:13:14
Speaker
I'm going to go on forward direction, especially because of like that whole helicopter paranoia set, oh yeah that whole thing, you know, from how things got more intense, crazier with him trying to coordinate everything and then the music and then how that kind of ramps it up, how each song with each different section of him going from here to here, then here to here and there to there, you know, before they finally get pegged because of the stupid babysitter dialing up from the house after he told her not to do that shit. Yeah. Yeah.
01:13:41
Speaker
Yeah, I know. was just about to say it. You had to go back for a fuck hat. Oh, lame as hell.
01:13:52
Speaker
But yeah, four on direction.
01:13:55
Speaker
Five, five and four for that. Steven, I assume you're yeah five. Yeah. No surprises there. Big high five.
01:14:08
Speaker
Do you want to add anything to it? or I mean, you know, it's it's it's just I can't emphasize enough just how important this movie is to me. i feel like there's films that obviously we see over time and just, you know, we we see them in passing where they're like favorites or whatever. But this one left such a huge impact on me, you know, especially Discover My Love for Film.
01:14:34
Speaker
And i just always have to show my my appreciation and love for for this film as a whole. And, um you know, I encourage anyone who hasn't seen it or Martin Scorsese's films in general to to get out there and, you know, take a look at at some of the films that he's directed.
01:14:53
Speaker
Absolutely. i into then the it factor, the cultural significance significance. So we already kind of touched on this a little bit. Steven, you had some things to say. Do you want to kick us off on the cultural significance?
01:15:09
Speaker
I mean, this was this was such a landmark. like you know There's so many quotable lines from this movie that you know for a fact, like and I'm sure you guys have seen them in one way or another, but you know I believe that there was an SNL skit where they they made fun of, or they kind of riffed when they're going going through the club and naming every every you know person like when they're identifying like eachs ah each of the wise guys in in the club.
01:15:37
Speaker
um They do a riff on that and and it's it's fucking hilarious. But, you know, it just it just goes to show just how impactful this movie was. And I know that there's there's dozens of films that have drawn from, ah you know, certain scenes or or directing choices or stylistic choices from from this movie.
01:16:01
Speaker
Absolutely. I'm not as well versed in mob movies. Uh, but there were scenes in this film that I recognize. I mean. Many of the shots of Ray Liotta laughing in this movie are turned into memes and you see those everywhere like that still exists, that's still out there.
01:16:24
Speaker
people may not know that this is from goodfellas, but they're out there sharing it. They're out there posting it. It's still, he does have a pretty distinct look when he is laughing in this film, the very open mouth. The Simpsons was another one that, that paid homage to this.
01:16:40
Speaker
Um, trying to see what, what other, and know we talked about the Sopranos, like that's like the whole basis behind it. Um, trying to see what else.
01:16:55
Speaker
i mean, there was an Animaniacs bit. Maybe that's dating things a little bit, but I remember that they paid homage to that as well. So it's it's just, you get homages in wide variety.
01:17:07
Speaker
Yes, yes.
01:17:11
Speaker
um It was also, oh Jonathan, go ahead. I was just going say, when it comes to mob films, I mean, Godfather kind of like the big set off that really set the stage, you know, for Goodfellas to be able to come what it was.
01:17:29
Speaker
And then, you know, all the other films that have come after that we that we've seen that have been made, you know, don't know, I can't coordinate my thoughts very well right now. been sick for a couple days, so like, bro.
01:17:41
Speaker
But yeah. like it it's really a huge impact in like what people think about gangster films and how hardcore it is to be in that life, you know, and what it takes to to really make those connections and to be in the underworld and how dark it can be. So I think that had like a really big impact, you know, not just in film, but just in in culture in general.
01:18:06
Speaker
Yeah. The reviews for this, are overwhelmingly positive, but can't talk about cultural significance without also addressing box office, which is good news for this film.
01:18:21
Speaker
It grossed $6.3 million on the opening weekend, winning the top spot. But what's big is that the second weekend was $5.9 million, huge nowadays.
01:18:34
Speaker
falling just eight percent which is huge nowadays To fall 8% from Weekend Weekend is a big deal. i It's 94% on Rotten Tomatoes. If you take that into account, Metacritic gives it a 92 out of 100.
01:18:57
Speaker
Roger Ebert gave it full four stars, saying no finer film has ever been made about organized crime, not even The Godfather. I'd agree with that.
01:19:10
Speaker
So it was well received across the board. i In 2014, what culture included Joe Pesci's role in the top 10 most convincing movie psychopaths?
01:19:28
Speaker
And am with him on that one. So i I do, I'm going to say it's a four on cultural significance because I do think the mob aspect of this film narrows the audience.
01:19:47
Speaker
So I do, it has a pretty wide cultural significance. It's great for a mob movie, but I think it's a great movie. But I think because it's a mob movie, it doesn't have quite the reach it would have not being. So if that could could you also add to that?
01:20:08
Speaker
I think for so for some, depending on like your level of comfort when it comes to watching films, but I feel like for some, I mean, it's a pretty graphic movie. A lot of violence.
01:20:19
Speaker
It's not, i mean, you already have like the, the, the mafia side of things and that may or may not be like viewer's preference when it comes to film, but then you add in that layer of violence and like, you know, there's kind of like some ah pre-graphic moments throughout the film.
01:20:35
Speaker
um i feel like you could almost make a, make an argument for that, that it might, you know, off put some people. No, I definitely agree. I definitely agree with that.
01:20:49
Speaker
Well, my score, as far as the factor goes, I'm at a four.
01:20:54
Speaker
Four, four and? Five. All right. So here it is. The how entertained were you?
01:21:04
Speaker
This category is the category where we say this is what most people say when they review a movie. So if you watch a movie and you say, yeah, it's four out of five, it'd be eight out of ten here. Okay.
01:21:17
Speaker
This is that gut feeling the movie gives you. What is it out of ten? So this is kind of where you can wrap up, give your final thoughts on it, your how entertained, and then we'll get our group average after we all go.
01:21:34
Speaker
So Steven, as the guest, do you want to go first on this? Yeah, absolutely. So kind of just ah concluding thoughts on the film, essentially. Yep. And your overall entertainment, which I mean, i have a pretty good idea what it is. but I would give this the the highest marks for this film. ah Yep.
01:21:56
Speaker
Yep. So 10 out of 10. This, like I said, this movie holds a lot of like, uh, just personal ties to it, just with how much I love this film. And um I'd probably say out of all the movies I've seen, this one has the most rewatchability.
01:22:13
Speaker
And like I said, it opened up my eyes to just seeing that there's like, there's obviously there's, there's a wide variety of film, but when you really see what else is out there, like, no, it opened my eye to like what, what type of movies are, are out there. It made me discover my love for film.
01:22:31
Speaker
and really kind of kicked off like discovering other martin scorsese films sopranos all that as a result of this movie so um can't recommend it enough
01:22:45
Speaker
right on johnson you up yeah um I like this movie a lot um 10 has got to be like absolute perfection which it's hard for me to say that for anything so I'm sitting at nine um I don't think you've scored anything at 10 yet have you i don't think I have could today be that day can you yeah I would have to go back and check I'm gonna check our list while you go ahead and give your final thoughts yeah um This is something that like me and a lot of my friends that I grew up with back in Arkansas, like we've all seen this this film. We've watched it bunch of times.
01:23:22
Speaker
you know We know it kicks ass. And I would definitely recommend this to anyone and everyone to watch because it is an absolute banger of a film. I just have a hard time trying to give anything a 10.
01:23:33
Speaker
yeah So 9 is where I sit on that. Damn it. Yeah, I'm just messing. ah It's all good. It is what it is.
01:23:44
Speaker
but yeah this this is definitely one that you know if you got the time and you have people who are invested who really want to hang out and watch a ah good film this would definitely be one of those films you know Jonathan they have scored five tens oh have I okay so you're ready to hear what you gave tens uh oh ah you you might change your score to goodfellas after you hear this you you want to hear him yeah let's do it the substance I agree with you there 10. yes uh Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1990 oh yeah yeah okay I can respect that yeah yeah uh Brotherhood of the Wolf fuck yes
01:24:30
Speaker
Invasion of the Body Snatchers 1978. Okay. That was pretty damn cool film. I love that movie. And the Autopsy of Jane Doe. That movie was, dude, that movie rocked by world.
01:24:42
Speaker
That was an intense one. That mental mess you up kind of thing. That ah yeah cow was, yeah. That was a great film. i You've given just about as many nines.
01:24:53
Speaker
So I'm not going to rake you over the coals for that.
01:25:00
Speaker
ah Because i do. This is a movie that I think my enjoyment will grow with time. Unfortunately, I do have to say right right now I'm actually lower than Jonathan. I'm an eight on it.
01:25:12
Speaker
um And it's not this is coming out from pure enjoyment factor is I still struggle at the beginning of the film. Second time was much better for me.
01:25:24
Speaker
So it came up from a seven to an eight. But I still struggle trying to keep track of who's who. and how they, how they operate in the machine. that,
01:25:35
Speaker
that I mean, it's a personal problem. I can't remember names, reading books. I love reading books, but I can never remember. You know, it's it's a chat. Who's this character? What chapter were they?
01:25:47
Speaker
It's a challenge. Okay. So I struggle with that and it does affect me when it comes to movies. That's why like movies like the substance two characters and they're really easy for me to follow.
01:26:00
Speaker
ah love it. Or movies like Friday the 13th. The names don't matter. They're just there to add the body count. They really don't matter. Yeah, exactly. But this movie, there's a lot of characters who are important and I struggle fully grasping how they all interact with each other and what their significance means. And that is not...
01:26:21
Speaker
docking the way it is put together the way it is put together is excellent but i am aware of my own capabilities of tracking names and characters and know that i need to see this again and then those pieces are going to start to fall into place and then then i might change my overall entertainment score but as of right now i still i couldn't remember the name of billy in the trunk and i'm still still kind of is billy the guy they beat up the yes and they thought they killed him, they put him in the trunk and then they hear him rattling around and killing him. And that's also because of him, Joe Pesci gets killed. Right?
01:26:57
Speaker
Yep. Correct. See, I did. Like his bass was a made man. Yeah. I did not realize that the first time. Without concern. Yeah. The first time I was like, why is Joe dead? But second time I picked up on it. So those are the little things that I think it's a testament to how well this movie is made.
01:27:14
Speaker
There are all these little pieces that work together ah And that's why I gave it high marks on everything else. It's when it comes to the entertainment value.
01:27:26
Speaker
I struggle to follow it because personally, I'm terrible at names and characters. So that's my own fault. ah But yeah, this is probably my second favorite mob movie.
01:27:40
Speaker
I am a sucker. I love the untouchables. I was okay. That's a good movie. Yeah, I love that film. That is my top mob film. So this is probably number two to that. I would definitely say i really enjoyed this movie.
01:27:57
Speaker
uh it does make me want to watch the untouchables again which bounce back between another fun shot is the the coca cabana shot was inspired by the steadicam long take in untouchables so that's that's another one of those but yep i'm gonna eat on this so our final add it all up together add it all up together. Where are we at on this?
01:28:26
Speaker
I'm a 44 total. Steven's math is really easy.
01:28:34
Speaker
Listen, the next time we get around to hopefully doing another one of these, like I'll at least make a ah more compelling case. No, that's, and that is perfectly fine. I've had movies when we, we haven't been an episode on psycho, but we did a back before we were podcast.
01:28:51
Speaker
i I psycho straight across the board for me. Do you guys i consider your favorite movie then? Oh, that's my favorite movie of all time. I think it's a flawless film.
01:29:02
Speaker
Good fellows would be the equivalent for me with for you for psycho. Okay. Yeah. So I think psycho is a flawless film. I was surprised recording last year's Halloween. I also think the fly.
01:29:15
Speaker
from Cronenberg is a pretty flawless film as well. ah That one really stands up there. um But yeah, so for me, I'm I'm a 46. I'm a little bit, little bit below.
01:29:29
Speaker
So we have Jonathan, you are 44. Yep. yeah Steven is a 50. Let me get this average here. 44 plus 50 plus equals
01:29:44
Speaker
140 divided by three, that puts it at a 46.6666. Okay. Jonathan, are you sure you don't want to change your score? We'll round that up to 47. Oh, thank God. Which is a comfortable four and a half out of five stars. So for our average score, four and a half out of five, 47 out of 50.
01:30:08
Speaker
And that's kind of what we do is we're trying to give some weight to behind why a movie might be scored four and a half stars out of five. And we've broken it down into all these categories, talked about it from different perspectives and why we think this hits 45 or the out of 50. Oh, yeah.
Mafia Movie Recommendations
01:30:31
Speaker
Well, definitely, definitely, Tim. Go watch Godfather, at least at least the first two. A lot of people bag on the third one saying that it's it's kind of crap, but this one, they watch all of them. this movie beat the third godfather in 1990 at the box that's not that's not surprising yeah yeah that i i i would hope so but did if they watch the first two if yeah nothing else yeah so that takes us to any any other thoughts are we ready to wrap this up is this the end Looks like we had a couple of recommendations as well in some of the comments from our live stream on YouTube from Wes 217, The Freshman with Matthew Broderick as being a tame mafia movie.
01:31:13
Speaker
And then also The Firm with Tom Cruise. I haven't seen neither of those. check them out mafia is not really a go-to for me so tim your watch list keeps getting bigger and bigger now it does ah so we started this i've had a lot of fun um steven i don't know have you signed up for the halloween series yet i believe was that the folk horror yeah I said I'm available for a couple
Excitement for Upcoming Horror Series
01:31:42
Speaker
of them. I think I think we were talking about. Yeah, but you let me know if there's what if there's one that ah you got space for. i think ah maybe one of them was Blair Witch.
01:31:51
Speaker
Yes, that's right. I think I think you did tell me that. Yes, but ah they kind of gotten in. We started doing 13 nights of Halloween because I started to discover horror on my own i kind of grew up.
01:32:04
Speaker
super sheltered from it all and started to discover and really appreciate the good the bad and the ugly of horror all of it just as a genre is fantastic so that's why we kind of have our love letter to horror in october but we already started recording it because it takes forever yeah um oh where It's an eventful in my small town tonight.
01:32:30
Speaker
But this that's why mob movies. I haven't really gotten to a lot of them. i'm Untouchables, Godfather. This isn't there like a mob of monster movie? What is that?
01:32:42
Speaker
I mean, if you're if you're looking for recommendations, I'd throw casino mean streets in there. Those are good, good options. Yeah, I haven't seen either of those either. So yeah, that's definitely something I'm not opposed to getting into it.
01:32:56
Speaker
But definitely. So Stephen, again, thank you for joining us. Do you want to plug who you are where people can find you what you do? I appreciate you guys having me on. This was a lot of fun. um You guys can find me at after hours video on Instagram, Tik TOK, YouTube, you name it.
01:33:14
Speaker
And then I'm also a host on beyond the blood podcast as well. You can find me on there. Cool. I just saw the Instagram went up today. Working around the clock. yeah ah Awesome.
01:33:28
Speaker
Awesome. Find them there. i did an episode with them talking about Pet Sematary 2. Had a great time hanging out with those guys. So definitely head over, check out Beyond the Blood.
Conclusion and Engagement Encouragement
01:33:37
Speaker
And then you like that, all of us are going to be back at the end of the month, the last day of the month at 8 p.m.
01:33:46
Speaker
for ah the Dread broadcast. It'll be a two hour live stream roundtable. Currently have about about nine guests lined up, including a special guest that we haven't disclosed yet, but special guest lined up just to talk about the top headlines in horror for this month, the month of May. So we'll cover everything from physical media releases, ah books, movies,
01:34:14
Speaker
all of it, what's in theaters, what's making an impact on the box office, what it means for the genre of horror as well. So super excited to kick that off. Got a great start to it.
01:34:26
Speaker
Really excited to see how that goes. So mark your calendars for that. And then Jonathan, you ready? Let's do this. That's a wrap on our Goodfellas episode. Huge thanks to everyone who turned in, provided those comments.
01:34:39
Speaker
Drop those scores if you're joining us, but thank you for joining the conversation. This movie is a reminder of why we do this, ah the power of well-crafted stories, the impact of unforgettable performances, and the thrill of talking about it all with good friends.
01:34:53
Speaker
Whether you're a wise guy for life or just carrying this classic for the first time like me, we hope you enjoyed the ride. And as always, don't forget to hit that like button and subscribe and drop your scores in the comments. We want to know if this one still hits as hard as it did in 1990.
01:35:09
Speaker
And thanks again to our guest, Steven from after hours video for joining us. And remember, this is the average where the real review happens with your friends. See ya. but