Catching the Classics: Goodfellas

Since 1998, I have been maintaining a list of movies that I wanted to see. Sometimes these are all-time classics that passed me by, sometimes they’re genre classics that interest me. The list is updated regularly and is currently more than 1700 movies long. Fogs has gone through and hand-picked several classic films for me to “fast-track” and review here. This is one of those films.

As far back as I can remember (sorry) the definitive gangster film was The Godfather. Even on the schoolyard it was known that was the film to show what it would be like to be a member of the mafia… even if we didn’t really know anything about it beyond the fact that there was, at some point, a Godfather involved. Then in 1992 came Martin Scorcese’s Goodfellas, and it rapidly joined the ranks of iconic gangster films. It would be some time before I saw either film. In fact, The Godfather was the first film that I ever watched because Fogs was tired of pitching references and watching them sail casually over my head, ten years ago on a site that has long since ceased to be. Catching up with Scorcese’s film, the contrasts are easy to make.

The Place Beyond the Pines

“The Place Beyond the Pines” is an epic tale of crime and corruption, and fathers and sons.

It’s a generational tale, complete with bank robberies, kidnappings, corrupt police officers, drug deals, and death. It’s a lengthy tale that shifts perspectives multiple times. Regardless, it will hold your attention all the way through, as the drama grabs hold and doesn’t let go.

The 2013 Spring Movie Season Preview

YES! We made it through the Winter Movie Season, where Hollywood unloads their junk on us, and now we’re headed into the Spring!

Spring is a time for mini-blockbusters, and movies that Hollywood hopes will have decent runs. Last year, “The Hunger Games” was released in March, for example, and we all saw how well that did!

Click through to see all the movies that this Spring Season has to offer!

New Episode of The (title pending) Movie Podcast with Tank and Fogs

Happy Wednesday everyone, here’s this week’s (title pending) for ya!

This time up, Tank and I cover this week’s big new release starring Brad Pitt, James Gandolfini and Ray Liotta… “Killing Them Softly”. Then, I cover “The Collection”, while Tank swings back and updates us on his thoughts on “Rise of the Guardians”!

Once we wrap up our reviews, we launch into a discussion of the career of Brad Pitt. Mr Tyler Durden himself. His best roles, his comedies, how freaking crazy we think his Chanel commercial is. LOL.

All that, plus the Box Office Roundup and On the Radar, and you have a fantastic episode of (title pending) goodness! Check it out! You can download it directly, here, or as always, search for us on Stitcher Radio or iTunes using the keywords (title pending) or Tank and Fogs!

Killing Them Softly

Brad Pitt plays a cold-hearted hit man called in to clean up after a mob poker game, run by Ray Liotta, is robbed. To do so, he’ll need the help of another trigger man, played by James Gandolfini.

As highly enjoyable as such a recipe sounds, it didn’t manage to come together for me onscreen as well as I’d hoped. As sad as I am to say it, “Killing Them Softly” is more like “Killing Them Slowly”, with other notable flaws mixed in along the way.

The 2012 Holiday Movie Season Preview

Ok, folks, here we are! One of the major movie release seasons of the year is upon us, The Holiday Movie Season!

The Holidays started a little early this year, with “Skyfall” (undeniably a major release) opening in the first week of November. So we’re underway! Between now and the end of the year, we’ll see some of the biggest films on the 2012 docket get released, including the conclusion to the “Twilight” Saga, “The Hobbit”, and “Django Unchained”!

Click through to check out what the Holidays hold in store!

The 2012 Fall Movie Preview – Part II

Ok folks, here we go. Part II of the 2012 Fall Movie Preview. Today we’ll break down all the major releases on tap for the month of October, and the first week of November!

As you might imagine, it’s a diverse bunch. There are some ahead that look intriguing, and some that might as well be announcing that they’re garbage already, LOL. Let’s have a look and see if we can’t sort out what’s what!!

Movies That Everyone Should See: “Goodfellas”

“As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster.”

Goodfellas.

Scorsese’s epic movie about life in the mob.

It makes me want to be a gangster, too.