What Are Your Favorite Gangster Movies?

[lexsooner]

Personally, The Godfather and The Godfather II are in a league by themselves. It these are on AMC or some cable channel, I always watch. Goodfellas is also one of my favorites, as well as Boyz In The Hood. American Gangster with Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington is also a good flick and based on Frank Lucas, a real big time Harlem drug dealer. Carlito's Way is another favorite. The scene in which Al Pacino pretends to be doing a pool trick while he knows an assassin is the bathroom is classic. "Here comes the pain!" A lesser know mob movie I love is Gangster No. 1, starring Malcolm McDowell, about a sadistic English gangster in the 60s. It conjurs up images of the Kray twins and other real life East London mobsters from that era. In the beginning of the movie, an older McDowell is wearing a tuxedo. He looks just like he does in those Sprint commercials he does with James Earl Jones.

[Turd_Ferguson]

I like all of those as well except, believe it or not, I've never seen Carlitos Way. I may have to netflix it.

[lexsooner]

I'm not a big fan of Brian DePalma movies, but Carlito's Way is an exception. It's loosely based on a real life character from a NY judge's book, a Puerto Rican drug kingpin, who gets out of prison and decides to try and go straight. Of course the street tries to pull him back in, and that struggle constitutes the plot of the movie. The movie from about 20 years ago features some stars in their early days, like Penelope Ann Miller, John Leguinzamo, Vigo Mortenson, before they were well known. Apparently, Carlito's Way was a huge hit and had critical acclaim in Europe, but was not as successful in the U.S. I think it is well worth a couple of hours of your time, especially if you like mob movies.

[Turd_Ferguson]

Grazie.

[SicEmBaylor]

Lincoln

[Breadburner]

Casino

[Turd_Ferguson]

Donnie Brasco and Untouchables.

[diverdog]

Goodfellas and The Departed.

[Jacie]

Casino is good one, teaming up Pesci and DeNiro again, another based-on-a-true story gangster flick.

[okiewaker]

Casino and Goodfellas.

[8timechamps]

Goodfellas is my all-time favorite gangster movie. But, for me, it pretty much pigeon holed Ray Liota forever. I could never see him as anyone else in any of his other movies.

Untouchables and Scarface would be in my top 5 too.

Casino is a great movie, but it really bummed me out toward the end. That was back when Sharon Stone was pretty hot, and to see her get strung out was depressing.

[GDC]

Personally, The Godfather and The Godfather II are in a league by themselves. It these are on AMC or some cable channel, I always watch. Goodfellas is also one of my favorites, as well as Boyz In The Hood. American Gangster with Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington is also a good flick and based on Frank Lucas, a real big time Harlem drug dealer. Carlito's Way is another favorite. The scene in which Al Pacino pretends to be doing a pool trick while he knows an assassin is the bathroom is classic. "Here comes the pain!" A lesser know mob movie I love is Gangster No. 1, starring Malcolm McDowell, about a sadistic English gangster in the 60s. It conjurs up images of the Kray twins and other real life East London mobsters from that era. In the beginning of the movie, an older McDowell is wearing a tuxedo. He looks just like he does in those Sprint commercials he does with James Earl Jones.

Some other good British gangster movies are Sexy Beast, The Long Good Friday, Get Carter, Layer Cake, Rocknrolla, Snatch, The Krays, The Business, and Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels.

[lexsooner]

Cheers, I will check those movies out. I forgot one of the classics: The Sting. While it is a kinder and gentler mob movie, it is still a classic and one of my favorites.

[okiewaker]

For whatever reason I'm not a big fan of the Godfather saga. I know I am alone on this. I liked it but not a huge fan like most are. Scarface is another good one that someone already mentioned .

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

Godzilla Curbstomps Bugsy Siegel at Boulder City.

[Jacie]

A quirky mob-themed movie is Catchfire, with Dennis Hopper as a hitman hired to hunt down and kill Jodie Foster's character who witnessed a mob killing.

[SanJoaquinSooner]

I agree that Godfather I and II are in a league of their own. Enjoyed Once Upon a Time in America and Goodfellas too.

I recommend Sin Nombre.

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B002FHGESI.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

[lexsooner]

I agree that Godfather I and II are in a league of their own. Enjoyed Once Upon a Time in America and Goodfellas too.

I recommend Sin Nombre.

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B002FHGESI.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

I read up on Sin Nombre and I definitely want to see it. I enjoyed the first part of Once Upon a Time in America, when the characters were teens living in the teeming Jewish slum in New York. I thought it kind of dragged in the second part when the characters were adults. Another good mob flick is A Bronx Tale. Ironically, the actor who played "C" as a teen got into some serious trouble in real life and was burglarizing an establishment with another guy when an off duty cop came in and the other guy shot and killed the cop. The actor beat the felony murder rap but still ended up with a prison sentence and is in NY state prison. He should have listened to Sonny and his dad and avoided the criminal life.

[Wishboned]

Goodfellas. Once Upon a Time in America. And Reservoir Dogs.

[Sooner in Tampa]

Godfather I and II are a given...Goodfellas...Heat...Casino...Kings of New York...The Untouchables

Gangster discussions are not complete without the Sopranos (I know, its a series)...probably the best series in the history of cinema

[lexsooner]

Godfather I and II are a given...Goodfellas...Heat...Casino...Kings of New York...The Untouchables

Gangster discussions are not complete without the Sopranos (I know, its a series)...probably the best series in the history of cinema

Yep, The Sopranos is about as good as it gets. It had the advantage of being a tv series, so you could develop the characters in a way not possible in a two or three hour movie.

I really like Heat. However, the movie is too long and they crammed in way too many subplots, like Al Pacino's daughter's issues, Val Kilmer's relationship with Ashley Judd, the ex-con short order cook and his woman. If they had left it at DeNiro and Pacino's relationships, that would have been ok. Probably the most memorable character is the longhaired psychopath Waingro. The two bank robber who shot up LA back in 1995 were big fans of Heat and it actually inspired them. The shootout outside of the bank in the movie is somewhat like the one in real life.

[KantoSooner]

Pulp Fiction deserves a mention just for being weird.

also, an off beat list would have to include Buggsy Malone, all child actor cast with tommy guns that sprayed whipped cream. I'm surprised it doesn't get more discussion for being simply too strange to categorize.

[lexsooner]

Pulp Fiction deserves a mention just for being weird.

also, an off beat list would have to include Buggsy Malone, all child actor cast with tommy guns that sprayed whipped cream. I'm surprised it doesn't get more discussion for being simply too strange to categorize.

Bugsy Malone launched the careers of Jodie Foster and Scott Baio. Lovely child couple. Pulp Fiction is a great and weird movie. The only downer was Tarantino trying to act and be a tough guy but instead coming off as a skinny little weasel.

[Jacie]

Bugsy Malone launched the career of Jodie Foster.

Taxi Driver