As Far Back As I Can Remember I Always Wanted To Be A Gangster
September 22, 2015 7:55 AM Subscribe
Goodfellas turned Wiseguy’s simple prose into cinematic gold
It’s not surprising that the film has overshadowed its source, but the degree to which it has is notable. More of my friends cite Goodfellas as their favorite movie than any other title, but none of those super-fans have read Wiseguy, and most were unaware of its existence. I struck out at three bookstores before I even found a copy.
It’s not surprising that the film has overshadowed its source, but the degree to which it has is notable. More of my friends cite Goodfellas as their favorite movie than any other title, but none of those super-fans have read Wiseguy, and most were unaware of its existence. I struck out at three bookstores before I even found a copy.
Kind of off-topic: what the hell is up with Ray Liotta laughing like a complete maniac in that scene? Is he high on coke or something? I forget
posted by clockzero at 8:10 AM on September 22, 2015
posted by clockzero at 8:10 AM on September 22, 2015
I've read it and enjoyed it as a look at the mob from the perspective of a lower-ranking member, but the movie is brilliant, one of my favorites.
posted by Gelatin at 8:10 AM on September 22, 2015
posted by Gelatin at 8:10 AM on September 22, 2015
Ray Liotta is never not laughing like that in the movie, IIRC
posted by griphus at 8:14 AM on September 22, 2015
posted by griphus at 8:14 AM on September 22, 2015
there is also this excellent previously from 5 years ago which is the cast reminiscing about the making of the film.
posted by poffin boffin at 8:16 AM on September 22, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by poffin boffin at 8:16 AM on September 22, 2015 [2 favorites]
Years ago I read an article (now apparently offline) that featured Henry Hill rating crime video games, among them Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, whose main character was voiced by Ray Liotta, who played Hill in GoodFellas.
posted by Gelatin at 8:21 AM on September 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Gelatin at 8:21 AM on September 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
Yeah, that's a laugh that Liotta has used in a lot of movies. I think Elliot Kalan (of The Flophouse/former Daily Show head writer) described it as something to the effect of Liotta holding his mouth open and shooting laughter at the audience. It is some weird shit, and I can't think offhand of any other actor who does it.
posted by tocts at 8:32 AM on September 22, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by tocts at 8:32 AM on September 22, 2015 [3 favorites]
I think that GIF is from the infamous "Am I A Clown To You?" scene with Joe Pesci,
right after Pesci's character assaults the bar owner and a waiter
posted by King Sky Prawn at 8:40 AM on September 22, 2015
right after Pesci's character assaults the bar owner and a waiter
posted by King Sky Prawn at 8:40 AM on September 22, 2015
Re: the laugh, a coworker who listened to Howard Stern religiously told me that Henry Hill laughs the same way.
posted by infinitewindow at 9:29 AM on September 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by infinitewindow at 9:29 AM on September 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
Holy shit he does. (That's an appearance on Howard Stern so uh heads up.)
posted by griphus at 9:32 AM on September 22, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by griphus at 9:32 AM on September 22, 2015 [3 favorites]
HOW GOODFELLAS BECAME SCORSESE'S MOST MISUNDERSTOOD MASTERPIECE
posted by octothorpe at 9:47 AM on September 22, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by octothorpe at 9:47 AM on September 22, 2015 [5 favorites]
Have I told this before? When Henry Hill was put into witness protection, according to his son, the first place they sent him was Omaha. He was supposed to lay low, but as soon as he got here, he found out there was a pizza place called Godfathers. (Then it was just a local place, not a regional chain.) Thinking it was hilarious that is a small midwestern town there was a place named after a mafia boss, he took his whole family, got drunk, and got abusive to the waitress.
The thing of it is, of course there is a Godfather's pizza in Omaha. We're the birthplace of Marlon Brando.
Hill was so bad in witness protection that Nicholas Pileggi's then-wife used his notes on Hill's experiences to write her own movie. Her name was Nora Ephron, and the film was called "My Blue Heaven" and starred Steve Martin. It's not a great film, but I like that it is a sort of secret sequel to Goodfellas.
posted by maxsparber at 9:50 AM on September 22, 2015 [5 favorites]
The thing of it is, of course there is a Godfather's pizza in Omaha. We're the birthplace of Marlon Brando.
Hill was so bad in witness protection that Nicholas Pileggi's then-wife used his notes on Hill's experiences to write her own movie. Her name was Nora Ephron, and the film was called "My Blue Heaven" and starred Steve Martin. It's not a great film, but I like that it is a sort of secret sequel to Goodfellas.
posted by maxsparber at 9:50 AM on September 22, 2015 [5 favorites]
What's Scorsese's most CORRECTLY understood masterpiece?
posted by Chrysostom at 9:51 AM on September 22, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Chrysostom at 9:51 AM on September 22, 2015 [2 favorites]
What's Scorsese's most CORRECTLY understood masterpiece?
Woodstock.
posted by maxsparber at 9:53 AM on September 22, 2015
Woodstock.
posted by maxsparber at 9:53 AM on September 22, 2015
I just remembered that I wrote about Goodfellas not too long ago, from the perspective of Irish gangster movies, and on reviewing I noticed that while Pesci is painted as the film's psychopath, it's actually De Niro's Jimmy the Gent who proves himself as a mass murderer, which was true of the character he was based on as well.
posted by maxsparber at 9:59 AM on September 22, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by maxsparber at 9:59 AM on September 22, 2015 [2 favorites]
What's Scorsese's most CORRECTLY understood masterpiece?
Boxcar Bertha.
posted by KingEdRa at 10:16 AM on September 22, 2015
Boxcar Bertha.
posted by KingEdRa at 10:16 AM on September 22, 2015
..."My Blue Heaven"...It's not a great film,
Most of your comment is pretty great, but that part is wrongo.
posted by Cookiebastard at 10:39 AM on September 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
Most of your comment is pretty great, but that part is wrongo.
posted by Cookiebastard at 10:39 AM on September 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
Cookiebastard: "..."My Blue Heaven"...It's not a great film,
Most of your comment is pretty great, but that part is wrongo."
Indeed. My Blue Heaven is fantastic.
posted by chavenet at 12:25 PM on September 22, 2015
Most of your comment is pretty great, but that part is wrongo."
Indeed. My Blue Heaven is fantastic.
posted by chavenet at 12:25 PM on September 22, 2015
Hugo.
And I'm also a fan of My Blue Heaven; during the '08 presidential campaign, when conservative commentators tried to make much of Obama's mention of arugula, I kept thinking, "It's a ve-ge-ta-ble."
Also, thanks to octothorpe's link, which led me in turn to this, which not only neatly sums up my discomfort with a big chunk of Breaking Bad fandom (what I called "Team Walt"), but also the phenomenon of willful misinterpretation by dudefans in general. It's also relevant to this discussion, I think.
posted by Halloween Jack at 12:30 PM on September 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
And I'm also a fan of My Blue Heaven; during the '08 presidential campaign, when conservative commentators tried to make much of Obama's mention of arugula, I kept thinking, "It's a ve-ge-ta-ble."
Also, thanks to octothorpe's link, which led me in turn to this, which not only neatly sums up my discomfort with a big chunk of Breaking Bad fandom (what I called "Team Walt"), but also the phenomenon of willful misinterpretation by dudefans in general. It's also relevant to this discussion, I think.
posted by Halloween Jack at 12:30 PM on September 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
Is it the same "hh-HA!" laugh that the bearded hipster commercial guy uses in the CenturyLink TV commercial? I'll have to go see, IIRC they are similar. The commercial makes me chuckle
posted by aydeejones at 1:27 PM on September 22, 2015
posted by aydeejones at 1:27 PM on September 22, 2015
Watches Henry Hill video (not quite the same laugh at all but distinct laughs are good)
posted by aydeejones at 1:29 PM on September 22, 2015
posted by aydeejones at 1:29 PM on September 22, 2015
Ray Liotta did an AMA around the release of Kill the Messenger. Plenty of Goodfellas questions too.
posted by telstar at 1:36 PM on September 22, 2015
posted by telstar at 1:36 PM on September 22, 2015
What's Scorsese's most CORRECTLY understood masterpiece?
The Last Waltz.
posted by Sphinx at 3:46 PM on September 22, 2015
The Last Waltz.
posted by Sphinx at 3:46 PM on September 22, 2015
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posted by griphus at 8:07 AM on September 22, 2015 [2 favorites]