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Goodfellas - The Cast and Crew reflect 20 years later.
The Goodfellas Poster
Martin Scorsese Directs his stars
“As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster.” Sitting in the darkened Cremorne Orpheum cinema back in 1990 watching Goodfellas John Doe and a legion of others recognized an instant classic. No surprise that the Academy neglected it that year deeming Dances with Wolves Best Picture. The realistic violence and brutal morality interspersed with gallows humour obviously too much for some to process at the time.
The art of collabortaion.
The dizzying tracking shot entering the Copacabana a triumph of mathematical precision, the largely improvised “Am I funny to you” restaurant scene quoted ad nauseum. The relentless dedication to authenticity, using real gangsters as extras and the dexterous precision of melding soundtrack with images all contributing to why the film is revered for every facet of filmmaking technique.
To celebrate the film’s 20th anniversary this month’s GQ magazine has reunited the cast and crew to reflect upon the experiences of making the film and its effect on their lives since. The article is a fantastic amalgam of opinions from all involved and makes for essential reading for fans.
Below JD has shared some interesting quotes from the piece, but insists that you all click on the footer link below to read the complete transcript.
Ray Liotta as Henry Hill
The cast on the legacy of their performances:
Ray Liotta (Henry Hill): "For twenty years now, there's not a day that goes by that I don't hear somebody mention GoodFellas. Unless I stay home all night. It's defined who I am, in a sense."
Frank Vincent (Billy Batts): "Wherever I go, anytime I go anywhere, they tell me to go home and get my shine box."
John Malkovich on turning down the role of Jimmy "The Gent"
John Malkovich (actor): "It sort of came at a bad time in my life, when I wasn't feeling well and didn't want to think about working. It's hard to explain why you end up in Eragon and not GoodFellas. But De Niro is fantastic."
On using real cash as a prop.
Robert Griffon (prop master) "The only guy who uses real money in the movie is De Niro. He had like $5,000 cash in his pocket. I went to the bank and took out a couple thousand dollars of my own, but you had to keep track of it. Like the scene in the casino, he's throwing $50 and $20 bills around. And as soon as they cut, we're trying to get them all back: "Everybody freeze!"
On real gangsters on the set:
Kristi Zea (Production Design): "Sometimes the verisimilitude got too real. Somebody started pushing our counterfeit money, you know, the $100 bills."
On the steadicam Copacabana shot:
Ileana Douglas (Rosie): "Brian De Palma had just done this incredibly long Steadicam shot in The Untouchables, and Marty said it would be funny to try to do it one minute longer than De Palma's. The world perceives this as "Oh, the Copacabana scene!" But what it really is, is directors behind the scenes having fun fucking with each other."
On Dialogue Improvisation:
Thelma Schoonmaker (editor): "The whole film was improvised, really. [laughs] Scorsese always tells them they have to begin a certain place and end a certain place, but what they want to do in between is okay. For example, when Pesci shoots Spider."
On the iconic "You think Im funny" scene:
Nicholas Pileggi (Writer): "I've maybe even gotten awards from people because of that unbelievable scene, that I, quote, "wrote." I never wrote that scene! I had no idea about that scene!"
On the pistol Whipping Scene:
Mark Evan Jacobs (Bruce): "I remember there were a few takes when Scorsese was like squirming in pain and kind of laughing sadistically, because it was like, "Ooh, this is going to be good."
On the gory FX:
Michael Ballhaus (Director of Photography): "I wouldn't have done this movie with another director. These discussions—whether there is enough brain in the blood—are so absurd that you almost want to throw up."
To read the complete GQ article please click HERE
Aside from the text article there is also some revealing audio bytes where De Niro, Liotta, Pesci and Scorsese share some more information worth your time. To have a listen just click HERE
So dear readers, what's everyone's favourite scene from Goodfellas? Johnny D has to go with the destruction of Billy Batt's while Donovan's Atlantis plays.
From the BluRay DVD, Part 1 in the making of Goodfellas
Part 2 - The Making of Goodfellas - Visit youtube.com to view as embedding disabled
Part 3 - The Making of Goodfellas.
Horrorphile
I love this movie with a violent passion.
Horrorphile
But I also love the paranoid sequence when Ray is driving around and the helicopter is in the air.
Damn it! Every scene is dynamite!
Screen Adventure
I already talked about this film in my review - but I think I've seen this more times now than any other film! Greats stuff!
Thanks for the treat!
Horrorphile
Screen Adventure
20/20 Filmsight
Screen Fanatic
I always remember Liotta saying that De Niro hardly said a word to him the entire shoot........................ .......... somehow I don't think he's the first or last person to have that experience!
I grew up idolising De Niro, he was my favourite actor for such a long time, but as legendary as he is, I have to openly admit he's got about as much personality off-screen as a dead fish in a sharp suit. He's seriously the most boring interviewee I've ever seen. It was kind of shocking to me for a long time how inarticulate he really is having had him up on such a pedestal for so long. His last decade? What else can you say - it's been nothing but an open wound that he continually shovels salt into with every shitty, worthless film he signs up for. Man, he's lost the fucking plot. Goodfellas? Taxi Driver? King of Comedy? Light years away now.
unlucky_ fishermen.com
Angling Fish
Check this out...
Film & TV on DVD
That frenzied, coked out copter scene pops off the screen, its amazingly edited and really get the pulse going.
Film & TV on DVD
I think I posted a comment on that review of yours ages ago. (And you never replied
So what is your favourite scene?
Film & TV on DVD
Completly agree with you De Niro analysis, he has truly fallen far from grace. But he doesn't have anything to prove so i guess he just does it for the money now.
So what's your favourite scene from Goodfellas?
Film & TV on DVD
I have never seen this on TV, (always owned a VHS or DVD of it) but that Pesci getting whacked bit is a brilliant piece of suspense for sure. Really drives home the intent of the films second half.
Thanks for chiming in.
Horrorphile
Film & TV on DVD