So with all the GTA hulabaloo and my lack of console, I thought I’d do the next best thing, I’d troll for some gangster, crime, noir flick recommendations. Going over the major ones (Godfather, Goodfellas, Scarface, etc) is fine, but I’m also looking for smaller lesser known and/or foreign films. Action, drama, thriller, comedy, whatever tone is fine, as long as it’s interesting.
So give me your best shot. :)
Johnny Dangerously starring Michael Keaton.
Seriously? I don’t know, from what I remember of it, it seemed really forced. I liked Oscar better as a comedy, but I’m probably just weird. Thanks for the suggestion though. I’ll rewatch it and see if my opinion has changed. :)
Miller’s Crossing, for a gangster flick with touches of the Coen brothers’ dark comedy and snappy dialogue.
De Zaak Alzheimer (Memories of a Killer)
Gangster No. 1
Cidade dos Deus (City of God)
Sexy Beast.
All at least gangster related.
Brother by Takeshi Kitano. Not Kitano’s strongest movie, but worth it nevertheless.
-Julian
L.A. Confidential
Miller’s Crossing
Donnie Brasco
The Usual Suspects
Heat
Sexy Beast
Also
Layer Cake
Snatch
Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
All kind of qualify.
City of God and The Usual Suspects are probably my favourite crime/gangster movies.
Ryu ga Gotaku
For a Better Tomorrow - Chinese gangsters
The Krays - Spandau Ballet pretending to be English Gangsters
Donnie Brasco’s got my vote.
You should also look into the anime GunGrave. It’s dark, gritty, Mafia stuff with a nice injection of weird sci-fi.
Don’t miss Carlito’s Way. It’s got Al Pacino in it as a mobster who wants out of the game.
Last Man Standing has Bruce Willis as a gunslinger for hire in a war between the Irish mob and the Italian mafia in a Prohibition era town. It’s an awesome 30s Prohibition-era period remake of Yojimbo, like Fistful of Dollars was a remake of Yojimbo set in the Wild West.
Asphalt Jungle
Great caper noir. Maybe the best caper noir.
Which are all based on Red Harvest, which took place in the Prohibition era.
Get Carter, with Michael Caine.
Point Blank, with Lee Marvin.
Also: Little Caesar, so you can work on your Edward G. Robinson impression, see? And The Untouchables, since no one’s mentioned it.
I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead
Croupier
The Limey
Some of these are not so much gangster films really, but:
Rififi
Stray Dog
The Bad Sleep Well
Touch of Evil
The Untouchables
The Red Circle
Touchez pas au grisbi
Once Upon a Time in America
Dog Day Afternoon
Chinatown
Fuck yes – Miller’s Crossing is one of the best ever.
Are we sticking to gangsters?
I liked Brick (but that’s probably more just modern Detective Noir)
Get all 6 seasons of Sopranos. Bake Ziti. Watch TV in your underwear, wearing a tank top T-shirt, eating Ziti. Add copious amounts of the word, “Fuck.”
Atasa weekend!