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  1. #1
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    Okay, Here It Is: The Official, Long-Awaited GOODFELLAS Special Edition Review

    "The Best Mob Movie....Ever" exclaims Roger Ebert about this mafia opus released in the early '90s; from the moment I saw GoodFellas, I was hooked....this has been, and always will be, one of my absolute favorite films, and growing up and living RIGHT NEAR and NEXT TO where the real events of this story took place in New York, the film is even MORE real to me. It is STILL just about the MOST quotable film of all time, and me and my friends still fire off lines from it to each other.

    I have owned the VHS version of GoodFellas for YEARS now, refusing to purchase the DVD because the original release of this film was a travesty for Warner Bros in my opinion due to the fact that it was launched early in the DVD's maturity, and the DVD had to be FLIPPED OVER in the middle of watching it for lack of dual layer technology back then. Not only that, the transfer was lackluster at best and there were no extras on this culturally important piece of cinema from Marty Scorcese. I just knew that if I held out long enough there would be a better edition of this film.....and it has finally arrived, MUCH earlier than expected in fact.

    So, how does it stack up? Well, I read many reviews of this new two disc GoodFellas Special Edition online, and most of them said that even though this is supposed to be an all-new Digital Transfer, the picture still didnt look all that great as in comparison to the old disc....I DID NOT find this to be true at all, folks. Even my girlfriend, who is a MASSIVE GoodFellas buff, and who bought the original release of this DVD as her VERY FIRST DVD when she got a DVD player years ago, noticed that right off the bat, the picture quality of this new edition looks so much better than the older version....this seems to be the best GoodFellas is going to look, folks, and there is not a blemish or speck of dirt anywhere on the print....there is one scene, however, where something happens and I dont know why Warner didnt clean this up.....there is a part when De Niro and Paul Sorvino are talking to Ray Liotta's character about needing to go back to his wife, Lorraine Bracco, and there is a weird vertical line that is running down the picture....I dont know what it is, but it is there and it was some kind of authoring error when they were doing the DVD, I think. Other than that, this edition of GoodFellas I think is going to be the best until HD-DVD arrives....maybe even DURING that period, as well. Some of the end scenes get a slight bit grainy, but this looks fine for a film from 1991 or so.

    The audio, on the other hand, is, I believe a carryover from the old version of GoodFellas, and this seems to be a bad trend of Warner's....they did it with the recent Lost Boys Special Edition, too, and it seems to be a hint of cost cutting at the studio. Anyway, this was supposed to be a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, but you really couldnt tell....it may as well be mono because everything comes from the center position, save for some classic rock songs that get the stereo spread and OCCASIONAL surround moments, such as loud flashing cameras during a wedding scene; otherwise, audio is center-located for the length of the film. But, dialogue is clear, and most noteworthy is Ray Liotta's narration throughout the film as Henry Hill.....his voice is booming and loud and can be heard over everything else going on in the scenes; seems the engineers pumped up this audio track and had Liotta's voice the dominating force on the track. It is a nice touch because his narration is what carries the film. Just dont expect much audio-wise going into GoodFellas on this DVD, and you wont be that dissapointed.

    The extras is where this Special Edition really shines, though....the first disc contains the feature film in 1:85:1 widescreen plus two commentary tracks; one is with Scorcese and the real-life Henry Hill I believe, the other with Henry Hill and the FBI agent who hunted him....nice touch. The second disc contains a plethora of behind the scenes information about this awesome film, and although I have only watched one of these features so far, it was awesome.....I cannot wait to watch the others.

    The biggest let down of this entire package, believe it or not, is not the sound nor the video quality nor the extras.....it is the PACKAGING itself.....why Warner opted for such a boring package for this film I will never understand. The cover art is the SAME from the original snapper case edition, the basic poster art, which is okay but stale....the least they could have done is given us some kind of big slip case box, like Escape From New York and Predator are in, and had the pictures of Pesci, De Niro and Liotta raised off the cover......this thing is boring. Just a simple two-disc snapper case and NOTHING inside....no chapter booklet, no pamphlet explaining anything about the film, NOTHING. This is uncalled for, especially considering the fan base this film has. The same cheap method was used on The Lost Boys Special Edition. Shame on you, Warner.

  2. #2
    Can a crooner get a gig? dean_martin's Avatar
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    Thanks for the review. Every time I plan to grill, I think of the part of this movie where Henry Hill is preparing food (I can't remember the Italian dish) and everything has to be perfect, but he has all this other crap going on at the same time. I'm supposed to grill tonight. To save a little time so we're not eating at midnight (I always have to start leaving the office about an hour before I actually leave), I went home at lunch to prepare the meat. Can't wait to fire it up!

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by dean_martin
    Thanks for the review. Every time I plan to grill, I think of the part of this movie where Henry Hill is preparing food (I can't remember the Italian dish) and everything has to be perfect, but he has all this other crap going on at the same time. I'm supposed to grill tonight. To save a little time so we're not eating at midnight (I always have to start leaving the office about an hour before I actually leave), I went home at lunch to prepare the meat. Can't wait to fire it up!
    Dean,

    I know the EXACT part you are talking about, as a massive fan of GoodFellas; its actually the end, where Liotta's character needs to get the drugs to the airport with the babysitter, Lois Bird...he is preparing breaded veal cutlets, dipping them in the breading, and asking his brother to stir the sauce for the ziti and peppers he is making.......IS THAT DETAILED ENOUGH FOR YOU? LOL. I LOVE the food scenes in this film, my favorite, though, being when they are eating in jail....the guy is making the steak in the pan, and then Paul Sorvino is slicing the garlic really thin....remember? I ALWAYS get hungry watching that! Also memorable is when Paulie (Sorvino) is eating the sausage and pepper hero in the beginning; I always have to have sausage and pepper hero when I watch that! There are also other food scenes like when the young Henry Hill is making a ham and swiss sandwich for one of the guys in the gambling room, just before he meets De Niro's character....and also when they go to Sorvino's character's house for dinner, and there are trays of lasagna and sausage and peppers going by.....

    Damn....gotta go eat now....

    Happy Grilling, Deano!

  4. #4
    RGA
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    Thanks so much - I traded my old Goodfellas copy in and bought the Scorcese Boxed Set of five films. Up here Goodfellas is $24.00 but the boxed set which has Goodfellas, After Hours, Mean Streets, Alice Doesn't Live here Anymore, and Who's that knocking at my door. The last 3 I have never seen but I figured what the hell I'll risk it.

    Goodfellas IMO is insurmountably superior to The Godfather films which to me play like Mob Soap Operas. Goodfellas is in my top ten all time.

  5. #5
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    Thumbs up

    Quote Originally Posted by RGA
    Thanks so much - I traded my old Goodfellas copy in and bought the Scorcese Boxed Set of five films. Up here Goodfellas is $24.00 but the boxed set which has Goodfellas, After Hours, Mean Streets, Alice Doesn't Live here Anymore, and Who's that knocking at my door. The last 3 I have never seen but I figured what the hell I'll risk it.

    Goodfellas IMO is insurmountably superior to The Godfather films which to me play like Mob Soap Operas. Goodfellas is in my top ten all time.
    Great; glad to hear the review came in handy for you, and thank you for the reply and for taking the time to read it. Much appreciated, as it was for Dean Martin above...

    That was a wise move on your part, I think, to unload your old copy of this DVD for this new one....this new version is clearly superior visually, not to mention the pain in the ass about flipping the old one over. I have read about the Scorcese Box Set you purchased, and know that this new version of GoodFellas is included in it; I am not a fan of the other films in the set, so it was of no interest to me. Now, IF there was a collection of GoodFellas, Casino, Raging Bull and Taxi Driver.....THEN I would have bought that IMMEDIATELY with no second thought...

    I watched the other special features on disc 2 of GoodFellas tonight, and was pleased, although I was expecting some more insight from Henry Hill on what really happened in the real story of these men; all we really get on some of these documentaries on the second disc is mostly up and coming directors telling how influential of a film GoodFellas was....some even called it a masterpiece in moviemaking, and I agree. Yet, I still think there COULD have been perhaps just a slight bit more background from Hill and perhaps anyone else still alive connected to this story....still, an awesome set of extras, much better than Warner's original release of this tremendously monumental film; I still wish they would have put this in some wild, fancy packaging befitting a piece of cinema such as this.

    Oh, and I also totally agree that the Godfathers couldnt hold a candle to GoodFellas; those definitely play like mob soap operas, and I just could never understand the draw of them....I am asleep five minutes into watching any of them.
    Last edited by Lexmark3200; 08-24-2004 at 08:36 PM.

  6. #6
    RGA
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    I think the difference is that Goodfellas is from the grunt perspective - lower members of the mob doing the deeds and so it is more raw. The scope of Goodfellas is not as grand as the Godfather but IMO GOodfellas has a smaller scope but executes it very well - like a great standmount speaker - while the Godfather is big and bloaty so while there is More to it on an epic scale it plays like a Cerwin Vega.

    The Godfather II was much better than part one IMO.

    But the travesty is that the Godfather beat Cabaret for best picture.

    Yes I would have liked the set to have Taxi Driver, Casino or even Bringing out the Dead. But I am going with the critics that Mean Streets is a classic and that Alice Doesn't live heare Anymore was wonderful. After Hours was mildly entertaining.

    If I don't like them a used place will take them in on trade no doubt. They gave me $12.00 for the crappy Goodfellas Disc and $12.00 for Maid In Manhatten (which I only paid $9.00 for). Yes I know what was I thinking? But usually Ralph Fiennes picks quality films and I liked the Cell so I thought J-Lo might be able to pull it off - in a nice smart Romantic comedy.

    Yikes was I ever wrong - politically correct Pretty Woman and banal dialog. Ralph was clearly not into it - no chemistry but in his defense he had zero to work with in the character. Smart actors need smart characters or they end up smiling and looking rather dorky.

    Yes I do like a good romantic comedy to get into my metereosexual mindset. But man it's been a LOOOOONG time since I've seen a remotely good one. And I am very forgiving of Hollywood on these things too I think.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by RGA
    I think the difference is that Goodfellas is from the grunt perspective - lower members of the mob doing the deeds and so it is more raw. The scope of Goodfellas is not as grand as the Godfather but IMO GOodfellas has a smaller scope but executes it very well - like a great standmount speaker - while the Godfather is big and bloaty so while there is More to it on an epic scale it plays like a Cerwin Vega.

    The Godfather II was much better than part one IMO.

    But the travesty is that the Godfather beat Cabaret for best picture.

    Yes I would have liked the set to have Taxi Driver, Casino or even Bringing out the Dead. But I am going with the critics that Mean Streets is a classic and that Alice Doesn't live heare Anymore was wonderful. After Hours was mildly entertaining.

    If I don't like them a used place will take them in on trade no doubt. They gave me $12.00 for the crappy Goodfellas Disc and $12.00 for Maid In Manhatten (which I only paid $9.00 for). Yes I know what was I thinking? But usually Ralph Fiennes picks quality films and I liked the Cell so I thought J-Lo might be able to pull it off - in a nice smart Romantic comedy.

    Yikes was I ever wrong - politically correct Pretty Woman and banal dialog. Ralph was clearly not into it - no chemistry but in his defense he had zero to work with in the character. Smart actors need smart characters or they end up smiling and looking rather dorky.

    Yes I do like a good romantic comedy to get into my metereosexual mindset. But man it's been a LOOOOONG time since I've seen a remotely good one. And I am very forgiving of Hollywood on these things too I think.
    I believe the reason we do not have a Taxi Driver, GoodFellas, Casino and Raging Bull box set is because these were all released by different studios; the Scorcese box set that's out now contain the Warner Bros released Scorcese films.

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