Gangster Movies
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Movie Review: The Roaring Twenties (1939)
‘The Roaring Twenties’ is a classic film-noir crime thriller starring Hollywood heavyweights James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart, set in, well, the twenties. Directed by Raoul Walsh, the movie’s plot covers many of the defining events of this decade, including the end of World War I, the beginning and end of Prohibition, and the famous stock Read more
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Movie Review: Hard Boiled (1992)
Who could have imagined, two decades ago, that a director and star from Hong Kong would be a worldwide inspiration for stylish gangster movies with gun fights? John Woo and Chow Yun Fat would forever change the world’s image of Hong Kong movies, which were mostly known for martial arts. In today’s post, we will Read more
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Movie Review: Miller’s Crossing (1990)
While some may say that the greatest gangster saga has been told in the Godfather movies, the Coen brothers have given us an overlooked masterpiece in Miller’s Crossing. It is another classic modern neo-noir set in the time of prohibition. It is a story of trust and betrayal, double-crossing, and retribution told in a way Read more
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Movie Review: The Untouchables (1987)
From director Brian De Palma comes “The Untouchables,” a classic mob movie with a stellar cast that includes Kevin Costner, Sean Connery, Andy Garcia, and Robert De Niro. It is loosely based on Elliott Ness’s memoir of the same name. This movie is best described as a heavily romanticized version of events that led to Read more
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Movie Review: Bullets Over Broadway (1994)
Unlike most of my reviews of movies, today’s post features a light but delightful dark comedy from Woody Allen. As with many of his movies, the offbeat plot features a writer, established thespians, but is made on a modest budget. The plot is set in 1928 New York. The limited indoor sets include New York’s Read more
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Scarface (1932) vs. Scarface (1983)
The first “Scarface,” released in 1932 and directed by Howard Hawks, is loosely based on the 1929 novel “Scarface” by Armitage Trail, which was actually a pseudonym for Maurice R. Coons. In this post, we will compare it with its 1983 remake directed by one of my favorite directors of all time, Brian De Palma. Read more
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