Customer Reviews

Casino [Blu-ray]

5 star:		(253)
4 star:		(98)
3 star:		(32)
2 star:		(23)
1 star:		(20)

 

 

This new "Special Edition" is a watered down version of last year's Anniversary Edition. Usually this is a bad thing. However, since Universal can't seem to figure out how to make a DVD-18 work properly, it's actually good they have seen fit to release this title as a single-sided, dual-layered DVD. Unfortunately, in doing so they have dropped most of the extras found on the Anniversary Edition. Still found on this release are the deleted scenes, the commentary and one of the featurettes.

Why they didn't decide to do 2 DVD-9's for this is beyond comprehension, but at least they've dropped the list price a few dollars.

My rating is for the overall the release, although in my opinion both the film and the transfer on this release get 5 stars. Colors are vivid and rich, and detail is very fine.

In closing, if you're not a "special features" junkie, definitely get this release, as it's much more likely to play properly. If you must have the Anniversary Edition, make sure you play the disc right away, because most likely, it will have problems.

I was born in Chicago, and my father went to Stienmetz high school with Tony Spilotro, the mobster portrayed in this film by Joe Pesci. I grew up listening to stories about "the Ant" (not flattering), and when he was finally whacked, my old man (a reporter for the Chicago Sun Times) wrote what amounted to his obitiuary. In it he recalled such charming Spilotro antics as the time he threw acid at a girl who had rebuffed his advances and the time he tried to split open my dad's head, and thus prevent my birth, with a T-square during shop class. To top it off, I recently discovered my Dad's old yearbook (1955 or so), in which he and the future boss of Las Vegas are standing in true 1950s glory (slicked hair, plaid shirts, everybody wearing horn-rimmed glasses) next to each other on picture day.

So I guess you could say I had a personal interest in seeing how Marty Scorcese and his "Goodfellas" crew would tackle the subject of transplanted Chicago mobsters in the neon desert. My final verdict: they all did a hell of a job.

Pesci, as "Nicky Salerno" (all the names have been changed to protect the guilty) is just as horrifying and vicious here as he was as "Tommy DiVito" in "Goodfellas"; Pugnacious, bloodthirsty, bad-tempered, arrogant, and paranoid, but also capable of humor, loyalty and a certain weird charm. Some would say he was just playing the same character again, and yeah, he is, but he's so damn good at it, who cares?

Bobby D is superb (what else?) as "Ace Rothstien" -- the micro-managing, ego-maniacial Chicago handicapper and casino boss who trades in on his friendship with mobsters to become a big time player in Vegas, and promptly realizes he's let the snake in the manger. Nicky is what mobsters call a "Cowboy" -- a crazy, reckless hoodlum who thinks with his fists (or his gun, or the sharp end of a pen, or a telephone, or whatever's handy) and creates more wreckage than profit. He also attracts the attention of the Feds and the Nevada Gaming Commission, who soon make Ace's life miserable, and more importantly, begin to interfere with the Mob's ability to "skim" Casino profits back to Chicago. And if you know anything about the Outfit (as it is called there), you know N - O - B - O - D - Y is going to interfere with their profits and get away unscathed.

"Casino" is one of those movies where you watch bad guys get their hands on something really big, and drive it straight into the ground. Things blow up, people get beaten and whacked, fortunes are made and squandered, and monster egos crash against each other like bumper cars. There are many similiarities to "Goodfellas" except the stakes are much higher, and like "Goodfellas" there is not a character you really can root for -- Ace is miserly, controlling, egocentric and arrogant, Nicky is a straight up homicidal maniac, and Stone's character is your typical scheming, treacherous hooker-hustler. A lot of people felt this movie was the same thing, with the same cast, done not quite as well, and indeed, "Casino" is not as good as "Fellas" but it is a very good movie all the same. If "Fellas" had never been made, this might be a top-5 Mob movie of all time. I recommend it to anyone with a gangland fetish, 80's nostalgia and strong stomach.

And by the way, the actor Frank Vincent, who gets revenge on Pesci in this film (with a baseball bat) for twice getting the best of him in previous Scorsese movies ("Raging Bull" and "Goodfellas"), actually bears a stronger resemblance to the real Tony Spilotro than Joe Pesci does....wierd.

Casino is nothing less than a Scorcese masterpiece, based primarily on the true story of the violent life and death of Tony "The Ant" Spilotro, who was the mob's chief enforcer during the early 70's, while protecting the mob's gambling interests run by Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal. As someone interested in the development of the American mafia, Casino is a brilliant translation of the building of Bugsy Siegel's vision in the desert up to the gaudy haven for high rollers that it was during the 70s. This movie brings the dusty pages of Las Vegas history to life. Spilotro was the real thing; Joe Pesci gives us only a taste of how brutal he really was. His death in a mid-west cornfield was the final act of this particular chapter in Las Vegas history. This is perhaps Scorsese's most underrated film, Casino contains one of De Niro's finest performances--his Sam Rothstein is controlled, nuanced, quiet, contemplative, depressed, ambitious, and furious. De Niro plays all these sentiments at once, and he ultimately creates a character that may not be Scorsese's most likable but is certainly his most mesmerizingly believable. The film's rare dual voiceover is so well executed, as Pesci and De Niro's characters fight for control over the storytelling just as they battle for power over Vegas. This film is flamboyantly stylized-In many ways it is about style. There are as many flashy whip-turns and ironic soundtrack selections as there are peach blazers and white pantent leather loafers. If you want a film that is at once great entertainment and moving art, watch Casino, and let Scorsese transport you back to a rare moment in American history: "The last time tough guys like us we're ever given anything that 'effing' valuable."

The movie is without doubt a perfect union with mean streets and goodfellas. But let's face it, why do we click into a certian HD DVD on amazon, we know whether or not we like the movie, right? We want the goods on the picture quality! Let me tell you something even if you can't take the needed violence in this movie, get it. Even if you can't stand all the foul language, get it. Even if you think Sharon Stone got her acting degree out of a cereal box, get it! Let me tell you something, this three hour epic looks mind numbingly stunning. I literally sat in awe at the sheer beauty of it, I mean what could possibly show of HD DVD picture quality than vegas' bright lights and scorsese' masterful direction? Casino, that's what. Do yourself a favor and get this disc right now because if you don't; Nicky will come back with a bat and if you beat him with a bat, he'll come back with a knife and you beat him with a knife, he'll come back with a gun and if you beat him with a gun, you better kill him because he'll keep comin' back, and back until one of you is dead.

I mean that statement in two ways. First, in my humble opinion, this is Martin Scorcese at his finest. This is better than Goodfellas by a wide margin. All of the regulars give awesome performances in this (even Sharon Stone, who I can't stand!). If you like mafia pictures, this is the BEST one to own. I also mean that it's a great picture due to the fact that it's on HD-DVD. The picture is astonishingly vivid and clear and the lights of Las Vegas really jump out of the television. It's almost 3-D ! The extras are ample, but I'd say adequate. That's the reason I give it 4 stars instead of 5. There is the obligitory commentary, deleted scenes, and a couple featurettes. It's all whipped cream and a cherry on top of an excellent sundae ! I do like that you can watch the extras and the movie at the same time with commentary running. This and Batman Begins are the reasons you should own an HD DVD player ! Note: I have the HD DVD drive attached to my Xbox 360 and it works brilliantly !

"Casino" is, without doubt one of the best films by Scorsese. The film runs for almost three hours and events take their time to unravel, and rightly so.

The performances: Robert De Niro is one of the finest actors to come out of Hollywood and that's a universal fact! In this movie, he delivers a performance that qualifies as one his best after 'Raging Bull'. He appears super-cool as the Casino operator and you cannot help but sympathize with him in some later parts of the movie when he is having a bad time because of various reasons. Trust him to play an all-in-one character: a mob-connected Casino guy, a friend and a loving father all at the same time! His powerful performance in this movie has to be seen to be believed. It is nothing short of mind-blowing!

Joe Pesci..what can one say about this guy! Delivering sharp dialogs and firing those F-words with a one-of-a-kind punch is something only he can do! He plays a wicked, wicked character who also cares for his boy-hood friend, Sam. Another brilliant performance after GoodFellas, he is the finest choice for his role.

Sharon Stone: Superb!! I never thought I would feel that about her performance, but indeed, she gets a hell of a chance to act here..and she does it exceedingly well! The drunk hustler who cannot find happiness is played to perfection by Sharon...I guess it is also kudos to the director for bringing out the actor in her.

Then there are some wonderful, but small supporting performances by James Woods as Lester Diamond, Frank Vincent as Frank Marino, Alan King as Andy Stone and Kevin Pollak (The Usual Suspects) as Phillip Green. Special mention here, of Pasquale Cajano, who is superb as the mob boss, Remo Gaggi.

The soundtrack is very much like that in GoodFellas. And much in the same manner, there is some playful rock'n'roll music playing in the background during any violent scene of crime!

The dialog is brilliant. Robert Richardson's cinematography is amazing. The wonderful screenplay for the film is co-written by Nicolas Pileggi who is also the author of the book.

As mentioned before, the film runs for about 3 hours but there is not a single moment when you'd want to take your eyes off the screen.

An under-rated classic, this one deserves a rightful place up there along with Scorsese's other acclaimed classics.

Scorsese's second adaptation of a Nicholas Pileggi novel finds the director wallowing in familiar territory. The film comes across as primarily a companion piece to Scorsese's "GoodFellas," a far superior film. Scorsese has seemed to stereotype himself with "Casino," as he once again calls on his two hired guns, Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci, to headline the cast. De Niro is his usual genius self, and Pesci brings some much needed humor to the production. However, the character of Nicky Santoro seems to be a reprise of Pesci's Oscar-winning portrayal of Tommy DeVito in "GoodFellas." The standout among the cast is Sharon Stone, who gives an Oscar-nominated performance that is so far the defining moment of her career. Forget the shallow and overblown "Basic Instinct"; this is the definitive Stone performance. James Woods, however, almost steals the show as Stone's former boyfriend, a lowlife pimp and hustler who leeches money from her. The cinematography is characteristically good, and the editing is solid enough (if you exclude the scene in which De Niro miraculously starts his car before he's even stepped inside of it). The screenplay by Scorsese and Pileggi, however, relies too much on gangster-film cliches and the incessant use of profanity. While the soundtrack is great, the music is not put to entirely effective use in "Casino." At times it seems that the classic rock and blues tunes nearly drown out the dialogue. Scorsese also relies way too much on his love of the Rolling Stones; he has somehow located countless covers of "Gimme Shelter," which is played in the background throughout many of the scenes (when he used this song in "GoodFellas," it was a little more creative at the time). All in all, though, the film is a solid effort. It is overlong and overindulgent, but the performances are worth watching. Scorsese has since proved that he can direct much better material, however, as he puts aside all of his usual self-constructed cliches (De Niro, Pesci, Rolling Stones, profanity, graphic violence)in his masterful and emotionally moving 1997 masterpiece "Kundun," one of the most overlooked films of the decade.

I purchased this after reading a review that regards it as one of the best 8mm to hd dvd transfers. Wow, was it right! The color from the opening scene was brilliant; it captured the full Las Vegas ambience in superb detail. The architechure couldn't look more real and its well-lighted signature has never been written to film better. Oh yeah, the sound was nothing to fall asleep on, too. In short, this is a must-add to your hd dvd library.

A compelling tale of power, money and depravity which sets the dark mood for the earthy tone in this truly riveting action-thriller.

Casino has often been compared to Goodfellas and indeed one of the few variations is that the film is set in the heart of swinging Las Vegas in the 1970's. Casino certainly holds enough merits of its own and certainly being a unique and highly origanal film within itself, deserves to be judged on such merits.

The oscar-winning actor, Robert De Niro, one of Americas finest actors, heads the superb cast list. De Niro plays Sam "Ace" Rothstein, a master bookie turned big shot casino manager, whose astute head for business, quickly deserts him when he marries ex-hooker, Ginger Mckenzie, which is played masterfully by the sultry Sharon Stone who displays a beleavably raw edge to her characterisation and plays out her scenes with conviction and gritty realism.

Sams boyhood aquaitance, Nicky Santon (another superb turn from Joe Pesci, in another darkly vengeful role) turns up with a highly ambitious agenda of his own plans and this merley proceeds to take things on an even further downward spiral.

Casino was shrewdly written by Nicholas Pileggis (who had enjoyed previous success with the cult classic, Goodfellas) and cunningly goes in for absorbing realism, expertly drawn characters that are played with instinctive conviction by the highly acclaimed array of stars and a whole host of intriguing subplots that leads to the dramatic, violent climax.

There are plenty of stomach-churning scenes of brutal violence with such graphic images of a victims head being rapidly squeezed in a vice which is defintely one of the most violent acts that takes place in the film. Also the ending is a bit of a shocker where Joe Pesci and his brother are both beaten to death by a vengeful gang, and then are carelessly buried alive. Uncomfortable viewing on those particular scenes.

On the whole though, Casinos well thought out and carefully prepared structure is accompanied by an enthralling and sizzling soundtrack that helps capture the mood and ambience of its era, effectivly. A genuine masterpiece.

This HD DVD is a major improvement over the previous standard DVD, which had the movie spread over two sides of the disk and you had to flip the DVD over to finish the movie. On the HD DVD version you can watch the entire film uninterupted. Also the film looks much better in HD.