Customer Reviews

GoodFellas [Blu-ray]

5 star:		(516)
4 star:		(86)
3 star:		(48)
2 star:		(27)
1 star:		(60)

 

 

There's nothing I can say that hasn't already been said about "Goodfellas"... it's one of the best movies ever. To hell with the AFI, this is arguably one of the top 10 American movies ever made! Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco: five top-notch talents operating on all 8 cylinders in this story about three decades of life in the mob.

Now, you'd think that Warner Brothers would give this movie the most complete Warner DVD release that's ever existed. A fervent popular following, a high level of anticipation for a special edition, and the current booming state of the DVD industry should've made this a no-brainer slam dunk for Warner's marketing and home video departments. And so, after years of having to flip over the old disc, after years of almost crushing that flimsy snap case, after years of listening to that 5.1 surround that sounded suspiciously like 2-channel, should you get this new version?? The answer is a resounding..."maybe".

Arguably the biggest plus to this new edition of "Goodfellas" is the fact that the whole movie is contained on a single side of a dual-layered disc. The "all-new digital transfer", enhanced for 16:9, is only a marginal improvement over the original release (which was also listed as being "enhanced for widescreen TVs" on the package; it wasn't). Strangely enough, in the scene where Jimmy (De Niro) and Paulie (Paul Sorvino) go to convince Henry to go home to Karen, there is a very noticeable screen-split line on the film that sections De Niro's face in half. This isn't the transfer's problem, per se; it looks more like something off the film print. The strange thing is I don't remember this streak being present on the old version. Maybe it's only a minor peeve, but still, this is the kind of thing you'd expect a studio to clean up for a special edition.

The English audio is the same old Dolby-Surround-masquerading-as-5.1 mix used in the old version. The package incorrectly lists Spanish as the alternate language; it's still French. Nothing more to say about that.

The disc menus are static, and they all have this generic-sounding jazz score playing over them. Remember all the jazz in "Goodfellas"? Yeah, me neither.

Of course, the real reason most people are running out to get this new set is to see the special features. This DVD includes 2 commentaries: one with various cast & crew members, the other with Henry Hill & ex-FBI agent Ed McDonald (who plays himself at the end of the movie). Of the 2 commentaries, the track with real-life players Hill and McDonald is infinitely more interesting, even though Hill mumbles more than Keith Richards having an acid flashback.
When I bought this set, I was looking forward to some feature-length Scorsese, Pesci, Liotta &/or Bracco commentary (I didn't dare to hope for Robert De Niro, I mean, be serious), with some funny stories or moviemaking info. Instead, what you get is a few new comments cobbled together with 10-15 year old sound bites from De Niro and Joe Pesci. Basically, the first 90 minutes of commentary is a total strokefest ("oh-this-guy-was-so-great", "oh-she-did-a-really-good-job") with only Scorsese, author Nick Pileggi, Liotta, and cinematographer Michael Ballhaus saving it. It picks up towards the end, though, when Lorraine Bracco (who shoots down the "screen-specific commentary" illusion when she talks about having watched the movie on the morning she's being interviewed) and editor Thelma Schoonmaker drop some funny thoughts.

As for the rest of the extras? There's really no need to have a second disc to contain them; the total running time of all the "documentaries", as Warner calls them ("featurettes", I call 'em), along with the theatrical trailer is less than an hour. Plenty of room for these on the first disc, but then I guess Warner felt they needed another selling point with the whole 2-disc thing. To summarize the 1/2-hour making-of documentary: "Martin Scorsese is a great director." Remember those 6 words and everything else is cream cheese.
The second major documentary, at around 13 minutes long, has interviews with some younger writer-directors who've found themselves influenced by "Goodfellas". Only 5 words to remember this time: "'Goodfellas' is a brilliant movie."
The other two featurettes are about 10 minutes altogether. One is a storyboard-to-screen comparison, the other is a little throwaway piece with some cast & crew anecdotes. 4 words will do this one just fine: "Warner Brothers is lazy."

It's really a shame that Warner Brothers couldn't wait just a tad longer and include some truly special features for one of the best movies their studio has ever produced. With the stellar jobs they've done on their other 2-disc reissues, like "Enter the Dragon", "The Right Stuff", "Singin' in the Rain" --jeez, even "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" has better features than this!!-- I expected Warner Bros. to really pull out all the stops for this new edition of "Goodfellas", but it's a big letdown. Still, it is an improvement (no matter how minor) over the previous release, and as it is probably the "best" version we're ever gonna get on DVD, I would have to recommend picking it up.

However, if you already own the movie, keep three things in mind. Ask yourself 1.) if you really mind flipping the old disc over, 2.) if you've got a normal full-screen TV, do you really need a new anamorphic transfer?, and 3.) do you really need to see the special features if they're not exactly top quality? If your answer to any of these things is "no", then I'd think long and hard about shelling out another $20.

**UPDATE - 12/31/2010** Having recently gotten a PS3, I've been going nuts updating as many of my DVDs as possible to Blu-Ray, but like most people who've made the switch, I've come to learn that it's not always worth it in every case. I just got the new 20th Anniversary Edition Goodfellas BluRay and I can confirm that it has the same exact lame special features we were issued on the so-called "special" edition DVD six years ago (with two "new" extras; more on that in a minute).

The image upgrade is noticeable to me, but not impressive enough (that line is STILL running down De Niro's face) for me to recommend laying out yet another 20-odd dollars for the same product. C'mon, Warners, all this time and you still haven't learned your lesson? And being that this is Blu-Ray, maybe a TrueHD audio track would be in order? Nope, we get the same old 5.1. Thanks a pantload.

So what's new on this 20th Anniversary release? Well, I'll admit it does have a snazzy hardbound book-shaped case, even if it doesn't have much in common with the film, design-wise. There's also a pretty nice booklet about 30 pages long with stills from the movie. There are also two additional features that weren't present on the original DVD: a documentary on the history of the '30s and '40s gangster movies and a selection of mob-themed Looney Tunes shorts. The problem is, this is recycled content; the cartoons can be found in the Looney Tunes sets, while the documentary is a leftover from a Warner Brothers gangster movie box set released a few years ago. They're both fun, both interesting, but have only the most tenuous connections with Goodfellas. Couldn't squeeze one substantial new extra out of this new release, could they? Once again, all people wanted was a little decent treatment given to one of the best movies ever produced by a major studio. Once again, Warner Brothers has proven they just don't get it. Fair enough, but this is the last copy of Goodfellas I buy. I don't care if they come out with the deluxe 25th Anniversary 3D Super-BluRay Scratch 'n Sniff Edition, I'm not biting.

On a side note, I just want to say thanks to everybody for all the helpful votes and whatnot, glad you found this review useful over time. Take care!

Goodfellas has long been one of my favorite movies. I've watched it many times since I saw it in the theater. I've seen it on tape, on laserdisc, on the original "flipper" DVD and the remastered anamorphic DVD, and now, Blu-Ray Disc.

I'm happy to report that the Blu-Ray is a significant improvement over the remastered DVD. The picture is brighter, the colors are more vivid, and many scenes have much more detail and clarity. Of course, the overall picture is much sharper.

Goodfellas is not the kind of movie that is a showcase for high-resolution video, however. It has a lot of dark indoor scenes; very little takes place outdoors (something I never noticed before). I noticed some graininess, which has a lot to do with how Scorcese shot the picture. It's just more noticeable in the higher resolution.

There are some minor problems with the audio in one scene. The dialogue drops in volume and then jumps back up in the following scene. Other than that, the audio is fine, although I would have liked a more aggressive surround mix, at least in the musical selections. However, there's not much use of the surrounds here.

Also, at one point there's a vertical line halfway across the screen. Why this wasn't cleaned up is mystery to me; it lasts for about fifteen seconds. Admittedly this is a very minor problem, but with expensive new technology flaws of this kind stand out more than they would on tape or standard DVD.

If you're a fan of the movie and are considering upgrading to the Blu-Ray, I'd highly recommend it. It's not an eye-popping effects movie to begin with, so this disc isn't the first one to reach for if you want to show off your system. But it's probably the best way to watch the movie.

GoodFellas is on top of my "best films of all time" list. I was one of the people who had bought the previous DVD edition, the infamous "two-sided, no features" release that had been one of the first generation of DVD releases, before the medium evolved into what it is today. I had been counting the days until they would re-release this film, so I was first in line to get this new edition.

Unfortunately, though this edition is much better than the previous one, it very much pales alongside most modern DVD packages.

The package aroused many suspicions in me that this was a rush job. Among my dissatisfactions:

- There's no booklet, leaflet, film histories, or printed material of any kind which generally supplements a two-disc release like this;
- The film is long, but still under the three-hour mark, and the second disc has three short (eight to 20 minutes), unremarkable documentaries plus a storyboard-film comparison. Wouldn't all this material have fit on a single disc? Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story had three times the media and was only a single disc. If they didn't have enough material, why did they put up the illusion that there are two discs' worth?
- There are only two commentaries, and one of them isn't even complete. The "Cop and Crook" commentary is interesting, applying the great idea of bringing back Henry Hill (on whose life this film and its source book Wiseguy were based) and the prosecutor who had sponsored his Witness Protection Program, Edward McDonald. It's not a very illuminating commentary, but it's still good to see what Hill is like today. However, the "Cast and Crew" commentary is suspect. Not only does it not cover the entire film, I actually suspect it was not recorded as a commentary, but edited from fragmentary interviews. So rarely do the cast and director on this track comment on the specific scenes, the way a commentary should, that I don't think they were watching the film as they were speaking; I think the production company simply mixed the sound louder and created the illusion that this was a commentary track. I don't know for sure if this is the case, but if it is, I consider it very dishonest marketing. Don't call it a commentary unless it is one!
- I found absolutely no new insights into Martin Scorsese or the film from the additional materials. The "making of" documentary is the usual "heap praise upon the director" baloney. Come on, do we actually *need* you to tell us that Scorsese is great? How about giving some anecdotes and insight into the film instead?

All of the above adds up to a very underwhelming DVD release of a film that's possibly the greatest American film of the last 20 years. However, there is still one incentive to own it -- the entire film is contained, without interruptions, on one disc. So unlike with the old DVD release, you can actually watch the whole film now without having to turn the disc over. So this is still the best available version of the film out there. However, I remain displeased. After years of waiting, and being disappointed, why does this edition fail to satisfy?

I can only hope that the impossible would happen -- that Warner Bros. would let The Criterion Collection take a stab at this film, and do it justice. It will never happen, but the very idea does whet the appetite.

FINALLY! It's about time Warner releases this baby the way it was meant to be: in a glorious two-disc special edition. And if the picture above is any indication, it looks like it'll be released in a keep case instead of some flimsy, cardboard set (i.e. Once Upon A Time In America SE, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest SE, etc.). Best of all: no more having to flip the DVD over after Tommy wants to know where the shovels are! As of this date, Amazon hasn't posted the features of the DVD yet, but here they are:

Cast and Crew Commentary
Cop and Crook Commentary
Awards
Documentaries: "Getting Made," "The Workaday Gangster," "The GoodFellas Legacy," "Paper Is Cheaper Than Film."
Theatrical Trailer

Sounds good to me. "GoodFellas" is a movie everyone likes, so it's a bit bewildering that it took this long to be released properly. Ah, well. Better late than never, I suppose. I wonder if Warner will simultaneously release some sort of Ultimate edition in which the packaging that houses the DVD is a shinebox that has the name "Tommy" on it. *smirk*

P.S. - Alright, Warner. Now how about that Batman special edition?

After Godfather I and II, Goodfellas has to be the best "mob" movie out there. But I was disappointed in the DVD for one BIG reason. I had to flip the damn thing over halfway through the movie! I stayed away from laserdisc for this very reason. C'Mon Warner Brothers! There is no reaon that this couldn't have been created as a dual-layer DVD. I'd even spend a couple extra bucks for it.

I have to say that this is one of the best movies I've ever seen. Yet the DVD doesn't do this classic justice. First off, the movie is listed as being enhanced for widescreen televisions. Unfortunately, this only applies to the menus, not the film itself. Another major problem is that the soundtrack of this film seems to be mixed in Dolby ProLogic since there's a lack of surround action. And the biggest problem with this disc: it's dual-sided, not dual-layered. In the middle of the film, the disc stops and you have to get up and flip it. Come on: this isn't laser disc.

Memo to Warner Bros.: Remaster this epic anamorphically, in DTS digital surround, and make it a special edition, 2-disc set with the film on a dual-layered disc and extras on the second disc.

A contemporary classic stylishly directed by Martin Scorsese, it's among his finest two plus hours (and that's really saying something coming from the man who brought us Taxi Driver & Raging Bull!). He once again teams with Robert DeNiro to bring this seering tale of New York City's organized crime syndicate in the late 70's to life. The supporting cast includes Ray Liotta, Lorraine Bracco and Joe Pesci (in the scene-stealing performance that won him the Oscar). Based on the novel Wiseguy by Nicolas Pillegi (who co-wrote the script) Goodfellas follows the life of Henry Hill, a connected guy who lives out his criminal fantasy of being a member of the mob and eventually decends into drugs, which leads to his ultimate demise. The use of the oldies pop/rock soundtrack has often been immitated but never duplicated (though Pulp Fiction would be a comperable comparison). Beware: fans of The Godfather may be distraught in seeing their ideallic vision of mob life torn down brick by brick. Let there be no mistake, this mob movie stands unrivaled (though it's getting a push from the HBO series The Sopranos). I urge fans of this movie to check out The King of Comedy (another DeNiro/Scorsese masterpiece).

Since I consider Martin Scorcese's "Goodfellas" the greatest gangster film ever made and one of the all time great motion pictures, it breaks my heart to give the DVD issue only one star (almost feel like Henry Hill ratting on his friends).

What could the "geniuses" at Warner Home Video been thinking?

The DVD is two sided, which means it has to be flipped in order to watch the 2nd half and there are NO special features to speak of except for a couple of trailers and a few production notes.

For a movie like "Goodefellas" (a film that boasts absoutely brilliant acting, writing, directing, cinematography, and soundtrack) to get such slipshod DVD treatment is inexcusable.

How about it Warners?

A "Special Edition" re-issue including commentary by Scorcese and/or Nick Pileggi; interviews with the stars, deleted scenes, and maybe the ENTIRE movie on ONE side.

If it's not in the stores by the end of the Summer, we may have to ask Tommy, Jimmy and Henry to pay you a visit!

Of all of the "mob" movies that have graced the silver screen over the years, "Goodfellas" most certainly stands a head taller than the majority of them and it can be said that this film is one of the "definitive" mobster movies. Few movies, if any, can compare to the compelling "based on a true story" nature of this film and the graphic realism that is so brilliantly portrayed by Scorsese's direction and the exceptional cast members.

"Goodfellas" is a powerful film based on the true life best seller "Wiseguy" by Nicholas Pileggi. More specifically, it's based on the true story of Henry Hill (Ray Liota), who along with his pals Jimmy "The Gent" Conway (Robert DeNiro) and Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci) who received a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for this film. Needless to say, the performances by these actors, Lorraine Bracco and Paul Sorvino are nothing short of superb.

The premise:

Narrated by Henry Hill and his wife Karen Hill, "Goodfellas" tells the tale of how he grew up admiring the local mobsters, gained their friendship and then came to be employed by them. After all, how could anybody resist a life in which if you're part of the "organization," there is nothing that you cannot have and you have the fearful respect of everybody around you, as long as you're continuing to make money and not stepping on any of the important people's toes.

As the movies progresses along, Director Martin Scorsese does a beautiful job in displaying many of the aspects of the mobster's lifestyle and the many things that can happen in that lifestyle.

From the opening frame to the final credits, "Goodfellas" is a gripping, suspenseful and enlightening gangster movie that bears multiple viewings quite easily. I highly recommend this film to any and all fans of gangster movies. Fair warning though, this movie "is not" for the faint of heart or the squeamish, for it is fairly graphic at times, which serves to enhance the nature of this film but is not too good on the eyes. {ssintrepid}

Special Features:

This DVD was released in 1997 as one of the early transfers, therefore it's not loaded down with an exceptional amount of special features, which is fine because it's all about the film. I do find it surprising that this one hasn't been re-released as a "Special Edition" with all the special features, featurettes and documentaries.

What is does have:

- A remastered soundtrack in Dolby Digital 5.1
- Production notes
- Two theatrical trailers

Goodfellas is my all-time favorite movie. I could go on and on for days about all of the things that make this movie great. However, the DVD is a disgrace. You actually have to get up in the middle of it and flip it over to watch the rest of the movie! What is that ....?! That is what VHS is for. I was not so bothered by the lack of extra features as I was by this. I would recommend NOT buying Goodfellas on DVD until it is rereleased with it all on one DVD and maybe some extra footage and stuff with it. Geez, you would think a movie of this magnitude would have had more thought put into the DVD.