Product Details

• Actors: Ray Stevenson, Christopher Walken, Vincent D'Onofrio, Linda Cardellini, Val Kilmer
• Directors: Jonathan Hensleigh
• Format: Color, NTSC, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English, Spanish
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Studio: ANCHOR BAY
• DVD Release Date: June 14, 2011
• Run Time: 106 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (134 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B004UVYQYQ
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,969 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Over the summer of 1976, thirty-six bombs detonated in the heart of Cleveland while a turf war raged between Irish mobster Danny Greene (Ray Stevenson) and the Italian mafia. Based on a true story, KILL THE IRISHMAN chronicles Greene's heroic rise from a tough Cleveland neighborhood to become an enforcer in the local mob. Turning the tables on loan shark Shondor Birns (Christopher Walken) and allying himself with gangster John Nardi (Vincent D'Onofrio), Greene stops taking orders from the mafia and pursues his own power. Surviving countless assassination attempts from the mob and killing off anyone who went after him in retaliation, Danny Greene's infamous invincibility and notorious fearlessness eventually led to the collapse of mafia syndicates across the U.S. and also earned him the status of the man the mob couldn't kill.
Written and directed by Jonathan Hensleigh and also starring Val Kilmer, Paul Sorvino and Linda Cardellini, KILL THE IRISHMAN is inspired by Rick Porello's true crime account ''To Kill The Irishman: The War That Crippled The Mafia.''

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A Riveting True Life Tale Makes For One Of the Year's Most Unexpectedly Good Action Pictures May 23, 2011

By K. Harris HALL OF FAMETOP 10 REVIEWER

Format:Blu-ray

The biographical dramatization "Kill The Irishman" is one of those under the radar films that, I believe, people will discover and embrace through the DVD market. Certainly not a perfect film--the movie does boast, however, a raw grittiness, larger than life performances, and an intriguing and spectacular true story begging for a big screen treatment. And yet, the theatrical release was all but non-existent. The film chronicles a mob war that escalated in Cleveland during the mid-seventies. At the heart of the action is Danny Greene, played with vigor by Ray Stevenson, an Irish-American thug who becomes entrenched in the shenanigans of the Italian mafia. With bluster and bravado, Greene stood his ground as an individual and even came to be championed by ordinary citizens for his more philanthropic endeavors. By taking on the mob, very visibly and very vocally, Greene achieved a notoriety that is hard to ignore and sparked a murderous summer in 1976 that resulted in 36 Cleveland area bombings.

The film introduces Greene as a physical laborer who, through righteousness and intimidation, ascends to the position of a local Union leader. Taken down and imprisoned for corruption, however, brings the high life to an end--and he and his family are forced to build a new existence upon his release. Through local connections (Vincent D'Onofrio and Christopher Walken), Greene soon finds himself taking on more responsibility with the mafia. However, trying to establish his independence and tiring of their imposed leadership, Greene eventually raises their ire with his rebellious and confrontational ways. This leads to all out war! The film does an excellent job highlighting the political and power connections that start to unravel. The resultant action is well done and harrowing--it is recreated with terrific specificity and attention to detail. Fans of action and mob films will not be disappointed by the film's brutality. The incorporation of real life news footage enhances the human drama as well.

Central to the success of the film is Ray Stevenson (who I knew principally from HBO's Rome). Stevenson gives a dynamic and fearless performance, strong but never alienating. You can see why Greene appealed to people, but Stevenson never relinquishes his harder edge. I loved him and, for me, he made the movie! Bigger names (including Val Kilmer as a cop who inexplicably narrates this piece) are fine, but the picture belongs to Stevenson! As a biography, however, the film makes some big jumps that would have defined its characters better. The story with Greene's wife and family is fairly superficial, his normal friends turn into weapon carrying thugs with zero transition, and most egregiously--the film fails to generate any time for the most intriguing aspect of Greene's tale. Greene became a popular cult figure with a Robin Hood mythology. The movie spends all of about ten seconds explaining this fascinating development! Still, this is a heck of a ride--all the more riveting because of its basis in real life. Genre fans should appreciate the movie--but don't let the title scare you, this should also have more universal appeal! KGHarris, 5/11.

23 of 26 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Movie That Could Have Been a Classic May 22, 2011

By Michael B. Druxman

Format:DVD

It's very seldom that I say that a particular movie would have benefited from a longer running time, but in the case of KILL THE IRISHMAN, I think that an additional thirty minutes would have turned what is now an entertaining gangster movie into a classic of the genre.

Written (with Jeremy Walters) and directed by Jonathan Hensleigh, KILL THE IRISHMAN is based on the true story of Danny Greene, an Irish-American thug, revered by his neighbors as a local "Robin Hood," who in the 1970s, declared war on the Cleveland branch of the Italian Mafia. Greene survived many assassination attempts and his bold efforts, ultimately, led to the collapse of the Mob syndicate throughout the United States.

Ray Stevenson is quite effective as the "take no prisoners" Danny Greene, and he is supported by an excellent cast that includes Vincent D'Onofrio, Val Kilmer, Christopher Walken, Paul Sorvino, Robert Davi and several other actors who are familiar faces in Mob movies.

The problem is that there are so many characters and so much plot, all fascinating, that are crammed into the movie's 106 minute running time that the film feels like an outline for a more extensive epic drama. Great gangster movies (e.g. THE GODFATHER, GOODFELLAS) require texture and depth of characterization, while Hensleigh's picture presents the people who populate it with very broad strokes.

Yes, I enjoyed the movie, but I think that HBO or Showtime might have done this story more justice.

The DVD from Anchor Bay Entertainment includes a compelling documentary about the real Danny Greene.

© Michael B. Druxman

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Oh Danny Boy, the bombs the guns are calling.... June 15, 2011

By Mickey Ryan

Format:DVD

I knew eventually a movie about the legendary Danny Greene will come out, and this was nicely done with a great cast. Im sure you know the true story by now - a ballsy Irish-American thug in 1970s Cleveland tests the Mafia to the limits with brazen acts of defiance, a time when the Cleveland Mafia often preferred car-bombs instead of guns. Ray Stevenson is a fine choice for Greene, Kilmer lights up the screen as the detective on the case (and semi-friend; who's well aware of Greene's inevitable fate), and D'Onofrio is terrific as low-level hood John Nardi. Excellent usage of real-life news footage of the events transpiring and the Celtic bagpipe backround tune is a true pleasure as well. A few thoughts:

-Sorvino was a nice choice for Fat Tony Salerno of the Genovese Family but he should have been chewing a cigar in almost every scene, Salerno was notorious for this.

-They should have showed more of the relationship between Greene and Jewish loanshark Shonder Birns (Walken), as this is how Greene really made his mark in the underworld. They missed alot of this but hey it is a 2 hour film.

Other than a few minor flaws, this slick little mobster film is very entertaining and gangster fans especially will be glued to the screen. 4 Stars for Kill The Irishman.