Product Details

• Actors: Chazz Palminteri, Christine Lahti, Tom Guiry
• Directors: Robert Celestino
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: Spanish
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Studio: Magnolia Home Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: May 19, 2009
• Run Time: 102 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B001QDBX60
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #96,395 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Yonkers Joe" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

YONKERS JOE - DVD Movie

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars every GAMBLER should see this FILM!, February 18, 2010

By 

Don't fold til you're old (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Yonkers Joe (DVD)

This is a terrific film. The inside, tricks of the trade of the gambler are depicted with such realism that I forgot I was watching a movie. Yonkers Joe, played to perfection by Chazz Palminteri can minipulate cards and dice in order to make himself win -- I would defy anyone to try and catch him. What's different about this story is Joe doesn't make a ton of money, he uses his skills to get by until something happens that drives his ambition. I wondered after seeing this movie, if I had ever been conned in this fashion, because I didn't think these types of skilled gamblers would waste their time on small money, back room VFW type poker games. But why not? These people don't care about showing off they just want your money. These are crooked characters who operate outside the law, but when performed and photographed with such honesty and meaning, I understood their motives and was drawn in by them. The story between Chazz and his son is truely moving. If the actor playing Chazz's son isn't really mentally challenged, he's surely the greatest actor on the planet and deserves an Oscar! This is the best movie I've seen all year. In you've ever played poker or shot craps, you have to see this movie.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Tough watch, great gambling film, May 18, 2009

By 

Steve Kuehl "SLV Video" (Boulder Creek, CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Yonkers Joe (DVD)

Aside from the premise that gets repeated everywhere about this being a father/challenged son film, I looked at this as more a gambling film. Once you watch the special features, it was apparent that was the primary intention anyway.

One solid performance by Tom Guiry (who I remember most from Black Irish movie) and a slew of normal performances by everyone else lead up this film about cheats and hustlers making a buck. Chazz as the father, takes over the care of his challenged son that he has essentially ignored for years. Through their trials and difficulties, we see them become closer, all whilst cheating everyone they come across. The filmmakers stressed the importance of the viewer liking the leads, but they were all cheats so it didn't work as well with me.

The special features make this three star film a four though.

15 minute making of documentary; extremely dry and slightly informative.
8 minute documentary on the technical consulting by "Fast Jack"; more touching than the movie, as the old guy gets choked up talking about his past - if you skip the rest, even the movie at least give this a watch.
5:30 minute clip on the look of the film, sets, lighting, etc.
7:30 minute clip on the premier footage and more interviews
But the best: a 6:30 minute look into the moves used in the film...wow. They review the slights of hand and tricks used in dealing cards and playing poker. I watched it in slow motion a few times just to try and figure out how in the heck they were pulling some of those things off. Was fun to sift through.

This was the director's first real film, and he did a decent job. The film quality was average to poor at times, the sound was selectable between 5.1 or 2.0, and the music drowns up too heavily in a few scenes, but seeing all of the background props, tricks and gambling makes for an adequate gaming watch.

3.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining, October 22, 2011

By 

SanDiegoJesse - See all my reviews

This review is from: Yonkers Joe (DVD)

This movie was entertaining, but I had to suspend my disbelief in a couple of places. Wonder where it was shot cause it really didn't look like Vegas to me. Gambling seems like a very sad addiction - for many reasons. To each his own. Couldn't figure out the wife's motive for putting herself at risk. Seemed to be a lifeless, loveless marriage.