 Good Blu-Ray Transfer |
| Review Date: January 27, 2007 |
| Reviewer: C. S. Junker, Burien, WA USA |
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. |
Well, it's about time!
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| Review Date: May 15, 2004 |
| Reviewer: Danny, South Philly |
| 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? |
Great Fellas
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| Review Date: March 12, 2000 |
| Reviewer: daniel mcinnis, toledo, ohio United States |
| 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). |
Great film - Annoying DVD
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| Review Date: January 12, 2000 |
| Reviewer: , Dublin, Ireland |
| Goodfellas is probably my favourite film of all time so I decided that I would buy it on my favourite format, DVD. To my horror, I opened the box to find it was a single layered DVD, meaning I would have to get up from my comfy position on the couch (which is very comfy by the way) flip the DVD half way through the film and then go back to the comfy position again, which is a bit annoying . Other than that it's brilliant. (But wouldn't a commentry from DeNiro and Scorsese have been even brillianter?) |
Goodfellas - A Scorsese classic!
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| Review Date: August 2, 2003 |
| Reviewer: K. Wyatt, St. Louis, MO United States |
| 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 |
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