Xixax Film Forum

The Director's Chair => Martin Scorsese => Topic started by: Gamblour. on October 18, 2003, 06:55:36 PM

Title: Casino
Post by: Gamblour. on October 18, 2003, 06:55:36 PM
Well I guess I'll start this one. I just saw Casino today, fucking loved it, I love Scorsese so much. Someone on here once said they would give him a big hug if they ever saw him. Well dammit, that's how I felt watching this. God, he's so good.

Even though Casino seemed like a continuation of Goodfellas (only slightly), it still felt like a completely different film. Every Scorsesesque nuance made me happy. And the narration throughout always seemed appropriate. I think it made me cringe a lot more than usual and had the right tone, which I guess means I'm glad he didn't make this another happy-go-lucky feel like Goodfellas was. Very good shit.

And I might continue this next thought over on the PTA forum (if it hasn't been talked about exhaustedly already), but holy shit does PTA riff off of this movie or what? There were at least two iris-ins in Casino, both of which were really cool, and so many other things, I kept saying, "Magnolia! Boogie Nights! etc" I don't think this is a bad thing whatsoever. PTA uses them to his own advantage and it's nice to see him paying tribute here and there. Watching Casino, I saw so much of PTA and a good bit of Tarantino in there, it was a lot fun.
Title: Casino
Post by: modage on October 18, 2003, 08:13:33 PM
Quote from: GamblorNo Casino thread?!?

http://www.xixax.com/viewtopic.php?t=4071
Title: Casino
Post by: ElPandaRoyal on October 19, 2003, 06:47:52 AM
Quote from: themodernage02Gamblor wrote:
No Casino thread?!?


http://www.xixax.com/viewtopic.php?t=4071



:roll:
Title: Casino
Post by: ElPandaRoyal on October 19, 2003, 07:03:06 AM
And by the way Casino does, indeed, kick a lot of ass. I love it soooooo much. Great fucking soundtrack, great acting by everybody, but the standout is, I think, Martin Scorsese. And by that, I mean that we can feel the man in every frame of the movie. It was made so passionately and with a great concern with the visuals, with the editing... it's just great. His boldest film to date. It worked, and we should all be thankful for that  8)
Title: Casino
Post by: Alethia on October 19, 2003, 01:55:49 PM
i think i should watch this again, cuz i feel bad for disliking it.  i appear to be the only one.........
Title: Casino
Post by: Gamblour. on October 19, 2003, 02:11:52 PM
Quote from: RoyalTenenbaumAnd by the way Casino does, indeed, kick a lot of ass. I love it soooooo much. Great fucking soundtrack, great acting by everybody, but the standout is, I think, Martin Scorsese. And by that, I mean that we can feel the man in every frame of the movie. It was made so passionately and with a great concern with the visuals, with the editing... it's just great. His boldest film to date. It worked, and we should all be thankful for that  8)

And his acting was great at the end as the federal agent who rolls his eyes, hah! He's hard to spot I think because he dyed his eyebrows grey.
Title: Casino
Post by: cine on October 19, 2003, 11:54:57 PM
The scene where De Niro just falls head over heels when seeing Stone for the first time is probably my favourite scene.
Title: Casino
Post by: ElPandaRoyal on October 20, 2003, 05:23:42 AM
Quote from: Gamblor
Quote from: RoyalTenenbaumAnd by the way Casino does, indeed, kick a lot of ass. I love it soooooo much. Great fucking soundtrack, great acting by everybody, but the standout is, I think, Martin Scorsese. And by that, I mean that we can feel the man in every frame of the movie. It was made so passionately and with a great concern with the visuals, with the editing... it's just great. His boldest film to date. It worked, and we should all be thankful for that  8)

And his acting was great at the end as the federal agent who rolls his eyes, hah! He's hard to spot I think because he dyed his eyebrows grey.

Well, I've never noticed him before in that scene :?

Quote from: CinephileThe scene where De Niro just falls head over heels when seeing Stone for the first time is probably my favourite scene.

It's really good indeed. "Love is strange" is a damn strange song that plays so well onthat scene. I also love the quick zooms in that scene while Sharon Stone is playing some game in the casino. Yeah, the whole scene is great.

One of my personal favourites, however, is the one that plays (I think) just before the Ace/Ginger meeting: it's the sequence where "in a Casino, everybody has to watch everybody else". Again, the editing and the music ("Compared to what") are just perfect. The movie has a lot of really great scenes. Scorsese rules.
Title: Casino
Post by: Fernando on October 20, 2003, 10:24:40 AM
Agree with everybody, probably my favourite MS film, the acting, cinematogrphy and directing are flawless, but particularly the editing is amazing, Thelma Schoonmaker did an incredible job (BTW, did she did it alone or with MS? she's the only credited though), and as usual it was snobbed by the academy (I know, fuck them), they didn't even nominated it.

This film would be cool to be seen while chatting.
Title: Casino
Post by: SoNowThen on October 20, 2003, 10:35:46 AM
MS for sure sat in on the edit, as he does with all his pictures.

Yes, this flick is oh so brilliant...
Title: Casino
Post by: ElPandaRoyal on October 20, 2003, 11:14:21 AM
Quote from: SoNowThenMS for sure sat in on the edit, as he does with all his pictures.

Yes, this flick is oh so brilliant...

Yeah, Scorsese controls every aspect of his films. And he said before that he doesn't really like the filming process. What he really loves is when he gets into the editing room where he can really start to construct the movie he imagined.
Title: Casino
Post by: Alexandro on October 20, 2003, 12:55:11 PM
Quote from: CinephileThe scene where De Niro just falls head over heels when seeing Stone for the first time is probably my favourite scene.

That's one of my favorite cinema moments ever...
Title: Casino
Post by: Gold Trumpet on October 20, 2003, 01:18:50 PM
Goodfellas and Casino are Scorsese's two best films of genre. They are so wonderfully thought out, crafted and enjoyable that they can't be denied even if Scorsese is turning his back on many of the most rewarding values of his earlier films. Think Soderbergh moving over to Ocean's Eleven and instantly excelling in talent for the dwindling genre. These are genre films that of satisfaction. And not a bad thing at all; Kurosawa's most influential film for me is High and Low. Its genre, but his style is at its most brilliance in shot to shot process and focus of how to tell the story. So much of that film has been my own personal film school in analyzing.

I do think Goodfellas and Casino are nearly the same. Many ingrediants, besides a crucial one, are carried over from Goodfellas to Casino. The style is the same. The background of story is there with mafia and focus on its excesses. This provides many simililarities in building the drama, as in to see a rise and fall. The "rise" in both films feel very alike in many ways besides the matter of fine print for each. The difference is that Goodfellas spoke for the general feeling of the Mafia; Casino is the rise and fall of a man.

~rougerum
Title: Casino
Post by: SoNowThen on October 20, 2003, 01:22:45 PM
and also Goodfellas is like a cinema verite doc about a mafia lifestyle, whereas Casino is much more centered (if you can overlook the first 30 min doc-style expository portion) on the Greek tragedy type triangle. Marty says he was going for more of a "paradise lost, fall of man" thing in Casino, which makes it more of a classical make-up, to Goodfellas' modern french new wave riffs.

and so on and so on...
Title: Casino
Post by: Gamblour. on October 20, 2003, 01:27:56 PM
My favorite scene is probably where he spots the two guys cheating. I dunno, that was just soooo fucking money! I like the Greek triangle idea, it really works.
Title: Casino
Post by: ElPandaRoyal on October 20, 2003, 01:34:16 PM
Quote from: GamblorMy favorite scene is probably where he spots the two guys cheating

Along with the "Compared to what sequence" and the "Can't You hear me knockin'" one, that also ranks as one of my favs from the movie. That scene for me works almost like a musical.
Title: Casino
Post by: soixante on November 02, 2003, 02:54:09 PM
One thing I like about Casino is that it has such a strong female character, which is rare in Scorsese films.  Sharon Stone steals the picture.  Her character is streetwise and tough enough to hang with the bad guys.

Some folks dismiss Casino as "GoodFellas in Vegas," which is like saying that Manhattan is a remake of Annie Hall.

Robert Richardson's cinematography in Casino is fantastic.  I work in a casino, and it is interesting to see how the lighting in the film varies from the actual lighting in a casino.  Scorsese and Richardson do all sorts of weird effects -- such as having a bunch of security officers walk into separate pools of light right before the card counter is backed off the table with a cattle prod.
Title: Casino
Post by: SHAFTR on May 02, 2004, 04:58:13 PM
I just saw this and I was blown away.  A long time ago I had seen part of Casino but never in it's entirity.  This is probably my 2nd favorite Scorese film so far (behind Mean Streets, NOTE: still need to see Raging Bull).  So much is said about Taxi Driver & Goodfellas when Scorsese is talked about, I don't even feel those are his top movies.  The thing that amazes me about Scorese is he still takes chances (ie Bringing out the Dead).  Casino is a film that is hitting on all cylinders (sound, editing, cinematography, acting, writing, etc) that when the film ends you just want to restart it to experience that rush all over again.
Title: Casino
Post by: brockly on June 15, 2004, 01:21:48 AM
I only just saw this (:oops:) and like shaftr said, i was blown away. before going in, i was expecting Casino to be Scorsese's recreation of the film that brought him back into the spotlight, and to the same purpose. I didnt feel this way at all. The acting, cinematography and stoytelling all surpassed the elegance of Goodfellas. The studio lighting kind of shat me of at times, but apart from that and james woods, the film was just amazing. Alongside Bringing Out The Dead and Kundun, this is one of Scorsese's more underappreciated movies.
Title: Casino
Post by: ElPandaRoyal on June 15, 2004, 04:38:42 AM
Quote from: Brock Landersbut apart from that and james woods, the film was just amazing.

What the hell's wrong with James Woods. The guy is one of the great actors out there.
Title: Casino
Post by: mutinyco on June 15, 2004, 10:07:08 AM
This movie was dreadful.
Title: Casino
Post by: Pubrick on June 15, 2004, 10:16:26 AM
i agree, it's his best.
Title: Casino
Post by: Alethia on June 15, 2004, 10:43:12 AM
Quote from: mutinycoThis movie was dreadful.

i wouldn't quite say that, its got its brilliance, but its certainly underneath alot of his movies for me

EDIT - DISREGARD ^^^^
Title: Casino
Post by: Alethia on October 11, 2004, 02:05:16 PM
okay, finally rented this again after not having seen it in a few years.  mind you, i did not like it when i first saw it, i think i was about fourteen.  what do i think now?  well, i just cant figure out what the fuck i musta been smoking back then cuz i absolutely loved it this time.  slightly below goodfellas for me (just a notch underneath) but still fuckin brilliant.  what the fuck was wrong with me?  whatever, this movie is powerful as hell.
Title: Casino
Post by: Pubrick on October 12, 2004, 08:15:03 AM
Quote from: ewardwhat the fuck was wrong with me?

Quote from: ewardi was about fourteen.
Title: Casino
Post by: Stefen on October 16, 2004, 12:55:43 PM
I saw it for the first time when I was around 12 and still liked it. My father rented it but wouldn't let me watch it cause it was rated r, he said he would watch it first and tell me if I could watch it, but that night after he went to sleep I snuck and watched it but only got through the first tape before he woke up and caught me. I didn't see second tape until 3 months later. Come to think of it, I think I liked it more then than I do now, probably cause i've seen alot better movies now than I had then.
Title: Casino
Post by: SiliasRuby on February 23, 2005, 03:00:38 PM
Source: DVDanswers.com
Title: Casino
Starring: Robert De Niro
Released: 14th June 2005
SRP: $22.98
Further Details
Universal has released some early details on Casino: 10th Anniversary Edition which stars Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Sharon Stone, James Woods and Kevin Pollak. This Martin Scorsese directed film will be available to own from the 14th June this year, and should set you back around $22.98 in total. The film itself will be presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen along with English, French and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks. English, French and Spanish subtitles will also be provided. I'm afraid Universal has yet to reveal details on the extra material for this one, but we'll bring you the full announcement shortly.
Title: Casino
Post by: MacGuffin on February 25, 2005, 08:42:45 PM
A bit more info on the Extras:

Casino 10th Anniversay Disc Due

Universal Home Video will release Casino: 10th Anniversary Edition on June 14 for a suggested price of $22.98. The film will be presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen video that has been digitally remastered along with Dolby Digital 5.1 audio. Universal hasn't given full details on the special edition yet, but we know it will be a two-disc set with several featurettes and deleted scenes, along with the new transfer. When we get more information, we'll let you know.
Title: Casino
Post by: planet_jake on February 28, 2005, 04:03:33 PM
Is anyone else pooping their pants over this?
Title: Casino
Post by: Sleuth on February 28, 2005, 08:23:59 PM
disgusting
Title: Casino
Post by: MacGuffin on March 01, 2005, 11:19:13 AM
(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedigitalbits.com%2Farticles%2Fmiscgfx%2Fcovers4%2Fcasino10thdvd.jpg&hash=38cda9fc8d22db1086889f1f7dd5c2a6dbca5e49)
Title: Casino
Post by: Pwaybloe on March 01, 2005, 11:27:00 AM
Oh my god that cover is so shit why oh why hate marketing red states big head
Title: Casino
Post by: cine on March 01, 2005, 11:55:04 AM
and "anniversary edition"... why not say "10th anniversary"?
Title: Casino
Post by: Alethia on March 02, 2005, 07:08:43 PM
Quote from: flagpolespecial

i can never judge what my favourite marty picture is they're all great for different reasons but best among them

means streets
taxi driver
casino
raging bull
goodfellas


add alice doesn't live here anymore, last waltz, king of comedy, and last temptation of christ and you've got yourself a flawless list.  especially with alice doesn't live here anymore, criminally disregarded that film usually is.
Title: Casino
Post by: Myxo on March 02, 2005, 08:54:12 PM
Quote from: MacGuffin(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedigitalbits.com%2Farticles%2Fmiscgfx%2Fcovers4%2Fcasino10thdvd.jpg&hash=38cda9fc8d22db1086889f1f7dd5c2a6dbca5e49)

God, that cover is ass.
Title: Casino
Post by: cine on March 02, 2005, 11:04:20 PM
wait wait.. i made the comment about how they could've said 10th anniversary instead of leaving out '10th'... but aside from that, why is this a bad cover??
Title: Casino
Post by: modage on March 02, 2005, 11:27:54 PM
yeah i thought everyone was kidding.  thats the only poster art i've ever seen for the film.  its not photoshopped heads, i think it looks good.
Title: Casino
Post by: Pubrick on March 02, 2005, 11:30:18 PM
haha myxo thought he was bonding.

the cover is fine.
Title: Casino
Post by: Myxo on March 02, 2005, 11:35:30 PM
Quote from: Cinephilewait wait.. i made the comment about how they could've said 10th anniversary instead of leaving out '10th'... but aside from that, why is this a bad cover??

Not much for slapping the three principle actors heads on the cover and calling it a day.
Title: Casino
Post by: Pwaybloe on March 03, 2005, 09:05:25 AM
(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.xixax.com%2Fimages%2Favatars%2F19897872242250acbade82.jpg&hash=4796d3cfe36304fc0240de200799fa6b7dbef018)
Title: Casino
Post by: modage on March 03, 2005, 09:24:02 AM
Quote from: Myxomatosis
Quote from: Cinephilewait wait.. i made the comment about how they could've said 10th anniversary instead of leaving out '10th'... but aside from that, why is this a bad cover??

Not much for slapping the three principle actors heads on the cover and calling it a day.
yeah neither am i.  but its the poster art, and i believe was meant to evoke the simplicity of the goodfellas poster.  what would you prefer in this case?
Title: Casino
Post by: Myxo on March 03, 2005, 01:14:40 PM
Quote from: themodernage02
Quote from: Myxomatosis
Quote from: Cinephilewait wait.. i made the comment about how they could've said 10th anniversary instead of leaving out '10th'... but aside from that, why is this a bad cover??

Not much for slapping the three principle actors heads on the cover and calling it a day.
yeah neither am i.  but its the poster art, and i believe was meant to evoke the simplicity of the goodfellas poster.  what would you prefer in this case?

I can see how they came up with the cover.

Bob the Executive
"So, I've been thinking about the cover art for Casino's 10th Anniversary Edition. We've gotta milk this thing for all it's worth. It only grossed 42 million here in the United States and it cost us 52 million to complete.

Joe at Marketing
"Yeah, I'm a little worried that people won't buy the movie from the title alone, or even due to a great cover. How about we plaster Robert Deniro, Sharon Stone and Joe Pesci's pictures right on the front cover and then slap their names above the photos just in case? That'll sell!

Bob the Executive
"Haha! It will look like shit, but you're right.
Title: Casino
Post by: mogwai on March 03, 2005, 01:25:47 PM
face it, you're no fun.
Title: Casino
Post by: modage on March 03, 2005, 02:59:26 PM
Quote from: MyxomatosisI can see how they came up with the cover.
DUDE!!! its the ONLY ARTWORK I"VE EVER SEEN FOR THIS MOVIE!!! NO ONE gets more peeved than me when they slap some crappy cover art on a movie i want to buy!  but this is not that case!  its more like

Bob The executive
we should probably just go with the poster for the cover.

joe in marketing
yeah.  that'll keep things simple.

its the main us theatrical poster art with a small anniversary banner at the top.  there is NOTHING wrong with this cover.  there is no evil conspiracy, this is one case where they decided not to fuck it up.  

(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.amazon.com%2Fimages%2FP%2FB000286RKW.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg&hash=2cf655e144a9d3c8ba5817afda43108f94291d1a)

is there something wrong with that artwork?  because thats also the poster with faces.  there is a difference in the quality of photoshopping that goes into making a theatrical poster and the quality that goes into making a dvd box.  

(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.amazon.com%2Fimages%2FP%2FB00005JNC2.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg&hash=d6869a7ef00799f232853f47870897ad1c68b5f3)

that is the difference.
Title: Casino
Post by: Myxo on March 03, 2005, 08:49:54 PM
I didn't know the Casino DVD cover was the same as it's theatrical poster.

Hmm.

I happen to think these..

(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.amazon.com%2Fimages%2FP%2F0792833236.01._PE_SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg&hash=c53f76a05c9153e832f550b14f403fa6adae6c47) (https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.amazon.com%2Fimages%2FP%2F6305090580.01._PE_SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg&hash=efb8dae9c1a62a7b95d4437fe4cdb439d94917dc) (https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.amazon.com%2Fimages%2FP%2FB000286RP2.01._PE20_SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg&hash=6e33d09444380487a9321f1dbc04ee5ffc07cda6) (https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.amazon.com%2Fimages%2FP%2F079216587X.01._PE10_SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg&hash=b516331f93fec39d4b1e4bcaf279b2a6e55537d8)

..are much better than these..

(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.amazon.com%2Fimages%2FP%2FB000286RKW.01._PE25_SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg&hash=c0854197be9cef58084798beafc044b2530f45b9) (https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.amazon.com%2Fimages%2FP%2F0783225792.01._PE_SCMZZZZZZZ_.gif&hash=78689bcd9ffea2204bb58954817a46a80abe8b17) (https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.amazon.com%2Fimages%2FP%2FB00005JKN9.01._PE25_SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg&hash=0b3be038d623503569831a35ebf0e31c6836cfb5)
Title: Casino
Post by: Alethia on March 03, 2005, 10:26:26 PM
the bringing out the dead cover is the best of any of his films, i'd say
Title: Casino
Post by: SiliasRuby on March 03, 2005, 10:36:11 PM
Quote from: ewardthe bringing out the dead cover is the best of any of his films, i'd say
Yep, I have to say so too.
Title: Casino
Post by: Pubrick on March 03, 2005, 10:38:28 PM
oh no, it's happening again..
Title: Casino
Post by: modage on March 08, 2005, 10:01:06 PM
Quote from: MacGuffinA bit more info on the Extras:

Casino 10th Anniversay Disc Due

Universal Home Video will release Casino: 10th Anniversary Edition on June 14 for a suggested price of $22.98. The film will be presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen video that has been digitally remastered along with Dolby Digital 5.1 audio. Universal hasn't given full details on the special edition yet, but we know it will be a two-disc set with several featurettes and deleted scenes, along with the new transfer. When we get more information, we'll let you know.

a bit more info...

Universal has released some early details on Casino: 10th Anniversary Edition which stars Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Sharon Stone, James Woods and Kevin Pollak. This Martin Scorsese directed film will be available to own from the 14th June this year, and should set you back around $22.98 in total. The film itself will be presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen along with English, French and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks. English, French and Spanish subtitles will also be provided. Extras will include four behind the scenes featurettes (entitled The Story, Cast and Characters, The Look and After the Filming), some 'Moments with Martin Scorsese, Sharon Stone, Nicholas Pileggi and more', a Vegas and the Mob featurette, a History Alive True Crime Authors: Casino with Nicholas Pileggi featurette and some deleted scenes. As far as we know, no audio commentary will be included.
Title: Casino
Post by: SiliasRuby on March 09, 2005, 02:18:44 AM
Quote from: themodernage02no audio commentary will be included.
Damn it!
Title: Casino
Post by: life_boy on April 10, 2005, 12:24:38 AM
Quote from: themodernage02(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.amazon.com%2Fimages%2FP%2FB00005JNC2.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg&hash=d6869a7ef00799f232853f47870897ad1c68b5f3)

that is the difference.

The "MARVELOUS FUN...Hilarious and Heartfelt," doesn't help matters.  Thankfully they avoided the critical cover blurbs for the Goodfellas and Casino: Anniversary Edition covers.
Title: Casino
Post by: MacGuffin on June 14, 2005, 07:54:40 PM
Quote from: SiliasRuby
Quote from: themodernage02no audio commentary will be included.
Damn it!

Actually...

Quote from: themodernage02'Moments with Martin Scorsese, Sharon Stone, Nicholas Pileggi and more'

This is a full-length commentary track. I dunno why they just don't call it so.
Title: Casino
Post by: Weak2ndAct on June 14, 2005, 10:47:45 PM
Well, because it's really just culled from the interviews.
Title: Re: Casino
Post by: Stefen on December 06, 2010, 01:13:13 AM
This is Scorsese's 90's masterpiece. Can we all agree it's 10x better than Goodfellas?

Everything about it is stellar. Pesci is fucking ruthless. This was Scorsese at his best. Marty is violent, but this movie is brutal, even for him. He doesn't pull any punches here. The most ruthless part is that there are no Channing Tatums in this movie. Every character that would stab you with a bic pen is someone you would see at the market asking you to grab them something from a top shelf.

It's also Robert Richardson's masterpiece. He's never done a film that looks better and I bet that pisses Tarantino off and in turn, pisses :shock: off. Bob Rich for Hostel 4 in 3D.

Did anyone notice the dude playing a valet in this played one in Fear & Loathing too? I checked him IMDB. He did these two movies and that's pretty much it haha.
Title: Re: Casino
Post by: Gold Trumpet on December 06, 2010, 03:19:21 AM
Casino is Scorsese's best 90s film, but since he's been doing lots of films for a long time, we all have our favorite version of Scorsese. Mine is long dead. His 90s career mostly bores me now and I hate that the last decade tried to poorly imitate it. Casino is really fun to watch and I caught it again recently, but I hate that I like it now mainly for the biographical facts of the story. Today all the film does for me is inspire me to read the original book.

I also disagree fully on Bob Richardson. For me, it's maybe his worst effort. I don't feel like explaining why now because it's too winded for my 4am self, but it's a good blog topic I need to do soon. So take this post as ultimately meaningless, haha.
Title: Re: Casino
Post by: ElPandaRoyal on December 07, 2010, 04:46:36 AM
I always found it difficult to name my favorite 90s Scorsese. I love both Casino and Goodfellas, but tend to prefer Casino, mainly because it's more epic. And yes, it's brutal. The first time I saw it I was very young, and found the scene where Pesci goes to that woman's house and just shoots her in the head to be very very disturbing. But both movies are great fun, and really wonderful displays of great filmmaking - also, very interesting, even though the movies are somewhat similar in their storytelling, the choice of different DPs with very particular styles also make them quite different.

Oh, and The Age of Innocence is right up there with those two movies as one of the best Scorseses of the 90s.
Title: Re: Casino
Post by: Stefen on December 07, 2010, 06:13:49 AM
I was very young when I saw it the first time too and I remember the scene that always frightened me was when Nicky and his little brother get beaten and then buried alive. It's just so brutal and bloody. The way they're mumbling incoherently while getting buried gave me nightmares.
Title: Re: Casino
Post by: Reel on December 07, 2010, 07:45:22 AM
Pesci's fat, bruised naked body.. uuuuugggghhhhh just thinking about it makes me queasy
Title: Re: Casino
Post by: Pubrick on December 07, 2010, 09:17:28 AM
It's also notable for being the last time de niro gave a shit.
Title: Re: Casino
Post by: Neil on December 07, 2010, 10:37:50 AM
Quote from: P on December 07, 2010, 09:17:28 AM
It's also notable for being the last time de niro gave a shit.

Brilliant.

Quote from: Reelist on December 07, 2010, 07:45:22 AM
Pesci's fat, bruised naked body.. uuuuugggghhhhh just thinking about it makes me queasy

This film is super fucking violent.  I'm still not really over it, the violence is exactly as stefen puts it, not glorified in any way.  These could very well be the people we find ourselves next to you in the supermarket.  It is total opposition to romanticized anything,  especiallyq murder, which I guess lies somewhere within the 'ruthless' category.  I don't know shit about Marty's hay day, but this certain parts of this film always shake me.   

I'll never forget the first time I took it seriously.  I was about 15, and when Pesci puts the gun up to that old woman's head and pulled the trigger, I thought to myself something along the lines of, "That is the most shocking main stream thing, I've ever seen." 

Goodfellas takes another route in my opinion.  Obviously the stories have their differences, but I feel like Goodfellas is clearly pulling on different strings than Casino.  I mean that emotionally, and story arc points and things like this.  I'm not entirely sure what i want to say.

Title: Re: Casino
Post by: ElPandaRoyal on December 07, 2010, 11:59:43 AM
Quote from: P on December 07, 2010, 09:17:28 AM
It's also notable for being the last time de niro gave a shit.

He's also very good in Jackie Brown, but apart from that, you're pretty much right.
Title: Re: Casino
Post by: Alexandro on December 07, 2010, 12:37:17 PM
I was going to mention Jackie Brown too.

Casino is one of my favorite films. The impossible love story at it's center is as close as Scorsese will get to transmit "love" from a man to a woman in film. The cinematography is one of it's biggest assets. It's probably the film that takes the most advantage of the Vegas visual possibilities, in history.

Scorsese is in full power here. Visually it's such an inventive film, via mise en scene, compositions, just the way it's designed. He never came back to this kind of visual storytelling again.

The other aspect that always surprises and fascinates me is the soundtrack choices. Loved the way he uses the Contempt theme, and the film is filled with great "musical" sequences. 
Title: Re: Casino
Post by: Reel on December 07, 2010, 02:23:53 PM
Quote from: ElPandaRoyal on December 07, 2010, 11:59:43 AM
Quote from: P on December 07, 2010, 09:17:28 AM
It's also notable for being the last time de niro gave a shit.

He's also very good in Jackie Brown, but apart from that, you're pretty much right.

but that role didn't require him to give a shit, he just left it all Tarantino's hands. Pretty awesome to see.

I always wondered how close the stories in Goodfellas and Casino mirrored reality. They're semi-based on real people it seems but you can tell everything about Casino is a second attempt to amplify it even more to the point where I just think Scorcese and Pillegi are the gangsters, getting away with this shit they put up on screen, one upping every time.
Title: Re: Casino
Post by: SiliasRuby on December 07, 2010, 08:25:19 PM
Quote from: Alexandro on December 07, 2010, 12:37:17 PM
The other aspect that always surprises and fascinates me is the soundtrack choices. Loved the way he uses the Contempt theme, and the film is filled with great "musical" sequences. 

My favorite musical sequences are when we are shown how things exactly work in a casino and they play an epic 8 minute and 56 second song called 'Compared to What' by Les McCann. If you're not sure what I'm talking about its the one with the lyrics "GodDAMNIT, try to make it real Compared To What" and the other one is Jeff Beck's guitar screaming out during 'Aint Superstitious' when the two men are caught cheating. Damn, I think I might put it back in right now...Maybe.
Title: Re: Casino
Post by: JG on December 07, 2010, 08:33:02 PM
love this moment. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1qoyAYPJK0)
Title: Re: Casino
Post by: Stefen on December 07, 2010, 08:50:34 PM
^that's such a sleazy scene. The lone stripe of gray hair on Pesci just makes him so much sleazier haha.

This is the scene that always gets me. So brutal. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROf_LwDL00s

How did Scorsese get away with releasing this movie? No way it gets released wide today. The cursing alone would make sure of that. Then the violence on top of it?
Title: Re: Casino
Post by: Alexandro on December 07, 2010, 10:07:52 PM
yeah, the whole movie is one musical sequence after another. it must have been an incredibly expensive soundtrack.
my favorite musical moment and really one of my all time favorite moments in any movie is when de niro first catches a glimpse of sharon stone. first the song is "slippin an sliding" by little richard, when she's making a scene in front of everyone in the casino. de niro goes to control the situation and when they make eye contact, the frame freezes and the song abruptly changes to mickey and silvia's love is strange, it stays freezed on her, and then a slow dolly in on de niro completely falling in love with that woman. it never fails to get me.
Title: Re: Casino
Post by: Gloria on December 07, 2010, 10:27:04 PM
This is definitely Scorses' epic music video collection.  Sharon Stone was pretty fantastic in this as well.  The brutality in this movie was off-the-charts (as others have mentioned, the buried alive scene stuck with you).  Comparing it to Goodfellas -- I still think I liked Goodfellas more.  It just felt more...relatable, I guess?  I felt like I was watching everything from a distance in Casino -- the music, the glitz, the shiny Las Vegas life -- it never really let me in.  Goodfellas felt like watching a family fall apart.  Casino was like watching a corporation fall apart (which is strange considering the end shows how the corporations took over Las Vegas).
Title: Re: Casino
Post by: ElPandaRoyal on December 08, 2010, 05:25:23 AM
Reading all your favorite moments in Casino really reminds me once again of how amazing that movie is. And musical, yes. My favorite musical sequence is probably the one set to the Rolling Stones "Can't You Hear Me Knocking?", but it's full of great scenes.
Title: Re: Casino
Post by: SiliasRuby on December 08, 2010, 09:46:27 AM
Oh, thats my fav. rolling stones song. I forgot all about that moment.
Title: Re: Casino
Post by: Fernando on December 09, 2010, 10:04:16 AM
after watching the brutal killing of nicky and his brother, I feel the need to post one of the funniest scenes in it:

HIT ME! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPqsyFFZb_0)