Reviews (50)

Total BS, but great music
ok ok this movie had great music and the dancing was the real star. I remember seeing this movie with my mother, who was a real construction worker. we both laught. No way she could do construction all day and dance all night, but its a movie right. Jennifer Beals was so hot when she did this movie, why didn't she do more films? Oh yeah, she can't act to save her life, but never mind that lets get back to the dancing. The Choreography was so cutting edge for the 80's. If you can choke down the bad acting and the weak story this is not such a bad film. If you like good dancing,and some of the best 80's music see it.

Great Cinematography and directing
This movie has some good music and dancing, in a sappy plot. But the music and dancing are not integral to the plot development; they do not carry the film in the way dancing carries "Dirty Dancing" or "The Turning Point" (both of which have better dancing, by the way.)

But it's one of my favorite movies. Why? The director, Adrian Lyne, got his experience directing TV commercials, where the entire message has to be conveyed in 60 seconds, and in Flashdance every moment is contributing something. The key is the cinematography. Leonard Maltin calls Lyne a "visual stylist", and he is, but he's more. He takes Roman Polanski's cinematographic innovations and pushes them to new limits; the camera tells the story.

When you watch "Flashdance", watch how light and camera angle are used. Light: Pittsburgh light, hazy, smoky, dull, reflecting off puddles, blazing from lamps, dim, bright, strobe, whatever; lighting carries the mood of each scene. As for camera angle, in most movies we are observers, outside the movie, watching the actors. In some of "Flashdance" that is also true, but then in many places the camera angle shifts so we are inside the movie, seeing what one of the actors, or several of the actors, see at that moment. It just pulls you in. If you're not familiar with the film, the first time you watch it wait for the final "audition" scene, and watch how the camera is first an observer, before the dancer enters the audition room, then sees from the dancer's view as the audition begins, and then shifts to show us what the judges see, as the dancing becomes compelling. I don't know about you, but this grabs me and pulls me in; I could watch that scene five times running. And there are many other scenes in which camera angle is used similarly but not quite as obviously. I give this movie four stars; I would give it five if the music and dancing were as well integrated with the plot as in some other movies.

A Believable story that any dreamer can identify with.
Flashdance is one of the most remembered films of the 1980s. It is full of rythym and fast paced tempo that most people were used to seeing in the popular dance movies like Footloose and Dirty Dancing. Jennifer Beals plays her best role as the young wannabe ballet dancer who strives to make it in a rough neighborhood. This film whould be nothing without its music or dancing. It is one of the best date movies too. I highly reccomend this film to anyone with a dream or anyone who is a fan of films from the 1980s.

The dream is eternal
The film is an image of what the 1980s were, of Pittsburgh in the 1980s, this temple of heavy industry coming to an end and starting to look for a new future, due to its industrial crisis. Yet this film has not lost any charm and meaning. The young Alex, an 18 year old girl, is the symbol of this city, an industrial worker during the day and a dancer at night, with a dream : to join the ballet company of the city. Industry producing art. Industrial work producing the dream of art. Alex is a willful young woman who follows the road of her desire, if not ambition, but keeping her ethics pure all along. Pure by looking for love and not pure pleasure. Pure by refusing any favor in her quest and longing for a victory that can be called her own because it owes nothing to anyone and any help from outside herself. Pure because she salvages her friend from becoming a gogo girl in a shady place where dancing is just some kind of dressing for enticing prostitution. Pure because she finds her energy in an old friendship with an old dancer who is encouraging her in getting started and competing for an audition that could open the door to a new artistic life. Pure because she is not soiled by all those who would like to drag her down into the mud of selling her young beauty and art to the gloating eyes of perverse and lustful males. And she can succeed because she never lets her dream die. In life the dream is the almighty sign on the road to epiphany and Alex will meet with this epiphany of hers, the one she has dreamed of for years and she can find only in the energy that comes from her mind and her body, from her unconquerable soul. This film has not aged in spite of all the changes that have occurred in our societies. The dream is the energizing force that leads the way, too often of some Cross, to transcendency.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU

typical 80's flick
Alex is a welder by day and an exotic dancer by night, her true passion is dancing and she dreams of being accepted into a professional dance school, except that she lacks the confidence to go after her dream. This type of story, Cinderella goes after her dreams and makes it, is cliched and I love it. Instead of seeing glossy characters with ravishing careers, how about those of us who actually live in the real world and are very much like Alex, we want to see characters like her who are struggling and actually make it! Its a very encouraging and inspiring film for those of us pursuing our dreams. I really like it, I could have done without the naked bar scene later on in the movie. Jennifer Lopez recently did a video based on flashdance and I got to say she was really good. There was a rumor a while back that there might be a flashdance remake with her, and I think that she should do it. J.Lo is perfect for the part! It'd be awesome if she did it. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Hailed by many critics as one of the best films of 1995, this finely tuned black comedy sparked a renewed interest in movies based on books by prolific crime novelist Elmore Leonard, whose trademark combination of tight plotting and sharp humor is perfectly captured here. After the success of Pulp Fiction, John Travolta continued his meteoric comeback as Chili Palmer, a Mob "mechanic" whose latest assignment takes him to Los Angeles, where his fascination with the movie business turns into a new career as a would-be movie producer. He pitches ideas with a sleazy producer (Gene Hackman) and a major star (Danny DeVito), and also finds time to deal with a vengeful Mobster (Dennis Farina) and assorted Hollywood types (including Renee Russo and Delroy Lindo) who all want their piece of a tempting show-biz pie. The plot unfolds with enticing precision, but it's really Elmore's snappy dialogue--and the performances that bring it to life--that make this one of the best comedies of the 1990s. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (49)

Look at me...
"Get Shorty" is a humdinger of a movie - smart, funny, and VERY full of itself...kinda like its "hero", Chili Palmer.

Every character and performance hits all the right notes, starting with John Travolta's right-on portrayal of Palmer, a loan shark who has tired of the mob business and would like to try his hand at a REAL mob business: the movies.

Palmer isn't a bad guy; he's just all business, which certain characters (especially Ray Bones) should have figured out early on. But they don't, and we get to see Chili eliminate his enemies one by one through sheer guile and smarts. In particular, his payback on Bones is an absolute classic.

One of the film's truly great pleasures is watching great actors like Gene Hackman and Danny DeVito try to play Chili. Hackman's performance gets him a very unwelcome audience with Bones ("I heard you shot the guy four times in the chest and once in the foot"), while DeVito's simply doesn't work, and by the end of the movie Chili is looking to "get" someone other than "shorty".

Also look for James Gandolfini in his best pre-Tony Soprano role as an ex-stuntman.

You Just Got to Get "Get Shorty"!
"Get Shorty " in my opinion is one of the most hilarious send ups of the Hollywood movie industry ever put to film.Director, Barry Sonnenfeld and writer, Elmore Leonard have put their talents together to create a satirical film, which 'takes no prisoners' in its look at the underhanded ways, that folks wheel and deal to get movies made.The film centers on a charismatic mobster (John Travolta), who while on a trip to L.A., decides to switch careers. He wants to make movies!This is not as far fetched as it seems. Apparently being a movie producer isn't that far of a jump from being a loan shark or racketeer! Along the way Chilly meets up with with a schlock movie producer, a scream queen, a L.A. hood and his henchman, another mobster from Miami and finally the 'Shorty' (a self-involved, superstar actor)of the film's title. All of them underestimate Chilly and think he is just a dumb hood, who can be conned out of some major, illegal money waiting in a locker at the L.A. airport. But Chilly seems to know all the right moves and plays everyone at their own game.Writer, Elmore Leonard wrote this fast paced, witty story after experiencing a real life, frustrating job of trying to write a script for vertically challenged actor, Dustin Hoffman... Revenge must be sweet, because it inspired a great piece of comic writing.The cast of actors in this movie is wonderful. Normally, I'm not the biggest John Travolta fan, but his take on mobster, Chilly Palmer is electrifying. Travolta plays the character with a swagger, confindence, and a smile that is sheer perfection! Gene Hackman is also hilarious as the sleaziest of sleazy Hollywood producers. This guy would sell out his own mother if it ment getting a piece of the gross!.Finally, Danny DeVito just makes this movie with his send up of every spoiled rotten, self-indulgent Hollywood actor that could ever come to mind. Kudos should also go for great, comic supporting roles from James Gandolfini and Dennis Farina.For an evening of some very funny Hollywood satire, I recommend you to get..."Get Shorty"!

The worst movie ever created by man
This movie was a waste of money. Only good part was that one guy saying the F word a lot. This movie is dull, boring, and is slow developing. I took this DVD and broke it into pieces after I watched it, I had more fun breaking this DVD than watching it. For anyone who is going to buy this DVD I warn you, it is a retarded movie, and waste of your money.

are you out of your minds
Anyone who gives this hunk of junk movie more than 1 star is either a moron or generously sympathetic.Then again 1 star is too much. AMAZON should incorperate a ZERO star selection.I bet the reviewers that raved about this one were payed to do so, and it could only have been in cash. Penny Marshall?? Uhggg!!! give me a break. She should have yelled CUT! before this was crap was made.An ex friend recommended this film. He wasn't an ex friend before I watched t it.

A very fun movie!
This is one of the cleverest comedies out there. John Travolta plays a bookie (Chili Palmer) in Miami Beach, FL. He is one of these respected hard nose, no BS type of people that just demands respect wherever he goes. But for a change of pace and a change of heart, not to mention money that is owned to him, he flies out to California. He is searching for a man who took a very large some of money, but in the mean time is caught up in the Hollywood movie making industry. He meets up and makes friends with Gene Hackman, a B movie director always looking for the next big break. Rene Russo plays a B movie washed up actress who is helping Travolta get into the movie industry. Mean while, old friends and enemies follow Travolta to the sunshine state to find out what he is up to and possibly move in on the action. This movie also has Danny DeVito, Dennis Farina, cameo by Penny Marshall, Delroy Lindo, James Gandolfini, and more twists and turns that you can imagine. If you are looking for a really fun comedy with lots of stars then this is the movie to get! ... Read more

Amazon.com

The Cotton Club is routinely eclipsed by the controversies that surrounded its tumultuous production, but the film itself offers abundant pleasures that should not be overlooked. If Apocalypse Now represents the triumph of director Francis Coppola's perilous ambition, then The Cotton Club represents the ungainly glory of uncontrolled genius, as brilliant as it is out of its depth. As an upscale homage to classic gangster films it's frequently astonishing, cramming a thick novel's worth of plot and characters into 129 minutes, gloriously serviced by impeccable production design, elegant cinematography, and stylistic flourishes that show Coppola at the top of his game.

What The Cotton Club lacks is cohesion. As written by Coppola and novelist William Kennedy (then enjoying the peak of his critical acclaim), the movie struggles to exceed the narrative scope of The Godfather, but its multiple early-'30s plot lines fail to form any strong connective tissue. It's three (or four) movies in one, with cornet player Dixie Dwyer (Richard Gere, playing his own jazzy solos) drifting from one story to the next--loving a young, ambitious vamp (Diane Lane, with whom Gere shares precious little chemistry), enjoying the success of a hotshot hoofer (Gregory Hines), and protecting his brazen bother (Coppola's then-newcomer nephew, Nicolas Cage) from the deadly temper of mob boss Dutch Schultz (James Remar). Bob Hoskins and Fred Gwynne also score big in grand supporting roles, but The Cotton Club is perhaps best appreciated for its meticulous re-creation of Harlem's Cotton Club heyday, and the brilliant music (Ellington, Calloway, etc.) that brought rhythm to gangland's rat-a-tat-tat. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (22)

OK, so it's not The Godfather
There have been many criticisms of this movie: that it favors style over substance, that it has too many conflicting storylines, that it slides all over the place without any real character development. I don't disagree. But, that being said, I still like this movie an awful lot. It is packed with talent from end to end, not just the proclaimed stars of the picture, but other little surprises that turn up from time to time. Look for Tom Waits in a bit part that takes place within the Cotton Club, Laurence Fishburne (credited as Larry) as a stylish and dangerous member of black organized crime, and Jennifer Grey as Nicholas Cage's perpetually dim and semi-clad young wife. Diane Lane is as lovely as can be, and really seems to convey the singleminded amorality of her teenaged character, determined to get some security for herself, and the conflict created when she is forced to confront the growing madness of her keeper, mobster Dutch Schultz, and her love for Gere's character of Dixie Dwyer. The music and dance numbers are as good as you've heard, and the sets and costumes beautiful and believable. I think that one problem with this movie may have been the era in which it was released, when a 2-hour movie was still considered extraordinarily long. It does have the jerky, confusing feel of a movie that's been too heavily cut. Perhaps if it had been made today, audiences would be willing to sit through three hours of the intricate plot development that so complex a story really needs. Let's hope a director's cut is released someday.

All in all, this is worth a look, or several, despite its rather considerable flaws.

Satisfying Fun
There was enough tap and dance to keep my creative spirit satisfied and smiling wide. The poetic drama was wonderful and the singing was quite entertaining as well. I was surprised to see Nicolas Cage in his supporting role, although he has played other gangsters in his time. The sex and violence were not too graphic, however, not tame enough for the younger set. You can't beat it for the price, especially if you like tap and drama. Nice late 20s music and costumes... Hines fans should be pleased!

Skip the movie, get the soundtrack!
Like many of Coppola's movies, Cotton Club is great to look at and listen to, but the storytelling falls flat and lacks coherency.
If you're going to watch it, watch it for the musical numbers and don't set your expectations too high for anything more, or skip the DVD and just get the STUNNING soundtrack.

One of my personal favourites.
This movie is brilliant and fascinating from beginning to end. It's so romantic, stylish and beautiful. I always loved everything about it, and was really surprised to know it wasn't a huge hit when it first came out. To me, it's a cult movie.
Diane Lane's character, the tough adolescent who looks like a grown woman and whose face is her fortune, is a personal favourite of mine. I love her wardrobe and hair style, as well as how she starts out as a brunet in the movie and turns blond by the end. People talk a lot about Richard Gere's trumpet playing and not enough about what a nice singing voice she has. I always thought she was a very underestimated actress.
The musical scenes are unforgettable. I loved the late great Gregory Hines, both as a dancer and as an actor, and he really excelled in this picture.
It's a master piece and no one should miss it.

Moments of Greatness Only
I think the biggest problem is the casting. Richard Gere and Diane Lane did a wonderful job together in the recent film Unfaithful but in Cotton Club they seem more like big brother and precocious little sister. Gere plays a Hollywood actor and he is just too smooth with his little moustache and greased back hair--one moment he is smooching with Diane Lane, the next moment he is onstage playing trumpet, the next hes talking tough to a ruthless killer. Its like hes supposed to be some kind of Harlem Renaissance Man. I think at this phase in his career Gere was not so popular because people perceived him as being kind of conceited and this role just seems crafted for a guy who adores himself. Nowadays he comes across as a much more appealing type of fellow but then the self love was just annoying. Diane Lane was a wonderful child actress but in this role she is not a child anymore and not quite a woman yet either. The awkwardness of the Gere-Lane relationship hurts the film considerably. Plus when your lead just isn't Al Pacino or Robert DeNiro and its a mob picture you feel disappointed. Gere is not a mob guy, he's too sophisticated to play mob roles, and he knows it.

Additionally what happens on-stage at the Cotton Club really takes us out of the drama that is happening off-stage. By the time each musical number ends you almost forget what the film is about. There are so many characters(Bob Hoskins, Fred Gwen, Nic Cage, Joe Dallesandro) saying so many things and yet no one character ever grabs our attention and so its hard to care what each character is plotting to do. Its possible to watch this film and not really know who the main character or what the main plot line is. The writing is that obscure. Even if you figure out its a film about Gere and Lane it doesn't help much because they just don't seem right for each other anyway. As a result we have no one and no thing to root for. Beneath the flash of the costumes the film just has no heart and soul. Its like a glossy magazine with pretty faces but no substance.

That said the film is a wonder of cinematography and choreography. One wonderful scene toward the end of the film has Coppola cutting between Gregory Hines tapping and a particularly lurid murder scene. This is the kind of thing Coppola did so well in Godfather--mixing life and death in an operatic way--but here the great camera work seems kind of empty because the characters have failed to really make their mark on our imaginations.

Perhaps in the future Coppola will release an extended version of this film which will make the story clearer. Until then I would recommend this film only if you want a strictly visual entertainment. ... Read more

Amazon.com

A glimpse of a pre-stardom Sharon Stone in a state of undress may be the sole selling point for this routine police potboiler directed by Dorothy Ann Puzo, daughter of Godfather author Mario Puzo. Brad Davis stars as a tough cop who goes on the warpath to find the brutal hoodlum (Jonathan Banks) who murdered his father. An over-the-top Adam Ant and Eddie Egan, the former policeman whose career served as the basis for The French Connection, add some color, but the script by Puzo, producer Lisa M. Hansen, and Moe Quiqley (from a story by former Haunted Garage frontman Dukey Flyswatter!) is woefully wooden, and the frantic action and performances signify very little. Undiscerning action fans may find some diversion here; all others can disregard. --Paul Gaita ... Read more

Reviews (6)

eh....
This movie is just o.k. Like pretty much everyone else I bought it so I could drool over Adam Ant for an hour and a half. For that it was good. If there is an actor you have the hots for in this movie, it's worth buying. Otherwise.....skip it.

Cold Steel Used
The cover of movie looked old and I was disappointed as I was giving as a gift to my son.

Adam Ant Movie Lover
I bought this becuase it was cheap and was an Adam Any movie. While not the main character, he plays his part as bad guy extrordinaire. Sharon Stone is also very good in this early role for her and looks hot... Not the greatest story line but like I said, it was bought becuase I'm his biggest fan.

Ok, but not the best
The reason I watched this is because Adam Ant was in here and I thought 'cool, I gotta watch this'. It wasn't that good, though.
He made a wonderful bad guy, but if you like the average cop movie, here ya go!

FLAWED, WEAK, UNDRAMATIC!
Flawed, weak, undramatic! That's all I have to say, except: Skip it! Grade: D+ ... Read more

Amazon.com

Call them "Grumpy Old Goodfellas," old mobsters who trade in their rods for a retirement home. Fast-talking Richard Dreyfuss is the nominal leader of the quartet of retired Jersey wiseguys, and thick-headed softy Dan Hedaya, silver-haired lady's man Seymour Cassel, and Burt Reynolds, an enforcer with a pacemaker, round out the group. When their Florida apartment house threatens to go condo with young, upscale tenants, they flex their creaky muscles and scare off investors with a devious bit of mob theatrics. Their success spirals out of control, and soon they're up to their toupees in blackmail, murder for hire, a homicide investigation by a cop who just may be Dreyfuss's character's long-lost daughter (Carrie-Anne Moss), and a mob war with a Hispanic drug lord. Jennifer Tilly costars as a scheming stripper, and Lainie Kazan is terrific as a brassy widow.

The script, by Kingpin cowriter Barry Fanaro, flirts with leering sexual humor and outrageous gags while turning unrepentant killers into a cute and cuddly bunch of snappy-dressing codgers. Leave it to director Michael Dinner to transform that into a warm, sweet, good-natured film that explores the way the aged lose dignity in their later years and celebrates the strength of four guys who draw on their skills, their courage, and their spirit to take their dignity back. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (2)

SNOOZING DOGS INDEED
What a shame to have two excellent performances wasted on a script that doesn't go anywhere. Dylan McDermott gives an excellent performance as a writer who isn't going anywhere. Fate decrees he's to "live" in a house he's supposed to be selling, a house which was the scene of a brutal mass murder. Enter Tom Sizemore, equally impressive, as a strange, neurotic young man who claims to be the manager of a local grocery store. McDermott and Sizemore strike up a tenuous relationship, and as the movie unfolds, we're expecting some startling revelations...which never come to fruition. Is Sizemore the killer? Or is he just a lonely man looking for companionship? Add an icily cold performance by a young Sharon Stone as McDermott's bitchy editor and you have the ingredients for a tidy little thriller. But no souffle here folks. All the ingredients don't come together and you're left wondering just what you've spent 90 minutes with.
Recommended only for the two male performances.

Would have benifited from more Sharon Stone
All in all the movie was an interesting thriller, but they didn't pursue the relationship between Dylan McDermitt's character and Sharon Stone's character at all- and that was all that really interested me. The end was a little forced I thought, but it was definately creepy/ ... Read more

Reviews (29)

One of my top 3 all time movies
If you have been to New York in the 60's, lived there, this movie captures so much of the flavor. Another reviewer has mentioned that the protaganist is a dishonorable human being. He obviously did not see the whole movie. This movie IS about honor, about doing the right thing, even when circumstances are dire. It tells the story about what a father does for his son, that his son has no idea and appreciation for. This is not about the veneer of life, it is about the soul and substance of it. The coarse covering is easily discerned and discarded as the actors reveals the humanity of their characters. I never stop recommending this video. Splendid acting throughout. If you've left New York, and need a refresher, this is it. The mob figures in the movie, but as a backdrop. This is not a "mob" movie, but a movie about "family", and real people. Frank Pesce (who wrote the movie) plays his own brother "The cop". Based on a true story. Check it out, then come here and tell others.

A Fantastic Film In Every Sense Of The Word
Where does one begin on such an extraordinary movie? 29th Street has everything; comedy, drama, fantastic acting, memorable characters, Christmas, the mafia and the most amazing part is that not one iota of it is forced or crammed inside to attract a certain demographic. Every character and scenario plays off each other in a seemingly natural manner and the end result is a movie that has you laughing throughout and has you at near tears towards the end. It's the film equivalent of watching a real family deal with their problems and triumphs.

First, the story revolves around Frank Pesce, an ambitious kid with huge dreams of being known for something remarkable. The problem lies in his lack of wanting to make it happen and more or less wanting it to fall in his lap. He basically skates though life unscathed after a series of very near misses, ranging from his getting stabbed in a bad neighborhood actually being the event that saves his life from a deadly disease to butting heads with a dangerous mafia don in an attempt to save his unlucky father's neck from being put on the chopping block. Amidst all of the chaos that he seems to shrug his shoulders at, he purchases a lone lottery ticket for the first New York State Lottery along with a cheap pair of binoculars from a second hand store so he can cash a measly check and ends up becoming one of the finalists while his unlucky father collects them for months and comes up short.

The acting is comprised of stars that get little by way of mainstream recognition but any true film fan will profess their undying admiration for them. The unambitious kid turned umbitious adult is masterfully portrayed by Anthony LaPaglia who has to this day become a major star but was more than deserving after this film. Danny Aiello, who already tops my list of greatest actors to ever walk the Earth, turns out my absolute favorite character ever in Frank Pesce Sr., the unlucky father who; despite being overworked and underpaid, remains optimistic that one day, everything will work out for the best. His simple wants and needs in life is a stark contrast to the overindulgent world we live in and his range of emotion is as powerful and believable as they are unmatched by the majority of Hollywood's hacks that get much more underserved recognition. Lani Kazaan is the ying to Danny Aiello's yang as Mrs. Pesce and she has the frustrated mother who outwardly protests being the homemaker on the surface but underneath it all, loves her husband and family more than enough to play that role and do it well down path. Like the rest of the main characters, her character feels so real that you want to reach into your television and touch them.

Being not-quite-a-drama and not-quite-a-comedy without a lot of physical "action", the dialogue is left to really move the story forward and the absolutely flawless script flows from each character's mouth so effortlessly that it's almost nauseating that this film never won an Academy Award. Never before have I watched a film not directed by Martin Scorsese have I been floored how the words add so much color to the overall piece. You cannot help but laugh at the frankness of evrey word spoken, especially if you have an ounce of Italian blood in you. It's almost like being at a family reunion.

If you EVER get the opportunity to rent or buy this movie, do so. Calling it a mesh of "Goodfellas" and "It's A Wonderful Life" hits the nail on the head with deadly accuracy. You will feel equally at home watching this during an at-home mafia movie fest or after unwrapping gifts on Christmas.

It's not a LOSER!
This movie should be a regular holiday classic right along side "It's a Wonderful Life". I love the colorful language and if you see it on normal TV, you're not getting the true movie.
This movie is so good, like others have said, it's got a little bit of everything. If you have an ounce of italian blood in you and grew up anywhere in the Northeast and you have not seen this movie, you're missing out. What upsets me is that you can't find it to rent in most Blockbusters/video stores anymore and it's very hard to find on VHS for purchase. Hopefully they will make this in DVD format someday soon. If you get the chance to see it, you won't be disappointed.

A wonderful "little gem" of a movie
I saw this movie on cable, only one time, several years ago (at least six years, maybe more) and have NEVER forgotten it. It is truly a memorable experience. I do hope it will be released on DVD. It was obviously a 'sleeper' at the box office and didn't make much of a splash on cable, but it deserves a much wider audience as is attested by the 23+ perfect five-star reviews here on Amazon.com...

Danny Aiello is an actor who deserves much more recognition than he ordinarily gets. His style is so natural, that I think some people believe that he IS who he plays. In the case of "29th Street", Aiello owned the character of the father. He was exasperating, pushy and abrasive, but always totally believable. There can really be no better tribute to an actor than to be able to say this.

It is also a fine early role by Anthony LaPaglia who was very sympathetic in his frustrations at dealing with his father. The interactions of the family plus the almost fairytale quality of the script was a great part of what made this such a wonderful movie. I highly recommend this and want to see it again.

Take a walk! ...To 29th Street
"It costs one dollar to make a peetz and you spend 7 bucks! It's a waste of money," quotes Danny Aiello. I can't tell you how many times I heard logic like that in my house when I wanted to treat myself to some "take-out" cuisine as opposed to cooking myself. Aiello has that ability to make you completely beleive his character is REAL and he doesn't get enough credit. Whether he is playing a slimebag gangster ("A Brooklyn State of Mind"), a hard-headed pizza owner ("Do The Right Thing"), or a poor hard-working family man ("29th Street"), he is doing it with his Italian charm and giving the audience a lot to discuss. His character of Frank Pesce Sr. in "29th Street" is one who seems to get all the bad luck, and his son played by Anthony LaPaglia as Frank Pesce Jr. is the one with all the good luck. To some degree. The father-son chemistry is dynamic and the film is a real life docudrama based on the first New York state lotto drawing back in the late 1970's and every character in this flick--including the REAL Frank Pesce Jr. are all portrayed with heart and New York Italian-American charm. Like "Moonstruck," this movie is about an Italian family in an old neighborhood, struggling between a modern world and old fashioned attitudes. "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" did the same for Greeks however there is no Mafia backdrop in "Greek Wedding" of course, for obvious reasons. The mom from "Greek Wedding" co-stars as the mom in this. She's pretty good with ethnic roles. Anyone will love this movie, there are many surprises and what-ifs and many things to talk about with your viewing partner. A good movie to watch around the holidays and one that although like I said does have "mob scenes," they are more of a reference point used to compare the 9-5 lifestyle and the "other life" much like "A Bronx Tale" did. The best part of the flick is when Aiello and his two sons are standing outside of the house and a tow truck comes to bring back their "lost" car. I won't divulge much about the details of this film, you have to watch it for yourself to really get a feel for the simple pleasures of it all. I'm waiting for this gem to be released on DVD. One of my favorites. ... Read more