Description

* Commentary by director Martin Scorsese with cast and crew
* Commentary by ex-gangster Henry Hill and ex-FBI agent Edward McDonald
* New digital sound and picture
* "Getting Made" making-of featurette
* "Made Men": other filmmakers on the influence of GoodFellas
* "The Workaday Gangster": mod life featurette
* "Paper Is Cheaper Than Film" storyboard comparison ... Read more

Reviews (408)

FOR HE'S A JOLLY GOODFELLA...
This is simply a great mob movie. Based upon the best selling book, "Wiseguy", by Nicholas Pileggi, it traces the rise and fall of "gansta" wannabe turned government informant, Henry Hill. Skillfully directed by Martin Scorsese, this film with its all star cast, megawatt performances, and period music soundtrack packs quite a wallop to the senses. Named 1990's best film by the Los Angeles, New York, and National Society of Film Critics, it garnered six Academy Award nominations and earned Joe Pesci an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

In the 1950s, a preteen Henry Hill (Christopher Serrone) began his career as a "gansta" wannabe on the mean streets of East New York, where a small Italian American community thrived. Working with Paul Cicero's (Paul Sorvino's) crew, he worked his way up, doing the penny ante, gofer stuff, until he began more heavy duty involvement. As a young man, Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) took to his life in the underworld like a fish takes to water. He married a nice, jewish girl whom he turned into a shrewish girl, as he lived the life he wanted. His wife, Karen (Lorraine Bracco), also became entranced by the perks available to a mobster

Henry teamed up with Jimmy "The Gent" Conway (Robert DeNiro) and Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci). Together they stole, lied, cheated, and killed their way through life, until they got wacked or got caught. When Henry, against the express advice of Paul Cicero, got involved with Jimmy in the 1970s cocaine drug trade, it was the beginning of the end for him and Jimmy. The film skillfully chronicles the rise and fall of Henry Hill from wiseguy to goverment informant in the witness protection program..

It is amazing that the actor playing young Henry Hill, Christopher Serrone, resembles Ray Liotta so much, right down to the piercing hazel eyes. He gives a terrific performance as young Henry, expressing all the joie de vivre that young Henry had over being associated with mobsters. Ray Liotta, as the adult Henry Hill, gives an outstanding performance. The viewer senses his absolute love for the life that he lives. He clearly enjoys all the perks of a mobster, his only regret being that he could never be a "made" guy, because he was not fully Italian, as his mother was Sicilian but his father was Irish.

Robert DeNiro is wonderful as Jimmy Conway, low key yet powerful. Joe Pesci gives an over the top performance as the wild, volatile, and totally crazy Tommy DeVito, an out of control wiseguy who has no redeeming value as a human being. He is a guy who does not think twice about killing someone over something trivial. Paul Sorvino is excellent as the mob boss who is all about the family and plays it the old fashioned way. Lorraine Bracco gives the performance of her life as Karen Hill, a woman besotted by the life of a mobster's wife, until she realizes that girlfriends are an expected part of that life. She is sensational.

This is simply a great mob movie. It is a film that the viewer will watch again and again. I, myself , have seen it at least three or four times, and each time is as if it were the first. Vastly entertaining, this film is a worthy addition to one's collection.

Goodfellas - A Scorsese classic!
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

Best Mob Movie Ever
This is by far the best mob movie ever. Based on real life, it's just the best

I hope that it's not a "flipper" AHHHHHHH!
This movie is a true classic, but I'm not going to talk about it. There are 413 other reviews that drool about how great Goodfellas is. If you don't know, you are either totally inexperienced with cinema or are living under a rock.

Instead, let's talk about 'features.' The last Goodfellas DVD was a 'flipper,' or a DVD that was so cheap, you had to get up and turn it over half-way through the film. I can accept that I need to turn Lawrence of Arabia over during the intermission, but Goodfellas is comparatively short. It is 2.5 hours long, to be more precise. A 2.5 hour film fits easily onto a single-side DVD with only a mildly-noticable transfer skip. That is the only special feature I want from this new version of the DVD. I'll buy it, just don't make me flip it, God in heaven!

Furthermore, Martin Scorsese has gotten the absolute worst treatment of any director this side of Roger Corman on DVD. Even his last film, Gangs of NY, was subjected to a ridiculous film-ruining stop right in the middle of a love scene that is so abrupt, you have to laugh. Didn't the jack-a$$es who ruined the Goodfellas DVD years before learn their lesson? OK, so Gangs was done by Miramax (the worst company on Earth for DVD quality and price,) but why does this trend have to blight poor Scorsese so terribly. He is one of the greatest living directors, for God's sake! His movies aren't exactly low-profile. The only Scorsese film that has been given a proper treatment is The Last Temptation of Christ, but that was a Criterion, and not a Warner DVD.

That brings me to my final thought. Considering the fact that Warner actually does a great job at releasing quality DVDs with a decent amount of interesting features most of the time, it seems doubly stupid releasing some of their greatest back-catalog titles like a lobotomized afterthought.

(...)

great
best mafia movie i've ever seen, though i haven't seen the godfather. can't wait for the commentary with the criminal and fbi agent. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Martin Scorsese's 1990 masterpiece GoodFellas immortalizes the hilarious, horrifying life of actual gangster Henry Hill (Ray Liotta), from his teen years on the streets of New York to his anonymous exile under the Witness Protection Program. The director's kinetic style is perfect for recounting Hill's ruthless rise to power in the 1950s as well as his drugged-out fall in the late 1970s; in fact, no one has ever rendered the mental dislocation of cocaine better than Scorsese. Scorsese uses period music perfectly, not just to summon a particular time but to set a precise mood. GoodFellas is at least as good as The Godfather without being in the least derivative of it. Joe Pesci's psycho improvisation of Mobster Tommy DeVito ignited Pesci as a star, Lorraine Bracco scores the performance of her life as the love of Hill's life, and every supporting role, from Paul Sorvino to Robert De Niro, is a miracle. ... Read more

Reviews (408)

FOR HE'S A JOLLY GOODFELLA...
This is simply a great mob movie. Based upon the best selling book, "Wiseguy", by Nicholas Pileggi, it traces the rise and fall of "gansta" wannabe turned government informant, Henry Hill. Skillfully directed by Martin Scorsese, this film with its all star cast, megawatt performances, and period music soundtrack packs quite a wallop to the senses. Named 1990's best film by the Los Angeles, New York, and National Society of Film Critics, it garnered six Academy Award nominations and earned Joe Pesci an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

In the 1950s, a preteen Henry Hill (Christopher Serrone) began his career as a "gansta" wannabe on the mean streets of East New York, where a small Italian American community thrived. Working with Paul Cicero's (Paul Sorvino's) crew, he worked his way up, doing the penny ante, gofer stuff, until he began more heavy duty involvement. As a young man, Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) took to his life in the underworld like a fish takes to water. He married a nice, jewish girl whom he turned into a shrewish girl, as he lived the life he wanted. His wife, Karen (Lorraine Bracco), also became entranced by the perks available to a mobster

Henry teamed up with Jimmy "The Gent" Conway (Robert DeNiro) and Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci). Together they stole, lied, cheated, and killed their way through life, until they got wacked or got caught. When Henry, against the express advice of Paul Cicero, got involved with Jimmy in the 1970s cocaine drug trade, it was the beginning of the end for him and Jimmy. The film skillfully chronicles the rise and fall of Henry Hill from wiseguy to goverment informant in the witness protection program..

It is amazing that the actor playing young Henry Hill, Christopher Serrone, resembles Ray Liotta so much, right down to the piercing hazel eyes. He gives a terrific performance as young Henry, expressing all the joie de vivre that young Henry had over being associated with mobsters. Ray Liotta, as the adult Henry Hill, gives an outstanding performance. The viewer senses his absolute love for the life that he lives. He clearly enjoys all the perks of a mobster, his only regret being that he could never be a "made" guy, because he was not fully Italian, as his mother was Sicilian but his father was Irish.

Robert DeNiro is wonderful as Jimmy Conway, low key yet powerful. Joe Pesci gives an over the top performance as the wild, volatile, and totally crazy Tommy DeVito, an out of control wiseguy who has no redeeming value as a human being. He is a guy who does not think twice about killing someone over something trivial. Paul Sorvino is excellent as the mob boss who is all about the family and plays it the old fashioned way. Lorraine Bracco gives the performance of her life as Karen Hill, a woman besotted by the life of a mobster's wife, until she realizes that girlfriends are an expected part of that life. She is sensational.

This is simply a great mob movie. It is a film that the viewer will watch again and again. I, myself , have seen it at least three or four times, and each time is as if it were the first. Vastly entertaining, this film is a worthy addition to one's collection.

Goodfellas - A Scorsese classic!
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

Best Mob Movie Ever
This is by far the best mob movie ever. Based on real life, it's just the best

I hope that it's not a "flipper" AHHHHHHH!
This movie is a true classic, but I'm not going to talk about it. There are 413 other reviews that drool about how great Goodfellas is. If you don't know, you are either totally inexperienced with cinema or are living under a rock.

Instead, let's talk about 'features.' The last Goodfellas DVD was a 'flipper,' or a DVD that was so cheap, you had to get up and turn it over half-way through the film. I can accept that I need to turn Lawrence of Arabia over during the intermission, but Goodfellas is comparatively short. It is 2.5 hours long, to be more precise. A 2.5 hour film fits easily onto a single-side DVD with only a mildly-noticable transfer skip. That is the only special feature I want from this new version of the DVD. I'll buy it, just don't make me flip it, God in heaven!

Furthermore, Martin Scorsese has gotten the absolute worst treatment of any director this side of Roger Corman on DVD. Even his last film, Gangs of NY, was subjected to a ridiculous film-ruining stop right in the middle of a love scene that is so abrupt, you have to laugh. Didn't the jack-a$$es who ruined the Goodfellas DVD years before learn their lesson? OK, so Gangs was done by Miramax (the worst company on Earth for DVD quality and price,) but why does this trend have to blight poor Scorsese so terribly. He is one of the greatest living directors, for God's sake! His movies aren't exactly low-profile. The only Scorsese film that has been given a proper treatment is The Last Temptation of Christ, but that was a Criterion, and not a Warner DVD.

That brings me to my final thought. Considering the fact that Warner actually does a great job at releasing quality DVDs with a decent amount of interesting features most of the time, it seems doubly stupid releasing some of their greatest back-catalog titles like a lobotomized afterthought.

(...)

great
best mafia movie i've ever seen, though i haven't seen the godfather. can't wait for the commentary with the criminal and fbi agent. ... Read more

Description

The screwiest, sexiest, goriest one yet! A lunatic with a grudge against G-strings, pasties, and pretty women is slaughtering the sexy strippers who work for night club impresario Marzdone Mobilie (Henny Youngman. Yes, the Henny Youngman). Not content with mere murder, the psycho enthusiastically mangles and mutilates the women, thus turning Marzdone's go-go girls into The Gore Gore Girls. Trying to solve the gruesome goings-on which include buttocks bashing, eyeball popping, face ironing, and body boiling in a bowl of French fries are obnoxious private eye Abraham Gentry (Frank Kress) and ditzy reporter Nancy Weston (Amy Farrell). And by coercing Nancy to perform in an amateur strip contest, Abraham offers the killer the perfect bait...A wicked mix of sick comedy, topless dancing, and ultra-violence makes the final film from director Herschell Gordon Lewis (Blood Feast) one of the ultimate B-movie gross-outs of all time! ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Best of the HG Lewis' Saga
What a movie! When watched in the right state of mind and in the right context, it's very campy, unique, and entertaining.

I was delighted to see it come out on DVD. The picture quality is much better than the VHS tape at my video store. The commentary by HG Lewis, the HG Lewis gallery and "Love Goddess" scences are great bonuses, for us hard-core HG Lewis fans.

I believe Gore-Gore Girls is the best of the HG Lewis films (followed by Wizard of Gore, and Gruesome Twosome). Some of the more memorable moments are outlined below:

1. The most outrageous and original murder scenes. Some of these scences are accomanied with really sick humour. The special effects are sometimes very bad and sometimes quite good (considering the low budget). The really bad, very obvious effects are more fun to watch.

2. The use of Strauss' "Radetzky March" as background music for go-go dancing (fittingly, very bad go-go dancing) and pummelling a go-go dancer's backside with a meat tenderizer.

3. The character "Grout", who sits at the bar all day long smashing fruit with his fist.

4. The Cameo appearance by Henny Youngman, who suppose to be the owner of the club, couldn't help throwing in some "one liners" to the script.

5. The extremely bad acting

6. and many subtle things that one picks up by watching Cult movies like this over and over.

Many thanks to "Something Weird Video" for putting this out on DVD.

TG

One of the better HGL films
Gore-hounds take note, "The Gore Gore Girls" is perhaps the most gruesome film made by Herschell Gordon Lewis. Of course, the viewer gets to witness some rather trashy strip sequences that contain more scares than the movie itself! Everything else is pretty standard: gross effects, bad acting (though there are a few surprises here, such as a guest appearance by "The King Of the One-Liners" Henny Youngman), and some absolutely awful directing! For the most part, I felt that this film was a meager step up from earlier Lewis films like "The Gruesome Twosome", and the jokes actually seemed more intentional this time!

The DVD is a well-done project, featuring a wonderfully candid HGL interview/commentary that tells you everything you wanted to know, or didn't want to know, about "The Gore Gore Girls". The other extras, especially the Goddess Of Gore segment, are also interesting for early-gore film fanatics.

Zombies, pasties, and french fries, anyone?
Ladies and gentlemen! H.G. Lewis, the Godfather of Gore, proudly presents an amazing shockfest of striptease slaughter! Released in 1972, the "Gore Gore Girls," a stomach-churning and brain-twisting follow-up to Lewis's infamous "Wizard of Gore," is one of the first horror films ever to be rated X! While assembled upon a generous budget of $63,500, "The Gore Gore Girls" is a cult masterpiece of blood, black humor, and burlesque. With its smart dialogue, laughable acting, and plenty of bare exposure, this movie will entertain and nauseate even today's audiences. Best of all, despite the slightly crude subject matter, the overall content manages to stay risque without excessive raunch.
Actor Frank Kress adapts the role of Abraham Gentry, a snobbish and arrogant private eye who is offered $25,000 to investigate a series of gruesome murders. He's hired by an attractive Globe reporter named Nancy Weston (Amy Farrell), who will do anything for a scandalous story. Thinking that Nancy is merely a novice in solving crimes, Kress doesn't want anything to do with her, and he doesn't make that obvious just by whipping his cane around. Thanks to his charms, poor Nancy spends the entire second half of the movie drunk on zombies and tequila shots (not to mention the winner of an amateur strip contest). Still, the two manage to travel from one strip bar to another. Audiences will be given the pleasure of watching several voluptuous women in their tassels and pasties...up, close, and personal. Eventually, Abraham and Nancy gather enough clues to target four suspects:
Joseph - a shy student who was seduced and jilted by the killer's first victim, Suzy Creampuff.
Grout - a sadistic ex-marine who crushed and disfigured the faces of several Viet Cong soldiers.
Mary - a radical feminist who thinks that topless dancers are degrading to women.
Marlene - a fuming barmaid who was once a famous female wrestler, only to have her perfect figure horribly disfigured in a fire.
A lot of dark and sexual comedy is laced in the plotline. Viewers will especially enjoy how Abraham's bon mots test the patience of the Police Department's hotheaded Lieutenant. Not only does Abraham refuse to provide accurate information to the Lieutenant, but he even tricks him into thinking that the killer is a devout Christian! And, of course, let's not forget the outrageous stand-up comedy of Henny Youngman, who plays the ambitious club owner Marzdone Mobilie.
Meanwhile, the mysterious psychopath is killing the dancers one by one, slashing their throats and mangling their bodies beyond recognition. Like "The Wizard of Gore," this movie makes the art of mutilation the main attraction. Even before the opening credits appear, the murderer grabs Suzy Creampuff by the hair and smashes her face against a glass mirror! From there, each victim's demise gets more grisly than the last, and the seemingly cheap effects will make viewers cringe to this day. In the film's latter half, Lola, a ditzy lady with false eyelashes, is attacked by the unnamed psychopath, who then bludgeons her buttocks with a meat tenderizer! The final two murders are perhaps the grossest ones ever to be filmed. The sick assailant burns one woman's face with an iron. Then, he/she has the other victim's skin sizzled in a pot of cooking oil!
If you are a fan of H.G. Lewis's lurid legacy, "The Gore Gore Girls" is worth buying. But, it's not for the easily squeamish. In fact, once you see this movie, will never want to eat french fries again!

Icky even for Lewis
In 1963 Herschell Gordon Lewis, an independent filmmaker known for making cutie pictures, changed forever the face of American cinema when he released "Blood Feast." This film, about as low budget as you could possibly get even in the 1960s, kicked off the era of the gore film. While it would be quite some time before Hollywood caught on to the fact that certain segments of movie audiences hungered for films containing nauseating scenes of explicit violence, H.G. Lewis took one look at the receipts for "Blood Feast" and decided he better quickly make another movie similar to this one. What followed was a series of gruesome zero budget shockers, films like "The Gruesome Twosome," "A Taste of Blood," "2000 Maniacs," "The Wizard of Gore," and his final cinematic gore masterpiece "The Gore-Gore Girls." Lewis retired after making this 1972 picture in order to concentrate on a career in advertising, an endeavor he found much more profitable than his work in the film business. It wasn't until 2002 that the director returned to form with "Blood Feast 2: All U Can Eat," a movie which proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Godfather of Gore still has what it takes to gross out an audience.

A gruesome series of murders committed against some local club employees inspires a newspaper to offer a boatload of money to famous private detective Abraham Gentry (Frank Kress, a guy who looks a lot like Sydney the psychiatrist from M*A*S*H). The contact between the tabloid and Gentry is one Nancy Weston, an eager reporter who quickly develops a thing for the arrogant investigator. Abraham agrees to take the case and immediately begins prowling the local go-go clubs, asking questions about the victims and narrowing down his field of potential suspects. One man in particular, a Vietnam veteran with the odd habit of squashing fruit, initially attracts Gentry's attentions. Another suspect turns out to be the head of a small cell of rabid feminists who routinely turn up at the clubs to protest the squalid behaviors of its denizens. The case would probably be resolved in a speedier manner if Gentry didn't have such an annoying personality. He ambles around dressed in a three-piece suit with cane, making it a habit to insult everyone from a sniffling bartender (played by Ray Sager of "The Wizard of Gore" fame) to an obnoxious waitress to the owner of a string of clubs named Marzdone Mobilie (Henny Youngman, of all people). He even misleads the local police with a crazy story about a bible-toting killer just so he can solve the case and collect the award.

Meanwhile, the killer continues the rampage. Herschell Gordon Lewis created some nasty looking special effects during the course of his career, but the scenes of carnage in "The Gore-Gore Girls" plumbs the depths of sadism. Describing all of the crimes here in gruesome detail probably won't do, but if you can imagine the effects of bobbing for French fries or the result of applying a hot clothing iron to flesh, you are half way there. Even worse, Herschell plays some of the scenes for laughs, with the grisly highlight involving both chocolate and regular milk. One scene involves a head and a car that equals, if not surpasses, a similar situation in Troma's "The Toxic Avenger." Lewis's final film is only for the stoutest souls, those hardy individuals inured to this type of stuff because they have watched dozens of horror films. Weak hearted people should probably stay well away. Besides, if you cannot stand terrible acting, go-go dancers with about as much onstage energy as a group of geriatrics, or canned jazz music as a soundtrack you won't make it through this one anyway.

"The Gore-Gore Girls" initially resembles a giallo film. A black-gloved killer toting a whole mess of sharp instruments spends a whole lot of time tracking down decidedly unattractive go-go dancers in order to kill them. The first murder looks like it is straight out of a Dario Argento film. If it looks, tastes, smells, and feels like a giallo, it must be a giallo, right? Wrong! This is H.G. Lewis, the Godfather of Gore. The emphasis here is on shocking the audience to the core of its being rather than wasting a huge amount of time building up suspense, investing energy in coming up with inventive camera angles, or constructing a complex plot. Instead, "The Gore-Gore Girls" gives you lots of seedy atmosphere, pedestrian pacing, and amateurish editing (some of the dance sequences run on for WAY too long). One bright spot is the actress who plays Nancy Weston, a nice looking redhead out of place in a Herschell Gordon Lewis film unless you take into account her lousy acting skills. Yes, the film is painful to watch, but you know if you are a Lewis fan you will do it anyway and you will enjoy the trip.

The DVD is another winner in the Lewis catalogue. The director's commentary illuminates many of the hassles both big and small encountered during the production shoot, as well as providing lots of laughs over Lewis's philosophy about making low budget films. As for the picture quality, well, it leaves a lot to be desired. Colors look overexposed on numerous occasions, although that is probably how the movie looked when it was originally shot because anyone familiar with Lewis's films knows he had only a rudimentary knowledge about lighting a scene. Not my favorite Lewis film, "The Gore-Gore Girls" is still an important entry in the Lewis canon due to the over the top gore and the fact that it was the last film the director made for nearly thirty years.

PLEASE VULNERABLE SOULS READ THIS
I have not seen the dvd edition of this film, in fact i have not watched it in years, but I have to add my voice to the reviews, This is a seriously scary film. it totally warped my brain when I saw it 6 years ago and I have still not recovered from watching it. I love my gore and gruesome films but this film did something awful to my mental health. If you are of a strong mental type then go ahead and watch it, HG Lewis never intended that his films would warp people but this film will never leave me. Even if it is wanky ancient special effects, the sheer brutality of this film is not to be underestimated. If you can handle it - go ahead by all means. I wish I could do so. But if you are a troubled soul don't bother. I have lasting nightmares.Even if HG Lewis didn't intend it, thats how it is........ ... Read more

Reviews (2)

not much laughter
All you get from this is a bit of history, a lot of talk about how great it was for a bunch of guys to get together to insult each other, and very few actually funny moments.

A Must-See For Comedy Lovers
I saw this when it played on Cinemax about a year ago. Very funny stuff. It has great interviews with legends like Milton Berle, Buddy Hackett, Sid Caesar and Steve Allen. Also, unbelievable, and incredibly rare, roast footage. Very, very entertaining. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Brooks, Chaplin, Keaton????
Mel Brooks' homage to silent movies isn't nearly as funny or clever as the movies it aims at. I'm a long time Brooks admirer. He's the reason I wanted to become a filmmaker. But,"Silent Movie" is one of the few movies I stay away from. I'll give the movie some credit. It does have a great cast cast; Marty Feldman (Marty Eggs), Dom DeLuise (Dom Bell), Bernadette Peters (Vilma Kaplan), Sid Caesar (Studio Chief), Harold Gould (Engulf) Ron Carey (Devour) and cameos by Burt Reynolds, Paul Newman, Anne Bancroft (It's no suprise to find her in this movie, since she is after all Brooks' wife.) James Caan, Liza Minnelli, and Marcel Marceau (His one scene is an absolute highlight!). If the cast wasn't enough, as with any Brooks movie there is going to be laughs, how many depends on the movie. And this one offers a few. The scenes that really make me dislike this film are the scenes with Brooks, Feldman, and Deluise driving around in their car. It's these scenes that I feel slow the movie up. Whenever the movie starts to carry some energy, we see them in the car in the very next scene! For those who don't know, this movie is about a once great director (Brooks) who was ruined due to drinking. After some time away from movies he tries to make a comeback. His grand idea is to make a...you guessed it...a silent movie. After Sid Caesar warns him that slapstick is dead, and as soon as he's done saying that, he falls out of his chair and flies across the room, proving to us, that yes, slapstick is dead! Caesar won't hear of making a silent movie, even though his studio needs all the help in can get before a conglomerate "Engulf & Devour" (who's tagline is "our hands are in everything") buys the studio. After Brooks suggest what if he gets big stars to act in the film, the studio chief soon realizes that with big stars, the film could make big money, and so he agrees to let Brooks make his film. This all sound like it could be a good funny movie, don't you think? But, it's because of those Brooks, Feldman, and DeLuise "car scenes" I'm unable to suggest anyone renting or buying this. If you insist on buying it, my favorite moments are Brooks and Bancroft's scene together,the hospital scene with Caesar (That one scene offers the biggest laugh in my opinion)and the first time the executives at "Engulf & Devour" first see a picture of Peters, ONLY Brooks would of thought of what you see in that scene. A hell of a lot better then most comedies being made today, but that's not saying much when films by Adam Sandler are being released. I don't know about you, but if I have to pick between Mel Brooks and Adam Sandler, get "Blazing Saddles" in the vcr ready to go lol. ** 1\2 out of *****

"You bad boy"
It's not as cohesive or funny as YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN or THE PRODUCERS, but SILENT MOVIE has plenty to offer. A wild romp that parodies the film business and the all but lost art of creating silent films, SILENT MOVIE stars Mel Brooks, Marty Feldman, and Dom Deluise as a trio of film makers who vow to save their studio by making a new silent film with major stars. Many conventions of silent films are spoofed, such as how the right title card can alter the meaning of a scene (the title of this review is from one such card). Several stars (such as Burt Reynolds and Paul Newman) seem to enjoy parodying themselves, and Anne Bancroft's tango with our heroes is a standout. Harold Gould is the epitome of blackhearted villany and Sid Ceaser contributes some of his trademark pantomime as the neurotic studio chief. Best of all is Marty Feldman; with his wirey body, elastic face, and, of course, those eyes, Feldman looks as if he stepped out of 1920's of Mack Sennett into the 1970's of Mel Brooks. He steals many a scene (subtly or otherwise) in SILENT MOVIE.

Can't see the time for this being released on DVD
This is a classic Mel Brooks movie. Mel is genial, a very talented producer and an extraordinary actor, he and his pals
Dom DeLuis and Marty Freeman (that's how he is called I think)
make a riot and performed a lot of scenes where I literally fell
of my bed laughing. Can not understand why is not on DVD. I have
a collection on DVD of classic and this is on my whising list
(along with High Anxiety, another Brooks classic,and Foul Play).
Really enjoyed how they persuade Burt Reynolds, Paul Newman
and even Marcel Marceau to be a part of a movie project Mel Fun
had. Another highlight of this movie is Sid Caesar performance.
Excellent. Let's see if the wait is not that long.

MEL USE YOUR INFLUENCE AND PUT THIS ON DVD
I love this movie. Its silent of voice but not of music. John Morris' score is wonderfully crafted. Its funny because Mel Brooks is a GODDAMN COMEDIC GENIUS. And its a movie because it deserved to be in the the theater.NOW FOR MY GRIPE. WHYYYY OH WHYYYY ISN'T THIS MOVIE ON DVD.If the saner heads of who ever it is that decides what goes to DVD puts this one out I hope it's in TRUE WIDESCREEN like BLAZING SADDLES and HISTORY OF THE WORLD I'm also waiting for HIGH ANXIETY,ROBIN HOOD M.I.T. and DRACULA DEAD AND LOVING IT.AND MAYBE JUST MAYBE THEY'LL REISSUE YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN AND SPACEBALLS in TRUE WIDESCREEN I dont have an alleged 16x9 widescreen tv. Squashed screen is the more approapiate term.Sooo.. TO ALL DVD MAKERS STOP MAKING YOUR DVDS TO ACCOMODATE THIS FALSE FORMAT. maybe I wasn't helpful with the movie review but I know my other info was crucially helpful.

This Underappreciated Gem Really Should Be on DVD!
Silent Movie is my favorite Mel Brooks movie and I think it is very underrated. I see that some reviewers didn't enjoy the silly humor in this movie but I love it and the jokes and gags never fail to cheer me up when I'm not feeling good but of course it's a wonderful movie to watch anytime! It is both a spoof of and a homage to silent movies and stars Mel Brooks, Marty Feldman and Dom Deluise as well as a lot of cameo apperences from some well known actors and entertainers and I really want to see Silent movie transferred to DVD as my video is wearing out. A widescreen editon DVD would be very nice! ... Read more