Top Ten Gangster Films of All Time

Here is the first in a series of my personal Top 10 by genre. For purposes of this lists, I've decided to not count Westerns involving hoods like Billy The Kid, nor movies with minor gangster themes (On The Waterfront, Chinatown, Raging Bull, etc). These are pretty much movies about crime or a main character who is a gangster. Let me know thoughts or your own opinions.

10. Scarface: The Shame of the Nation (1932) starring Paul Muni. Directed by Howard Hawks.

The film was based on the life of Al Capone, though his name was not used in this picture. At the time Capone was still alive, and said to be a fan of the film. Many themes are similar to the popular Al Pacino 1983 version, but the pre-code version has a certain charm to it and is far better acted all around. It's superior in directing as well.

9. The Untouchables (1987) starring Kevin Costner, Robert DeNiro, Sean Connery. Directed by Brian De Palma

This film deals with Al Capone who is actually called Al Capone. But if focuses more on Eliot Ness's pursuit of the gangster in Chicago. The star studded cast all do great jobs in this epic that doesn't quite last as long as most gangster epics, and that isn't a bad thing.

8. The Departed (2006) starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Whalberg. Directed by Martin Scorcese

Scorcese finally got his Oscar for this Boston crime saga in which a cop goes undercover in the Irish mob and vice-versa. It's superbly acted all around.

7. Donnie Brasco (1997) starring Johnny Depp, Al Pacino, Michael Madsen. Directed by Mike Newell.

Depp plays an FBI agent who infiltrates the mob. He befriends an aging and often passed over gangster (a nicely not over the top Pacino) and grows to love the life a little too much.

6. Public Enemy (1931) starring James Cagney. Directed by William Wellman

Cagney is at his best as Tom Powers is a great look at the history of prohibition, and is one of a handful of movies that's content contributed to Hollywood's inplementation of the production code in 1934.

5. Angels With Dirty Faces (1938) starring James Cagney, Pat O'Brien. directed by Michael Curtiz.

This is one of my favorite Golden Age movies. Cagney and O'Brien play childhood friends who hit diverging paths. Cagney becomes a gangster, O'Brien a priest. As they rekindle their friendship after Cagney's release from prison, O'Brient becomes concerned about his relationship with a group of young boys the priest supervises. One of the best endings.

4. Goodfellas (1989) starring Ray Liotta, Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci. Directed by Martin Scorcese

Liotta narrates and stars as Henry Hill, telling his story of his rise and fall in a Mafia syndicate. Excellent acting and writing make this a classic.

3. The Godfather (1972) and Godfather II (1974) starring Al Pacino, Marlon Brando, James Caan, Robert De Niro, Robert DuVall, James Cazalle, Diane Keaton. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola

This is the defining epic of the Italian mafia. It's as good as advertised, and gives us the best quotes this side of Casablanca. It's a shame the 1990 3rd installment is so inferior.

2. Bonnie and Clyde (1967) starring Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway, Gene Hackman. Directed by Arthur Penn

Fantastic film about the national obsession with the bank robbing lovers. The cast is excellent, and everything about this movie is as well.

1. City of God (2002) directed by Fernando Meirelles.

It may be foreign, but no film better captures the more horrific side of crime. In this case the crime isn't quite as organized, and it's not quite as glamourous. But it sure is captivating, and remains one of the best films of all time.

Life vs Life

When George Tiller, arguably the most infamous abortion doctor, was gunned down in a church in Wichita on Sunday, the abortion debate sprung to the forefront once again. Now I stay out of this debate in most cases because I don't believe I should be opinionated on something that hasn't affected my life. However, even the MSNBC crowd must feel nothing but distaste for this man. After all, he was one of the few who performed late-term abortions, which I find shocking that ANYONE could possibly support. I'm sure very few are sad to see him gone.

But I wonder, can anyone condone such a vigilante act? The way I look at it is that anyone who went to this doctor to have an abortion did so by their own decision, and therefore they have no call to be angry with him. And so anyone who shot him is someone who killed the man because of their opinions, not because of anything he did to hurt them.

Therefore I can't help but hope who ever killed this man is treated as anyone else who kills someone in cold blood and sent to prison for the remainder of their life. The legal system has to send the right example in this case. You can give this person a light sentence, because you set a terrible precedent that I fear may happen any way. And that is to say it's okay to kill for political or moral reasons. That should not and cannot be the way we our country.

LeBron James, You are not the King

LeBron James was annointed the NBA savior before he ever set foot on an NBA court. And there's no denying the man is talented. He is the epitome of a go to guy. But after his team flopped in the Eastern Conference Finals, LeBron had his first big slip-up. He stormed off the court and went home. No congrats offered to the Magic. No facing the media.

LeBron, if you want to truly be regarded as the best, you better learn to face the music. If you don't want to talk to the media, okay. But then don't invite them to your MVP award celebration. You left your teammates out to dry, leaving them to explain what all went wrong when your season crashed down.

Even worse, when given the chance to rectify it the following day, you showed no regret. You said you're a competitor, and you don't feel right shaking the hand of someone who beat you. Sadly, LeBron James isn't what some thought and most wanted him to be. He lacks the extra things that the Jordans, Birds, Johnsons, even Kobes have. It's disappointing to say the least. I hope LeBron learns from this, at 24 there's still time to turn this around. But I wonder if he's capable.

Best Horror Movie Taglines

One great feature for horror movies is their taglines. Even the bottom of the barrell horror movies have great taglines. Here is a sample of my favorites

10. "Herbert West had a good head on his shoulders. And another one on his desk" - Re-Animator (1985)

9."Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water" - Jaws 2 (1978)

8. "The Body Count Continues" - Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)

7. "Who Will Survive and What Will Be Left of Them" - The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

6. "They're Coming to Eat you Barbara" - Night of the Living Dead (1968)

5. "The Good news is your date is here. The bad news is he's dead" - Night of the Creeps (1986)

4. "The only thing more terrifying than the last 12 minutes of this film is the first 92" - Suspiria (1977)

3. "In Space No one can hear you scream" - Alien (1979)

2. "Man is The Warmest Place to Hide" - The Thing (1982)

1. "To Avoid Fainting, Keep on Repeating...It's only a movie, It's only a movie" - Last House on the Left (1972)

The Six Worst Horror Sequels

Normally I rate my best, so this time I'll go with the worst list. But rather than drum on the crappy remakes and torture movies that have poisoned the horror cinema in recent years, I thought i'd touch on the bottom of our favorite franchises. Generally I enjoy nearly all those movies because they follow a simple formula. But sometimes they try to strech it, and that's where the disaster strikes. So on to my list

1. JAWS IV: THE REVENGE - I never really considered these movies to be horror movies, but since most do I have to include the worst movie ever made. This movie is beyond stupid. It's bad enough that this shark is some sort of serial killer, but shouldn't it be easy for this woman to get away from the shark? Just move off the freaking beach!

2. FRIDAY THE 13TH PART VIII: JASON TAKES MANHATTAN - There was endless potential here. But instead of 'taking Manhattan' the movie spends 3/4 its time on a cruise ship before a few quick shots of Times Square and then Jason roaming around a very Toronto-looking city. Just a huge letdown. How bad is this movie? It went from the best movie poster ever to this horrible incarnation.

3. HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH - The filmmakers decided not to use the Michael Myers formula this time, instead opting for some tale about a toy company out to kill millions via a killer mask. It didn't work, and Michael Myers came back for the 4th one.

4. FRIDAY THE 13TH PART V: A NEW BEGINNING - Since Part IV was 'the final chapter', this time we see a copycap killer sporting the hockey mask killing mentally ill patients. It didn't work, and Jason went back to killing camp counselors in Part VI.

5. TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE: THE NEXT GENERATION - It's not even worth it to see a young Renee Zellwegger or Matthew McConaghay. Instead canibalistic chainsaw wielding nuts, we get people who believe in some alien/government conspiracy.

6. EXORCIST II: THE HERETIC - The 3rd Exorcist with George C Scott isn't bad. The problem is this drivel, in which an older Linda Blair is possessed by the demon. Stupid plot ensues.

Separate But Equal

I’ll admit. I have a major prejudice. I know in this day and age such a notion is beyond shocking. But I just can’t help myself. When I see one my skin crawls. When one sits next to me I get up and move. But this hatred has nothing to do with race, creed, sex, or age. No. The group I hate are smokers. You see smokers have become the bane of my day. I can’t understand for the life of me why people do it.

Let’s forget for a minute the well documented health issues. Have you people smelled yourself? I’d rather spend a weekend in a port-a-potty than spend 5 minutes on a train next to someone fresh off a cigarette. I’ll never get over a seemingly attractive woman so obviously concerned with appearance and body image that flushes it all away by smelling like a rancid, burned piece of raccoon meat. It’s bad enough that they smell, but now they have to get their foul odor on everyone else. It’s always nice to shower and smell nice and than have it ruined ten minutes after going out a night because someone near you had to light up.

But okay for whatever reasons smokers have decided to live with the fact that they stink worse than a diaper waste bin and have the breath of a homeless crack addict. I get it. They’re people, and they deserve rights. I don’t support a ban of smoking. If they want to do it, they should be able to. But then again, we have our rights too. So I suggest a simple solution. Separate but equal.

Give smokers their own worlds. They’re own sanctuary complete with grocery store, shopping mall, hospital, movie theatre, post office, auto garage, bar, restaurant, bakery, banquet hall, salon, museum, Laundromat, transportation, arena, and all the works. The same things that we have in our towns. But this way they can keep the smell to themselves. I won’t have to shower a second time each day. I won’t have to do wash every 3 days to keep the stink from my smoke infested clothes from getting in the rest of the house. It won’t be bad. They’ll be treated just the same.

Sure there could be pitfalls. Intermarriage of a non-smoker and a smoker comes to mind. But I guess they’ll just have too choose a side if they’re love is that strong. I welcome them to have that right. But it’s time to take action, and at least try this out. What’s the worst that could happen? Fresh air?