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Since the days of cinema classics like Ben-Hur, fantasy movies have set the benchmark for quality, high-budget entertainment, as can be seen in iconic franchises like The Lord of the Rings. From focusing on heroes embarking on epic quests to reimaginings of beloved fairy tales, the 1990s gave audiences some of the most enjoyable entries in the genre, though with an emphasis on smaller budgets, comedy, and animation.

The 1990s saw something of a slump in fantasy cinema, as the '80s had no shortage of campy flops in the genre, but still remains a great decade for family-oriented adventure. From worlds populated by knights and dragons to reboots of classic Universal Monsters, the decade is practically synonymous with adventure. With many of these movies still household names for fantasy fans, it's worth remembering some of the best the '90s had to offer.

The Phantom Revived A 1930s Comic...

The most influential movies today are based on superhero comics. However, before the era of caped and costumed heroes, there was the age of pulp magazines. Popular until the 1950s, these magazines featured a wide range of heroes, from adventurers to noir detectives to horror protagonists. Pulp heroes were, in many ways, the precursors to modern superheroes.

After the success of Tim Burton’s Batman, an influx of pulp-inspired movies emerged in the 1990s. This era appealed to an older generation nostalgic for simpler heroes, while also embracing the stylish aesthetics of the 1930s and 1940s. Pulp-inspired movies were simpler, less flashy, and often cheesier than today’s superhero blockbusters, yet they retained a unique charm.

The Phantom was Arguably the First Superhero

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The same year he was cast to play the iconic character Kramer on the sitcom Seinfeld, Michael Richards could also be seen on the big screen in the comedy Uhf – which was a financial disappointment at the time of its release in the summer of 1989, but has gone on to gather a huge cult following over the years. Musician “Weird Al” Yankovic plays the lead role of George Newman, who is put in charge of the Uhf television channel Channel 62, with Richards in the supporting role of janitor-turned-host Stanley Spadowski… and for a while, it looked like Richards would be playing Stanley while dealing with a case of Bell’s palsy.

As Richards writes in his memoir Entrances and Exits, “Before the Seinfeld pilot, I star in three pilots: Herndon (1983), Help (1984), and Slickers (1985). All three are offered to me. The second pilot, Help, is retooled and called Marblehead Manor, and...

Win Mean Streets Limited Edition Dual 4K Uhd and Blu-ray Box Set! Limited Edition Dual 4K Uhd and Blu-Ray Box Set & Standard Edition 4K and Blu-Ray Arrive 15th January 2024. We are giving away a Dual Edition Box Set to one lucky winner!

From the legendary director who needs no introduction – Martin Scorsese – comes his tour de force Mean Streets, the film that placed him firmly on the path to becoming one of the most-lauded filmmakers of his generation. This early work gave a glimpse of a true master at work and also showcased the fledgling careers of two Hollywood powerhouses Harvey Keitel and Robert De Niro, in their first ever movie appearance together.

Now to celebrate its 50th Anniversary Mean Streets gets a brand new 4K restoration supervised by Scorsese himself. It’s time to experience this seminal movie, like never seen before with a brand-new Limited Edition version from...

George R.R. Martin, the acclaimed author of the epic fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire, which was adapted into the hit HBO show Game of Thrones, is not only a master storyteller, but also an avid fan of television. He has often praised the medium for its ability to create immersive and complex narratives, and has shared his opinions on various shows and episodes on his blog and in interviews. In this article, we will look at some of the TV episodes that Martin has named as his favorites over the years, and what makes them stand out for him.

The Sopranos Trailer “The Suitcase” from Mad Men: This episode from the fourth season of the critically acclaimed drama about the advertising industry in the 1960s focuses on the relationship between Don Draper (Jon Hamm) and Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss), as they work late into the night...

Last month, actor Tom Sizemore passed away from a brain aneurysm at the age of just 61. To pay tribute to him, The Arrow in the Head Show hosts John “The Arrow” Fallon and Lance are looking back at a horror film Sizemore starred in back in 1997, The Relic (watch it Here). To find out what they had to say about The Relic, check out the video embedded above.

Directed by Peter Hyams from a screenplay that came from the combined forces of Amy Holden Jones, John Raffo, Rick Jaffa, and Amanda Silver, The Relic was based on a novel by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. The film has the following synopsis: Come in – if you dare. The opening-night gala for a new exhibit at Chicago’s natural history museum is under way. But be advised: something terrifying wants to make sure no one ever leaves.

Sizemore is joined in the cast by Penelope Ann Miller,...

Exclusive: Annette Bening has been tapped to narrate the documentary War Unfolding from Sypher Studios, with Eliza Bennett, Rachel Bloom, Gary Cole, Abigail Cowen, Laura Dern, Monique Edwards, Michael C. Hall, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Paul Walter Hauser, Thurn Hoffman, Richard T. Jones, Jay Lee, Erick Lopez, Sandra Seacat, Wes Studi and DeWanda Wise among those set to appear in the film from director John B. Benitz.

Based on three New York Times bestselling books by historian Andrew Carroll and inspired by the stage play If All the Sky Were Paper, the film tells the story of Carroll, who travels the world to seek out the greatest war letters ever written. Over the past 25 years, he has preserved more than 200,000 correspondences from troops, veterans and their families, dating from the American Revolution to the present day. The letters, performed in filmed readings by War Unfolding’s cast, capture unvarnished stories and...

Woke up this morning, got myself a ticket to The Sopranos Official Convention.

The celebration of the old gang is coming to the Los Angeles Convention Center on December 17-18, Warner Bros. Themed Entertainment and Creation Entertainment said today. The first officially licensed fan convention for the revered and Emmy-laden 1999-2007 HBO series will feature onstage panels, interviews and audience Q&As, trivia competitions, a costume contest, autographs, photo ops and more.

Among the alums of the classic mob drama set to attend are creator-writer-producer David Chase; Edie Falco, who won three Emmys for playing Carmela Soprano; and two-time Emmy nominees Dominic Chianese, who played Uncle Junior, and Aida Turturro (Janice Soprano). Also appearing will be Robert Iler (A.J. Soprano), Vincent Pastore (Salvatore “Big Pussy” Bonpensiero), Federico Castelluccio (Furio Giunta) and David Proval (Richie Aprile). More attendees are Tba, the organizers said.

‘The Sopranos’ Cast Pay Tribute To Co-Star...

One of the more unique aspects of "The Sopranos" was the way it killed off its major characters. Season 2 featured its main antagonistic figure Richie Aprile (David Proval) being taken down not by any of the main gangsters, but by a spur-of-the-moment decision made by his fiancée, Janice (Aida Turturro). Season 4 showed Ralph (Joe Pantoliano) getting killed halfway through the episode out of retaliation for suspicion of him killing a horse. It would've been more expected for Ralph to get whacked back in season 3 when he was acting like a full liability to the crew; instead he's killed after he's mellowed out...

The post Why The Sopranos Had to Kill Christopher in Season 6 appeared first on /Film.

Paul Herman, the character actor best known for his role as club owner Peter “Beansie” Gaeta in “The Sopranos,” died Tuesday. His “Sopranos” co-star Michael Imperioli confirmed the news in an Instagram. He was 76. A cause of death has not been announced.

“Paulie was just a great dude,” Imperioli wrote in his Instagram post. “A first class storyteller and raconteur and one hell of an actor. Goodfellas, Once Upon a Time in America , The Irishman and of course The Sopranos are some highlights. Paulie lived around the corner from me the last few years and i am glad we got to spend some time together before he left us. I’ll miss him. Lots of love to his family, friends and our community of actors and filmmakers.”

Herman’s first film credit was in “Dear Mr. Wonderful,” a 1982 comedy film starring Joe Pesci. Over the next two decades, he would...

Paul Herman, an actor known for appearances in mob movies as well as “The Sopranos,” has died. He was 76.

“Sopranos” costar Michael Imperioli announced Herman’s death Tuesday on Instagram.

“Our friend and colleague Paul Herman has passed away,” Imperioli wrote. “Paulie was just a great dude. A first class storyteller and raconteur and one hell of an actor. ‘Goodfellas,’ ‘Once Upon a Time in America,’ ‘The Irishman’ and of course ‘The Sopranos’ are some highlights.

“Paulie lived around the corner from me the last few years and I am glad we got to spend some time together before he left us. I’ll miss him,” Imperioli continued. “Lots of love to his family, friends and our community of actors and filmmakers.”

Herman’s career took off after he appeared in “Dear Mr. Wonderful” (1982) starring Joe Pesci. Herman would go on to roles in a long-list of films, including “The Pope of Greenwich Village,...

Paul Herman, a Brooklyn-born actor who appeared in such classic mob movies as Goodfellas, Once Upon a Time in America and The Irishman but is probably best known for his portrayal of club owner Peter “Beansie” Gaeta in The Sopranos, died Tuesday. He was 76.

Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2022: Photo Gallery

His death was announced on Instagram by Sopranos co-star Michael Imperioli. A cause of death was not disclosed.

“Our friend and colleague Paul Herman has passed away,” Imperioli wrote. “Paulie was just a great dude. A first class storyteller and raconteur and one hell of an actor. Goodfellas, Once Upon a Time in America, The Irishman and of course The Sopranos are some highlights. Paulie lived around the corner from me the last few years and i am glad we got to spend some time together before he left us. I’ll miss him. Lots of love to his family,...

It’s time for the punks to meet the godfathers. The creators of SopranosCon merged with MobMovieCon for a family celebration. From July 23 to July 25, Harrah’s Resort & Casino in Atlantic City will house the boardwalk’s biggest gangster gathering since Nucky Johnson hosted the mob’s Atlantic City Conference in 1929.

“Al Capone will not be coming though,” VirtualCons CEO Michael Mota tells Den of Geek. “Those were the mobsters. I would say this would be the biggest gathering of mobster wannabes.” The Sopranos fan convention has come a long way since it was dreamed up by three gangster movie aficionados from New York, Maryland, and Rhode Island. The 2019 SopranosCon drew thousands of fans from as far as The Netherlands and the United Kingdom to the Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus. A planned expansion to MobMovieCon had to be pushed back because of the pandemic, but the organizers introduced VirtualCons...

Giant Pictures has secured the U.S. distribution rights to the Bruno de Almeida-helmed drama, Cabaret Maxime, starring Michael Imperioli, best known for his Emmy-winning role as Christopher Moltisanti on HBO’s The Sopranos. Cabaret Maxime is slated to open at the Metrograph in NYC on February 21 before its theatrical wide release March 3.

The film marks the third collaboration between Imperioli and de Almeida. The plot follows Bennie Gazza (Imperioli), the owner of Cabaret Maxime, a nightclub in an old, red-light district where a group of colorful characters perform musical numbers, as well as burlesque and striptease acts. Bennie runs the cabaret like a tight family, dealing with each artist’s unique personality while taking care of his performer wife, Stella, who suffers from manic depression. When the once-decadent neighborhood starts to become gentrified, Bennie struggles to keep his club afloat. As the residents are being bought up and pushed out,...

We are a little over a month away from the 20th anniversary of one of the greatest TV shows ever made: The Sopranos, which may be the most-copied series since I Love Lucy. Peak TV would not exist without Tony, Carmela, Paulie Walnuts and friends.

In the course of writing The Sopranos Sessions, an upcoming book about the series (with essays on every episode and a new series of interviews with creator David Chase), my co-author Matt Zoller Seitz and I had an excuse to rewatch the entire series, and...

Every week, a bevy of new releases (independent or otherwise), open in theaters. That’s why we created the Weekly Film Guide, filled with basic plot, personnel and cinema information for all of this week’s fresh offerings.

For August, we’ve also put together a list for the entire month. We’ve included this week’s list below, complete with information on screening locations for films in limited release.

See More: Here Are All the Upcoming Movies in Theaters for August 2016

Here are the films opening theatrically in the U.S. the week of Friday, August 5. All synopses provided by distributor unless listed otherwise.

Wide

Bazodee

Director: Todd Kessler

Cast: Chris Smith, Kabir Bedi, Kriss Dosanjh, Machel Montano, Natalie Perera, Staz Nair

Synopsis: Anita Ponchouri (Natalie Perera), the dutiful Indian daughter of a deep-in-debt businessman (Kabir Bedi) is about to marry a wealthy Londoner (Staz Nair) when a chance encounter with local singer,...

Well, here we are in the closing weeks of summer movie season. It’s the last gasp for big-budget blockbusters before the coming fall festival season, but there are plenty of indie alternatives for whatever your tastes may be. Below, you’ll see every planned theatrical release for the month of August, separated out into films with wide runs and limited ones. (Synopses are provided by festivals and distributors.)

Each week, we’ll give you an update with screening locations for these various titles. In the meantime, be sure to check our calendar page, where we’ll update releases for the rest of the year. Happy watching!

Week of August 5 Wide

Suicide Squad

Director: David Ayer

Cast: Margot Robbie, Cara Delevingne, Jai Courtney, Will Smith, Viola Davis, Jared Leto, Joel Kinnaman, Jay Hernandez, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Ike Barinholtz, Scott Eastwood

Synopsis: A secret government agency led by Amanda Waller recruits imprisoned...

Tom Sizemore has taken to crowdfunding platform Indiegogo to raise funds for his passion project An Honest Thief, a noir-ish thriller that the Heat and Saving Private Ryan actor is putting together as a starring vehicle. It’s his first film as a producer and a step toward rebuilding his up-and-down career following a public relapse in January, but Sizemore says he has refocused his sights on sobriety and is optimistic. “I want to get back,” he said over the phone Wednesday. “I want to make something I look forward to.”

An Honest Thief is written by the actor’s younger brother Aaron Sizemore and tracks three outcasts who plot to steal a prized baseball card collection from a local pawnbroker. Belgian helmer Giorgio Serafini (Gente Di Mare) is attached to direct the pic, which is set in Sizemore’s hometown of Detroit and will film on location. Sizemore will play Danny St.

The upcoming Silent But Deadly is getting ready to drop some more horrific retirement palace humor on you, and we've got the details and the artwork. Dig it!

From the Press Release

Indican Pictures announces the release of its hilarious new comedy, "Silent But Deadly," starring a Golden Globe and Emmy nominated cast. The star-studded cast includes Dawn Wells ("Gilligan’s Island"), John Tartaglia (Shrek The Musical), Lee Meriwether (Catwoman), Rip Taylor (Jackass The Movie), Bruce Vilanch ("Hollywood Squares"), Kiersten Warren ("Desperate Housewives"), and Jacqui Holland (Dead Ringer) with Martin Kove (Karate Kid) and David Proval ("The Sopranos").

“The title alone made us laugh, but when we watched the film, it not only delivered over-the-top humor but was filled with great performances! This cast possessed perfect comedic timing, and there is nothing more ridiculously funny then a bunch of old people transforming into 'Rambo-like' avengers!” said Randolph Kret, VP of Indican Pictures.

Following James’ sad death from an alleged heart attack, his cast mates from the famous show ‘The Sopranos’ have spoken out and called the news ‘devastating,’ while NJ governor Chris Christie has called him a local ‘treasure.’

James Gandolfini, star of the hit television series The Sopranos, died on June 19 from a reported heart attack and his former cast mates are devastated. His cast mate David Proval said that it is like “losing a family member,” while Lorraine Bracco is “utterly heartbroken.”

‘The Sopranos’ Cast Speak About James Gandolfini

James, 51, starred in the show from 1999 to 2007 as mobster Tony Soprano, and he left quite an impression on his cast mates.

“The guy was like a brother to me. He was a great actor, a great father and was a lot of laughs,” Steve Schirripa, who played Bobby Bacala on the show, told the New York Post. “This is devastating. When...

Ultimate Gangster Collection — Contemporary

Mean Streets

The Untouchables

Goodfellas

Heat

The Departed

Due Out: May 21, 2013

The “Ultimate Gangster Collection: Classics“ and “Ultimate Gangster Collection: Contemporary” are available on Blu-ray 5/21

Who’S It For?

My wife hasn’t seen Mean Streets, The Untouchables, Goodfellas or Heat. So while I would normally say this is the perfect gift for guys on Father’s Day, it’s really perfect for my wife. These are movies that must be seen by every adult. Not only to they showcase how the ugly side of society has evolved, but it’s also the evolution of gangster crime. Every one of these films is brilliant, and yes, I’m including The Departed. Jack Nicholson’s performance has someone gotten a bad rap. I’m convinced if it wasn’t for Martin Scorsese zooming in on the rat at the very end, everyone would still worship this film.

The Sopranos will forever be instilled in the fabric of culture. Its success and game-changing format was intrinsic to the success of HBO and revitalised televisual drama forever. Without The Sopranos HBO would not have experienced the success it enjoys today and we would not have shows like Game of Thrones, Boardwalk Empire and True Blood. This successful model was adopted by other networks like AMC, FX and Showtime who have given us Dexter, Mad Men, and Breaking Bad. The Sopranos was the game changer and revolutionalised television forever. Televisual drama is now considered a valued art form akin to film thanks to the success of The Sopranos.

The series’ rich and compelling storylines captivated audiences for 8 years and won a host of Emmys over its six seasons. Tony Soprano is still one of the most fascinating characters in television history but he was helped by a phenomenal supporting cast...

With Father’s Day coming up, it makes perfect sense for Warner Bros. to look to the past, and release two impressive Blu-ray collections. Ultimate Gangster Collection Classic and Ultimate Gangster Collection Contemporary should make plenty of men happy*.

*Women are also allowed to be happy by this news.

Here is the news release…

Burbank, Calif., March 11, 2013 – As part of the studio’s 90th Anniversary celebration, eight of Warner Bros. Pictures’ greatest gangster films – from Edward G. Robinson’s 1931 classic Little Caesar to Martin Scorsese’s Oscar-winning masterpiece The Departed– will now be available in two Blu-ray sets May 21. Released to coincide with Father’s Day gift-giving, the WB genre greats, along with one of Paramount’s best gangster films, will be offered in the Ultimate Gangster Collection: Classic and Ultimate Gangster Collection: Contemporary.

The four films in the Classic Collection have been remastered for their Blu-ray debuts. They include...

I think we can all agree that there haven't been enough nursing home-based horror-comedies lately. The sub-genre is basically barren aside from Bubba Ho-Tep; however, the upcoming Silent But Deadly is ready to drop some more horrific retirement palace humor on you.

Originally titled Hotel Arthritis (which is a pretty hilarious handle in its own right), Silent But Deadly has grabbed this new name, redesigned its movie poster (see below), and even shot a new trailer (see below as well…probably should have told you it was down there when we told you about the poster…sorry).

The cast of this film is absolutely wonderful, including Dawn Wells (MaryAnn from "Gilligan's Island"), John Tartaglia (Broadway's Avenue Q), Lee Meriwether (Catwoman from the 60's "Batman" series), David Proval (Richie Aprile on "The Sopranos"…how's your chest, Richie?), Martin Kove (played the sensei of the Cobra Kai in the original Karate Kid)…are you kidding me?...

By Seth Metoyer, MoreHorror.com

Hotel Arthritis is an upcoming raunchy horror/comedy from Director Jason Lockhart.

There's something not quite right in the retirement home and inevitably -- somebody starts killing old people.

Watch the trailer below the official details.

From The Press Release:

Hotel Arthritis - Somebody is killing Old People!

Veteran star-studded film “crosses the line” in all the right ways, pushes into controversial territory of what is wrong and funny

It's not often that one is able to see a collection of iconic stars in such a different light, but Hotel Arthritis provides just that opportunity. The film finds ways to “push the boundaries” of what is wrong and what is funny by meshing the bizarre with the fun, the old with the young, and the comedy with its horror.

Hotel Arthritis is a comedy/horror ready for its cult audience about a group of retirement...

Check out the official trailer for Jason Lockhart’s upcoming Hotel Arthritis movie. It is not often that one is able to see a collection of iconic stars in such a different light, but Hotel Arthritis provides just that opportunity. The film finds ways to “push the boundaries” of what is wrong and what is funny by meshing the bizarre with the fun, the old with the young, and the comedy with its horror.

Hotel Arthritis is a comedy/horror ready for its cult audience about a group of retirement home residents living in fear of a masked killer who stalks the halls of their creepy home.

“The colorful characters are what drives the film in this story. We’re meant to laugh with them and at them, both through their daily routines and alongside their nightmares.”

says director, Jason Lockhart.

Not restraining to a politically correct sense of humor,...

A Planet Fury-approved selection of notable genre releases for July.

Twins of Evil (1971) Synapse Blu-ray/DVD combo Available Now

One of the greatest Hammer horror films ever made. This stylish, sexy vampire tale revolves around two orphaned twin sisters (Playboy centerfold models Mary and Madeleine Collinson) who are sent to live with their uncle (Peter Cushing), the leader of a witch-hunting sect. When one of the twins is turned into a vampire by a devil-worshipping Count (Damien Thomas), she attempts to keep her new life a secret from her sister and their puritanical uncle. Directed by John Hough (whose eclectic genre career included Disney's Escape to Witch Mountain), Twins of Evil showcases Hammer at its "R-rated" best. This new Synapse release features an all-new 1080p high definition transfer and several exclusive extras, including:

*The Flesh and the Fury: X-Posing the Twins of Evil (84 min.) – A feature length documentary on the making of Twins of Evil.

Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: March 13, 2012

Price: Blu-ray Book $19.99

Studio: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

The year before his The Lord of the Rings was released, Ralph Bakshi tackled Wizards, which comes to high-definition in Blu-ray Book packaging for the movie’s 35th anniversary.

Set in a post-apocalyptic Earth, the 1977 animated film tells the story of the kindly Avatar (Bob Holt, Gremlins).

He’s the eccentric sorcerer ruler of Montagar, a rainbow paradise inhabited by elves and fairies.

Avatar’s evil brother Blackwolf (Steve Gravers) dominates Scortch, a bleak land of goblins and wraiths, and sets his sights on Montagar. To save his world, Avatar, a spirited young woman and a courageous elf must go into the dark world of Scortch.

A popular flick with the trippy-hippie midnight movie audiences of the 1970s, Wizards also features the voice of Mark Hamill (Batman Beyond: The Return of the Joker) and David Proval...

An all star cast of veteran actors including Rip Taylor (The Gong Show) & Martin Cove (The Karate Kid) come together for the side splitting horror of "Hotel Arthritis" (originally titled "The Old Folks Home"), directed by actor Jason Lockhart (Vampire Boys) in his directorial debut.

Somebody is killing old people. The weapon of choice: a secret. They are being offed by a masked killer who stalks the halls of the small retirement community in which they live. The story opens with a terrifying murder, creating space on the waiting list for Rose to move in. Upon Rose’s arrival, she is taken on a tour of the grounds by the quirky, offbeat manager: Dale. The odd and brightly colored characters continue to pop up as Fanny, her Jewish gossiping neighbor, introduces Rose to “the gang.” The routine of daily life is all stirred up at the moment. People are disappearing,...

Welcome to The Ultimate Silver Screen Mixtape, a collection of many all time best musical moments in cinema. Before we get into the thick of it, let me lay down a little bit of background and ground rules. This feature was inspired by one Martin Scorsese, who’s use of particularly choiced soundtrack cuts has led to some of the most indelible scenes in film history. That’s another way of saying that the conventional soundtrack is out for this listing – no disrespect to the masters of movie music.

I’m sure many of you will recognize several of my picks as obvious – and many have received lengthy coverage in the past. What I’m striving for here is an overhaul of moments that are elevated, punctuated or immortalized by the soundtrack. That said; let’s jump right in!

I thought it fitting to start off with one of Scorsese...

(Tanna Frederick in Henry Jaglom's "Just 45 Minutes From Broadway," above, with David Garver.)

By Terry Keefe

The manner in which Iowa native Tanna Frederick received her break as an actress has sort of become a independent filmmaking legend, but it bears repeating, as a lesson in the type of chutzpah required to get anywhere in the film business. After a few years of struggling in the audition trenches of Hollywood, Frederick was told by a fellow actor that filmmaker Henry Jaglom often responded to fan letters. Frederick proceeded to write a copious letter to Jaglom, praising the merits of his 1997 film Deja Vu…which she had never actually seen. Nonetheless, a correspondence between Frederick and Jaglom began, and eventually, Jaglom gave the actress permission to do a stage production of his 1971 film debut, A Safe Place, the cinematic version of which starred Jack Nicholson, Orson Welles, and Tuesday Weld.

As Scorsese's new film, Shutter Island, opens, our critic picks the great man's 10 best scenes

Mean Streets (1973) 'What's a mook?'

Scorsese's uncanny ear for dialogue was evident from his first masterpiece, Mean Streets, which is set in the heart of Little Italy among debt collectors and small-time hoods. Characters were called by names such as Johnny Boy, Joey Clams and Giovanni Cappa. In one classic pool-hall scene, Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel and David Proval start a fight - over the jukebox sounds of Please Mr Postman - after a barman calls one of them "a mook".

Goodfellas (1990) Tracking shot entrance to the Copacabana

Ray Liotta's Henry Hill takes new girlfriend Karen (Lorraine Bracco) to dinner. They enter the Copa via the back door, go through the kitchen and are led onto the dancefloor and to the best table in the house. In one unbroken three-and-a-half minutes' shot,...

Or does he? I honestly don't know if this is real. I have no idea what it is, though it appears to be a trailer for a darkly comedic gangster film from director Nicolas Winding Refn. We've heard nothing about this until now. But here's some footage with David Proval from The Sopranos, John Capodice (the actor who is basically a walking incarnation of Jersey), and a decidedly grindhouse-style trailer narration. What the hell is going on with Vinnie & Mario? I was a bit gobsmacked to have a look at Twitch and see this trailer right at the top of the page. So was Twitch's Todd Brown, it seems, and he's usually way more in the loop about stuff like this than mere mortals. Besides, between making Bronson and Valhalla Rising and doing press for both, Refn couldn't have made another movie. Could he? "I used to make people disappear,...

From the director of the Pusher trilogy, Bronson, and Valhalla Rising comes a mob comedy which looks to be in the vein of the cinema verite style that Pusher was done in. Starring David Proval who you might remember as Richie Aprile from The Sopranos, this is looking mighty, mighty fine.

Teaser after the break!

via Twitch

Embedded video stripped, see full HTML version.

Nicolas, where do you find the time?  Hard on the heels of Bronson and Valhalla Rising and with not a single word of warning that this was in the works - no listing on the IMDb or at the Danish Film Institute - a trailer has just arrived for a new action comedy from Pusher creator Nicolas Winding Refn. 

Starring veteran Us character actors David Proval and John Capodice as a pair of aging mob enforcers the picture is titled Vinnie & Mario and is slated for a theatrical release in Denmark December 26th.  Check the trailer below!

Screen Media Films is proud to announce the acquisition of Robert Townsend’s Phantom Punch to be released first quarter 2010 on DVD. Starring Ving Rhames (“Kojak,” I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry), Stacey Dash (I Could Never Be Your Woman, Clueless), Nicholas Turturro (World Trade Center), Alan Van Sprang (“The Tudors,” Saw III), Bridgette Wilson (Shopgirl, Billy Madison) and David Proval (“The Sopranos,” Irene in Time), Phantom Punch is based on the true story of Sonny Liston and the future Mohammed Ali’s knock out punch that would change his life forever. The deal was brokered with Abhi Rastogi, Managing [...]...

Starring: Harvey Keitel, Robert De Niro, David Proval, Amy Robinson, Richard Romanus, Cesare Danova

Directed by: Martin Scorsese

“It’s all bullshit except the pain. The pain of hell. The burn from a lighted match increased a million times. Infinite. Now, ya don’t fuck around with the infinite. There’s no way you do that. The pain in hell has two sides. The kind you can touch with your hand; the kind you can feel in your heart… your soul, the spiritual side. And ya know…...

(more...)...

The whacked may strike back in the upcoming season of The Sopranos. Sources said that some of the characters killed in the HBO mob drama's first four seasons will resurface in an episode of the series next year. Vincent Pastore (aka Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero), David Proval (Richie Aprile), John Heard (Detective Vin Makazian), Al Sapienza (Mikey Palmice), Dan Grimaldi (Philly "Spoons" Parisi) and Jason Cerbone (Jackie Aprile Jr.) are said to be on board for the episode. Sources said Joe Pantoliano (Ralph Cifaretto), who just earned an Emmy for his work on Sopranos, also is expected to appear as a deal is being worked out to accommodate the shooting schedule of Pantoliano's new CBS drama The Handler. It's unclear just how these characters will be brought back to life, but sources said the episode is believed to involve a dreamlike sequence. Reps for all the actors declined comment Tuesday. A spokeswoman for HBO said the network does not comment on upcoming story lines.