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Conference bookie::movies

Title:Movie Reviews and Discussion
Notice:Please do DIR/TITLE before starting a new topic on a movie!
Moderator:VAXCPU::michaudo.dec.com::tamara::eppes
Created:Thu Jan 28 1993
Last Modified:Thu Jun 05 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1249
Total number of notes:16012

978.0. "The official Joe Pesci note" by STRATA::GARRITY () Sat Dec 02 1995 09:24

    How can people say Pesci does the same role all the time? He was a
    gangster in Goodfella's, and he had a very very small role in A Bronx
    Tale, but other than that can people name other movies that he was a 
    gangster in? 
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978.1SLEEPR::MAIEWSKIBos-Mil-Atl Braves W.S. ChampsMon Dec 04 1995 12:5215
  Well maybe they don't mean gangster when they say "same type of character". 

  Pesce's done other things but by far his best parts before this film were the
other two films he did with DeNiro  when he played Jake Lamada's brother in
Raging Bull and his part in Goodfellas. 

  Also that part he had in the comedy, what was the name, "My something
Vinny?", was also somewhat similar.

  He's done some great parts as a short Italian tough guy but that seems to be
the limit of his range. That would make him one of the great character actors
of our time but to be considered a great actor you generally need at least two
great parts that are significantly different. 

  George 
978.2KERNEL::PLANTCTo tell you the truth, Not so much!Mon Dec 04 1995 15:008
    
    
    
    how about his accountant in the "Lethal Weapon" series of movies
    They weren't tough guy roles but they certainly are memorable!
    
    Chris
    :)
978.3SPSEG::COVINGTONserpent deflectorMon Dec 04 1995 15:108
    
    also:
    
    The Public Eye
    With Honors
    
    (Not commenting on whether or not he was good in these roles, just
    pointing them out...)
978.4EPS::RODERICKI saw Elvis kissing Santa Claus.Mon Dec 04 1995 15:225
    Wasn't he The Super? And My Cousin Vinnie. Vinnie got his law degreee
    while he was in jail. These and the other roles are essentially the
    same.

    Lisa
978.5also in "JFK"ASDG::MCNAMARAstrange visitor......Tue Dec 05 1995 12:556
    ....he wuz also great in "JFK" as a gay/transvestite/ganster kinda
    character...remember him in drag & a wig?  Tommy Lee Jones also 
    played a similar role in "JFK", more or less as fella-gansta's....
    
    
    mac
978.6TECWT2::BOUDREAUMon Dec 11 1995 12:5023
I agree with .0.  Maybe Pesci has played a guy with a hard edge in all his 
movies. But he has managed portray a pretty vast range of that character
trait.  In Goodfellas, he was a loudmouthed, violent thug - a single example
of a hard-edged character, who uses violence to solve every problem.

In Vinny, he's streetwise, fast and loud talking, always nervous, but basically
the kind of guy who would give you his last dollar if you needed it. Another
example.

In With Honors, he's on the street. He's a latent intellectual with a brain
storm to solve every problem, and whatever it takes to stay alive. Opinionated,
nervous, and just a generally hard character. 

In JFK, he's an exteremely complex man, but hard-to-the-core edged.

In the Home Alone movies, he's about the most intense slapstick character
since the early Moe Howard. 

And so on.

-Steve
 
978.7Great Scene Stealer!HOTLNE::S_COLLINSMon Jul 08 1996 05:458
    
    I also agree Pesci"s a great actor.
    
                Other films he has played a gangster in were:
    
    Sergio Leone's "Once upon a time in America" and most recentely
    
    Martin Scorcese's "Casino".
978.8Easy....Easy MoneySUBSYS::MSOUCYMon Sep 16 1996 14:3611