Episode 10: goodfellas
Author Glenn Kenny dissects this 1990 gangster film.
“What I loved about these Truffaut and Godard techniques from the early ‘60s was that the narrative was not that important. You could stop the picture and say: ‘Listen, this is what we’re going to do right now—oh, by the way, that guy got killed—and we’ll see you later.’”
Bloody. Unnerving. Thrilling.
Thirty-plus years after its release, Goodfellas still packs a punch. Or should I say a kick in the head? Martin Scorsese directed the movie. Based on Wiseguy, a book by Nicholas Pileggi about the gangster Henry Hill, Goodfellas stars Ray Liotta, Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci and Lorraine Bracco. The movie is renowned for its tracking shots, a wise-cracking and crazy-violent Joe Pesci, a shocking opening, complex and shifting storytelling and a heady mix of intimidating Italian guys.
In this episode, I interview Glenn Kenny, the author of Made Men: The Story of Goodfellas about what he learned while researching and writing his book. Kenny is a film critic whose work has appeared in the New York Times and RogerEbert.com.
— Todd Melby
Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
Joe Pesci as Tommy DeSimone. Photo courtesy of Warner Bros Entertainment Inc.
THE GOODFELLAS FILE
Goodfellas premiere at Venice Film Festival (September 9, 1990)
Goodfellas New York premiere at Museum of Modern Art (September 18, 1990)
Goodfellas wide release (September 21, 1990)
Goodfellas nominated for six Academy Awards (February 13, 1991)
Joe Pesci wins Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role (March 25, 1991)
Goodfellas chosen for inclusion in the National Film Registry at the Library of Congress (2000)
