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‘Goodfellas’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey

January 4, 2022 · Goodfellas (1990) · Biography · Crime · Drama · 2:39:19 · ▶ Listen on Spotify

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Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 25:57Robert De Niro — Discusses multiple great De Niro moments but singles out the slow motion smoking scene where he decides to kill Maury as his personal favorite, calling it something only De Niro could pull off
Bill Simmons▶ 2:05:53Scorsese - 'I believe so' this is it (though for pure juice he'd say the turn-of-the-century Gangs of New York era, 'I'm gonna make a movie with Daniel Day-Lewis'); thinks Goodfellas is the capstone that basically ends gangster movies ('we have to move to TV after this'); De Niro - 1990/this era is his apex (Midnight Run, Goodfellas, Awakenings); plus yes verdicts on movie gangster names, razor-blading garlic ('one of one'), mobster wigs, Ray Liotta, prison tomato sauce, Lorraine Bracco, and the word 'fucko'; Henny Youngman - no; Paul Sorvino - unsure.
Chris Ryan▶ 2:06:48For the sake of argument makes the case for The Departed (2006) as Scorsese's apex from a juice/perception standpoint - no hiccups since, emeritus great living American filmmaker who gets anything made (Irishman, Killers of the Flower Moon, docs, TV); and on De Niro argues the late-70s/early-80s run (Taxi Driver, Godfather II, Deer Hunter, Raging Bull) is 'hard to top' over Bill's 1990.
Sean Fennessey▶ 24:53Robert De Niro — Highlights the phone booth scene after Tommy gets killed as De Niro's best explosive performance, also praises the slow motion smoking scene and the post-arrest scene
Sean Fennessey▶ 2:06:47'I say Scorsese' - artistically this is the apex: one of only four screenwriting credits of his career, his return to the gangster world after 17 years, blending the real and the operatic; counters the Departed argument with the Goodfellas-to-Casino lineage that enables everything after; also flags Joe Pesci's stretch as 'the most important movie star in America' and calls this the apex mountain of pistol whipping on film.

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill Simmons▶ 27:43De Niro called Hill several times a day for character details; asked how Jimmy would eat pasta (decided ketchup); insisted on new outfit every scene; decided Jimmy's motivation was only the next score; demanded real money instead of fake prop money ($2,000 from prop master)
Chris Ryan▶ 27:00De Niro recognized he was too old to play Henry but wanted to play Jimmy; wanted to be third or fourth lead but still get top billing and center of poster positioning

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 55:06Opening scene with narration and foreshadowing, young Henry breaking his cherry scene, and the 'you're a funny guy' sequence
Chris Ryan▶ 55:02Every scene is rewatchable, agrees with the bamboo lounge sequence and discusses the cognitive dissonance of the opening
Sean Fennessey▶ 56:49The whole sequence outside and into the bamboo lounge introducing all the guys - one of the most iconic scenes of the last 35 years

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 1:51:33Ray Liotta — Presents casting alternatives: DeNiro chose Jimmy over Tommy, William Peterson as second choice for Jimmy, Liotta considered for Harvey Dent in Batman, Sean Penn considered for Henry Hill but prefers Liotta. Madonna would have been a mistake - too distracting
Chris Ryan▶ 1:51:53John Malkovich — Confirms Malkovich was considered and had midlife crisis, chose Eragon instead. Sean Penn essentially did his Goodfellas role in State of Grace. Tom Cruise offers were standard process at the time
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:52:04William Petersen — William Peterson as Jimmy wouldn't work. Henry has to be center of gravity and Penn works best when he's the craziest guy in the room, not as the stable center

Joey Pants Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:55:23Mike Starr — Mike Starr because he never can remember his name and he's in everything
Chris Ryan▶ 1:55:12Peter Onorati — Nominated Peter Honorati and Tobin Bell, expressed liking Mike Starr but also mentioned Honorati for getting his face caved in
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:55:56Frank DiLeo — Discussed Frank DiLeo as Tootie and his interesting backstory as Michael Jackson's manager, but no definitive pick stated

Dion Waiters Award

Bill Simmons▶ 2:00:03Frank Vincent — Frank Vincent as Billy Bats - agrees it has to be him because he comes in hot for four minutes and matches Pesci and De Niro's energy
Chris Ryan▶ 1:59:20Frank Vincent — Frank Vincent as Billy Bats - suggests renaming the award to 'the Frank Vincent award' or 'the Billy Bats award' because of this iconic performance
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:59:58Frank Vincent — Frank Vincent as Billy Bats (winner), Chuck Lowe as Maury (second place), Debbie Mazar as Sandy (third place)

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 2:33:02Martin Scorsese — Martin Scorsese - this became his 'Tom Brady second three Super Bowls' era that allowed him to ascend and leave his generation behind
Chris Ryan▶ 2:34:05Martin Scorsese — Agrees Scorsese wins but notes you could make arguments for any of the three main actors (De Niro, Liotta, Pesci) and jokingly mentions Jim Gordon for writing the second half of Layla
Sean Fennessey▶ 2:31:59Martin Scorsese — Martin Scorsese - this reset the trajectory of his career and made him the mascot of American movies, preventing him from becoming a relic like other 70s filmmakers

Movies Referenced (66)

The Godfather (1972)

13 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan▶ 6:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Raging Bull (1980)

10 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan▶ 5:16IMDb ↗Lb ↗

After Hours (1985)

8 mentions · Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey▶ 48:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Irishman (2019)

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey▶ 43:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Home Alone (1990)

5 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 7:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Casino (1995)

4 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 1:15:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Midnight Run (1988)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 21:21IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Boogie Nights (1997)

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 1:43:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Contagion (2011)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 2:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dances with Wolves (1990)

3 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 6:32IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Heat (1995)

3 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 3:21IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Mean Streets (1973)

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 5:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (9)

Martin Scorsese

7 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Taxi Driver, Killers of the Flower Moon, Mean Streets▶ 2:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sean Penn

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Mystic River, 21 Grams, Dead Man Walking▶ 1:12:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Warren Beatty

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Reds, Heaven Can Wait▶ 41:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Stephen Frears

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Dangerous Liaisons, The Queen▶ 34:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Mel Gibson

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Braveheart, Conspiracy Theory▶ 1:34:14IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michael Powell

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Peeping Tom, A Matter of Life and Death, The Red Shoes▶ 1:48:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Otto Preminger

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Stalag 17, Anatomy of a Murder, Laura▶ 1:48:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Robert Altman

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Gosford Park, Nashville, Short Cuts▶ 2:32:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sidney Lumet

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, 12 Angry Men▶ 36:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (41)

Robert De Niro

36 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for Cape Fear, Raging Bull, Taxi Driver▶ 1:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Al Pacino

14 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for Dog Day Afternoon, The Godfather▶ 38:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Andy Garcia

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Ocean's Eleven, The Godfather Part III▶ 40:57IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Frank Vincent

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Goodfellas, Casino▶ 1:11:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Lorraine Bracco

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for Goodfellas, Medicine Man▶ 25:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Joe Pesci

4 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons · Known for Goodfellas, Raging Bull, The Irishman▶ 1:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Christopher Brooks

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 30:32IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Henny Youngman

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Goodfellas▶ 1:09:16IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kathy Bates

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons · Known for Misery, Dolores Claiborne, Titanic▶ 40:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michael Imperioli

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Goodfellas▶ 1:18:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michael Jackson

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 1:56:16IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Paul Sorvino

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Nixon▶ 1:03:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (5)

Holly Gent

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for Where'd You Go, Bernadette, Me and Orson Welles▶ 21:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Attica Locke

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 45:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Graham Greene

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Fallen Idol, The Quiet American, The Third Man▶ 41:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Nora Ephron

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Julie & Julia, When Harry Met Sally...▶ 45:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Roger Ebert

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 5:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (1)

Gordon Willis

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Godfather Part II, Manhattan▶ 1:47:47IMDb ↗Lb ↗