Tagarchief: Richard Sarafian

Dungeon Classics #46: Bound

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

FilmDungeon’s Chief Editor JK sorts through the Dungeon’s DVD-collection to look for old cult favorites….

Bound (1996, USA)

Director: Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski
Cast: Jennifer Tilly, Gina Gershon, Joe Pantoliano
Running Time: 109 mins.

Extremely tense and entertaining crime movie by the brothers (now sisters) who brought us The Matrix three years later. The movie kind of plays like a male fantasy. Two pretty girls called Violet and Corky meet on the elevator of an apartment building and make eye contact. Violet lives there with her Mafia boyfriend Caesar and Corky has just been released from jail and works in the building as a handygirl. Soon after, Violet starts seducing Corky. After some hot and steamy sex, they cook up the plan to steal two million dollars from Caesar. This is the start of a tense and bloody rollercoaster ride. Bound is kind of like the Wachowski’s Reservoir Dogs. It is their debut and mostly plays at one location – an apartment building – and is all the more exciting for it. After the set-up in the first half, the second half is a true edge-of-your-seat thriller. With lots of great twists and turns. It is not hard to spot the camerawork and visual touches that the Wachowski’s would later employ for the Matrix-films. The cast, consisting mostly of the central three leads, all portray believable and interesting characters. Pantoliano is hilarious in his mobster role (almost exactly his role in The Sopranos from years later) and Tilly and Gershon have some real chemistry going. If only the Wachowski’s could make a film like this every year.

Gotti (1996)

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

Directed by:
Robert Harmon

Written by:
Jerry Capeci (book ‘The Last Gangster: Winning the War Against John Gotti and the Mob’)
Gene Mustain (book ‘The Last Gangster: Winning the War Against John Gotti and the Mob’)
Steve Shagan (teleplay)

Cast:
Armand Assante (John Gotti), William Forsythe (Sammy Gravano), Richard C. Sarafian (Paul Castellano), Frank Vincent (Robert DiBernardo), Anthony Quinn (Neil Dellacrose), Dominic Chianese (Joe Armone), Robert Miranda (Frank DeCicco), Scott Cohen (Gene Gotti), Vincent Pastore (Angelo Ruggiero), Tony Sirico (Joe Dimiglia)

John Gotti seemed destined for the Mafia. He was smart, tough, loyal to the code of omertà, never skimmed from the top, and respected the boss’s policy on narcotics. These qualities helped him rise to become boss of the infamous Gambino family in the 1980s. But Gotti also had his flaws: he craved media attention and was too careless about discussing sensitive business in unsecured settings.

Gotti is the biography of one of history’s best-known mobsters. The story begins in 1973, when Gotti first comes to the attention of his crime family, the Gambinos – then the most powerful of New York’s Five Families. Boss of bosses Carlo Gambino asks Gotti for a personal favor, which nearly goes wrong due to the interference from underboss Paul Castellano. The conflict almost dooms Gotti, but his mentor, second underboss Neil Dellacroce (Anthony Quinn), steps in to resolve it.

In the years that follow, Gotti steadily rises through the ranks alongside his close associate and fellow captain Sammy Gravano. When Gambino dies of old age in 1976, he names Castellano as his successor, to the disapproval of Gotti and other top figures. While Gotti was seen as a true man of Cosa Nostra, Castellano was regarded more as a businessman. Tensions eventually culminate in one of the most infamous gangland hits in history: the 1985 assassination of Castellano and his partner outside Sparks Steak House in Manhattan.

Now John Gotti is the boss. But, as noted earlier, his weaknesses ensured that his reign would be relatively short-lived (until 1992 to be precise). As a biographical made-for-tv HBO production, Gotti stands out for offering a complete look at the life and times of a legendary mobster. Armand Assante is memorable in the lead. The supporting cast – featuring many future Sopranos actors – is also strong, with Anthony Quinn and William Forsythe delivering standout performances. If you watch only one television production about the mob, make it Gotti .

Rating:

Quote:
JOHN GOTTI: “A Mexican, a Puerto-Rican and a black guy are sitting in a car. Who’s driving? The police.”

Trivia:
According to IMDb, this film was the highest rated original telefilm in HBO history at that time. The success of the film convinced HBO to cast film co-stars, Dominic Chianese, Vincent Pastore and Tony Sirico in a series in development at the time called The Sopranos (1999).

Bugsy (1991)

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld


‘Glamour Was The Disguise’

Directed by:
Barry Levinson

Written by:
Dean Jennings (book)
James Toback (written by)

Cast:
Warren Beatty (Benjamin ‘Bugsy’ Siegel), Annette Bening (Virginia Hill), Harvey Keitel (Mickey Cohen), Ben Kingsley (Meyer Lansky), Elliott Gould (Harry Greenberg), Joe Mantegna (George Raft), Richard Sarafian (Jack Dragna), Bebe Neuwirth (Countess di Frasso), Gian-Carlo Scandiuzzi (Count di Frasso), Wendy Phillips (Esta Siegel)

Benjamin ‘Bugsy’ Siegel is a successful member of the largest crime family in the United States. Known as a charismatic killer with a reputation for volatile outbursts, especially when he’s called Bugsy.

He travels to California on behalf of his partners, Lucky Luciano and his loyal, long-time friend Meyer Lansky (Ben Kingsley), to expand their business. He first contends with local racketeers Jack Dragna (Richard Sarafian) and Mickey Cohen (Harvey Keitel), but before long, he has both on his payroll.

Soon after, Ben meets Virginia Hill, a promiscuous actress for whom he quickly develops a burning passion. During a visit to the desert town of Las Vegas, he conceives a plan to open a hotel where gambling is legal. After consulting his partners, Ben begins building the Flamingo with his new fiancée, Virginia. Soon, however, construction costs spiral out of control due to Bugsy’s indifference toward money and Virginia’s secret Swiss bank accounts. His partners cannot tolerate theft, and Bugsy’s downfall draws nearer.

Bugsy is a strong biographical story about one of America’s most legendary gangsters, the man credited with inventing Las Vegas. Beatty is convincing as the protagonist, slowly descending into madness. We come to know Bugsy as a sympathetic figure (at least: for a murderer) who simply holds different values than most. We feel for him as he loses his grip and heads toward his inevitable downfall. His fatal flaw is also one of his endearing traits in the film: his disregard for money – something fundamentally incompatible with gangster life.

Visually, Bugsy authentically captures the mid-1940s, thanks in large part to Allen Daviau’s magnificent cinematography. The supporting cast delivers strong performances, with Annette Bening always a pleasure to watch and Ben Kingsley making a great Meyer Lansky.

Overall, this is a worthy gangster film, most admirable for its strong biographical elements. We truly understand this character and his motivations. Those seeking hard gangster violence may appreciate it less, as there are only three murders of which one occurs off-screen.

Rating:

Quote:
BUGSY’ SIEGEL: “I only talk this much before I kill someone.”

Trivia:
Warren Beatty and Annette Bening married after meeting during this production.

Vanishing Point

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

Director: Richard C. Sarafian
Written by: Malcolm Hart, G. Cabrera Infante
Cast: Barry Newman, Cleavon Little, Dean Jagger, Victoria Medlin

Year / Country: 1971, USA
Running Time: 94 mins.

This classic carsploitation movie really has two main characters; Kowalski and a 1970 white Dodge Challenger. That’s right, the same Dodge Challenger used by Tarantino in Death Proof. Kowalski is a born driver who has no real purpose. Except to bring the Dodge from Denver to San Francisco. He drives across Colorado, Nevada and California with the police on his tail who want to bust them for some minor felonies.

Kowalski is assisted by the DJ of a radio station named Super Soul, who provides him with police frequency info. He also entertains his listeners with a groovy rock soundtrack. Through flashbacks we learn more about the cool Kowalski. How he is a Vietnam vet, a former cop, and a professional road racer. Over the years he has lost everything, including his girlfriend. The flashbacks also offer some sort of explanation for his unexpected action at the end, though it remains mysterious.

The excellent race scenes and car stunts alone make this film worth your while. But apart from that, it offers an interesting view on existentialism. It’s about a guy who just drives and only stops to tank, buy some speed or meet the occasional strange and colorful character like an old snake catcher, a pacifist biker and two weird hitchhikers’ who want to rob him. The beautiful landscapes also help in making this a very enjoyable road trip.

Rating:

Biography: Richard C. Sarafian (1930, New York – 2013, Santa Monica) was an American screenwriter, actor and director who started his long career by directing episodes for successful western and crime series. In 1981 he produced what is probably his greatest success; The Gangster Chronicles, an emmy-winning TV series about the rise of Lucky Luciano and Meyer Lansky. He also portrayed real-life gangsters Jack Dragna and Paul Castellano himself in the films Bugsy and Gotti.

Filmography (a selection): Maverick (1961, TV episode), Bronco (1961, TV episode), The Roaring 20’s (1961, TV episode), Cheyenne (1961/62, TV episodes), Terror at Black Falls (1962), Lawman (1961/62, TV episodes), The Gallant Men (1962/63, TV episodes), 77 Sunset Strip (1962/63, TV episodes), The Twilight Zone (1963, TV episode), Andy (1965)
Ben Casey (1963-65, TV episodes), The Wild Wild West (1965, TV episodes), Batman (1966, TV episodes), Jericho (1966, TV episodes), The Iron Horse (1967, TV episode), The Guns of Will Sonnett (1967, TV episodes), I Spy (1966-68, TV episodes), Gunsmoke (1965-68, TV episodes), Run Wild, Run Free (1969), Fragment of Fear (1970), Vanishing Point (1971), Man in the Wilderness (1971), Lolly-Madonna XXX (1973), The Next Man (1976), The African Queen (1977, TV), Sunburn (1979), The Gangster Chronicles (1981, TV series), The Bear (1984), Wildside (1985, TV episodes), Eye of the Tiger (1986), Street Justice (1989), Solar Crisis (1990)