24 years ago, last month, came the release of My Cousin Vinny. It’s a smash hit that no one saw coming in 1992. The movie, made on an $11 million budget, took in about six times that at the box office, and Marisa Tomei won an Academy Award for her supporting role as Mona Lisa Vito, the girlfriend with a loud biological clock to Vinny Gambini, played by Joe Pesci. Like every great fish-out-of-water story, it’s the interactions with the locals that make it so funny, and perhaps Vinny’s most famous conversation with the judge (Fred Gwynne) involves a misunderstanding that was born from a real conversation the actor had with director Jonathan Lynn.

The Tale Of ‘The Two Yutes’

In one of the funniest exchanges in the movie, Vinny says to the judge, “It is possible that the two yutes…” and Judge Haller interrupts and asks, “Ah, the two what? Uh... uh, what was that word?” Vinny doesn’t understand the question, but finally gets that the say he's pronouncing "youths" isn't clear, and says “youtthhhs.” Vinny’s New York accent doesn’t play in rural Alabama, and the confused judge makes that clear.

It turns out that scene wasn’t in the original script. According to Lynn, he got the idea from Pesci himself when they first met. Lynn told Rolling Stone what happened:

Like Judge Heller in Alabama, Lynn, who is English, didn’t quite pick up on what Pesci was saying with his natural New York accent. Lynn was so amused by the back and forth that he incorporated into the movie, and the scene is now one of the most famous of the ‘90s.

It’s A Rare Example From The Movie

It also turns out, as is clear from the Rolling Stone article, that Lynn and writer Dale Launer didn’t always see eye to eye on the script. In fact, according to Launer, the writer tried hard to protect his script, telling the magazine:

However, it’s hard to deny how funny the “yute” scene is, so not even the film’s writer could keep it out of the movie. It’s hardly “cliché.” Instead, it’s a stone-cold classic.

It’s actually been quite a while since I watched My Cousin Vinny, but watching this scene again really reminded me just how charming the movie is, and that I’ll need to fire up my Hulu subscription and watch it again soon.

There are movie gags that feel so perfectly tuned, it’s easy to assume everyone involved immediately understood the assignment. Joe Pesci’s flaming hat scene in Home Alone is one of those unforgettable moments. But like most things in filmmaking, that split-second bit of chaos came with a whole lot of hesitation behind the scenes, especially from the person who actually had to light his head on fire. Home Alone director Chris Columbus shared how they convinced the Harry performer to do the scene, and, believe it or not, his daughter was involved.

As part of Home Alone’s 35th anniversary celebration, director Columbus and star Macaulay Culkin recently sat down for a conversation at the Academy Museum, where they revisited the movie’s production, its legacy, and a few stunts that were way more intense than they looked. Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Columbus explained that the flaming cap gag nearly didn’t happen at all because the My Cousin Vinny actor wanted absolutely nothing to do with it. The filmmaker recalled:

Honestly, that’s a pretty reasonable reaction. Home Alone may play like a live-action cartoon, but Pesci wasn’t wrong to be skeptical. The stunts in the movie were so realistic that Columbus admitted every time the stunt team rehearsed one, it stopped being funny altogether. Watching it play out in real time, he said, they genuinely worried people were getting seriously hurt.

According to Columbus, producer Mark Radcliffe stepped in with a solution to address Pesci’s trepidation, which feels both wildly inappropriate and yet weirdly perfect for the tone of Home Alone. Instead of arguing, they demonstrated. Columbus continued:

Yes. The Goodfellas star watched his own daughter calmly wear the fireproof hat while it burned safely under controlled conditions, and that did the trick… sort of. Because even with stunt pros on hand (and Pesci has acknowledged he was lucky to have stuntmen handling the truly gnarly stuff), that hat scene still got him. In a later reflection on the experience, the Casino alum said he sustained “serious burns” during the moment Harry’s hat goes up — on top of the usual bumps and bruises that come with getting bullied by an eight-year-old with a toolbox and a grudge.

And it’s not like Pesci has sour grapes about the franchise. If anything, he’s always seemed to have a realistic affection for it; proud of what it became, aware of what it cost, and not particularly convinced you can just whip up that same lightning-in-a-snowglobe again. When asked about the idea of doing another Home Alone, he’s basically taken the “never say never, but also… come on” stance, pointing out that it would be tough to recreate the success — and especially the innocence — of the originals decades later, because the world (and the audience) just isn’t in the same place anymore.

That hasn’t exactly stopped the studios from trying, though. Since Home Alone 2, there have been four additional films, including Disney's critically panned reboot, Home Sweet Home Alone, which features none of the original Home Alone cast, each attempting to capture the same magic. As The Irishman star has suggested, none of them quite pulled it off, proving that there was something truly magical in those two films that is nearly impossible to recreate, which is why they still have such a legacy more than three decades later.

In hindsight, it’s hard to imagine Home Alone without Harry’s flaming hat. But knowing how close it came to being scrapped makes the moment even better. You can revisit the stunt and all the other makeshift booby traps by streaming the Home Alone franchise with a Disney+ subscription.

Everybody loves Goodfellas, right? In fact, when we ranked Martin Scorsese's best movies, we put it at number one. I mean, how could we not? It's almost universally accepted as Scorsese’s best film. Either that, or Raging Bull, or Taxi Driver. Honestly, it’s a three-way tie amongst those aforementioned movies.

And, I love Goodfellas! It’s a great movie. However…what if I were to tell you that I prefer Casino? Crazy, right? Sure. And if you think I have bad taste in movies, you wouldn’t be the first.

That said, Casino is not a bad movie at all! In fact, most would agree that it’s really good. It’s just not as good as Goodfellas. I have five reasons why I prefer it to one of Scorsese’s most popular films. Here’s why.

It's Rare That We Actually Get To See A Robert De Niro Character Sweat

Based on the nonfiction book, Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas, Casino follows Robert De Niro as gambling expert Sam “Ace” Rothstein, a character loosely based on the real-life gangster Frank Rosenthal. He’s hired by the Chicago mob to oversee their casinos and make more money for them.

To protect their interests, the mob sends Sam’s longtime friend, Nicky (Played by Joe Pesci), to “protect” him. Sam is great at his job. In fact, one of my favorite moments in the movie is the gruesome “cheater’s justice” scene with the hammer.

However, Nicky’s a wildcard, and Sam doesn’t quite know how to handle him, especially when it turns out that Nicky is having an affair with his wife (Which I’ll get into later). Now, what I love about all of this is that De Niro is really playing against type. As a Jewish-American gambling handicapper in the film, he’s a bit of an outsider from the primarily Italian Mafia.

He’s tough, as he has to be for his job, but he’s also not Mafia tough. In fact, a lot of times, we get to see De Niro’s character sweat. It’s a big reason why I think this is one of Robert De Niro’s best movies, since I love seeing this actor, who is normally seen as unflappable, actually afraid for his life.

It’s a rarity we don’t get often, and I love seeing it in Casino. A terrifying Robert De Niro? I’ve seen that plenty of times. Just rewatch Cape Fear or most of the movies that he’s been in. But a scared Robert De Niro? Now that’s something we don’t get to see every day.

I Also Prefer Joe Pesci's Performance In Casino Over Goodfellas

One might argue that Joe Pesci is playing the exact same role in Casino that he played in Goodfellas (but lesser), and yeah, I can see that argument. In both performances, Pesci's character is in the Mafia, and in both movies, his character is reckless.

However, what makes me prefer Pesci's character as Nicky in Casino is his relationship to the protagonist, as Nicky and Sam have a history together.

One might say that they're friends, as they are in Goodfellas, but they are also at odds with one another when it comes to business, unlike Goodfellas. In both films, Pesci's character is a liability, but in Casino, that creates most of the tension.

This makes all the difference. And, I especially like how Pesci is at odds with De Niro, and in fact, has a sort of power over him for most of the film, which is different from Goodfellas. In that way, I consider this to be the superior Pesci performance, and that means a lot since he's one of the best parts of Goodfellas.

Sharon Stone's Performance Is So Potent In This film, And We Don't Have Something Like It In Goodfellas

Okay, now I know what you're going to say. What about The Sopranos’ star, Lorraine Bracco? She was excellent in Goodfellas as Henry's scorned wife. And, you know what? You're right! She is excellent in the movie (who can forget Henry waking up with a gun in his face?).

However, I think Sharon Stone’s character in Casino as Sam's wife (and former prostitute and con artist), Ginger, is even more potent and impactful, and mostly since she's not the kind of woman who would point a gun in her husband's face and not use it. No, no. She's the kind of woman who would sleep with her husband’s childhood friend and then ask him to kill her husband.

And yet, it's hard to hate her for it. Going into the marriage, she tells Sam straight out, “You don’t even know me,” and she even tries to talk him out of the proposal, even going so far as to tell him that she’s not in love with him. But, good old Sam pushes it, and for his trouble, he gets a wife who wants him dead.

In a lot of ways, Ginger is just as involved in Sam’s downfall as Pesci’s character (If not more so), and I really like that about her performance. She’s detestable, sure, but all of the characters in Casino are detestable, so she fits right in.

So, as much as I like Lorraine Bracco’s character in Goodfellas, I always view her as more of a victim; a willing victim, sure, but a victim, nonetheless. But Ginger is no victim. If anything, she’s an agent of chaos, and I love that about her.

I Like Casino's Setting Better Than Goodfellas

I like period pieces, especially ones set in the 1960s (Which is one of the reasons why I’m so looking forward to this upcoming Fantastic Four movie), and Goodfellas spans multiple decades, from the ‘60s to the ‘80s. I also like the New York and New Jersey setting. Being from Jersey myself, it’s nice seeing some of that local flavor, as I know all about places like JFK airport, and Upstate New York.

That said, since I’m from this area, movies set in this location, even as period pieces, just don’t do it for me. Like, I don’t find anything exotic or unique about Brooklyn, New York. That’s just where I get my annual steak at Peter Luger.

However, even though I’ve been to Vegas, it’s still a unique setting for me, as I only stayed on the strip and didn’t go out into the desert, which seems terrifying. In fact, the setting itself really feels like its own character in Casino, what with the darkness of the film and all the bright lights. I really love that juxtaposition, and I think it works in making this movie feel even more interesting than Goodfellas.

AS for the setting, and the deaths that occur, Pesci's death in Casino is scarier. His characters die in both movies, but which movie has the more terrifying death scene? Pesci getting whacked in some random room with a fish on the wall, or Pesci being brought to an Illinois cornfield, and being beaten by baseball bats, and then buried alive?

You might say, well, it’s the death itself that is more impactful, but don’t disregard that cornfield. It really leaves an impression on you, as do all of the settings in Casino, which I think are superior to Goodfellas. But–and this is the point that might get me in the most trouble–I have one other reason why I prefer Casino to Goodfellas.

Honestly, As Much As I Love Goodfellas, I Think It's A Tad Bit Overrated

I know everybody’s favorite gangster movie is either The Godfather or Goodfellas, but do you want to know my favorite gangster movie? It’s Scarface.

I only bring that up because I don’t have any allegiance to Goodfellas. In other words, I don’t have any skin in the game. Yeah, I love it, but it’s not my favorite gangster movie. In fact, I actually think it’s a tad bit overrated.

I say this because I often see it on a lot of “Best movies of all time” lists (For example, IMDb users have placed it at number 17 on their list of the Top 250 movies). And, while I love Goodfellas, I wouldn’t put it in my Top 20. Hell, I wouldn't even put it in my Top 50.

So, even though I think Goodfellas is one of Scorsese’s best movies, I wouldn’t put it above films like Taxi Driver, The King of Comedy, or especially Casino. In fact, I wouldn’t even put it above Scorsese’s hidden gem, After Hours. Because while I love Goodfellas, I don’t love love it.

I do love love Casino.

What do you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

When Macaulay Culkin was just 10 years old, the child actor starred in Home Alone, which continues to be his most iconic and remains one of the best Christmas movies of all time. As households all over turn on the 1990 classic over the holiday season, Culkin and co-star Daniel Stern reflected on one funny moment on the set of the comedy where Joe Pesci actually bit Culkin’s poor finger. (Seriously, you need to hear the story behind this wild situation.)

It’s hard to believe Home Alone is nearly 35 years old. Macaulay Culkin is currently 44 years old himself and even has a family of his own. (His three-year-old isn’t quite ready to view the movie.) Even now, though, the actor still has memories to share from the movie, including that time Joe Pesci accidentally really bit his finger on set. When it came to Pesci's reason for that, the Culkin recalled:

While speaking to The New York Times about the classic movie that many have probably seen 100 times over the years, Culkin recounted Pesci’s Harry threatening to bite Kevin’s fingers off during rehearsal while in character before unintentionally actually doing so. As the actor continued:

Clearly, the actor didn’t mean to go that far on set, and immediately was fearful he’d hurt the Home Alone star. It’s a funny tidbit from set that Daniel Stern, who played Pesci’s partner in crime, Marv. The Wonder Years narrator also recalled the situation while talking to Entertainment Tonight. In Stern’s words:

It must have been rather surreal for Macaulay Culkin to be bitten by his Academy Award-winning actor and co-star at the time. It sounds like it ended up being a humbling moment for Pesci, who let down his “menacing” approach out of fear of really frightening the kid in real life. Daniel Stern shared even more remembrances of what went down, saying this:

Speaking of “fear factor,” it’s also been said that Joe Pesci would swear a lot on the set of Home Alone, which director Chris Columbus was not happy about considering there was a 10-year-old present. There are plenty of other BTS details on Home Alone, that involve on-set antics. (For instance, Stern recalled having an actual tarantula on his face during the filming of the yuletide classic.) The Marv actor also remembered how it was “fun” to “hit Joe Pesci with a crowbar” amidst the many versions of hell the characters’ go through during the hilarious holiday movie.

Still, few BTS moments will top that finger-biting ordeal, as it's definitely one for the books.You can watch Home Alone and one of Hollywood’s great sequels, Home Alone 2: Lost In New York by streaming them with a Disney+ subscription now.

Whenever we talk about the best ‘90s movies, it doesn’t take long before the conversation turns to the most iconic actors of the final decade of the 20th century and their most beloved performances. But what are Will Smith’s, Julia Roberts’, or Keanu Reeves’ best movies for the unforgettable and transformative 10-year stretch? 

We’re being totally subjective here (Because why not?), but here are the best ‘90s movies for these 32 actors. Best Picture winners, a handful of the best action movies of all time, and other films that turned up-and-comers into overnight megastars can all be found below.

Will Smith (Independence Day)

Will Smith was already a household name by the time Independence Day was released and became the biggest movie of 1996, but this massive sci-fi flick took him to new heights. Electric, magnetic, and charismatic beyond belief, the Fresh Prince became the King of the summer blockbuster with his portrayal of Captain Steven Hiller.

Leonardo DiCaprio (Titanic)

Is there a bigger ‘90s movie than Titanic, both in terms of financial returns and cultural prominence? Yeah, James Cameron’s story of the ill-fated ship, his special effects, and the rest of the cast made this 1997 disaster movie a must-see, but Leonardo DiCaprio, with his “King of the World” moment, made this an all-timer. 

Tom Cruise (Jerry Maguire)

Picking the best ‘90s movie for Tom Cruise is no easy task, considering some of the actor’s best performances took place that decade. However, despite Magnolia and Mission: Impossible being great in their own ways, this has to go to Cruise’s dynamic portrayal of the struggling sports agent in Jerry Maguire. “Show me the money,” is a quote we keep in our repertoire nearly 30 years later. 

Sandra Bullock (Speed)

Sandra Bullock put herself on the map with her performance in Speed, one of the most iconic 1994 movies. Though she was great in Demolition Man the year before, Bullock’s take on Annie Porter made her an overnight sensation and quickly became one of her best roles to date, even outside the ‘90s.

Morgan Freeman (The Shawshank Redemption)

How Morgan Freeman didn’t win an Oscar for his performance in The Shawshank Redemption is one of the biggest mysteries, and travesties, in Hollywood history. His portrayal of Ellis "Red" Redding in this spectacular Stephen King adaptation is so strong and so believable that you don’t see him as an actor playing an inmate, but more like an aging prisoner trying to “get busy living or get busy dying.”

Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction)

As much as we would have loved to argue for Jurassic Park being Samuel L. Jackson’s best ‘90s movie, Ray Arnold has nothing on the bad mother [redacted] that was Jules Winnfield from Pulp Fiction. Easily Quentin Tarantino’s best movie, this 1994 classic is essentially a master class in dialogue and non-linear storytelling.

Meg Ryan (Sleepless In Seattle)

A few years after leading the best romantic comedy of all time with When Harry Met Sally, Meg Ryan teamed up with Nora Ephron (who was directing this time around) for Sleepless in Seattle in 1993. The chemistry between Ryan and Tom Hanks as Annie Reed and Sam Baldwin, is incredible, even if they only share a couple minutes of screentime.

Julia Roberts (Pretty Woman)

It’s hard to imagine what Julia Roberts’ career and Hollywood in general would be like if the actress didn’t play Vivian Ward in Pretty Woman. Sure, Roberts already had some hits and would have gone on to land big roles, but this 1990 rom-com instantly made her one of the brightest stars on the planet and showed off her dynamic range and impeccable comedic timing.

Angela Bassett (What's Love Got To Do With It)

Angela Bassett’s best movie, What’s Love Got to Do with It saw the celebrated actress take on the role of the legendary Tina Turner in this 1993 biopic about the late singer’s life, career, and toxic relationship with husband and music partner Ike Turner. Bassett had some pretty iconic ‘90s roles throughout the decade, but this is at the tippy top of the mountain.

Keanu Reeves (The Matrix)

Picking Keanu Reeves’ best movie of the 1990s is more difficult than you’d think. Point Break, My Private Idaho, and Speed are all contenders, but none come close to the heights of The Matrix and his performance as Neo, aka, the One. Watching Reeves’ character develop throughout this great ‘90s sci-fi film never gets old.

Robin Williams (Good Will Hunting)

Robin Williams had SO many good movies in the ‘90s, but Good Will Hunting was in a league of its own, at least in terms of performances by the late comedian. The richness, range, and emotion found in his portrayal of Sean Maguire is something to behold. No wonder he took home an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.

Bruce Willis (The Sixth Sense)

The ‘90s saw Bruce Willis play everything from his most iconic character in the second and third Die Hard movies to the leads in multiple blockbusters. However, none of those compare to his work in The Sixth Sense. There is just something so warm and refreshing about his portrayal of a child psychiatrist trying to help a young boy make sense of life and his strange gift.

Harrison Ford (The Fugitive)

Have you gone back and watched The Fugitive lately? If not, do so now. If you have, you’re all too familiar with Harrison Ford’s performance as Richard Kimble, the Chicago doctor trying to clear his name after being wrongfully convicted of murdering his wife. Air Force One and Clear and Present Danger are great, but this 1993 thriller is one of Ford’s career-best.

Frances McDormand (Fargo)

Frances McDormand’s portrayal of Marge Gunderson in the Coen Brothers' Fargo earned the actress the first of her three Academy Awards, and for good reason: she’s the heart and soul of the 1996 crime comedy.  

Gary Oldman (The Fifth Element)

Gary Oldman played some of the meanest ‘90s villains in movies like Air Force One, Leon: The Professional, and The Fifth Element, the latter of which features his best work of the decade. Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg is one of those characters that you love to hate and enjoy watching as much as the 1997 sci-fi film’s hero, which is saying something.

Wesley Snipes (White Men Can't Jump)

In the years following his breakout performance in Major League, Wesley Snipes became one of the dependable faces in Hollywood thanks to unforgettable turns in New Jack City, Demolition Man, and Jungle Fever. But let’s be real, Snipes’ take on Syd Deane is one of the most iconic ‘90s characters and essentially carries this all-time great basketball movie.

Tom Hanks (Saving Private Ryan)

Tom Hanks dominated the ‘90s with Oscar-winning performances in Philadelphia and Forrest Gump as well as other decade-defining films like Toy Story and A League of Their Own. But in terms of the BEST movie, that has to go to Saving Private Ryan, Steven Spielberg’s harrowing World War II epic about heroism, survival, and the hope of a better tomorrow.

Robert De Niro (Cape Fear)

We could have listed Goodfellas, Heat, or even A Bronx Tale as Robert De Niro’s best movie from the ‘90s, but his performance as Max Cady in Cape Fear is on a whole other level. Easily one of the Oscar winner’s most menacing characters, the psychopathic ex-con with a bone to pick is a force of pure evil here.

Al Pacino (Heat)

After playing all-time great gangsters in the ‘70s and ‘80s, Al Pacino was on the other side of the law in Michael Mann’s 1995 crime epic, Heat. Sure, Scent of a Woman earned him that elusive Oscar for Best Actor, but his take on Lieutenant Vincent Hanna is the stuff of legend. Plus, we also got to see Pacino and Robert De Niro share a scene for the first time.

Anthony Hopkins (The Silence Of The Lambs)

Anthony Hopkins' portrayal of Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs is one of the greatest performances of all time. That said, it should be no surprise that this great horror film gets the call here. Though there was some stiff competition.

Philip Seymour Hoffman (Boogie Nights)

As much as we would love to break down all the awesome ways Philip Seymour Hoffman stole the show in Twister and My Boyfriend’s Back, the late actor really came into his own in Paul Thomas Anderson’s 1997 drama, Boogie Nights. Hoffman’s sympathetic take on Scotty J. was nothing short of brilliant and showed what was to come.

Jodie Foster (The Silence Of The Lambs)

If you were to break down Jodie Foster’s best performances, her portrayal of Clarice Starling would be at or near the top of that list. A movie that has been quoted or referenced countless times over the years, this 1991 thriller remains one of the best ever made.

Brad Pitt (Seven)

David Fincher’s Seven is Brad Pitt’s best movie from the ‘90s for a variety of reasons: 1) the movie about a serial killer taking lives based on the seven deadly sins is violently unique, 2) it was the start of a partnership between actor and director, and 3) Pitt showed he was more than a pretty face and really had what it took.

Arnold Schwarzenegger (T2: Judgment Day)

Terminator 2: Judgment Day is not only a decade-defining action movie or a landmark achievement in visual effects, it’s also Arnold Schwarzenegger’s best movie of the ‘90s and perhaps all time. James Cameron’s sequel is bigger and louder than its predecessor and epic beyond compare.

Whoopi Goldberg (Sister Act)

Whoopi Goldberg won her first Academy Award for her role as Oda Mae Brown in Ghost, a film that kicked off an impressive decade for the comedian and actor. Her spiritual guide for Patrick Swayze’s ghostly Sam Wheat in this supernatural thriller helped anchor the film and turn it into the biggest movie of 1990.

Matt Damon (Good Will Hunting)

Matt Damon went from a relatively unknown actor to one of the brightest faces (and voices) in Hollywood thanks to Good Will Hunting. His tortured performance as a young math prodigy in South Boston is still captivating more than 25 years later.

Eddie Murphy (The Nutty Professor)

Eddie Murphy did a little bit of everything in the ‘90s, but The Nutty Professor shows off some of the comedian’s best work. Playing multiple characters (heroes, villains, and in between) really showed off Murphy’s dynamic range and varied comedic styles.

Adam Sandler (Happy Gilmore)

Though Big Daddy proved that Adam Sandler could handle slightly more dramatic roles, there’s no denying the fact that Happy Gilmore is the former SNL star’s best ‘90s movie. His take on a failed hockey player finding new purpose (and fortune) in the world of golf was a game-changer and created one of the best sports characters of all time.

Denzel Washington (Malcolm X)

Denzel Washington is another actor who had more great roles in the ‘90s than we can count, but at the top of his “best” list is Spike Lee’s 1992 biopic, Malcolm X. The movie about the controversial civil rights icon was eye-opening, enchanting, and epic.

Joe Pesci (Goodfellas)

We could have talked about My Cousin Vinny, we could have talked about Home Alone, and we could have even made a case for Casino, but none of that is possible without Goodfellas. The movie, which introduced the world to Joe Pesci’s Tommy DeVito, is one of the greatest gangster movies of all time and an influential piece of cinema we still rave about 30-plus years later.

Susan Sarandon (Thelma & Louise)

Ridley Scott’s Thelma & Louise, a movie featuring one of the best female friendships with Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis’ titular characters, helped kickstart the decade back in 1990. Easily Sarandon’s best movie of the ‘90s, this crime drama about two friends on the run from the law is just so dang great.

Jim Carrey (Dumb & Dumber)

Jim Carrey absolutely dominated the ‘90s comedy scene, and the box office in general back in 1994. While Ace Ventura Pet Detective and The Mask both have their moments, we have to be real for a second and admit that Dumb and Dumber is some of Carrey’s best work.

Movie fans had lots to love in the '90s and these actors and their best movies of the decade will never be forgotten.

Everyone loves a good courtroom drama like Philadelphia, A Few Good Men, and To Kill a Mockingbird, films that are often considered the best of all time. Over the years, some of the biggest Hollywood stars have played lawyers in the movies (or TV shows) like those, and transform themselves into committed defense attorneys, hard-nosed prosecutors, and pretty much every other type of lawyer imaginable. 

Here are 32 famous actors who played a lawyer in a drama, comedy, or somewhere in between…

Tom Hanks

Tom Hanks won his first Academy Award for Best Actor thanks to his emotional and pivotal performance in Jonathan Demme’s 1993 legal drama, Philadelphia. In the movie, he played Andrew Beckett, an attorney who sues his old firm that fired him after senior partners discovered he was gay and had AIDS. Hanks would play an insurance attorney years later in Steven Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies.

Reese Witherspoon

Already on the rise, Reese Witherspoon became a massive star after her portrayal of Elle Woods, a sorority-girl-turned-law-student who enrolls at Harvard to win her boyfriend back in Legally Blonde. Watching the unassuming Elle become a pro in the courtroom, especially during the film’s high-profile murder case, is nothing short of amazing.

Tom Cruise

Two of Tom Cruise’s best movies are those that saw him play lawyers. In 1992, Cruise had the lead role of Lt. Daniel Kaffee in Rob Reiner’s A Few Good Men, a performance he followed up with by anchoring Sydney Pollack’s 1993 legal thriller, The Firm.

Denzel Washington

How Denzel Washington did win or receive an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of attorney Joseph "Joe" Miller in Philadelphia is one of the biggest miscarriages of justice in the history of the awards show. Tom Hanks receives a lot of praise for his role, and rightfully so, but Washington's dynamic portrayal of a man facing his internal battles and overcoming his own prejudice is the stuff of legend.

Gregory Peck

Gregory Peck will always be associated with his character, Atticus Finch, from the adaptation of Harper Lee’s Pulitzer prize-winning novel To Kill a Mockingbird. The Hollywood legend won an Oscar for his portrayal of the dedicated defense attorney standing up against the prejudice and racism of his community to defend an innocent man, and became the stuff of legend in the process.

Matthew McConaughey

Matthew McConaughey is another actor who has played an attorney on more than one occasion. The future Academy Award winner first portrayed a lawyer in Joel Schumacher’s 1996 adaptation of John Grisham’s A Time to Kill, taking on the role of defense attorney Jake Brigance. A decade-and-a-half later, McConaughey played embattled criminal defense attorney Mickey Haller in The Lincoln Lawyer.

Sandra Bullock

Sandra Bullock has played a lawyer on multiple occasions. There’s the 1996 legal thriller A Time to Kill in which she played law student Ellen Roark, as well as the 2002 romantic comedy, Two Weeks Notice which saw her take on the role of Lucy Kelson, an idealistic attorney who tries to break away from her real estate developer boss (played by Hugh Grant).

Matt Damon

One of Matt Damon’s best movies, 1997’s The Rainmaker (which was directed by Francis Ford Coppola) sees the young actor take on the role of law school graduate Rudy Baylor as he takes on his first case against an insurance company. As is the case with John Grisham adaptations, the legal thriller is full of twists, turns, and bad faith deals.

Laura Dern

Laura Dern won an Academy Award for her portrayal of divorce attorney Nora Fanshaw in Noah Baumbach’s 2019 drama, Marriage Story. To say she steals every scene she’s in would somehow be a disservice to her performance, it’s that great.

Bob Odenkirk

Bob Odenkirk has done a lot throughout his career, but the role he’ll most likely always be remembered for is Jimmy McGill, aka, Saul Goodman on AMC’s Breaking Bad and its spinoff/prequel Better Call Saul.

Michael B. Jordan

In addition to playing one of the best villains of the MCU’s Phase 3, anchoring the Creed franchise, and playing Tom Clancy characters, Michael B. Jordan has also played a lawyer on the big screen. In 2019, Jordan portrayed real-life attorney Bryan Stevenson in Destin Daniel Cretton’s Just Mercy, in which he helped wrongfully convicted death row inmate Walter McMillian (Jamie Foxx) overturn his sentence. 

Paul Newman

One of the iconic Hollywood stars, Paul Newman played a lawyer in Sidney Lumet’s 1982 legal drama, The Verdict. In the movie, Newman took on the role of once-promising but now down-on-his-luck attorney Frank Galvin who found himself doing the right thing for once when taking on a medical malpractice case.

Glenn Close

Richard Marquand’s 1985 legal thriller Jagged Edge saw Glenn Close take on the role of Teddy Barnes, a defense attorney who is tasked with representing a man (played by Jeff Bridges) accused of murdering his wife. Despite taking on the case, Barnes has a hard time figuring out if he’s actually innocent or not.

Joe Pesci

One of the funniest movies of the 1990s, Jonathan Lynn’s 1992 legal comedy sees Joe Pesci take on the role of personal injury lawyer Vinny Gambini as travels from New York to the Deep South to defend his cousin who has been charged with murder. 

Kevin Costner

At the height of his fame, Kevin Costner led Oliver Stone’s 1991 conspiracy thriller JFK as New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison. Set years after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, this three-hour epic follows Garrison as he attempts to prove that Lee Harvey Oswald didn’t act alone in the November 1963 killing.

Viola Davis

Over the course of six seasons and 90 episodes, EGOT winner Viola Davis made waves on the ABC legal drama series, How to Get Away with Murder. Taking on the role of Annalise Keating, a defense attorney and law professor, Davis won numerous awards for her portrayal.

Al Pacino

Though Al Pacino’s absolutely bonkers performance in The Devil’s Advocate is probably the first movie that comes to mind when talking about the actor’s lawyer roles, his performance in And Justice For All is where it’s at. His portrayal of a young and idealistic attorney tasked with defending a devilish judge is something to behold.

Keanu Reeves

Keanu Reeves’ performance in The Devil’s Advocate is often overshadowed by Al Pacino literally playing Satan himself, but his portrayal of Kevin Lomax is worth checking out. The arc he experiences over the course of this 1997 supernatural horror film is something else.

Jamie Foxx

Jamie Foxx has played characters on both sides of the law over the course of his career, but his most recent portrayal of flashy personal injury lawyer Willie E. Gary in 2023’s The Burial is arguably one of his best roles ever. It would be a surprise if he’s not nominated for multiple awards in the coming months.

Harrison Ford 

Harrison Ford, known for roles like Indiana Jones, Han Solo, and Jack Ryan, has played a couple of different attorneys over the years. In 1990, Ford took on the role of Rozart K. “Rusty” Sabich, an on-the-rise prosecutor in Presumed Innocent. The following year, he would take on the titular part in Regarding Henry, a movie about a high-price lawyer who loses his memory after being shot.

 Felicity Jones 

In 2018, Felicity Jones played perhaps one of the most influential legal minds in American history with her portrayal of Ruth Bader Ginsburg in On the Basis of Sex. Released two years before the real RBG passed away, the movie follows the future Supreme Court justice as she takes on a landmark tax case that forever changes gender discrimination in the United States.

 Sarah Paulson 

The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, the first entry in Ryan Murphy’s FX anthology series retold the “Case of the Century” with an equal amount of time spent on all the major players in the infamous 1995 murder trial. Sarah Paulson received a Primetime Emmy Award and Golden Globe for her portrayal of prosecutor Marcia Clark.

 Susan Sarandon 

Joel Schumacher’s 1994 adaptation of John Grisham’s legal thriller, The Client, saw Susan Sarandon give one of her best performances with her portrayal of Regina “Reggie” Love, a dedicated attorney who stops at nothing to protect a young child who witnessed a senseless crime connected to a lot of people in powerful positions.

 Richard Gere 

Richard Gere played defense attorney Martin Vail in the 1996 legal thriller, Primal Fear, a movie with a totally wild ending. The film centers on Vail as he is tasked with defending a Chicago altar boy (played by Edward Norton) charged with the murder of a powerful Catholic archbishop.

 Jim Carrey 

One of the best Jim Carrey movies, as well as one of the comedian’s highest grossing per BoxOfficeMojo, Liar Liar sees the legendary comedian take on the role of Fletcher Reede, a lawyer who can no longer lie after his son wishes he would be honest for once. This radical change to Fletcher’s personality has major implications on his line of work and a high-profile case at the center of the movie.

 Sterling K. Brown 

Sterling K. Brown earned a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe, and a vast amount of respect for his portrayal of lead prosecutor Christohper Darden on The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story. Though a well-known actor before taking the role, Brown hit new heights in the wake of its success.

 Emma Thompson 

Emma Thompson gave one of her best performances in Jim Sheridan’s 1993 biographical crime drama, In the Name of the Father. She played an attorney tasked with representing a man (played by Daniel Day-Lewis) falsely imprisoned for a bombing he did not commit. Thompson, like other members of the cast, was nominated for an Academy Award for her portrayal of Gareth Peirce.

 Adam Sandler 

Adam Sandler’s Sonny Koufax isn’t the hardest working movie lawyer (he doesn’t even pass the Bar Exam when he helps represent himself in the 1999 comedy’s final act), but he does come around in the end and turn his life around. Does he still put newspapers over spills? Probably so.

 Brad Pitt 

Barry Levinson’s 1996 crime drama, Sleepers, sees Brad Pitt take on the role of Michael Sullivan, an assistant prosecutor who orchestrates a scheme to get two friends, with whom he suffered abuse at a juvenile detention center, acquitted in the murder of one of the guards. 

 Mark Ruffalo 

One of the movies showcases Mark Ruffalo’s excellent acting, the 2019 legal drama Dark Waters sees the Marvel actor take on the role of Robert Bilott, a criminal defense attorney who decides to take on the DuPont corporation after their toxic chemicals bring illness, death, and devastation to a small farming community.

 Sean Penn 

In Brian De Palma’s 1993 crime drama, Carlito’s Way, Sean Penn portrayed David Klenfield, the sleazy attorney and best friend of Al Pacino’s titular career criminal. One of Penn’s most iconic roles, the performance took his craft to the next level, even if he’s one of the most despicable practitioners of the law in the history of cinema.

 Calista Flockhart 

One of the most popular ‘90s TV shows, Ally McBeal spent five seasons following Calista Flockhart’s titular the lawyer as she faced battles in and out of court at her Boston law firm. Over the course of the show’s run, Flockhart earned three Primetime Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe, and universal praise for her career-defining performance. More than 20 years after the show’s conclusion, the show is still the actress’ most well-known credit.

Regardless of which side of the law their characters ended up on, these 32 actors will always be remembered for these iconic performances in movies and television. And while they may not have law degrees or know enough to pass the Bar Exam, they could probably do a great job of representing us in court. Well, maybe there are a few we would be kind of terrified to have our corner for a variety of reasons.

Entertainers are entertainers. There are singers who can act, and there are actors who can sing. While the world is full of the former crossing over successfully, the latter is less successful, but that doesn't mean they aren't great singers, so here's our list of actors that have tried singing, whether they were hits or not. 

Bruce Willis

In 1987 Bruce Willis was at the top of his game. A year before everyone's favorite Christmas movie, Die Hard, came out, Willis did a made-for-HBO movie called The Return of Bruno where he played a blues singer. Willis spun that into an album of the same name and his singing career was off. While it's actually a decent album, the two follow-ups were bombs and that was where things pretty much ended for his singing career. 

Jennifer Love Hewitt

Jennifer Love Hewitt has been singing as long as she's been performing on screen. As a ten-year-old, Hewitt sang backup on the hit song "Toy Soldiers" by Martika, and at 12 she recorded her first album. She has a great voice, but she's never seen real crossover success. 

Don Johnson

Miami Vice was a monster hit in the mid-'80s and Don Johnson spun that into a record deal. He recorded his first album, Heartbeat, in 1986 and it was actually a moderate success, especially in Germany. His follow-up, Let It Roll also sold well in Europe, but didn't chart in the US, so his brief-though-somewhat-successful career as a singer was over. 

Jada Pinkett Smith

Did you know that Jada Pinkett Smith sang in a Nu Metal band in the early aughts? Yep, a band she formed called Wicked Wisdom even toured with Ozzfest and opened for Britney Spears. Pinkett is a solid singer and the band is very good, but it was short-lived, releasing just two albums, the last in 2006. 

Russell Crowe

Russell Crowe has been playing guitar and singing rock and roll for decades. He continues to occasionally play concerts, usually for charity and every once in a while he'll show up on stage with a big star. Like when he joined fellow Aussie Keith Urban in 2012 to play some Johnny Cash. 

Jamie Foxx

Jamie Foxx is the rare example of an actor having a very successful music career as well. He's got platinum albums, he's won a Grammy, and he'll forever be known for his guest spot in Kanye West's "Gold Digger." 

Burt Reynolds

Burt Reynolds sang in the musical At Long Last Love, and he once did a duet in a movie with the legend herself, Dolly Parton. Before all that though, he attempted to find a hit in the music business when he released a country album called Ask Me What I Am in 1973. I'm the biggest Burt Reynolds fan you'll ever meet and even I can admit it's a pretty rough album. 

Zooey Deschanel

When M. Ward first heard Zooey Deschanel sing in Elf, he was amazed. Later he learned she also wrote and played music. That was enough to start the duo She & Him, and Ward and Deschanel have been working on the project off and one for 15 years now. Together they've released seven successful albums, the latest a tribute to Beach Boys founder Brian Wilson that is very, very good. Deschanel even met her boyfriend Jonathon Scott while singing on Car Pool Karaoke. 

Jeremy Renner

As if Jeremy Renner's inspiring recovery from a snow plow accident isn't enough, the multitalented star has also released his first couple of EPs over the last few years. The Avengers star is a multi-instrumentalist and can sing too. There's almost nothing he can't do, it seems. 

William Shatner

It's always been a little hard to tell if William Shatner's music career is serious, or a joke. At times it seems like it could be either. One thing I can say about it is that if you've never heard Shatner's version of Pulp's "Common People", seek it out, it is truly excellent. 

Eddie Murphy

Very early in this career, Eddie Murphy started singing comedy songs on his albums. That inspired him to take a shot a serious music and his first single "Party All The Time" was a hit. It reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Sadly, that would be the high point for the actor's music career.  

Corey Feldman

You have to appreciate how hard Corey Feldman is trying to make a music career take off. He tours a lot, playing live, and giving it his all in every performance. For it, he takes an endless amount of grief, but that just makes us root a little harder for him. The music isn't for me, but I applaud the effort. 

Emma Roberts

Emma Roberts is Hollywood royalty who got her first really big break (though not her first gig, that was in Blow) on the Nickelodeon show Unfabulous. For the show, where she played a middle school singer/songwriter, she recorded quite a bit of music and even released an album. In the end, it was her acting that took off and music took a backseat. At least so far. 

Jared Leto

Obviously, Jared Leto has to be on this list. His band, Thirty Seconds to Mars, which he formed with his brother in 1998, is wildly successful. They've sold more than 15 million albums and played sold-out shows around the world. He's by far the most successful musician on this list. 

Alyssa Milano

Alyssa Milano's music career never made much of a wave in the U.S., but in Japan, she was actually really popular. She released four albums on a Japanese record label and one even went platinum. It's a small tidbit of her career that doesn't get talked about much. 

Tom Hardy

Before Tom Hardy landed the first role of his career in Black Hawk Down in 2001, the British actor took a swing at a rap career. He recorded a mixtape called Tommy No 1 and Eddie Too Tall in 1999, though it didn't see the light of day until well after Hardy became famous, in 2018. It's actually pretty good too. 

Lindsay Lohan

Lindsay Lohan has had a lot of ups and downs in her career, and one thing that could fall under both was her brief foray into music. Lohan was at the height of her Disney career, on the verge of the release of her most beloved movie, Mean Girls, when she was signed to Tommy Mottola's Casablanca Records. The two albums she recorded sold okay, but after the second, her career as a singer was over. 

Scarlett Johansson

Scarlett Johansson's first album, Anywhere I Lay My Head, released in 1998, features members of TV on the Radio, and even David Bowie sings on two tracks. Most of the songs were written or co-written by the great Tom Waits. Unfortunately, it just didn't sell all that well. Her follow-up, Break Up, recorded with Pete Yorn sold a little better, but not enough to sustain more of a career in music. She also released a song in 2015 called "Candy" with a short-lived band, The Singles, with Este Haim.

Hayden Panettiere

On Nashville, Hayden Panettiere played a country singer/songwriter living in Nashville, so naturally, she sang a lot on the show. She even recorded and released a few songs from the show. Panettiere was also nominated for a Grammy early in her career for her singing parts in A Bug's Life. In 2008, she branched out with a more pop-oriented sound and while she undoubtedly has some serious singing chops, the song "Wake Up Call" is more famous today for the video starring herself and Sebastian Stan. 

Joe Pesci

When you think of performers with silky smooth voices, Joe Pesci probably isn't the first name that comes to mind. Still, the Goodfellas star has been singing publicly since the 1960s when he released an album called Little Joe Sure Can Sing! After the huge success of My Cousin Vinny, Pesci released another album sort of in character, called Vincent LaGuardia Gambini Sings Just for You which is part comedy, part serious. It's not all that great, but he's not a bad singer. 

Kevin Bacon

The Bacon Brothers, Micheal and Kevin Bacon have been recording and touring for almost 30 years now. It's always been a passion for the Footloose star and it's clear he takes the band as seriously as he takes his acting. 

Robert Downey, Jr.

The whole world for Robert Downey, Jr. changed in 2008 when the first Iron Man was released. Downey had been a star for years, but the role took him to world superstardom. Right before that, he recorded his first album, 2006's The Futurist. The album had disappointing sales, and Downey dedicated his working life to the MCU and never seemed to find time for a follow-up.  

Steven Seagal

Like most things Steven Seagal does these days, his music career is pretty odd. He's a guitar player and blues singer who has released two albums and still plays live occasionally. While the music is not terrible by any means, it's also not all that interesting. 

Brie Larson

Brie Larson started in the music business when she was just 16. She was signed by Casablanca Records and recorded an album called Finally Out of P.E. However, the Marvels star eventually moved her focus to her acting career. She still occasionally plays guitar and sings little ditties on her YouTube page. 

Gwyneth Paltrow

Gwyneth Paltrow's singing has mostly been attached to her acting career, with her most famous song, "Country Strong" coming from the soundtrack of the movie of the same name. Paltrow does all the singing herself, and it's actually pretty great. She also flirted with more music-related stuff earlier in her career, including recording a duet with Huey Lewis. She should consider doing more! 

Milla Jovovich

The 1990s were full of ethereal singers like Hope Sandoval of Mazzy Star and Milla Jovovich's brief foray into music fit very well in that style. Her breathy style was very much of the time. One song that I can certainly recommend is her version of Lou Reed's "Satellite of Love" from the soundtrack to Million Dollar Hotel.

Florence Pugh

Florence Pugh started her career as singer called Flossie Rose on a YouTube channel in the early 2010s. Once her acting career took off, her music took a backseat, but many of the videos are still available. There is some interesting stuff there, even if it's pretty simple, as she was just a teenager at the time. 

Juliette Lewis

Juliette Lewis has had a huge career revival with her powerhouse performance in Yellowjackets, but all in her professional life, she's also been a singer. Her band, Julliette and the Licks, has been recording and playing live for almost 30 years now and as you'd expect, it's raw and in your face. 

Lucy Hale

Lucy Hale acts, hosts big TV specials, and sings. In fact, her debut album (and to date only album), Road Between, reached as high as #4 on the Billboard Country charts in 2014. It's certainly good enough for a follow-up, so maybe someday we'll get one. 

Joey Lawrence

No one else quite defines the 1990s the way Joey Lawrence does. The star of Blossom was a teen heartthrob and adorned the walls of high school girls across the country. It only makes sense he would try out a music career to capitalize on his fame. Sadly, his ambition wasn't matched by album sales. 

Scott Baio

Scott Baio starred in two huge shows in the '70s and '80s. First as Chachi on Happy Days then as the title character on Charles in Charge. Somewhere he found time to record two albums for RCA Records, but neither sold well and his music career fizzled out. 

David Duchovny

The truth is out there, and so is David Duchovny's budding musical career. He's only been at it for a few years, but he's released three albums and while the critics haven't loved his music, they haven't hated it either. He's clearly passionate about it, and it's refreshing that his albums are mostly original tunes. 

Breaking into music is hard, and while celebrities have a few built-in advantages, they don't guarantee success. For every Jared Leto, there is a Robert Downey, Jr. Still, it's always fun to hear what some of these stars have to offer, usually it's better than you expect, even when it's not great. 

Music means a lot in Martin Scorsese's films. He uses a ton of classic songs in Goodfellas and he uses them perfectly. Sometimes the songs add to the mood, and sometimes they directly contrast what is happening on the screen, but in all ways, they help make a great film one of the best of all time. 

“Layla” - Derek & The Dominos

When most people think of “Layla” by Derek & The Dominos (Eric Clapton & co.) they think of that monster riff that opens the song. Instead of using that, Scorsese uses the epic outro of the piano and dueling guitar solo by Clapton and Duane Allman as bodies from the Lufthansa Heist start showing up all over the place from dumpsters to meat lockers. It’s the best use of music in any movie, ever, and it’s one of those movie songs that make me think about a specific scene. 

"Then He Kissed Me" - The Crystals

Scorsese makes liberal use of that classic Phil Spector “Wall of Sound” sound throughout Goodfellas. In what is, if not the most famous scene in the movie, it's right up there as Henry (Ray Liotta) and Karen (Lorraine Bracco) make their way into the Copa in that amazing Steadicam shot that uses “Then He Kissed Me” by The Crystals. A perfect song for a perfect date. 

"Chariot" - Betty Curtis

Martin Scorsese didn’t just scratch the surface of late ‘50s and early ‘60s rock n’ roll, he dug deep. “Chariot” by Italian singer Betty Curtis is a perfect example. There are more famous versions of the song, but this one fits the scene when Karen confronts Henry after he stands her up on their double date.

"Sunshine of Your Love" - Cream

The late 1960s weren’t exactly the Summer of Love for Henry and his crew, but Martin Scorsese still managed to slip in a flower-power anthem with Cream’s “Sunshine of Your Love." It comes much later in the movie’s timeline than the ‘60s, but it’s a pivotal moment in the film as Jimmy, played by Scorsese regular Robert De Niro, decides he’s going to whack Morrie (Chuck Low) and the rest of the crew he assembled for the Lufthansa Heist. 

"Atlantis" - Donovan 

There is something about Donovan that can add such a deep air of forbidding. David Fincher used Donovan to great effect in Zodiac, and in Goodfellas, it plays as Tommy (Joe Pesci) takes out a LOT of aggression on Billy Batts (Frank Vincent) while Donovan’s “Atlantis” raises the tension even more. 

"Look in My Eyes" - The Chantels

1961’s “Look in My Eyes” by The Chantels brings a laid-back and classic sound to the Air France heist, which conveys the laid-back way Henry’s first big heist was pulled off. Smooth and easy. 

"Can't We Be Sweethearts" - The Cleftones

"Can't We Be Sweethearts" by The Cleftones is a doo-wop classic that evokes the ‘50s perfectly in the early scenes of the movie. Young Henry is just figuring out his way in the underworld and his father is not pleased about it at all, taking his belt to Henry after the budding gangster misses a little too much school. 

“Gimme Shelter” - The Rolling Stones

One of the greatest songs of all time, “Gimme Shelter” by The Rolling Stones is one of a couple of Stones songs that Scorsese mixes into the Goodfellas soundtrack to great effect. It shows up as Henry is explaining his new Pittsburgh connection with help from Debi Mazar's character, Sandy, and selling something he shouldn’t be selling. Paulie (Paul Sorvino) would not be happy if he found out, which he explains to Henry as the song starts. 

“Jump Into The Fire” - Harry Nilsson

“Jump Into The Fire” by the late, great Harry Nilsson is another example of picking the exact right song for a scene in which Henry is on edge, burning the candle at both ends and hardly keeping his life or his work together. He’s strung out and paranoid as he runs all over town balancing his illegal activities, all while being convinced a helicopter is following him.

“Monkey Man” - The Rolling Stones

The paranoia continues for Henry as he, now with Karen in the car, with the helicopter following them as “Monkey Man” plays. Henry speeds off to Karen’s mother’s house to hide the guns. Karen is agitated and Henry looks so bad a doctor gives him something to calm him down. It’s the peak of Henry’s downward spiral. 

“Memo From Turner” - Mick Jagger

This underrated and somewhat obscure gem by Mick Jagger appears only for a little bit as Henry is on his way to the hospital to pick up his brother as he tears around town in his state of paranoia. The jumping back and forth between songs in this classic scene ups the frantic nature 10-fold and it works brilliantly. 

“Magic Bus” - The Who (Live At Leeds version)

This live version of “Magic Bus” by The Who is a long, drawn-out take on one of the band’s earliest hits. It also shows up in the helicopter scene, and like the other mishmash of jumpy songs, this one fits right in as Henry barely avoids an accident. 

"What Is Life" - George Harrison

The paranoia and chaos continue with the crunchy opening riff of George Harrison’s “What is Life” as Henry continues his hectic day, just before he’s eventually busted. It continues to help build the desperation Henry is feeling. 

Mannish Boy" - Muddy Waters

Henry meets up with Sandy (Debi Mazer) at her place and things seem to slow down a little bit as they prepare the package to go to Pittsburgh. Even as he fights with Sandy some, it’s the calmest part of his day, reflected by the blues legend Muddy Waters belting out his classic “Mannish Boy”–a song he also sang live in another Scorsese-helmed film, “The Last Waltz.”

“My Way” - Sid Vicious

As the credits roll at the end of the movie, Sid Vicious belts out his punk version of the Frank Sinatra classic “My Way.” It’s the perfect end of the movie, the serene ‘50s of Henry’s youth are long gone, and the ‘70s are a much more chaotic and edgier time for the gangster, ending with him ratting on all his friends, and while Henry did it “his way”, it wasn’t the way he expected when he got into the life. 

"Rags to Riches" - Tony Bennett

The opening of the movie is very different from the end in tone. Instead of the angry punk takedown of the ‘50s, audiences are treated to a classic big band number by the great Tony Bennett, “Rags To Riches”. The music serves to immediately put us in a time and place, with the same hopeful optimism that young Henry has when he discovers Paulie’s cab stand and sees Sopranos star Tony Sirico (as Tony "Stacks") getting out of a nice car. 

"Frosty the Snowman" - The Ronettes

There is a very brief moment of levity after the crew pulls off the Lufthansa Heist that is ushered in with the Phil Spector-produced Ronette's version of "Frosty The Snowman". It's short-lived though, as everyone starts showing up with expensive items they purchased with the money and Jimmy isn't happy. 

"Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" - Darlene Love

Christmas is supposed to be the best time of the year, but at the Christmas party celebrating the heist, Jimmy is not in the best mood. It doesn't help when Morrie begs for his cut, as Darlene Love croons "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" under the tense conversation. 

"Bells of St. Marys" - The Drifters

It's a good Christmas for Henry and Karen after the heist. Henry buys an impressive white tree and showers his wife and kids with gifts, all to the tune of "Bells of St. Marys" by The Drifters.

"Leader of the Pack" by-The Shangri-Las

Reality sets in for Karen when she attends a party with all the other mob wives. As they mingle and test makeup with each other, the sounds of a classic girl group, The  Shangri-Las' song "Leader of the Pack" fits the all-women scene perfectly.

"Baby I Love You" - Aretha Franklin

When Henry sets his first mistress Janice up in an apartment, they have a party to celebrate and there is no better music for a party than the indomitable Aretha Franklin singing her song "Baby I Love You." Poor Karen.  

"Beyond the Sea" - Bobby Darin

Henry's description of prison for wise guys sounds a lot like a vacation. There's lobster, and steak, and very thinly sliced garlic by Paulie. What better way to evoke feelings of time off than "Beyond the Sea" by Bobby Darin? 

"Speedoo" - The Cadillacs

One of the most pivotal moments in Henry's life comes to the tune of "Speedoo" by The Cadillacs, a fantastic early rock n' roll song. It's to the sound of this song that Henry first meets Jimmy at the underground casino run by Paulie. His life would never be the same. 

"It's Not for Me to Say" by Johnny Mathis

Even when the music isn't pivotal to the scene, Martin Scorsese still takes care to make sure it sounds good and fits the mood. Take It's Not for Me to Say" by Johnny Mathis, which plays quietly in the background of Henry's first awkward date with Karen. It features the perfect lyric, 

"Playboy" - The Marvelettes

"Playboy" by The Marvelettes is another great one you might miss if you're not paying attention, as it quietly plays in the car as Henry and Tommy sit outside Henry's restaurant which slowly is engulfed in flames as they look to collect the insurance money on the place. 

"Life Is But a Dream" - The Harptones

Another deep track Martin Scorsese pulls out in Goodfellas is "Life Is But a Dream" by The Harptones. It was never a big hit, but it's an amazing song and perfect for the wedding of Henry and Karen. The scene also has one of the great cameos of the movie with Scorsese's mother, Catherine, playing Tommy's mother and lecturing him at the wedding about settling down. 

"This World We Love In (Il Cielo In Una Stanza)" by Mina

Another one of the most classic scenes in Scorsese's Goodfellas features another deep track, "This World We Love In (Il Cielo In Una Stanza)" by Mina. It's the famous scene when Henry introduces all the gangsters at his restaurant and the music is just barely audible under the din, but once again it sets the mood perfectly. 

"Wives and Lovers" - Jack Jones

"Wives and Lovers" by Jack Jones is the song playing at another pivotal moment in Henry's life when Morrie pitches the idea of the Lufthansa Heist. During a dinner party with Morrie and his wife at the Hill's house, the song plays on the new stereo bought to celebrate Henry's coming home from prison. 

"Roses Are Red" - Bobby Vinton

During the whirlwind romance between Henry and Karen, one of the dates features a show by Bobby Vinton where he performs one of his biggest hits, "Roses Are Red." Karen can't help but be overwhelmed as Vinton sends champagne to the new couple. 

"Hearts of Stone" - Otis Williams and the Charms

Young Henry Hill learns pretty quickly just how ruthless his new mob friends can be when he lets slip that his father isn't happy about him working at the cab stand after a letter from the school reveals Henry hasn't been going. Paulie and the other guys from the cab stand take it out on the mailman and convince him not to deliver any more letter to Henry's house. "Hearts of Stone" by Otis Williams and the Charms adds some real charm to the scene. 

"Boulevard of Broken Dreams" - Tony Bennett

When Henry gets out of jail, Paulie holds a party for him. It's a celebratory affair, but underneath, of course, is the ominous dread that comes with Paulie warning Hanry not to sell drugs outside of prison. Tony Bennett sings the apropos "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" as the party goes on. 

"Sincerely" - The Moonglows

There is so much good music in Goodfellas it can be overwhelming. You really have to listen for some of the buried gems, like "Sincerely" by The Moonglows, which plays at the cookout hosted by Paulie early in the movie. It's a brilliant song. 

Martin Scorcese is, without a doubt, one of the best filmmakers of all time with a slew of legendary movies. One thing most have in common is his uncanny use of music to add to the drama, Goodfellas just happens to be among the very best. 

Even before he left the Saturday Night Live cast in 2022, Pete Davidson had already become one of the sketch comedy series’ biggest stars — not just because of his other acting projects, but also his personal life, including his dating history, especially. The actor and comedian’s personal life actually serves as the basis for Bupkis — a new Peacock original TV show that he created with Judah Miller and David Sirus. In addition to Davidson, there are many other celebrities playing themselves in guest roles in the Bupkis cast, but let’s begin our breakdown of the star-studded ensemble with its three series regulars. 

Pete Davidson (Pete Davidson)

Leading the Bupkis cast as Pete Davidson is...Pete Davidson, who acquired stardom on SNL before starring in movies and TV shows of an eclectic sort — such as his comic book movie debut in 2021’s The Suicide Squad, his voice acting parts in The Angry Birds Movie 2 and Marmaduke as the titular Great Dane, and his recurring role on The Rookie. 

The last time he played a fictionalized version of himself was in 2020’s The King of Staten Island (which he also co-wrote with director Judd Apatow), his last Peacock original project was the sci-fi rom-com Meet Cute, and one of his biggest upcoming titles is Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, in which he voices a robot named Mirage.

Edie Falco (Amy Davidson)

Starring as Pete’s mother, Amy, is Edie Falco, who is best known for her Emmy-winning performances in HBO’s The Sopranos cast as Carmela and in the title role of Showtime’s darkly comic medical drama, Nurse Jackie. The actor is also known for writer and director James Mangold’s acclaimed 1997 crime thriller, Cop Land, her role in the Oz cast as Officer Diane Whittlesey, playing Hilary Clinton on the third season of FX’s American Crime Story, and her role in the Avatar: The Way of Water cast, most recently.

Joe Pesci (Joe Larocca)

Surprisingly interrupting his retirement for the first time since he starred in Martin Scorsese’s 2019 true crime drama, The Irishman (which earned him an Academy Award nomination), is Joe Pesci, starring as Pete’s grandfather, Joe — also his first TV role since the short-lived NBC series, Half Nelson, in 1985, according to Variety. 

Before The Irishman, the 80-year-old actor starred in three Scorsese movies: Raging Bull, Casino, and Goodfellas — the last of which did earn him an Oscar. Some of Pesci’s other most iconic roles include Leo Getz in the Lethal Weapon movies, Harry from Home Alone (which turned out to be a truly painful experience for him), and the title role of, arguably, the funniest courtroom movie ever, My Cousin Vinny.

La La Anthony

Among the vast rotation of guest stars in the Bupkis cast, we have La La Anthony, who rose to fame as an MTV VJ before starring in movies like Think Like a Man and its sequel, and TV shows like the hit Starz original TV show, Power.

Colson "Machine Gun Kelly" Baker

Davidson’s real-life friend, Colson Baker (a.k.a. Machine Gun Kelly), also stars, marking their fifth on-screen collaboration following the rapper’s music video for “Loco,” Netflix’s Mötley Crüe biopic, The Dirt, Hulu’s coming-of-age dramedy, Big Time Adolescence, and the 2022 stoner comedy, Good Mourning, which Baker also co-wrote and co-directed. 

Steve Buscemi

Also starring in Bupkis is Emmy winner Steve Buscemi — star of Quentin Tarantino movies like Reservoir Dogs, Coen Brothers classics like Fargo and The Big Lebowski, and several Adam Sandler movies, too — who last acted opposite Davidson in The King of Staten Island.

Bobby Cannavale

Also on the guest list is Buscemi’s Boardwalk Empire co-star and Falco’s Nurse Jackie co-star, two-time Emmy winner Bobby Cannavale, whose impressive, lengthy resume also includes Marvel’s Ant-Man movies, Netflix’s The Watcher cast, and John Turturro’s The Big Lebowski spin-off, The Jesus Rolls, which also starred Davidson.

Charlamagne Tha God

While better known for hosting iHeartRadio’s The Breakfast Club and Comedy Central’s Tha God’s Honest Truth, as well as talking about his friend Pete Davidson’s penis on air, Lenard “Charlamagne Tha God” McKelvey has also delved into acting a few times (mostly as himself), such as on Empire, Dave, and Queens.

Charlie Day

Appearing as Pete’s therapist (according to the Bupkis trailer) is Charlie Day, whose career has taken some interesting turns since breaking out in FX’s It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia cast, such as starring in Guillermo del Toro’s Pacific Rim movies and playing Luigi in the Super Mario Bros. Movie voice cast more recently.

Philip Ettinger

Some of Phillip Ettinger’s most notable credits prior to Bupkis including the shocking 2012 psychological thriller, Compliance, Brawl in Cell Block 99, and First Reformed from 2017, and two other Peacock original TV shows: Angelyne and Friend of the Family.

Ray Romano

Also appearing is Joe Pesci’s The Irishman co-star and Bobby Cannavale’s Vinyl co-star, Ray Romano — an acclaimed stand-up comedian known best for his Emmy-winning sitcom, Everybody Loves Raymond, his role as Manny in the Ice Age movies, and the Oscar-nominated dramedy, The Big Sick.

Brad Garrett

Best known for playing Romano’s brother on Everybody Loves Raymond is three-time Emmy winner Brad Garrett, who has leant his distinct baritone voice to popular animated movies like the Pixar classic, Ratatouille, and recently played Eeyore in Disney’s live-action Winnie the Pooh reboot, Christopher Robin.

Al Gore

Former United States Vice President Al Gore — whose 2006 documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, won two Oscars — previously collaborated with Pete Davidson on a Climate Reality training presentation in 2019.

Paul Walter Hauser

While best known for dramas like I, Tonya, Cruella, or BlacKkKlansman, Paul Walter Hauser has shown his comedic side before in numerous titles, such as Reno 911! and Apple TV+’s inventive whodunnit, The Afterparty.

Sunita Mani

Audiences should recognize Sunita Mani from Netflix’s GLOW cast, her many notable supporting roles in movies like Apple TV+’s holiday musical, Spirited, her brief appearance in the Best Picture Oscar Winner Everything Everywhere All At Once, and her lead role in the sci-fi rom-com thriller, Save Yourselves!

John Mulaney

Another real-life buddy of Davidson’s with a role in Bupkis is former SNL writer John Mulaney — known for lending his voice to shows like Netflix’s Big Mouth and movies like Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and performing great stand-up specials like his most recent one, Baby J, in which he actually tells a funny anecdote about Davidson.

Simon Rex

Simon Rex was best known for starring in spoof movies like a couple of the Scary Movie installments and the Amanda Bynes-led sitcom, What I Like About You, before his acclaimed leading role in the A24-produced 2021 comedy, Red Rocket.

Oona Roche

Playing Pete’s sister (based on her line about the embarrassment her “brother” causes her) is Oona Roche, who previously appeared in a recurring role on Apple TV+’s The Morning Show and recently starred opposite Jude Law and Carrie Coon in the tense 2020 family drama, The Nest.

Cliff “Method Man” Smith

Another hip-hop artist appearing on Bupkis is Pete Davidson’s Trainwreck co-star and Wu-Tang Clan member, Cliff “Method Man” Smith, whose previous, most notable acting credits include HBO’s The Wire cast, the Key & Peele-led action-comedy, Keanu, and Starz’s Power Book II: Ghost.

Jon Stewart

Davidson paid tribute to former The Daily Show host, Jon Stewart — also known for acting in movies like The Faculty and, more recently, returning to political satire for Apple TV+’s The Problem with Jon Stewart — when he received the Mark Twain Prize in 2022, and I assume his Bupkis appearance is a way of thanking him.

Kenan Thompson

In addition to Davidson’s return to SNL as the Season 48 finale host, Bupkis will serve as a reunion for him and Kenan Thompson, who is also known for movies like the latter two Mighty Ducks installments and Good Burger, which was inspired by a sketch from his All That tenure and is getting a sequel on Paramount+.

Marissa Jaret Winokur

Bupkis co-creator Judah Miller’s wife, Tony Award winner Marissa Jaret Wionkur, has starred in movies like the Drew Barrymore-led rom-com, Never Been Kissed, and appeared on TV shows like FX’s What We Do in the Shadows, to name a few.

Chase Sui Wonders

Since working together in the 2022 horror movie, Bodies Bodies Bodies, rumors have swirled about Davidson’s relationship with Chase Sui Wonders, who is now collaborating with him again on Bupkis.

If you have a Peacock subscription, go ahead and stream Bupkis on Peacock now to see Davidson and the rest of this large, star-studded ensemble on this exciting new comedy.

Joe Pesci is an Oscar-winning actor known for his incredible performances within the gangster movie genre. However, his role as one of the bumbling robbers in the first two Home Alone movies may just be as memorable. His character, Harry, famously tried to steal from the McCallister household while their son Kevin (played adorably by Macaulay Culkin) was left home alone and his family went on vacation. The first movie was a massive hit and remains a Christmas staple. However, shooting the film wasn’t smooth sailing for Pesci, who apparently sustained serious burns while working on the film. 

The Goodfellas actor was recently interviewed about the film by People as Home Alone 2: Lost in New York reaches its 30th anniversary. Pesci revealed that while he enjoyed making its predecessor and was appreciate of its massive success, he did get seriously injured during the movie’s production. He detailed: 

Well, thankfully the Casino actor didn’t have to do all of his own stunts for this holiday classic. Who knows what kind of injuries Pesci could’ve sustained if he insisted on doing everything? However, it seems like the actor still has fond memories of the film, even if he got hurt along the way. When asked if he’d ever do another Home Alone film, while Pesci didn’t seem vehemently against the project, he wasn’t sure it would have the same effect 30 years later. He said:

Whether he is right or not remains up for debate. However, Disney would likely be interested in Pesci making a return to the franchise. Last year, the company produced Home Sweet Home Alone, which was released on Disney+ and starred Ellie Kemper and Rob Delaney. The film was poorly reviewed, but there is clearly interest in the franchise. Maybe a Pesci return is just what the material needs to reinvigorate the Christmas magic of the original. 

If this is a possibility, it likely won’t happen for a while. The veteran actor is currently filming Bupkis, a sitcom starring Pete Davidson about the comedian’s life. Pesci is set to play Davidson’s grandfather on the project, and The Sopranos’ Edie Falco will play the lead actor's mom. The show will be available with a Peacock subscription in the near future. Pesci originally announced he was retiring from acting in 1999, however has starred in three films since, including Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman, for which he received an Oscar nomination.

Disney+ subscribers can revisit Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York this holiday season, as both films are currently streaming on the platform. For more Christmas classics available to stream or watch on TV, make sure to check out our 2022 Christmas movie schedule.

Remember when Ruben Fleischer’s weekend box office hit Zombieland had a surprise cameo from Bill Murray? Believe it or not, that role was actually going to go to another celebrated actor we all know and love. Joe Pesci was originally approached to take on what ended up being Bill Murray’s surprise cameo role, but turned it down for one specific reason.

You may remember that random Bill Murray cameo as he played a fictional version of himself in the zombie-comedy flick Zombieland. The gang visits his mansion, accidentally gets killed after being mistaken for a real zombie, and he regretted Garfield. Well, Joe Pesci was about to be the cameo that would have made audiences cheer as it was revealed on Twitter by Zombieland co-screenwriter Rhett Reese that the Home Alone star wasn’t offered enough money to sign on for it.

It’s a shame that Joe Pesci rejected the offer. This would have been a cameo no one would have expected since he announced his retirement in 1999 and focused on his music career. But Pesci came out of retirement for Netflix’s The Irishman, where he reunited with a number of actors from Martin Scorsese's movies. But it wasn’t without a little coaxing from Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, and others who were part of the Netflix Oscar-nominated film. Shows that everyone wanted this talented performer to come back to play the gangster-type roles we all know him for.

It’s a funny story about how Bill Murray ended up taking on his Zombieland role. The horror-comedy film’s co-screenwriter Paul Wernick approached Woody Harrelson about which celebrity would be great for the part. He said it was either Dustin Hoffman or Bill Murray. Since Hoffman wasn’t available, he gave his St. Vincent pal a call and he took the bait. His cameo was almost completely different where Murray’s character would go full zombie on the characters and was nearly impossible to destroy. But the comedic actor wasn’t a fan of that writing choice, so rewrites had to be done to give us the memorable scene we know today. 

When Zombieland 2: Double Tap came out, Bill Murray was brought back to the sequel. You can see him in a post-credits scene where during his interview promoting the fictional film Garfield 3: Flabby Tabby, the zombie apocalypse starts with Murray battling all of the zombies that break in during the junket. Clearly, this iconic actor ain’t afraid of no ghosts or zombies. Joe Pesci could have gotten his chance to appear in a funny scene with Ghostbusters stars for the sequel, but the Goodfellas actor wasn’t acting anymore at the time and still would have wanted more money for the role. If ten years later they decide to make a third Zombieland movie let's hope Pesci will say yes this time. I wouldn't care if he would be in his late '80s. He would still make the role memorable.

While it would have been entertaining to see a surprise cameo of Joe Pesci in Zombieland, Bill Murray was still a real treat for audiences to see. You can his hilarious cameo appearance in Zombieland on your Peacock subscription and Zombieland 2: Double Tap on Starz.

The Masked Singer Season 5 is officially underway, which means it's officially open season for viewers to sniff out the identities of contestants. With that in mind, I'm already hot on the trail looking into the latest clues and speculation surrounding a couple of contestants, and I think I have The Raccoon all figured out.

The Raccoon's first performance showed he's going to carry on the tradition of a non-singer who can survive on energy and charisma alone. I won't knock a valid strategy, but I also won't sit here and act like I think this is a professional singer by any means. With that to kick things off, let's revisit the clues of Raccoon's premiere episode and whittle down the possibilities one by one.

The Clues

The first clue package The Masked Singer Season 5 had for The Raccoon started with some real jailbird energy. While The Raccoon sat behind bars and etched off the days on a wall with his claws, he talked about having to go through hell to get a happy ending. He apparently faced death, and viewers were shown a knife.

The Raccoon likened himself to the fictional character Quasimodo, perhaps to suggest he's been locked away from the world. Raccoon said he bargained with God for another chance, promising that he wouldn't waste it if given another chance at life. To me, it seemed like this person spent some time either in prison or rehab and had turned their life around and found great success in a rebirth. Probably not in singing given their performance of "Wild Thing" by The Troggs, but hey, success can come in all forms.

The Raccoon may be a little rough around the edges, but obviously is a celebrity who ultimately found great fame after their fall from grace. With that in mind, here are a few possible options for who it may be, as well as who The Masked Singer contestant likely is. Like one raccoon said to another as they stood at the lip of a dumpster, let's dive in!

Joe Pesci

This is a guess straight from The Masked Singer panel, and honestly, not a bad choice. Actor Joe Pesci has long been known as a tough guy in Hollywood, or at least, somebody who plays a tough guy. The actor played a made man in roles like Goodfellas and also spent some time behind bars as one half of the Wet Bandits in Home Alone. Those aren't exactly real and daunting dark times like The Raccoon talked about in the clue videos, but The Masked Singer has thrown misdirects at its audience before.

Mike Tyson

Ken Jeong doesn't have a great track record for contestants on The Masked Singer, but he may actually be onto something with Mike Tyson. The prizefighter-turned-actor certainly isn't known for his singing ability, and given the two worked on the set of not one but two Hangover movies, one would think Jeong knew Tyson's voice well enough to pick it up out of a crowd. Plus, when it comes to celebrities with a rough past, Tyson spent time in prison for about 3 years. Ken Jeong has gotten a lot of crap for guesses in the past, but credit where it's due because this is a good guess.

Danny Trejo

Danny Trejo is a badass in Hollywood and frequently seen in many rough and tumble roles. Fans know it's not necessarily a coincidence that he's frequently cast in those roles, as Trejo spent some time in prison throughout his youth and went on to find great success. Certainly a strong contender for The Raccoon, but could he have the time in his schedule for The Masked Singer?

Danny DeVito

The man, the myth, the legend, The Masked Singer fans surely know Danny DeVito. The actor has that gravelly voice that is on par with The Raccoon's performance, and he plays the degenerate Frank Reynolds on It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia. With that said, DeVito hasn't really had a history of past crimes unless we're talking about playing Mr. Wormwood on Matilda. By all accounts, DeVito is a stand-up guy, so this one would be a bit harder to justify than other options.

Our Best Guess

Before I heard the singing and the clues about prison time, I heard the voice. There are some participants on The Masked Singer where no amount of modulation can hide a voice, and when they start singing, it's all over. I was already suspicious it was Danny Trejo before he sang a single note, and the first "wild thing" solidified it for me beyond a shadow of a doubt.

As I mentioned earlier, Danny Trejo was in and out of prison throughout his youth and eventually found a way out in acting. That "second chance" has kept him on a righteous path ever since, and while I don't know for sure what the knife is for, I'm assuming it's some sort of vague reference to the Machete franchise Trejo starred in. It's also worth noting the clue package featured an image of a winged raccoon attacking a snake in a manner similar to the eagle with a snake in its mouth on the Mexican flag. Trejo is Mexican-American, so that could be a nod to his cultural roots.

As for any additional clues, I noticed when The Raccoon stood next to Niecy Nash that the two were roughly the same height. Nash is 5'4 but was wearing heels, and Danny Trejo is 5'6. Height is usually a huge way to confirm a contestant's identity, especially if they're someone who has any height noticeably above or below the average. Given all that, I'd say I'm about 95% sure this is Trejo and would be shocked if The Raccoon is anyone other than him.

The Masked Singer airs on Fox Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET. Do you believe The Raccoon is Danny Trejo? Sound off in our poll, and continue to check back in throughout all of Season 5 for more guesses on who each contestant may be.

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Home Alone is a Christmas classic. It’s the story of a boy who finds himself home alone during the holidays. At first, the idea is fun and appealing, but then the loneliness and danger of it all kick in, especially when two burglars try to rob the place. Home Alone turned 30 this year, so it’s a good time to check in on what Macaulay Culkin and the rest of the cast have been up to since the film’s 1990 premiere.

Let’s look at the major works that Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, Catherine O’Hara, and other Home Alone cast members have participated in during the last 30 years.

Macaulay Culkin (Kevin McCallister)

Culkin played mischievous little 8-year-old Kevin McCallister. He wished his family away and then had his dream come true when they accidentally left him at home. Culkin appeared in a slew of movies in the early 90s. One of his most famous works was as Thomas J. Sennett in My Girl. If you weren’t grabbing a tissue after this role, you have no heart. He starred opposite Elijah Wood as a bad seed in The Good Son. He played Richie Rich in the 1994 adaptation and then reprised his role as Kevin in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.

Culkin took a nearly ten-year hiatus from acting and returned with Party Monster. Then he appeared in cult-classic Saved! opposite Mandy Moore, Jena Malone, and Patrick Fugit. Culkin then had a series of guest roles in shows like Will & Grace, Robot Chicken, and Dollface. Coming up, he will appear in the upcoming season of American Horror Story.

Joe Pesci (Harry)

Joe Pesci played one of the burglars in Home Alone and its sequel. Harry is clearly the brains of the operation and was a lot more hot-headed than his literal partner in crime. Pesci is a legend, so he had quite an active career before and after Home Alone. He played the cousin Vinny in the law comedy My Cousin Vinny. He reprised his role as Leo Getz in Lethal Weapon 3 and Lethal Weapon 4.

Pesci teamed up with Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro for the crime film Casino. He then teamed up with Scorsese and De Niro again in 2019 for The Irishman, The film earned Pesci a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination. In the past 30 years, he has also appeared with De Niro in a few other films like A Bronx Tale and The Good Shepherd.

Daniel Stern (Marv)

In Home Alone, Daniel Stern played Harry’s partner-in-crime Marv. Harry got the brains and Marv got the height. Stern played Phil Berquist in City Slickers and City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly’s Gold. These films star Billy Crystal, Stern, and Jack Palance. The first film launched Jake Gyllenhaal’s career. In 1993, Stern appeared with Ian Nicholas and Gary Busey in the sports comedy Rookie of the Year.

He also appeared in indie Ellen Page and Drew Barrymore’s film Whip It, and in the Workaholics crew’s film Game Over, Man!. Stern has done voice-over work on shows such as Dilbert, The Simpsons, Hey Arnold!, and Family Guy. He’s also had guest appearances on the shows Monk, House of Lies, Angie Tribeca, and Love. Daniel Stern has a recurring role on Hulu’s Shrill. He plays main character Annie (Aidy Bryant)’s father. Shrill was recently renewed for a third season.

Catherine O’Hara (Kate McCallister)

Catherine O’Hara played Kevin’s mother Kate. She has questionable mothering skills because she lost her son not once but twice. Much of the first film involves Kate trying to make it back home to Kevin. O’Hara voiced Sally in The Nightmare Before Christmas. She then appeared in a few lesser-known films in the 90s and early 2000s, including A Simple Twist of Fate opposite Steve Martin, Home Fries starring Drew Barrymore and Luke Wilson, and cult favorites Orange County and Best in Show.

O’Hara also dabbled quite a bit in the world of voice-over work, voicing characters in Monster House, Brother Bear 2, Chicken Little, Frankenweenie, and Pippi Longstocking. She appeared in the movies Penelope, For Your Consideration, and Away We Go. Catherine O’Hara also appeared in episodes of Six Feet Under, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Modern Family, A Series of Unfortunate Events, and 30 Rock.

Most people will now recognize O’Hara for her role as Moira Rose in Schitt’s Creek. The role won her a 2020 Emmy Award for Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. O’Hara can next be heard in the animated film Extinct.

John Heard (Peter McCallister)

Peter joins the bad parents’ club as Kevin’s father Peter. John Heard appeared in the heartbreaking '90s drama Radio Flyer that starred Lorraine Bracco and Elijah Wood. He also appeared in the legal drama The Pelican Brief, which starred Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington. Heard appeared with major actors like Meryl Streep, Liam Neeson, Nicolas Cage, Samuel L. Jackson, Dan Aykroyd, and Christina Ricci in films such as My Fellow Americans, Before and After, One Eight Seven, Snake Eyes, and Desert Blue.

Heard appeared in the TV series Law and Order, The Outer Limits, CSI Miami, and The Chicago Code. He had a recurring role in Prison Break, The Sopranos, and short-lived Jack & Bobby. 

Tragically, John Heard died in 2017 of a heart attack.

Devin Ratray (Buzz McCallister)

Buzz was Kevin’s older brother and constant tormentor. Devin Ratray went on to appear in another children-behaving-badly film, Dennis the Menace. His next major movie role was in the Julia Stiles and Luke Mably starring film The Prince & Me. He played a character named Scotty. Ratray then had small roles in the films The Winning Season, Breaking Point, Rough Night, Nebraska, Masterminds, and Surrogates.

Devin Ratray had a small role in the crime drama Hustlers starring Constance Wu and Jennifer Lopez. He had many guest appearances in Law & Order and its spin-off series. Ratray also appeared in episodes of Supernatural, The Good Wife, Elementary, Girls, and Russian Doll. He had recurring roles in Amazon Prime’s The Tick and Mosaic. Ratray can next be seen in the films Construction and Hollywood.Con. He recently appeared on Amy Sedaris’s series At Home with Amy Sedaris.

Kieran Culkin (Fuller McCallister)

Kieran Culkin played Kevin’s youngest cousin Fuller. Macaulay’s real-life younger brother followed in his footsteps appearing in many films in the '90s. He played Matty Banks in Steve Martin’s Father of the Bride and its sequel Father of the Bride Part II. Culkin appeared in Nowhere to Run, My Summer Story, The Mighty, and She’s All That all in the '90s. He also had a role in the Wes Craven directed drama Music of the Heart that starred Meryl Streep, Angela Bassett, and Gloria Estefan.

Kieran Culkin played Buster in The Cider House Rules, Tim Sullivan in The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys, and Igby in Igby Goes Down. He had a fun role as Wallace Wells in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. Culkin has successfully made the transition to TV. First appearing in Fargo and now as Roman Roy in Succession. His role in Succession earned him Emmy and Golden Globe nominations.

John Candy (Gus Polinski)

John Candy played the friendly stranger, Gus Polinski, who helps Kate get to Kevin. Candy voiced Wilbur in the Disney animated feature The Rescuers Down Under. He then appeared in the films Nothing But Trouble, Career Opportunities, and Only the Lonely. He played real-life attorney Dean Andrews Jr. in JFK, the Oliver Stone drama that examines the events leading up to the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Candy’s Home Alone co-star Joe Pesci also appeared in this film.

Candy reunited with the other member of the burglar team when he appeared in Rookie of the Year with Daniel Stern. Candy had one of the lead roles in Cool Runnings, a sports comedy based on the real-life story of a Jamaican bobsledding team. After Cool Runnings, Candy only appeared in two more films, Wagons East and Canadian Bacon before he died in 1994. It’s believed he died of a heart attack.

Roberts Blossom (Marley)

Roberts Blossom played Marley, Kevin’s elderly neighbor that at first, he's afraid of, but the two form a bond with the McCallisters gone. Blossom appeared in a few films after Home Alone. They were Doc Hollywood, Death Falls, and The Quick and the Dead.

Blossom spent most of his post-Home Alone career on television. He appeared in episodes of Northern Exposure, Murder in the Heartland, Chicago Hope, and Balloon Farm. Blossom passed away in 2011 at 87 years old from cerebrovascular disease.

Gerry Bamman (Uncle Frank)

Uncle Frank is Kevin’s dad’s older brother. Kevin isn’t too fond of his Uncle Frank and Frank isn’t too fond of Kevin or spending money. After Home Alone, Gerry Bamman appeared in the films Married to It, The Bodyguard, Lorenzo’s Oil, and the sci-fi film The Puppet Masters, which starred Donald Sutherland. Bamman also had roles in Great Expectations, The Long Kiss Goodnight, Superstar, and The Confession.

Bamman had a recurring role in Law and Order as Stan Gillum. He then appeared in the series Sex and the City, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, and The Following.

Home Alone is available to stream on Disney+. We hope you enjoy it, you filthy animals. Stream it on Disney+ here.

Today Home Alone easily ranks as a top Christmas movie classic. For many it’s a time-honored tradition to pop in Home Alone when December comes around. But it sounds like that isn’t the case for Joe Pesci’s longtime friend, Robert De Niro. Which, honestly, is pretty mind-boggling when you think about it.

Joe Pesci famously played Harry, one of the Wet Bandits in Home Alone when it released in 1990. You’d think Robert De Niro would have gone to a screening when the movie came out, but he didn’t. Recently, when talking about his latest movie The War with Grandpa with CinemaBlend’s own Jeff McCobb, Robert De Niro admitted he’d never seen the slapstick holiday comedy:

On the one hand, it kind of makes sense that Robert De Niro didn’t run out to see Home Alone when it first released and never got around to seeing it afterward. He’s not really in the movie’s choice demographic. On the other hand his friend Joe Pesci is in the movie, so you’d think that would be enough to check it out. De Niro just hadn’t gotten around to seeing it and said later,

Believe it or not, a few months before Home Alone released, Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci’s wildly popular gangster movie Goodfellas hit theaters-- which must have been surreal for Joe Pesci to be in two very different movies back to back. But that also begs the question,how did Home Alone not come up in conversation between the two?

Ironically, Robert De Niro’s movie The War with Grandpa is very reminiscent to Home Alone. From the trailer you can see there’s plenty of silly hijinks and slapstick comedy to go around. Plus, it has the classic generation gap and conflict between young and old.

In The War with Grandpa, Robert DeNiro’s character, named Ed, moves into his daughter’s home and shares the same room with his grandson, Peter. Upset that he has to share his favorite room, Peter declares war against his cranky grandpa with comedic results.

In a way, Robert De Niro, who’s mostly known for acting in serious dramas, has taken a page out of Joe Pesci’s playbook by hopping occasionally over to do comedies. He famously played Jack Byrnes in Meet the Parents and more recently played another grandpa in Dirty Grandpa, co-starring Zac Efron.

Of course, Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci go all the way back to Martin Scorsese’s Raging Bull and have made seven movies together. They kind of owe it to each other to see these comedies, right? Perhaps to make things even, both Robert DeNiro and Joe Pesci can get together and watch Home Alone and The War with Grandpa? That’ll be about square. For more movie news, be sure to stay tuned to CinemaBlend.

There is, quite possibly, no more diverse or wildly inspired catalog of creatures than that of the Star Wars galaxy. One of the newest members to that family, the diminutive fan favorite Babu Frik, has one of the best stories to confirm that statement, as the influences behind his character happened to be none other than legendary actors Joe Pesci and Ernest Borgnine.

Sharing this information in a recent interview, creature and makeup effects supervisor Neal Scanlan discussed the process behind cooking up the well-known Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker character as follows:

In a profile piece with Polygon, Neal Scanlan spoke at length about how this latest breakout character was honed and crafted into the memorable presence voiced by Shirley Henderson in director J.J. Abrams’ finale to Star Wars' Skywalker Saga. In particular, Ernest Borgnine is cited as an especially powerful source when it came to what the team were trying to do with Babu’s overall being.

Though, as Neal Scanlan’s further remarks on the matter highlight, the aim wasn’t merely to have Babu Frik mirror either of those two acting talents. Rather, he was a tribute to what makes them so memorable in the first place:

From the sound of this conversation, there aren’t going to be any outtake reels where Babu Frik is telling intergalactic news anchors any lewd secrets to an extended lifespan, or shooing Ray Romano out of his trailer with off-color language. But if you look close enough, the spirit of both Joe Pesci and Ernest Borgnine’s extensive acting talents are right there, in every chuckle and every smile that Babu Frik has to give to his fans.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is currently available on Digital HD, with the physical release on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD slated to drop on March 31.

Joe Pesci didn’t make it out to the Academy Awards tonight (as evidenced by a photo of him being shown when the nominees for Best Supporting Actor were displayed), but at the very least his energy was represented at the show courtesy of an on-stage story shared by his Irishman co-star Ray Romano.

The Everybody Loves Raymond star took to the stage at the Dolby Theater alongside Sandra Oh to present the award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling, and in a fantastic moment broke from the script to share a story about his experience working with Joe Pesci on the set of the recent Martin Scorsese film. You can watch the censored broadcast version by clicking play on the video below:

After telling a joke about actually being Charlize Theron under heavy make-up, Ray Romano decided to take his moment at the Academy Awards to tell the audience in attendance and at home an R-rated story about his own experience with artists on the set of The Irishman. He recounted watching the filmmakers do their work with awe… and then getting the boot from his co-star whose space he was apparently occupying. He said (with the help of a bit of amateur lip-reading):

Joe Pesci might not have won Best Supporting Actor tonight, losing out to Brad Pitt's performance in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, but at least he’s at the center of the best story told on stage thus far.

In The Irishman, Ray Romano has a small role as Bill Bufalino, who is the cousin of Joe Pesci's Russell Bufalino. He doesn't have a lot of screen time in the grand scheme of things, but he does have a key role to play, as he is the one who connects Russell with Robert De Niro's Frank Sheeran (not counting their random encounter at a gas station that served as their first meeting). It’s also definitely a more dramatic role than we’re used to seeing Romano play, but he’s now able to make us laugh with stories from behind the scenes.

The Academy Awards this evening have been full of memorable moments, and the night is far from over, as there are still winners in multiple key categories – including Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director and Best Picture – that are waiting to be announced. Stay tuned with us here on CinemaBlend throughout the night, as we’ll continue to bring you stories about the highlights and opinions about the winners and losers!

Just because a character only has a secondary role in a story doesn’t mean they can’t shine brightly, and this year’s class of nominees for Best Supporting Actor at the Academy Awards is tremendous proof. These men easily stole scenes from some of the best stars in the world, in some of the best movies released last year. They are all very well-deserving of the honor bestowed by simply being up for the prize… but only one of them can actually win, and on that front the CinemaBlend staff has opinions.

In the run up to the big show on Saturday, we have surveyed the members of our team for their opinions on the eight major Oscar categories – with voters being only eligible to cast their rankings if they saw all of the films up for a particular award. Nominees were ranked from one to five (“1” being the highest, and “5” being the lowest), and the averaged results have resulted in the rankings of the Best Supporting Actor category that you’ll find below!

#5. Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood

Average Rank: 3.9166667

When it comes to the Academy Awards, Tom Hanks is one of the most successful in history, having been nominated six times, and won twice (he is only one of 34 people to do the latter). Because of this, it’s a surprise to basically nobody that he is up for yet another prize this year, and he really does some fantastic work in Marielle Heller's A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood. Overall, he’s not our top choice to win the Best Supporting Actor trophy, but he does still deliver a laud-worthy turn.

Everybody who grew up watching Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood is well-aware of the very specific energy that was projected by the late Fred Rogers, and Tom Hanks’ work to capture it in the film truly is a special thing to watch. It’s always a challenge for the biggest stars to totally disappear into their roles, but that’s exactly what Hanks does here, and it’s both emotional and beautiful.

#4. Anthony Hopkins, The Two Popes

Average Rank: 3.75

Fernando Meirelles’ The Two Popes doesn’t work without a pair of exceptional performances. How could it? At its core level the entire movie is about a pair of men working to relate to one another, and if one of the men is delivering a constant series of false moments then everything falls apart. As it happens, though, The Two Popes is a great movie, and a big part of that is the excellent work done by Anthony Hopkins opposite Jonathan Pryce.

The film is a fictionalized account of how Pope Benedict abdicated his position within the Vatican, opening it for Pope Francis to become the new leader of the Catholic Church, and the work Hopkins does as the former is fantastic. Benedict deeply feels that the best future for his religion rests in conservative teachings, and espouses strong beliefs in that regard, however, he is also haunted by actions that have led the church down a horrific path – and Hopkins plays every element of it perfectly. He may not be CinemaBlend’s pick for the Oscar, but certainly deserves the recognition he’s received for his excellent performance.

#3. Al Pacino, The Irishman

Average Rank: 3.1666667

Given their incredible respective legacies, it’s crazy to recognize that Al Pacino and Martin Scorsese never made a movie together before The Irishman, but what’s considerably less surprising is the impressive quality of work they were able to create through their collaboration. Pacino’s Jimmy Hoffa is a force of nature in the decades-spanning gangster epic, and it’s a part that only could have been brought to life with the actor’s famous dynamism.

This is the first time that Pacino has been up for an Academy Award since he won Best Actor in 1993 for Scent Of A Woman, and while he may not repeat that big success, his performance in The Irishman is going to leave a long impression on movie fans. The factual accuracy of the events depicted might be a touch questionable, but Pacino certainly made the role his own.

#2. Brad Pitt, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

Average Rank: 2.5

While Brad Pitt technically has an Oscar, having produced the Best Picture-winning 12 Years A Slave, he has never taken home the coveted prize for his acting work – despite being nominated three times. It seems crazy someone who has made such a massive impact on cinema and pop culture hasn’t received the prestigious prize. And while he may not be CinemaBlend’s top choice to win Best Supporting Actor this year, you can be sure that folks around here wouldn’t be upset at all if he took home the trophy for his work in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.

Cliff Booth is a man with a rough history, but who is content with and confident in who he is, and it’s an attitude that takes him to some pretty wild places in Quentin Tarantino’s epic tale of Los Angeles in 1969. Whether Cliff is feeding his incredibly well-trained dog Brandy in his trailer, or smashing in the faces of murderous cultists, Brad Pitt is clearly having a ball playing the character, and it translates to the audience loving watching him. It’s some of the best Pitt has done in his career, which is really saying a lot.

#1. Joe Pesci, The Irishman

Average Rank: 1.6666667

Joe Pesci has spent most of the 21st century as a retired actor, only taking small roles in a couple of feature films. His performance in Martin Scorsese's The Irishman in the first really substantial part he's had since 1998's Lethal Weapon 4. It’s a remarkable fact to consider when you watch him play Russell Bufalino, because it’s genuinely the best supporting actor performance featured in any 2019 film, and it makes you realize that tremendous talent never really goes away no matter how out of practice one may be.

We here at CinemaBlend were totally bowled over by Joe Pesci’s work in The Irishman, as evidenced by the fact that he actually has the best average rank score across any category we polled for (75% of our voters ranked him at the top). It’s a totally different kind of performance than we’ve ever seen from the actor, as he has a much softer energy in the part than any of his other iconic roles, and it’s a turn that we feel makes him deserving of winning Hollywood’s highest honor.

Do you agree with the results of our ranking? Who do you think should win Best Supporting Actor at the Oscars this year? Hit the comments section with your thoughts, answer our poll below, and stay tuned here on CinemaBlend as we continue to break down the seven major categories.

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We all know how Martin Scorsese feels about “cinema,” and the competition between his latest movie, The Irishman, and the superhero movies that crowd the marketplace on a monthly basis. But what about this newfound tragedy of WHERE audiences will watch Scorsese’s epic film? By partnering with Netflix, the filmmaker is settling for the fact that patrons may absorb The Irishman on mobile devices that can be held in one’s hand, in the back of a car or even on an airplane.

How does the esteemed director feel about this harsh reality? Naturally, he has opinions, and recommendations for people to take, in stride. While being interviewed by Peter Travers for ABC News in New York City, Scorsese addressed the topic and advised:

This is running into a bit of a meme, as people share on social media all of the weird places that they happen to be watching The Irishman, mainly because it’s available on Netflix and can be streamed at their leisure.

And yet, the new reality of seeing movies on a phone is something that Martin Scorsese admits he didn’t plan for. Later in the interview with Peter Travers, Scorsese elaborates:

And he shouldn’t. With The Irishman, Martin Scorsese is operating on a different level from most other filmmakers. It’s an epic tale of the gangster lifestyle that’s rooted in American history and the blue-collar existence that colors the Eastern seaboard of our country. And it’s the type of movie that could only come from the director of Goodfellas and Casino, but also the reflective filmmaker who recently contemplated his older age and his accomplishments in the difficult Silence.

Part of me is very sad that Martin Scorsese even NEEDS to contemplate the notion that someone might watch his movie on a phone. That’s a disgrace. At the same time, The Irishman wouldn’t exist without Netflix giving him free reign to create the three hour and 30 minute masterpiece, so it’s a wash.

Are you seeing The Irishman? How will you watch it? Vote in the poll below.

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There’s nothing a healthy percentage of Oscar voters love more than a showy performance. Physical transformations. Mental breakdowns. Dramatic weight gains or weight losses. There are a lot of voters who will always prioritize going big, and in many years, the biggest performance really is the best performance. That’s a fine enough approach most of the time, but now and again, needing that one scene or moment where the actor really gets to go for it disqualifies or at least deprioritizes a certain kind of performance. Enter Joe Pesci in The Irishman.

The Irishman is a great movie filled with great performances. Robert DeNiro is probably the best he’s been since at least Silver Linings Playbook, maybe longer. Al Pacino’s Jimmy Hoffa feels like he’s the focal point of every single scene he’s in. He’s similarly the best he’s been in years. To be clear, both of those men deserve all the praise they’re getting, and I hope they end up with Oscar nominations. But the reason the whole thing works is because of Joe Pesci’s low key brilliant performance as Russell Bufalino.

Joe Pesci has a long history of going big himself. He’s an outrageous, look at me type personality in My Cousin Vinny and countless other movies. His funny-like-a-clown rant in Goodfellas might be the most beloved scene in the history of mob movies, a genre filled with all-time classic moments. Whether he’s dressed like a chicken in Home Alone or not, when he wants to be the center of attention, he’s more than capable of stealing attention from other performers whenever he wants to. And yet, throughout The Irishman, he consistently stays restrained, a decision that’s both in service to his character and in service to the other performers.

Respect is earned in different ways, and The Irishman spends a lot of time showing that. Al Pacino’s Jimmy Hoffa desperately tries to keep it through bombastic displays. His speeches are aggressive and play to the crowd. His threats are direct and to the point, and his ego is on display at all times. When he wants respect, he asks for it directly, whether he wants votes or someone to wear pants to a meeting. Robert DeNiro’s Frank Sheeran earns his respect through violence. He’ll get his hands dirty and take care of his own business without many questions. Mess with his daughter? He’ll throw you through a window without a second thought, whether his daughter wants him to or not.

Joe Pesci’s Bufalino is different. We never actually seen him earning any respect or fighting for it. He already has it without questions or second thoughts. Some of that is because he’s already older and more established when the movie starts, but most of it is because of his personality. There’s a darkness behind his eyes. There’s always a lingering sense that he’s capable of and has done unspeakable violence to people in the past, but that’s balanced with a sense of control neither Sheeran or Hoffa has. So, when he says, “It’s what it is”, that’s exactly what it is. He doesn’t have to scream it. He just needs to say it.

For Pesci’s Bufalino, showiness would have undermined his character. A big scene would have taken away from the steadiness. So, instead, what we get is a consistent level of quiet brilliance throughout The Irishman. It all works so freaking well, and because it’s all so seamless, I’m terrified Oscar voters will ignore it and push it aside in favor of some roles in which a few people yelled a bit louder or cried a little harder.

The Irishman is one of the best movies of the year, largely because of great acting performances. I hope award season voters honor the work, and that should start with Joe Pesci’s whose sacrifice makes the entire thing work.

Martin Scorsese's new movie The Irishman is already out in theaters for some lucky moviegoers, but most of us will have to wait until November 27 to see it on Netflix. The very highly acclaimed film follows Robert De Niro's mafia hitman Frank Sheeran in Scorsese's latest gangster/mobster crime movie with De Niro and Joe Pesci. The Irishman actually marks the first time Scorsese worked with Al Pacino, but the whole film team is very familiar with the mob movie genre. Every Monday I recommend stuff worth streaming, and today I'm focusing on 11 movies that show how damn good it feels to be a gangster...

Mean Streets 

If we're talking about Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro, you have to start with Mean Streets. Scorsese made his feature film directorial debut with 1967's Who's That Knocking at My Door, starring Harvey Keitel, and Keitel returned for Scorsese's classic crime movie Mean Streets. The 1973 movie gave Scorsese co-writing credits and a cameo and launched his career as a respected filmmaker, as well as starting his longtime partnership with De Niro.

Stream Mean Streets right now on Netflix.

Goodfellas 

One of the all-time gangster classics. Goodfellas vs. The Godfather or Godfather Part II as best of the genre? It's a debate worth having. Like Mean Streets, Goodfellas was also directed by Martin Scorsese and starred Robert De Niro. The 1990 crime film adapted the book Wiseguy by Nicholas Pileggi, telling the true story of mobster Henry Hill, played in the movie by Ray Liotta. Joe Pesci won his Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role as Tommy DeVito, and the film also earned nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay (including for Scorsese again), Best Supporting Actress for Lorraine Bracco, and Best Film Editing for Thelma Schoonmaker.

Stream Goodfellas on Philo with a subscription, or for about $4 on Amazon Prime, Vudu, Google Play, YouTube, or iTunes.

The Godfather, The Godfather Part II & The Godfather Part III

I'm putting all three Godfather films together, even if some fans would rather stop after Part II.  Francis Ford Coppola directed the iconic mafia movies, based on Mario Puzo's novel following the Corleone family. Al Pacino played Michael Corleone in all three movies, with Robert De Niro winning an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor as young Vito Corleone in Part II. The two actors wouldn't actually share a scene together until Heat. The Godfather is still considered one of the greatest movies of any genre. I'm one of those people who'd argue the second film was even better.

Stream all three Godfather movies for $4 each to rent on Amazon or YouTube.

Casino 

Martin Scorsese brought Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci back for this 1995 gangster film based once again on a book by Nicholas Pileggi, who co-wrote the film script with Scorsese. This time, De Niro plays "Ace" Rothstein, who is sent to Las Vegas by the crime syndicate called the Chicago Outfit to run the Tangiers Casino. Since Goodfellas had just come out five years before, some critics and viewers couldn't help but compare the two Scorsese movies, finding this one more wanting. But now that more time has passed, modern viewers won't have the same associations.

Stream Casino on Starz with a subscription, or through Amazon, YouTube, iTunes, etc., for $4.

Scarface 

Al Pacino has tremendous range as an actor, but he does tend to find himself leading a lot of gangster movies -- from The Godfather and Carlito's Way to Scarface. Brian De Palma directed the 1983 movie from Oliver Stone's script, as a remake of the 1932 Scarface movie by Howard Hawks. Al Pacino plays Cuban refugee Tony Montana, with Michelle Pfeiffer breaking out as a serious star in her role as Elvira Hancock. The film was initially met with some backlash due to what was deemed excessively graphic content. Now it's considered one of the best remakes of all time. Say "hello" to my little cinematic re-evaluation?

Stream Scarface right now on Starz, with a subscription, or for $4 from Amazon Prime, Google Play, YouTube, Vudu, iTunes.

Once Upon a Time In America 

Robert De Niro stars as Noodles, opposite James Woods as Max, in Sergio Leone's 1984 gangster movie following a former Prohibition-era Jewish gangster who returns to his New York neighborhood after 30 years to confront the ghosts of his past. It was Leone's final film before he died, and the third in his Once Upon a Time trilogy after Once Upon a Time in the West and Once Upon a Time... the Revolution (which was also called A Fistful of Dynamite and Duck, You Sucker!). Once Upon a Time in America is epic in every sense. The director's cut was a whopping 250 minutes. The theatrical version was 229 minutes, with a controversial edit cutting it down to 139 minutes.

You can stream Once Upon a Time in America on Amazon and YouTube, etc. for $4. It looks like they have the 3 hour, 49 minute theatrical version.

The Untouchables 

It was only a matter of time before Robert De Niro played gangster Al Capone. He looms large over Brian De Palma's 1987 film The Untouchables, telling the story of the team led by Kevin Costner's Eliot Ness. They worked hard to bring down Capone -- albeit in the most-anticlimactic way, through tax evasion sentence -- during Prohibition. It's worth streaming this one again just for the classic Union Station shootout scene, inspired by the Odessa Steps scene in Battleship Potemkin:

Stream The Untouchables now on Starz with a subscription, or for $3 at Amazon Prime, Google Play, YouTube, iTunes, and Vudu.

Gangs of New York 

I can't call myself the biggest fan of Martin Scorsese's 2002 movie, but it was nominated for 10 Oscars and Daniel Day-Lewis always knows how to put on a show. I appreciated the exploration of a little-covered time and place in American history -- the slums of the Five Points in Manhattan in the mid-19th Century. It was also the first of three films in a row that Leonardo DiCaprio made with Scorsese -- followed by The Aviator and The Departed.

Stream Gangs of New York on Netflix.

American Gangster 

Sometimes it's good to get a fresh perspective on the gangster genre -- away from Scorsese, De Niro, Pacino, and the usual suspects. Ridley Scott directed and produced this gritty winner, from a script by Steven Zaillian, loosely based on the real life of gangster Frank Lucas. Denzel Washington plays Frank in the 2007 movie, with a strong supporting cast in Russell Crowe, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Cuba Gooding Jr., Josh Brolin, and Ted Levine. American Gangster got strong reviews and made good money, although there were some gripes about the movie taking liberties with real-life events. Hey, it's a movie!

Stream American Gangster for $4 on Amazon Prime, YouTube, etc.

Road to Perdition 

This beautifully shot 2002 Sam Mendes movie is set in the 1930s Depression, following Tom Hanks' enforcer for the Irish mob. Paul Newman plays mob boss John Rooney in a film packed with strong performances -- especially from Daniel Craig in one of his first major showcase roles. Interestingly enough, this isn't just a gangster movie, it's a comic book movie; David Self's screenplay was based on the comics by Max Allan Collins. Conrad L. Hall deservedly won a posthumous Oscar for Best Cinematography for the film, which was also nominated in several other categories, including Best Supporting Actor for Paul Newman.

Stream Road to Perdition on Philo with a subscription, or for $3 on Amazon, YouTube, etc.

Donnie Brasco 

Al Pacino plays gangster Lefty, who shows Donnie Brasco (Johnny Depp) the ways of the mafia in this 1997 mob movie from Mike Newell. Paul Attanasio's script was based on the true story of an FBI undercover agent who infiltrated the Bonanno crime family in New York in the 1970s. The film was praised for the script and performances and made solid money at the box office, even with a decent amount of gangster movie competition in the mid-'90s.

Stream Donnie Brasco with a Showtime subscription or for the usual fees at the usual places.

BONUS: The Departed & Heat & Carlito's Way & Public Enemies 

I didn't include Martin Scorsese's gangster movie The Departed because I just mentioned it in a recent streaming column on movies with twist endings. But The Departed is a classic, and so is the Hong Kong movie it was based on As for Heat? Definitely worth streaming before or after The Irishman to see the first time Robert De Niro and Al Pacino faced off on screen. But I wouldn't really call that one a gangster movie. It's just a quality crime drama. Carlito's Way is another worthy addition to a gangster list; the 1993 movie is another Brian De Palma crime classic starring Al Pacino. Public Enemies is about the hunt for gangster John Dillinger, so it would qualify too. There are just too many gangster films to list, sometimes you have to [throat-slash] take some out to make room for the rest.

If you're looking for more streaming recommendations, check out these past features:

• 5 Excellent Keanu Reeves Roles Worth Streaming On Netflix And Amazon

• 5 Sci-Fi TV Shows To Watch On Netflix: Our Streaming Recommendations

• 5 Documentary Series To Watch On Netflix: Our Streaming Recommendations

• 5 British TV Comedies On Netflix You Should Bloody Well Watch: Our Streaming Recommendations

• 3%, Occupied, Harlots, and Other Streaming Recommendations

• 5 Robert Downey Jr. Movies To Love 3000 On Netflix

• 5 Chris Evans Movies Worth Streaming On Netflix And Amazon

• 5 Ryan Reynolds Roles Worth Streaming On Netflix And Amazon

• 5 Will Smith Movies Worth Streaming Right Now On Netflix And Beyond

• 5 Refreshingly Non-Toxic Reality TV Shows Worth Streaming On Netflix

• 5 Joaquin Phoenix Movies Worth Streaming On Netflix And Amazon Ahead Of Joker

• 5 Stripper Movies Worth Streaming In Honor Of Jennifer Lopez's Hustlers

• The 5 Best Space Movies To Stream In Honor Of Brad Pitt's Ad Astra

• 11 Unbelievable True Crime Series Worth Streaming On Netflix

• 8 Movies With 100 Percent Ratings Worth Streaming Before Netflix's The Irishman

• 7 Paul Rudd Movies Worth Streaming On Netflix Before Living With Yourself

• 8 Movies With Twist Endings Worth Streaming On Netflix After Fractured

• Where To Stream Firefly And 10 Other Great Shows Cancelled After One Season

• Whodunit? 7 Murder Mysteries Worth Streaming On Netflix

• 12 Royal TV Shows Like Netflix's The Crown: Our Jolly Good Streaming Recommendations

What other gangster movies would you recommend streaming?

For his return to the world of organized crime with the long-in-development crime epic The Irishman, director Martin Scorsese has assembled an incredible cast of actors, many of who are no strangers to the genre. This murderer’s row of talent includes frequent Scorsese collaborators Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel and Joe Pesci, who came out of retirement for the Netflix film. Speaking about why Joe Pesci came out of retirement for The Irishman, Martin Scorsese said:

Joe Pesci did not come out of retirement for The Irishman lightly, and the Oscar-winning actor was initially quite adamant about not wanting to do the film. For Martin Scorsese, who directed Pesci in Raging Bull, Goodfellas and Casino, there are a myriad of reasons that could have impacted both Joe Pesci’s reluctance and his ultimate decision to come out of retirement for the film.

Martin Scorsese acknowledged that an actor might not want to join a project for any number of reasons. The 76-year-old actor could have had financial, family or health issues that made him say no to the project so many times. That’s not to say Joe Pesci had any of those problems, Martin Scorsese was just guessing at the kind of things that could contribute to someone not wanting to do a project.

It also could have just been that Joe Pesci had been retired for a while and wasn’t particularly interested in coming back for another gangster movie, even one starring Robert De Niro and directed by Martin Scorsese. The legendary director doesn’t know what the specific reason is that kept Joe Pesci away or what exactly brought him back.

Joe Pesci needed to be coaxed into returning and it reportedly took him being asked 40 times for him to finally say yes. Martin Scorsese suspects that with Robert De Niro, who did the majority of the asking, pushing and asking Joe Pesci enough, it may have gotten the actor to the point where he started to ask himself if doing the project made sense.

In his comments to Entertainment Weekly, Martin Scorsese seems confident that Joe Pesci wouldn’t have ultimately said yes and come out of retirement for The Irishman if he didn’t feel comfortable with it. So he eventually must have saw something in the opportunity and the film that swayed him enough to feel good about a cinematic swan song with The Irishman.

The Irishman will be Joe Pesci’s first major theatrical role since 2010’s Love Ranch. Prior to that his last film was 2006’s The Good Shepherd, but he hasn’t been appearing in films regularly in about two decades. For The Irishman, Joe Pesci returns to the crime drama genre where he made his name, and won his Oscar.

Joe Pesci plays Russell Bufalino, a crime boss whose calm demeanor represents a stark contrast to some of Pesci’s previous roles. Perhaps playing a very different type of character is part of what convinced the actor to come aboard. Whether he’s glad he returned or not we don’t know, but if nothing else, he can be thankful that he didn’t come out of retirement for a stinker.

The Irishman has received universal acclaim based on early reviews and is currently rocking a pristine 100% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, with many reviews praising Pesci’s performance (as well as everyone else’s really).

The Irishman opens in limited release on November 1, followed by its streaming debut on Netflix on November 27. Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to see what other movies you can look forward to this year.

Joe Pesci is about to come back to the big screen for the first time in years thanks to Martin Scorsese's The Irishman, but it seems that, had he wanted to, he could have arrived a few months earlier if he had agreed to take the cameo offered to him by Zombieland: Double Tap.

It's a well known story that the cameo that end up going to Bill Murray in the original Zombieland went through numerous drafts that saw a number of celebrities appearing as zombies, or in the case of the final version, fake zombies. The same situation appears to have happened for Zombieland: Double Tap, and in fact, some of those that could have appeared in the first Zombieland made a potential appearance in the sequel scripts.

Zombieland: Double Tap co-writer Rhett Reese recently revealed to Uproxx that a scene once included in the movie, that would have seen the cast of the original Ghostbusters reunite, also would have included a cameo by the Goodfellas Academy Award winner Joe Pesci. According to Reese...

The sequence that would have seen all the Ghostbusters actors playing golf together has been mentioned before. Director Reuben Fleischer recently told our own Reelblend podcast about the scene that was included in a very early draft of the Zombieland sequel. It seems that script was the catalyst for the rumor that Dan Aykroyd would cameo in the sequel.

That's not to say that there weren't feelers put out to try and make this scene actually happen. The other writer of Zombieland: Double Tap says that the production did reach out to Joe Pesci to see if he might be interested in showing up in the movie. It sounds like maybe a deal could have been made, if Zombieland wanted to spend a large portion of its budget on a single cameo. According to Paul Wernick...

Joe Pesci basically retired from acting years ago, and so it was always going to take something special to get him to come back. Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro probably didn't need to pony up quite as much cash, to get Pesci to come back for The Irishman, but anybody else was certainly going to need to make it worth the actor's while.

While a Zombieland: Double Tap cameo certainly would have been great, the actor probably made the right choice.

Although Joe Pesci has left his mark on the Hollywood landscape through movies like Raging Bull, Goodfellas and three Lethal Weapon installments, ever since the actor announced his retirement in 1999, he’s only appeared sporadically on the big screen. But this fall marks his biggest emergence from retirement yet, as he reunited with Robert de Niro and director Martin Scorsese for Netflix’s The Irishman, though it took some coaxing to bring him aboard.

Actress Kathrine Narducci, who plays Carrie Bufalino in The Irishman, recently recalled Joe Pesci telling her how persistent Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese were in convincing Pesci to participate in the project. In Narducci’s words:

Kathrine Narducci, who’s no stranger to mob stories through such work as A Bronx Tale and The Sopranos, was asked by Fox News if Joe Pesci talked to her about why he agreed to appearing in The Irishman, resulting in her recalling the above, blunt explanation. I guess we should be glad that Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro and everyone else involved kept bugging Pesci over the phone, otherwise they would’ve had to find someone else to fill his role.

Joe Pesci hasn’t collaborated with Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro since 1995’s Casino, which also starred Sharon Stone and earned various accolades. The fact that we’re getting the three of them together again after more than two decades is a big deal, and if this is going to be the last time they all work together professionally, fingers crossed The Irishman is as excellent as the early reviews claim it is.

In between his retirement announcement and now, Joe Pesci’s most prominent appearance was cameoing in 2006’s The Good Shepherd, which Robert De Niro directed and starred in. Pesci also appeared in 2010’s Love Ranch and provided his voice for 2015’s A Warrior’s Tail.

Joe Pesci appears in The Irishman as Russell Bufalino, the husband of Kathrine Narducci’s Carrie and who Robert De Niro’s Frank “The Irishman” Sheehan works for. This Netflix release (which was originally going to be distributed by Paramount Pictures) will chronicle Sheeran’s journey as a World War II veteran who becomes a hitman for the mob, with particular attention being focused on his involvement in the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa, played by Al Pacino.

Digital de-aging was applied to Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci and Al Pacino for The Irishman, which is the main reason why the budget rose as high as it did. The three-hour-long movie also stars Bobby Cannavale, Harvey Keitel, Stephen Graham, Domenick Lombardozzi, Ray Romano and Sebastian Maniscalco, among many others.

The Irishman held its world premiere at the New York Film Festival late last month and will have a limited theatrical release starting November 1, although it will not play at any theaters owned by AMC, Cinemark, Regal or Cineplex. It will then drop on Netflix November 27.

You can keep track of when the rest of this year’s big screen releases will arrive with our handy schedule.

It's been a while since Martin Scorsese directed a movie centered around organized crime, but the acclaimed director is jumping back into that world next by helming The Irishman, which will revolve around the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa. We've known for a while that frequent Scorsese collaborator Robert de Niro and Al Pacino would headline the movie, but now the news has dropped that not only is Joe Pesci finally confirmed to appear in The Irishman, but the production is also eyeing Harvey Keitel and Bobby Cannavale for recruitment, too.

Joe Pesci had long been rumored to appear in The Irishman (Robert de Niro said back in 2015 that Pesci was on board), but the actor had said numerous times that he would not appear. It's only thanks to a deal made this week that we can count on him reuniting with Martin Scorsese and Robert de Niro after more than two decades, last working with the two in Casino. Pesci will play Russell Bufalino, a Pennsylvanian mafia boss who is suspected to have played a role in Jimmy Hoffa's disappearance. As for Harvey Keitel and Bobby Cannavale, Deadline reports that they are currently in talks to join The Irishman, but no deals have been finalized yet.

Those familiar with Martin Scorsese's work know that Joe Pesci has done very well playing intimidating criminals. Though Pesci first worked with Scorsese and Robert de Niro on Raging Bull, a boxing drama, it was Pesci's turn as Tommy DeVito in Goodfellas that drew universal acclaim. Pesci's last major role was reprising Leo Getz in 1998's Lethal Weapon 4 (though he cameoed in 2006's The Good Shepherd), so seeing him back for The Irishman is most welcome. As for Harvey Keitel and Bobby Cannavale, both have their own experiences playing criminals; Keitel through movies like Bugsy and Pulp Fiction, while Cannavale played Gyp Rosetti in Boardwalk Empire Season 3.

Based off the book I Heard You Paint Houses by Charles Brandt, The Irishman will reportedly see Al Pacino playing Jimmy Hoffa, the Teamsters president who disappeared in 1975, and Robert de Niro playing Frank Sheeran, who claimed on his deathbed to have murdered Hoffa. Initially The Irishman was supposed to be released by Paramount, but after the studio backed out, Netflix grabbed the distribution rights, giving the streaming service an exclusive Scorsese movie. Scorsese has also said that he hopes to use CGI to de-age de Niro in The Irishman, similar to what's been seen in several Marvel movies and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

The Irishman will begin shooting in the New York area next month and is expected to continue until December, but a release date hasn't been announced yet. While we wait for more news on its progress, check out what else is being released on Netflix for the remainder of the year in our handy guide.

The landscape of how, when and where films get distributed is shifting, rapidly. The movie business is just that... a business. Which means that moves that affect the bottom line are contributing to massive changes about how movies get made and distributed -- as well as which movies get made and distributed. The major studios will always be the major studios, but players like Amazon and Netflix are stepping up their games, with the latter taking a huge leap by acquiring Martin Scorsese's next gangster film, The Irishman.

Martin Scorsese, coming off of the contemplative and deeply personal Silence, has been looking tor return to the criminal underground of such films a Goodfellas and Casino, and has circled an adaptation of Charles Brandt's book I Heard You Paint Houses as his portal back into that world. Now, IndieWire breaks the news that Netflix is close to finalizing a deal to distribute Scorsese's original film, The Irishman, to their 93 million subscribers. Scorsese had a potential deal in place with Paramount -- the studio that recently backed Silence -- but with Paramount Chair Brad Grey on his way out the door, the studio was less enthusiastic about taking a risk on a Scorsese gangster picture with an aging Robert De Niro, and Netflix stepped up to the plate.

Deadline adds that Netflix offered a reported $105 million for a full buyout of the rights to Martin Scorsese's The Irishman, which would focus on the life of mob hitman Frank "The Irishman" Sheeran. The trade notes that Scorsese is looking for a budget in the range of $150 million, primarily because he needs extensive digital effect to make his actors look younger, so that the movie can span decades.

When CinemaBlend sat down with Silence producer Gaston Pavlovich recently, he spoke about using CGI to bring Robert De Niro back to his Godfather Part II days for The Irishman, stating:

It's incredible that we now live in an age where a streaming service like Netflix has more of an ability to close a deal to finance a Martin Scorsese gangster drama than a major studio. As Deadline points out, the Awards potential for The Irishman is through the roof... especially if Scorsese is able to lure Joe Pesci out of retirement for The Irishman as he plans to do (but, as of yet, has been unable to). By all accounts, the deal sending The Irishman to Netflix isn't done yet, but it looks rock solid. We'll keep you posted on any and all developments as they occur.

As a kid, watching Home Alone served as a kind of awesome wish fulfillment. Didn’t we all want to be the one rising to the occasion, protecting and defending our own homes without adults butting their stupid heads in? Macaulay Culkin’s Kevin McCallister got to live out this dream and used his smarts to outfox a pair of dimwitted home invaders. To celebrate his momentous achievement, and our undying love for the film, we’re counting down our top five favorite Home Alone booby traps.

When young Kevin’s family accidentally left home by himself over the Christmas holiday, he learns some valuable lessons about self-reliance, being careful what you wish for, and appreciating what you have while you can. Oh, and, most importantly, he’s a quick study when it comes to improvised home security, which comes in handy when the Wet Bandits, played by Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern, target his house.

As it turns out, Kevin is a ruthless little bastard with a penchant for inflicting grievous bodily harm on his enemies (makes you wonder where he wound up in life). It’s a good thing that the Wet Bandits appear to be near invincible—instead of actually dying, they’re simply left wishing that they were dead after tangling with Kevin and his arsenal of booby traps and absorbing copious amounts of physical abuse. From superheated doorknobs to falling irons to nails on the stairs (that one still makes me cringe), Kevin wages an all out guerilla war against the invaders. He even gets an assist from his trusty pet tarantula, and, of course, who can forget the blow torch, that is just straight up vicious.

It’s hard to believe that Home Alone turns 25 this year, but you know, we still haven’t got tired of bumbling robbers getting hit in the face with flying paint cans, shot in the junk with a bb gun, or being lit on fire, and I don’t think we ever will.

Given the massive box office for The Expendables 2 this weekend, it's no surprise that rumors of a third installment are flying everyone, and even the film's cast and producers have been suggesting names right and left for who ought to join the action next time. But if the pattern from the first two films holds, we've got two years before The Expendables 3 comes to theaters, and almost as much time to speculate about who ought to appear, even if in a cameo role. While the second movie does boast an impressive lineup of once-and-future badasses, they're not even close to including every person to ever commandingly hold a gun on screen.

So with that in mind, we've got 5 suggestions about who ought to take a role in The Expendables 3, and why they would fit in perfect with the world established by Sly and company. Obviously this is just the beginning of the speculation, so hop into the comments to tell us who else you'd add to the lineup-- and hope that Stallone or someone else in charge is listening.

Mel Gibson

So John Rambo, Dutch and John McClane get together for a gun-wielding homage to ’80s action excess and they don’t invite Martin Riggs? To quote the brilliant Vizzini: “Inconceivable!” Say what you will about Mel Gibson’s personal behavior. His terrifying temper and hatred for … well, pretty much everybody has turned him into persona non grata in Hollywood. But if we were lobbying for a Mount Rushmore of iconic action heroes, Gibson’s face would be carved in stone alongside Stallone, Schwarzenegger and Willis – and he’d be so far ahead of Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, Jet Li, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Chuck Norris on a list of potential co-stars.

In reality, there’d be no list without Gibson’s searing portrayal of suicidal L.A. detective Riggs in the Lethal Weapon movies. And there’s even a work-around here that can make his role in a potential third Expendables possible. Cast him as a villain. Force him to die a horrible on-screen death. Make sure he’s in on the ironic nature of the joke. So long as Zach Galifianakis isn’t demanding Gibson’s removal, The Expendables 3 could become the comeback vehicle “Mad” Mel has been looking for.

Joe Pesci

Thus far, The Expendables franchise has done a great job casting many of the most physically intimidating movie stars of the past few decades. Unfortunately, this has left many of the most verbally intimidating movie stars of the past few decades on the cutting room floor. I know there’s something to be said for silent and brutal, but during round three, it would be nice to see someone deliver memorable fuck you’s without using his fists. No one does that better than Joe Pesci.

It’s all in the attitude. Guys like Sly and Jason Statham might be able to solve arguments using their fists, but more often than not, Pesci avoids the hassle by solving it with his mouth. Now and again, he’ll beat the living shit out of someone, as the dude from Goodfellas found out, but in general, he’d rather do emotional damage. Expendables 3 needs a guy like that. It needs a mouthpiece to speak for the other characters, and someone to engage us on a level that doesn’t involve right hooks. It needs a man who is legitimately funny. We all know Pesci is capable of being that man, at least as long as no one implies he’s a clown.

Sigourney Weaver

Katey recently detailed the flaws in Expendables 2's attempt at bringing a woman into the mix, but Sigourney Weaver isn't any woman. She was Ripley, a heroine so fierce that she battled and bested the perfect predator in four separate Alien movies. Weaver not only changed the action landscape with her portrayal of a woman who wasn't defined by her gender, but by her will to survive, she also became the lady badass to which all action heroines would be compared. If she could handle those acid-spitting fanged monsters, I think she could handle whatever Stallone's crew could throw her way.

Though she's now 62, Weaver still proves a force to be reckoned with, oozing authority and doling out smackdowns with cameo appearances in the 2011's Paul and 2012's The Cabin In the Woods. You know she'd nail a cameo in Expendables 3, much like Willis did in the first one. And like him, this could pave the way for a bigger role in a future installment. And I mean, if the guy from Predator got a spot on The Expendables team, why not the gal from Alien for the action showdown that has been decades in the making?

Wesley Snipes

Wesley Snipes’ inclusion in The Expendables franchise is a no brainer and if it wasn’t for Passenger 57’s willful failure to file federal income tax returns, an appearance in the series might have come well before this rumored third installment. The actor isn’t eligible for duty until July 19, 2013 - his release date from McKean Federal Correctional Institution - but that might be just enough time for, if pattern serves, him to get in front of a camera as part of an Expendables 3 that could hit theaters the following summer.

Who knows, Blade could be in some of the best shape of his life with three years in a medium security Pennsylvania prison behind him. And just seeing the double black belt (Karate and Hapkido) back being a badass on the big-screen, especially with, or once again against, his Demolition Man co-star Sylvester Stallone, would alone be worth one more go round for the old guys. One of the biggest action stars of the 90s, Wesley Snipes reportedly had to surrender the role of Hale Caesar to Terry Crews in The Expendables but I’m sure they can come up with another ridiculously named character for him to come play... King T'Chaka?

Liam Neeson

For two movies The Expendables franchise has been all about actors who made their names as tough guys decades ago, trying to make it work one last time. But how about including an actor who reached his gray-haired years well before he starting kicking ass on screen? Liam Neeson surprised pretty much everyone with his hard-charging performance in 2009's Taken, and since then has followed one of the screen's most unlikely career change-ups, fighting wolves in The Grey, commanding orders in Battleship, and soon to stomp all over European baddies in Taken 2.

And this is the guy who starred in Schindler's List! And Les Miserables! He's a better actor hands down than anyone else who's been in an Expendables movie so far, and could bring his awesome gravitas along with his aged muscles to a third go-round, maybe as the morally conflicted soul of the team that's usually way too content to shed blood and move on. Stallone and company all seemed pretty chummy in Expendables 2-- why not toss Neeson into the mix as a new recruit, and a guy who convinces them to up their game and start playing by the morally conflicted rules of 21st century action? OK, OK, he can also teach them to punch wolves too.

You'd think John Travolta was uncomfortable playing a mobster in Gotti: Three Generations, given how many actors from other famous Mafia films he's surrounding himself with. He's already brought in Joe Pesci, playing right-hand man Angelo Ruggiero to Travolta's crime boss John Gotti Sr., and now Variety reports that Pacino has signed on to play another Gotti associate, Neil Dellacroce.

Pacino, of course, is the central figure of the most important Mafia movies ever made, The Godfather trilogy, while Pesci had central roles in mobster-centric films Goodfellas and Casino. Pesci has been on board the Gotti project nearly since the beginning, but Pacino signing on comes about a week after Barry Levinson signed on to replace original director Nick Cassavetes. With Lindsay Lohan filling in a supporting role and John Gotti Jr. cooperating on the production it's hard to know exactly what to expect from the project, but you can't argue with the bona fides of the cast-- even Pacino, usually content to shout his way through his most recent performances, turned in a great one for Levinson himself in You Don't Know Jack. It might be a little weird to watch a John Gotti movie with Michael Corleone hovering in the corners, but if he balances out the Lohan factor, it seems worth a shot.

Just a week after holding a splashy press conference in New York to talk about the John Gotti biopic project Gotti: Three Generations, director Nick Cassavetes has walked away from the film, which is set to star John Travolta as the legendary head of the crime family. The reason given to Variety was scheduling conflicts with another Cassavetes project, the indie drama Yellow, but it seems more than a little strange for that conflict to come up only after a much-publicized press conference to announce the project going forward.

Travolta will definitely still star, and producers say they're still on track to start filming in the film. Joe Pesci is still on board to play Angelo Ruggiero, a capo in the Gotti crime family, and Lindsay Lohan is in fact in negotiations to join the cast after Gotti's daughter Victoria personally picked the actress to play her in the film. Cassavetes was already kind of a strange choice to direct-- his last film was the exploitative weepie My Sister's Keeper, and he also made the uber-chick-flick The Notebook-- so there's no telling where they might turn for another director to take over. And yet, I can't help myself from being interested-- the notion that this might bring out a truly interesting Travolta performance for the first time since Hairspray, added with yet another chance for Lohan to pull herself up out of the career gutter. If they can make this work, a lot of careers can be saved at once.

For anyone that keeps an eye on movie development news, you know that sometimes stars say things that aren’t exactly true or talk about potential projects that aren’t guarantees in the least. Well, that’s kind of what we have here, but the fact that the news comes from Robert De Niro certainly gives the information a great deal of authenticity. When the guy talks, you just believe him.

We heard a little about Martin Scorsese’s plan to direct a film version of Charles Brandt’s book I Heard You Paint Houses with De Niro starring, way back in October 2008. Since then, it’s merely been rumblings of Joe Pesci and Al Pacino’s potential involvement. Well, now the foursome seems like a sure thing because while promoting his upcoming film Limitless, De Niro flat out said:

Still not quite convinced? De Niro had a feeling. The actor also added, “I’d never say it if I didn’t really fully have us all, you know, committed.”

De Niro didn’t mention when the camera might start rolling, but when it does, he’ll be playing Frank “the Irishman” Sheeran, a man who put his violent side to use during World War II only to return to the states to become a hit man working closely with notorious mob boss Russell Bufalino. It’s Bufalino that put Sheeran in touch with Jimmy Hoffa, kicking off their friendship. When Hoffa disappeared, Sheeran was a top suspect.

The materials are there, the film’s got a fantastic director and cast, now we’ve just got to wait for that green light. While I’m always hesitant of being prematurely optimistic, who argues with De Niro? My money is on this film happening sooner rather than later.

The Helen Mirren and Joe Pesci-starring Love Ranch was unforgivably in distribution limbo for a while, thanks to a series of financial deals that fell through thanks to a particularly unscrupulous investor. Now its all worked out, though, and Love Ranch is set for release this summer, which means it's finally time to get a good look at what this film is all about.

Mirren and Pesci star as a married couple who ran the first legally authorized brothel in Nevada, and to make it even more interesting, the film is directed by Mirren's husband Taylor Hackford. We're still anxiously awaiting a trailer, but in the meantime MSN snagged the first poster, which perfectly captures the sleazy 70s vibe, the controversy surrounding the brothel, and Joe Pesci smoking a cigar. Really, I ask you, what more could you want? Take a look below.

Taylor Hackford's Love Ranch, which sounds hilarious based solely on the fact that it features Helen Mirren and Joe Pesci in charge of a brothel, has been caught in legal and financial troubles ever since it wrapped filming. None of the problems were hte fault of the filmmakers-- THR has a whole rundown of how Capitol Films borrowed a whole bunch of money to keep afloat and then paid back none of the loans, landing them in a lawsuit filed last month in Los Angeles.

Back to Love Ranch, the plan is to release it in a few major cities in June with possible plans for an expansion. The movie is based on the true story of Joe and Sally Conforte, who opened the first legal brothel in Nevada in 1971. Hackford is also Mirren's real-life husband, and I can only imagine the two of them and Pesci laughing it up in Nevada as they made the movie-- only to realize, of course, that the people who provided the money were either terrible businessmen or crooks. Either way, it's all turned out OK, right? If only we could say the same for the other project Capitol Films effectively torpedoed, David O. Russell's Nailed. Still waiting on the happy ending for that one.