# Casino vs Goodfellas **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 9, 2012, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casino-vs-goodfellas/612291 "2012-02-09T06:51:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![peedin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peedin/32/14095_2.png) [@peedin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peedin)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2012, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casino-vs-goodfellas/612291/41 "2012-02-10T18:44:02Z")
Without a doubt, _Goodfellas_. Now go home and get your fuckin’ shine box. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2012, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casino-vs-goodfellas/612291/42 "2012-02-11T21:27:25Z")
> [@Mr.Excellent](#): > > Funny how? Are you saying I amuse you? Well, uh…it’s just…you know… ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2012, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casino-vs-goodfellas/612291/43 "2012-02-11T22:15:24Z")
Casino is a good movie. Goodfellas, however, is a perfect movie -literally every shot in the movie adds to the overall story and feel. Directors aspire to be as good as Scorcese was with Goodfellas, I don’t think anyone aspires to be as good as he was with Casino. That Dances With Wolves won best picture that year is a travesty that Academy voters should be ashamed of. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2012, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casino-vs-goodfellas/612291/44 "2012-02-12T09:09:00Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > That Dances With Wolves won best picture that year is a travesty that Academy voters should be ashamed of. That never happened…never happened hear? Do you know what befalls people round here that shoot their mouth off like that? I’ve cleaned the car trunk out you know? ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2012, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casino-vs-goodfellas/612291/45 "2012-02-12T16:48:02Z")
While both films of course had voiceovers, am I wrong in remembering Casino’s was _very_ intrusive, so much so that it’s all I can really remember about it? What I seem to remember is me yelling at the screen for them all to shut the fuck up so I could enjoy the movie. I could be completely wrong here. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2012, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casino-vs-goodfellas/612291/46 "2012-02-12T19:00:54Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > I like them both a lot, but I went with _Casino_ just because you get to see somebody beat up Don Rickles. _Casino_ also has Joe Bob Briggs. Still gotta go with _Goodfellas_, though. ---
**Author:** ![smsaks2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@smsaks2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smsaks2000)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2012, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casino-vs-goodfellas/612291/47 "2012-02-13T18:14:56Z")
Such a silly question… Goodfellas is the much better movie, without a shadow of a doubt. Now, go get your fuckin shinebox!! ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2012, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casino-vs-goodfellas/612291/48 "2012-02-13T21:36:25Z")
Goodfellas, like most others, gets the nod. But I’m not as sloppy in love with it as many of you are mainly because the female lead, Lorraine Brocco, was a terrible choice, and her slow, deliberate speech delivery ruined every scene she was in. She ruined the Sopranos in the same fashion, and I continue to be fascinated that she negatively impacted two iconic mob stories. As for Casino, Stone gets no love from me. I thought she wss better in Basic Instinct. She did, however, prove to be perfectly unlikeable in Casino, so if that was her job, she did it well. She just doesn’t work for me as the woman you have to have. Whoever said Casino didnt have one likable character hit the nail on the head. I really disliked every character in that movie, including support Chars. Like Don Rickles. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2012, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casino-vs-goodfellas/612291/49 "2012-02-13T22:49:33Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > Right.The character Pesci played in _Casino_ was based on [Anthony “the Ant” Spilotro](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Spilotro) ( who does sort of vaguely look like Pesci IMO ). One other factoid: Pesci grew up in New Jersey, was once an aspiring singer, and was very friendly with Frankie Valli and the 4 Seasons. One of the 4 Seasons was Tommy DeVito… and Joe named his character in _ **Goodfellas** _ honor of his Jersey Boy pal. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2012, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casino-vs-goodfellas/612291/50 "2012-02-14T00:05:54Z")
The only thing I think Casino did well was the split narration. The rest is overly long and plodding. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2012, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casino-vs-goodfellas/612291/51 "2012-02-14T00:07:32Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > One other factoid: Pesci grew up in New Jersey, was once an aspiring singer, and was very friendly with Frankie Valli and the 4 Seasons. In the musical “Jersey Boys” they actually point that out… the night I saw it that joke was especially funny since Joe Pesci himself was in the audience. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2012, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casino-vs-goodfellas/612291/52 "2012-02-14T03:05:21Z")
Well, considering that **Goodfellas** was pretty much the best ‘gangster’/‘mob’ picture ever made\*, it _has_ to be better than **Casino**. \*its only competition coming from two other DeNiro mob flicks, i.e. [Once Upon a Time in America](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087843/combined) and [The Godfather II](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071562/combined), and the godfather of them all, [The Godfather](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068646/combined). Now _there’s_ a question for a poll: Which is the best of the above lot? (Once Upon a Time in America, Godfather I, Godfather II, Goodfellas). Each is amazing, but one stands a bit taller . . . ---
**Author:** ![Lochdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/edb3f5/32.png) [@Lochdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lochdale)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2012, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casino-vs-goodfellas/612291/53 "2012-02-14T05:15:45Z")
Not sure why the Departed has even been mentioned in this thread. I’d have to say Goodfellas. Unlike say the Godfather films, it didn’t glamorize the thugs. Instead it showed that despite all of their big scores, they were all desperate, awful people who frankly didn’t live particularly well. Casino was a good film as well and did it’s best to show the scope of the Chicago outfit’s hold on Vegas. In terms of dollars taken, the Outfit made a fortune off of Vegas. Spilotro (Pesci’s character was based off of in Casino) was a true degenerate gangster and killed at least 20 plus people. Casino did a fairly good job of showing that too and also highlighted the corruption of the Teamsters in funding various casinos. ---
**Author:** ![Greekfreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c68b51/32.png) [@Greekfreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greekfreak)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casino-vs-goodfellas/612291/54 "2012-09-04T16:22:37Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > I like them both a lot, but I went with _Casino_ just because you get to see somebody beat up Don Rickles. I sometimes conflate the two though; for example, I’ll remember the scene with Pesci and his [character’s] mom from _Casino_ then remember "Wait, that was _Goodfellas_. > > I know a close relative of Tommy DeSimone, the real life man Joe Pesci’s character in _Casino_ was based on. I think she’s a significantly younger first cousin of his, though she might be the daughter of a first cousin; in any case, she knew him fairly well when she was a kid. Talking about him once she talked about how funny he was and how generous he was- she’d see him once every few months but when she did he’d have expensive presents- well chosen ones- for her and her brother and sisters, or if he didn’t have presents when he saw them he’d peel off some cash and send somebody (a buddy or another relative) out and they’d come with expensive presents; he was super affectionate to everybody in the family and an insanely generous tipper when they went out to eat, etc.. > > I knew the official record on him and I’d read the book _Casino_ and had no doubts the real DeSimone was a monster, but trying to be diplomatic I said a non-committal “Your family must have been really upset at how Pesci portrayed him”, to which she said “Oh no… oh no… well, they weren’t nuts about him being portrayed at all, but everybody knew where Tommy’s money came from and that when he wasn’t being the sweetest guy you ever met he was a psychotic lbastard that the other [mobsters] were afraid of. If half the stories the family tells about him are true he was ten times as evil as the guy Pesci played.” > > I always admire people capable of seeing their loved ones objectively. Two different stories, really, and the comparison only really gets any weight because it’s Scorsese, Pesci, and DeNiro again (and only 5 years after Goodfellas), and Pesci’s basically playing the same type of character. There’s no question Casino has moments of brilliance–particularly James Woods creepy voice-over during DeNiro’s wedding in the movie, but Goodfellas is _seamless_. One of my favourite quotes came from the actual dealer in real life who had been on the set to see Pesci verbally abuse the movie dealer. “The real Tony said things to me that were 100x worse.” ---
**Author:** ![Coup\_Fourre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@Coup\_Fourre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coup_Fourre)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casino-vs-goodfellas/612291/55 "2012-09-04T21:46:52Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > Goodfellas is a much better film IMO. One reason is that it doesnt feature Sharon Stone. I came here to post that exact sentiment. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casino-vs-goodfellas/612291/56 "2012-09-04T21:59:31Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > Casino is a good movie. Goodfellas, however, is a perfect movie -literally every shot in the movie adds to the overall story and feel. > > Directors aspire to be as good as Scorcese was with Goodfellas, I don’t think anyone aspires to be as good as he was with Casino. > > That Dances With Wolves won best picture that year is a travesty that Academy voters should be ashamed of. Well, Dances With Wolves was the better movie. Goodfellas and Casino are just mobster glorification flicks. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casino-vs-goodfellas/612291/57 "2012-09-04T23:43:45Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > Well, Dances With Wolves was the better movie. Goodfellas and Casino are just mobster glorification flicks. And _Dances With Wolves_ was just another " clueless white guy enlightened the noble American Indian" flick\* ;). Both can be pigeon-holed into standard movie tropes, but _Goodfellas_ and _Casino_ did a much better job translating theirs into quality films. IMHO, of course. - In which the Pawnee take it on the chin yet again. It’s probably not common enough to rise to the level of a cliche, but see _Little Big Man_ for another example of this meme. The Pawnee, who frequently chose to [ally with the U.S.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pawnee_Scouts) for perfectly logical internal reasons, seem to have a tendency to be cast as the “bad indians” in primarily pro-NA films, portrayed as both slaughtering white folks and simultaneously sucking up to them. Meanwhile fierce opponents of U.S. expansion like the Cheyenne and Sioux are lionized. It’s an interesting take on the old “noble savage” idea in popular culture - former foes are looked upon with respect, former allies regarded dismissively. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/casino-vs-goodfellas/612291.md?page=2)