Stars:
Denzel Washington,
Russell Crowe,
Josh Brolin,
RZA,
Al Pacino,
Robert Loggia,
Michelle Pfeiffer,
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio,
Robert De Niro,
Sharon Stone,
Joe Pesci,
James Woods,
Sean Penn,
Viggo Mortensen,
John Leguizamo,
Harvey Keitel,
Cesare Danova,
Richard Romanus
Director:
Brian De Palma
Summary: Contains the gangster films AMERICAN GANGSTER, SCARFACE (1983), CASINO (Special Edition), CARLITO'S WAY, and MEAN STREETS.
Contains the gangster films AMERICAN GANGSTER, SCARFACE (1983), CASINO (Special Edition), CARLITO'S WAY, and MEAN STREETS.
In AMERICAN GANGSTER, Frank Lucas is a driver for Bumpy Johnson, one of the top figures in Harlem's criminal world. When Bumpy dies, Lucas swoops in, taking over his predecessor's empire and expanding it over the next few years with his sale of a particularly potent brand of heroin. Meanwhile, New Jersey cop Richie Roberts begins to investigate the New York drug world and discovers that there's a new power in town.
In SCARFACE, Tony Montana's intelligence, guts, and ambition help him skyrocket from dishwasher to the top of a criminal empire but whose eventual paranoia and incestuous desire for his kid sister prove his undoing.
Set in the 1970s and revelling in the minute details of how Las Vegas casinos operate, CASINO chronicles the rise and fall of casino manager Ace Rothstein (Robert De Niro). As the king of his domain, Ace efficiently runs the business and regularly sends lots of cold cash to his bosses. Helping him keep the casino's employees and customers honest is his best friend, Nicky (Joe Pesci), a violent sociopath. Although Ace aims to run a relatively respectable casino, the volatile Nicky wants to take over the entire gambling mecca, and when Ginger McKenna (Sharon Stone), a seasoned Vegas hustler, enters the picture, Ace and Nicky's friendship is complicated even further. As drugs and alcohol become a bigger part of Ginger's life, all three are eventually brought down by their own greed and blind ambition.
In CARLITO'S WAY, notorious Puerto Rican heroin dealer Carlito Brigante is released from jail on a technicality thanks to the manipulations of his sleazy lawyer buddy. All he wants is to keep his nose clean and earn enough money to start a business in the Bahamas--and maybe rekindle romance with his old flame. Instead he finds himself back in trouble as a result of old-world codes of honour and misguided loyalties.
MEAN STREETS tells the story of Charlie (Harvey Keitel), a charming 27-year-old who is supported by his devoutly Catholic mother. He spends his days wandering the streets of New York City and nights hanging out drinking with his good friend Johnny Boy (Robert De Niro), a loose cannon who can't seem to crawl out of debt. Charlie's extreme affability makes him the middle man between his mob-tied uncle Giovanni (Cesare Danova) and various clients, as well as between Johnny Boy and Michael (Richard Romanus), a bookie who has become fed up with Johnny Boy's constant dodging. As the city's San Gennaro Festival takes over the streets of Little Italy, Michael seeks revenge on Johnny Boy once and for all.