MovieChat Forums > The Sopranos (1999) Discussion > Why does this show acknowledge the exist...

Why does this show acknowledge the existence of the movie Goodfellas?


...when there are so many of the same actors involved in them!!?? It's pretty amateurish.

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That could be precisely why. Also some characters in The Sopranos like the idea of their lifestyle being portrayed in such a manner, and I believe Goodfellas is considered to be a fairly accurate portrayal

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But don't you get how that kind of challenges the idea that this is a real world, a real story? Think about the example of the movie Double Dragon based on the game includes an arcade cabinet of the game in the movie, or how in Oceans 12, the character portrayed by Julia Roberts in one of the robberies involves her distracting a crowd by pretending to be....Julia Roberts. Two embarrassing disgraceful moments in movie history. I'm not saying this is as bad or even close to, but you can see how this feels kind of offputting, right?

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Okay I understand a little better that time around. Yeah, I get that, a little too self-referential. And while the characters did, who knows if actual gangsters would give that much of a damn about movies about their lifestyele

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Because Goodfellas is part of mob pop culture and they are connecting the Sopranos to our culture.

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They also heavily acknowledged the existence of the Godfather Part II; The Matrix; and The Fugitive - all of which featured actors from the Sopranos.

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I was shocked when I found out Junior was Johnny Ola...

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Yeah I was kinda suprised myself. He had to be pointed out to me before I recognized him as Johnny Ola. He also played Al Pacino's father in Dog Day Afternoon.

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I actually kinda like it. Almost like it's an inside joke. I definitely like it more than the opposite - like in zombie movies or The Walking Dead, where they've never heard of the word "zombie" or, many times, even the concept of it. As if it doesn't even exist in the pop-culture in "their world", further highlighting the fact (for me) that their world is a different one than ours, taking me out of the story, to a degree. Not exactly the same thing, I know. It does push it quite a bit further when it's the same actors involved in both projects.

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According to Henry Hill (for what it's worth) the real gangsters he knew liked to mention parts of The Godfather movies.

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After seeing the entire show through, here's another interesting fact. Singer Frankie Valli gets mentioned by name several times in the first 4 seasons. Then after that, Frankie Valli is never mentioned again. Why? Because he now plays the role of Rusty Millio in the show! Even after he gets whacked they never mention FV again.

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"The Mayor of Munchkinland."

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Huh?

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lol i love the nicknames for people on this show. the mayor was a good one. also big pussy, the shah of iran, the harido, murmur, etc.

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I have no problem with them referencing Goodfellas. In fact I like how they use it as a tool to show to show the differences between the generations of Mobsters, and how it's affecting them today.

Old timers like Junior hate it. They come from a time where you were not supposed to talk about it, or acknowledge any sign of the mobs existence. Movies like this would draw to much attention and be bad for business.

Tony's generation grew up idolizing the Godfather movies, so they don't mind movies, especially when the gangsters are treated like the sympathetic heroes. However he was probably annoyed by Goodfellas because the guys were shown not to be good people, and they probably did know the real guys involved, and hated that the whole movie was centered around a rat.

The younger guys like Chris loved Goodfellas. Just like young Henry Hill, they loved the idea of the life and wanted to be part of it, and were to impatient to pay their dues and listen to the older guys. And they didn't care how much attention they got, they wanted people to know they were gangsters.

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There are so many allusions to the Godfather and some Soprano allusions in the Irishman.

When Tony brings over a new pastry chef (Enzo the baker in GF I, ask if the Don can fix his papers and the Don has an out of state senator fix a green card) he has to find him a job with Artie so that he can "apply" for a WP. How time have changed :-)

Whenever there is a shooting they drop the gun at the scene just like Michael in GFI. Even Bobby with no gloves in Montreal?!!?

The father of the bride granting wishes on his daughter's wedding.

Tony and his family are supposedly taken out in a family restaurant just like Joe Gallo in the IM. Frank talks about going to the bathroom first - Tony is clearly anxious about the guy going into the Gents in the finale.

What are you gonna do? = It is what it is.

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I liked it. When Christopher shot that guy in the foot I cracked up. Did anybody notice in that scene that "Vito" was in it but Christopher didn't recognize him as "Vito"? His name was "Gino". I guess it was before the "Vito" character was introduced.

https://youtu.be/0p6WvofgYHA

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