This Movie Guy: Casino

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Happy Birthday, Martin Scorsese!

Today we're celebrating the birthday of Academy Award-winning director Martin Scorsese, who turns 69. Scorsese's name has become quite the legend on the Hollywood scene, and his directorial career dates back to 1959. His first feature film (Who's That Knocking at My Door) debuted in 1967, and from there a massively successful career began. In the 1970s, Scorsese crafted films like Mean Streets (1973) and Taxi Driver (1976). The 1980s saw the creation of Raging Bull (1980), The King of Comedy (1983) and The Last Temptation of Christ (1988). However, some of his most popular and most memorable films came in the 1990s, and they've given him the reputation for having a knack with gangster flicks. In 1990, he gave the world Goodfellas and followed it with another gangster film in 1995 (Casino). In the 2000s, he brought us 2002's Gangs of New York and 2004's The Aviator. Through all that time, Scorsese managed to nab seven Academy Award nominations (six for Best Director), but he didn't win an Oscar until winning the Best Director award for 2006's The Departed. Most recently, he's directed 2010's Shutter Island, and you'll next see his work with 2011's Hugo, which is due in theaters this holiday season. So, to celebrate his birthday, I've listed my five favorite Scorsese flicks. I hope you enjoy the accompanying videos. Once again, happy birthday, Martin Scorsese!

5. The Aviator
2004

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4. Casino
1995

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3. Goodfellas
1990

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2. The Departed
2006

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1. Taxi Driver
1976

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Happy Birthday, Robert De Niro!

The second big-time birthday for today comes for two-time Academy Award winner Robert De Niro, who turns 68. De Niro has always by synonymous with great acting, and although he's dropped a little bit in the past decade or so, there's really no denying his presence on-screen. He's appeared in so many iconic films and has portrayed so many iconic roles that this was one of the more difficult lists for me to make. His consistent collaboration with Martin Scorsese alone would have made this an interesting group of films, but because his reach has extended so far, I had to increase De Niro's list to ten films rather than my usual five. Robert De Niro is a giant among men in the world of acting, and he should be treated as such. So join me as I celebrate the life and the birthday of one of the greatest actors ever to grace the silver screen!