Board 8 > Board 8 Watches and Ranks Organized Crime Films: THE RANKING

(+) Yeah! (+)

Outlier Ranking
Poke: 204
plasma: 203
ssbm: 199
rockus: 197
Karo: 166
Vis: 165
Mythiot: 165
Snake: 160
John: 154
seginus: 152
Tangy: 148

What's this? A last second major jump from plasma to just 1-point short of 1st place?!? A drop all the way to 4th from rockus after dominating the entire list prior? A last minute jump from Tangy to put him just 4 points away from losing his bottom spot? We're in the 3rd hour here! Who goes out in cocaine-fueled shootout and who fades away into obscurity doing life without parole?

Planning to get the final two posted tomorrow, so stay tuned!

Johnbobb posted...

plasma: 20

Outlier Ranking

Poke: 204
plasma: 203

https://youtu.be/AU0u6SCAXWI

Going to guess Pulp Fiction for the two spot.

Guess Pulp Fiction for #2 and The Godfather is #1.

Pokewars posted...

Outlier Ranking

Poke: 204
plasma: 203

https://youtu.be/AU0u6SCAXWI

Awesome lol

Guessing Pulp Fiction for #2

For fun, I believe plasma, ssbm, and I will all tie at the end for outlier.

Pokewars posted...

For fun, I believe plasma, ssbm, and I will all tie at the end for outlier.

what a slap in the face to rockus that would be

Johnbobb posted...

what a slap in the face to rockus that would be

https://youtu.be/ufkypNjAEes

I'll be risky and guess The Godfather.

Johnbobb posted...

plasma
Something about Goodfellas never clicked for me, and it wasnt until this rewatch that I diagnosed the problem. Its a simple one: theres barely any drama or suspense. The movie trots out one fun, energetic scene after another, and thats all it does. Theres no real plot, no discernable stakes. Its just This happened, then this happened, then Pesci shoots Tony Sopranos nephew, then this happened, and more of this happened.

Scorsese admitted straight-up that he made a feature-length montage. Personally, I found it glorious, but I guess I understand this take?

Heck, it feels a little odd to say there are "no discernable stakes" in a movie where people keep getting in trouble left and right.

Rather than crafting a cohesive story, Scorsese assembles a collection of amusing anecdotes from mob life. Which is fine, I guess, but it never makes me fear for the wiseguys. The only remotely suspenseful part of the entire film is when the helicopter tracks Henry prior to the final bust, and at that point, a high-stakes sequence felt misplaced.

Dont get me wrong, its a fun movie, and that Tommy DeVito is a funny guy, but Im not as high on Goodfellas as most. C

Forty, Inviso, and Poke all cash in as we head down to the FINAL WAGER!!!

Vegas Odds on #2:

+300 Pulp Fiction
+700 The Godfather

Leaderboard:

1. Fortybelowsummer $4750 (+750 Sicario, +1000 Gangs of New York, +500 White Heat, +500 Carlito's Way, +500 The Departed, +500 City of God, +500 The Godfather Pt. II, +500 Goodfellas)
2. Inviso $4000 (+500 Gangster No., +1500 The Irishman, +500 White Heat, +500 Carlito's Way, +500 City of God, +500 Goodfellas)
3. BetrayedTangy: $3500 (+600 The Public Enemy, +500 White Heat, +750 Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, +650 Reservoir Dogs, +500 The Departed, +500 City of God)
4. PokeWars: $3200 (+600 The Public Enemy, +500 Gangster No. 1, +600 Scarface (1932), +500 Carlito's Way, +500 The Godfather Pt. II, +500 Goodfellas)
5. SSBM: $1500 (+1000 Gangs of New York, +500 The Godfather Pt. II)
6. Seginus: $1150 (+650 Reservoir Dogs, +500 City of God)
7. Mythiot: $500 (+500 Carlito's Way)

LinkMarioSamus posted...

Scorsese admitted straight-up that he made a feature-length montage. Personally, I found it glorious, but I guess I understand this take?

Heck, it feels a little odd to say there are "no discernable stakes" in a movie where people keep getting in trouble left and right.

The problem I have is that there's minimal (or no) build-up to the moments when characters get in trouble. It's like a comedian who keeps shouting punchlines without enough setup.

Johnbobb posted...

Outlier Ranking
Poke: 204
plasma: 203
ssbm: 199
rockus: 197
Karo: 166
Vis: 165
Mythiot: 165
Snake: 160
John: 154
seginus: 152
Tangy: 148

What's this? A last second major jump from plasma to just 1-point short of 1st place?!? A drop all the way to 4th from rockus after dominating the entire list prior? A last minute jump from Tangy to put him just 4 points away from losing his bottom spot? We're in the 3rd hour here! Who goes out in cocaine-fueled shootout and who fades away into obscurity doing life without parole?

Planning to get the final two posted tomorrow, so stay tuned!

Such a nailbiter!

Pokewars posted...

Outlier Ranking

Poke: 204
plasma: 203

https://youtu.be/AU0u6SCAXWI

Hahahah cannot wait to see how these last two shake out

plasmabeam posted...

The problem I have is that there's minimal (or no) build-up to the moments when characters get in trouble. It's like a comedian who keeps shouting punchlines without enough setup.

yeah, this definitely felt weird my first time watching it. the movie does its own thing and expects you to follow along more than try to anticipate it or root for outcomes

that said the actual scenes are very enjoyable/interesting, so i find that hard to hold against it much!

plasmabeam posted...

The problem I have is that there's minimal (or no) build-up to the moments when characters get in trouble. It's like a comedian who keeps shouting punchlines without enough setup.

This is honestly a fair opinion. From what I gather however, this was fully intentional - it's supposed to show the nature of gangster life. Helps that the movie was based on a non-fiction book, though it still takes liberties obviously.

Also, the real Henry Hill was still alive when the movie came out, so technically it was a foregone conclusion he'd survive.

2. Pulp Fiction (1994)
Directed by: Quentin Tarantino
Runtime: 2h 34m
Score: 62

Myhiot: 2
Snake: 3
Tangy: 4
rockus: 4
Poke: 4
seginus: 4
Karo: 5
John: 6
plasma: 9
ssbm: 10
Vis: 11

Snake
Its like Reservoir Dogs on crack. While I personally enjoy Reservoir Dogs relatively more reserved pace, Pulp Fiction takes what that film established and cranks it up to 11. The plot is even MORE intertwined, the dialogue filled with even more pop culture references, the soundtrack fine tuned to a sharp point, oftentimes feeling structured as a musical. The film is god damn hilarious, while shocking deaths coming at key, integral moments (and in a non-linear) fashion almost make the film seem like a fever dream.

Tangy
How the fuck is this movie as good as it is and still only Tarantinos 3rd best movie? Pulp Fiction is practically a national treasure at this point and for good reason. The dialogue alone is top notch and just feels so realistic, it establishes the good friendship between Jules and Vincent and is super entertaining. Oh yeah and thats just in the first 20 or so minutes. Then we also have the sheer brilliance of the Mia Situation, I love how it builds from an awkward friendly date to her oding on heroin. In that little 5 minute window the situation goes from one crisis being averted to an even more extreme one knocking down the door. Seriously great stuff, there is one little problem though. I hate Willis in this movie so much. Every time hes on screen the pacing just completely stops dead in its tracks and we have to listen to him talk down to his wife. I can usually get past stuff like that too, but here it just goes on forever and it doesnt help that right before this we have that boring ass taxi scene. Hes just such an unlikable character and on top of that Bruce just seems totally tuned out for most of the movie. Honestly if it wasnt for that, this would have a shot at number 2.

rockus
Tarantino making anthology films cool again, even if it doesnt appear to be an anthology film at first glance. Fresh, stylish, and endlessly quotable its easy to see how Pulp Fiction became one of the most influential films of the 1990s with tons of imitators, but none with quite the same voice as Tarantino himself.

Poke
My one gripe is that I didn't care for Butch's story. Other than that, immaculate. The Jack Rabbit Slim's scene is one of my all-time favourite scenes in cinematic history. I loved the chemistry between Vincent and Mia, the buddy duo of Vincent/Jules, the dialogue throughout.

seginus
Familiar classic, probably seen it half a dozen times now. It's undeniably stylish and quotable, unusual yet accessible enough that the cult following makes sense. It's a little worn out for me now but I still managed to find new things in it - I never noticed that when Keitel is about to spray down Vince and Jules the nozzle on the hose looks like a pistol. Just a fun little detail. I also notice with both this and Reservoir Dogs things always escalate when someone goes to the bathroom. It happens to Vince like three or four times in this! His entire arc is going to the men's room. You ever notice that? I'm thinking it's not women's feet in the suitcase, it's piss!

Karo
Tarantino's non-sequential epic featuring various unsavory characters doing underhanded deals and talking about foot massage.
In the colorful cast of characters the one who stands out the most is Jules, played to perfection by one Samuel 'Motherfucking' Jackson in a manner that defies description.
I didnt really care for the boxer's storyline. Although there wasn't anything explicitly wrong with it, it was screen time that other much better characters could have had instead.
It's Tarantino being Tarantino, it's his usual style of taking dated old things and making them not-terrible. I feel this is the kind of oddball thing you will either like or you wont, and I for one liked it.

John
you don't need me or anyone else to explain why pulp fiction is good, I mean, come on

plasma
Ive never been a Tarantino guy, so I dont worship this movie like most other cinephiles. In fact, I expected Pulp Fiction to land somewhere around my Bottom 10 when I initially saw our list. But then the rewatch happened, and the first hour-and-a-half turned out better than I remembered, particularly Travolta and Umas big date. If this entire movie consisted solely of those two sitting and chatting about five-dollar shakes, this would be a top-tier movie in my eyes.

Theres actually plenty of top-tier content in this one. The performances, the dialogue, the philosophical ideas, the unique style I like a lot of stuff here.

But where the movie falls off for me is when Travolta gets killed in the bathroom. Whether or not hes dumb enough to leave his silenced machine gun on the kitchen counter is beside the point. I simply hate the fact that he gets killed off because it marks the end of the storys linear progress.

From there, the movie delves into flashbacks where we get to see the story from new perspectives. Ill admit that this nonlinear style does add depth to the story (Not to mention, it uniquely develops the storys central theme of life vs. death by resurrecting Travolta after hes killed), but the structure leaves me feeling cheated. Yes, there are great scenes in the back-half of the movie and some laugh-out-loud moments, but that final hour nonetheless leaves me wishing the story had continued forward. B

ssbm
Rating: B-

SLJ's Jules carries this really hard. Obviously the beginning scenes where he delivers his judgement is great and immensely quotable, but it's actually the ending that propels Jules to legendary character status. I think the religion angle is a fascinating angle to explore a gangster. I also love him talking down and, like Fonzie, remain cool. I think without Jules, this movie would be good, but not great.

I'm surprised how breezy the other scenes are, though. Vincent and Mia has a surprisingly likable set of scenes, despite me not liking either character. I love how serious they look while dancing. Butch's segment is pretty good all the way through. I think the rape scene is a little wild. I have no idea how Tarantino comes up with these ideas. And Butch killing Vincent is just super interesting and shows again that life is fragile in the gangster world and can come at any moment. No one's safe, not even the main character.

Vis
I honestly thought, based on the Kung-Fu and Western rankings, that I would rank this higher than I did. But after watching it (my second viewing), its still good, but it doesnt quite stand up to the best of Tarantinos work. I love various aspects of the movie, and its extremely quotable, but aside from the Butch storyline, it feels just a little too dialogue-heavy. Im not gonna criticize Tarantino for writing too much dialogue, but I just prefer a little bit more plot to move forward beyond just a handful of scenes devoted to demonstrating Tarantinos penchant for monologues.

That being said, the overall plot is still solid. Its telling the story of two days through the lenses of three people, shifting through time a little bit as the film progresses. We start with a scene in a coffee shop where Tim Roth is talking about the benefits of robbing the restaurant before actually doing so, and then we cut to Vincent Vegas story, leaving the coffee shop on a cliff hanger until the movie is bookended with a final scene there. We also get a scene of Jules and Vincent working as enforcers for Marsellus Wallace, entering an apartment to rough up some deadbeats. Again, this is left on a cliffhanger until everything is tied up later with Jules storyline.

Anyway, the Vincent and Mia story is okay. Its a BIT too pop culture-heavy, and if Im being honest, Vincent is the weakest character of the trio of protagonists in the film. But Butchs story is great, and hes where this film largely gets its organized crime moniker. Watching what is essentially the hero of the film start out his story by murdering someone in a boxing match (that he was supposed to throw) is a great establishing scene for his character. The ass watch monologue is hilarious in just how deadpan Christopher Walken plays it. But really, watching Butch deal with the aftermath of his decision, particularly with regards to some pissed off gangsters, was really interesting, well-paced, and well-written in general.

Finishing the movie with Jules is also great, because he comes across as cool, and it feels almost interesting to hear him talk about leaving the life, because we know by this point that maybe he made the right choice. Vincent winds up nearly killing Mia and then getting shot and killed in a bathroom (which Ive noticed he spends a lot of time in, during the movieseriously, every time some major shit goes down, hes in the bathroomto his detriment). Its a solid two thirds overall, even the Vincent plot is decent for what it is.

1. The Godfather (1972)
Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola
Runtime: 2h 55m
Score: 36

John: 1
Karo: 1
plasma: 1
Myth: 1
seginus: 1
rockus: 2
Vis: 5
Poke: 5
Snake: 6
ssbm: 6
Tangy: 7

John
There's an incredible amount to be said here, way too much for a write-up really, because The Godfather is, in my opinion, the closest thing that exists to a perfect movie. Every single aspect of this absolute epic is nearly flawless. The performances, writing, cinematography, music, and character development are all things I might honestly dare to say could not have been improved upon.
One thing that's always been a point of contention with older vs. newer movies is that some people insist older movies deserve more credit for establishing methods of filmmaking, movie tropes, etc. etc. Others might prefer newer movies, with the argument that doing something first doesn't mean they did it the best, and movies should be recognized moreso on how they improve or capitalize on existing methods and tropes. There are fair view on both sides, but The Godfather throws such a massive wrench into it all. Thousands of films, shows, etc have all taken what The Godfather created and tried to work with it, or even TRY to improve on it, and many have had great success in their own rights, but there is not a single movie that exists (to my knowledge) that managed to do anything Godfather did in a better way than The Godfather itself.
I mean nearly every single scene of this 3+ hour movie is a goddamn masterpiece. Luca Brasi getting strangled in the restaurant, his body slowly sinking offscreen beneath the sillhouette of the mobsters strangling him, as if he's sinking below waves, and then it pans to an outside view from behind the leaping fish by the restaurant's window, and then we don't get followup on this scene until a few scenes later when the Corleones receive a wrapped up dead fish paired with the unforgettable "It means Luca Brasi sleeps with the fishes" and that emotional weight hits immediately. And before this we get Tom talking about Luca's powerful and unwavering loyalty, saying "even Sonny won't be able to call off Luca Brasi" when he doesn't know Luca's dead, and even BEFORE that in the very beginning of the movie we get a goofy but heartfelt scene of Luca nervously stumbling over the practice speech he wants to give to Don Vito juxataposed with Kay asking Michael about the scary man talking to himself, leading into one of the saddest scenes of foreshadowing in all of film ("That's my family, Kay. That's not me.") and all of this works together to make Luca's death such a powerful and well thought out tool, and keep in mind this is all within the first hour of a THREE HOUR MOVIE. And that first scene of the wedding just flawlessly sets up literally EVERY SINGLE plot thread of the entire film, from Luca Brasi dying for the family, to Vito being established as the most powerful mob boss in the five families, to Michael's eventual marriage and takeover of the family business, to Carlo and Connie's wedding (which istelf leads to him abusing her, and Sonny lashing out, and ultimately leads to Sonny's death. I mean I've seen this movie like 5 times already and it still blows my mind to this day how incredible this film is in virtually every way. THIS is why I love film. I mean I'm rambling about this film as I watch it because watching something that is this goddamn intricate and incredible that can still give me chills and make me laugh and cry and terrify and thrill me in equal measure after all these years is just an experience like no other.

Karo
Ah yes, The Godfather. The much lauded and oft-parodied masterpiece that is the first thing anyone thinks of when they think of a film about the mafia. It is iconic for a reason, the sheer number of memorable quotes in this film is staggering. Sleeps with the fishes. An offer he can't refuse. And that's just to name a few.
There are a lot of things going on, but the main story is of Michael Corleone, a young man who wants no part in the family 'business', yet is sucked into the world of crime by a series of unfortunate events. This story is very well done, it maintains sympathy and relatability for the character even as he heads down a dark path.
I consider The Godfather the end-all as far as movies about the mob go, and it is likely to never be topped.

plasma
This was my third time watching The Godfather, and it was by far the best experience Ive had with it. The movie is jam-packed with characters and plotlines to the point that its impossible to follow everything on a first or second viewing. Watching with subtitles helped me match names to faces, and I finally got a solid grasp of Sollozzo, Moe Greene, Barzini, and all the other scumbags that populate this world.

Of course, we dont watch for the antagonists in this one. The reason why this movie is so damn good has everything to do with the Corleone family. The wedding at the beginning might be the best introduction of an ensemble cast Ive ever seen, and its amazing how much characterization and worldbuilding is packed into those first 30 minutes. Once the ball gets rolling with Vitos near-assassination and Michaels march down the bloody path to godfatherhood, its engrossing character drama.

More than ever before, Michaels journey wowed me. Theres that glimpse of his potential future early on when hes being taught how to cook for all the other guys, and its such a great crossroads moment If he continues down his current path, hes destined to be the family bitch, but its not too late for him to take charge of his future (You can act like a man!). I totally empathize with why he volunteers to get revenge for his father. Its about more than Vito ending up in the hospital; its about Michael deciding who he wants to be. And watching who he becomes is as captivating as it gets, thanks to Pacinos performance.

To nitpick some things, its hard to overlook the fact the second half of the movie has some pacing issues. Michaels time away in Sicily is necessary for his growth but at the same time I kept thinking, Cmon, get back to America already. Another issue is Fredos lack of screen time. Hes not supposed to be a major factor in this movie, but the first time I watched Godfather Part II years ago, I had to check IMDB to make sure Fredo even was in the first movie. Hes just totally forgettable. When you condense such a large, intricate story down into 3 hours, I get that you cant give everyone the spotlight, but stillat least give me reason to remember him.

Minor issues aside, this lives up to its reputation. A+

Myth
I mean, it's the freaking Godfather. It's Marlon Brando's unforgettable old mafia don making unrefusable offers, petting his cat, and deteriorating while the increasingly brutal world moves on without him. It's Michael the clean-cut college student and veteran who allows himself to become a more ruthless and brutal mob boss than his father and brother could have dreamed of. It's the cycles of violence that permeate through the institutions of business, politics, family, and country that doom those inside them. It's the mesmerizing cinematography, sets and music that beguile you into admiring this world until the next act of brutal violence. It's the freaking Godfather.

seginus
Marriage, war, death, birth. religion, Godfather takes up an operatic scope worthy of lengthy analysis but what I find most effective are the little slice-of-life details it spends time with. The old folks singing in Italian at the wedding and making the little kids laugh, the energy of the busy dinner table, the guy playing an out-of-tune piano with the poker game in the background. It's so confident taking time on this stuff that's more atmosphere/worldbuilding than plot. You gotta take the time to get the cannoli, even when you're offing a guy. And of course the cinematography, original score, and performances I think are justifiably iconic. I find myself appreciating its slow burn more every time I watch it.

rockus
What is there still to say about one of the most celebrated and acclaimed films of all time? Besides to simply agree that it deserves the acclaim. Impeccably cast, has some gorgeous textured photography by Gordon Willis, its straight up an all-timer. Incredible film.

Vis
Its crazy to me that this movie is as good as it is, because on-paper, it does a lot of things that Ive hated in the past. The runtime is absurdly long, and despite being a mafia movie, its very much a slice of life story about a family that just happens to be mafia. However, at no point during the three-hour runtime was I bored or looking at the clock. Every scene just did its job to keep me intrigued the whole way through. Even the opening scene was twenty minutes of a wedding, but that wedding was meant to show, not tell, about Vito Corleones power and authority as the titular godfather.

Its just fantastic character work across the board: Vito commands respect, but things go off the rails when he wont play ball with the drug trade. Sonny is reckless and impulsive, and its his hot temper that leads to his downfall, as he is incapable of treating the trade with the kind of finesse that is needed. Tom is calm, measured, and intelligentbut hes also not a blood relative, so they tend to ignore his advice (and honestly, I feel like a lot of problems couldve been avoided if people listened to Tom more). Fredo is a wimpy, easily-influenced loser that no one in the family really respects. And Michael is very stoic and loyal, but hes also willing to do what needs to be done, no matter what. Its interesting how much the movie tries pushing Michael as the good son, but that just makes him the only son with the stones to follow in his fathers footsteps. Its just a really solid story of the rise of a new godfather, especially in the wake of the downfall of the existing godfather.

Poke
What more needs to be said? A cinematic masterpiece, iconic lines/moments, people have probably exhausted themselves analyzing this film. But it's one of the best films and an important piece of Americana

Snake
A film that takes all of what came before but elevates to totally new artistic heights. A virtuosic masterpiece of thematic cinematography, juxtaposing heady themes of religion and family with the senseless murders of gangster flicks that dominated the early 30s and beyond.

ssbm
Rating: B+

It's so easy to like The Godfather. There's so many iconic scenes and the characters are really memorable. The first half of this movie is just banger after banger, all scenes that are firmly coded in popular culture. I really love the wedding scene introducing the movie. It really encapsulates how important family is to the mafia and that it's not always necessarily serious and bloody. It's a celebration. Later on, Sonny's reminded about how no business ever goes down during dinner and that's kinda similar. There's just kind of a holy sacrament space that Vito refuses to go over and many people follow his example.

Speaking of Vito, what a great character. Not a great performance; I can't stand Marlon Brando's acting and think it's really difficult to hear him. But man, I love Vito. Every line has so much weight to it and he really feels like he's at the end of his years and wants to pass down so much wisdom to his kids. Michael's also really great. I love his transformation throughout the movie and how he goes from hardcore hesitating to killing two people to mercilessly ordering a hit on all of his enemies during his godson's blessing. These two carry the movie, but the rest of the Corleone family is really good. I used to not like Sonny for being too much of a caricature. Now, I think his attitude and personality really adds something to the family and his presence is definitely missed once he's shot down.

I will say this movie is difficult to watch, in a conceptual way. This is my third time watching The Godfather and I feel like I like it more on each re-watch. This is my first time watching it with subtitles and that helps a TON. It's still tough remembering who is who, but you get a feel for all the varied characters.

Tangy
Ah here it is the movie that changed everything, Mario Puzos The Godfather. This film is legendary for several reasons and its a legacy that no fan of film can question. This film is nearly perfect in every way, but goddammit everything slows down when Michael goes to Sicily and I hate it. I get why hes there, I get thats important for his character, I get it the landscape is beautiful, but its the last thing I want to see as all this crazy shit is going down back in NYC. The other thing I dont understand is how it just immediately turned Michael into a piece of shit. Specifically towards Kay, like I get it your side piece got blown up in a car accident, but Kay literally waited two years for you to come back. Dude could at least be happy shes more loyal than he is. I dont know its really just nitpicking at this point. Just my reasoning for keeping it out of the Top 3 I guess.

Yeah, yeah, The Godfather winning and doing so almost 30 points ahead of the runner-up is hardly a surprise. It's very rare among all the Gauntlet/Board 8 movie lists that a winner has been so entirely clear-cut, with almost half the participants ranking it 1st and nobody ranking it outside the top 10.

Perhaps more surprising, nobody considered Pulp Fiction or Goodfellas their #1?

While the main results may not be startling, lets check out the outliers!

Outlier Ranking prior to final results
Poke: 204
plasma: 203
ssbm: 199
rockus: 197
Karo: 166
Vis: 165
Mythiot: 165
Snake: 160
John: 154
seginus: 152
Tangy: 148

Final Outlier Ranking
ssbm: 212
Poke: 210
plasma: 210
rockus: 200
Vis: 178
Karo: 169
Snake: 166
Mythiot: 165
John: 158
Tangy: 156
seginus: 154

Now THERE'S our surprises! At the very last moment, plasma leaps up into first place, just barely beating out Poke and Plasma who both tied for 2nd. Rockus, despite his constant lead throughout the contest, only just edges in as the 4th person to hit the 200 club. But what's that at the bottom? ANOTHER UPSET! Tangy's solid perch firmly at spot 11/11 is lost, again at the last moment, to seginus, who moved only 2 points over the last two rankings, leaving Tangy 2 points too high to take it.

Congrats to ssbm and seginus, our respective biggest and smallest outliers!

I liked Part II ever so slightly more than the original but they're both ace.

Big thanks to everyone who participated and followed along! Hope you guys enjoyed the movies (in spite of, or maybe BECAUSE of, their inordinate lengths).

Did you enjoy watching these films? Did you not enjoy watching them because you don't care for the crime genre and want to delve into something else? Stick around! I'll be throwing up a new topic later today as we try and decide what our next list is going to be. The future's up in the air right now, so if you want to run a list of your own, make sure to check out that topic once it's up!

Thanks for hosting this one and I feel bad I didn't comment more. I think while these are a collection of excellent films I just don't think I have a real passion for this genre. Watching through them all just made me realize how samey most of them felt while never really lacking excellency on technical levels. That's just me though, & I still enjoyed watching them regardless!

I'm not too surprised about being top outlier with the top 4 being all B movies for me and having a pretty odd top 10. I'll take it with pride! I really liked the crime movies, despite their length. Most of them, I greatly enjoyed. This is my first time doing a movies project and I really liked it a lot. I'd be interested in certain other genres, but stuff like Horror or Westerns would be topics I would pass on.

I've been working on compatibility ratings and here's what I got!

Tangy:
Most Compatible: seginus (Divergent score of 204)
Least Compatible: rockus (Divergent score of 264)

Vis:
Most Compatible: Poke (Divergent score of 212)
Least Compatible: ssbm (Divergent score of 274)

John:
Most Compatible: Snake (Divergent score of 172)
Least Compatible: plasma (Divergent score of 298)

Mythiot:
Most Compatible: rockus (Divergent score of 174)
Least Compatible: ssbm (Divergent score of 294)

Poke:
Most Compatible: Vis (Divergent score of 212)
Least Compatible: rockus (Divergent score of 312)

Karo:
Most Compatible: John (Divergent score of 206)
Least Compatible: rockus (Divergent score of 282)

ssbm:
Most Compatible: John (Divergent score of 240)
Least Compatible: rockus (Divergent score of 320)

seginus:
Most Compatible: rockus (Divergent score of 172)
Least Compatible: Poke & plasma (Divergent score of 266)

Snake:
Most Compatible: John (Divergent score of 172)
Least Compatible: plasma (Divergent score of 308)

plasma:
Most Compatible: Tangy (Divergent score of 216)
Least Compatible: Snake (Divergent score of 308)

rockus:
Most Compatible: seginus (Divergent score of 172)
Least Compatible: ssbm (Divergent score of 320)

Thanks for running this one JB! It might've been a tough list to get through, but I absolutely have a greater appreciation for the genre and it helped me find some favorites I likely wouldn't have watched otherwise!

Oh shoot. I wrote ssbm at 197 which was rockus's prior to the top 2 and that's why I was off. Ah well.

Thanks for hosting, johnbobb! A lot of my established favorite films were on this list and some pleasant surprises along the way.

NEW TOPIC IS UP
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/8-gamefaqs-contests/80219267

Ranking the half I've seen for the hell of it (group ranking in parentheses)

#1 Pulp Fiction (2) - not my favorite Tarantino movie, but extremely good
#2 Casino (10) - Scorsese's best imo
#3 Goodfellas (3)
#4 Reservoir Dogs (7) - stuck in the middle with you
#5 Miller's Crossing (21) - Coen Bros & Gabriel Byrne (and the whole cast really) are great here
#6 L.A. Confidential (12)
#7 Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (14) - alright my son?
#8 American Gangster (26) - "What are you gonna do - shoot me in broad daylight?" - guy who got shot in broad daylight
#9 The Godfather (1)
#10 The Godfather Pt. II (4) - almost want to rank it ahead of the first, love the douchey senator character at the beginning. Both are very solid.
#11 Training Day (11) - agree with rockus that it's pretty silly/unrealistic
#12 Gangs of New York (16) - Cameron Diaz's accent....YIKES. Leo and Daniel Day kind of make up for it. Too long.
#13 Snatch (9) - slightly obnoxious British street slang but without the memorable plot and characters of Lock Stock
#14 The Departed (6)
#15 The Irishman (19) - waayyy too long, couldn't get into it

I'm out of town for the rest of the week, but I'll get the Vegas final results together hopefully by Monday.

Also eager to read the final write-ups.

Nobody bet on Pulp Fiction at #2, so Vegas stays in business. Congrats to Fortybelow on a lucrative victory!

Final Leaderboard:

1. Fortybelowsummer $4750 (+750 Sicario, +1000 Gangs of New York, +500 White Heat, +500 Carlito's Way, +500 The Departed, +500 City of God, +500 The Godfather Pt. II, +500 Goodfellas)
2. Inviso $4000 (+500 Gangster No., +1500 The Irishman, +500 White Heat, +500 Carlito's Way, +500 City of God, +500 Goodfellas)
3. BetrayedTangy: $3500 (+600 The Public Enemy, +500 White Heat, +750 Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, +650 Reservoir Dogs, +500 The Departed, +500 City of God)
4. PokeWars: $3200 (+600 The Public Enemy, +500 Gangster No. 1, +600 Scarface (1932), +500 Carlito's Way, +500 The Godfather Pt. II, +500 Goodfellas)
5. SSBM: $1500 (+1000 Gangs of New York, +500 The Godfather Pt. II)
6. Seginus: $1150 (+650 Reservoir Dogs, +500 City of God)
7. Mythiot: $500 (+500 Carlito's Way)

Vegas Hall of Fame:

Fortybelowsummer (Organized Crime)
Tom Nook (ABCs of Death)
Inviso (2010s Horror)

plasmabeam posted...

Nobody bet on Pulp Fiction at #2, so Vegas stays in business.

Pokewars posted...

Guess Pulp Fiction for #2 and The Godfather is #1.

Not that it mattered because viso and forty also guessed this arrangement.

Oh hey I'll actually be able to participate in Vegas next time

Oh I just realized this year was the 50th Anniversary of The Godfather!

Pokewars posted...

Not that it mattered because viso and forty also guessed this arrangement.

This. The three of us guessed #2 before the odds were posted.

*lights cigar with $100 bill*

Thanks for doing Vegas, it was fun!

Now time to watch The Offer.

Pokewars posted...

Now time to watch The Offer.

I also just downloaded The Offer! guy at my work has been recommending it

is there a final ranking anywhere?

SeabassDebeste posted...

is there a final ranking anywhere?

Whoops guess I should've posted that

1. The Godfather
2. Pulp Fiction
3. Goodfellas
4. The Godfather, Part II
5. City of God
6. The Departed
7. Reservoir Dogs
8. Carlito's Way
9. Snatch
10. Casino
11. Training Day
12. LA Confidential
13. Scarface (1983)
14. Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels
15. White Heat
16. Gangs of New York
17. Scarface (1932)
18. Donnie Brasco
19. The Irishman
20. Once Upon a Time in America
21. Miller's Crossing
22. The Untouchables
23. Sicario
24. Gangster No. 1
25. Lucky Number Slevin
26. American Gangster
27. The Public Enemy
28. The Italian Job
29. Battles Without Honor and Humanity
30. Little Caesar

fortybelowsummer posted...

This. The three of us guessed #2 before the odds were posted.

*lights cigar with $100 bill*

Thanks for doing Vegas, it was fun!

Youre welcome! And as for the final non-payouts, blame it on me being a shady bookie.

plasmabeam posted...

Youre welcome! And as for the final non-payouts, blame it on me being a shady bookie.

I mean that's fitting for the genre

Plasma, are you left or right-handed?

Inviso posted...

Plasma, are you left or right-handed?

Right

*whack whack whack!*

Based on what i've seen

1. The Godfather II
2. The Departed
3. The Godfather
4. Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels
5. Pulp Fiction
6. Goodfellas
7. Reservoir Dogs
8. Snatch.
9. Sicario

Inviso posted...

*whack whack whack!*

Hahha I walked right into that one!

Johnbobb posted...

I also just downloaded The Offer! guy at my work has been recommending it

Watched it in two days. So good. I loved the extra nods to the various films Paramount was working on at the time.

Just for shits I learned the tune that Carmine Coppola plays on piano in The Godfather, so here's me playin' it - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrBpNZnpu3M