Goodfellas
Summary
Griffin and David discuss Martin Scorsese’s *Goodfellas*, analyzing its iconic dialogue, the "shine box" scene, and its status as the definitive mob film. They explore the movie’s origins in Nicholas Pileggi’s *Wise Guy*, its Oscar snub, and the reality of organized crime versus cinematic fantasy. The hosts also share personal anecdotes, including Griffin’s receipt of a vintage "Griffin Shine Master" kit and their humorous exchange of mafia-style nicknames.
Topics discussed
Intro banter and the 'no more podcasts' joke
Discussing the 'I'll dig the hole' quote
The repetition of the 'problem' scene
Oscars context: Dances with Wolves vs. Goodfellas
Revisiting Dances with Wolves and its legacy
Establishing mafia nicknames for the hosts
More nicknames and the 'Lonely Man' reference
Why Goodfellas is so watchable and compelling
The 'Shine Box' scene and its humor
The shock of Tommy's death and actor ages
Scorsese's use of naturalistic dialogue rhythms
Episode structure and the 'size queen' joke
Steve Martin's hair and iconic looks
The reality of hanging out in the mob
Promoting a premiere and the shine box again
GIFs of the slice and other movie references
Promoting 'Past and Future Guest' and 'Cat Miasma'
Sponsor read for Chime banking
First-time viewing experiences at MoMA
Scorsese's music video for Robbie Robertson
Henry as an outsider in organized crime
Henry Hill's desire to be adapted by Scorsese
Paul Vario's reaction to the film
Scorsese's first writing credit since Mean Streets
The 11 drafts and Scorsese's concerns
Casting Ray Liotta and the Venice dinner
Liotta's active performance and casting choices
De Niro's casting and the 'Medicine Man' reference
Joe Pesci's reluctance and the conversation
Al Pacino and John Malkovich casting rumors
The tit-for-tat of casting De Niro and Liotta
Halloween projects and the Princess Peach costume
The dice scene and the bad Blu-ray cover
Frank DeLeo's performance as Cicero
Cicero's anger and Leo's neutral reaction
Michael Ballhaus on the cinematography
Scorsese's relationship with his wife
James Cameron divorce and the book's prologue
The opening scene as an opportunity to convey info
Trump, De Niro, and the 'gangster in the White House'
James Gray's bachelor party story
Pauly's brother and the apron measurement joke
Ben's tiny notebook and the 'would it work' question
The 'popped your cherry' scene and emotional peak
Henry's blabbing and the 'Frankie the WAP' joke
Funny How and the airport guy
Two cameras and the tension in the scene
Henry explaining what being funny is
The pin-down and the seven grand bill
How Henry meets Karen
The Copa and Henny Youngman
AI posters and graphic design
Yelp ratings for the Copacabana
Glizzy Mania and the Instagram comments
The mob lifestyle and infidelity
Anti-Irish behavior and the needle drop
The layering of the shine box insult
The HBO Max show and its ratings
The phrase 'breaking balls' and its origin
The timeline of the movie: 1970 to 1980
Americana kitsch and the Gilded Age
Pasta with ketchup and The Sopranos
The roast beef that fell off the train
The murder of Spider and Jimmy's prison
Getting under Tommy's skin
Papa Scorsese's performance and meatballs
Cocaine use and Debbie Mazur
The death of Mori and the ice pick
Simpsons action figures and Louis action
Supporting actor roles and Oscar winners
Complicity and the Wolf of Wall Street ending
The helicopter and the FBI tail
Jeremy's glasses and the FBI guy
Debbie Mazur and the 'Gimme Shelter' reference
Paul Stravino's food line and death
Postcards from the Edge and box office
Narrow Margin and the red poster
Steve Martin's TV career and Gilda Radner
Darkman and Hardware
Dances with Wolves' Oscar legs
Oscar attention and the show's hosts
Credits and production team
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