Product: Mean Streets (1973)
Rating: 1.0
Wow! This movie [stinks]!
I just recently sit down to watch what I figured would be an original, 70's masterpiece. I mean, Keitel, De Niro, Scorsese, how could it be anything but good,...right? Wrong. This movie has great acting by Keitel & De Niro, however the plot is absurd! Let me break it down for ya:Charlie (Keitel) runs errands for his uncle, Giovanni (the local mob boss). Charlie's main buddies are Michael, the goodhearted loanshark (played by Richard Romanus) and Johnny Boy (De Niro), a petty & delinquint loser, who happens to owe Michael quite a bit of money. Early on in the movie, Charlie is visiting a guy named Oscar, at his restaurant, to "collect" for his uncle. Oscar tells Charlie that he can't make the payments to his uncle because his business partner has skipped outta town. Oscar knows that he has no choice but to turn the restaurant over to Charlie's uncle, Giovanni. Giovanni, in turn, is planning to give the restaurant to Charlie, for his excellent work. His only requests to Charlie is to stop hanging around with Johnny Boy, and to keep an eye on Johnny Boy's cousin, Theresa, (who happens to live right next to Charlie). Giovanni further states to Charlie, to not get involved with Theresa because she is a "freak",(a "freak" because she has epilepsy). We find out from uncle Giovanni that Johnny Boy & Theresa are from another 'family' that had past ties with Charlie's family. Well, what do you know, Charlie is already 'secretly' dating Theresa. Meanwhile, Michael keeps hustling Charlie about Johnny Boy's debts. Charlie keeps assuring Michael that he'll talk to Johnny Boy. And everytime he talks to Johnny Boy, it goes in one ear, and out the other.You got 2 hours to kill?Quilt a blanket!Re-arange that old collection of Oktoberfest bier steins!Whatever you do, skip this 2 hour YAWN-A-THON!