![\"Rya](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/final-destination-bloodlines-5.jpg?w=400&h=225&crop=1&quality=86&strip=all\")
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\n Related: <\/span>28 Must-Watch Movies on HBO Max to Stream Right Now (August 2025)<\/span><\/a>
\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n\t\t\tScary movies are the order of the month for HBO Max. Rather than waiting for Halloween, two horror movies are making a big splash. Final Destination Bloodlines is currently No. 1 on HBO Max after an impressive run in theaters earlier this year. Alien: Covenant\u2018s resurgence on HBO Max is more of a surprise, but [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
It\u2019s a \u2018Goodfellas\u2019 Reunion<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\nSome directors would shy away from revisiting one of their most acclaimed hits. However, Scorsese put Casino<\/em> together with two of his primary actors from Goodfellas<\/em>, Robert De Niro<\/strong><\/a> and Joe Pesci<\/strong><\/a>. Nicholas Pileggi<\/strong>, who cowrote the screenplay for Goodfellas<\/em>, also collaborated with Scorsese on this film, which was based on his nonfiction book, Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas<\/em>.<\/p>\nAlthough both movies deal with organized crime, they have very different tones. Goodfellas <\/em>celebrated the highs and lows of men who couldn\u2019t control their darkest impulses. Conversely, Casino<\/em>\u2018s vision of Las Vegas practically invites the worst aspects of every character to emerge, as greed and jealousy threaten lifelong friendships.<\/p>\nRobert De Niro Embraces a Different Kind of Criminal Persona<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\nDe Niro plays Sam \u201cAce\u201d Rothstein, a man who was sent by the Chicago mob to run the Tangiers Casino while covertly sending the unreported profits back east. Several of De Niro\u2019s earlier characters have been dependent upon his ability to act intimidating or threatening. Sam stands apart from those characters because his crimes don\u2019t rely on violence, and he\u2019s a showman at heart.<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n![\"Goodfellas](\"data:image\/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg)
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\n Related: <\/span>‘Goodfellas’ Cast: Where Are They Now?<\/span><\/a>
\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n\t\t\tPart of the gang. Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro and more made the mob scene come to life in Martin Scorsese\u2018s iconic crime drama Goodfellas. The 1990 movie was adapted from Nicholas Pileggi\u2018s nonfiction book Wiseguy, which initially served as the title of the film. The writer collaborated with Scorsese on the flick, helping the [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Sam thinks he\u2019s got his casino under control, but even he\u2019s seduced by the temptations of Vegas. He\u2019s also so blinded by love that he marries a showgirl, Ginger McKenna (Sharon Stone<\/strong><\/a>), who clearly doesn\u2019t feel the same way about him. Sam\u2019s stint as a local TV host reveals an underlying desire to stay in the spotlight regardless of his employers\u2019 wishes. If that sounds like a recipe for disaster, that\u2019s because it is. Sam is capable of doing terrible things as well, yet he holds on to the audience\u2019s sympathy throughout the movie.<\/p>\n\u2018Casino\u2019 Captures the Glamorous and Dangerous Vibe of Las Vegas in the \u201970s<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\nOne of Casino<\/em>\u2018s greatest accomplishments is that it makes Las Vegas in the \u201970s look like a lot of fun. There\u2019s a larger-than-life quality to the city that\u2019s missing in the modern era of Vegas. It feels dangerous and exciting because the mafia\u2019s presence is a barely hidden secret. Sin City didn\u2019t earn its nickname by accident, and it has a knack for bringing out the worst in everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThank You!<\/h3>\n
You have successfully subscribed.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n
That\u2019s especially true of Pesci\u2019s Nicky Santoro. Before the film, Nicky and Sam were extremely close friends. But once Nicky is unleashed on Las Vegas, almost all of his criminal impulses threaten to tear down the thin layer of respectability that Sam brought to the casino. The deteriorating friendship between Sam and Nicky is perhaps the story\u2019s tragic turn. It\u2019s one thing for Ginger to betray Sam\u2019s love and trust \u2014 she was always a snake. But when Sam and Nicky\u2019s friendship is shattered, it feels like a real loss.<\/p>\n
Some directors would shy away from revisiting one of their most acclaimed hits. However, Scorsese put Casino<\/em> together with two of his primary actors from Goodfellas<\/em>, Robert De Niro<\/strong><\/a> and Joe Pesci<\/strong><\/a>. Nicholas Pileggi<\/strong>, who cowrote the screenplay for Goodfellas<\/em>, also collaborated with Scorsese on this film, which was based on his nonfiction book, Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas<\/em>.<\/p>\n Although both movies deal with organized crime, they have very different tones. Goodfellas <\/em>celebrated the highs and lows of men who couldn\u2019t control their darkest impulses. Conversely, Casino<\/em>\u2018s vision of Las Vegas practically invites the worst aspects of every character to emerge, as greed and jealousy threaten lifelong friendships.<\/p>\n De Niro plays Sam \u201cAce\u201d Rothstein, a man who was sent by the Chicago mob to run the Tangiers Casino while covertly sending the unreported profits back east. Several of De Niro\u2019s earlier characters have been dependent upon his ability to act intimidating or threatening. Sam stands apart from those characters because his crimes don\u2019t rely on violence, and he\u2019s a showman at heart.<\/p>\n \t\t<\/a><\/p>\n \n\t\t\tPart of the gang. Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro and more made the mob scene come to life in Martin Scorsese\u2018s iconic crime drama Goodfellas. The 1990 movie was adapted from Nicholas Pileggi\u2018s nonfiction book Wiseguy, which initially served as the title of the film. The writer collaborated with Scorsese on the flick, helping the [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Sam thinks he\u2019s got his casino under control, but even he\u2019s seduced by the temptations of Vegas. He\u2019s also so blinded by love that he marries a showgirl, Ginger McKenna (Sharon Stone<\/strong><\/a>), who clearly doesn\u2019t feel the same way about him. Sam\u2019s stint as a local TV host reveals an underlying desire to stay in the spotlight regardless of his employers\u2019 wishes. If that sounds like a recipe for disaster, that\u2019s because it is. Sam is capable of doing terrible things as well, yet he holds on to the audience\u2019s sympathy throughout the movie.<\/p>\n One of Casino<\/em>\u2018s greatest accomplishments is that it makes Las Vegas in the \u201970s look like a lot of fun. There\u2019s a larger-than-life quality to the city that\u2019s missing in the modern era of Vegas. It feels dangerous and exciting because the mafia\u2019s presence is a barely hidden secret. Sin City didn\u2019t earn its nickname by accident, and it has a knack for bringing out the worst in everyone.<\/p>\n You have successfully subscribed.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n That\u2019s especially true of Pesci\u2019s Nicky Santoro. Before the film, Nicky and Sam were extremely close friends. But once Nicky is unleashed on Las Vegas, almost all of his criminal impulses threaten to tear down the thin layer of respectability that Sam brought to the casino. The deteriorating friendship between Sam and Nicky is perhaps the story\u2019s tragic turn. It\u2019s one thing for Ginger to betray Sam\u2019s love and trust \u2014 she was always a snake. But when Sam and Nicky\u2019s friendship is shattered, it feels like a real loss.<\/p>\nRobert De Niro Embraces a Different Kind of Criminal Persona<\/h3>\n
![\"Goodfellas](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Goodfellas-Cast-Where-Are-They-Now.jpg?crop=0px%2C0px%2C2000px%2C1131px&resize=400%2C225&quality=86&strip=all\")
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\n Related: <\/span>‘Goodfellas’ Cast: Where Are They Now?<\/span><\/a>
\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\u2018Casino\u2019 Captures the Glamorous and Dangerous Vibe of Las Vegas in the \u201970s<\/h3>\n
Thank You!<\/h3>\n
![\"Leonardo](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/the-departed-2.jpg?crop=0px%2C0px%2C2000px%2C1131px&resize=400%2C225&quality=86&strip=all\")
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