Goodfellas is one of the most rewatchable movies in existence. It never gets old. I can pick it up at any scene and immediately fall under its spell. But what Made Men does is give you context to those scenes. It adds another layer to a movie that most people know like the back of their hands. I can't wait to watch it again, now with a little more perspective.

Thanks, I assigned an interview with the author with a freelance writer and ran the story in 11 newspapers and websites in the Southern California News Group including the Orange County Register and Los Angeles Daily News. I include 1 of the 11 links below.

I would advise against diving into this expecting solely an oral history of GoodFellas. While Glenn Kenny provides a comprehensive (too comprehensive, at times--there's a long chapter on the music behind the film that I, admittedly, skimmed), he also delves into other aspects of Martin Scorsese's career and conducts some insightful and entertaining interviews with Scorsese, Thelma Schoonmaker, Barbara De Fina, and others along the way. 

If you enjoy Scorsese's work and enjoy works about films, this is worth your time--just, you know, skim the parts that aren't of interest to you.

To me this book felt like a print companion to a film lecture.  While it provided some interesting facts about the making of Goodfellas, it also seem padded with a lot of extraneous detail that didn't really add anything.  In particular, the rather long chapter on the music used in each section of the film seemed extraneous and overly long.  This book may prove interesting for cinephiles and Goodfellas completists, but for this fan of the movie it felt more like a scholarly paper than an interesting read.

As a fan of Goodfellas and many of Scorcese's movies, I enjoyed learning the stories behind some of the most iconic scenes in movie history. I particularly liked the narrative approach of taking the reader scene by scene and learning about some of the more colorful extras.

A fabulous example of critical film criticism that discusses the involved process of making the iconic Scorsese film. A must read for fans of the film and admirers of  Scorsese’s filmmaking.

When life for the entire universe and planet turns on its end and like everyone else you "have nothing to do" while your place of work is closed and you are in #COVID19 #socialisolation,  superspeed readers like me can read 250+ pages/hour, so yes, I have read the book … and many more today. (I AM BORED!!) ANd it is too hot to go outside, so why not sit in from of the blasting a/c and read and review books??

I requested and received a temporary digital Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley, the publisher and the author in exchange for an honest review.  

From the publisher, as I do not repeat the contents or story of books in reviews, I let them do it as they do it better than I do 😸.

For the thirtieth anniversary of its premiere comes the vivid and immersive history behind Martin Scorsese’s signature film Goodfellas, hailed by critics as the greatest mob movie ever made.

When Goodfellas first hit the theatres in 1990, a classic was born. Few could anticipate the unparalleled influence it would have on pop culture, one that would inspire future filmmakers and redefine the gangster picture as we know it today. From the rush of grotesque violence in the opening scene to the iconic hilarity of Joe Pesci’s endlessly quoted “Funny how?” shtick, it’s little wonder the film is widely regarded as a mainstay in contemporary cinema.

In the first-ever behind-the-scenes story of Goodfellas, film critic Glenn Kenny chronicles the making and afterlife of the film that introduced America to the real modern gangster—brutal, ruthless, yet darkly appealing, the villain we can’t get enough of. Featuring interviews with the film’s major players, including Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro, Made Men shines a light on the lives and stories wrapped up in the Goodfellas universe, and why its enduring legacy is still essential to chart the trajectory of American culture thirty years later.

One thing that I love about "Goodfellas" is how it resonates decades later: the little-seen 2013 movie "The Family" stars Robert De Niro as an on-the-run/in Witness Protection mobster who hosts a movie night in the mall French village they are living in. What movie does is watched? A mob movie --- and not just any mob movie - it was "Goodfellas" starring Robert De Niro...I love ULTIMATE inside jokes, especially when it is a double-whammy!

It seems hard to believe that it has been 30 years since the movie came out - and it was fascinating to read about how essential it is to the change in American culture. Goodfellas made a lot of things take root: what would reality tv be without "Mob Wives" or "The Real Housewives of New Jersey"? (oooh, snarky comment .. do you think I am funny? Funny how?) The book has been expertly researched and is written in a style that would appeal to fans of movies, culture or a patron/someone looking for a good read about pop culture and/or a beloved movie.  

As always, I try to find a reason to not rate with stars as I love emojis (outside of their incessant use by "🙏-ed Social Influencer Millennials/#BachelorNation survivors/Tik-Tok and YouTube  Millionaires/etc. " on Instagram and Twitter... Get a real job, people!) so let's give it 🔫🔫🔫🔫