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Everyone loves a good mob flick, and over the years, we’ve been treated to many great ones, on both television and at the cinema. Now, it’s one thing to make a movie based on real life events, as we’ve seen in Goodfellas, Donnie Brasco and Casino, but when fiction is involved we often get very memorable characters, some of whom we even look up to despite their criminal nature. So, lets now take a look at the best fictional on-screen gangsters (sorry, no comics).

20. Vincent ‘Vinnie’ Antonelli (My Blue Heaven)

 

Steve Martin as a gangster? In the Witness Protection Program with Rick Moranis? Sold. And to think that Arnold Schwarzenegger was offered the role but opted to film Kindergarten Cop instead.

 

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19. Tommy Vercetti (Grand Theft Auto: Vice City)

 

Voiced by Ray Liotta, who is best known for playing Henry Hill in Goodfellas, Vercetti is similar to Tony Montana in Scarface, as is the game. He’ll serve as the lone video game character to make this list, representing the entire GTA franchise.

 

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18. Fat Tony (The Simpsons)

 

The local mob boss on The Simpsons is voiced by Joe Mantegna and isn’t overused like some of the other characters. It’s always hilarious when Homer and Krusty get in trouble with him.

 

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17. Alphonse “Big Boy’” Caprice (Dick Tracy)

 

To me, this is the most underrated Al Pacino role, because he wasn’t just standing around doing his ho-ah! thing but instead putting his spin on a comic book character. Big Boy is far more entertaining than Michael Corleone.

 

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16. Paul Vitti (Analyze This)

 

Come on now, you like this movie and you know it. Bob De Niro as a mob boss who sees a psychiatrist? Brilliantly funny.

 

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15. Jabba the Hutt (Star Wars)

 

Jabba had it all. A palace, dancing girls with tentacles coming out of their heads, a space monkey, a Rancor, and his enemies in carbonate. I’m sure John Gotti was drooling with envy when he saw that.

 

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14. Antonio “Nino” Schibetta (Oz)

Fans of HBO’s Oz will appreciate this pick. He wasn’t around long (he was offed in Season One after eating a salad tainted with broken glass), but he proved to be the most respected and powerful boss behind bars at Oswald State Correctional Facility. His son, Peter, didn’t fare so well.

 

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13. Frank Booth (Blue Velvet)

 

Dennis Hopper expertly plays a sick, twisted sadist and the central figure in the underworld of drugs and prostitution in David Lynch’s psychological thriller.

 

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12. Vincenzo “Vincent” Coccotti (True Romance)

In a film known for its ensemble cast, Christopher Walken gets to play the best part, a sadistic mobster kingpin who enjoys intense psychological torture sessions with those who don’t cooperate with him.

 

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11. Brick Top (Snatch)

Alan Ford plays a psychotic gangster in Guy Ritchie’s 2000 film set in the London criminal underworld.

 

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10. Wong Hoi (The Killer) and Uncle Hoi (Hard Boiled)

To represent the Chinese Triads, on this list, we’ll go with a pair of characters from John Woo’s classics, The Killer, and Hard Boiled. Both were powerful figures in their respective films, but ultimately both died.

 

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9. Sonny LoSpecchio (A Bronx Tale)

 

At first I wasn’t a huge fan of this film because it didn’t seem to add much to the mob movie genre, but the more I watched it the more it grew on me, mainly because of Chazz Palminteri. Watch the scene below. Could you picture this happening with the guys from The Godfather?

 

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8. Don Logan (Sexy Beast)

 

Ben Kingsley says he based his performance largely on his grandmother, whom he called “A vile and extremely unpleasant woman.” Logan, a violent sociopath, is a recruiter for the London underworld, who puts people together into teams to pull off various heists.

 

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7. Marsellus Wallace (Pulp Fiction)

 

“Does Marsellus Wallace look like a bitch?” Jules (Samuel L. Jackson) asks some drug dealers in an apartment. And we find out later, he is. Despite that scene, Ving Rhames steals the show as Wallace in Pulp Fiction. This is one boss who isn’t afraid to get dirt under the fingernails. Could you imagine Vito Corleone chasing Bruce Willis into a pawn shop before being held up by rednecks then getting raped? What kind of speech would Vito make after-the-fact? Here’s how Wallace does it:

 

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6. Keyser Söze (The Usual Suspects)

 

Yeah, it’s Kevin Spacey, who isn’t exactly Robert De Nero or Al Pacino, which is why I was hesitant to even put him on this list. But The Usual Suspects is so well written that ultimately Spacey is the best bad guy on here because of how he gets away with it. See if Jabba the Hutt can pull this off.

 

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5. Tony Montana (Scarface)

I always found Al Pacino in this role to be more comical than serious, particularly with that catch phrase, but the film is serious and it’s carved out a role in pop culture so here he is.

 

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4. Francis “Frank” Costello (The Departed)

 

The character that Jack Nicholson plays shares the same name as a legendary mobster named Frank Costello, but is actually loosely based on James “Whitey” Bulger, who has been on the FBI’s Top Ten Fugitive list for the last decade or so.

 

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3. Michael Corleone (The Godfather II)

 

Because The Godfather and The Godfather Part II are arguably two of the best films ever made, the Corleone family bosses rise to the top of this list, though they clearly don’t have the pizazz as some of the other gangsters. In fact, relatively speaking, they’re boring. But their power is supreme. Michael took a kingdom that his father made out of nothing and turned it into a criminal empire.

 

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2. Anthony “Tony” Soprano (The Sopranos)

 

Tony Soprano has more screen time than anyone else on this list combined, and therefore rises up the ranks. We know more about Tony than anyone. Sure, he’s only the northern Jersey boss of what the N.Y. families call a ‘glorified crew,’ but that actually made the show even better.

 

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1. Vito Corleone (The Godfather)

 

Vito is perhaps the smartest and most well-respected of the mobsters on this list and therefore gets the top spot.

Not even bad movies can ruin an otherwise brilliant original score. With film scores, the composer’s imagination (in the context of the film, or course) is the limit, and has the potential to be so much better than the script itself. If John Williams composed the music to Basic Instinct 2, he’d likely be nominated for an Oscar (okay, maybe not, but you get my point).

Now, in alphabetical order, here are the best scores out there, some extremely obvious, and others in films that can’t hold a candle to their themes. I’m leaving out cartoons and musicals because, to me, those belong on a different list, one devoted solely to films meant for, or are famous for, only their music. Also, purposely lacking on this list are scores to much older films, because I sincerely believe that the most memorable and recognized scores today came out only in the last 40 years, mainly due to the advent of the blockbuster film which virtually requires accompanying blockbuster music. I’m sure the theme from Gone with the Wind is good, how couldn’t it be? But I’d say we’ll be whistling the theme to Star Wars for decades longer as those who actually saw Wind die out.

The Addams Family – Marc Shaiman
Starting with a snoozer, huh? Sure, the 1991 film was silly, but Shaiman’s theme is everything from over-the-top romantic to creepy and sneaky, just like the family. Each track on this album is good, and Shaiman rarely succumbs to composing filler for blah scenes. It’s also got the extended version of Mamushka, sang wonderfully by the late Raúl Juliá who played Gomez. The Addams Family on Amazon

 

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American Beauty – Thomas Newman
With unconventional sounds and instruments, this score doesn’t seem to follow any traditional method of film composing, and it’s a hit. Just a warning – people buy this looking for the song that played as Angela undressed, but it’s not on here. That’s Annie Lennox singing a Neil Young song called “Don’t Let it Bring You Down” which is available on her album Medusa, and not even the soundtrack (not score) album for this Academy Award-winning film. American Beauty on Amazon

 

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Angels & Demons – Hans Zimmer
This album starts off with one of the most in-your-face, exciting tracks Zimmer has composed since the Battle scene in Gladiator. My problem with the Da Vinci Code soundtrack was that it was too soft and generally took too long to build to those monumental moments that Zimmer is known to swat at you, but here, it starts right away, as it should. As for the rest of the score, it’s what it’s supposed to be… lots of violins and choral chanting, some softer tunes, with hints of Da Vinci’s riffs but solid and different enough to stand on its own. Angels & Demons on Amazon

 

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Back to the Future – Alan Silvestri
A brilliant score to a classic movie. The sequels, too, had great music, with change-ups in the sounds based on the era in which Marty and Doc were hangin’ in. Back to the Future on Amazon

 

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A Beautiful Mind – James Horner
Another best picture winner, Horner delivers a whirlwind of music that captures the brilliant yet troubled mind of John Nash in a kaleidoscope of music with lovely soprano backings by Welsh singer Charlotte Church. A Beautiful Mind on Amazon

 

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Bram Stoker’s Dracula – Wojciech Kilar
Here’s another snoozer, but I think it’s the best horror soundtrack, beginning to end, out there. It’s often slow and creepy, music that builds to neck-chomping climaxes with blood flowing everywhere. Bram Stoker’s Dracula on Amazon

 

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Braveheart – James Horner
Another best picture winner scored by Horner, Braveheart’s music is the ultimate soundtrack for British-bashing Scots. I just want to point out that Iron Maiden’s “The Clansman” is also about William Wallace and gives a heavy metal twist to this period. If only Mel Gibson put that in the film… Braveheart on Amazon | More Music From Braveheart on Amazon

 

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Crocodile Dundee – Peter Best
I can’t say that every track on this album is brilliant, considering many were made in the context of comedic incidents by the outback Aussie in New York, but the main theme and supporting themes are unique and memorable, far more serious than the movie turns out to be. Crocodile Dundee on Amazon

 

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The Dark Crystal – Trevor Jones
One of my all-time favorites, Jones composes music that ultimately outlives the puppet-only film and cheesy 80s special effects. Decades after the film was released, a limited-edition CD came out for this film with the entire score on one CD and the limited, ‘best-of’ score on the other. Incidentally, I really wanted to add Labyrinth to this list, but the music in that isn’t for everyone. The Dark Crystal: 25th Anniversary on Amazon | The Dark Crystal, limited-edition two-CD set on Amazon

 

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E.T. – John Williams

At the time, this was the highest-grossing film ever, and the score is over-the-top wonderful, particularly the soothing Over the Moon.

While on the subject of Spielberg/Williams films, I’m leaving Jaws off of this list because the soundtrack as a whole was only okay. That classic, two-note theme is indeed good and memorable, but only fit those shark scenes. And lets be honest – upon repeat viewings of Jaws, those are the only scenes worth watching. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial on Amazon

 

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Gladiator – Hans Zimmer

Every track on this album is unique, beautiful, intense, and outright brilliant. Zimmer’s musicians were anxious to see this film as they composed this music, and the movie lived up to the score and won best picture.  My favorite track isn’t even on the Gladiator soundtrack, which is available here on Amazon. It’s on the Gladiator: More Music From The Motion Picture soundtrack, called ‘Figurines.’ Check it out:

 

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Glory – James Horner
Another memorable theme backed by the Boys Choir of Harlem, Horner’s Charging Fort Wagner track is the ultimate theme to any battle. Glory on Amazon

 

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The Godfather – Nino Rota
Surely, the theme of the best movie of all time belongs on here, right? While not every track is a solid winner, the main and supporting themes are fun to whistle. The Godfather on Amazon

(EDITOR’S NOTE: Nino Rota’s score was removed from the list of 1973 Academy Award nominees when it was discovered that he had used the theme in Eduardo De Filippo’s 1958 comedy Fortunella. Although in the earlier film the theme was played in a brisk, staccato and comedic style, the melody was the same as the love theme from The Godfather, and for that reason was deemed ineligible for an Oscar. Despite this, The Godfather Part II won a 1974 Oscar for best original score, although it featured the same love theme that made the 1972 score ineligible.)

 

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Harry Potter – John Williams and others
I’ll admit that I’m not familiar with every track to every Potter film’s score, but familiar enough to know that Williams and composers such as Patrick Doyle, William Ross and Nicholas Hooper didn’t disappoint when delivering the themes to these films which will live in children’s memories for decades to come. Harry Potter soundtracks on Amazon

 

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Home Alone – John Williams
The score to this film is yet another example of how great John Williams actually is. The music didn’t need to be good enough to make this list, but yet it was. Ultimately, it’s a silly film that became a huge hit, and it memorably captures the wackiness, loneliness, and spirit of Christmas that will forever be associated with Macaulay Culkin. Home Alone on Amazon

 

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Hook – John Williams
I wasn’t at all a fan of this Steven Spielberg-directed film but Williams didn’t phone in the music (available here on Amazon). Some of my favorite tunes on here aren’t even part of huge moments, particularly Captain Hook’s theme. It starts at about 1:20 of this track:

 

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The Hulk – Danny Elfman
I couldn’t possibly make this list without a mention of Danny Elfman. His comic-book-to-life sounds, often tracked over Tim Burton/Johnny Depp flicks, are always great but seem to always lack that one element that puts it over the top into the greatest soundtracks ever category (which is why I believe he has yet to win an Oscar and rarely gets nominated despite the number of films he’s scored). These include scores such as Edward Scissorhands, Batman, Dick Tracy, Beetlejuice, Spider-man, and many others. But when I heard the Hulk theme (which wasn’t even a good movie), I found my favorite. The Hulk on Amazon

 

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Indiana Jones – John Williams
Williams scored all four Indiana Jones films, but due to so many overlapping themes on each score it’s hard to put one on this list but not the others. However, my personal preference is for The Temple of Doom, which contains my favorite track the Slave Children’s Parade. Indiana Jones on Amazon

 

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Interview With the Vampire – Elliot Goldenthal
I rarely go a day without hearing a track from this film on my Ipod, another vampire score that sounds as if it’s being played by mad violinists. I even enjoy the last track on the album, which is a Guns N Roses version of the Rolling Stones’ Symphony for the Devil. Interview With The Vampire on Amazon

 

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Jurassic Park – John Williams
Okay, maybe I’m just a huge fan of John Williams, but if I can remember the score by heart, it likely means it’s good enough to be on here (BTW, despite owning Saving Private Ryan and several other Williams scores, not all of them make the cut). Jurassic Park on Amazon

 

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The Last of the Mohicans – Trevor Jones
Every time I hear the track The Kiss I wanna grab the nearest chick, ugly or not, and make out with her. Oh, and unlike the soundtrack, which is in my top five favorites ever, I think this movie sucked. The Last Of The Mohicans on Amazon. And if you can get it, buy the Mohicans Special Edition.

 

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The Lord of the Rings – Howard Shore
Explain this to me… Shore won the Best Original Score Oscar for Part I and Part III, but not Part II. But you know what? The Two Towers was my favorite of the three, and a symphony is even playing it to the film on stage. So what gives? Regardless, Shore scored hours of brilliant music in these films and the best way to hear it is to buy the extended edition versions, which cost a lot of money but are an absolute must for true fans. In fact, they cost even more than the DVD movies themselves! Lord of the Rings Complete Recordings on Amazon

 

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Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein – Patrick Doyle
This movie fell flat at the box office but the themes and supporting music are excellent. There aren’t too many people on the same page as me on this because they dismissed the film, but give it a listen and you’ll see what I mean. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein on Amazon

 

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North by Northwest – Bernard Herrmann
Gotta get a Alfred Hitchcock score on here, right? Or, how about three, starting with what is often thought to be Hitchcock’s best film. Five minutes into watching this I already thought this was bound to be one of my favorite movies, and by the end, it was. North By Northwest: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. For the best Hitchcock compilation, get Hitchcock: Master of Mayhem.

 

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Pirates of the Caribbean – Hans Zimmer and Klaus Badelt
Even though Part III of this film left a lot to be desired, the scores in each are pure swashbuckling adventure, particularly Zimmer’s Wheel of Fortune in Dead Man’s Chest. Pirates of the Caribbean on Amazon

 

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Psycho – Bernard Herrmann
Shower scene. Best. Score. Ever. The rest of the film has okay music, nothing fascinating or even very memorable. But that shower scene… Psycho on Amazon

 

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Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves – Michael Kamen
Another great score to a fun adventure movie, even if it was Kevin Costner, and it certainly helped to have Bryan Adams’ ‘Everything I do (I do it for you)’ as a base. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves on Amazon

 

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Schindler’s List – John Williams, with Itzhak Perlman
This score had to be good and that it was. This was Williams’ fifth (and so far, final) Oscar win and I remember when he went up there, he looked as if he expected it. My favorite tracks on this aren’t actually the main themes, but Oyf’n Pripetshok / Nacht Aktion (Ronit Shapira) and Yerushalaim Shel Zahav (Hana Tzur). Schindler’s List on Amazon

 

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Shawshank Redemption – Thomas Newman
Aside from the main theme, which in and of itself wonderful, try listening to ‘Compass and Guns’ without shedding a tear. I wouldn’t even be surprised if people have committed suicide to ‘Brooks Was Here,’ one of the most moving scenes in the film. The Shawshank Redemption on Amazon

 

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Silence of the Lambs – Howard Shore
The main theme here is good but no one can forget the shock of the police officers when they see what Lecter had done, and the overlaying track captures that intensity. The Silence Of The Lambs on Amazon

 

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Star Wars – John Williams
Now, I’ve gotta admit that not every track in every film is a winner, but many are, particularly the end theme of Episode IV, the Imperial March, and my personal favorites, the Arrival at Tatooine from Episode I, which doesn’t get good until 1:53 of the track. Star Wars on Amazon | Special Edition Soundtracks on Amazon

 

And who can forget ‘Duel of the Fates’?

 

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Vertigo – Bernard Herrmann
Music to get dizzy to.

 

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Willow – James Horner
Yet another grand-scale epic adventure movie and a James Horner score that doesn’t disappoint. Forget Wicket the Ewok and the Leprechaun, Warrick Davis will forever be associated with Willow. Willow on Amazon

 

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Other memorable themes:
The Fugitive – James Newton Howard
The Green Mile – Thomas Newman
Superman – John Williams
The Good, The Bad and the Ugly – Ennio Morricone
Alien – Jerry Goldsmith
Terminator 2: Judgement Day – Brad Fiedel
City Slickers – Marc Shaiman
Midnight Cowboy – John Barry

Many, many more, but these all rise to the top.

Last Thursday, Randy Johnson became the 24th pitcher in baseball history to get at least 300 wins. While, relatively speaking, this is a remarkable feat, the way in which the pitcher’s W is calculated in baseball is misleading. Baseball purists will argue till their death that it makes sense, but to me a pitcher’s W in baseball is a deceptive statistic that should only be taken with a grain of salt.

First, the definition. A ‘win’ is a statistic in Major League Baseball credited to the pitcher for the winning team who was in the game when his team last took the lead.

There are two exceptions. The more common exception is that a starting pitcher must complete five innings to earn a win (four innings for a game that lasts only five innings on defense). I’m assuming the rule makers picked five innings because that makes it the majority of the game (they could have also picked six or seven, thus making it even more difficult to earn a win, but settled on five). If the starting pitcher fails to meet the innings requirement, the official scorer awards the win to the relief pitcher who, in the official scorer’s judgment, was the most effective.

One problem with this rule is that a starting pitcher can earn a ‘loss’ in no set number of innings, even though he might not pitch the majority of the game, and even though his relievers can give up runs as well. It makes sense that the pitcher gets the loss, but if he does while pitching less than five innings, than logically he should be able to get a win for pitching less than five innings. That aside, there’s an even bigger reason why the ‘five innings for a starter’ rule does not make sense, and that is because an ‘effective’ relief pitcher can earn a victory without pitching five innings. Simply speaking, that’s inconsistent. Why should a starter be unable to earn a victory without pitching five innings when a reliever can come in, pitch one inning, and get the W? Not fair.

The second exception applies only to a relief pitcher who makes a “brief appearance” and is himself later relieved. If, in the official scorer’s judgment, the relief pitcher was “ineffective,” the win is awarded to the succeeding relief pitcher who was most effective, in the official scorer’s judgment. Again, I understand why baseball does this, but this still meddles with a straightforward formula.

I’ve also got to point out that a pitcher has almost no control over whether he gets a win, since he must rely on the team’s offense to score. Unlike other sports, baseball, relatively speaking, isn’t played in a way that defense can transition to offensive chances. For instance, great defenders in hockey, soccer, football and basketball can create scoring chances themselves. And let’s not forget that a pitcher must rely on his fielders to do their jobs (though if they don’t then they’re assessed errors and the hits and ‘earned’ runs don’t count to the pitcher, but a loss does).

The last thing that is misleading about a pitcher’s ‘win’ statistic is the fact that pitchers often rely on relief pitchers (who get ‘holds’ and ‘saves’) to complete the games for them, therefore putting the starter’s W in another person’s hand completely. Many years ago, it was more common for pitchers to pitch complete games, so when they earned a victory, it meant a hell of a lot more than a pitcher who is there for only 5/9th of a game (and especially a lot more than a reliever who gets the win while only playing one inning). That would be like hockey goalies playing only the first two periods of each game and getting a decision (which technically can happen but rarely does it result in a win). Therefore, complete game victories are the most accurate and unmolested W there can possibly be in this column (and even that relies on an offense to produce, which again is completely out of the pitcher’s hands. Pedro Martinez once retired 27 straight batters but didn’t get the victory because the Expos didn’t score).

So, my point is, MLB should remove the two exceptions to the rule as noted above, and also de-emphasize the stat entirely, and instead focus on ERA and highlight complete game victories.

My next article will be about why the Home Run statistic should be divided up between ‘clean’ and ‘roid-aided.’

As a big Marilyn Manson fan, I discovered recently that there’s a mini version of him paying tribute. His name is Nic Reddy, 22, who stands 3’9″ and rocks audiences using Manson’s in-your-face theatrics. To me, that sounds like good ole’ fun, and I hope to catch his act soon. Here’s the interview:

Basically, your act is to be up on stage and lip-sync the Marilyn songs?

Nic: For now I lip-sync, I usually perform in small clubs or bars with no sound system and it’s just easier. I find that karaoke versions of Manson’s songs are shit and sounds like people made them on a keyboard you would buy from the toy store in 1985. One day I might go live if I can figure out an easy way to do it by myself.

Which songs do you usually do?

Nic: I do any song I’m in the mood for really. It doesn’t have to be one of Marilyn’s hits. I’ll do anything from “Tainted Love” to “Antichrist Superstar.”

Typically, how is the audience reaction?

Nic: People love it… I still can’t figure out why (haha) but it’s usually really die-hard Manson fans that appreciate Mini Manson the most because they know I’m a fan myself and don’t just do it for the money.

Were you in the Kiss tribute band with Terra Jolé?

Nic: Yes I was, that was my first gig. I grew up a major Kiss fan so it was an honor to do that and work with someone with real musical talent like Terra.

What’s your day job?

Nic: I work at a night club called The Box in Manhattan. It’s actually where Mini Manson first hit the stage. Since then I do other performances there but no mini’s. I’m not going to run around as Mini Michael Jackson because someone tells me to.

Have you met Manson and what’s he say about your act?

Nic: I met Manson on his Rape the World tour in ’07. I think he was just as excited to meet me as I was to meet him. You never know how someone you impersonate is going to react so I was really flattered to find out that he shows people that there’s a mini-him running around.

How often do you play and where?

Nic: I only do Mini Manson upon request, I don’t feel the need to shove it down audience’s throats. I usually do a show about once a month but it really picks up around Halloween.

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Six Questions with: Nic Reddy – Mini Marilyn Manson

Nic Reddy, 22, stands 3’9″ and performs as Mini Marilyn Manson. He really rocks the audiences using Manson’s in-your-face theatrics. He even has his own Myspace page (of course).

Six Questions:

Who is your favorite Athlete?
I try not to get attached to athletes just the teams. I learned that when Johnny Damon went to the Yankees. I’m a huge Sox fan.
Who is your favorite Hottie?
Elvira is still f@#%ing hot in my book.
Who is your favorite Comedian?
Brendon Small (creator of Metalocalypse and Home Movies)
What is your favorite Movie?
Give me gore and I’ll take it. So anything from The Omen, Re-animator to Ginger Snaps
What is your favorite Gadget?
My Crackberry
What is your favorite Beer?
Budlight or Amstel