Amazon.comDirector Martin Scorsese reunites with members of his GoodFellas gang (writer Nicholas Pileggi; actors Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Frank Vincent) for a three-hour epic about the rise and fall of mobster Sam "Ace" Rothstein (De Niro), a character based on real-life gangster Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal. (It's modeled after on Wiseguy and GoodFellas and Pileggi's true crime book Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas.) Through Rothstein, the picture tells the story of how the Mafia seized, and finally lost control of, Las Vegas gambling. The first hour plays like a fascinating documentary, intricately detailing the inner workings of Vegas casinos. Sharon Stone is the stand out among the actors; she nabbed an Oscar nomination for her role as the voracious Ginger, the glitzy call girl who becomes Rothstein's wife. The film is not as fast paced or gripping as Scorsese's earlier gangster pictures (Mean Streets and GoodFellas), but it's still absorbing. And, hey--it's Scorsese! --Jim Emerson
Casino - Blu-ray Info (Rating: 4 out of 5) Version: U.S.A / Region A, B, C
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
VC-1 BD-50
Running time: 2:58:20
Movie size: 44,74 GB
Disc size: 48,10 GB
Average video bit rate: 19.23 Mbps
DTS-HD Master Audio English 4165 kbps 5.1 / 48kHz / 24-bit / 4165kbps (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48kHz / 24-bit / 1536kbps)
DTS Audio French 768 kbps 5.1 / 48kHz / 24-bit / 768kbps
DTS Audio German 768 kbps 5.1 / 48kHz / 24-bit / 768kbps
DTS Audio Italian 768 kbps 5.1 / 48kHz / 24-bit / 768kbps
DTS Audio Japanese 768 kbps 5.1 / 48kHz / 24-bit / 768kbps
DTS Audio Spanish 768 kbps 5.1 / 48kHz / 24-bit / 768kbps
DTS Audio Spanish 768 kbps 5.1 / 48kHz / 24-bit / 768kbps
Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48kHz / 192kbps
DTS English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48kHz / 192kbps
Subtitles: English SDH / Chinese / Danish / Dutch / Finnish / French / German / Italian / Japanese / Korean / Norwegian / Spanish / Swedish
Number of chapters: 16
#Audio Commentary
#TV Specials (SD - 56 minutes)
#Deleted Scenes (SD - 5 minutes)
#U-Control - BonusView - Picture-in-Picture
Classic... (Rating: 5 out of 5) Timeless cult-classic brilliantly restored and preserved in highest quality possible today - 5.1 audio and Full HD video. What more can You want?
Martys Casino (Rating: 4 out of 5) I have owned this HD disc for a while and I never grow tire of it!! In many ways, this film is superior to "Goodfellows" which I also own in HD, not the least being--Sharon Stone!! Her Oscar nominated and Golden Globe winning performance is worth the price of the movie alone!! A previous reviewer downgraded her performance but I believe this is a personal bias rather an objective one!! Next to her "Basic Instinct" breakthrough, "Casino" shows that with a great director, Sharon can deliver the goods as well as any of the great femme actors out there like Charlize & Hillary who I also like. Dig this in Hi-Def for the gaudiness and the scene where Ginger throws the chips in the air while DeNiro is entranced by her. Keep in mind though that this is a Universal release and is only available in HD, so do cop a Toshiba machine before they're gone.
Scorsese, DeNiro, Pesci, gangsters. Enough said. (Rating: 5 out of 5) The abbreviated review is here: This movie is about gangsters, is directed by Scorsese and stars DeNiro and Pesci. You need to see it, especially in HD-DVD format.
The extended review continues... Casino is not as critically acclaimed or part of the movie goer's conscious like Goodfellas (which is an excellent film) but it should be. It's about gangsters and Las Vegas before the big corporations sanitized Vegas and turned it into an adult version of Disney World.
It's "based on a true story", but only loosely. But does it matter? A great story told only the way Scorsese can tell it is entertainment at its best whether it's tightly based on a true story, loosely based on a true story, or is an original fictional screenplay.
My only warning is the movie had, at the time, the record number of f-bombs ever in a movie at over 420. I'm personally not offended by it but I watched it with my older Chinese in-laws, who were a little disturbed by the language. I just told them that's the way gangsters talk and the movie is just keepin' it real. Just know this tidbit when choosing your fellow viewers.
This Movie Rocks (Rating: 4 out of 5) This film is not as well known as Scorcese's other big gangster saga- GoodFellas, but it is actually a fantastic follow-up to the former. Instead of NYC, Scorcese sets this story of mafia mayhem in Las Vegas. There are two levels on which to watch a film like this. First is to delve into the fascinating story of the different personalities that make up the criminal world and how they inevitably clash. This is particularly fascinating with Robert DeNiro and Joe Pesci doing just that. The other level of enjoying this film is jumping on the fluid film ride Scorcese takes you on... constant graceful, majestic camera work that picks the viewer up in its hand and zooms you along... like being on its a Small Small World at Disneyland, but going much faster, and the message being... It's Too Small A World for both of us pal.. and moving a few clicks faster at least, accompanied by rock and classic jazz standards. This is not your grandmother's Vegas. Casino cheaters are dealt with swiftly and harshly and the endless desert landscape surrounding Vegas is not empty, but filled with people- all below ground. If you like Scorcese, you must watch this film. If you like Pesci, you will not be disappointed. If you like Vegas, this film offers a fascinating "possible" history of how your favourite casino came to be.
Sharon Stone is very disappointing in this film. Not a total disaster, but it is difficult to see what charm DeNiro's character found in her to give his life over to her. But this is a small fault in the film. This is a roller coaster ride with slow spots, but overall a great film ride for those who like a healthy quotient of violence and pathos.