Rewatchables Reference

• CR: Tango killing is most rewatched, but his favorite is the final Richie/Frank conversation.
• Van: Frank bringing his family from North Carolina; Denzel and Armand Assante scenes ('Your success took a shot at you').
• Bill: Opening credits (Denzel setting a guy on fire), Blue Magic drug montage, Frank kills Tango, the Ali-Frazier fight scene, the Crowe vs. Denzel interrogation scene.

• Bill: Jay-Z making the 'American Gangster' album after seeing a screening – the most 2007 thing ever.
• CR: T.I. and Common as up-and-coming young actors.

• CR: Art direction/production design (Arthur Max); thematic coherence about capitalism vs. crime.
• Van: This movie marks the beginning of the 'Denzel as an entity' era – Denzel Incorporated.
• Bill: Ted Levine in anything; John Ortiz's incredible run ('Miami Vice', 'American Gangster', Fast and Furious, Public Enemies); 'The loudest one in the room is the weakest one in the room.'

• Fake Ali, fake Frazier, and fake Wilt Chamberlain – terrible lookalikes.
• Joe Morton's mustache.
• Accuracy issues: the cadaver connection may never have existed; Frank Lucas was not nearly as sophisticated as depicted.
• Bill: The movie title 'American Gangster' feels generic – should have been called 'Blue Magic.'

• Van: Public Enemy's 'Can't Truss It' when Frank leaves prison.
• Bill: 'Amazing Grace' during the mass arrest.

Denzel Washington – the piano scene, smacking people, knocking things over.

• All the accuracy issues / 'based on a true story' liberties.
• The Russell Crowe child custody subplot – Richie never had a kid in real life.

• CR: Josh Brolin has had the best post-'American Gangster' career of anyone in the cast.
• Van: Ridley Scott ruined what could have been a classic.
• Bill: This would have been Michael Mann's second greatest movie behind Heat.

• James Gandolfini turned down Trupo before Brolin got it.
• Earlier iterations: Benicio Del Toro as Richie (with Fuqua directing); Will Smith as Frank Lucas; Don Cheadle as Frank Lucas.

• Candidates: Roger Guenveur Smith, John Hawkes, Yul Vazquez.
• John Ortiz graduated from 'That Guy' status.

• Cuba Gooding Jr. as Nicky Barnes – 'He is in his own movie, but in a good way.'
• Other nominees: John Ortiz, Idris Elba, Roger Guenveur Smith.

• Ray Liotta over Armand Assante as the mafia boss.
• Eva Mendes as Frank's wife.

• Brian Grazer and Ridley Scott had to pay back $3 million for going over budget.
• A BET series called 'American Gangster' with Ving Rhames existed before this movie (led to a lawsuit).
• Russell Crowe gave RZA a mint condition 1961 Gretsch guitar.
• Frank Lucas's real-life driver was Melvin Combs, father of Sean 'Diddy' Combs.

• Ridley Scott: No.
• John Ortiz: One of his best performances.
• Josh Brolin: Possibly – 2007 was also 'No Country for Old Men'.
• Lymari Nadal: Yes.
• Disjointed gangster movies: Yes.

Scorsese (unanimous).

Trupo (consensus). CR noted PSH as Richie would be interesting too.

CR: Naked woman in a shower cap reading a magazine as Frank brings his brothers to Red Top's apartment. Also the slow reveal of Richie standing in front of Frank at church.

• Frank shoots Tango in broad daylight with no repercussions.
• Woody Allen and Diane Keaton shown together at the Ali fight – they weren't dating yet in 1971.
• Time jumps are unclear throughout.
• 'Based on a true story' closing credits pretend things are factual when they made everything up.

Would have been great as a 3-night, 6-hour prestige TV special event.

Art Direction (it was actually nominated).

• How is Mark Ruffalo not in this movie? There were 19 parts he could have played.
• Did Frank's wife set him up by making him wear the fur coat to the Ali fight?

• Frank's entire outfit from the Ali fight – the chinchilla/fur coat and hat (consensus pick).
• The piano that Frank slams someone's head into.

'Quitting while you're ahead is not the same as quitting.'

• CR: French Connection (it's the prequel – the Marseille drugs get stolen and resold).
• Van: Blow.
• Bill: Virtuosity (Crowe and Denzel 12 years apart).

Denzel Washington (unanimous, though Bill wanted to say Crowe).

Craig (first time seeing the movie): 'It's a Pro Bowler but not an All Pro' – perfectly watchable but the character arcs don't quite get there.