Mob Box Set (Bugsy, Snatch, Donnie Brasco, The American Gangster) (1991)

DONNIE BRASCO: Posing as jewel broker Donnie Brasco, FBI agent Joseph D. Pistone (Johnny Depp) is granted entrance into the violent mob family of aging hit man Lefty Ruggiero (Al Pacino). When his personal and professional lives collide, Pistone jeopardizes his marriage, his job life and, ultimately, the gangster mentor he has come to respect and admire. From acclaimed director Mike Newell (Four Weddings and a Funeral), and featuring an extraordinary supporting cast including Michael Madsen, Anne Heche, Bruno Kirby and James Russo.

SNATCH: When jewel thief, Franky Four Fingers (Benicio Del Toro), takes a slight detour to London on route to delivering a huge stolen diamond to his boss in New York, he unwittingly sets off an avalanche of sinister and comic events that wind their way through the rough and tumble worlds of bare-knuckle boxing, Irish gypsies, pawn shops, pig farming and... a stray dog. Snatch, Guy Ritchie's brilliant follow up to his critically acclaimed Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, exposes us to his hip and helter-skelter view of London's gangster underbelly. Ritchie's characteristic fast-paced and constantly twisting story features a madcap ensemble cast of larger-than-life characters, including Jason Statham, an unlicensed boxing promoter; Stephen Graham, his bumbling sidekick; Alan Ford, the local underworld kingpin; Dennis Farina, Franky's no-nonsense boss; Vinnie Jones, a legendary thug; Rade Sherbedgia, a psycho double-crossing Russian; and Brad Pitt, in a hilarious turn as a fast-talking gypsy bare-knuckle boxer.

BUGSY: Warren Beatty and Annette Bening star in the incredible true story of Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel, the playboy gangster who betrayed the Mob for love. A cold-blooded killer who dreamed of Hollywood stardom, a crazed patriot who plotted against Mussolini, and the brilliant visionary who carved Las Vegas out of the dry Nevada desert, Bugsy had it all. Until he fell for the one woman who wanted more. A critical masterpiece, Bugsy is a remarkable collaboration of Hollywood's best: director Barry Levinson, screenwriter James Toback, and an all-star supporting cast that includes Harvey Keitel, Oscar-winner Ben Kingsley (Best Actor, Gandhi,1982), Joe Mantegna, and Elliott Gould. But at the center of it all is the white-hot romance between Bugsy and the insatiable starlet, Virginia Hill.

THE AMERICAN GANGSTER: This unique documentary examines the origins of organized crime in America with actual film footage of such notorious underworld figures as John Dillinger, Al Capone and Bugsy Siegel.
 
"[Snatch] It liberates you, shows you freedoms you never thought possible on the screen."  Desson Howe, Washington Post
"[Brasco] A killer gangster picture!"  Gene Shalit, Today Show
"[Snatch] ...a rock-'em-sock-'em crime caper."  Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
"[Brasco] Two thumbs up!"  Siskel & Ebert
"[Bugsy] The best picture of the year."  Time Magazine
 


Editor's Note

BUGSY: Directed by Barry Levinson, BUGSY tells the true story of legendary New York mobster Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel. Visiting Hollywood "on business," the reckless and volatile Bugsy is drawn to Tinseltown and the glamour of the movies. Leaving his wife and kids in Scarsdale indefinitely, the womanizing Bugsy spends his time on movie lots and at Hollywood extravaganzas, contemplating his own potential stardom. But soon he falls hard for strong-willed actress Virginia Hill (Annette Bening), who isn't content with mistress status. A road trip to a downtrodden joint in the Nevada desert in a town called Las Vegas leads Bugsy to dream of building a world-class casino and turning the town into a moneymaker. Together Bugsy and Virginia--with backing from the mob--start building the Flamingo hotel and casino, hoping that legal gambling and five-star entertainment will entice the masses and rake in big bucks.

SNATCH: A wild and tangled crime adventure involving gangsters, Irish gypsies, and a dog that can't stop swallowing things, SNATCH is both hilarious and action-packed. Jewel thief Franky Four Fingers (Benicio Del Toro) is in London en route to New York, where he will deliver an 86-karat diamond to his boss, Avi (Dennis Farina). A compulsive gambler, Franky is tempted into an illegal boxing scam, becoming the unwitting suspect in a robbery committed by bumbling pawnshop owners Vinny (Robbie Gee), Sol (Lennie James), and their oafish driver, Tyrone (Ade). Meanwhile, novice boxing promoter Turkish (Jason Statham) and his dim-witted partner, Tommy (Stephen Graham), move into the "big time" with twisted crime boss Brick Top (Alan Ford) and Mickey, a mumbling, unhinged Irish gypsy boxer (Brad Pitt). Thrown into the proceedings are killers Bullet Tooth Tony (Vinnie Jones) and Boris the Blade (Rade Sherbedgia). A stylized work with a gritty urban soundtrack and a cast of intricately developed characters, SNATCH delivers superb and witty dialogue while depicting one of the more zany, complex diamond heists ever portrayed in film.

DONNIE BRASCO: Joe Pistone (Johnny Depp) is an FBI mole who integrates himself into the Mafia pecking order by posing as "jewel man" Donnie Brasco. He finds his loyalties divided when Lefty Ruggiero, a jaded hit man, takes him on as a protégé and places real trust in him. The two men form a friendship--and a criminal partnership--that jeopardizes Brasco's mission and obscures the boundaries between the law and the underworld. The film is based on the autobiography DONNIE BRASCO, MY UNDERCOVER LIFE IN THE MAFIA by former undercover agent Joseph D. Pistone. Directed by Mike Newell (FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL) and also starring Bruno Kirby (THE FRESHMAN, THIS IS SPINAL TAP), Michael Madsen (RESERVOIR DOGS) and Anne Heche (WAG THE DOG).

THE AMERICAN GANGSTER: From prohibition of alcohol to gambling and prostitution, this program examines the illegal businesses that made the first generation of American gangsters powerful and prosperous.