Inspired by his own novel of the same name, The Pope of Greenwich Village, the script for this 1984 crime dark comedy was written by Vincent Patrick, famous for adapting his cult crime novels to screen. With classics such as Cool Hand Luke (1967), Voyage of the Damned (1976) and The Amityville Horror (1979), the director Stuart Rosenberg was a logical addition.
What all critics unbelievably agree upon is the undeniable hilarity produced by the great dynamic duo of Mickey Rourke and Eric Roberts. The plot revolves around two cousins living in an Italian neighborhood of Greenwich Village, who, faced with losing their jobs, entangle themselves in some murky business resulting in even more entanglement when encountered with the unapologetic mob. Initially envisioned as Robert De Niro and Al Pacino’s first cinematic on-screen acting job, the final pairing of two strong individuals resulted in a bond of blood brotherhood behavior film, that absolutely delivered its main idea, along with some really good comedically timed moments. Not only was the protagonists’ acting performance spot-on but yet another performance stood out, that of supporting actress Geraldine Page, who was nominated for an Academy Award. This sharply observant gem has a touch of The Godfather, bringing gritty New York atmosphere to the movie screen albeit presenting a commercially appealing story of two small-time guys getting into some big-time trouble.
In 1972 a neophyte Spanish media company created a rare platform for artists to explore classic genre imagery with a sophisticated cinematic sensibility.
After Peter Hyams made a successful TV movie called "Goodnight, My Love", producers Robert Chartoff and Irwin Winkler approached him with the desire of...
