5 Star

Big Trouble in Little Italy.

What a treat for the Filmophiles out there, as Second Sight Films brings us the 1973 instant classic, from the sixty-year career of Martin Scorsese who brought us such classics as Taxi Driver, GoodFellas, The Wolf of Wall Street, and still doing it today with Killers of the Flower Moon. Mean Streets is set where Scorsese grew up, and it shows in his knowledge of the street culture and the business’s that are operating in this bustling metropolis, and more importantly how business is done down on the streets. Also, this is the first time Scorsese works with Robert De Niro (Dirty Grandpa, Angel Heart, Midnight Run), pairing him with Mr Cool himself Harvey Keitel (Lansky (A righteous Man), Reservoir Dogs Limited Edition Steelbook, Youth). This dynamic duo will set the streets of little Italy alight. Any crime fan will love this historically significant 1973 film, that also has a cracking soundtrack of the time.

Charlie (Keitel) sits in the Catholic Church as we hear his thoughts on sins, sinners, and penance, while at his local bar Tony (David Proval, The Shawshank Redemption, Five Families) the owner catches someone shooting up in the toilet, it doesn’t go well for the junkie. Elsewhere, Michael (Richard Romanus, Heavy Metal, Point of No Return) the wheeler-dealer-lone shark realizes that his latest deal wasn’t as good as he hoped. Then there is Johnny Boy (De Niro), the wild card of Little Italy, a misfit of society and the local Mafioso that Charlie belongs to.

So I do my own penance for my own sins.

Unfortunately for Charlie, everybody looks to him when Johnny does or doesn’t do something. As Charlie enjoys the dancing girls in Tony’s bar, Michael comes looking for Johnny Boy, because he has repeatedly failed to make payments on his debt, and Michael is just one that Johnny owes money to. As usual, Charlie has to smooth the feathers of Michael, promising that he will see his boy and get him to do the right thing.

Later on, Johnny does show his face and he has a girl on each arm. He is also flashing his cash, which really gets on Charlie’s nerves. In Charlie’s mind Johnny should be concentrating on making his payments on time and not buying girls and everybody else drinks and trying to get into every card game going.

Johnny Boy is Jumping Jack Flash.

You can’t go shopping when you owe people money!

Charlie’s other concern is his uncle Giovanni (Cesare Danova, Viva Las Vegas, Cleopatra), the local crime boss, so Charlie is also a debt collector, and his sights are set on Oscar (Murray Moston, Saturday Night Fever, After Hours) and the missing Guppi. They owe so much that they are resigned to losing the restaurant to Giovanni, so in turn Charlie sees a way to move up the social ladder and take over the business.

Will Charlie see his dreams come true, to be with the social outcast Teresa (Amy Robinson) and run the restaurant, or will the anvil around his neck that is Johnny drag him to the bottom to drown in his sins?

It’s all debts, fights and misadventure on the New York City streets.

Mean Streets is a class act and will grace any film collection, especially with the 4K UHD limited Edition package. An immersive and thrilling ride.

Mean Streets on Limited Edition Dual 4K UHD /Blu-ray & Standard Editions out on 15^th January

Special Features

New 4K restoration supervised and approved by Director Martin Scorsese and Collaborator Thelma Schoonmaker
Restored original mono audio
New audio commentary by Demetrios Matheou (author of BFI Classic’s Mean Streets) and David Thompson (Co-Editor of Scorsese on Scorsese)
Scene specific audio commentary with Martin Scorsese and Actor Amy Robinson
Keep Moving Forward: a new interview with Producer Jonathan T Taplin
Saints and Sinners: Dr Catherine Wheatley on Mean Streets
2011 Film at Lincoln Center screening introduction, interview, and Q&A with Martin Scorsese
Mardik: Baghdad to Hollywood feature-length documentary
Archive featurette: Back on the Block
Archive featurette: Home Movies
Trailer