Paul winfield, patti durbanville and tim curry were feuding record producers and robert davi was a real wiseguy. Mel drags vinnie out of the hospital for a fun day of errands, bizarre rants, and increasingly more difficult struggles to not pass out. Being a wiseguy was better than being president of the united states. Oct 21, 2015 i just noticed that wiseguy, the 19871990 crime drama, is streaming on hulu. The forgotten wiseguy influence on john byrnes namor run cbr. Insulted, paco brings up a death squad to hit mel, then arranges to kidnap susan to force mel to give him all of their drug action. Further, even though the lynchboro arc and the toxic waste arc were substandard for wiseguy arcs, i havent seen them since they originally aired about 20 years ago and look forward to something with a new. Set three is the first half of season two, with the white supremacists and garment business arcs. In 1988, you played susan profitt in the mel profitt arc on wiseguy. A juvenile sentenced to serve any period longer than nine months in a statemanaged facility. Sep 06, 2016 if you want to get a glimpse of some early creepy kevin spacey. Wiseguy is an american crime drama television series that aired on cbs from september 16. The best experience was that a basic total stranger had actually kept their word. This first arc includes annette benning in an early role.
It would be the breakout role for young kevin spacey, who mesmerized as the shortfused arms dealer. At the beginning of the second season, vinnie had no intention of rejoining the ocb, and was trying figure out what to do with his life. Wiseguy is an american crime drama television series that aired on cbs from september 16, 1987, to december 8, 1990, for a total of 75 episodes over four seasons. Profitt was played by a young kevin spacey, in his breakout role. Taken as a miniseries, the steelgrave arc blows most mid80s tv out of the water. That then led him to work for the sadistic businessman and arms dealer mel profitt. My impressions back then were that they were awesome. Kevin spacey fowler, better known by his stage name kevin spacey, is an american actor of screen and stage, film director, producer, screenwriter and singer. The mel profitt arc and the pilot episode where sonny steelgrave gets into a hotel gunfight with a weapons dealer draws from the nonfiction doorstopper the underground empire by james mills.
Cannell and was filmed in vancouver, british columbia, to avoid the higher studio costs associated. I first watched wiseguy during the mel profittkevin spacey arc, and had never seen these episodes. The series writers touch on some off puuting stuff that spaceys character seemed quite comfortable with. Jul 20, 2007 wiseguy begins its second season with vinnie quit of the ocb. The second story arc is mel profitt, putting vinnie under to try and bring down a drug empire run bykevin spacey as mel profitt. Apr 26, 1996 tvs wiseguys the starcrossed 19871991 series returns as a telefilm. It would basically be a series of miniseries, with each criminal group getting its own extended arc.
Other notable actors who made appearances in wiseguy included stanley tucci and tom curry. It also raised the profile of another budding actor, kevin spacey, who played baddie arms dealer mel profitt, a mastermind criminal with an addiction to painkillers and an unhealthy fixation on his sister. The book is the basis for the 1990 academy awardwinning film goodfellas directed by martin scorsese. Vinnie gets his first trial by fire when mel profitt disrupts the wedding of an associate, who retaliates by kidnapping susan. The character proved to be so rich and popular, that he inspired a fox series in 1996, profit. The dark drama was hailed as being far ahead of its time but was perhaps too ahead of its time, as it was quickly canceled in spite of praise. The wiseguy mob parlance for a streetlevel hoodlum is henry hill, 30year veteran of a brooklyn strongarm branch of the luchese. Ken wahl, kevin spacey, joan severance, manolo villaverde, martika, maximilian schell, charles.
Wiseguy project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks read. Anyway, william moses plays a police detective who is the partner of wagners son. When his brother pete gerald anthony is killed by a white supremacist, however, vinnie returned to the ocb, on the condition that he could go after his brothers killer. An operation to go after an international arms dealer kicks off the plot of barely lethal. Fifteen years of buildup, and yknow, they are pretty damn good. The magic of lionel, 4dvd boxed set 2011 digitally. Nicholas pileggis nonfiction book, wiseguy, is the basis for the hit movie, goodfellas, directed by martin scorsese 1990. The second season at large seemed cursed with misfortunes, but theres little jinx involved in the first arc. Who can forget her with kevin spacey in the mel profitt wiseguy story arc. Aug 17, 2003 the first 11 hours of wiseguy known as the sonny steelgrave arc will be released on dvd on aug.
Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Alan sepinwall described it as a dark, moody, intelligent drama that was 20 years ahead of its time due to its thengroundbreakinglylengthy story arcs, which allowed the show to develop richer villains than the typical caseoftheweek shows of the time. Wiseguy is an american crime drama series that aired on cbs from september 16, 1987 to december 8, 1990 for a total of 75 episodes. Part 2 convinced an associates bridetobe is a fed, mel insists he postpone the wedding. Jan 11, 2016 definitely try wiseguy if you havent seen it before. The magic of lionel, 4dvd boxed set 2011 digitally remastered hobby trains picclick exclusive popularity 175 views, 1. Sep 19, 2009 the first season of wiseguy was split into two cases.
Mel profitt arc 2003 digitally remastered dvd ken wahl brand new. The last time tv viewers had the chance to watch kevin spacey in a weekly series was more than twenty years ago, when he did a multiweek arc as drug lord mel profitt on cbss wiseguy. He began his career as a stage actor during the 1980s before obtaining supporting roles in film and television. Kevin spacey got his first big break and its fascinating to see him use acting rhythms he would bring to his future roles. Life in a mafia family is a 1985 nonfiction book by crime reporter nicholas pileggi that chronicles the life of henry hill. Set four takes up in the aftermath of the dead dogs records case, with the menacing mafia wars arc and counterfeit yen story. Kevin spacey fowler, better known by his stage name kevin spacey, is an american actor of screen and stage, film. Sep 11, 2011 after the mel profitt arc, there were arcs starring jerry lewis as a 7th ave. In this story arc, vinnie investigates assassin roger lococco william russ, who is working for arms dealer, mel profitt kevin spacey. As with many books that go to films, the inner details add depth to hills story and give the reader a better feel for the disturbing and violent life he lead. Frank finds out pacos bride was an undercover cia agent. I would say that the first and the last episodes of this arc are my favorite. Spaceys mel is one half of a twin brother and sister joan severance team of high iq crime bosses. The classicretro pop culture thread page 25 the trek bbs.
I was a regular viewer of wiseguy during its first season, primarily because of ray sharkeys and then kevin spaceys overthetop turns as psychotic criminals sonny steelgrave and mel profitt. Further, even though the lynchboro arc and the toxic waste arc were substandard for wiseguy arcs, i havent seen them since they originally aired about 20 years ago and look forward to something with a new feeling to it. After the mel profitt arc, there were arcs starring jerry lewis as a 7th ave. Mel profitt, season 1, part 2, the dynamic of the show changed from vinnie dealing with hoods that he. Mel s a drug attic whos prone to bouts of megalomania and paranoia. He gained critical acclaim in the early 1990s that culminated in his first. The wiseguy mob parlance for a streetlevel hoodlum is henry hill, 30year veteran of.
Look for his recurring character, mel profitt from wiseguy. I especially like the sonny steelgrave arc with ray sharkey that starts out the series and the mel profitt arc with kevin spacey. The dark cbs crime drama introduced kevin spacey in a memorable arc as villain mel profitt, but it also was influential in popularizing the. Was in rolling stone magazines hot issue as hot character twice 1988 and 1995. Tvs wiseguys the starcrossed 19871991 series returns as a telefilm. Nicholas pileggis vivid, unvarnished, journalistic chronicle of the life of henry hillthe workingclass brooklyn kid who knew from age twelve that to be a wiseguy was to own the world, who grew up to live the highs and lows of the mafia gangsters lifehas been hailed as the best book ever written on organized crime cosmopolitan. In the first episode vinnie terranova, undercover agent for the organized crime bureu, meets up with roger lococo. The first one saw wahls vincent terranova go undercover in the mafia. Henrys heyday takes place during the 1960s and 1970s during which time he works under prominent mob boss paul vario. No adversary was more sinister than mel profitt, the maniacal multibillionaire in the series second arc. Guest post hollywoods rugged individualists, thugs and. Played dead straight in the mel profitt arc and the miami arc. This is a riveting account of organized crime as a way of life.
I found the story very farfetched not to mention given away in the first twenty minutes but with some elements that i wish they would put into mystery woman now. Find great deals on ebay for wiseguy and wiseguy book. Sonny steelgrave was ten episodes putting vinnie ken wahl in with a mob boss in atlantic city. None of these arcs were as gripping and entertaining as the mel profitt arc of this show. Wiseguy is nicholas pileggis remarkable bestseller, the most intimate account ever printed of life inside the deadly highstakes world of what some people call the mafia. So i went and sat for about 8 hrs on the set richard donners house talked with mel and finally got to be in that miniscule scene.
The delany sisters first 100 years, staring diahann carroll and ruby dee, was the portrayal of two american women who never married and lived rich full lives. For instance, the first season would tell two 10episode storylines. Goodfellas based on the book wiseguy by nicholas pileggi by martin scorsese, nicholas pileggi and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Its smallscale to make the show a little more realistic after the profitt arc, but the unfortunate center of the arc is vinnies protection of ritchie from the. An archive of our own, a project of the organization for transformative works. Rawley wilkes played by david carradine, the bad guy in this chuck norris action movie, is an arms dealer who raids u. In january 2016 it was announced that relativity media, which was just emerging from chapter 11 bankruptcy, had acquired trigger street productions and that spacey would become chairman of. The forgotten wiseguy influence on john byrnes namor run. He played mel profitt, an arms dealer who liked to have his.
Kevin spacey talks to showtime about starring in his own series. Wiseguy tells the story of the life of career criminal henry hill, well known in the film goodfellas, which is based upon this book. The second arc showed even more ambition with vinnie fronting as a bodyguard for international arms dealer siblings mel and laura profitt. Unfollow wiseguy dvd to stop getting updates on your ebay feed. Goodfellas based on the book wiseguy by nicholas pileggi by martin scorsese, nicholas pileggi and a great selection of related books, art and. Credits mel profitt on wiseguy 1987 as being his breakthrough role.
Kevin spacey talks to showtime about starring in his own. Vinnie gets his first trial by fire when mel profitt disrupts the wedding of an. The eccentric billionaire in the counterfeit yen arc is clearly inspired by howard hughes. Wiseguy is the true story of henry hill, a member of the lucchese organized crime family in new york. Their performances generated a tremendous amount of buzz in the trades and the staterun media, which only intensified once the tabloids started a.
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