Wise Guys (1986 film)
| Wise Guys | |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Brian De Palma |
| Produced by | Aaron Russo |
| Written by |
George Gallo Norman Steinberg |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Ira Newborn |
| Cinematography | Fred Schuler |
| Edited by | Gerald B. Greenberg |
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Production
company |
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| Distributed by |
MGM Entertainment Co. (1986, original) Warner Bros. (2005, DVD) |
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Release date
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Running time
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100 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $13 million |
| Box office | $8,475,466 |
Wise Guys is a 1986 black Mafia comedy crime film directed by Brian De Palma and starring Danny DeVito and Joe Piscopo. A comedy revolving around two small-time mobsters from Newark, New Jersey, it also features Harvey Keitel, Ray Sharkey, Lou Albano, Dan Hedaya, and Frank Vincent.
Italian American Harry Valentini and his Jewish friend and next-door neighbor Moe Dickstein occupy the bottom rung of Newark Mafia boss Anthony Castelo's gang. Making a living by doing Castelo's lowest jobs (such as looking after his goldfish, testing out bullet-proof jackets, or checking the boss's car for bombs) the two men dream of opening the world's first Jewish-Italian delicatessen. However, they get little to no respect from their boss or his subordinates, who frequently ridicule them.
They accompany Frank "The Fixer" Acavano, one of Castelo's top men and a violent, heavyset psychopath, to Meadowlands Racetrack to place a bet on Castelo's behalf. Valentini changes horses at the last minute because his boss usually bets on the wrong one. However, this time Castelo had fixed the race, meaning that Harry and Moe now owe their boss thousands. After a night of torture, both are forced to agree to kill each other.
Unaware that each has made a deal and frightened following the murder of Harry's cousin Marco, they steal Acavano's Cadillac and travel to Atlantic City to see Harry's uncle Mike, a retired mobster who started Castelo in the crime business. After using Acavano's credit cards to pay for a luxury stay in a hotel owned by their old friend Bobby DiLea, the two go to Uncle Mike's house to ask for help. They find only Uncle Mike's ashes, leading to Moe leaving in disgust. Grandma Valentini, however, is able to give Harry the money he owes.
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