Michael Madsen miscast
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endc_infinite — 11 years ago(September 01, 2014 03:51 PM)
Years and years have gone by and I still believe this movie did not live to its 100% potential just because of that, the fact Michael Madsen does not even look italian and his playing an italian mob captain, in a Mafia so tight and restricted to its membershipJesus Christ! this is not the role for him but oh well just goes down in history next to Keanu Reeves' Jonathan Harper
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ShannonTriumphant — 11 years ago(September 23, 2014 10:23 AM)
I agree as far as his looks but he has a certain nastiness about him (and often does in other films, even as a "nice guy" in "Thelma and Louise") that made him believable as the petty, bullying jerk that Sonny Black was, especially to Lefty. I think his sleaziest scene is when he highjacks the boat cruise from Lefty, taking all the credit for Lefty and Joey's work, and there's nothing they can do about it. His insulting, opportunistic actions made Lefty's role even more pathetic, and hence, Joey's allegiance to him more believable.
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russianitalian — 11 years ago(December 05, 2014 07:17 AM)
This thread is kind of funny to me. I'm half Italian and so half of my family are Italian. I know the stereotype of Italian men is that they are all olive skinned, tanned, white guys with black hair.
There are some like that in my family. My father who is 100% Italian is fairly pale and has light brown hair.
Even so though what amuses me is everyone keeps saying what the real Sonny Black looked like with black hair etc
According to a whole bunch of sources online, Sonny Black was a natural blond (yes you do get them in Italy), so he himself didn't look like the "stereotypical Italian"!
"Dominick Sonny Black Napolitano came into this world on June 16, 1930 and was raised in Williamsburg, Brooklyn where he got his start as a petty thief. Although his descendants were from Naples, Italy, he was born with blond hair and as he grew into adulthood died it jet black which earned him the nickname Sonny Black."
http://americanmafiahistory.com/sonny-black/ -
jacobindc — 11 years ago(December 07, 2014 05:36 PM)
According to a whole bunch of sources online, Sonny Black was a natural blond (yes you do get them in Italy), so he himself didn't look like the "stereotypical Italian"!
Huh? Where did you read that?
American Mafia members' lineages are strictly Sicilian, Neapolitan, or Calabrese (all three in southern Italy). Italians from that region typically have darker features than those of northern Italians. So you saying your father is "100% Italian" is meaningless. -
russianitalian — 11 years ago(December 08, 2014 05:54 AM)
Forget my father, I'm talking about Sonny Black. I shared a link but obviously you did not read it.
Sonny Black's descendants were not Sicilian, Neapolitan or Calabrese. His were from Naples.
"Dominick Sonny Black Napolitano came into this world on June 16, 1930 and was raised in Williamsburg, Brooklyn where he got his start as a petty thief. Although his descendants were from Naples, Italy, he was born with blond hair and as he grew into adulthood died it jet black which earned him the nickname Sonny Black."
LINKS-
http://americanmafiahistory.com/sonny-black/
http://mafia.wikia.com/wiki/Dominick_Napolitano
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominick_Napolitano
http://www.davidicke.com/forum/showthread.php?t=95966 -
jacobindc — 11 years ago(December 08, 2014 09:18 PM)
Sonny Black's descendants were not Sicilian, Neapolitan or Calabrese. His were from Naples.
Neapolitan- a native or inhabitant of Naples, Italy
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/neapolitan
And those sources are crap. Wikipedia is unreliable. There have been books written about Donnie Brasco and Sonny Black, and there is no mention of him being straight up blonde. If he was, this would be extremely rare anyway. -
ItsEddieHaskellBeyotch — 11 years ago(February 26, 2015 07:52 AM)
Armand Assante
^YES! He would've been perfect for the role of Sonny Black, if only because Michael Madsen looked and performed alittle too much like a thug or a foot soldier to be taken seriously as a potentially 'made' man. Also, Armand is just the all around better actor. I never understood how Michael Madsen with all his mumbling and growling got so far in the acting business.
When theres no more room in Hollywood, remakes shall walk the Earth. -
mercury4 — 10 years ago(April 15, 2015 02:33 PM)
^YES! He would've been perfect for the role of Sonny Black, if only because Michael Madsen looked and performed alittle too much like a thug or a foot soldier to be taken seriously as a potentially 'made' man. Also, Armand is just the all around better actor. I never understood how Michael Madsen with all his mumbling and growling got so far in the acting business.
Thanks. I'm glad someone agrees. There are tons of actors I could've seen as Sonny Black instead of Madsen. I would've got Armand Assante, Chazz Palminteri, Frank Vincent, or Ray Sharkey if he was living. Michael Madsen is the last actor I would've picked. I saw a picture of the real Sonny Black that reminded me of Frank Vincent. -
Little_Korean — 9 years ago(November 12, 2016 11:25 AM)
He would've been perfect for the role of Sonny Black, if only because Michael Madsen looked and performed alittle too much like a thug or a foot soldier to be taken seriously as a potentially 'made' man.
All these guys begin as thugs or petty crooks before they can ascend up the ranks (unless you happen to be born a son of one of the top guys, then you can jump the queue a la Alphone Persico), so his Madsen's appearance is not that implausible.
When darkness overcomes the heart, Lil' Slugger appears