Release Date: September 19, 1990

Raging Bull may be Scorsese?s most critically revered film, and The Departed was his biggest commercial success, but Goodfellas is probably his most cultishly adored picture. The tale of Henry Hill (Ray Liotta), an Irish-Italian mobster-turned snitch contains one of the most oft-quoted lines of dialogue in any Scorsese film, courtesy of Joe Pesci as the psychopathic Tommy DeVito: ?I'm funny how? I mean, funny like I'm a clown? I amuse you??

It?s easy to see why Goodfellas continues to resonate: It?s brilliantly acted, shockingly violent, unnervingly tense, and wickedly funny. It also contains one of Scorsese?s best soundtracks, utilizing the Rolling Stones? ?Gimme Shelter? and Derek and the Dominoes? ?Layla? to evocative effect. And once again, Scorsese is brilliant at capturing the distinctive milieus and daily rhythms of the underworld and bonds that form between those who live outside the law.

Hill is a Brooklyn kid who?s always dreamed of being a part of the Mafia. His wish comes true when he teams up with such local toughs as DeVito and Jimmy ?The Gent? Conway (DeNiro) for a series of burglaries and hijackings. After attempting to recover money from an indebted gambler, many of the wiseguys are sent to prison, where Hill starts dealing drugs to support his family. Upon their release, the gang executes a spectacular heist of money and jewelry from JFK Airport, a crime that breaks the tight bonds of the gang. Hill convinces Conway and DeVito to join him in the drug trade, but soon, the wiseguys? trust in one another has completely eroded. Based upon true events, Goodfellas feels absolutely authentic, not least because Scorsese is brilliant in depicting the inherent appeal of the gangster life -- and its dark consequences.