For over 80 years, Hollywood has had a delicious and decadent fascination with movie mobsters. With the release of Michael Mann latest high octane gangster film, “Public Enemies,” we thought we would spotlight our 13 Favorite Gangster Movies!

While the earliest mob star was none other than Lon Chaney during the silent era, while the 1930s’s defined the genre, one of the earliest films of the note was the 1927 silent film, “Underworld.” Spanning almost every ethnicity and culture, America has proven that they can’t get enough of these bad guys and our favorite mob movies of all-time, we just can’t get enough!

City of God (2002)
This Brazilian epic spanning three decades of gang violence in the “City of God” tells the story of the rise of a young gangster named Lil’ Ze. After idolizing the City of God’s first crew of gangsters, The Tender Trio, Ze takes the game to frighteningly effect levels when he becomes the Don. Meanwhile, a childhood friend who managed to escape the game is the soul and conscience of like in the hood. Based on a true story, this little indie that could was every bit as effective as it’s American counterparts. An absolutely brilliant film!

Public Enemy (1931)
Cagney may have not invented the movie gangster but no early actor personified one more than him. In this film as well as “White Heat,” Cagney is mean, vicious and menacing all at once. From smashing a grapefruit in the face of a dame that talked too much to killing a close associate who crossed him, Tom Powers (Cagney) was tsunami of terror that would explode on any or everyone who crossed his path. While contemporaries such as Paul Muni may have been just as menacing, Cagney and his film eclipsed all others from that period.

Miller’s Crossing (1990)
When one man tries to keep the peace between two warring gangs, he finds himself smack in the middle in this battle of 1930s Irish gangsters. Gabriel Byrne plays Tom Regan is an advisor to Leo (Albert Finney), a crime boss. Soon, Regan finds himself caught in the middle of a war of ambushes and shifting allegiances where nothing is ever quite what it seems. Our favorite scene is Leo smoking two assassins by leaping from the roof of his house and surprising the mobsters – all while listening to “Danny Boy.” Great scene, great movie!

American Gangster (2007)
New York mobster, Frank Lucas’ life received the big screen treatment in Tony Scott’s hard-hitting drama, “American Gangster.” Portrayed by Denzel Washington, Lucas learns from legendary Harlem mobster, Bumpy Johnson and turns that tutelage into a multi-million dollar business. Discovering that much of the product on the street was so diluted, Lucas cultivated a relationship with the source and his ingenuity earned him millions and the scorn of the Feds who later brought him down and turned him into a witness for the state. Today Lucas rails against the evils of his once glamorous lifestyle but in his heyday there were not many who made it happen like this “American Gangster!”

Donnie Brasco (1997)
Al Pacino gives a heart-breaking performance as a small-time hood whose young protege turns out to be non other than FBI agent Joe Pistone (Johnny Depp) who infiltrates the mafia of New York. Befriending Lefty Ruggiero (Pacino), Pistone (under the name Donnie Brasco) is able to embed himself in a mafia faction lead by Sonny Black. Ruggiero and Pistone become tight as the group goes about collecting money for ‘the bosses’. The real dilemma is afforded to Pistone, who knows if he walks away from the mafia, Ruggiero will be the one punished. Pacino and Depp sparkle in this underappreciated mob classic.

New Jack City (1991)
In a year when Black directors stormed Tinseltown in record numbers, it was Mario Van Peebles’ portrayal of the rise of crack cocaine under the guise of hardened gangster, Nino Brown (Wesley Snipes) in the memorable “New Jack City.” Mixing in elements of the late Oakland drug kingpin, Felix Mitchell along with notorious New York mobster, Nicky Barnes, Van Peebles’ film was urgent, relevant and influential spawning a host of copycat stories. “You got to rob to get rich in the Reagan Era,” spouts the visionary drug-dealing Brown. Featuring solid performances from Ice-T, Vanessa Williams and Allen Payne, it is Snipes who dominates the film in one of his best dramatic roles.

American Me (1992)
Edward James Olmos received death threats for his portrayal of Mexican-American kingpin, Santana, leader of the Mexican Mafia in the explosive story, “American Me.” With a mantra of kill or be killed, Santana and his crew rule first the streets and later carve out much respect behind the walls of prison. But when he begins to develop a conscience, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that he would fall . . . very hard in one of the most violent death scenes in an American film. In addition to his strong performance, Olmos also directed this story that resulted in three of the film’s consultants being murdered for a rape scene that deeply offended the Mexican machismo. “American Me” was as violent off-screen as it was on!

Pulp Fiction (1994)
Director Quentin Tarantino’s clever tale of a band of seedy L.A. mobsters shot him to super-stardom and revived the sagging career of John Travolta. From it’s riveting and pulsating soundtrack to it’s controversial for his over-usage of the “N word,” Tarantino nevertheless created a rich mosaic of memorable characters and situations and bolstered by a solid cast including Samuel L. Jackson, Harvey Keitel, Bruce Willis, Uma Thurman and Ving Rhames, “Pulp Fiction” was a powerful adrenaline shot to the heart of a stale industry and introduced Tarantino as a bold cinematic voice.

Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
Director Sergio Leone’s epic, episodic, tale of the lives of a small group of New York City Jewish gangsters spanning over 40 years. Told mostly in flashbacks and flash-forwards, the movie centers on small-time hood David ‘Noodles’ Aaronson (Robert De Niro) and his lifelong partners in crime; Max, Cockeye and Patsy and their friends from growing up in the rough Jewish neighborhood of New York’s Lower East Side in the 1920s, to the last years of Prohibition in the early 1930s, and then to the late 1960s where an elderly Noodles returns to New York after many years in hiding to look into the past. Leone’s last film and he didn’t disappoint.

Hoodlum (1997)
Laurence Fishburne and director Bill Duke teamed up to tell the story of colorful Harlem gangster, Ellsworth “Bumpy” Johnson in “Hoodlum.  The story focuses on the war of two gangs in 1930s Harlem for the control of illegal gaming – one headed by black strategic godfather Johnson and another by white ruthless hothead Dutch Schultz (Tim Roth). Negotiations proposed by white syndicate boss Lucky Luciano (Andy Garcia) never get under way, blood flows and Johnson gets jailed. When Johnson is paroled, he gets the work of enforcer for mighty Stephanie “The Queen” St. Clair (Cicely Tyson). If Fishburne seemed comfortable in the role maybe it’s because he had practice. He portrayed Johnson a decade earlier in “Cotton Club.”

Scarface (1983)
A decade after Al Pacino created a masterwork of subtlety in the landmark mob tale, “The Godfather,” he let loose with epic vengeance in the 1980s version of the American Dream, “Scarface.” Tony Montana (Pacino) escapes from Cuba and slowly rises to one of the country’s largest kingpins, slaying any and everyone that gets in his way. The film influenced a generation of rappers who try to incorporate his violent themes into their music. Who can forget the coke-up kingpin with guns blazing in both hands shouting, “say hello to my little friend!” I know I can’t!

Little Caesar (1931)
Rated as the ninth greatest gangster film of all-time, along with “Public Enemy, “Little Caesar” is considered the granddaddy of the gangster film genre. Loosely based on the rise of Chicago mobster, Al Capone, the story centers around small-time crook Caesar Enrico Bandello (aka “Rico”) played by Edward G. Robinson who rises through the ranks to become crime boss in Chicago. Coming three years after mob classic, “Underworld,” “Little Caesar” was one of the films that served as the foundation for the Hollywood gangster genre. Most mob films looked like this until . . .

The Godfather Trilogy (1972, 74, 91)
One of my favorite films of all-time, it was the subject of a piece I wrote for the 75th Anniversary of the Academy Award as it was voted the Best “Best Picture” winner in the history of the Oscars. Francis Ford Coppola’s epic story of the several generations of the Corleone family spans the early part of the 20th century as they rule with their special code of honor, loyalty and above else family. The movie that forever changed the mob genre, creating a line of BG (before “The Godfather”) and AG. Every story from “Goodfellas” to “The Sopranos” bears the stamp of Coppola’s work of art. “The Godfather” revived the sagging career of iconic actor Marlon Brando and introduced the world to a cadre of young stars who would also have iconic careers in Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Robert Duvall and Diane Keaton.

Which film is your favorite mob movie and why?

Enter our contest to win a copy of the horror film, “The Unborn.” Coming to stores Tuesday, July 7, writer/director David Goyer (”Blade: Trinity,” “The Invisible,” “Batman Begins”) gives a terrifying glimpse into the life of the undead in his latest film.

“The Unborn” follows a young woman pulled into a world of nightmares when a demonic spirit haunts her and threatens everyone she loves. Starring Odette Yustman, Meagan Good, Cam Gigandet and Gary Oldman, “The Unborn” is a thrilling tale of one woman’s survival as she fights a family curse and struggles to shut a doorway from beyond our world that has been pried open by someone who was never born.

Submit your entry and you must also be a StarAccess member in order to qualify for this contest. Winners will be notified.

Good luck!

We have passes up for grabs to see the latest outrageous comedy from the mind of Sasha Baron Cohen, “Bruno.” To win your free pass to the advance screening in Washington, DC you must be a StarAccess movie club member and answer our trivia question below.

Click on the poster above to watch the “Bruno” trailer

“Bruno” plot:

Cohen’s gay Austrian supermodel Bruno comes to the big screen with similar hijinks and celebrity interviews as seen on “Da Ali G Show.”

To make our past distribution more equitable, winners are only eligible to win once every 15 days!

All entrants need to be StarAccess members (if you have already joined, you don’t need to submit another application) AND submit their FULL NAME, your SCREENING MARKET and answer to the following question for a chance to win!

“What do find most appealing about Sasha Baron Cohen’s sense of humor?“

We will contact the winners at the conclusion of the contest.

Be sure to follow FilmGordon at Facebook and Twitter.

“Bruno” opens in theaters on July 10.

Check out the film’s official site.

Twenty years ago today, Spike Lee fired the shot heard round the cinematic world with the release of his simmering hot summer classic, “Do The Right Thing.”

The film is notable for receiving two Oscars as well as launching the careers of Rosie Perez, Martin Lawrence and the late Robin Harris as well as a fiery battle anthem, “Fight the Power” from Public Enemy. Time has not soften the film’s message which remains as relevant as it did two decades later.

**Watch the trailer for “Do the Right Thing” by clicking the image above**

The story of one hot day in Bed-Stuy that slowly simmers until it finally explodes in violence initially sparked lots of anticipation of unrest but Lee’s work sparked plenty of discussion and debate and now is considered one of the auteur’s finest films.

Released on DVD today, “Do The Right Thing” features an unprecedented amount of archival material that takes viewers behind the scene as Lee created his summer masterpiece. Extras include video footage of the first cast table read, a documentary on the making of the film as well as various interviews with the young and talented cast. Even the press conference at the Cannes Film Festival is included showing that it was not only American film critics who had trouble grasping Lee’s message from the film.

In the past twenty years, Lee has solidified his cinematic legacy with additional winning stories such as “Malcolm X,” “4 Little Girls,” “Inside Man” and many more. In the process, Lee has continued to “fight the power” establishing himself as one of the Hollywood’s most innovative and revolutionary storytellers!

Leave it to the premiere cable network to roll out a new show about a dude with a big one – and no, he’s not Black! Thomas Jane stars as a man with an extraordinary gift in the comedy, “Hung” debuting this Sunday night.

Desperate times call for desperate measures and Ray Drecker’s (Jane) situation couldn’t be much tougher. The former high school sports legend turned middle-aged high school basketball coach is divorced and struggling to provide for his kids when his already run-down house catches fire. Looking to take on a second job, Ray decides to exploit his best asset in a last-ditch attempt to change his fortunes.

To watch the trailer for “Hung,” click on the image above

With African-Americans in the White House, dominating in non-traditional sports such as golf and tennis it would appear that the creators of this show have turned cultural stereotypes with their casting choice – or maybe they thought it would be perceived as racist to cast a person of color in this role. Either way, it appears that cable channels are dominating just because of shows such as these that clearly have more leeway to take more risks than the Big Four major networks.

In her career Kerry Washington has played a wide range of characters but in her latest film, “Life is Hot in Cracktown,” she may be taking on her riskest role. She sat down with Fred Topel to talk about her bold acting choice.

The indie drama “Life is Hot in Cracktown” gives Washington a chance to play a really risky performance. Marybeth may sound like the name of a generic hottie for her to play, but she is actually a trans gender woman. She’s also pre-op so in her first scene, we see how she tucks her junk between her legs. Of course, to the interview she wore a glamorous dress and sleek high heels, which is more like we’re used to seeing her.

How many people have asked about your fake package today?

Kerry Washington: [Laughs] I’ll say you’re not the first.

What have been the best questions?

KW: What was it? Everybody wants to know what was it? It’s movie magic. I can’t tell you everything. I can just tell you it wasn’t really mine. That’s what I’ll tell you.

Did you have to de-Femme your features?

KW: That’s such an interesting way to put it. I don’t know if I would put it that way. There is this complicated issue of portraying somebody who is born a woman but whose anatomy has in some ways betrayed them. So there is the complicated issue of how you articulate that physically so there were lots of meetings and discussions and explorations about how to do that.

What was your experience in the trans gender community?

KW: I love research. I really thrive on doing research to prepare for a character. It’s one of my favorite parts of acting so I do a lot of reading and watching documentaries and interviewing experts in whatever field it is I’m studying in preparation. I also was very lucky that I found this amazing woman named Valerie Spencer who’s a trans woman who became my consultant on the film.

What was the one thing she wanted to make sure you got right?

KW: I don’t think I could say that there was one thing. It’s really a community and so any anthropologist will tell you there are so many specific details that make up membership to that community. So it was really about trying to absorb as much of that as possible, but she was very generous with her life. We spent a lot of time together and we hung out and went to dinner and I went to church with her. She brought me into the community so I was able to meet a lot of trans women.

What’s your favorite thing about Marybeth?

KW: I guess I think it was really brave and courageous for Buddy [Giovinazzo] to take this person that is a disenfranchised member of society. They call her a freak in the movie and he took this person and made her the emotional center of the film. That was the thing that really drew me to her, that she’s this person that we normally think of in sort of stereotypical frameworks, but she became this really complicated, layered, accessible human being. I think that’s what drew me to playing her.

What do you think draws us as an audience that draws us to films about people in horrible situations, that we want to experience them?

KW: I think in some ways, we come from a long tradition. As human beings, we’ve always had traditions of storytelling, whether it was sitting around a fire in prehistoric times, but we’ve always told stories. In some ways, filmmakers carry the new tradition of storytelling. We have a lot to learn as human beings from watching stories that reflect our happiest times but also watching stories that reflect our darkest moments. Both of those conditions allow us to move closer to the full spectrum of who we are as people.

You do get in moods where you want to see “Cracktown” instead of “Star Trek.”

KW: That’s right. You know, I love “When Harry Met Sally” as much as I love “Schindler’s List.” They speak to different parts of my truth as a human being.

Click here to read the rest of Washington’s interview.

The Hollywood king of dark and quirky films, Tim Burton is working on his next work of art, “Alice in Hollywood.” Here is an image of his frequent collaborator, Oscar winner Johnny Depp.

Burton’s version of the film plays like a sequel to the original story. The traditional tale has been freshened with a blast of girl power, courtesy of writer Linda Woolverton (”Beauty and the Beast”). Alice, 17, attends a party at a Victorian estate only to find she is about to be proposed to in front of hundreds of snooty society types. Off she runs, following a white rabbit into a hole and ending up in Wonderland, a place she visited 10 years before yet doesn’t remember.

The film stars Depp as the Mad Hatter, Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen, Anne Hathaway as the White Queen, Mia Wasikowska as Alice, and Matt Lucas as Tweedledee and Tweedledum.  Michael Sheen, Crispin Glover, Stephen Fry and Alan Rickman.

Up next for Depp is his turn as John Dillinger in Michael Mann’s gangster tale, “Public Enemies.”

“Alice in Wonderland” hits theaters on March 5, 2010.

Check out more images below.

Helena Bonham Carter

Anne Hathaway

Several days before the untimely death of her brother Michael, Janet Jackson agreed to reprise her role in Tyler Perry’s comedy sequel, “Why Did I Get Married Too.”

According to Variety, Jackson will again portray a successful author and psychologist who prefers to analyze others relationship problems rather than deal with her own marriage.

She is the first announced casting for the Lionsgate project other than Perry.

The follow-up is set for a release on April 2, 2010. The first film, based on Perry’s stage play, grossed $55 million domestically.

Perry’s next film, “I Can Do Bad By Myself” starring Taraji P. Henson hits theaters on September 11.