Wiseguys, Goodfellas, Hoodlums & Thugs: Encore's Original Documentary 'Bullets Over Hollywood' Chronicles History of Gangster Films

Wiseguys, Goodfellas, Hoodlums & Thugs: Encore's Original Documentary 'Bullets Over Hollywood' Chronicles History of Gangster Films

From Cagney, Bogart & Edward G. to DeNiro, Pacino & Pesci

Featuring Interviews With James Caan, Talia Shire, Chazz Palminteri, Goodfella Henry Hill and Others

Narrated By Paul Sorvino ('Goodfellas')

ENGLEWOOD, Colo., Oct. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Encore is making subscribers an offer they can't refuse -- an original documentary called "Bullets Over Hollywood" chronicling the blood-soaked landscape and never-ending appeal of the American gangster movie -- from its origins in the silent film era to modern times. Based on the acclaimed book of the same name by John McCarty, "Bullets Over Hollywood" premieres on Encore, December 2nd at 8:00 p.m.

"Bullets Over Hollywood" delves into America's fascination with gangsters and features historical perspective, insightful analysis, behind-the-scenes anecdotes, and details about the connection between real-life hoods and their cinematic alter egos. The documentary chronicles films such as D.W. Griffith's "The Musketeers of Pig Alley" (the 1912 classic that began it all), 1930's and '40s classics including "Little Caesar," "The Public Enemy," "The Petrified Forest," and "High Sierra" to such modern tales as "The Godfather," "Scarface," "Goodfellas," "Donnie Brasco," "Casino," "A Bronx Tale," "Carlito's Way," "Once Upon a Time in America" and many more, all part of America's parallel fascination with fictional and real-life gangsters. The film also explores the actors who became synonymous with the genre, including those who defined the classic gangster character like Edward G. Robinson, James Cagney, and Humphrey Bogart, to today's counterparts such as Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro and others. "Bullets Over Hollywood" is narrated by Paul Sorvino ("Goodfellas") and includes interviews with "The Godfather's" James Caan, Talia Shire, Chazz Palminteri, Roger Corman, real-life "Goodfella" Henry Hill, Michael Madsen, former FBI agent Joseph Pistone (aka "Donnie Brasco"), Angie Dickinson, film historian Leonard Maltin and many others.

The gangster, like the gunslinger in Westerns, is a classic American character. The gangster movie, like the Western, is one of American cinema's most enduring film genres, standing the test of time. They both explore similar themes such as gunplay and the violent struggle for power and territory. But while the Western typically focuses on the "good guy" who comes to rid the town from evil, the gangster film usually spotlights the bad guy, the anti-hero, who yearns for power and position. Following Prohibition, the Great Depression and World War II, gangsters emerged as figures in the public eye, and the gangster movie began to replace the Western as America's quintessential mythic cinematic tale of good vs. evil.

As American society has evolved, so has the gangster film. Historical period films are still occasionally made about gangsters, such as "Road to Perdition" and "Gangs of New York." But today, the Tommy Gun toting thug of the '30s has largely been replaced by anti-heroes in more modern settings, such as urban neighborhoods, as reflected in films like "New Jack City" and "Menace II Society." Gangster characters can be seen as protagonists in a wide variety of film genres. "Made men" can be found in comedies like "Analyze This," "Get Shorty," "Prizzi's Honor" and "Bullets Over Broadway." They pop up in music-driven movies like "It's Always Fair Weather," "Guys and Dolls," "West Side Story," and "Chicago." They're the stars of martial arts action films like Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2," get their own screen biographies in films like "Bugsy," "Casino" and "Donnie Brasco," and make the art house circuit in films such as "Reservoir Dogs," "Pulp Fiction," "Jackie Brown," and "The Usual Suspects." The bottom line is -- movie gangsters are everywhere.

"The public's love affair with mobsters in movies and television certainly lives on," says Christopher Black, senior manager co-productions for Starz Entertainment Group (SEG). "The themes, characters and stories of the gangster genre have proven enduring, enough to be updated, reshaped, and expanded upon to connect with today's teens and young adults."

"Bullets Over Hollywood" is produced by A&F Productions' Elaina Archer, whose previous documentaries on Hollywood lore include: "Clara Bow: Discovering the It Girl," "Louise Brooks: Looking for Lulu," "Mary Pickford: A Life on Film," "Captured on Film: The True Story of Marion Davies and Rita" (Hayworth).

Other recent Starz Entertainment Group originals exploring the world of films and filmmakers include "Midnight Movies: From the Margin to the Mainstream," which recently premiered at the Cannes Film Festival; "Sam Peckinpah's West: Legacy of a Hollywood Renegade"; "John Ford Goes to War"; "The Art of Action: Martial Arts in the Movies"; and "The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing."

Starz Entertainment Group LLC (SEG) is the largest provider of premium movie services in the United States with approximately 179 million pay units. SEG offerings include the Starz Encore Movie Pack with 13 digital movie channels and more than 750 movies per month, Starz HDTV, Starz On Demand, and Starz Ticket, an on-demand premium Internet movie subscription service available on the broadband platform. Starz Entertainment Group is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation, www.starz.com.

Contacts: Steve Belgard/SEG Jonathan Taylor/The Lippin Group (720) 852-5843 (323) 965-1990 steve.belgard@starz.comjtaylor@lippingroup.com

Source: Encore

CONTACT: Steve Belgard of Starz Entertainment Group LLC, +1-720-852-5843, steve.belgard@starz.com; or Jonathan Taylor of The Lippin Group, +1-323-965-1990, jtaylor@lippingroup.com, for Encore

Web site: http://www.starz.com/

------- Profile: Ent