Movie/film suggestions.

As they say, @gano , one person’s art is another’s garbage.  Myself, I am generally not a huge Nicholson fan, but in The Departed I loved him. I’ve never been to Boston so I cannot comment, but it seemed to full fill what I thought Boston would be like.  Which could very well be a misconception on my part.  (Now I am killing a lot of time watching excerpts of the Karen Read trial, and I get a kick out of the accents.)  As far as the Whitey Bulger angle, when I first watched the movie I really didn’t know anything about that, but after watching Black Mass and some White Bulger documentaries, there does seem to be a take off on that happening.  At least in that there was a violent gangster in Boston who had a law enforcement agent on the inside (Bulger had the FBI agent, Connoly/and Nicholson had Damon) and was playing both sides of the game.

Anyway, I really enjoyed The Departed.  But speaking of Bulger and Boston and movies, how did you feel about Black Mass?

I think Black Mass was decent, @immatthewj but I wouldn't watch it twice. It was made after I was over Depp, but still not completely turned off. I was living there and working a menial job when Whitey disappeared along with a few more guys. It turned my boss' was connected to the mafia by association, his cousins were in the Winter Hill Gang. Little did I knew, I also lived on the edge of Winter Hill and Spring Hill. 

Obviously, when it's made by the locals, they get it right. The Town, Gone Baby Gone, Ted are fantastic movies in their own genre and they are "pitch perfect". Just like the accent, you either get it right or don't bother, keep it generic. 

btw the Karen Read trial is a very dark and typical Bostonian story, it will be a movie for sure 

That's interesting, @gano , and I can understand where your personal perspective enters into it.  (As for myself, I cannot stand Yellowstone.)  I only have preconceived notions of Boston, but if I had the personal connection that you described, I would not be able to get enough of Black Mass.  As it is, I will watch it whenever it's on a movie channel without commercials and unedited.  (And not because of Johhny Depp.)  I really get a kick out of the interaction with the Halloran character that Sarsgaard portrayed.   In the Departed, I remember a scene that I enjoyed where Nicholson came out of the backroom of the bar to talk to DiCaprio and he (Nicholson) was all blood spattered and kind of happy looking.  Whatever was happening back there, the viewer knows it was bad but apparently business as per usual.  Another scene that I found memorable was the one (I think it was Nicholson and Dicaprio's first meeting) where Nicholson hands DiCaprio a severed hand in a freezer bag to dispose of.

Anyway . . . ramble on. . .   

"Bugsie" Warren Beaty