Yonkers Joe (2008)

Director:

Robert Celestino

Writer:

Robert Celestino (written by)

Release Date:

9 January 2009 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

When you're this good luck has nothing to do with it.

Plot:

Family life gets in the way of a con man's search for the perfect scam.

Plot Keywords:

Character Name In Title

Cast

Chazz Palminteri	...	Yonkers Joe
Michael Lerner	...	Stanley
Nate Bynum	...	Technician
Frank John Hughes	...	Tom Vincent
Christine Lahti	...	Janice
Patrick Hughes	...	Polo Shirt
Lauri Johnson	...	Hammer
Roma Maffia	...	Irene Santini
Tom Guiry	...	Joe Jr.
Michael Rispoli	...	Mickey
Linus Roache	...	Teddy
John 'Fastjack' Farrell	...	Fitz (as John 'Fast Jack' Farrell)
Michael A. Rizza	...	Poker Player #2 (as Michael Rizza)
Anthony Tarantola	...	Heavy #1
Rusty Meyers	...	Committee Man
Saverio Guerra	...	Bam
Arthur J. Nascarella	...	Dino (as Arthur Nascarella)
Tom Cassell	...	Stickman
Charlie DiPinto	...	Boxman
Bill Allison	...	Pit Boss (as William Allison)
Dean Marrazzo	...	Casino Manager
Chad McKnight	...	Simon
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bonnie Joy Ashley	...	Pit Boss (uncredited)
Jason Anthony Fisher	...	Craps dealer (uncredited)
Lanette Fugit	...	Barfly (uncredited)
Shana Golden	...	Lucky High Roller (uncredited)
Corinna Harney	...	Shampoo Girl (uncredited)
Paul Joseph	...	Security Guard (uncredited)
Anthony Mingilino	...	Dice Player (uncredited)
Steven Christopher Parker	...	Neil (uncredited)
Bob Pepper	...	Dice Player (uncredited)
Roy C. Peterson	...	Himself (uncredited)
Delia Sheppard	...	Barfly (uncredited)
Heather Sullivan	...	Counter Girl (uncredited)
Charlie Talbert	...	Micheal (uncredited)

Directed by
Robert Celestino

Writing credits
Robert Celestino		(written by)

Produced by
Kerry Barden	....	associate producer
Jim Click	....	co-executive producer
Fred David	....	co-producer (as Fred David)
Richard DiPatri	....	line producer
John Gaughan	....	executive producer
J. Todd Harris	....	co-executive producer
Phil Ivey	....	executive producer
Robert H. Moretti	....	co-producer
Matt Othick	....	executive producer
Trent Othick	....	producer
Chazz Palminteri	....	executive producer
Vincent Schettler	....	co-executive producer
Illya Trincher	....	co-producer
Joey Whitacre	....	associate producer
Bill Wortman	....	co-executive producer

Original Music by
Chris Hajian

Cinematography by
Michael Fimognari

Film Editing by
Gary Friedman
Jim Makiej

Casting by
Kerry Barden
Suzanne Crowley		(as Suzanne Crowley)
Billy Hopkins
Paul Schnee

Production Design by
Jonathan A. Carlson

Art Direction by
Jeanina Vasilescu

Set Decoration by
Shellia D. Bailey
Amy R. Murphy

Costume Design by
Luellyn Harper

Makeup Department
Martin Astles	....	makeup effects sculptor
Jon Paul Barron	....	assistant makeup artist (as John Paul Barron)
Chris Gallaher	....	special makeup effects supervisor: Drac Studios
Jennifer Gerber	....	key makeup artist
Jim Knell	....	production photographer: Drac Studios
Keleigh Lippert	....	key hair stylist
Keleigh Lippert	....	makeup department head
Harvey Lowry	....	director of operations: makeup effects department
Laura Markert	....	assistant makeup artist
Mark Nieman	....	key special effects makeup artist

Production Management
Richard DiPatri	....	post-production supervisor
Jessica Shannon	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Rosie Heeter	....	second second assistant director
Kelly Hirano	....	first assistant director
Ric Smith	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Shellia D. Bailey	....	set dresser
Jason Cronburg	....	on-set dresser
Carl Mazaros	....	property master
Amy R. Murphy	....	leadman
Maston O'Neal	....	carpenter
Renato Raposo	....	leadman
Renato Raposo	....	set dresser
Bradley Rau	....	swing (as Brad Rau)
Giovanni Tartaglia	....	assistant property master

Sound Department
Ron Bedrosian	....	adr mixer
Zane D. Bruce	....	foley artist (as Zane Bruce)
Rick Camera	....	sound recordist (as Rick Camara)
Julio Carmona	....	adr recordist
Don Givens	....	foley mixer
James Hunt	....	foley mixer
Bradley C. Katona	....	sound effects editor
Tim Kimmel	....	supervising sound editor
Carrie Lisonbee	....	dialogue editor
John Matter	....	assistant sound editor
Hugh Murphy	....	co-supervising sound editor
Joseph T. Sabella	....	foley artist
Ken Teaney	....	sound re-recording mixer
Brett Van Deusen	....	additional sound mixer
Gerard Vernice	....	boom operator
Stephan von Hase	....	sound mixer
Mathew Waters	....	sound re-recording mixer
James Wright	....	Dolby sound consultant (as Jim Wright)

Special Effects by
Chris Hampton	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
John Campuzano	....	visual effects coordinator
Mark Freund	....	visual effects supervisor
Phillip Hoffman	....	visual effects producer

Stunts
Greg Anderson	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Shawn Booth	....	second assistant camera
Craig Boydston	....	lamp operator
Vivian Brown	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera
Heber 'Top Gun' Cannon	....	camera intern
Yvonne Chu	....	first assistant camera
Chris Coleman	....	grip
Dan Coplan	....	Steadicam operator
Dan Coplan	....	camera operator
Dan Coplan	....	director of photography: second unit
Stefan Duschaine	....	best boy electric
Nicholas Fry	....	film loader
Jordan Garretson	....	key grip
David Gordon	....	grip
Richard Griggs	....	best boy grip
Joel Jaspan	....	grip
Joshua Jose	....	still photographer
Brian Lofthouse	....	gaffer
Edward McDonald	....	grip
Steve Parrington	....	video playback operator
Victor Rivkin	....	video playback assistant
Stephen P. Rose	....	lamp operator
Hunter Sandison	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Derek Santoro	....	lamp operator
Marshall Stief	....	second assistant camera: New York
Tim Stratton	....	lamp operator
Zoe Van Brunt	....	film loader

Casting Department
David Anthony	....	extras casting
Jessica Kelly	....	assistant casting director
Joyce Kurtz	....	adr voice casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Joshua Christensen	....	set costumer
Joyce Kim Lee	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Donald Freeman	....	final colorist
Aidan Stanford	....	color timer
Peter Swartz	....	colorist (as Pete Swartz)

Music Department
Ron Finn	....	composer: stock music
Ron Finn	....	music editor
Patrick Ford	....	music mixer
Patrick Ford	....	music recordist
Chris Hajian	....	music producer
Chris Hajian	....	orchestrator
Chris McGeary	....	music editor
Sandra Park	....	music contractor (as Sandy Park)
Thanh Tran	....	music preparation

Transportation Department
Matthew Ballard	....	transportation coordinator
Shay Morgan Brook	....	transportation captain
Theodore Giapapas	....	driver

Other crew
Claire Bernard	....	assistant production accountant
Maureen Dooling	....	production coordinator
Clinton Estell	....	craft service
John 'Fastjack' Farrell	....	technical advisor
Rita Hawn	....	assistant production office coordinator
Ronald J. Levin	....	production counsel
Kyle Morris	....	stand-in
Gustavo Moya	....	production assistant
Wolfgang Muchow	....	behind the scenes director
Penny Patrick	....	script supervisor
Christopher Ramirez	....	location manager
Christopher Ramirez	....	location scout
Jessica Shannon	....	production accountant
Duke Sullivan	....	location assistant
Dave Yekell	....	key set production assistant
Karissa Barcelo	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Thanks
Dan Mahoney	....	thanks
Thomas Schlamme	....	thanks

Production Companies

• GO Productions
• Trent Othick Productions

Distributors

• Magnolia Pictures (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
• HD Net (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• Magnolia Pictures

Special Effects

• Drac Studios
• Pacific Title and Art Studio (visual effects)

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  dollies
• Dolby Laboratories  sound mix
• EMS Payroll  extras payroll
• Final Note Productions  music editorial
• Goldman & Associates  local extras casting
• Hollywood Script Research  clearances
• Legacy Recording Studios  music recorded at
• Media Services  payroll
• Murphy PR  publicity
• Pacific Title and Art Studio  titles
• Rich King Casting  extras casting
• Soundtrack  adr facility
• Todd-AO Studios  post-production sound services (as Todd-AO)
• Truman Van Dyke Company  insurance (as Truman Van Dyke)

MPAA:

Rated R for language including sexual references

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R

Filming Locations:

Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Company:

GO Productions

Hard gritty look at life and perhaps redemption

This film is not for everyone.Maybe not for most.However if you like films that can be hard to watch and seem painfully true to the world you don't want to see but know is out there,than you MUST see this film.The underside of life meets crisis of family in a way not seen since "rainman"a film I thought was overcast and thus dulled the story by being over exposed to "star"power.Yonkers Joe only loses 1 star because the story is so hard.Released in 2008 and running only 101 minutes the secret is the casting.Inspired therefore of Chazz Palminteri and Christine Lahti as two losers who cling to the hope of a last score to continue their pathetic lives.Chaz plays Joe and he has a son who is institutionalized and has never really been there for him since his wife left them both.Joe Jr. is played well enough by Tom Guiry but he's really a burden that Joe can't shake and is now forced to confront when the institution is going to expel him as being unmanageable.It's never explained what the soon to be 21 year old's issues are other than he's mentally and socially challenged. Christine plays Janice who has very low self esteem but is a anchor for Joe. Focusing on a score against casino crap games in Vegas clash with the rediscovery of the father/son relationship between the 2 Joe's that is steadied by Janice in a fine performance by Mz Lahti who deserves recognition here.Chaz is Chaz and thats what's called for to make this a more gutty film than "Rainman"was to me.No one is better playing a low life hustler than Chaz and as a cunning low level "mechanic"he scores here.They way the film ends is so believable and yet it's not a happy "hollywood"ending,tho not a disaster ether considering the life everyone has led.If you liked"Leaving las Vegas"the ending is far more upbeat but the film is almost as depressing till then.