Feast of the Seven Fishes Blog | Italian Christmas, Italian Food, Cooking, Recipes and Traditions

A duet with Dino and Tony

Just came across this duet with Dean Martin and Tony Bennett on YouTube, so I thought I'd share it with you guys. I grew up listening to these two, as well as Frank Sinatra of course, and it's really great to see a video of them performing when they were in their prime. I'm only 23, so all of them are obviously from a different era than I, but their music is timeless and great. It still is pretty much the only stuff you'll hear on the radio at my parents house.

It's interesting to think about today's music and how, one day in the future, we'll be thinking "this song is a classic" about many of our favorites. Actually, I can't imagine ever saying that about a Ben Harper or Incubus song, or any other great songs from some of my favs. Of course, they're of a different genre. Still, the new class of crooners (Harry Connick Jr., Michael Bublé, etc.) don't seem to be as memorable as Tony, Dino, Franky Boy and the rest were, and still are.

-Mike

My favorite Italian movies...

... and by "Italian movies" I mean mafia flicks or movies about Italian-American families. Here's my Top 5.

1. "Goodfellas," drama, 1990. What can I say? Greatest mafia movie there is. Yes, better than "The Godfather," in my opinion. As my father puts it, it's more real. "The Godfather" is more of a fairy tale mafia story. Stars Ray Liotta and Robert De Niro. Directed by Martin Scorsese.

2. "The Godfather," drama, 1972. But hey, I never said there was anything wrong with fairy tales! Great acting, great directing and based off a great book. You can't go wrong. Stars Al Pacino, Marlon Brando and James Caan. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola.

3. "29th Street," comedy, 1991. Smaller budget movie, not very well known. It stars Anthony LaPaglia and Danny Aiello and is a true story about the first New York state lottery winner, Frank Pesce. Directed by George Gallo.

4. "The Godfather Part II," drama, 1974. And this is the last "Godfather" to appear on my list. The third installment was horrible. This one stars Al Pacino and Robert Duvall, and adds a young Robert De Niro to the mix. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola.

5. "Donnie Brasco," drama, 1997. Great movie, and newer than all the others. Johnny Depp stars as undercover cop Joe Pistone (known to the mob as Donnie Brasco) in this true story. Al Pacino co-stars (that puts him in three-of-five of my favorites). Directed by Mike Newell.

-Mike