Gangs of New York (2002)

Martin Scorsese's Gangs of New York (2002) is the tale of a bang-up in Manhattan's Five Points section back in the days when the Irish were pouring off the boats and top hats were as tall as skyscrapers. Irish immigrant Amsterdam Vallon (Leonardo DiCaprio) is just out of prison and seeking sweet-potato revenge on rival gang king Bill "The Butcher" Cutting (Daniel Day-Lewis), who got on Leo's bad side when he went and offed his pops. It starts as a two-man beef but quickly becomes a stampede, ending in pure gang warfare. Meanwhile, on the sweatermeat front, Gangs of New York features the always chewy Cameron Diaz, this time as a redhead. Cam plays Leo's pickpocket pet with real aplomb . . . which is to say that one of her pert plums a-falls fleetingly out of her dress! There's a lot of anonymous toplessness in a party scene too, so if you want to play cineaste while taking in a tittyfest, Scorsese's your gravy. He fell in love with the story behind Gangs of New York all the way back in 1970 and fought to get it made for the next thirty-one years. It's meant to serve up a history lesson about the development of New York alongside the beef and bouncing meatballs. Gangs of New York is a case in point that some of the most engaging and thought provoking flicks are also some of the most skin-ful. You can't go wrong watching this classic, and don't be surprised when a big girthy one arises in your pants!