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List Price: $7.99 | | Label: Velocity / Thinkfilm
Salesrank: 49161
Released: September 19, 2006 |
| Our Price: $3.50 |
| Used Price: $1.20 |
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MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Marine sgt. Tommy santoro thought he had left his familys ties to the mafia behind. But a visit from the f.B.I. Sends him home to the tightly-knit south philly neighborhood of 10th & wolf to face the biggest dilemma of his life. Studio: Image Entertainment Release Date: 10/23/2007 Starring: James Marsden Run time: 107 minutes Rating: R
10th and Wolf Reviews:
So What If It Wasn't Filmed In South Philly? 
2008-09-12 - With due respect to Caesar Warrington, et al, who lamented the fact that this firm was not shot on location, how many films are? That's why sets were created to begin with. That's why films get shot in Vancouver. I can empathize with that area evidently being a close-knit community, but this was a Hollywood film, not a documentary. And it was a darn good one if you ask me. All the players stood out and the film kept me riveted. That's what I seek from a film, not whether it was authentically shot where the story takes place.
Reality based, worth seeing 
2008-07-10 - 10th and Wolf (2006) promises thrills and a story told in the first person,
concerning the ultra-dangerous living environment of those taking part in
the underworld, tempted by the millions of dollars in earnings from the import
of cocaine, and its distribution in night clubs; yet resolved in accepting the fate
reserved for those taking part in it: often a fast trip to the morgue, through gang
rivalry and jealousies.
One strength of this picture, is its consistent, calm, subtle, moody,
and nostalgic approach in laying out the point of view of the story teller,
concerning past life events. Although pigeon-holed mentally, as
a Marine veteran in terms of job skills, this might also stem somewhat from PTSD after
being released from service, from being user the pressure of being a paid
confidential informant for the government, based on an ease in approaching
childhood friends from the past, and capturing their dialog on tape, and relaying
news, plans, tactics from the underworld to the FBI, as hard evidence for use
in the courts against the gangs. As such, the realism is extreme, taking the
movie to the next level for viewers, who "buy into" the action.
Giovanni Ribisi, once again, (as in past films) does an outstanding job in
relaying to the audience, the psychological landscape of the gang leader,
who, as a third generation American, doesn't buy into the European - Sicilian
mob rules of his forefathers and rival in the city - not only culturally,
linguistically, - but also in not seeing past his own limitations. In fact, Ribisi
shows a leader fully conscious of his limited shelf life, so to speak,
in that operating environment, yet paradoxically is comforted and satisfied
with his modest ability to think things through, or the implications of certain
murders that are spontaneously and irrationally done, for trivial motives.
The film also builds a rapport with the audience, by recalling recent events (Desert
Storm deployment in the Middle East) as well as the mental conditioning that
is learned and stays with a person after they completed military training and also
after they have left active service. The "quid pro quo" as a survival mechanism is another
interesting theme in the work.
Overall, the picture is redeemed by its truth in face of brutal events
over the 90 minutes, such as multiple stabbings, stranglings, point blank
pistol executions, blood packs going off, guts spilling out, and a finale that has
a DOOM - style gaming sequence exceeding 10 minutes, along dark corridors.
Brian Dennehy is a plus to this picture, from his gravitas and clean cut look
in the FBI role, who admittedly, has to cross the line, into a grey area, to get
his job done, through the use of confidential informants, threats and more.
"You're up the creek, but maybe I've got a paddle for you!" he says.
The stigma of snitches, widely discussed among the encarcerated, is amply given
prominence, by Ribisi's torment in his own Father having been one, etc
Perhaps a weakness of this picture, is the suggestion that an individual having been shot
1 or 2 times, can still retain consciousness for 10 or 15 minutes longer, with no help,
and keep walking along, climbing stairs, moving - perhaps not quite rooted in reality,
or even, recovering from a blast to the stomach from a pistol, and other shots, in
separate events, with no repercussions.
Next, some eye candy is offered to the public, dancing girls manning the poles, bar
maids, drunks, bar fights, bouncers, the weakness in face of the need for sex,
plenty of inner city outdoor scenes, is shown.
further
The soundtrack is exactly as required, from its minimal role in the movie, further
emphasizing the subtlety of the picture, necessary to give meaning to other moments,
in terms of underlying feelings, emotions, human relationships, etc.
The filming is no-nonsense, excellent wide-screen and consistent high quality.
The acting, filming, the drawing of the audience into the action makes this DVD remarkable
and worth seeing, although James Marsden's acting might be an acquired taste, yet reminiscent
of the late Brad Davis.
The old neighborhood in..Pittsburgh?! 
2007-11-27 - This is a moderately entertaining and acceptably acted film that, as mentioned before, has some credibility holes, both small ( a real Marine would laugh at the way the main character holds his gun ), and large ( if it was that easy to assault a mob boss's mansion, we'd ALL be kingpins ). Dennis Hopper fans should be warned that he appears for all of 10 seconds. As an honorary Philly boy, though, I should point out that, in order to 'capture the spirit' of a city, it helps if you actually shoot the film there..aside from the vocal accents being wrong, the exteriors were obviously done in Pittsburgh, Boston, or some other old NE city..I don't usually see foothills when I look north on Broad Street(!), and they could have at least painted the "SEPTA" bus white, even if they didn't have a copy of the logo..all in all, you'll have more fun watching a few episodes of "The Sopranos"..( exept the "Pine Barrens" episode; obviously shot at Delaware Water Gap! It's like real estate, people - location, location,..etc.! )
10th and Wolf not filmed there! 
2007-09-18 - Being a native of South Philly, where 10th & Wolf is located, it would have been nice if the movie was filmed there. The movie wasn't filmed in the neighborhood, in South Philly in general, not in Philadelphia on the whole or even ANYWERE in the state. Pass this cheapy over!
A Movie About the South Philly Mob ... Filmed In Pittsburgh!
2007-05-20 - The title of my review alone should tell you what a bad movie we have here.
How this movie stinks... let me count the ways:
1. The name of the movie itself is ridiculous. 10th & Wolf is a quiet, lower-middle class residential corner in South Philly. It is certainly not the gritty, gray hub of underworld crime.
2. At the beginning of the film, the lead character, Tommy (James Marsden), is a Marine in the brig, facing a life sentence. What for? For hitting an MP and stealing an officer's jeep!
3. When he arrives "home to Philadelphia," Tommy jumps off a Pittsburgh Transit bus!
4. Also take notice of all those hilly streets, which scream "Hey! Look at me in wonderful, downtown Pittsburgh!" (Philly is as flat as an ironing board).
5. The only true Philly street actually used here is the corner of 9th & South; which, by the way, is 20 blocks away from the true 10th & Wolf, and looks nothing like that neighborhood.
6. The 1984 flashback scene has the young Tommy & Joey, sitting in the (non-existent) 10th & Wolf Diner listening to the J. Geils Band and the Stray Cats. As anyone growing up in South Philly at that time knows, the problem with this scene lies in the simple fact that no self-respecting Italian cornerboy back then was listening to this or much of any other Rock music. The soundtrack to South Philly corner life for Italian kids in the '80s was Dance/Club music and what we now call "Old School" Hip Hop. Saturday night was usually Oldies night, when everybody tried to show off just how much Doo-Wop or Motown they knew.
7. Giovanni Ribisi playing the role of Joey, the head of a mob outfit, is simply laughable.
8. Mob leaders do not often do their own hits and dirty work, they have other guys to do it for them.
9. What did the makers of this movie hope to accomplish by having so much well-known talent walking in and out of scenes, wasting their talents?
Brian Dennehy, Dennis Hopper, and Leo Rossi contribute nothing to this film - and it's certainly not their fault. Worst of all, it was was quite sad to see a veteran actress like the still-beautiful Leslie Ann Warren kept in a dingy rowhome, dancing to old Disco songs in tacky MILF outfits throughtout this sorry hackjob of a mob flick.
10. Speaking of actors and actresses: Where are those who actually come from South Philly (geez... or at least from Jersey or New York even)? Only the minor character of Rocco is played by a true South Philly Joey. This happens to be Tony Luke, Jr. (the real-life cheese steak and sandwich honcho who, by the way, happened to have attended the same grade school that I did: St. Nicholas of Tolentine) Perhaps such an absence of locally born talent helps to explain why the actors mispronounce the derogatory term for Sicilians (it is pronounced "sidge-ee," not "see-jee") and fail to mention the correct local parish for this so-called famous corner of "10th & Wolf," - that would be Epiphany of Our Lord, not Sacred Heart (which is all the way down on 3rd & Reed Streets).
I can go on with a couple of dozen more errors, discrepencies, and things I've observed to be amateurish, fake, or just simply goofy; however, I'll consider your valuable time and just finish this out by saying that this is a bad movie. A piece of moviemaking that attempted to take some of the best bits of mob movie classics and, stuffing itself full of gory violence and over-acting, hope we'll buy the botched finished product as intense urban drama.
That it only has 10 other reviews posted here should also help confirm my condemnation.
