# 'Black Mass' & The Real ****** Bulger



## kwflatbed (Dec 29, 2004)

'Black Mass' & The Real ****** Bulger

"Killing in the criminal world is accepted. Being a rat is not accepted."

Kevin Weeks knows a thing or two about the criminal world, and rats. He was a longtime associate of Boston gang leader James "******" Bulger, whose long and violent criminal career is the subject of the new film "Black Mass." Weeks spoke with Yahoo News and Finance Anchor Bianna Golodryga about his decades as a partner in crime to Bulger, who's now serving life in prison after spending years evading the FBI while on America's most wanted list.

The film, which stars Johnny Depp as Bulger, tells the story of ******'s rise to power as a crime lord, all while hiding the fact from his associates, including Weeks, that he was an FBI informant. But Weeks, played in the film by actor Jesse Plemons, does not think the movie will accurately represent what really happened on the Southie streets because the FBI was a consultant on the movie.

"From what I've heard, people that have seen it and scripts I have received, there is a lot of inaccuracies," said Weeks. "[The FBI] are the people that were protecting [Bulger] all these years, so they want to have their slant on the movie."

After Bulger went into hiding in 1995, Weeks took over as "operational chief" of Bulger's organization. They were in contact during Bulger's first two years on the run, but Weeks began cooperating with authorities after pleading guilty to racketeering charges and for his role in assisting on five murders. He served a little over five years in prison.

In 2011, after 16 years in hiding, Bulger was found and arrested outside an apartment in California. Weeks was a key prosecution witness in a U.S. District Court case against Bulger in 2013, helping secure his two life sentences plus five years for being involved in 11 murders.

'Black Mass' & The Real ****** Bulger


----------



## HistoryHound (Aug 30, 2008)

If anyone here sees this, could you let us know how it is. I'm having a hard time getting past Johnny Depp being in it. Every time I see him, all I can think of is an effeminate pirate. Plus he's not going to make my list of top actors any time soon. So, yeah, I'm wondering if it's going to be any good or if he's going to be a distraction.


----------



## Pvt. Cowboy (Jan 26, 2005)

HistoryHound said:


> If anyone here sees this, could you let us know how it is. I'm having a hard time getting past Johnny Depp being in it. Every time I see him, all I can think of is an effeminate pirate. Plus he's not going to make my list of top actors any time soon. So, yeah, I'm wondering if it's going to be any good or if he's going to be a distraction.


Ever see the movie Blow? He was great in that, playing as George Jung.

Maybe he has a niche of playing as criminals in movies?

Heading to see it tonight, I'll report back.


----------



## HistoryHound (Aug 30, 2008)

Pvt. Cowboy said:


> Ever see the movie Blow? He was great in that, playing as George Jung.
> 
> Maybe he has a niche of playing as criminals in movies?
> 
> Heading to see it tonight, I'll report back.


I probably have, but I don't remember it. While I was flipping through the guide, I did see it on one of the movie channels. I'll have to look for it later when I can watch it from the beginning.


----------



## PBC FL Cop (Oct 22, 2003)

Kind of a let down for me. Connelly's part was poorly acted and they never really developed the characters well. C+


----------



## LA Copper (Feb 11, 2005)

I liked it. I'd give it a B+. I also enjoyed seeing the sights around Boston.


----------



## mpd61 (Aug 7, 2002)

Johnny Depp was fantastic and believable in this movie.....The best part was no butchered, over-the-top, forced Boston accents. Agree that the only let down was Connelly's portrayal, A- grade for sure. Also note that the U.S. Attorney reached out to other Feds and the Mass State Police..........all WITHOUT the need for ANY SSPO's!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## pahapoika (Nov 5, 2006)

Common street thugs glorified by hollywood. South Boston is a great town and it's too bad some people may only associate it with ******.


----------



## Hush (Feb 1, 2009)

Movie was great, the actors nailed it. Connolly was eerily similar (I attended his trial in 2003 and saw many of the players testify). 
The story was changed/condensed/hollywoodized and many character elements were crammed together salong with plot elements and anecdotes. 
As for Depp, he's been great in many things but also has been in a lot of crap lately too. What sold him for me as an amazing actor was Donnie Brasco. Not his acting in the movie, but how he can become a character. I got a book by the real Donnie Brasco, Agent Joe Pistone. Included was a CD with actual wiretap recordings from that case. Depp and Pistones voice are IDENTICAL. Where I thought he was under acting in the movie, he was mimicking the speech and cadence with amazing accuracy. That changed how I looked at him. Burger wouldn't meet with him, and they based most of his looks and outfits off of surveillance photos and audio, but he embodied that character so much you could forget it was Depp.


----------



## bok (Mar 28, 2009)

Awful...2.5 stars out of 5.
It seemed the screenwriters ignored the best portions of the novel "Black Mass" and other books, documentaries and periodical available facts.
Character development was awful.
Event time frames were largely inaccurate.
Depp seemed to imitate / mimick rather than develop the character of a James Bulger. He was in a constant same aged and clothed appearance of the MSP Lancaster Street footage.
So much was inaccurate and so much was lacking. Truth is better than fiction and they missed the mark.
One the best lines of dialogue left out of the movie from "Black Mass" was (witness confirmed) "Christmas is for kids and cops", as in reference to the numerous corrupt local, state and federal agents receiving gifts from Bulger's crew. 
No, absolutely no development of Bulger's street gang experiencal learning during the Irish Gang War between the McLaughlin and McLean crews which led him to becoming a member of The Winter Hill Gang.
No, no mention of Howie Winter.
Developing John Martorano's character as a dolt.
No, no mention that Steve Flemmi was already an FBI informant under H. Paul Rico.
I could go on and on.... Disappointed.


----------

