Posted: Wed Sep 27, 2006 8:23 am
Does anyone know if Scorseses great short-film "Italianamerican" (1974) is available on DVD yet?
Page 6 of 22
Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 2:14 pm
I was able to buy a Region 0 DVD with 3 of Scorsese's great short films here.
Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2006 10:35 pm
Here's a brief article written by Scorsese about David Cronenberg, from a BFI booklet titled Dossier 21: David Cronenberg, published in 1984, OCR'd as printed. Interesting stuff!
Martin Scorsese wrote:INTERNAL METAPHORS, EXTERNAL HORROR
It was opening night, a very august occasion at the 1975 Edinburgh Film Festival. I showed up for a retrospective of my films - all two of them - and attended opening night out of a sense of ceremony. I never look forward to opening nights at film festivals. They're like fund-raising rallies, and the movies they show on those occasions usually have titles like `How Tasty Was My Little Frenchman'. They're usually movies that almost everyone can like, at least a little bit. In Edinburgh, that year, the opening attraction was the work of someone I'd never heard of - nothing unusual in that - named David Cronenberg. The title was The Parasite Murders (Shivers). This was beginning to sound interesting.
The festival director, Lynda Myles, had assured me that there was `a Cronenberg cult' and that `word-of-mouth' (or 'W.o.m.' to certain sordid Hollywood types) was `to say the least, unusual'. This was beginning to sound very interesting.
I took my opening night seat and watched the credits, which looked like a commercial on a local late-night movie. Then, after the credits, I watched a little more and started to wonder what this Cronenberg cult could have looked like. Thick glasses, runny noses, celibate since birth and probably Communists, for all we knew.
I made it through the rest of the movie in an ever increasing stupor of shock and depression. When it ended, I thought I didn't like it. But a year later, I found myself still thinking about it and talking about it to anyone who would listen. To be blunt, there were a lot of people who wouldn't listen. Cronenberg was a strange name, and my friends were dubious about the Canadian cinema anyway. Still, I kept talking, maybe as a way of exorcising Cronenberg images.
Well, I've never exorcised any of them. The last scene of The Parasite Murders, with the cast going out to infect the entire world with sexual dementia, is something I've never been able to shake. It's an ending that is genuinely shocking, subversive, surrealistic and probably something we all deserve.
It did seem to take a little while for the word on Cronenberg to get around, though. Maybe the Cronenberg cult was too wrapped up with other things - like maybe mass murder - to go out and preach the gospel, although there was word of other Cronenberg films. These, of course, were impossible to see.
Anyway, by 1978, when The Last Waltz played the Toronto Film Festival, I was asked if there were any Canadian film-makers I'd especially like to invite to the showing. I told my friend Robbie Robertson, who was at the Canadian Film Awards as a juror (a pretty amusing concept in itself), to invite Cronenberg. I was getting annoyed at what I sensed was a certain kind of perhaps inadvertent suppression of Cronenberg's movies. Robbie told me later that Cronenberg didn't go to The Last Waltz. 'Why?' I said. `Well,' said Robbie, a little incredulous himself, `they said they couldn't find him.'
Well, I'm glad he's finally been ferreted out. I've seen The Brood, Scanners and Videodrome in the intervening years. I'm too cowed to look at The Parasite Murders a second time, never mind The Brood; they're just too disturbing. Cronenberg's best movies still have the capacity to cause a sort of Jungian culture shock. They're like Bunuel, or Francis Bacon: wit and trauma, savagery and pity. Within what for most people is a very restrictive genre, Cronenberg has come up with a vision that is genuinely original. Internal metaphors, external horror.
I've also had the chance to strike up a friendship with David whom I would never have cast to play himself. I expected somebody who looked like a combination of Arthur Bremmer and Dwight Frye as Renfield in Dracula, slobbering for juicy flies. The man who showed up at my apartment in New York looked like a gynaecologist from Beverley Hills. We had a pleasant dinner, even though there was a certain tension, on my part, probably originating in my expectation that David's veins would run open and his head would explode. Later, as a birthday gift, David sent me a copy of the uncut Brood. He said it was his version of Kramer vs. Kramer.
I think a lot about his movies. I wish I didn't. I look forward to the new ones. I wish I didn't. They still have the old power.
Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2006 2:58 am
Scorsese deal is of Paramount concern
By Anne Thompson
Nov 8, 2006
In a bid to foster a talent-friendly studio reminiscent of its '70s glory days, Paramount Pictures has signed a four-year, first-look deal with filmmaker Martin Scorsese, Paramount chairman and CEO Brad Grey said Tuesday.
The studio will supply Scorsese, who will continue to be based out of his New York offices, with $2.5 million a year in overhead for four years, equivalent to the studio's deal with Brad Pitt's Plan B Prods.
Scorsese has contracted to give Paramount and its specialty division Paramount Vantage -- which is run by the director's former agent, John Lesher -- first crack at all projects he directs and produces in all media, including features, made-for-DVD films, documentaries, digital content and television.
Grey has nurtured a close relationship with the filmmaker. Along with Pitt and Graham King, Grey produced "The Departed," the biggest-grossing film of Scorsese's career. Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, the Boston-set gangster film has grossed more than $150 million worldwide in its first five weekends of release.
Grey cited his "great experience" working with Scorsese on "Departed," the documentary "No Direction Home: Bob Dylan" and Scorsese's currently filming Rolling Stones documentary, which is set for Paramount release next year.
"I was eager to create a home here for Marty, who is one of the greatest filmmakers in the world," Grey said. "I'm trying to turn a studio around, and Marty is a magnet for the greatest writers, actors and producers the business has to offer. It's all toward making the place a creative hub again."
According to Grey, the filmmaker will be able to set up projects at Paramount, DreamWorks or Vantage, where the director would have the option to "make some films at a lower price point," Grey said. "He knows I want to be supportive of what he wants to do creatively."
Scorsese said recently that he is interested in directing lower-budget films.
Vantage's new co-president, Nick Meyer, will be involved in selling Scorsese titles overseas. Lesher already is developing projects with the filmmaker, and Scorsese is pushing hard for a green light on his 15-year passion project "Silence," a period film adapted by Jay Cocks from the Shusaku Endo novel set in the warring states of 16th century Japan. The budget, which has been estimated to be as high as $65 million, would exceed Vantage's budget caps. Graham King would produce.
While Scorsese's studio deal is not exclusive, for the next four years Paramount retains the right to co-finance and co-distribute any film the director sets up with another studio. Grey said the studio has a similar arrangement with DreamWorks co-chairman Steven Spielberg. The only other director with a Paramount first-look deal is Cameron Crowe.
The deal, which begins immediately, marks Scorsese's first overall pact in several years. In the past, He had an exclusive production pact with Universal Pictures, which yielded 1995's "Casino," followed by a first-look deal with the Walt Disney Co., which delivered "Kundun," the Paramount co-production "Bringing Out the Dead" and the Miramax releases "Gangs of New York" and "My Voyage to Italy," a documentary about Italian cinema. Miramax Films' Harvey Weinstein announced a first-look deal with the filmmaker in 2001, after "Gangs," but that deal was never consummated.
In a statement, Scorsese cited his "great personal relationship" with Grey and said, "I am looking forward to working with him at Paramount, a studio rich in cinematic history and responsible for making some of my favorite films: 'Sunset Boulevard,' 'Shane' and 'The Heiress,' among others."
Scorsese received his fifth directing Oscar nomination for the Howard Hughes biopic "The Aviator." He also has received writing nominations for "GoodFellas" and "The Age of Innocence." He has directed more than 40 films, including "The Last Temptation of Christ," "Raging Bull" and "Taxi Driver."
Scorsese was represented in the deal by Endeavor, manager Rick Yorn of the Firm and attorney Jake Bloom of Bloom Hergott Diemer Rosenthal & LaViolette Llp.
Borys Kit contributed to this report.
By Anne Thompson
Nov 8, 2006
In a bid to foster a talent-friendly studio reminiscent of its '70s glory days, Paramount Pictures has signed a four-year, first-look deal with filmmaker Martin Scorsese, Paramount chairman and CEO Brad Grey said Tuesday.
The studio will supply Scorsese, who will continue to be based out of his New York offices, with $2.5 million a year in overhead for four years, equivalent to the studio's deal with Brad Pitt's Plan B Prods.
Scorsese has contracted to give Paramount and its specialty division Paramount Vantage -- which is run by the director's former agent, John Lesher -- first crack at all projects he directs and produces in all media, including features, made-for-DVD films, documentaries, digital content and television.
Grey has nurtured a close relationship with the filmmaker. Along with Pitt and Graham King, Grey produced "The Departed," the biggest-grossing film of Scorsese's career. Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, the Boston-set gangster film has grossed more than $150 million worldwide in its first five weekends of release.
Grey cited his "great experience" working with Scorsese on "Departed," the documentary "No Direction Home: Bob Dylan" and Scorsese's currently filming Rolling Stones documentary, which is set for Paramount release next year.
"I was eager to create a home here for Marty, who is one of the greatest filmmakers in the world," Grey said. "I'm trying to turn a studio around, and Marty is a magnet for the greatest writers, actors and producers the business has to offer. It's all toward making the place a creative hub again."
According to Grey, the filmmaker will be able to set up projects at Paramount, DreamWorks or Vantage, where the director would have the option to "make some films at a lower price point," Grey said. "He knows I want to be supportive of what he wants to do creatively."
Scorsese said recently that he is interested in directing lower-budget films.
Vantage's new co-president, Nick Meyer, will be involved in selling Scorsese titles overseas. Lesher already is developing projects with the filmmaker, and Scorsese is pushing hard for a green light on his 15-year passion project "Silence," a period film adapted by Jay Cocks from the Shusaku Endo novel set in the warring states of 16th century Japan. The budget, which has been estimated to be as high as $65 million, would exceed Vantage's budget caps. Graham King would produce.
While Scorsese's studio deal is not exclusive, for the next four years Paramount retains the right to co-finance and co-distribute any film the director sets up with another studio. Grey said the studio has a similar arrangement with DreamWorks co-chairman Steven Spielberg. The only other director with a Paramount first-look deal is Cameron Crowe.
The deal, which begins immediately, marks Scorsese's first overall pact in several years. In the past, He had an exclusive production pact with Universal Pictures, which yielded 1995's "Casino," followed by a first-look deal with the Walt Disney Co., which delivered "Kundun," the Paramount co-production "Bringing Out the Dead" and the Miramax releases "Gangs of New York" and "My Voyage to Italy," a documentary about Italian cinema. Miramax Films' Harvey Weinstein announced a first-look deal with the filmmaker in 2001, after "Gangs," but that deal was never consummated.
In a statement, Scorsese cited his "great personal relationship" with Grey and said, "I am looking forward to working with him at Paramount, a studio rich in cinematic history and responsible for making some of my favorite films: 'Sunset Boulevard,' 'Shane' and 'The Heiress,' among others."
Scorsese received his fifth directing Oscar nomination for the Howard Hughes biopic "The Aviator." He also has received writing nominations for "GoodFellas" and "The Age of Innocence." He has directed more than 40 films, including "The Last Temptation of Christ," "Raging Bull" and "Taxi Driver."
Scorsese was represented in the deal by Endeavor, manager Rick Yorn of the Firm and attorney Jake Bloom of Bloom Hergott Diemer Rosenthal & LaViolette Llp.
Borys Kit contributed to this report.
Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2007 10:37 pm
Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 12:56 am
So the Stones doc spans the entirety of their career to date? This makes it further disappointing that he narrowed No Direction Home to the most well-known and documented portion of Dylan's career.slashfilm wrote:And remember, Scorsese already has already wrapped on the untitled Rolling Stones documentary (working title: Shine a Light) which spans their career, inter-cut to footage from the A Bigger Bang Tour.
Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 2:42 am
I hope he does get back into the smaller budget films, instead of diving into yet another sprawling epic with Leo-- the smaller ones are where he shines after all.
Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 2:44 am
Especially considering Dylan continues to make interesting music up to this day, while the Stones have not done anything even vaguely decent since SOME GIRLS.Titus wrote:So the Stones doc spans the entirety of their career to date? This makes it further disappointing that he narrowed No Direction Home to the most well-known and documented portion of Dylan's career.
Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 2:48 am
Yea, I mean the fact that the Stones doc covers their whole career actually makes it LESS interesting, if you ask me. Who can even name a good song they've done in the last 20 years?
Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 4:50 am
I wish he were doing one on Bowie instead!
Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 5:05 am
I'd like to see him get back to his 90s sprawling epic form: Goodfellas, Age of Innocence, and Casino are probably my three favorite films of his.Greathinker wrote:I hope he does get back into the smaller budget films, instead of diving into yet another sprawling epic with Leo-- the smaller ones are where he shines after all.
Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 6:08 am
What about De Niro? Have they professionally separated for good? He wasn't even at the Oscars, and I wonder why not...
Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 2:00 pm
I read an interview with De Niro and he was supposed to be in The Departed but couldn't do it because of his directorial duties on The Good Shepherd. But he did say in the interview that he wants to do at least one more movie with Scorsese.exte wrote:What about De Niro? Have they professionally separated for good? He wasn't even at the Oscars, and I wonder why not...
Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 3:13 pm
De Niro is very press shy and I'm sure the last thing he wanted after Marty won was a million cameras in his face and a bunch Extra and Entertainment Tonight reporters asking him asinine questions.exte wrote:What about De Niro? Have they professionally separated for good? He wasn't even at the Oscars, and I wonder why not...
Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 3:52 pm
De Niro was on Charlie Rose recently and mentioned that he and Marty are talking over collaborating on a semi-autobiographical film about their early days in filmmaking.
Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 4:17 pm
Does this Oscar win mean that I have to watch The Departed now? Typical, the first Scorsese I decide I can skip wins all the awards going!
"So how did you and Scorsese come up with the idea for Cape Fear? Was it hard playing an unlikeable character?"Antoine Doinel wrote:De Niro is very press shy and I'm sure the last thing he wanted after Marty won was a million cameras in his face and a bunch Extra and Entertainment Tonight reporters asking him asinine questions.
Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2007 12:19 am
Silence is a project that has been on Marty's "to do" list for twenty years.
I'd love for him to take another stab at a musical. Sondheim's Merrily We Roll Along would be perfect for him.
I'd love for him to take another stab at a musical. Sondheim's Merrily We Roll Along would be perfect for him.
Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2007 1:25 am
I couldn't agree more. I remember seeing the recent revival (well, a couple of years ago now) of MERRILY at the Donmar in London, and immediately thinking how wonderful a film version could be in the right hands.David Ehrenstein wrote:Silence is a project that has been on Marty's "to do" list for twenty years.
I'd love for him to take another stab at a musical. Sondheim's Merrily We Roll Along would be perfect for him.
Endo is also a perfect fit for Marty. Hopefully SILENCE will turn out more of a compelling and disciplined film than his other pet project GANGS OF NEW YORK. Incidentally, if there's anyone out there familiar with Endo's writing, it always seemed to me that his brilliant late-period novel SCANDAL actually seems more cinematic than SILENCE.
Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2007 1:34 am
The Age of Innocence is Marty's best film to date. A bona-fide masterpiece that is often neglected when analysing Marty's CV.GringoTex wrote:I'd like to see him get back to his 90s sprawling epic form: Goodfellas, Age of Innocence, and Casino are probably my three favorite films of his.
Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2007 1:43 am
He barely survived New York New York, much less so, the Broadway musical The Act, which miraculously made it to Broadway for a short run.
What am I doing directing a Broadway musical? I'm a filmmaker. --Martin Scorsese
What am I doing directing a Broadway musical? I'm a filmmaker. --Martin Scorsese
Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2007 4:16 am
I would love to see Scorsese attempt a film version of "Merrily We Roll Along", but "attempt" is the operative word. Sondheim is too highbrow even for Broadway (few of his shows have been hits), and "Merrily" has an unusual structure with the story essentially being told in reverse. It also has the "traditional" issue of characters bursting into song which movie audiences no longer accept. On the other hand, the songs are wonderful and capture you the first time you hear them. Hope I'm wrong on this; I didn't think Scorsese could take on Edith Wharton either, but I agree that "The Age of Innocence" is simply wonderful.
Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2007 5:46 am
To me, it is certainly his best film. I have seen The Age of Innocence around 25-30 times as it formed a large part of my Masters thesis on Scorsese about 13 years ago.Belmondo wrote:I didn't think Scorsese could take on Edith Wharton either, but I agree that "The Age of Innocence" is simply wonderful.
Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2007 9:43 am
Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2007 2:04 pm
He'd left Julia Cameron for Liza (Hey, it was the 70's)He barely survived New York, New York, much less the Broadway musical The Act
And New York New York is brilliant. It's Marty's Party Girl.
Don't be ridiculous. Have you ever heard of a little phenom called High School Musical ?I would love to see Scorsese attempt a film version of "Merrily We Roll Along" ... It also has the "traditional" issue of characters bursting into song which movie audiences no longer accept.
The notion that that audiences "won't accept" actors "bursting into song" is a noxious bugaboo that should have been buried ages ago.
Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2007 3:26 pm
Yes, I have heard of "High School Musical", but I am disinclined to talk about Disney and Scorsese at the same time and I'm not really sure a Disney film wins you the point. Remember as far back as "Cabaret" when Fosse put all of the songs into the cabaret stage show? Remember when the movie version of "Little Shop of Horrors" was promoted as a horror-comedy with no clue that it was a musical? Remember as recently as "Chicago"' where the songs were "imagined" by the characters? I hope I am flat wrong and that this noxious bugaboo has indeed been buried, but I don't think so. Since we are supposed to be talking about Scorsese, let me say that "New York, New York" was one of his weakest movies (is it over yet?) and that one DID have the music integrated into the story.David Ehrenstein wrote:Don't be ridiculous. Have you ever heard of a little phenom called High School Musical?It also has the "traditional" issue of characters bursting into song which movie audiences no longer accept.
The notion that that audiences "won't accept" actors "bursting into song" is a noxious bugaboo that should have been buried ages ago.