191. GoodFellas
GoodFellas is more than just a breathless tale of middle-management in the Mafia. It’s one of Martin Scorsese’s many films in which he seeks enlightenment.
Tag Archives: Martin Scorsese
159. The Concert Film
With content pretty much always the same, what elevates one concert movie above others is not just the quality of the music, it is also the film’s form.
144. The Searchers
The Searchers is both a cinematic monument and an extremely unsettling depiction of the racism that lies at the heart of America’s own mythology.
Scorsese/Welles
This short video-essay compares and contrasts the ways both Martin Scorsese and Orson Welles present the corrupting forces of wealth and power. Their narratives may be similar but they yield different results.
141. Once Upon a Time in the West
Sergio Leone’s masterpiece doesn’t only reference American westerns. He also drew inspiration from an English film.
Fifty Shades of Hate
This video-essay addresses the abuse inflicted by men against women in cinema. The films are critically acclaimed, Oscar winners and box-office hits. WARNING: It features scenes of extreme graphic violence.
Moving Pictures: From Hollywood to Silicon Valley
This extended video-essay examines the innovations at the heart of cinema, focusing on how cinema is coping with the move from Hollywood to Silicon Valley.
126. Raging Bull
In a career featuring several masterpieces, Raging Bull is considered Martin Scorsese’s greatest achievement. But what did he achieve in making it?
120. The Fabulous Baker Boys
It’s called The Fabulous Baker Boys, but it was Michelle Pfeiffer’s Oscar nominated performance that earned the film its adjective.
107. The Grand Budapest Hotel
Wes Anderson may share his surname with other directors, but there’s no mistaking his films for anybody elses.
104. The Grifters
Based on Jim Thompson’s grimey story about smalltime criminals, Stephen Frears’ film was robbed when it didn’t win a single Oscar from its four nominations.
100. Critics or Crickets
Gravity was one of last year’s biggest hits ($650m). But how much of that is due to critics giving it 98% approval? Is word of mouth more valuable?
The Journeys of Martin Scorsese
This video-essay celebrates the career of Martin Scorsese, showing how he has taken cinema as a means of telling stories and expanded it as a means of personal expression.
79. Remakes or Mis-takes?
When is a remake not a remake? When is a re-imagining not a reboot? And most pertinent, when are any of them ever any good?
78. American Graffiti
Once upon a time, in a galaxy far, far away, George Lucas built his own cinema empire. But American Graffiti, made in his hometown, is his masterpiece.
77. Barry Lyndon
Stanley Kubrick’s most awarded film is the one that Martin Scorsese says was his best. Ridley Scott worships it. So why is it so seldom seen?
74. Hollywood’s History Lesson
When it comes to history, we are told that Hollywood always make mistakes. But could it be that it’s the historians who get it wrong?
68. Black & White
When it comes to cinema, many people consider black & white as old. Yet the same people also consider it beautiful. Surely black & white is more than that?
64. James Bond & the Art of the Set-Piece
007 is more than just dry martinis, guns, gadgets and product placement. His best contribution to cinema is the Set-Piece.
61. The Night of the Hunter
Released in 1955, The Night of the Hunter was greeted with scorn by critics and ignored by audiences. How wrong they were.
52. Once Upon a Time in America
Originally intended to run at four and a half hours, Sergio Leone’s gangster epic suffered greatly at the hands of its distributors.
Blade Runner
This video-essay on Blade Runner examines how Ridley Scott visualizes the film’s numerous and seemingly disparate themes of urbanity, ecology, identity and mortality.
24. Voice-Over in Film
Voice-over is often used to seal up the cracks in a story. But used well, it can enhance a story and make sure that it is told in a way that is uniquely cinematic.
13. Platoon
Oliver Stone spent over a decade trying to make a film based on his experiences in Vietnam. Financed on a shoestring, Platoon won four Oscars including Best Picture.
