Title: Scorsese On
Scorsese
Producer and Director:
Richard Schickel
Running Time: 85
minutes without commercials
Media: TCM World
Premiere Documentary (NTSC VHS Screener)
World Premiere:
Tuesday, December 14, 2004, at 10pm (ET)/ 7pm (PT)
Network: Turner Classic
Movies (Check your local cable/satellite listings for channel)
TV Rating: Not
Available At Time Of Review
Reviewer: Mark A.
Rivera
Based
on an in-depth, five-hour interview conducted by Producer and Director Richard
Schickel, “Scorsese On Scorsese” gives the acclaimed auteur the center stage
as he discusses his passion for movies and touches upon several of his key
films. Like any documentary, there is a brief part where Scorsese discusses how
he developed his love for filmmaking and his influences that include not only
his voracious appetite for films, but his growing up in Little Italy, New York
as well as how religion has effected his work. Where the documentary becomes
extremely interesting is when Scorsese discusses some of his key films with
great insight that only age and experience can deliver. They key films discussed
include “Who’s That Knocking At My Door?” as well as “Mean Streets,”
“Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore,” “Taxi Driver,” “Raging Bull,”
“The King Of Comedy,” “The Last Temptation Of Christ,” “Goodfellas,”
“Cape Fear,” “The Age Of Innocence,” “Kundun,” “Gangs Of New York,
“ and his latest film, “The Aviator,” which stars Leonardo DiCaprio as a
young Howard Hughes.
The
documentary offers lots of interesting anecdotes regarding the origin of such
key scenes like the famous “You looking at me?” speech from “Taxi
Driver,” the then controversial kiss between a young Juliet Lewis and Robert
DeNiro in “Cape Fear,” as well as an early concept for a biblical film about
Christ set in modern New York that was to be shot in black and white with cops
standing in for the Romans and so on. There’s even an anecdote regarding the
humorous Kodak film commercial he appeared in.
Martin
Scorsese is one of the most talented filmmakers of all time and an extremely
articulate and insightful man. The chance to see him discuss his films is
something no film buff should miss. In addition to this new documentary, TCM
will air Scorsese’s “The Last Waltz” at 8pm (ET), “Raging Bull” at
11:30pm (ET), and “New York, New York” at 3:30am. West coast cable and
satellite subscribers should check their listings for the respective time
schedule related to these films.
“Scorsese
On Scorsese” will make its world premiere on Turner Classic Movies at 10pm
(ET)/ 7pm (PT) with an encore at 2am (ET). Don’t miss it.
©
Copyright 2004 By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.