Martin Scorsese's best?

[Riot Grrrl]

Hard to decide between Goodfellas and Taxi Driver

but u can guess who wins my vote

"Suck on this"

 

[wanderlust]

on turner classic movies on dec. 14 - for the first time scrosese on scorsese

Turner Classic Movies has slated a new documentary by acclaimed author, critic and documentarian Richard Schickel on director and producer Martin Scorsese, entitled Scorsese on Scorsese. The new 90-minute film will air in December in time to coincide with the release of Scorsese's new film, THE AVIATOR, about famed director and eccentric millionaire Howard Hughes, starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

Based on an in-depth, five-hour interview conducted by Schickel, the documentary will stress Scorsese's memories of childhood in Little Italy, N.Y., and the warmth and fractiousness of his Italian-American heritage, using family photos and home movies. It will also address the way his early movie going influenced his own work and, most importantly, the lasting power and influence of his own films. In particular, Scorsese will discuss such seminal films as TAXI DRIVER (1976), nominated for four Academy Awards® including Best Picture; RAGING BULL (1980), which earned Robert DeNiro a Best Actor Oscar®, won for Best Editing and earned six additional Academy Award® nominations; MEAN STREETS (1973), one of his early efforts which was set in Scorsese's old Little Italy stomping grounds; and THE AGE OF INNOCENCE (1993), which earned the Best Costume Oscar® and was nominated in four additional categories.

Schickel, one of the nation's most influential film critics, has been reviewing movies for Time magazine since 1972. He has also made a name for himself as a producer, writer and director, and in addition to Scorsese on Scorsese (working title), he has made more than 20 documentaries, including the influential series, "The Men Who Made the Movies," as well as four "star portraits" for Turner Network Television (Gary Cooper, Myrna Loy, Barbara Stanwyck and Clint Eastwood), Emmy-nominated biographies of directors Vincente Minelli and Elia Kazan and a study of legendary special-effects artist Ray Harryhausen. Another of his recent projects Woody Allen: A Life in Film, premiered on TCM in 2002. He is the author of more than 25 books, among them The Disney Version, D.W. Griffith: An American Life, Intimate Strangers: The Culture of Celebrity and Matinee Idylls, which was named a New York Times Notable Book of the Year.

 

[rcebborn]

I had to say Taxi Driver. Just such a brilliant piece of film. Classic.

Peace

 

[human paraquat]

stylistically, i'd have to argue that kundun is his best...aside from that i love taxi driver for the obvious reasons as well as the last temptation of christ.

 

[mariacallas]

You talkin to me?

 

[Raving Loony]

wtf, Gangs of New York with 5 votes!?! Maybe I'm just strange, but really hated that film with a passion and just about every person I know IRL can't stand it eaither.

I gave my vote to Taxi Driver, although Goodfella's is a great film also.

 

[HazeEM]

Taxi Driver with Goodfellas coming in at a close 2nd.

 

[[S]alvatore]

1. Taxi Driver (storywise)/Goodfellas(entertainment wise)
2. Raging Bull
3. Casino

 

[Tanuki_23]

1. Taxi Driver - Its one of those must see movies in American film history alongside Gone With the Wind, Casablanca, 2001: Space Odyssey and the like. Just a perfect movie. Flawless.

2. Kundun - Arguably his most stylish movie. Thats saying alot for Scorsese.

3. The Color of Money - Ill go ahead and thorw this in there cause I haven't seen anyone else do it. But Scorsese's trademark shots are perfect for the the pool table, and Paul Newman has never been better. But mainly, I can stand Tom Cruise in the flick, and any film that makes him watchable gets bonus points.

I would say that Mean Streets, Raging Bull, and Goodfellas can all withstand the test of time better than Color of Money, just trying to argue it for the sake of arguing it. Also, is it just me, or is the biggest tragedy in Oscar history Scorsese not getting one. Tragic.

 

[mariacallas]

The Aviator > Gangs of New Yawk

 

[L2R]

IMO
Goodfellas = Taxi Driver = Ragin Bull > Mean Streets = Casino = Kundun = Last Tempt. of Chicken Little.

 

[The Liberal Media]

Kundun for me, although im also impartial to " after hours" im surprised nopbody has mentioned it here.

 

[tambourine-man]

Goodfellas all the way... ...It's also got the first use of the steadicam in a movie if I remember right.

Is that the scene where he takes his lady from the car, through the back of the club, down the tunnels, through the kitchen, into the hall, sits down at a table that's brought to him, then finishes with a comic telling jokes?

If so, the idea that that was the first steadicam scene just about tops off what is one of the best technical pieces of filming ever!

Anyway, I'd say Goodfellas is tops. But I absolutely adore "Bringing out the Dead".

 

[Banquo]

the steadicam was actually invented in the 70s and used a lot by Kubrick. the shots of the little demon child pedaling through the hotel in The Shining come to mind. Scorsese has made excellent use of it too. in addition to that fantastic scene in Goodfellas, there is also some great steadicam action in Casino. there's a long shot that involves moving around from the count room to the casino floor that must have taken hours to get right.

 

[mandibleman]

Yep and Casino is way better filmed than Goodfellas, Robert Richardson is the man, he also did The Doors, Natural Born Killers, and several others, but yeah marti is the man with cinema, he's one of the greats. Although I do think he's lost his touch since Casino, I mean he hasn't made anything even as close to that or Goodfellas since. But Fellas is obviously his best, and it was before Casino, so Casino was like a retread, although I find them different in many ways.

 

[L2R]

Is that the scene where he takes his lady from the car, through the back of the club, down the tunnels, through the kitchen, into the hall, sits down at a table that's brought to him, then finishes with a comic telling jokes?

If so, the idea that that was the first steadicam scene just about tops off what is one of the best technical pieces of filming ever!

OMG i fucking LOVE that shot. I point it out during every goodfellas conversation. It's a mind numbing spectacle of timing and coordination. How the hell do you sync so many people with such precision!?

 

[wanderlust]

on the special dvd set of goodfellas they show how scorsese's small thumbnail drawings were turned into these famous scenes... fantastic

 

[Mysterier]

i voted for gangs of new york when this was started...8(

um. Taxi Driver, without question.

 

[MissGlitter]

Gotta be Goodfellas, although Casino comes in a close second. I also really love Taxi Driver and Cape Fear. Oh yeah and Gangs. Oh shit I love them all, I think he's wicked

 

[Lord Mandrake]

I don't know how in the world Taxi Driver is standing up to Goodfellas. For it's day Taxi Driver was great and original and had a seductive atmosphere, but just because something was original and innovative back then doesn't make it stand up to now. Robert Deniro was great in the role but he was not at his best in Taxi Driver and neither was Jodi Foster obviously. Cybill Shepherd was great though. Other newer films in the deranged vigilante genera have swept it under the carpet, like 8mm and Carlito's Way.

On the other hand, Goodfellas, in its richness, riveting thick atmosphere, historic realism, film style(Like the static stop motion shots with the voiceover) and 5-star flawless acting that is as real as it gets, blows Taxi Driver away.