newcritics - Latest Comments in Marty Cares, and So Does the Siren

Re: Marty Cares, and So Does the Siren

Tom Watson — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 10:34:18 -0000

Was a glitch, as they say in the trades...

Re: Marty Cares, and So Does the Siren

Dan Schneider — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 08:18:56 -0000

Oh, good. I was wondering if I was posting wrongly, cuz of the italics.

Re: Marty Cares, and So Does the Siren

Lance Mannion — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 01:44:18 -0000

I'm just trying to turn off the blasted italics here.

Mr Watson, come in here, we need you.

Re: Marty Cares, and So Does the Siren

Lance Mannion — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 01:43:04 -0000

Good post, Siren, but I kind of wish the Academy had stiffed him again. I think there's more dignity in having never won than having won for a lesser work. There wasn't even much competition for him, either. It's as if the Academy stacked the deck in his favor. Might as well have been a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Re: Marty Cares, and So Does the Siren

Dan Schneider — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 21:13:35 -0000

Taxi Driver's great, but De Niro really had to stretch for KOC, and so did Scorsese. After Hours is also a great film, and comedy.

With great films it's always arguable, but getting out of one's comfort zone, testing oneself, and still kicking ass is a bonus. In that sense, TD's not much a strecth as KOC is.

It's why Another Woman is a greater Woody Allen film than Annie Hall.

Re: Marty Cares, and So Does the Siren

Self Styled Siren — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 20:03:08 -0000

Tom, it is funny you should mention The Last Waltz, because as soon as I posted this I went downstairs and put on The Band's eponymous album. The connection with writing about Scorsese was irresistible.

Re: Marty Cares, and So Does the Siren

M.A. Peel — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 19:24:05 -0000

Scorsese said somewhere that in retrospect, The Last Temptation of Christ was "too heavy on the Good Friday," and not enough of the promise of Easter morning, a gloss that many have applied to his world vision in general.

Same could be said about his Oscar agony. Maybe tonight will finally be Easter Sunday for him.

Re: Marty Cares, and So Does the Siren

Tom Watson — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 19:03:54 -0000

Don't forget The Last Waltz - might be my favorite Marty in some ways. Brilliant.

Re: Marty Cares, and So Does the Siren

Self Styled Siren — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 17:57:54 -0000

Dan, I would agree, except that the blogosphere's two best-reviewed films of the year -- Children of Men and Pan's Labyrinth -- didn't even see their directors nominated. Of the five that were nominated, I have no problem seeing Scorsese win, especially since The Departed is a hugely enjoyable movie. Had it been directed by any number of lesser talents, it might have been hailed as a career-topper. Judging him by his nominated company this year, I think Scorsese honestly deserves it.

King of Comedy has its ardent supporters, but I still feel pretty safe calling Taxi Driver his best.

D.R., when you read about the critical judgments of the past, one thing that strikes you is that people seem to have a hard time predicting which films will last. I think you are on pretty safe ground, though. ;)

Re: Marty Cares, and So Does the Siren

Dan Schneider — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 17:37:51 -0000

No, do the right thing and give to the best film- which prob even is not one of the five nominated- lest there will be future Scorseses.

As for QT- Jackie Brown's by far his best film- the only one with real characterizations.

Marty will deserve his career Oscar- but call it that- not his 3rd rate crap. Marty needs to get lean and mean, and make some low budget films that will reawaken his energy level- lest we see more Aviators!

BTW- his best film was prob King Of Comedy, although he has 5 or 6 really great films.

Re: Marty Cares, and So Does the Siren

D.R.Scott — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 16:35:46 -0000

Jeez. Sorry about the excess use of italics, guys.

Re: Marty Cares, and So Does the Siren

D.R.Scott — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 16:34:19 -0000

I'm crossing my fingers that the Academy does the Right Thing, if only to spare itself the monstrous embarrassment of having Marty die before he's "rewarded" with a bogus, gee-we're-sorry Oscar. And who cares if The Departed isn't the "best" movie he ever made? Christ, seeing it again just illustrates what an overrated phony Quentin Tarantino is. Why? Because he's been ripping off Marty for years.Pulp Fiction is still the best movie Quentin's ever made, all the others since then pale ghosts of his single moment of brilliance. Sons of Tarantino have churned out derivative movies starring violent, wise-cracking gangsters: Killing ZoÃƒÂ«, Suicide Kings, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Things To Do In Denver When YouÃ¢â‚¬â„¢re Dead. Years later, while most of these movies have faded into well-deserved obscurity, Pulp Fiction still feels fresh, innovative, smart, haunting, enigmatic andÃ¢â‚¬â€hell, fun. But Tarantino clumsily mimics himself these days, and Pulp Fiction isn't nowhere nearly as good as Taxi Driver, GoodFella's or Raging Bull. We're gonna be talking about Marty fifty years later, while Kill Bill fades into a cinematic footnote. Give it to Marty, folks. Don't screw up.

Re: Marty Cares, and So Does the Siren

Tom Watson — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 14:43:20 -0000

What a great post, Siren! I hope Marty wins his...he's contributed an awful lot to the fabric over the years. And yes, they really do want it, don't they?
That Hitchcock never won...phew.