More Scorsese . . .

[The Burgomaster]

This is a sequel to my earlier Martin Scorsese thread.

Yesterday, I watched my new DVD of Scorsese's debut directorial effort WHO'S THAT KNOCKING AT MY DOOR.  It's a very good, low budget, black and white movie with a lot of elements that have become familiar to us in many of Scorsese's subsequent films: "doo-wop" oldies sound track, New York City locales, Italian guys "bonding," a non-Italian girlfriend, numerous references to Catholicism, typical Scorsese camera moves and editing techniques, and, of course HARVEY KEITEL.  The violence is very limited, but the movie does have somewhat of a dangerous edge to it.  I highly recommend it to all serious Scorsese fans.

I also watched another Scorsese film that I think is great, but most people hate for some reason: THE KING OF COMEDY.  Robert DeNiro (starring as would-be comedian Rupert Pupkin) and Jerry Lewis (as TV talk-show host Jerry Langford) are excellent (yes, you heard me correctly, JERRY LEWIS IS EXCELLENT), and the movie has at least a dozen memorable moments and great bits of dialogue.  The scenes of DeNiro trying to get into Jerry's office for an unscheduled appointment are priceless.  If you haven't seen it, "now's the time."

[Mr_Vindictive]

Unfortunatly I've never seen The King Of Comedy.

It's sitting on the Blockbuster shelf.  I think I'll check it out.

[Chopper]

yeah i think Who's That Knocking On My Door definitely laid the ground work for much of the pathos Scorsese's subsequent characters would follow. For example the Catholic guilt, redemption, street violence & it's effect on the main character or lonely individual, identity, manhood. A lot of the same themes that showed up in Mean Streets & his later films.

[dean]

Scorsese loves the whole melancholic protaganist doesn't he?

King of Comedy was the film we watched last week at uni in the Scorsese course.  I think that overall, it has been thought of by many as an attempted straight comedy, and as one, it fails, but as a dark/black comedy, it is pretty good.

Harvey Keitel and Robert De Niro have some great roles in many Scorsese films.  It's great, since they are two of my favorite actors.  I didn't even realise Keitel was in Taxi Driver until the second time I saw it.  Good ol Sport!

Anyway, I got an essay for my Scorsese course due this week, it's going to be a damn hard one, but should be fun. [I'm watching Raging Bull at this very moment]
Hope all goes well.