Film Martin Scorsese - Marvel movies are 'not cinema'

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padzilla

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The main problem here is the studios not investing significantly in any other form of entertainment than blockbuster franchises because they are afraid of risk. The days of the mid-range budget thriller are dead and gone, now it's either Marvel/ DC/ Fast and Furious /Star Wars / Harry Potter or nothing really. If cinema-goers were offered more choice these arguments wouldn't exist. There is a reason why television has eclipsed cinema in terms of story telling - something that even 20 years ago seemed ludicrous.
 

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The main problem here is the studios not investing significantly in any other form of entertainment than blockbuster franchises because they are afraid of risk. The days of the mid-range budget thriller are dead and gone, now it's either Marvel/ DC/ Fast and Furious /Star Wars / Harry Potter or nothing really. If cinema-goers were offered more choice these arguments wouldn't exist. There is a reason why television has eclipsed cinema in terms of story telling - something that even 20 years ago seemed ludicrous.
It’s not so much about studios, it’s the audience. Studios would still finance low budget art films, if it flops, it flops, if it hits, easy award baits. The problem is the modern audience has been assaulted with quick, easy fares and have little time or appetite for anything not bombastic/action-packed fun, and comic book films are hardly the only culprit in this regard, making the cinema progressively unsuitable a medium for such projects.
 

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Scorsese comes across really well in that article, despite people are portraying it as him hating Marvel movies he seems more concerned about cinema as he's known it throughout his life changing. And he seems self aware that his opinion is at least partly a generational thing because of his age.

Problem is though cinema despite being a relatively new medium in the context of history has been constantly evolving since it began. So it was never going to stand still however much people want it to. Change is inevitable.

When I was in England in early October, I gave an interview to Empire magazine. I was asked a question about Marvel movies. I answered it. I said that I’ve tried to watch a few of them and that they’re not for me, that they seem to me to be closer to theme parks than they are to movies as I’ve known and loved them throughout my life, and that in the end, I don’t think they’re cinema.

Some people seem to have seized on the last part of my answer as insulting, or as evidence of hatred for Marvel on my part. If anyone is intent on characterizing my words in that light, there’s nothing I can do to stand in the way.

Many franchise films are made by people of considerable talent and artistry. You can see it on the screen. The fact that the films themselves don’t interest me is a matter of personal taste and temperament. I know that if I were younger, if I’d come of age at a later time, I might have been excited by these pictures and maybe even wanted to make one myself. But I grew up when I did and I developed a sense of movies — of what they were and what they could be — that was as far from the Marvel universe as we on Earth are from Alpha Centauri.
 

NinjaZombie

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Scorsese comes across really well in that article, despite people are portraying it as him hating Marvel movies he seems more concerned about cinema as he's known it throughout his life changing. And he seems self aware that his opinion is at least partly a generational thing because of his age.

Problem is though cinema despite being a relatively new medium in the context of history has been constantly evolving since it began. So it was never going to stand still however much people want it to. Change is inevitable.
What he is saying there resonates with me. At 34, I'm way younger than he is though so maybe it's not as much of a generational thing as he seems to imply.

I grew up reading comics, and watching the old 90s X-Men and Batman cartoons so I'm supposed to love these movies. But the fact is, I struggle to even remember what happened in which movie. They all seem the same to me.

I get weird looks from my friends when I say I've watched the latest Avengers movie but it was "only so so" in my opinion.

The only comic book movies I enjoy watching again are Nolan's first two Batman movies. And probably Joker 2019.

I think it all comes down to a matter of taste.
 

Sky1981

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What he is saying there resonates with me. At 34, I'm way younger than he is though so maybe it's not as much of a generational thing as he seems to imply.

I grew up reading comics, and watching the old 90s X-Men and Batman cartoons so I'm supposed to love these movies. But the fact is, I struggle to even remember what happened in which movie. They all seem the same to me.

I get weird looks from my friends when I say I've watched the latest Avengers movie but it was "only so so" in my opinion.

The only comic book movies I enjoy watching again are Nolan's first two Batman movies. And probably Joker 2019.

I think it all comes down to a matter of taste.
I remember most scene and lines from classics like the godfather, goodfellas, etc.

But as you say, i hardly remember which is which in avengers. Something thanos something, seeing ultron on netflix the other day made me realised i totally forget about that movie even when I see it in the cinema.
 

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What he is saying there resonates with me. At 34, I'm way younger than he is though so maybe it's not as much of a generational thing as he seems to imply.

I grew up reading comics, and watching the old 90s X-Men and Batman cartoons so I'm supposed to love these movies. But the fact is, I struggle to even remember what happened in which movie. They all seem the same to me.

I get weird looks from my friends when I say I've watched the latest Avengers movie but it was "only so so" in my opinion.

The only comic book movies I enjoy watching again are Nolan's first two Batman movies. And probably Joker 2019.

I think it all comes down to a matter of taste.
I think Scorsese was talking about Blockbusters in General than Superhero movies specifically. But yeah it's mostly down to personal taste. I'm pretty sure i've seen all the Fast and Furious and Transformers movies and some i've enjoyed but i couldn't tell you what scene happened in which movie. I'm just not that engaged with them enough to care i suppose.
 

AaronRedDevil

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Great publicity for Scorsese and his new movie though.
Yeah I hope it's good. If its 10/10 across the board and JJ, I'll go see it in the cinema. Last thing I want is watching a movie like Taxi Driver and its 3 and half hour long. Boring as hell. Just hope its entertaining in a way. Otherwise I'll just wait for Netflix.
 

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Yeah I hope it's good. If its 10/10 across the board and JJ, I'll go see it in the cinema. Last thing I want is watching a movie like Taxi Driver and its 3 and half hour long. Boring as hell. Just hope its entertaining in a way. Otherwise I'll just wait for Netflix.
I saw it last night. It’s 3 and a half hours long and pretty slow. I thought it was alright but nowhere near Goodfellas or The Departed. Not sure why it’s got so many 5* reviews. The person next to me fell asleep.
 

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I saw it last night. It’s 3 and a half hours long and pretty slow. I thought it was alright but nowhere near Goodfellas or The Departed. Not sure why it’s got so many 5* reviews. The person next to me fell asleep.
Damn. That's disappointing. Hoping for a masterpiece. Oh well.
 

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I saw it last night. It’s 3 and a half hours long and pretty slow. I thought it was alright but nowhere near Goodfellas or The Departed. Not sure why it’s got so many 5* reviews. The person next to me fell asleep.
Those two films are at either end of thr Scorcese spectrum with Goodfellas at the Taxi Driver end and The Departed (a pale shadow of the original with added overacting) at the almost unwatchable Gangs of NY end.
 

Wibble

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Yeah I hope it's good. If its 10/10 across the board and JJ, I'll go see it in the cinema. Last thing I want is watching a movie like Taxi Driver and its 3 and half hour long. Boring as hell. Just hope its entertaining in a way. Otherwise I'll just wait for Netflix.
:eek:
 

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Those two films are at either end of thr Scorcese spectrum with Goodfellas at the Taxi Driver end and The Departed (a pale shadow of the original with added overacting) at the almost unwatchable Gangs of NY end.
The fact Scorsese new film is no where like Goodfellas is a massive plus for me.
 

stevoc

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Yeah I hope it's good. If its 10/10 across the board and JJ, I'll go see it in the cinema. Last thing I want is watching a movie like Taxi Driver and its 3 and half hour long. Boring as hell. Just hope its entertaining in a way. Otherwise I'll just wait for Netflix.
Is it playing near you?

I'll have to find out if its being shown near me. These days whenever i go the the cinema i have to bring the kids but might try to sneak out for this one.

I've liked or loved most of Scorsese's movies so i'm looking forward to it as well.
 

AaronRedDevil

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Is it playing near you?

I'll have to find out if its being shown near me. These days whenever i go the the cinema i have to bring the kids but might try to sneak out for this one.

I've liked or loved most of Scorsese's movies so i'm looking forward to it as well.
Yeah it's out tomorrow for me. I liked goodfellas and departed and WOWS. Always like his movies. They are not cinema but they are good. Joking.
 

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You didn't like Goodfellahs? Even my wife, who hates mafia movies, loved it.
For me it really suffers from Scorsese falling in love with the characters, a lot of the film is - wow the mob is sooooo fecking clue(Wolf Of Wall Street suffers in a similar way).

---- Casino spoilers incoming ---

Casino is in my view Scorsese best mob film. We get the highs and lows of the characters, we see in particular De Niro character is essentially a small time Trump figure, who hasn't really got a personally and main goal is to be famous. There's no cool court room voice over telling us again how cool the mob are, Joe Pesci character dies in a ditch with his brother. Plus its actually about something - Big business talking over Las Vegas and the kicking out the mob.

------------------

Now having said that I do think one of the reasons Goodfellas is loved and works well with most people is because its almost a celebration of mob films.
 

Kinsella

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Of course they're not cinema. They're not cinema in the same way that comic books aren't literature, but that doesn't mean they can't be good or enjoyable.

I think cinema's heyday is long over anyway, but that's a separate issue.
 
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Sky1981

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For me it really suffers from Scorsese falling in love with the characters, a lot of the film is - wow the mob is sooooo fecking clue(Wolf Of Wall Street suffers in a similar way).

---- Casino spoilers incoming ---

Casino is in my view Scorsese best mob film. We get the highs and lows of the characters, we see in particular De Niro character is essentially a small time Trump figure, who hasn't really got a personally and main goal is to be famous. There's no cool court room voice over telling us again how cool the mob are, Joe Pesci character dies in a ditch with his brother. Plus its actually about something - Big business talking over Las Vegas and the kicking out the mob.

------------------

Now having said that I do think one of the reasons Goodfellas is loved and works well with most people is because its almost a celebration of mob films.
I'm more of casino than goodfellas. I dont like liotta acting in there. I feel very tired watching him snorting all those cokes. And the copter surveillance long scene kinda ruins the whole mobster romance. I also dont think goodfellas has a fitting ending, the ending seems too rushed up to tie up all the loose knots. Pesci was something else in casino, you knew he had it coming, you can actually loathe the guy and still feel bad when he's had his comeuppance.
 

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Is there a single movie franchise going at the moment that was conceived in the 21st century?
You are the movie expert, you are supposed to tell us. Otherwise, Saw?
 

stevoc

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Is there a single movie franchise going at the moment that was conceived in the 21st century?
Probably not many, though most of the biggest 80's and 90's movie franchises weren't conceived in those 2 decades either.
 

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Thread. Everything after the first couple of tweets basically explains his bitterness.

 

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Another episode of legends dissing Marvel flicks.

https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-...vel-interview-identity-politics-a9257556.html

Terry Gilliam said:
“It makes my blood boil. I hated Black Panther. It makes me crazy. It gives young black kids the idea that this is something to believe in. Bullshit. It’s utter bullshit. I think the people who made it have never been to Africa. They went and got some stylist for some African pattern fabrics and things. But I just I hated that movie, partly because the media were going on about the importance of bullshit.”
Oh, Indy, you factchecked him good.