On Scorsese

Maybe I should post more thoughts, opinions, and ideas on this page, instead of just chronicles. OK - On Scorsese. I think he gets a rep similar to Woody Allen - stay with me here. I must admit, Allen is talented as a writer and director, makes good product, and works well with a range of actors. But I just don't like him, I wouldn't make much effort to see his movies, when I do I may enjoy his movies, but it just doesn't stay with me, not satisfying. All his movies are about neurotic freaks in New York. I can see how some people could have a similar attitude about Scorsese, but not me, and those people should check out his body of work. Of course, he's got the ultra-violent crime epics - Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, Casino, Gangs. All of which I really really like. But I'd say tops of my favorites (now bear in mind I'm a road-less-travelled guy. Favorite Beatle=George Harrison, Favorite Stooge=Shemp) are Kundun, and Bringing out the Dead, which are drastic departures in style, tone, and normalcy from his other works, but have tremendous impact. So much I haven't seen. I just realized he did "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore", which won one of 3 Oscars and many other awards, and which somehow ended up as the 'Alice' zany sitcom with Linda Lavin ("Kiss my grits!"). (Another aside - my dad says he used to date Ellen Burstyn for a short time. Since he knows so little of movie trivia and she is from Detroit, I don't doubt him.) I can't think of a bad film he's done, can you? ("Bad" and American Express commercials don't count). Now if he'd only make a VFX extravaganza so I could work on it - Aviator made the long list last year but let's have some spaceships, Marty. Trivioid - "Gangs" was one of ILM's longest production schedules of any show, for 50-some shots.