The Martin Scorsese Film Collection (New York, New York / Raging Bull Special Edition / The Last Waltz / Boxcar Bertha)

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Two major collections of Martin Scorsese DVDs were released within a year. While the Warner set contains more popular films, this MGM set digs deeper. It combines a new, knockout two-disc edition of Raging Bull, the concert film The Last Waltz, and two Scorsese curios--Boxcar Bertha and, making its DVD debut, New York, New York. Bertha (1972) is Scorsese's first Hollywood film, a low-budget Roger Corman film adding sex to a Bonnie and Clyde formula of train-robbing outlaws starring Barbara Hershey and David Carradine. After seeing the film, John Cassavetes told Scorsese what he already knew--"make a movie about something you really care about"--thus providing the spark for Scorsese to make Mean Streets and turn his career around.

After Taxi Driver, Scorsese went musical. The Last Waltz (1978), a record of the Band's 1976 farewell performance is a solid candidate for the best-ever concert film. Using the lessons learned as assistant director/editor on Woodstock, Scorsese storyboarded as much of the live concert as he could and relied on expert cinematographers to handle the tough shoot (big cameras needing constant attention for the live event). Scorsese's earthy interview segments were parodied in This Is Spinal Tap a few years later. New York, New York (1977) was Scorsese's attempt to recreate the musicals of his youth. He added the realistic flair of a modern film, but re-created the vintage look and style, with mixed results. The design and music are lavishly produced, but the story involving Liza Minnelli and Robert De Niro doesn't click. This "director's cut" has been around for years on home video. The new commentary by Scorsese is interesting, but there's too much dry by-the-facts talk from film critic Carrie Rickey. The DVD extras are plentiful and far more engaging with the new edition of Raging Bull (1979), a Scorsese masterpiece of design and effect following the tumultuous times of prizefighter Jake La Motta (Robert De Niro in an Oscar-winning performance). --Doug Thomas

Description

Disc 1: NEW YORK, NEW YORK Disc 2: BOXCAR BERTHA Disc 3: THE LAST WALTZ Disc 4: RAGING BULL SPECIAL EDITION

Customer Reviews:

A classic and a few gems.......2007-03-23

For a Scorsese fan, this is an excellent box set. The two-disk special edition of Raging Bull is fantastic and it has a beautiful transfer as well. New York,New York is one of Scorsese's most underrated films, Scorsese speaks about the film on the special features and it is very insightful and informative. The Last Waltz is a very nice dvd, not as strong of a documentary as I would like but the Joni Mitchell performance alone makes it a worthwhile dvd plus it has some excellent special features as well. Boxcar Bertha is a great dvd to have for any film enthusiast, in Boxcar Bertha you can see the makings of a great director and how Scorsese took a rather generic script and breathed a bit of life into it.

Overall this is a very nice box set for a Scorsese fan or Film Enthusiast

Very good film collection........2006-05-17

Being a huge Scorsese fan I was excited when I ordered this boxset from Amazon and I definetely thought that it was worth it cause I haven't seen his first rare film Boxcar Bertha and New York, New York. I didn't care if any of the films had a ton of special features just as long as I got the films themselves and this collection boxset was a great deal. Boxcar Bertha was definetely the weakest film in the collection but this being Martin's debut film it didn't matter cause he is one of the greatest and highly respected directors of all time.

Boxcar Bertha is the story of a life of crime of a young girl (Barbara Hershey) who after watching her father die in an horrific crash gains revenge on his boss. On the run she joins up with gangsters and train robbers in a remoreseless campaign of crime 2/5 stars.

New York, New York is known to be one of Scorsese lost films and the reason was because it was a failure. The film is a musical taking place after WWII where Robert Deniro plays a lounge performer saxiphonist named Jimmy Doyle who's sucesful career is fustrating his relationship with a talented singer played by Liza Minnelli and yet they seem to try and make things better, the film was average if you can handle a 3 hour musical then you might like it more 3/5 stars.

The last waltz is a very good concert documentary that was filmed during the farewell concert of 'The band' on Thanksgiving day in 1976 and also features performaces from some of the most influential bands of that time like Muddy Waters, Neil Young, Joni Mitchel etc. a phenomenal concert film that unless you like the music then your going to love it but if not then forget it 5/5 stars.

Raging Bull is one of Scorsese's masterpiece, shot beautifuly in black and white the story is based on the true life of heavyweight boxer Jake La Motta and how he rised to fame but then quickly fell and became an almost unrecognisable person and his failing marriage which failed because of his constant paranoia and jealosy for his wife. This film is excellent and comes with a ton of extras on the 20th anniversary eddition 2 disc set, Deniro won his second oscar in this film which was well deserved I highly recomend this great drama/sports film 5/5 stars.

Worth it, but be careful where your tastes lie........2005-09-07

This collection might as well be called "Scorsese's Collection of Twos." It has two PG movies, two R movies. It has two music-based movies, two non-music based movies. It has two good movies, two not-so-good movies. It has two special editions and a two-disc collector's edition. Two movies are biopics.

Despite the seemingly arbitrariness of the details above, they're actually very important when it comes to defining and refining your tastes. If you're not much of a musical fan, why buy something that's fifty-percent what you don't like? If you're wanting some extreme Scorsese-dom, why get fifty percent PG movies? All told it's a matter of what you want to get out of this set.

When it comes to price, it's largely worth it merely for the edition of Raging Bull it includes and The Last Waltz, which I found to be a largely underappreciated movie. Boxcar Bertha is actually quite terrible and should only be viewed by people who are looking for Bonnie and Clyde-like stories. New York, New York is really good but very difficult to watch.

Considering price-versus-outcome analysis, it'd probably be better to get the Raging Bull collector's edition by itself and maybe one of the other films if you're interested. The cost would roughly come out the same and it wouldn't take as much space. However, if you have the space, why not get two other films basically as a bonus and have a rather nice case to hold them all in?

What I'm saying is that if you're a Raging Bull fan, get that. If you're a Scorsese fan, get this. Whatever the case, it's definitely important to know quite what you're getting, so if any of the films in this collection are something of a blind-buy to you, read separate reviews for them specifically to figure out how much you're really paying for what you want.

--PolarisDiB

Fantastic Box Set!.......2005-02-14

If you bought this Martin Scorsese Film Collection & The Martin Scorsese Collection (released last year), you would have a definitive overview of the greatest American film director ever. This box set contains three of Scorsese's more underappreciated films and quite possibly the best film ever made, Raging Bull. The 2 disc edition of Raging Bull is a monumental release. The original DVD had been out of print for years, and it contained no special features, bu this release is packed with great features. There are 4! documentaries on the making of the film, which have new interviews with everyone involved, even the elusive Robert Deniro. The picture & sound are both improvements over the original DVD as well as he packaging. In fact the packaging for the entire box set is probably the most sturdy and easy to handle packaging of any box set that I own (and that is quite a few), especially when comparing it to the flimsy packaging of the other Scorsese box set. So, if your consider yourself a film buff of any kind, this set is essential. Buy this box set & the other Scorsese box set, then pick up Last Temptation of Christ, Casino, King of Comedy, & Gangs of New York and then you can bask in the glory of one of the true geniuses of modern cinema.

A must for Scorsese fans.......2005-02-11

Martin Scorsese is one of the world's greatest filmmakers living today. At first, this may seem like so much over-inflated hype, and to be sure, he would be the first to avoid this title, but think, for a moment, about a handful of the films this man has done: Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, The Last Temptation of Christ, and GoodFellas. All of these films have received numerous awards, they are studied extensively in film classes all over the world, and have been well-received critically, while also gradually developing a loyal following of admirers consisting of not only of discerning cineastes but other filmmakers who are inspired by both the content of his films and the style in which they are presented. Scorsese has made several films that are generally regarded as landmark works that continue to entertain and inspire future generations.

Included with each DVD is a theatrical trailer for its corresponding movie.

New York, New York features a fine collection of extras, including an audio commentary by Scorsese and film critic Carrie Rickey, who proceeds to put the movie into context and gives a brief run-down of the down-beat musical sub-genre. Scorsese is a great talker with an encyclopedic knowledge of film, making this a must-listen for fans.

Scorsese introduces the movie and describes it as a love affair between two creative people. He wanted to recreate the artifice of old Hollywood movies but with realistically behaving characters a la the films of John Cassavetes.

Also included are 15 alternate takes/deleted scenes totaling 19 minutes that involved a lot of improvising between the actors.

There is a "Photo Gallery" that contains a decent collection on the set pictures, French lobby cards, posters, storyboards and stills of the cast and crew.

There are two audio commentaries for The Last Waltz. The first one features Scorsese and Robbie Robertson. The veteran musician's comments are screen-specific as he offers fantastic observations about the music and the musicians in a conversational tone that is very engaging as if you are sitting in his living room watching it with him over drinks. The second track features a number of participants: journalist/screenwriter Jay Cocks, music critic Greil Marcus, the film's executive producer Jonathan Taplin and others. Taplin talks about how he got Scorsese and Robertson together while the former was making New York, New York, while Marcus examines the songs and their significance on this informative track.

"Archival Outtakes: Jam 2" is 12 minute informal jam session that occurred towards the end of the concert with members of The Band, Eric Clapton, Dr. John, Neil Young and others. It's great to see these legends rockin' out together.

"Revisiting The Last Waltz" is an excellent 22 minute retrospective featurette that includes new interviews with Scorsese and Robertson. It shows how meticulously Scorsese storyboarded and planned out the entire concert. One really gets an appreciation of how much work went into this film.

There is also a photo gallery with concert, studio and New York City premiere pictures as well as posters.

Raging Bull has the most impressive selection of extras. First up are three audio commentaries. The first one is with Scorsese and his long-time editor Thelma Schoonmaker (taken from the Criterion laser disc). Their comments are often screen-specific as they talk about how certain scenes were put together in this engaging, informative track. The second commentary features cast and crew, including producer Irwin Winkler, cinematographer Michael Chapman and others. Chapman dominates the track, talking about the effects of lighting and camera movements in given scenes. Finally, the last track features screenwriters Mardik Martin and Paul Schrader and the Raging Bull himself, Jake La Motta. The aging boxer recounts childhood memories and how he learned to fight, providing fascinating insight into the mentality of a boxer.

There are four featurettes, made specifically for this DVD, that cover various aspects of the movie and include new interviews with all the major cast and crew members, including Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Cathy Moriarity, Joe Pesci, Paul Schrader and Frank Vincent. They vary in length but are all quite substantial and provide incredible insight into how this important film was made.

"The Bronx Bull" features various contemporary British film critics who talk about why Raging Bull is such a great movie and how it was savaged by reviewers in its day.

"De Niro vs. La Motta" is a shot for shot comparison of Scorsese's film with actual pictures and footage of La Motta. It's amazing to see how well De Niro resembled the real person and how closely Scorsese recreated some of his fights.

"La Motta Defends Title" is vintage newsreel footage of one of La Motta's actual fights.

Average customer rating:

Pulp Nonfiction
Barbara Hershey!!!!
Cormin, Scorsese Style
Beware this DVD

Boxcar Bertha
Starring: Victor Argo , David Carradine , John Carradine , Bernie Casey , and Marianne Dole
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00005UM2Y
Release Date: 2002-03-19

Amazon.com

Martin Scorsese was just another college film school grad with a student feature under his belt when producer Roger Corman tapped him to direct AIP's entry in the Bonnie and Clyde craze. Barbara Hershey stars as the real-life depression era orphan of the title, a charming, cheeky young woman who tramped the Deep South with a union organizer (David Carradine), a dandified New York con man (Barry Primus), and a blues-playing mechanic (Bernie Casey), turning her motley band into train-robbing outlaws. Scorsese was anxious to show his chops on a real Hollywood feature and does so admirably (if impersonally) with rough-and-ready style. If the rebellious spirit and social message behind the sex and violence is more Corman than Scorsese, the film references ("Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain," Bertha tells a customer while working at a cathouse) and often inventive direction are pure Scorsese. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews:

Pulp Nonfiction.......2005-03-08

Like many talented young U.S. directors of the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, Martin Scorsese got a big break from American International Pictures studios. This was in the days of drive-in movies and so-called "B" pictures, meaning that something like Boxcar Bertha would be secondary to whatever feature attraction was playing. AIP directors worked on a strict schedule, small budget, and were required to goose things along with softcore sex and bright red violence. No surprise, Scorsese delivered, and found ways to punch it up with his trademark kinetic editing style. He also knew how to get solid performances, even back then. Barry Primus, Bernie Casey, and John Carradine shine here; Barbara Hershey and David Carradine aren't so great or convincing. The movie, like Bonnie And Clyde six years earlier, is about contemporary rather than past times, even though it's set in the 30s. Hershey and Carradine are early 70s free lovers and free spirits, not really nice folks but much more moral than their foes in banking and legal institutions. The film is uneven, but just when you find your attention drifting, Scorsese makes his presence felt with imaginative, original, playful images and sequences. For example, pay close attention to the scene in which Carradine goes to his union office with stolen money, and see how much effort Scorsese puts into images that other directors would blow off. The DVD looks great, a huge improvement over cruddy, pan and scan VHS. No extras except for the original trailer, which is a treat: lots of it is shot through bright colored tinted lenses, taking you back to 70s schlock at its finest. Based on a true story, this is pulp NON fiction; takes its place alongside After Hours, King of Comedy, Kundun, Age of Innocence, and Bringing out the Dead as an uneven, underappreciated Scorsese gem--not as consistently great as his big movies, but plenty of interesting moments and a chance to see the master in training before he moved up to self-consciously artful films.

Barbara Hershey!!!!.......2004-05-25

Produced by Roger Corman and directed by Martin Scorsese, BOXCAR BERTHA is a romp through the deep south of the great depression. Bertha (Barbara Hershey) is young, beautiful, and not at all afraid of taking her clothes off! This is good, since she's naked a lot in this movie! Plot?? Well, Bertha's dad is killed in an airplane accident, sending Bertha on an adventure of boxcar jumping, bankrobbing, murder, prison escapes, trainrobbing, prostitution, and lots of laughs. Bertha is accompanied by Big Bill Shelly (David Carradine) and two other cohorts played by Barry Primus and Bernie Casey. Did I mention Bertha's lack of clothing? It just keeps flying off for some reason! Anyway, Bertha and her gang decide to take down an evil railroad baron (played nastily by John Carradine), not realizing just how evil he really is. This leads to the gang's downfall. The finale is pure savage mayhem and revenge! Worth a peek. Oh, and Bertha spends a great deal of time in her birthday suit too...

Cormin, Scorsese Style.......2003-01-26

Boxcar Bertha is a Roger Cormin picture. Boxcar Bertha is a Martin Scorsese picture. What this means is that while it gave Scorsese the opportunity to show flashes of the genius we now know he possessed, he had to do it at the expense (or lack there of) of delivering a Roger Cormin movie. Now I am not knocking Cormin. Cormin was great because he gave young talent a low budget, some film, and a chance. His low risk approach gave stars such as Jack Nicholson, Dennis Hopper, Scorsese, and Francis Ford Coppola, their big breaks. Cormin films usually aren't that good, but their is no substitute for experience, especially to young filmmakers, so we should thank him.

On that note, Boxcar Bertha is sort of a take off on Bonnie and Clyde. A young Barbara Hershey plays the title character who essentially falls in with a group of disgruntled railroad union guys (David Carradine included) and starts knocking off banks and such in an effort to hurt the railroad's evil owner. The film suffers from terrible cliches and silly special effects (the blood looks like red paint). However, Scorsese makes the best out of it with his constantly moving camera, hard violence, and unorthodox editing techniques. Ultimately though, this is a film for die hard Scorsese fans interested in how he got started.

Beware this DVD.......2002-06-22