- Is ditching big-budget epic productions in favor of making cheaper, more personal films. (2004)
- Is urging the Motion Picture Association to repeal its decision to stop sending out special DVDs and videos to Oscar voters. (October 11, 2003)
- The Montreal World Film Festival paid tribute to Scorsese when it opened in August 2003
- Scorsese has managed to persuade the notoriously taciturn Bob Dylan to let him film a documentary about the singer's early career - "I had been a great fan for many years when I had the privilege to film Bob Dylan for THE LAST WALTZ," said Scorsese. (May 21, 2003)
- Scorsese has a 2002 Oscar nomination for directing GANGS OF NEW YORK, but he could win the prize instead for his work from 1976, 1980 and 1990 -- Campaigning on Scorsese's behalf, Miramax Films chief Harvey Weinstein has suggested that the Academy Awards perpetrated an injustice by not honoring him those previous years for TAXI DRIVER, RAGING BULL or GOODFELLAS. (March 20, 2003)
- Scorsese says Hollywood has grown increasingly aggressive in campaigning for Academy Awards -- "If one of the actors from your film is not talking on that screen in the middle of the night, there will be five other actors from five different films talking, he said. (March 18, 2003)
- Scorsese received the 2,217th star on the show-business neighborhood's Walk of Fame Friday, joining recent honorees such as comedian Drew Carey, actress Nicole Kidman and fellow director Steven Spielberg. (March 1, 2003)
- The idea behind GANGS OF NEW YORK bounced around Scorsese's head for a quarter-century, but the acclaimed filmmaker said Hollywood's infatuation with blockbuster films kept him from making the movie until recently -- Scorsese said he first thought about his film while he was growing up in New York City, when his Sicilian father told him about factions fighting in 19th century New York. (January 28, 2003)
- An unabashed admiration of Italy prompted Scorsese to use a Rome studio to recreate New York City of the 1860s for his immigrant epic GANGS OF NEW YORK - Leonardo Dicaprio, the movie's star, said the set at Cinecitta studios helped create an atmosphere of old New York despite being a continent away from the modern city. (January 13, 2003)
- Scorsese's GANGS OF NEW YORK is honored as one of the 10 best movies of 2002 by the American Film Institute -- the institute decided to forgo an award ceremony and issue a list of the Top 10 movies Monday after a disappointing broadcast last year which garnered low ratings and attracted few celebrities. (December 17, 2002)
- Has been one of America's most critically acclaimed filmmakers for more than 20 years, and he achieved cinematic success with movies that reflect his own Italian-American Catholic upbringing.
- The acclaimed filmmaker Martin Scorsese has signed on to helm Leonardo DiCaprio in the boat boy's own long-in-the-works Hughes biopic, Daily Variety reports.
- Martin was a hot favorite to direct THE GODFATHER: PART II (1974). However, following the success of The Godfather, Paramount retained Francis Ford Coppola as director.
- In BRINGING OUT THE DEAD (1999), Martin (director) provides the voice of the male dispatcher.
- He stated before the release of CASINO (1995) that he created the head in the vise scene as a sacrifice, certain the MPAA would insist it be cut. He hoped this would draw fire away from other violent scenes that would seem less so by comparison. When the MPAA made no objection to the vise scene, he left it in, albeit slightly edited.
- The voice explaining 9-ball in THE COLOR OF MONEY (1986) is Martin's (director).
- Paul Newman says the best Martin (director) gave him, especially in humorous scenes, was: Try NOT to be funny.
- According to him, the last shot was *not* intentional. The camera used to film this scene was faulty and light leaked in to the film, causing a white-out at the exact point in the scene at which Jesus expires. This was not discovered until THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST (1988) was processed. Serendipity or divine intervention? Take your pick.
- Claims that the most important shot in TAXI DRIVER (1976) is when Bickle is on the phone trying to get another date with Betsy. The camera moves to the side slowly and pans down the long, empty hallway next to Bickle, as if to suggest that the phone conversation is too painful and pathetic to bear.
- Due to injuries sustained in an accident during the production of the 1975 movie THE FARMER, actor George Memmoli had to decline the bit part of Travis's disturbed passenger in TAXI DRIVER. The part was ultimately played by the film's director, Martin Scorsese.
- He appears three times in MEAN STREETS (1973): first, he is visible in a portrait with Harvey Keitel (for one frame) in the opening home movies/main title sequence. Second, his voice appears as narration, father I'm not worthy of your flesh. And finally, he appears as the assassin in the back seat.
- He did the short opening narration of THE GRIFTERS (1990).
- He was added to the list of over 50 people banned from entering Tibet because of KUNDUN (1997).
- His mother appears in the picture of Iris' parents cut out from the newspaper. The picture is hanging on Travis' wall at the end of TAXI DRIVER.
- His mother plays Tommy's mother in GOODFELLAS (1990). She ad-libbed the dinner scene. Scorsese's father plays the prisoner who puts too many onions in the tomato sauce.
- Originally four and a half hours long, he cut NEW YORK, NEW YORK (1977) to 153 minutes, then to 136 minutes. In 1981 some material (mainly the 'Happy Endings' sequence) was restored and the film became 163 minutes long.
- Scorsese's father Charles, is one of the mob's wise guys, crowding the LaMotta Brothers at a Copa nightclub table (RAGING BULL).
- THE HONEYMOON KILLERS (1969) was originally to be directed by Scorsese. He was replaced first by Donald Volkman, then Leonard Kastle, all due to creative differences.
- To visually achieve Jake's growing desperation and diminishing stature in RAGING BULL (1980), Scorsese shot the later boxing scenes in a larger ring.
- Turned down the chance to direct SCHINDLER'S LIST (1993) in the 1980s, as he felt he couldn't do as good a job as a Jewish director.
- Received Morocco's highest honor, Commander of the Order of Ouissam Alaouite, from King Mohammed VI at the second Marrakech International Film Festival in September 2002.
- Nominated for David Lean Award for Direction at BAFTA Awards for GANGS OF NEW YORK (2003)
- Nominated for Best Director - Motion Picture at Golden Globe Awards for CASINO (1996)
- Nominated for Outstanding Cultural Program at Emmy Awards for Eric Clapton: Nothing But the Blues: An In the Spotlight Special (1995)
- Nominated for Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium at Academy Awards for THE AGE OF INNOCENCE (1994)
- Nominated for Best Director - Motion Picture at Golden Globe Awards for THE AGE OF INNOCENCE (1994)
- Nominated for Best Director - Motion Picture at Golden Globe Awards for GOODFELLAS (1991)
- Nominated for Best Director at Academy Awards for GOODFELLAS (1991)
- Nominated for Best Screenplay - Motion Picture at Golden Globe Awards for GOODFELLAS (1991)
- Nominated for Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium at Academy Awards for GOODFELLAS (1991)
- Nominated for Best Director at Academy Awards for THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST (1989)
- Nominated for Best Direction at BAFTA Awards for THE KING OF COMEDY (1984)
- Nominated for Best Director - Motion Picture at Golden Globe Awards for RAGING BULL (1981)
- Nominated for Best Director at Academy Awards for RAGING BULL (1981)
- Nominated for Best Direction at BAFTA Awards for TAXI DRIVER (1977)
- Nominated for Best Direction at BAFTA Awards for ALICE DOESN'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE (1976)
Quotes- Speaking to Time magazine about the aggressive Oscar campaign waged by Miramax Films on his behalf: "I think my friends, my family and (Miramax co-chairman) Harvey (Weinstein) want it more than I do."
- Voicing opposition to possible U.S. military action against Iraq: ... "any sensible person must see that violence does not change the world and if it does, then only temporarily. There must be people who remember World War Two and the Holocaust who can help us get out of this rut."
- About a possible U.S.-led war on Iraq: "One hopes that this kind of war can be done diplomatically, with intelligence rather than wiping out a lot of innocent civilians"
Awards- Golden Globes: Best Director - Motion Picture, GANGS OF NEW YORK (2003)
- Directors Guild of America: Lifetime Achievement Award (2003)
- DVD Exclusive Awards: Best Audio Commentary, Library Release, The Last Waltz (2003)
- Florida Film Critics Circle Awards: Best Director, GANGS OF NEW YORK (2003)
- Hasty Pudding Theatricals: Man of the Year (2003)
- Montréal World Film Festival: Grand Prix Special des Amériques (2003)
- Writers Guild of America: Evelyn F. Burkey Award (2003)
- Hollywood Film Festival: Hollywood Discovery Award - Outstanding Achievement in Directing (2002)
- Melbourne International Film Festival: Most Popular Documentary, MY VOYAGE TO ITALY (2002)
- National Society of Film Critics Awards: Special Award, MY VOYAGE TO ITALY (2002)
- National Society of Film Critics Awards: Special Film Heritage Award (2002)
- Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards: Best Director, GANGS OF NEW YORK (2002)
- David di Donatello Awards: Special David (2001)
- National Board of Review: William K. Everson Film History Award, MY VOYAGE TO ITALY (2001)
- César Awards, France: Honorary Award (2000)
- Western Heritage Awards: Bronze Wrangler - Theatrical Motion Picture, THE HI-LO COUNTRY (1999)
- Film Society of Lincoln Center: Gala Tribute (1998)
- Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards: Lifetime Achievement Award (1998)
- London Critics Circle Film Awards: Lifetime Achievement Award (1998)
- National Board of Review: Billy Wilder Award (1998)
- American Film Institute: Life Achievement Award (1997)
- Venice Film Festival: Career Golden Lion (1995)
- American Society of Cinematographers: Board of the Governors Award (1995)
- Fotogramas de Plata: Best Foreign Film, THE AGE OF INNOCENCE (1995)
- BAFTA/LA Britannia Awards: Britannia Award - Excellence in Film (1994)
- Bodil Awards: Best American Film, THE AGE OF INNOCENCE (1994)
- Gotham Awards: Lifetime Achievement Award (1993)
- National Board of Review: Best Director, THE AGE OF INNOCENCE (1993)
- American Cinematheque Gala Tribute: American Cinematheque Award (1991)
- BAFTA Awards: Best Adapted Screenplay, GOODFELLAS (1991)
- BAFTA Awards: Best Direction, GOODFELLAS (1991)
- BAFTA Awards: Best Film, GOODFELLAS (1991)
- Bodil Awards: Best Non-European Film, GOODFELLAS (1991)
- Boston Society of Film Critics Awards: Best Director, GOODFELLAS (1991)
- Chicago Film Critics Association Awards: Best Director, GOODFELLAS (1991)
- Chicago Film Critics Association Awards: Best Screenplay, GOODFELLAS (1991)
- Fotogramas de Plata: Best Foreign Film, GOODFELLAS (1991)
- Independent Spirit Awards: Independent Spirit Award - Best Feature, THE GRIFTERS (1991)
- National Society of Film Critics Awards: Best Director, GOODFELLAS (1991)
- Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards: Best Director, GOODFELLAS (1990)
- New York Film Critics Circle Awards: Best Director, GOODFELLAS (1990)
- Venice Film Festival: Silver Lion - Best Director, GOODFELLAS (1990)
- Cannes Film Festival: Best Director, AFTER HOURS (1986)
- Guild of German Art House Cinemas: Foreign Film, RAGING BULL (1983)
- David di Donatello Awards: Golden Medal of the Minister of Tourism (1982)
- National Society of Film Critics Awards: Best Director, RAGING BULL (1981)
- Blue Ribbon Awards: Best Foreign Film, TAXI DRIVER (1977)
- National Society of Film Critics Awards: Best Director, TAXI DRIVER (1977)
- Cannes Film Festival: Golden Palm, TAXI DRIVER (1976)
- Hochi Film Awards: Best Foreign Film, TAXI DRIVER (1976)
- Kinema Junpo Awards: Best Foreign Language Film Director, TAXI DRIVER (1976)
- Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards: New Generation Award (1976)
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