Ever wished you could just chat with one of your filmmaking heroes, hear their thoughts on various films, and get a list of recommended viewing?  Well this comes pretty close to doing that for me.  A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies is a 4 hour documentary film produced by the BFI (British Film Institute) back in 1995.  In it Scorsese takes you through almost 70 years worth of American films, mentioning notable picks, not only for their aesthetic merit but by how they reflect cultural tensions of their day as well as changes in the art of film.  If you're ready to watch some great stuff, discover new filmmakers, and learn something beside one of the masters of our artform, check this out:


I remember watching this documentary a number of years ago, but stopping, because there were too many spoilers!  Now that I've seen a lot of the mentioned films I don't mind it so much, but if you want to watch all the movies mentioned before hearing how Scorsese places them in American film history, here's a list of them compiled by another fan.  Scanning through that list is reminding me that I seriously have to check out some more films!  For those of you ready to listen to Professor Scorsese, jump right in: