Martin Scorcese

The 50 best British movies ever made – according to Martin Scorcese

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Beneath the iconic American style of Martin Scorsese lies a surprising devotion to British cinema, a love affair that began with a black-and-white TV in the 1940s.

When British filmmaker Edgar Wright reached out to Scorsese during the pandemic, [he asked] for a list of lesser-known British films worth watching, he wasn’t expecting to receive over 50 of his personal favourites – spanning from silent-era curiosities to cult horror to the haunting minimalism of ‘60s ghost stories.

Here, we have a look at the 50 British films Martin Scorsese considers among his personal favourites:

    • Station Six Sahara (Seth Holt, 1963)
    • Brief Ecstasy (Edmond Gréville, 1937)
    • The Halfway House (Basil Dearden, 1944)
    • Went the Day Well? (Alberto Cavalcanti, 1942)
    • Nowhere To Go (Seth Holt, 1958)
    • The Nanny (Seth Holt, 1965)
    • Madonna of the Seven Moons (Arthur Crabtree, 1945)
    • The Man in Grey (Leslie Arliss, 1943)
    • So Long at the Fair (Terence Fisher, 1950)
    • Stolen Face (Terence Fisher, 1952)
    • Four Sided Triangle (Terence Fisher, 1953)
    • The Sound Barrier (David Lean, 1952)
    • This Happy Breed (David Lean, 1944)
    • Guns at Batasi (John Guillermin, 1964)
    • Green for Danger (Sidney Gilliat, 1946)
    • The Mind Benders (Basil Dearden, 1963)
    • To the Public Danger (Terence Fisher, 1948)
    • It Always Rains on Sunday (Robert Hamer, 1947)
    • A High Wind in Jamaica (Alexander Mackendrick, 1965)

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The Scottish movie Martin Scorsese called “special”

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Martin Scorsese once spoke of a Bill Forsyth movie, a 1980 Scottish coming-of-age tale, that he called “special”. The film stars John Gordon Sinclair

There are few names in the forever-turning world of cinema quite like the one Martin Scorsese. Eternally entwined with the medium of film itself, Scorsese has woven himself into the fabric of the movies’ long and rich history, establishing himself as one of its finest and most memorable auteurs.

Ever since the New York City filmmaker burst onto the scene in the early 1970s with Mean Streets, it has been clear that Scorsese possesses a talent that so many of his contemporaries could ever dream of. Delivering masterpiece after masterpiece with the likes of Taxi Driver, The King of Comedy, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, Casino and The Wolf of Wall Street, the champion of American cinema has proven that he has a special eye for film and an unrivalled talent that has ensured his legacy will remain unscathed.

Scorsese has frequently offered his opinions and reviews on all four corners of the cinematic world, from blockbuster mega-hits to the weird and wonderful pieces of film that no one’s ever heard of. The director’s knowledge of the history of cinema never fails to impress, and he once spoke glowingly of a 1980 Scottish coming-of-age film by Bill Forsyth.

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Martin Scorsese’s five favourite Hammer Horror movies

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A fan of horror movies, Martin Scorsese has picked five movies of the hammer horror genre that he holds closest to his heart.

By Jack Watley

Unlike musicians, when filmmakers get into the harsh spotlight of fame, they tend to shy away from the blinding energy and recoil into the shadows of their artistry. Another noted difference between the two creators is their willingness to talk about the songs or movies they hold dearest. Thankfully, over the years, Martin Scorsese, arguably the most revered director of all time, has never been shy at sharing his most beloved films.

Whether it is his favourite British films or his definitive list of the ten greatest movies ever made, the Goodfellas director has shelled out a fair amount of praise over the course of his unstoppable career. In fact, there are few filmmakers who can stand toe-to-toe with Scorsese’s resume.

His films have grappled with various issues ranging from comparative studies of society, forensic analysis into the institution of crime, accurate representations of the corruption of the government and questions on the morality of spirituality and faith. However, outside of the psychological intrigue of Shutter Island, there is one genre that the master director has rarely touched – horror.

Though he once shared his favourite horror movies, a list which included Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, William Friedkin’s classic The Exorcist and Alfred Hitchcock’s masterpiece Psycho, there is one sub-genre which he has rarely referred to. Hammer Horror is a typically British film sub-genre prominent from the late 1950s to the 1970s that revitalised classic monsters like Dracula and Frankenstein, birthed by the production company of the same name. Known for vibrant colours, gothic atmosphere, and iconic actors like Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, Hammer Horror left an indelible mark on cinema and on young Scorsese.

“When I was a teenager, and through my early 20s, the Hammer horror pictures produced in England occupied a special place in our filmgoing life,” noted Scorsese to DirectTV. “They were made to scare us like the William Castle pictures coming out of America, but they didn’t have any gimmicks. They were in the tradition of Gothic horror and Grand Guignol, and they shared more with Roger Corman’s Poe adaptations.”

There was a darkness that appealed to Scorsese and that he would take in his own work: “The Hammer Film Productions pictures were darker visually, a little more upsetting, stylish but extremely unnerving; there seemed to be a great comfort with evil and morbidity in those movies, and a great sexual charge. Those films meant a lot to us. There was so much going on all over the world in cinema at the time, and those movies, along with the Corman Poe cycle and Mario Bava’s films from Italy, gave a sense that things were changing and evolving in genre pictures, too.”

But some movies really captivated Scorsese, suggesting his favourites of the genre: “I would say that all the Hammers featured by TCM are worth seeing. Terence Fisher probably made the best of them, including The Devil’s Bride (also known as The Devil Rides Out), The Stranglers of Bombay, The Mummy, The Gorgon and, of course, Horror of Dracula, starring the great Christopher Lee. But they’re all very special pictures and the best of them are immaculately, even passionately crafted.”

While Scorsese may not have taken his own work into the realm of horror, it can be easy to see the artistic flair shown in these movies and how they would translate it into his own work.

Martin Scorsese’s favourite Hammer Horror movies:

  • The Devil’s Bride
  • The Stranglers of Bombay
  • The Mummy
  • The Gorgon
  • Horror of Dracula

 

Source: Martin Scorsese’s five favourite Hammer Horror movies

The Legend Of Sadie The Goat in New York City

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Sadie

Sadie the Goat was known as a fierce river pirate in the late 1860s who terrorized those living along the Hudson River in New York.

By Shari Rose

Sadie the Goat was known as a fierce river pirate in the late 1860s who terrorized unsuspecting sailors as well as those living along the Hudson River. However, the only source that makes mention of her swash-buckling adventures is Herbert Asbury’s 1928 book, “The Gangs of New York.” Unlike other contemporaries, such as Gallus Mag and Hell-Cat Maggie, Sadie the Goat was probably not a real person, but rather a long-standing American folklore that continues to this day.

Sadie The Goat In New York City

Sadie the goat drunk history

Kat Denning as Sadie the Goat in “Drunk History.” 

In the mid to late 19th century, gangs composed of mostly European immigrants controlled the slums of New York City. Impoverished conditions, cramped living arrangements, rampant disease, and lack of access to good jobs allowed gangs like the Bowery Boys, Dead Rabbits and more to flourish in neighborhoods like the Fourth Ward and on the riverfront along the Hudson River.

According to Asbury, Sadie the Goat was an Irish-American woman raised in the Fourth Ward. Born as Sadie Farrell, she received her nickname from her rather unusual way of robbing men. Along with a male companion, she would strike up a conversation with a mark, throw him off his guard, and suddenly headbutt him. Her male companion would then knock out the stunned victim, and they relieve the man of his possessions.

Sadie The Goat And Gallus Mag

Gallus Mag and Sadie the Goat

Undated photograph of Gallus Mag. (Source)

Despite Sadie’s successes in the tough conditions of the Fourth Ward, she met a formidable foe in Gallus Mag. Gallus Mag was a six-foot-tall bouncer who worked at a popular bar for gang members called Hole-In-The-Wall. Legend holds that Sadie the Goat and Gallus Mag had a disagreement that soon escalated into a brutal fight at the bar.

In the brawl, Gallus Mag bit off Sadie’s ear completely, which ended the fight in bloody fashion. Sadie fled, and Gallus Mag placed the ear in a jar she kept behind the bar as a warning sign to rowdy patrons.

After her brutal loss, Sadie the Goat stopped fighting and looked for a new scheme. She soon found the Charlton Street Gang, who could use a new leader.

Sadie Joins The Charlton Street Gang

The Charlton Street Gang was a small operation along the riverfront that struggled to become profitable. Headquartered at a gin mill on Charlton Street, the gang had recently turned to river piracy when Sadie the Goat arrived on the scene. She joined the gang in spring 1869 and quickly made a name for herself as a highly successful river pirate.

According to “The Gangs of New York,” Sadie took command and boosted the gang’s profits by pillaging boats and robbing farmhouses along the riverfront. Under her leadership, the Charlton Street Gang stole a larger sloop and flew the Jolly Roger flag, striking fear into anyone unlucky enough to cross their path.

The gang patrolled the Hudson and Harlem rivers, threatening those on the waterfront and occasionally taking wealthy hostages for ransom. For many months, the gang was immensely profitable. And legend holds that Sadie the Goat operated her ship with an iron fist, making some in her crew literally walk the plank.

However, the gang eventually became too violent, and killed several of their victims. Those who lived along the waterfront had enough of these river pirates and banded together to put an end to the violence. They ambushed the Charlton Street Gang and killed some members with musket fire. In the aftermath, Sadie took her share of the loot and disbanded the gang.

Sadie The Goat Returns To The Fourth Ward

After her days of river piracy were over, Sadie made her way back to her old neighborhood, the Fourth Ward. According to Asbury, she met with Gallus Mag once again and made peace with her rival. It’s believed that Gallus Mag returned her ear to its rightful owner and declared Sadie the Goat the “Queen of the Waterfront.”

It should be noted that unlike other contemporary women of the era, like Gallus Mag and Hell-Cat Maggie, the only source that mentions Sadie the Goat by name is Asbury’s novel. Because of the lack of sources, Sadie is viewed as an American folklore, and was probably not a real person. However, the story of Sadie the Goat and her days as a fearsome pirate remains the stuff of legend.

Source: The Legend Of Sadie The Goat in New York City