![]() He has had some great films since, but more misses than hits, which is a real shame. If this trend would have continued, he could have been an icon of cinema, but as we all know, his career couldn’t maintain that level of excellence. In the 70s and early 80s, Scorsese was on a serious roll, hitting home run after home run, with such films as Raging Bull, Mean Streets and Taxi Driver, plus the often overlooked The King of Comedy. Yes, he has a number of impressive movies to his credit, including at least two masterpieces, but he also has some real clunkers. Martin Scorsese is held up as one of cinema’s greatest creators in some circles, but I wouldn’t rank him as one of the elite filmmakers. find a way to move on and look toward brighter days? Will the past threaten to doom the future, or can J.R. This also shatters J.R.’s life and his new vision on life, as he cannot move beyond this tragic turn of events. is stunned to learn that his new love was once raped, an event that has shattered her life. This causes all kinds of problems, but none as great as the turmoil that results when a dark secret is revealed. is ready to leave behind his friends, his neighborhood, and his old way of life, just so that he can provide the best life for his girl and himself. But the two meet and soon after, the sparks begin to fly and for both of them, life is about to be thrown into chaos. This young woman is a bright, intelligent, and very beautiful person, someone that any man would be lucky to be with, especially one as troubled as J.R. In other words, his wild lifestyle shows no signs of slowing down, at least not until he meets a very special girl (Zina Bethune). His job options are limited and thanks to his bad attitude, that doesn’t appear to be changing soon. He loves to spend time with his friends, but they often get into trouble and his life has minimal direction. (Harvey Keitel) is just an average young man, content to horse around with his friends and go with whatever comes up. It was re-released in the early 1970s under the title, J.R.Plot: What’s it about? Video: How does it look? Audio: How does it sound? Supplements: What are the extras? Plot: What’s it about? The background music is mostly 1950’s rock and doo-wop, but also includes The Doors. It’s worth seeing this raw film no matter the warts. Though Scorsese’s low-budget black-and-white first feature is primitive, it still intrigues by showcasing his potential talent that was to be realized in his wonderful career. The idler spends his time drinking with his pals, bullshitting with them and on one occasion taking a 3-day vacation with them to Copake, in upstate New York, and climbing a mountain, where he realizes there’s a world outside his neighborhood. hangs out with his main man, the lifeless Joey ( Lennard Karras), in a Little Italy pleasure club run by local gangster Salvatore ‘Sally’Gaga (Michael Scala). Scorsese was influenced by the shooting style of Godard and inspired by John Ford, and in one chatty Cassavetes-like scene Keitel’s movie buff character wax’s poetic on the legendary John Wayne and his commanding role in The Searchers. listens to her tell of being raped and insensitively calls her a whore and dumps the nice girl because she’s not a virgin. She’s reading a French magazine, as he picks her up on a Staten Island ferry ride. ( Harvey Keitel) and his doomed romance with a more sophisticated lady ( Zina Bethune). ![]() It’s set in NYC’s Little Italy and follows around some unpleasant youthful wiseguys in their everyday trite ventures, and focuses on the streetwise but strictly brought up Catholic J.R. The crude semi-autobiographical film is a forerunner to Scorsese’s powerful Mean Streets. After adding some nudity to spice it up as recommended by producers, it was retitled to its current name. Scorsese began shooting it in 1965 as a short school film called Bring on the Dancing Girls while he studied film at NYU and it was expanded into a feature retitled I Call First upon an initial Chicago festival release in 1967. This is noted filmmaker Martin Scorsese’s (“GoodFellas”/”Kundun”/”Shutter Island”) first feature film, at the age of 25. ![]() ![]() ![]() “ The crude semi-autobiographical film is a forerunner to Scorsese’s powerful Mean Streets.” (director/writer: Martin Scorsese cinematographer: Michael Wadley editor: Thelma Schoonmaker cast: Zina Bethune (The Girl), Harvey Keitel (J.R.), Lennard Karras (Joey), Michael Scala ( Salvatore ‘Sally’ Gaga), Wendy Russell (Sally’s Girlfriend), Philip Carlson ( Mountain Guide in Copake), Harry Northup (Rapist), Catherine Scorsese ( J.R.’s mother) Runtime: 90 MPAA Rating: R producers: Joseph Weill/ Betzi and Halg Manooglan Warner Bros. WHO’S THAT KNOCKING ON MY DOOR (aka: I CALL FIRST) (aka : J.R. ![]()
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