Martin Scorsese Talks Creative Energy, Sinatra Biopic – and That Drinking Game

Just as he does with the images in the films he makes, Martin Scorsese packs a lot into his words.

Just look what PopcornBiz was able to cover with the legendary director in just a few moments on the red carpet at the Santa Barbara Film Festival as he continues his victory tour for “Hugo” throughout various awards ceremonies: his incredible prolific-ness  of the past year, the state of his plans for a Frank Sinatra biopic and even that Scorsese-centric drinking game you might have noticed at the SAG Awards.

Why do you think this point of your life has been so creatively energized in the past year or so, with “Hugo,” “Boardwalk Empire” and “George Harrison: Living In the Material World?”

Yeah – they all seemed to come out of the same year, from November 2010 to November 2011, and “A Letter to Elia Kazan,” and 'Public Speaking” with Fran Lebowitz. For me, there's almost a kind of, at times, manic nature about what to do: say this, go here, try that, because cinema is changing so much, it's unrecognizable for the future, really – I mean, celluloid pretty much is gone. It is gone in a way, except for the fact that celluloid is the only thing really that preserves the film up to this point. So, you still need it for that.

In three days you’ve been among the Directors Guild nominees, you’ve been honored with the American Riviera Award from the Santa Barbara International Film Festival and the “Bridesmaids” ladies pay tribute to you with a drinking game at the Screen Actors Guild Awards – It's been a pretty great week, right?

The drinking game was really amazing! I didn't know about it until this morning – I saw the clip this morning. One of the interviewers showed it to me. I was laughing. They got the name right: Scor-sese. That's close enough.

Where are you on the Frank Sinatra film you’ve been developing? That has to be a staggering project to tackle.

It is. That's why we're taking our time with it, working with the family also and beginning with a new writer in March.

Is it something that could even be told in more than one movie, because his Sinatra’s life is so epic in scope?

That's the problem! Do you focus in on one element of his life or do you do a series of pictures? This is all open to interpretation. I mean, there might be one way of just zeroing in like a laser. We had a similar problem with 'Raging Bull,' but there are many more facets to Sinatra's life you see.

Do you have an actor in mind for that?

Not yet, not yet. How could you? I mean – It's Frank.

 

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