Scorsese says he's open-minded about Netflix film revolution

14/10/2019 0:43

        Martin Scorsese said Sunday he's keeping an open mind about the cinema "revolution" sparked by the rise of video streaming services, as his Netflix-backed mafia epic "The Irishman" closed the London Film Festival . The director said the rise of streaming platforms was "an even bigger revolution than sound brought to cinema" because it "opens up the original conception of what a film is" and how it should be seen. Scorsese told reporters he thought it was still important that movies be experienced communally. "Homes are becoming theatres too but it's a major change and I think one has to keep an open mind," he said. "The Irishman" — about the reflections of a former Jimmy Hoffa associate and hitman — is due to have a theatrical run from Nov. 1 before its Nov. 27 release on Netflix. Scorsese took the project to Netflix after other studios turned it down, partly due to its length and the expensive de-aging digital effects used to make stars Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci a
        ppear decades younger. Scorsese said the CGI effects, which have come in for some criticism, were simply "an evolution of makeup." "You accept certain norms in make-up — you know he's not that old, she's not that young," he said. "You accept the illusion." The 209-minute film is Sunday's closing night gala for the 12-day London festival.