Blank Check with Griffin & David
Hosted by David Sims and Griffin Newman
Written by a model from the transcript; not yet reviewed.
This episode covers Martin Scorsese's breakthrough 1973 film Mean Streets, featuring guest Miriam Bale alongside hosts Griffin Newman and David Sims. The discussion examines how Scorsese used the film to synthesize his personal New York upbringing with classic Hollywood crime tropes, inventing a restless, improvised camera language and pioneering the use of diegetic pop music. The hosts explore Robert De Niro's star-making performance as Johnny Boy, the production hurdles of shooting primarily in Los Angeles on a micro-budget, and the movie's status as a foundational text for modern independent cinema.
The hosts launch the episode, joking about podcasts and segue into a discussion of Martin Scorsese’s early work, especially Mean Streets.
The episode covers the marketing of Mean Streets, production anecdotes, and the broader context of Scorsese’s early filmmaking journey.
Miriam Bale joins the show, and the hosts outline the episode’s focus on Mean Streets, its significance, and its place in Scorsese’s career.
The hosts discuss John Cassavetes’ influence on Scorsese, the making of Boxcar Bertha, and how Cassavetes encouraged Scorsese to create a personal film like Mean Streets.
The conversation shifts to Robert De Niro’s early roles, his relationship with Scorsese, and the casting dynamics that led to his iconic performance in Mean Streets.
The hosts discuss the correct pronunciation of Scorsese’s name, noting how it has been mispronounced and corrected over the years.
The hosts analyze De Niro’s on‑screen presence, his method, and how his public persona contrasts with his private process.
The conversation turns to the genesis of Mean Streets, its autobiographical roots, and the themes of Italian‑American identity and religious conflict.
The hosts examine how women are portrayed in Scorsese’s early work, especially in Mean Streets, and the evolution of his approach to female characters.
The discussion covers Scorsese’s struggle to secure financing, his interactions with Roger Corman, and the eventual distribution deal with Warner Bros.
The hosts debate the decision to shoot most of the film in Los Angeles, the challenges of recreating New York, and the impact on authenticity.
Scorsese’s influences from classic gangster movies such as Public Enemy and Little Caesar are explored, along with how they shaped Mean Streets.
The conversation shifts to the groundbreaking use of diegetic pop music in Mean Streets and its impact on film soundtracks.
The hosts wrap up the episode by reflecting on Scorsese’s career, his influence on filmmakers, and the lasting significance of Mean Streets.
The discussion focuses on Scorsese’s handheld camera work, his inspiration from directors like Fuller, and how the film’s kinetic energy was achieved.
The hosts dissect how Marty’s social life revolves around after‑hours clubs and the pursuit of women, highlighting the tension between living with parents and seeking independence.
The conversation turns to the film’s treatment of racism, gay characters, and the broader social dynamics of 1970s New York.
They trace Harvey Keitel’s career trajectory, from early collaborations to later roles, and discuss how his partnership with Scorsese shaped both men’s filmographies.
Iconic Dialogue Debateinsight
The hosts discuss the repetitive and frantic nature of the dialogue in Mean Streets, noting how characters constantly yell at each other and repeat phrases like what is the matter with you.
De Niro's Instant Stardominsight
The guests and hosts agree that Mean Streets marks the definitive birth of Robert De Niro as both a major actor and a distinct persona, highlighting his incredible screen presence.
John Cassavetes famously told Scorsese after seeing Boxcar Bertha that he had wasted a year of his life making a piece of shit and urged him to make a personal film instead.
Despite being set entirely in New York City's Little Italy, more than ninety percent of Mean Streets was actually filmed on location and on sets in Los Angeles due to budget constraints.
Necessity of Anxious Camera Workstrategy
The frantic handheld camera movements and lack of establishing shots were initially a product of having no time or equipment, which ultimately defined the anxious tone of the film.
Pioneering Pop Soundtracksinsight
The panel explains how Mean Streets revolutionized the use of popular music in cinema by treating needle drops as diegetic or organic extensions of the characters' world rather than traditional score.
Improvising the Backroom Scenestory
The famous backroom banter where characters rapidly trade wordplay and argue about names was largely developed through improvisation during rehearsals to set a comedic tone.
Reviewing the box office charts from October 1973, the hosts note that Mean Streets was released alongside an eclectic mix of softcore comedies, adult films, and martial arts hits like Enter the Dragon.
“The marketing of this film was like, this guy came from a place you can't even imagine.”
“I think the subtext of that story is he knew that's the way it would fire up Scorsese to actually make the move.”
“He talks like this and he has like, he's kind of gravelly and you hear it in the things and it's like, great.”
“And that part of it for him is that he feels like it needs to be private.”
“I think it's less that he's sad and that he's trapped and more that there's something he finds freeing in the idea of like,”
“Scorsese said like, 'Yeah, it's, it was important that it's like, you're seeing, even when it's not supposed to be diegetic within a scene, that you get the sense that it could be.'”
“He was a Fuller guy. He was a Hawks and Ford guy. And so that, that's really important to figuring out the films, that these same films that all feel junky, but some of them are really good.”
“The family was Scossazi or what is it? Scossi with double Z's in Sicily, which means Scottish or something like, you know, in Italian.”
“The only reason you would have your own apartment is so you could have sex there, which is a thing you like can't do.”
“Scorsese said that that scene is based off of a thing that happened at one of those clubs in his twenties and he was like, and we went to the other club that night.”
We're heading to Little Italy's San Gennaro festival this week with Griffy Parm, David Bags, and the great Miriam Bale as we chat about 1973's Mean Streets - a major breakthrough for both Martin Scorsese and Robert DeNiro. Join us as we chat about the seismic impact this film had on American cinema, DeNiro's screen persona, those iconic needledrops, and the ways racism and misogyny permeate the film's atmosphere. Also - did you know this movie was mostly filmed in Los Angeles!?! Listen to Bobby on Off Menu https://open.spotify.com/episode/4IyFppwu5CALsSIijJAy99 Follow @judis.annie on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/judis.annie/?hl=en Read the Next Scorsese series in Esquire https://classic.esquire.com/article/2000/3/1/the-next-scorsese-wes-anderson Listen to SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE https://spiritofthebeehive.bandcamp.com/ Sign up for Check Book https://blankcheckpod.substack.com/welcome, the Blank Check newsletter featuring even more “real nerdy shit” to feed your pop culture obsession. Dossier excerpts, film biz AND burger reports, and even more exclusive content you won’t want to miss out on. Join our Patreon for franchise commentaries and bonus episodes. http://www.patreon.com/blankcheck Follow us @blankcheckpod on Twitter https://x.com/blankcheckpod?lang=en, Instagram https://www.instagram.com/blankcheckpod/?hl=en, Threads https://www.threads.net/@blankcheckpod?xmt=AQGzctAh4mbWTwYzCV1pzNT6AMV9o99EOfymi8TLR5mTde0 and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/blankcheckpodcast/! Buy some real nerdy merch https://kinshipgoods.com/blankcheck Connect with other Blankies on our Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/blankies/s/gpcOkQr8Sv or Discord https://discord.gg/Q6YGSR3JrA For anything else, check out BlankCheckPod.com https://www.blankcheckpod.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.
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