Michael Powell

Made films the shows talk about.

Wikidata Q55234: matched by corpus:resolve, told apart by of 21 people by that name, the one in film or television.

Counted as other. The films the hosts said they were tied to, which the two lists below run through too: Raging Bull (1980); After Hours (1985); Goodfellas (1990). Count them as director (3 films) instead.

Draws on

What the speakers say they, or a film of theirs, drew on. Each is a speaker's account: “the maker said so” when they report the maker's own words, “the host's read” when the read is theirs.

The Last Temptation of Christ (1988): 3 lines

  1. career (personal projection) · through After Hours (1985), which they were tied to as visitor on set who pitched the 'back to work' ending: The Last Temptation of Christ ⇒ After Hours (the maker said so: Scorsese quoted in an oral history). Scorsese worked Kafka's Before the Law into the club doorman scene to reflect his frustration over Last Temptation.
    “inspired by Franz Kafka's before the law. And Scorsese said the short story reflected his frustration toward the production of the Last Temptation of Christ.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘After Hours’ with Bill Simmons and Sean Fennessey · 1:23:31 · Sean Fennessey (0.50 sure it was them)
  2. unmapped (cause) · through After Hours (1985), which they were tied to as visitor on set who pitched the 'back to work' ending: The Last Temptation of Christ ⇒ After Hours (the maker said so: a Scorsese quote on After Hours being a reaction to the Last Temptation ordeal). After Paramount collapsed Last Temptation, Scorsese wanted a cheap, personal film; After Hours is his reaction to the Hollywood ordeal.
    “it's a reaction against my year and a half into Hollywood trying to get last temptation to Christ made.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · After Hours with Alison Sivitz · 0:50:49 · unknown host (quoting Scorsese) (0.35 sure it was them)
  3. unmapped (sliding door) · through After Hours (1985), which they were tied to as visitor on set who pitched the 'back to work' ending: The Last Temptation of Christ ⇒ After Hours (the host's read). Paramount cancelling Last Temptation sent Scorsese to a small fast job; one of movie history's sliding doors.
    “it is one of the massive sliding doors in movie history because him not making it leads to him making this movie”
    The Rewatchables · ‘After Hours’ with Bill Simmons and Sean Fennessey · 0:17:03 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)

After Hours (1985): 2 lines, within their own work

  1. unmapped (stylistic seed) · through Goodfellas (1990), which they were tied to as read the Goodfellas script and wrote Scorsese a letter: After Hours ⇒ Goodfellas (the host's read). Sean says the fast cutting, whip-pans and close-ups in After Hours are the seeds of Goodfellas' look, via cinematographer Michael Ballhaus.
    “just seeing all the seeds of Goodfellas and all these little edits and camera shots.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘After Hours’ with Bill Simmons and Sean Fennessey · 0:04:02 · Sean Fennessey (0.70 sure it was them)
  2. career (career hinge) · through Goodfellas (1990), which they were tied to as read the Goodfellas script and wrote Scorsese a letter: After Hours ⇒ Goodfellas (the host's read). Bill says Goodfellas does not happen if After Hours does not happen first; the cancelled Last Temptation is the sliding door.
    “I don't know if Goodfellas happens.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘After Hours’ with Bill Simmons and Sean Fennessey · 0:17:21 · Sean Fennessey (0.50 sure it was them)

Annie Hall (1977): 1 line

  1. unmapped (zeitgeist precedent) · through Raging Bull (1980), which they were tied to as Scorsese mentor; advised against Shakespeare ending and noted glove color: Annie Hall ⇒ Raging Bull (the host's read). Annie Hall established the late-70s map for human-frailty stories with comedy and fragile men, which Scorsese then exploited to horrify.
    “part of that map is is Annie Hall.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Raging Bull with David Krumholtz · 1:32:35 · Griffin Newman or David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)

Baby It's You (1983): 1 line

  1. lineage (production lineage) · through After Hours (1985), which they were tied to as visitor on set who pitched the 'back to work' ending: Baby It's You ⇒ After Hours (the host's read). Without Baby It's You (Dunn/Robinson, Arquette, Ballhaus) there is no After Hours, since it brought Ballhaus to Scorsese.
    “without that movie, we don't have after hours either because they bring Michael Bauhaus to Scorsese.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘After Hours’ with Bill Simmons and Sean Fennessey · 1:16:29 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)

Ernst Lubitsch: 1 line

  1. unmapped (comic technique) · through After Hours (1985), which they were tied to as visitor on set who pitched the 'back to work' ending: Ernst Lubitsch ⇒ After Hours (the host's read). The film's elegant timing and characterization is Scorsese flexing Lubitsch, his filmmaking hero.
    “this is the movie where Marty gets to flex a little Lubich stuff, who was obviously a big filmmaking hero of his”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · After Hours with Alison Sivitz · 0:39:55 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)

Fritz Lang: 1 line

  1. lineage (influence) · through After Hours (1985), which they were tied to as visitor on set who pitched the 'back to work' ending: Fritz Lang ⇒ After Hours (the maker said so: Scorsese's own account of his influences on the film). Lang's nighttime nightmare noirs (M, Manhunt, Woman in the Window) were influences.
    “And then some Fritz Lange movies. like M, Manhunt, Woman in the Window, you know, nighttime noiry, nightmare movies, stuff like that.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · After Hours with Alison Sivitz · 0:51:36 · unknown host (0.35 sure it was them)

Isle of the Dead (1945): 1 line

  1. lineage (influence) · through After Hours (1985), which they were tied to as visitor on set who pitched the 'back to work' ending: Isle of the Dead ⇒ After Hours (the maker said so: Scorsese's own account of his influences on the film). Scorsese cited Isle of the Dead, a one-night Greek island story, as an influence.
    “Isle of the Dead, a Val Luton movie that takes place like over one night on a Greek island.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · After Hours with Alison Sivitz · 0:51:19 · unknown host (0.35 sure it was them)

Italianamerican (1974): 1 line

  1. lineage (dialogue rhythm source) · through Raging Bull (1980), which they were tied to as Scorsese mentor; advised against Shakespeare ending and noted glove color: Italianamerican ⇒ Raging Bull (the host's read). Scorsese's parents fighting in Italianamerican and American Boy taught him the rhythm replicated in Raging Bull's family fight scenes.
    “And so much of his parents fighting in Italian American is the feeling of the family fight scenes in this movie.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Raging Bull with David Krumholtz · 1:58:33 · Griffin Newman or David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)

Joe Frank: 1 line

  1. unmapped (alleged plagiarism) · through After Hours (1985), which they were tied to as visitor on set who pitched the 'back to work' ending: Joe Frank ⇒ After Hours (the maker said so: Joe Frank himself, as reported in a 2000 Salon profile). Joe Frank's 1982 monologue 'Lies' was allegedly lifted for After Hours' opening act; 'Lies' was the script's first title.
    “the opening act is basically ripping off a 1982 monologue he had called lies, which is the 1st title of this script.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · After Hours with Alison Sivitz · 0:37:27 · unknown host (reading JJ Bersch's research) (0.40 sure it was them)

New York, New York (1977): 1 line

  1. career (career crisis) · through Raging Bull (1980), which they were tied to as Scorsese mentor; advised against Shakespeare ending and noted glove color: New York, New York ⇒ Raging Bull (the host's read). New York, New York's failure and bad reviews, with drugs and a collapsing marriage, pushed Scorsese toward making Raging Bull as a lifeline.
    “New York, New York comes out to bad reviews.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Raging Bull with David Krumholtz · 0:46:51 · Griffin Newman or David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)

North by Northwest (1959): 1 line

  1. lineage (influence) · through After Hours (1985), which they were tied to as visitor on set who pitched the 'back to work' ending: North by Northwest ⇒ After Hours (the maker said so: Scorsese's own account of his influences on the film). The world-against-him framed-man structure of North by Northwest was an influence.
    “That's sort of like the world is against him. He's been framed.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · After Hours with Alison Sivitz · 0:51:28 · unknown host (0.35 sure it was them)

On the Waterfront (1954): 1 line

  1. unmapped (meta ending) · through Raging Bull (1980), which they were tied to as Scorsese mentor; advised against Shakespeare ending and noted glove color: On the Waterfront ⇒ Raging Bull (the host's read). LaMotta recites the Waterfront monologue flat; the film swapped it in for Shakespeare, which Michael Powell vetoed.
    “So they they instead go for the on the waterfront because that's kind of like that's his iconography.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Raging Bull with David Krumholtz · 0:55:17 · Griffin Newman or David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)

Rear Window (1954): 1 line

  1. lineage (stealth homage) · through After Hours (1985), which they were tied to as visitor on set who pitched the 'back to work' ending: Rear Window ⇒ After Hours (the host's read). The neighborhood shooting seen through a window is a Hitchcock rear-window moment never mentioned again; Hitchcock and Fritz Lang noir are influences.
    “there's Hitchcock and Fritz Lange Noir movies are a huge influence on this movie, and that's like such a perfect rear window moment”
    The Rewatchables · ‘After Hours’ with Bill Simmons and Sean Fennessey · 0:58:09 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)

Rocky (1976): 1 line

  1. theme (anti-genre) · through Raging Bull (1980), which they were tied to as Scorsese mentor; advised against Shakespeare ending and noted glove color: Rocky ⇒ Raging Bull (the maker said so). Scorsese shot in black and white to differentiate from Rocky-era bright red-white-and-blue boxing movies, and producer Winkler produced both.
    “Number one, I want to differentiate from the Rockies and all the other sort of boxing movies right now.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Raging Bull with David Krumholtz · 1:08:55 · Griffin Newman or David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)

The King of Comedy (1982): 1 line

  1. industry (studio retreat) · through After Hours (1985), which they were tied to as visitor on set who pitched the 'back to work' ending: The King of Comedy ⇒ After Hours (the maker said so: Scorsese's quote, via Biskind). King of Comedy bombing and Fox pulling it set up Scorsese's retreat to small-scale After Hours; he said 70s directors had lost to studios.
    “And that was when I really understood that the 70s were over for me”
    The Rewatchables · ‘After Hours’ with Bill Simmons and Sean Fennessey · 0:18:28 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)

The Wizard of Oz (1939): 1 line

  1. lineage (homage) · through After Hours (1985), which they were tied to as visitor on set who pitched the 'back to work' ending: The Wizard of Oz ⇒ After Hours (the host's read). Dark-side-of-the-yellow-brick-road version; Dorothy walks into black and white instead of color, with 'surrender Dorothy' graffiti and Marcy's Seconal tie to Judy Garland.
    “it is like very much a Wizard of Oz kind of homage, and it's like if Dorothy instead walked into the black and white darkness”
    The Rewatchables · ‘After Hours’ with Bill Simmons and Sean Fennessey · 0:11:14 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)

Drawn on by

What the speakers say drew on them or a film of theirs, marked the same way.

Killers of the Flower Moon (2023): 3 lines

  1. craft (opening style) · through Goodfellas (1990), which they were tied to as read the Goodfellas script and wrote Scorsese a letter: Goodfellas ⇒ Killers of the Flower Moon (the host's read). The opening tracking shot echoes the Copacabana shot before the film rejects that mode.
    “It was a very long tracking shot through Leo's arrival, which is, you know, gesturing to Copacabana”
    The Big Picture · ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ Is Astounding · 0:14:19 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)
  2. contrast (inverts) · through Goodfellas (1990), which they were tied to as read the Goodfellas script and wrote Scorsese a letter: Goodfellas ⇒ Killers of the Flower Moon (the host's read). Same crimes by white men but with no romance or good life, a deliberate answer to Goodfellas' seductiveness.
    “there's a romance to Goodfellas that does not exist here.”
    The Big Picture · ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ Is Astounding · 0:28:46 · Amanda Dobbins (0.50 sure it was them)
  3. unmapped (narration trick) · through Goodfellas (1990), which they were tied to as read the Goodfellas script and wrote Scorsese a letter: Goodfellas ⇒ Killers of the Flower Moon (the host's read). Molly's voiceover recalls Karen taking over narration in Goodfellas.
    “Goodfellas does this. There's a moment when Karen takes over the narration.”
    The Big Picture · ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ Is Astounding · 1:08:58 · Sean Fennessey (0.50 sure it was them)

Goodfellas (1990): 2 lines, within their own work

  1. unmapped (stylistic seed) · through After Hours (1985), which they were tied to as visitor on set who pitched the 'back to work' ending: After Hours ⇒ Goodfellas (the host's read). Sean says the fast cutting, whip-pans and close-ups in After Hours are the seeds of Goodfellas' look, via cinematographer Michael Ballhaus.
    “just seeing all the seeds of Goodfellas and all these little edits and camera shots.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘After Hours’ with Bill Simmons and Sean Fennessey · 0:04:02 · Sean Fennessey (0.70 sure it was them)
  2. career (career hinge) · through After Hours (1985), which they were tied to as visitor on set who pitched the 'back to work' ending: After Hours ⇒ Goodfellas (the host's read). Bill says Goodfellas does not happen if After Hours does not happen first; the cancelled Last Temptation is the sliding door.
    “I don't know if Goodfellas happens.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘After Hours’ with Bill Simmons and Sean Fennessey · 0:17:21 · Sean Fennessey (0.50 sure it was them)

The Color of Money (1986): 2 lines

  1. career (career bridge) · through After Hours (1985), which they were tied to as visitor on set who pitched the 'back to work' ending: After Hours ⇒ The Color of Money (the host's read). The camera moves of After Hours carry into Color of Money's pool table, tied to Ballhaus; both lead to Goodfellas.
    “that same thing, that camera is flying across the pool table.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘After Hours’ with Bill Simmons and Sean Fennessey · 0:30:24 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)
  2. people (origin of collaboration) · through Raging Bull (1980), which they were tied to as Scorsese mentor; advised against Shakespeare ending and noted glove color: Raging Bull ⇒ The Color of Money (the host's read). Newman watched Raging Bull on Ovitz's recommendation and wanted to work with Scorsese.
    “Paul Newman watches Raging Bull on, I guess Ovid's his recommendation and says, like, that's one of the best things I've ever seen.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · The Color of Money with Chris Ryan · 0:53:44 · unknown (0.30 sure it was them)

A Bronx Tale (1993): 1 line

  1. unmapped (borrowing) · through Goodfellas (1990), which they were tied to as read the Goodfellas script and wrote Scorsese a letter: Goodfellas ⇒ A Bronx Tale (the host's read). The bar-introduction scene of nicknamed mobsters is called a borderline Goodfellas ripoff.
    “Meeting everyone in the bar, which is just a borderline Goodfellas ripoff.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘A Bronx Tale’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey, and Van Lathan · 0:55:08 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)

Date Night (2010): 1 line

  1. theme (genre mutation) · through After Hours (1985), which they were tied to as visitor on set who pitched the 'back to work' ending: After Hours ⇒ Date Night (the host's read). Date Night is After Hours turned into an action movie, piling on too much incident.
    “Date night is action movie after hours.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · After Hours with Alison Sivitz · 0:35:40 · unknown host (0.40 sure it was them)

Go (1999): 1 line

  1. lineage (influence) · through After Hours (1985), which they were tied to as visitor on set who pitched the 'back to work' ending: After Hours ⇒ Go (the host's read). Go is late-90s After Hours with weird cameos.
    “they should have paid royalties to Sworses.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘After Hours’ with Bill Simmons and Sean Fennessey · 1:31:36 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)

Martin Scorsese: 1 line

  1. unmapped (mentor) · them, directly: Michael Powell ⇒ Martin Scorsese (the host's read). Powell, exiled British filmmaker married to Schoonmaker, mentored Scorsese and helped with After Hours' ending and tone.
    “he was one of the people who helped him figure out the ending, helped him determine the tone.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘After Hours’ with Bill Simmons and Sean Fennessey · 1:36:57 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)

My Blue Heaven: 1 line

  1. lineage (lineage) · through Goodfellas (1990), which they were tied to as read the Goodfellas script and wrote Scorsese a letter: Goodfellas ⇒ My Blue Heaven (the host's read). My Blue Heaven is blown out by Goodfellas as it is the same movie, like a sequel.
    “It got kind of blown out of the water by Goodfellas because it's the same movie.”
    The Big Picture · The 1990 Movie Draft · 1:31:51 · unknown (0.40 sure it was them)

The King of Comedy (1982): 1 line

  1. lineage (spiritual sequel) · through Raging Bull (1980), which they were tied to as Scorsese mentor; advised against Shakespeare ending and noted glove color: Raging Bull ⇒ The King of Comedy (the host's read). King of Comedy is a part-2 of sorts about a delusional comedian, echoing LaMotta's stand-up, and is part of a De Niro trilogy with Taxi Driver.
    “There's the king of comedy, the spiritual sequel to Raging Bull.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Raging Bull with David Krumholtz · 1:55:42 · unknown host (0.30 sure it was them)

The Lovebirds (2020): 1 line

  1. lineage (unofficial remake) · through After Hours (1985), which they were tied to as visitor on set who pitched the 'back to work' ending: After Hours ⇒ The Lovebirds (the host's read). The Lovebirds tried to be the After Hours of its day but never works.
    “on paper, you were like, yeah, sure, it's been too long since someone tried to make after hours.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · After Hours with Alison Sivitz · 0:35:09 · unknown host (0.35 sure it was them)

The Night Before (2015): 1 line

  1. lineage (unofficial remake) · through After Hours (1985), which they were tied to as visitor on set who pitched the 'back to work' ending: After Hours ⇒ The Night Before (the host's read). After Hours is the template for modern one-crazy-night New York comedies, none of which reach it.
    “It is one of those movies that kind of is like unofficially remade every 5 years.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · After Hours with Alison Sivitz · 0:34:18 · unknown host (0.40 sure it was them)

Uncut Gems (2019): 1 line

  1. lineage (influence) · through After Hours (1985), which they were tied to as visitor on set who pitched the 'back to work' ending: After Hours ⇒ Uncut Gems (the host's read). Uncut Gems owes a heavy debt to After Hours; Go is also described as owing it royalties.
    “could a movie owe more of a debt to after hours than the cut gems.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘After Hours’ with Bill Simmons and Sean Fennessey · 1:31:19 · Sean Fennessey (0.50 sure it was them)

What the speakers said they did

Directing (3) everyone in directing

Other (4) everyone in other

What was said about them, by kind

people (1)

  1. people (people): Thelma Schoonmaker → Michael Powell. Powell, Scorsese's mentor, married Schoonmaker around the time of After Hours, and the two of them helped Scorsese.
    “became a huge mentor to Scorsese at this time and married Thelma Scoonmaker right before this movie, I think, or maybe right after.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘After Hours’ with Bill Simmons and Sean Fennessey · 1:36:40 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)

unmapped (3)

  1. unmapped (mentor advice): Michael Powell → Raging Bull. Powell noted the gloves would not have been red in that era and rejected Shakespeare for the ending.
    “the gloves wouldn't be red back then, because he had, like, red boxing gloves.”
    Blank Check with Griffin & David · Raging Bull with David Krumholtz · 1:08:39 · Griffin Newman or David Sims (0.40 sure it was them)
  2. unmapped (mentor): Michael Powell → Martin Scorsese. Powell, exiled British filmmaker married to Schoonmaker, mentored Scorsese and helped with After Hours' ending and tone.
    “he was one of the people who helped him figure out the ending, helped him determine the tone.”
    The Rewatchables · ‘After Hours’ with Bill Simmons and Sean Fennessey · 1:36:57 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)
  3. unmapped (early reader): Michael Powell → Goodfellas. Powell read the Goodfellas script and wrote Scorsese a letter praising it.
    “he sent the script to Michael Powell of Powell and Pressberger to get his thoughts”
    Blank Check — Patreon · The Killing with Patton Oswalt (Ad-Free) · 1:14:09 · Griffin Newman (0.50 sure it was them)

Fun items about them

None.