THE SCORSESE SELECTION

I LOVE MOVIES. THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO WRITE this column. I also love to see them presented as well as possible. Obviously, there's no substitute for a good 35mm print, but the reality is that most people don't have access to the archives, museums and film societies in the major cities that show them.

I've been excited by the improvements in presentation on TV and the various delivery systems-movie channels like the ones we cover here, downloads, Pay Per View and, of course, DVDs, regular as well as HD and Blu-ray.

I just want to stress, once again, how important it is to see the work under the best possible conditions: digital masters made with care from the best elements, with the right aspect ratio, a clean soundtrack, no commercials. The presentation of movies at home keeps getting better and better. Let's hope it stays that way. -Martin Scorsese

The Bible: In the Beginning...

This picture has taken so many knocks over the years that it appears to be unredeemable, but it isn't.

Once Upon a Time in America

Once Upon a Time in America is grand, operatic, and it is structured as a meditation on the passing of time and history...

Investigating Sex

The film was made on a low budget, and it's animated by a spirit of group creativity. That's quite rare in movies today.

Moonrise

Moonrise stands alone in 1940s Hollywood. It was a failure in its time, but now it seems like one of the great pictures of its era.