Martin Scorsese Defends 3.5-Hour Runtime of His New Film, Killers of the Flower Moon: “Come On, You Can Sit in Front of the TV and Watch Somethin...

[Tsing]

Is 3.5 hours too long for a film? For director Martin Scorsese, the answer to that is a clear "no," having directed yet another feature, Killers of the Flower Moon, that lasts long enough to require multiple bathroom breaks. Scorsese, who turns 81 next month, pointed out in a recent interview with the Hindustan Times that he's heard complaints of the movie's extensive runtime, but that they should be dismissed, as people seem to have no problem spending hours sitting around watching other sorts of entertainment, including TV and theater. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert Deniro, and Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon is out in theaters on Friday, October 20, with an Apple TV+ release planned for a later date.

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[MadMummy76]

I start to frown even when movies exceed the 2 hour mark. There is absolutely no reason why you can't tell a story in 90-120 minutes. Anything more is excess and self-indulgence.

 

[Peter_Brosdahl]

I'm happy with some movies in the 2-hour range but I think that has been severely overdone in recent years. I do like a nice 90-minute run when they can get the pacing and story told but most filmmakers these days seem incapable of that. When it comes to 3-4 hours movies, I'm mostly out. The only exceptions are the extended LOTR movies which, when I was younger, I could make it through but now will break up into multiple sessions.

I think Scorsese ought to look into a Netflix contract. They're great at overextending content well beyond where it should've stopped.

 

[Grimlakin]

3.5 hours means I will wait for the movie to come to streaming. No way do I want to spend 40 bucks to miss parts of the movie because I need to use the restroom.

 

[Dan_D]

I've always thought Martin Scorsese was one of those pretentious Hollywood dickheads who thinks their farts don't stink and that what they do is some form of high art and that if you don't get it, you are some sort of plebian.

On the other hand, people have no problem marathoning TV shows and watching 3, 4 or more hours of a TV show in a single day. That being said, there is a big difference between doing this at home and going to a movie theatre.

 

[Zarathustra]

Honestly, in my house we haven't watched a single movie or TV series since late 2020 / early 2021.

In large part this is because at the end of the day we are tired and need to get to bed. We could probably fit in a hour and a half film. Maybe even a hour and 45 minutes, but anything over that is just straight up never going to happen.

And at this point we have lost track of where we were with all of the series we were watching, can't remember plot lines, and don't even know which seasons are out.

We were watching (in no particular order)
- Better Call Saul
- Picard
- Discovery
- The Marvelous Ms. Maisel
- Space Force
- The Mandalorian

...but since we started our house shopping process in late 2020 and closed on our house in May 2022 there simply has been no time. Not enough mental time to keep track of TV series, and not enough physical time to watch movies.

...and to be honest, I'm not sure I miss it.

 

[Zarathustra]

3.5 hours means I will wait for the movie to come to streaming. No way do I want to spend 40 bucks to miss parts of the movie because I need to use the restroom.

With the exception of this years release of Indiana Jones (because I had to watch that) I haven't been to a movie theater since the first JJ Abrams Star Trek film came out. When was that? 2009?

Movies at the Theater are pretty much dead to me.

Over-priced concessions, not being able to pause for bathroom breaks/drink refills, and - the worst - having to deal with the dreaded other people mean I never want to go to a theater again, and I was reminded of why when I saw Indiana Jones, and it just reinforced my determination to stay away for good.

That, and if a $5 ticket price can't both pay the studio and have enough left over in it for the theater to be profitable, then they need to **** right off. No more of this dumping cash on the studios and making up for it in concessions. If they can't make the business model work, go out of business. We don't need or want you.

 

[Peter_Brosdahl]

there simply has been no time. Not enough mental time to keep track of TV series, and not enough physical time to watch movies.

This has been us for much of the last couple of years and we often decide that quality time together or doing separate projects is usually more preferable to trying to "find" something to watch but beyond that very similar, 45-60 is about the max watch limit before we fall asleep.

 

[DrezKill]

I always laugh when these @sswipes say their movies ONLY work on a big theater screen, not a TV or monitor in your home. Not to mention modern HDTVs (and monitors) absolutely destroy theater screens in image quality. These fools are some laughable buffoons.

I used to watch John Carmack QuakeCon keynote talks that were 3 hours and 4 hours, and by the time I was done it felt like 20 f*cking minutes. Is Scorcese's new movie that interesting? Somehow I doubt it.

I abandoned theaters long ago, cuz their prices suck, I need to be able to pause to go to the bathroom or deal with food (and being able to rewind is nice too), I don't have to deal with dickbags talking on their phone or to each other in the movie theater (which I why I tended to go to movie theaters on weekday mornings), and ever since I was a kid watching TV I always really hated to watch sh1t according to a schedule someone else set (and I also hated commercials). The Internet freed me from all that BS. Now I just go to the "community library" and "check out" a BD movie or entire seasons of a TV show with my "library card".

I did return to movie theaters briefly for a couple years around 2017. That's because a decent theater not too far from me had $6 Tuesdays. Nice screens and sound systems, reclining seats, so I said sure, why not. And it was not bad. But it still couldn't hold me, and after a few movies I abandoned theaters again. Watching at home is a vastly superior experience. Plus the food is way the f*ck cheaper. And regardless at what time of day you see a movie, there are always bound to be annoying people ruining the experience. Weekday mornings just tended to reduce the chances I had of encountering such people.

Since I'm a guy that watches sh1t at home, 3-hour movies don't bother me. They did when I saw them in theaters though, like LotR: RotK. Also if you arrive at a sold-out showing late, you often have to take the sh1tty front seats. Your neck will definitely appreciate you looking almost straight up for 3 hours.

I don't know how many other people do this, but I've been known to watch movies in multiple sittings. If I didn't feel like watching the rest immediately, I would come back to it later. I also have a preference for watching stuff while I eat, so if I finish a meal, I'll come back to the movie when I take my next meal. A movie that's an hour and a half yeah that's not a problem to finish in one sitting. But somewhere past 2 hours, yeah sure I'll come back to it later if necessary.

I will say that Scorcese has a point about people being able to binge watch shows for 5 hours (which I definitely can't f*cking do, after a few episodes I'm out), but he fails to realize that they are doing this in the comfort of their own home. As for live theater, well they usually have intermissions. Does his long-@ss movie have an intermission?

The only exceptions are the extended LOTR movies which, when I was younger, I could make it through but now will break up into multiple sessions.

Exactly, same here.

No way do I want to spend 40 bucks to miss parts of the movie because I need to use the restroom.

Wait wait wait... you're paying HOW much for movie tickets?!

Over-priced concessions, not being able to pause for bathroom breaks/drink refills, and - the worst - having to deal with the dreaded other people mean I never want to go to a theater again, and I was reminded of why when I saw Indiana Jones, and it just reinforced my determination to stay away for good.

Yupz, everything you said there, fuuuuck all of that.