I was hugely disappointed when I finally saw Martin Scorcese’s New York New York on DVD last year.

Scorcese’ reputation proceeds him, and a combination of Robert De Niro and Liza Minnelli, plus the show-stopping title track had to be a winner, right? Turns out its all a hot mess, with many lengthy (and seemingly part-improvised scenes) aimlessly going nowhere. (One suspects cocaine may have been involved in its production…)

De Niro plays a jazz saxophonist, Minnelli a singer (duh) in post-war New York, and they dance around the edges of a fractious relationship. Plot-wise, that’s about it. Critics were not particularly impressed and the movie was a box office failure. 

None of which detracts from the brilliance of Minnelli belting out New York New York at the end, but you are better searching this scene out on YouTube than sitting through the 2.5 hours that precede it.

This is the French poster, and one of a small set of lobby cards that I have for sale here.