Martin Scorsese’s Wolf of Wall Street will have a running time of 165 minutes and will deliver on Christmas Day, says the Hollywood Reporter. The film has been cut from 180 down to 165. Really, America? You need those minutes cut to appreciate the film better? Either way, now it’s coming. The pic also stars Jonah Hill, Matthew McConaughey, and Rob Reiner.
Here is an excerpt from the book, posted at USA Today:
“To tell you the truth,” sputtered Scott, “I don’t think you’re cut out for this job. You look like a kid, and Wall Street’s no place for kids. It’s a place for killers. A place for mercenaries. So in that sense you’re lucky I’m not the one who does the hiring around here.” He let out a few ironic chuckles.
I bit my lip and said nothing. The year was 1987, and yuppie assholes like Scott seemed to rule the world. Wall Street was in the midst of a raging bull market, and freshly minted millionaires were being spit out a dime a dozen. Money was cheap, and a guy named Michael Milken had invented something called “junk bonds,” which had changed the way corporate America went about its business. It was a time of unbridled greed, a time of wanton excess. It was the era of the yuppie.
As we neared his desk, my yuppie nemesis turned to me and said, “I’ll say it again, Jordan: You’re the lowest of the low. You’re not even a cold caller yet; you’re a connector.” Disdain dripped off the very word. “And ’til you pass your Series Seven, connecting will be your entire universe. And that is why you are lower than pond scum. You got a problem with that?”
“Absolutely not,” I replied. “It’s the perfect job for me, because I am lower than pond scum.” I shrugged innocently.
Unlike Scott, I don’t look like a goldfish, which made me feel proud as he stared at me, searching my face for irony. I’m on the short side, though, and at the age of twenty-four I still had the soft boyish features of an adolescent. It was the sort of face that made it difficult for me to get into a bar without getting proofed. I had a full head of light brown hair, smooth olive skin, and a pair of big blue eyes. Not altogether bad-looking.
But, alas, I hadn’t been lying to Scott when I’d told him that I felt lower than pond scum. In point of fact, I did. The problem was that I had just run my first business venture into the ground, and my self-esteem had been run into the ground with it. It had been an ill-conceived venture into the meat and seafood industry, and by the time it was over I had found myself on the ass end of twenty-six truck leases – all of which I’d personally guaranteed, and all of which were now in default. So the banks were after me, as was some belligerent woman from American Express – a bearded, three-hundred-pounder by the sound of her – who was threatening to personally kick my ass if I didn’t pay up. I had considered changing my phone number, but I was so far behind on my phone bill that NYNEX was after me too.
We reached Scott’s desk and he offered me the seat next to his, along with some kind words of encouragement. “Look at the bright side,” he quipped. “If by some miracle you don’t get fired for laziness, stupidness, insolence, or tardiness, then you migt actually become a stockbroker one day.” He smirked at his own humor. “And just so you know, last year I made over three hundred thousand dollars, and the other guy you’ll be working for made over a million.”
Over a million? I could only imagine what an asshole the other guy was. With a sinking heart, I asked, “Who’s the other guy?”
“Why?” asked my yuppie tormentor. “What’s it to you?”
Sweet Jesus! I thought. Only speak when spoken to, you nincompoop! It was like being in the Marines. In fact, I was getting the distinct impression that this bastard’s favorite movie was An Officer and a Gentleman, and he was playing out a Lou Gossett fantasy on me – pretending he was a drill sergeant in charge of a substandard Marine. But I kept that thought to myself, and all I said was, “Uh, nothing, I was just, uh, curious.”
“His name is Mark Hanna, and you’ll meet him soon enough.”
With that, he handed me a stack of three-by-five index cards, each of them having the name and phone number of a wealthy business owner on it. “Smile and dial,” he instructed, “and don’t pick up your fucking head ’til twelve.” Then he sat down at his own desk, picked up a copy of The Wall Street Journal, and put his black crocodile dress shoes on the desktop and started reading.
Thanks for the info, Watermelons. Very disappointing to hear.
re: Tony Does anyone know if the recent 3D conversion of “The Last Emperor” is the theatrical cut or the longer version?
According to the Cannes site, the 3D cut is approximately 165 minutes, about the same as the theatrical version
(http://www.festival-cannes.fr/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/11412687/year/2013.html)
I guess now we know that Sasha is a size queen.
Seriously, though, it’s always better to leave people wanting more. I’ve seen very few films that have improved with extra footage.
That reminds me: Does anyone know if the recent 3D conversion of “The Last Emperor” is the theatrical cut or the longer version? (This movie was one of the few to benefit from added footage.)
i didnt mind casinos length. what i did mind was hearing sharon stones screaming and falling up and down the stairs for 3 hours lol.
best pic nominee or not..im sure this will be a good one.
Well, I hope Scorsese hits it out of the park. When was the last time he did that?
Hugo and The Departed were pretty great. You should see those if you haven’t.
The key here is the angle they take. It’s gotta be new. The 3 big kahunas of finance films for me are Wall Street. The Boiler Room. Margin Call. If this one can carve out an identity of its own then it’s smooth sailing to the Oscars. Marty can do it…I hope.
The best actor race is already locked up. No one is beating Ejiofor in 12 Years a Slave. No one. There is a moment of quiet introspection near the end of that film that will break anyone with a beating heart. Tom Hanks. Bruce Dern. Idris Elba. DiCaprio. They should all be gracious enough to accept a nomination.
Rufus – I’ll be thinking of you when I finally see 12YAS this weekend. Hope it’s all that and a bag of grits.
Steve50 – well it wouldn’t bother me if you said it. Marty exudes collegiality and conversations with film makers he hasn’t met. I’d say he was like that even before he edited Woodstock. So…whatever.
On 2 other threads I made Leo my sleeper pick to win Best Actor. Let’s make this the third time I suggested it.
The new trailer is a beaut! This Oscar race is on! 😀
Heres the new trailer!!! http://collider.com/wolf-of-wall-street-trailer/
I know we’re in the heat of the season so most people don’t have the inclination to talk about films from past years. But we’ve got a sensational thread going over at
https://www.awardsdaily.com/forum/ under “General”
Top 100 Films of All Time no less. Quite a few AD regulars have already contributed their favorite titles, and the lists are as diverse as they come. So if you’re into that sort of thing you should definitely join in the fun. Gazing at your favorite titles of all time surely is one of the best ways fellow readers have to start getting to know you as a citizen and as a cinephile!
Among the lists are my 1960’s Top 100, and just posted, my 2000’s Top 100.
I can hear any one of us saying to Mr Scorsese, “I liked it,” or “I loved it,” or “Didn’t care for it that much,” but never “You can do better.” Kinda outta our league to say that.
And a trim of 10 minutes only suits the number of showings per day, has no other benefit whatsoever, imo.
you make me laugh unlikely hood
“The film has been cut from 180 down to 165. Really, America? You need those minutes cut to appreciate the film better?”
Speaking on behalf of America, here’s our answer:
YES!!!!
Looking at Ryan’s list, I can confidently say of Marty’s films that Goodfellas, at 146 min, was the longest film he *should* have ever made.
This ought to be a fun Oscar season for debate. Comments were barely enabled back in The Departed time here, and since then I’ve agreed on the masterpiece-quality of Shutter Island and Hugo. WOWS is a win-win. Either it’s great, which would be awesome, or it’s not great, and I get to have fun picking apart Sasha and Ryan’s arguments. Their slavish devotion to Scorsese reminds me of the followers of Jim Jones or David Koresh – only Sasha and Ryan have less of a sense of humor about it.
As a kid, I got lucky enough to have an early VCR and to immerse myself in Mean Streets and Taxi Driver and Raging Bull. I’ve seen every Scorsese movie in theatres since The King of Comedy when I was 12. Let me amend that: I PAID FULL PRICE for all of them – I don’t live in screener/screening world like some people around here. I paid to walk into a theatre and see After Hours and The Color of Money. I paid to walk past protestors on the opening night of The Last Temptation of Christ (I was 17). I paid to see Kundun (and boy was that theater empty). I went back and rented Boxcar Bertha and Woodstock and the film he made about his parents.
So when I say Gangs of New York and The Aviator and The Departed were too long (but mostly great), it’s coming from a friend, okay? It’s coming from a true aficionado of the things he’s done…it’s a friend saying, “Hey Marty, I love you, you can do better.”
Hopefully none of this Monday morning quarterbacking will be necessary, and the film will just be terrific. But this news about 180-15=165 is awesome news. Thank you, movie gods, for shining a light of sense into Scorsese.
Oh, I forgot The Last Waltz. That could conceivably make top 10 Scorsese. Great great concert film! Up there with Gimme Shelter.
“I put Hugo on TOP 5 of his whole filmography, The Departed – not so much.”
I agree with you on The Departed. In a filmography, that includes Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, Mean Streets, King of Comedy…as well as Cape Fear, Kundun, The Age of Innocence, Casino, etc. No way Hugo cracks my top 5. If Scorsese surprises, he has a shot. There needs to be some angle, something new and fresh.
The longer, the better! Hope we can see the original director’s cut on DVD or smth.
That said so far #TeamGatsby, #TeamBanks & TeamJasmine!
“not Hugo or The Departed, which are realistically lesser Scorsese”
Realistic rankings can take a million mile walk down a nine hundred ninety nine thousand nine hundred ninety nine mile pier. Hugo could not ever be ‘knocked out of the park’ because it’s birthplace is the night sky, and its immortal resting place the cinema! 😀
-Watermelons
I put Hugo on TOP 5 of his whole filmography, The Departed – not so much.
Well, I hope Scorsese hits it out of the park. When was the last time he did that? Certainly not Hugo or The Departed, which are realistically lesser Scorsese. If he really brings it, like Bigelow and Spielberg did last year, and McQueen and Cuaron have done this year, that would certainly make for an interesting Oscars, especially for DiCaprio. If there’s anyone alive who should have at least two directing Oscars besides Coppola, it’s Scorsese…
“The pic also stars Jonah Hill, Matthew McConaughey, and Rob Reiner.”
IMDb also lists Oscar-nominated filmmaker Spike Jonze (Jackass: The Movie, Jackass 3D) as part of the cast.
Not sure if any full scene was even cut to get 15mins off. It’s just Thelma having fun with jump cuts. Many of them are unconventional and brave. I mean, she knows what tight is (no pun intended). Look at Cape Fear, not one second of “boring” image there. Marty is lucky to have her.
It might not even be a full 15 minutes trimmed. When we first heard of rough cut it was described as being “just under 3 hours”
As long as we’re splitting hairs and speculating, the original cut was probably more like 175-179 minutes long.
And the last 150+min Scorsese fictional film that did not get nominated for BP was Casino.
Major Scorsese films by length. Best Picture nominees in bold.
178 mins – Casino
170 mins – The Aviator (best director nomination)
167 mins – Gangs of New York (best director nomination)
* 165 mins – The Wolf of Wall Street
164 mins – Last Temptation of Christ (best director nomination)
151 mins – The Departed (best director win)
146 mins – Goodfellas (best director nomination)
139 mins – The Age of Innocence
138 mins – Shutter Island
134 mins – Kundun
129 mins – Raging Bull (best director nomination)
128 mins – Cape Fear
126 mins – Hugo (best director nomination)
113 mins – Taxi Driver
I have a feeling Margot Robbie will be the big surprise in the supporting actress race. You heard it here first.
Hell yeah
Big big smile on my face. First of all, that is one hell of a cool picture. Second of all, I think Christmas Day just seems like the perfect release date for that movie. It seems like the “big Oscar bait” release movie that comes out right at the end of the year. I am looking forward to this one more than any other movie all year.
Knowing the film is already in the can, any speculation of “rushing” from me and others has now been reduced to foolish talk, and this makes me very very happy. If the issue were always going to be mere 15-20 min. what are we gonna do? There were always going be time issues this day and age. They probably shouldn’t have been made public. I guess 1995 really is ages ago and nobody is willing to go through a CASINO anymore. So it really sounds like the whole thing was blown way out of proportion? I’d love to think so. Anyways as I said before knowing that for all practical purposes Scorsese’s final cut is already there is so reassuring, well before that November 25th date that was thrown around about a week ago. As for its Oscar chances, who’s to say.