Rating: 
Summary: A walk down Hollywood Blvd
Review: How much do I love Martin Scorsese ? more than any other director alive or dead. How objective am I when it comes to his work ? very !!! Therefore when I write that this is good, it is reaaaally good.
Here we meet with Marty the film geek during a 4hours long walk down memory lane. This documentary is constructed as MS's introduction to American Cinema, but far from being dry it is a passionate presentation that opens many perspectives, both on the history of cinema and on Scorsese's own filmmaking.
I recommend this documentary to anyone who calls himself a cinephile or anyone willing to do the work necessary to become a fully-fledged one. Yes, it is only US films but just give MS time enough and he might come up with an anthology of japanese cinema ;o)
This works perfectly with his Journey in Italy that maps out the key moments of Italian cinema, and is therefore an even more personal insight into MS's influences (good to see with his documentary on his parents Italianamerican, a very moving film with the incredible Catherine Scorsese !).
This documentary is a pure pleasure to watch, listening to MS talking about films is a delightful experience and will provide the attentive viewer with a better understanding of a bunch of cult/classic films. I would advise you to pay special attention to the part on The Searchers (in the westerns section), and then to screen Taxi Driver with this John Ford classic in mind, just to realize how influences and reinterpretation work in Scorsese's work.
Some can complain that MS doesn't speak about recent films, nevertheless I don't think it is relevant. What the film is trying to do is to actually give us tools to read into recent movies, into our film viewing experience ... I would like to hear more of what Scorsese has to say about The Godfather for instance, and I would loove to hear him saying awfull (and deserved things) about films such as Lethal Weapon, but that's not what he's here for. Moreover, it's harder to determine which recent movies are worth talking about/most important. Let's leave time to history to make a selection and hope for some other cinephile to take a look at the nineties in 30 years for instance.
Anyway, this DVD along with the one on the Italian cinema are true must have's or at least must see's (repeatedly!!!) for anyone who loves cinema / Scorsese.
Rating:
Summary: A real treat
Review: As of my receiving of this film last May, I must have watched it four times from start to finish. This is a more complete documentary on American cinema than any I had seen. It is very enjoyable to watch and share moments with the master director. One must be reminded, though, that most of the clips aren't from his most favorite films, but more so from scenes that inspired him in his own movies.
Rating:
Summary: Masterful Movie Commentary by The Master
Review: Equally fascinating for the film novice and scholar alike, Martin Scorsese provides us with an uniquely personal view of American cinema. This thoroughly fascinating video series will intrigue all those who are open-minded enough to learn from the broad vartiety of films which Scorsese has selected. This is a far cry from pretentious film school fare. Scorsese is equally comfortable discussing B-films as well as the more established classics. If you love American movies, you positively MUST own this boxed set. If you're new to film study, these tapes will help you to fall in love with film. An extraordinary delight.
Rating:
Summary: A Master Directors Vision
Review: For those of us who admire and study one of the true maestros of American film, this set is priceless! Going through Martin Scorsese's own chronologic recollections of the films, directors, cinematographers etc., that influenced his thinking and sensibilities, one is left with a sense of having been with him thorough this development. What a treat!
Understand that, just like his films, Scorsese covers a topic from his own, now recognizable perspective. He says, "I can't be objective here ...", right off the bat. The very title denotes the vision is "Personal...". It's Scorsese's vantage point. He makes no bones about that. I love that he doesn't even try to be global and universal on any of it. Isn't that what we love about a Scorsese film? He has a personal vision on what he experiences and shares it honestly, openly and candidly. And isn't that what a director does? Nobody does it like Scorsese.
I say: Thanks for sharing those thoughts with us Maestro Scorsese. What a personal pleasure it is having your notes on all those great films, on the era, on the cinematic technology, on the concurrent cinematic history that runs throughout, for another exposure to the Scorsese views and visions. Bravo, Maestro!Leon Rodriguez
Filmmaker Leon Rodriguez
Rating:
Summary: Every cinema buff and film student should own a copy
Review: How close is this to the syllabus of Prof. Scorsese's course at NYU? It really doesn't really make a difference to me whether these are his "personal" opinions or not--it's an incredibly valuable survey of cinematic technique. Particularly striking is the section entitled "The Director as Smuggler," highlighting how once-controversial themes were cloaked in the familiar fabric of genre pictures. Today when everything has to be so in-your-face obvious, there's a lot to be learned from these subtle visual and narrative tricks.
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Summary: A Brilliant, Unpretentious Film Teacher
Review: I don't know if Marty Scorsese teaches at New York University's Film School anymore. If he doesn't, it is a huge loss to the school. Here is a man, who if he weren't one of the world's top film directors, could have had an equally eminent career as one of the great film teachers of all time. Scorsese tells us that this is his highly personal collection of American film which had a profound influence upon him as a filmmaker. With this one qualifying statement, he then shows us film clip after film clip with his accompanying commentary about exactly what was so important to filmmakers about each film and how it influenced him. His delivery is casual, unpretentious, friendly and approachable. Hubby and I have watched this series several times and learned a great deal from it even though we thought we already knew a great deal. Since these are Scorsese's personal choices, naturally some films that we would have liked to have seen discussed aren't here. He's made it clear from the start though that you are sharing his journey; he is not sharing yours. Hard to see how you can go wrong with this series even if you disagree with every one of his choices since there is so much for the inquiring mind to discover from him.
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Summary: Scorsese's "Personal Journey" finally reaches DVD
Review: I'm so happy this title is finally coming out on DVD. When it was first released back in 1995 on VHS and laserdisc I never got around to seeing it. Then, it aired on the American Movie Classics channel. What a treat! It's so great to see one of America's finest Motion Picture directors, Martin Scorsese, talk lovingly about the films that influenced and inspired him. I've since seen most of the films he recommended and have to agree with him. I passed on the VHS because of quality. I passed on the laserdisc because it was too expensive. I won't pass up on the dvd. If you're a fan of Scorsese or just a fan of great American films then this is a must buy. Thanks, Marty!
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Summary: Oh what immense joy...
Review: If you love film and if you love marty, this wonderful journey will make your heart swell and your eyes water a bit. Take a wonderful trip through the forgotten/neglected films that have inspired Mr. Scorsese. After reading and hearing so much about Hitch and Kane and Stan, it's marvelously refreshing to find out about lesser known but equally talented artists such as King Vidor and (well, i can't remember -- so i'll have to watch it again). Probably THE most fantastic four hours I've spent with a film.
Rating: 
Summary: Fascinating and disappointing
Review: Listening to Martin Scorsese talk about movies is always a pleasure, and the depth of his knowledge never fails to astound. But in this documentary, Scorsese isn't really talking -- he's reciting a script, if a very well-written one. This has the very unfortunate effect of dousing much of Scorsese's spontaneous spark, which is so captivating in other documentaries and interviews (esp. "Martin Scorsese Directs" on PBS's American Masters several years ago). And for this 38-year-old non-film buff, most of the movies discussed are either unfamiliar or not-yet-seen -- Scorsese states that he doesn't want to talk about the work of his contemporaries. One ends up making a great list of films to see, but also still longing to hear what he thinks about films you know well.
Rating: 
Summary: The Mind behind Taxi Driver
Review: Martin Scorcese is one of America's greatest filmmakers. His often-intelligent filmmaking shows his constant study of the art of film. (Recent films seem to lack that cohesion).This documentary offers Martin an opportunity to share with his audience the films that influenced his own filmmaking. And with his generous commentary, he even makes the connections for us. Delivered in three parts, the films studied are most often rare or totally unknown to most younger viewers. That is also the documentaries shortcoming. It is ambitious to speak of unknown films but for viewers to totally understand the analogies suggested, a familiarity with the full work is imperative. The result is a fascinating dissection of film but beware of the obscure film references. They don't open the door for a visit to the video store. Here, a visit to the AFI greatest films would be more fruitful. How I'd love to see the same documentary where Scorcese spoke of those...
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