Every great director has made a bad movie. Spielberg had 1941. Tarantino is still attached to Four Rooms. Scorsese did New York New York, but that in itself makes it fascinating.
The improvised dialogue just goes on forever. De Niro hits on Liza Minelli and she rebuffs for 12 minutes. De Niro scams the hotel clerk in an extended run. They just don’t cut to the point like the Christopher Guest movies
Still, the jazz music is good. The movie Minelli’s character makes pays off the story, but it comes over two hours in.
So New York New York is no One From the Heart. Coppola’s backlot musical is insane with rebuilding Las Vegas and doing artful scene transitions, and its longest cut is only 107 minutes.
The 4K UHD preserves the 1.66 frame. You see all the detail in the pavement which was a set. 4K brings out the deep black in the artificial city backdrop, and in the void surrounding the circle of light provided by a street light. The corners of the backlot are shrouded in shadow. So are the interiors of cars in the front and backseat. Stage light too, especially when the spotlight closes in on Minelli during “World Goes Round.”
There are also vibrant colors like the bright red movie dance number “Gonna Sing Tonight,” like Marilyn Monroe’s “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend.” The yellow “Aces High” number with playing cards contrast with Minelli’s sparkly red dress. “Happy Ending” is on a deep black stage with red dresses and hats popping.
The two-disc edition also preserves the MGM DVD bonus features, including commentary and interviews.