Disaster Strikes at Test Screening of Martin Scorsese’s Cult Classic!

Test screenings, or ‘screen tests’ as they’re originally known, are a longstanding tradition in the Hollywood landscape. Since the late 1930s, studios have utilized small groups of viewers to assess films before their public release. These viewers are tasked with providing feedback—both positive and negative—that could lead to changes before the film hits theaters.

For the film’s studio and creative team, especially the director, a test screening can be a stressful ordeal that sometimes turns into a nightmare. There are numerous instances where such screenings resulted in significant confrontations between directors and studios. These tensions have led to forced edits, directors being stripped of their creative control, and in some cases, the outcome is a film that feels compromised and a box office failure.

However, it would be an oversimplification and factually incorrect to suggest that all test screenings end in disputes or that all films screened this way are failures. Sometimes, the feedback from these screenings can be invaluable, as was the case with Scorsese’s “Goodfellas.”

“It was an angry reaction”

“Goodfellas,” a masterpiece known for its sharp, dark humor, was a film that had Scorsese proving nothing new about his mastery. However, at Warner’s behest and for the first time in his career, Scorsese was compelled to conduct a test screening.

An article from Entertainment Weekly reported that during the film’s first test screening in California, about 40 people walked out within the first ten minutes due to its violent content. Scorsese said, “It was an angry reaction. It became very difficult. It was a constant struggle up until a few weeks before the film’s release. The film terrified Warner’s executives at that time.”

Scorsese and his favorite editor, Thelma Schoonmaker, returned to the editing room to make several cuts. These edits affected the opening sequence, specifically the scene where Joe Pesci’s character repeatedly stabs gangster Billy Batts (played by Frank Vincent) with a large kitchen knife, which was initially more graphic.

The final edit showed Pesci delivering four stabs with the knife, with the rest implied off-screen as Ray Liotta’s character reacts.

“It’s too long, Marty!”

Another scene that Warner wanted to cut was the now-iconic dinner scene where Tommy’s endearing mother is always ready to whip up a pasta dish for her son and his friends, even at 2 a.m. It’s a deliciously dark comedic scene that unfolds as our favorite mobsters dine shortly after dealing with Billy Batts in the trunk of their car.

“They said, ‘It’s too long, Marty, it’s too long! It needs to move faster!’ They then read the audience feedback from the test screening. People hated the film, but everyone loved the scene with my mother. So, we kept it! That’s why I appreciate test screenings,” Scorsese commented.

Audiences also appeared to struggle with the film’s third act, where Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) becomes increasingly desperate and paranoid, hunted by the FBI. It was too drawn out for them. Scorsese then tightened the editing of this section to make it more tense and nerve-wracking, mirroring the protagonist’s state of mind.

Scorsese concluded his discussion by saying, “Test screenings were, for a time, very useful. I’m not sure if they still are today. At least for me, they were.”