After Hours: Scorsese, Grief and the Grammar of Cinema

by Ben Tanzer

Siskel and Ebert meet Joan Didion in Auteur, a unique series that combines in-depth film criticism with personal autobiography. Each book in the series examines a single movie through a critical and historical lens, filtered through the author's creative and emotional connection to the film. The result mixes literary memoir with a loving study of some of our most beloved and influential films


After Scorsese, Grief and the Grammar of Cinema is a live wire examination of author Ben Tanzer's relationship to Martin Scorsese's famous 1985 film, and how it helped him to make sense of the death of his father. Tanzer also delves into the overall importance of Scorsese and his films to his family, using After Hours as a lens into his life decisions—most particularly in the form of late-night visits to downtown New York City in the 1980s when he first came of age and began to ask himself how one manages to live a life of meaning,
excitement, exploration, and joy.

200 pages, Paperback

Published May 6, 2025

About the author

Emmy-award winner Ben Tanzer's acclaimed work includes the short story collection UPSTATE, the science fiction novel Orphans and the essay collections Lost in Space and Be Cool. His recent novel The Missing was released in March 2024 by 7.13 Books and was a Chicago Writers Association Book of the Year finalist in the category of Traditional Fiction and his new book After Hours: Scorsese, Grief and the Grammar of Cinema, which Kirkus Reviews calls "A heartfelt if overstuffed tribute to the author’s father and the ameliorative power of art," was released by Ig Publishing in May 2025. Ben is also the host of the long running podcast This Podcast Will Change Your Life and lives in Chicago with his family.

Reviews

[*TUDOR^QUEEN* · Rating 4 out of 5]

My eyes immediately zeroed in on this title since one of my favorite movies in life is "After Hours". Made in 1985 and directed by famed director Martin Scorsese, it depicted one day in the life of an unsatisfied clerical worker, who has an epiphany after dealing with a new hire; the trainee confides that he can't see himself doing this kind of work long-term. We then follow the main character through an evening and night of chance encounters in the Soho nightlife of New York City, getting into all sorts of unlikely mishaps and dangerous situations. It's intoxicating to watch and the kind of movie that after the last second, you're looking at your fellow movie watcher with a smile, a nervous laugh...and asking each other, "WHAT?!" Lol. Like this author, I chanced upon the movie back in the 80s when it aired on HBO, which I then taped on my VCR and watched numerous times afterward. I hadn't watched it in years but kept thinking about it nostalgically, as I've been acquiring DVDs of movies I loved in the 80s and 90s and watching them with my 24-year-old son. I recently picked up "After Hours" on DVD and watched it with my son, as he's come to realize that I love movies that are quirky, unpredictable, and often take place in New York City.

This compact book references the movie "After Hours", a clear favorite of the author, along with others that feature New York City- which he and his beloved late father enjoyed watching and discussing. The author also promotes the idea of journaling as a prelude to actually writing essays and books for publication, and interviews other authors who followed this track. In particular, he cites the book "Just Kids" by Patti Smith as an example- a book I also loved. The author also mentioned the 1979 movie "The Warriors", another movie from my teenage years which I absolutely love. As I read this book, I came away thinking that I could have a great conversation with this guy about some movies!

Thank you to Ig Publishing for providing an advance reader copy via Edelweiss.

[Alex Kudera · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm past page 43.

UPDATE 12/24: It's a hundred sixty-eight pages and quite readable; I'm seven pages away from the end. Fans of Tanzer, Scorsese, After Hours, De Niro, New York City, film, and parents will find much to appreciate here. The book includes Ben's interviews with Wendy Ortiz, family, friends, and others--a nice touch. There may well be over a hundred movies noted in the book, and Ebert--but no Siskel?--is in there too.

[Hosho · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tanzer takes his love of movies, and this movie in particular, and weaves it into threads seeking deeper understanding of the loss of his artistic father, his own artistic ambitions, and the balance of an artistic and reliable/stable existence. Part memoir, part pop culture reflection, part nonfiction reportage, the book is a breezy, almost stream-of-consciousness meditation on film, on writing, on similarities and differences in Scorsese's life, lead character Paul Hackett's life, and family-man Tanzer's life. It made me want to do two things: watch more movies and write a book like this myself...and that should be considered high praise!

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Big fan of the movie, After Hours. Book was not exactly what I expected, however, I loved his references to other books that I have now added to my TBR list and Tanzer’s references to other movies that I now want to watch. Also will look into a number of his footnotes. Glad that I discovered this book.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ben’s latest book asks many questions. How do you balance being a responsible parent and husband, and a creative? How do you move on from grief? How does art—in this case, film—chart and define your life? How do you get un-stuck in mid-career? I’m not sure he has the answers yet, but he’s asking the questions and having the conversations with all of us, and it’s fascinating to be part of it.

As I texted Ben shortly after finishing this, “Your best book yet. Utterly and completely you.”

[Ben]

It changed my life.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

After Hours is a unique and compelling read that draws out intense feelings of nostalgia and appreciation for the films we get lost in. Tanzer fuses many facets of his life through film: his journey of becoming a writer; a hedonistic youth; a sensible job that pays the bills; dealing with grief after the death of his father. It's a deeply personal book, one that goes to show just how much value can be spooned out of a genuine appreciation of film. After Hours serves as a reminder to us that cinema is simply more than just entertainment. It is an anchor point for salient parts of our lives and how we relate to others.

Whilst I may not have seen all the films mentioned in this fast-paced and fluid book, it didn't matter. The pure passion for moving pictures captivates. You have in your hands a guide to all the films you should go and see. A great book for anybody who enjoys Scorsese, the eighties and nineties, or the raw and authentic reflections of a pained artist communicating what has kept him going through thick and thin. My favourite of Tanzer's books so far.

[Giano Cromley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is such a treasure. I wasn't super familiar with the movie After Hours before reading this, but that wasn't necessary at all. Tanzer stitches together his reflections on the movie, and his own life, as well as the lives of those around him in a pastiche that I found to be incredibly moving and page-turning. It's a lovely meditation on art and commerce and finding a way to live in the world while staying true to your ideals.