We thought it was strange when rumors circulated last year that Lars von Trier and Martin Scorsese were planning to team up for a remake of Taxi Driver. You know what’s even more bizarre? Michel Gondry’s new two-minute version of the movie, which he created for the French premiere of Hugo. As fans of Be Kind Rewind might expect, Gondry’s “sweded” remake is decidedly more arts and crafty than the original; colored pencils stand in for bullets, and when Travis Bickle (who’s played by the French auteur) delivers his famous “You talkin’ to me?” lines, the dramatic scene is suddenly transformed into something that’s wacky and adorable. Click through to check out the charming short now. Read More »
Polaroids have been immortalizing actors on the sets of their latest project for decades now. The retro form of photography is generally utilized for makeup or continuity purposes, and on occasion, serves as a catalogue for on-set shenanigans. Actors such as Johnny Depp, Audrey Hepburn, and Jason Schwartzman have all mugged for (or in some cases, ignored) the camera in between takes, blurring the line between their fictional characters and reality. We’ve unearthed photographs from a few cinematic gems, both old and new, that provide an intimate glimpse at life on set of projects like Taxi Driver, The Office, and more. Venture behind-the-scenes with a collection of our favorite shots after the jump. Read More »
Jodie Foster’s body double, Robert DeNiro’s “mohawk” skin cap continuity, and the true reds of the rampaging finale that had to be desaturated for the censors — photographer Steve Schapiro captured all those precious bits of Taxi Driver that Scorsese buffs hold dear to their hearts. For those that won’t be wrapping their arms around TASCHEN’s pricey 328-page tome Steve Schapiro, Taxi Driver anytime soon, enjoy this preview of killer on-set photos, with a side sprinkling of trivia courtesy of the Making of Taxi Driver documentary from the DVD, Scorsese on Scorsese, and the web grapevine. Let’s geek out!
Alas, it wasn’t meant to be. Or it may never have been at all. The “it,” of course, refers to Lars von Trier’s rumored remake of Taxi Driver, which had the media abuzz for nearly a spin around the sun. Often, the very mention of the word “remake” with a beloved title leads to a feisty chorus of “ohs” and “whys,” from The Seven Samurai to the more recent Let the Right One In. But with von Trier’s brilliant but checkered past (hit-miss-hit) and Martin Scorsese’s notorious “hero,” there was definitely promise for a must-see redo.
In that what-if spirit, here’s a list of other American classics and the directors we think could make them their own. Leave your own scenarios in the comments.
1. Can this rumor out of the Berlin Film Festival be true: Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese are working on a remake of Taxi Driver with controversial indie filmmaker Lars von Trier. [via The Independent]
2. Struggling record label EMI has put Abbey Road on the market; a sale of the property could raise tens of millions of pounds. [via TwentyFourBit]
3. Have you seen the photos from Christina Hendricks‘ New York Magazine shoot? Va-va-voom. [via NYM]
4. Avatar has inspired so many new 3-D releases that multiplexes are worried about where they’re going to put them all. [via Pat's Papers]
5. Good news: Oscar nominees are being asked to prepare two thank-you speeches this year — and viewers won’t have to sit through the long, boring one. [via Reuters]
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Is it possible to cram the 100 best movie lines of all time into just 200 seconds? The video below, which we came across on Cinematical, comes pretty close, but we’d like to argue that they left out some classics. (That said, we’re amazed by how much they managed to cram in.) Watch it, and then click through for our list of the biggest omissions; feel free to add your own favorites that didn’t make the cut in the comments!
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