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ACF#30: Taxi Driver
New episode! Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver, which earned Robert de Niro another Oscar nomination right after winning for Godfather: Part II. Another ’70s political crisis story, another timely examination of individualism. Travis Bickle is a man who learns how corrupt society can become and we learn how he goes insane. So join my friend John Presnall and me for a ride through the nightmare that was ’70s New York City and let’s look at respectability, madness, and evil in America!
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Hey you talkin’ to me? There is no singing and dancing in this movie, what is the point of a movie without singing and dancing? All the best Titus, hope all is going well this spring.
Such an overrated movie. But I’ll listen anyway.
The movie created the most iconic angry man talking into the mirror … EVER ….
A kindred spirit. Contemporary critical evaluation was heavily influenced by the director, cast, and times. It ages badly.
I had heard enough references to that line before seeing it that I didn’t find it compelling, or a scene that should even be remembered. I had thought he was talking to a person.
This seems to be the curse of our times. All conceits are debased…
Well, listen & see what you think.
We’re talking about 70s America & how well it fits a particular kind of insanity. You’ll see we found a lot of things to talk about there that go beyond the “I’m mad as hell & I’m not gonna take it anymore” of Network fame. There would have been more to say, mostly on psychology, but we’re trying to keep the podcast under the 80 minutes John & I did for Carlito’s way…
I honestly have no desire to watch Taxi Driver again. But if nothing else the movie did launch/burnish some fledgling careers (Scorsese, De Niro, Foster, Keitel, Shepard, Brooks, Boyle). While Shepard and Boyle had done some known work and De Niro had done Godfather II, the rest had little to no motion picture experience and after Taxi Drive they became motion picture regulars.
It doesn’t age well. If I come across it while channel surfing, I can watch about 10 minutes. It’s an important film but not one I choose to see again. I feel the same way about Network, which at least has some residual humor.