mixedmedia

Came across these the other day, and not only did they seem like significant photographs but good ones, too. They were taken by a photographer named Steve Schapiro. Man, what a gig!

I think Taxi Driver is Scorsese's masterpiece. Paul Schrader's as well for that matter. Most critics prefer Raging Bull (which of course is a great film) but I think Taxi Driver is more immediate and spellbinding. Of course, I have read that everyone was doing massive amounts of cocaine on the set of this movie, including Scorsese, so that could account for some of its frenetic appeal.

They're very different movies, though.

Well, here are the shots. Of course, can't post my favorite one which has Iris in it...

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Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats. - Diane Arbus
PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce

sadistikdreams

Wow, these are really good.

Taxi Driver is probably the only Scorsese movie that I still respect him for making.

__________________
"Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the noble art of leaving things undone.
The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of non-essentials."
-Lin Yutang

hearts, by d.a.

mixedmedia

aww, that seems kind of harsh...he brought a level of filmmaking back to Hollywood that was sorely lacking in his early years, I don't think his influence can be ignored or short-changed.

__________________
Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats. - Diane Arbus
PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce

Manic_Skafe

Holy shit are these awesome - that first shot is just plain incredible.

Lovely find, MM.

And I'd take Taxi Driver over Raging Bull any day.

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"Porn is a zoo of exotic animals that becomes boring upon ownership." -Nersesian

Plan9

Pic 8, the floor shot... very thoughtful.

Taxi Driver's use of camera angles is brilliant... up there with Citizen Kane.

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Whatever you can carry.

"You should not drink... and bake."

Charlatan

I actually like Scorsese for King of Comedy... that isn't to say I don't also love After Hours, Raging Bull, Taxi Driver, Casino, Mean Streets, The Last Waltz, and Goodfellas...

Whoever said, Taxi Driver was his only respectable film doesn't know film.

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mixedmedia

I've always been a fan of Scorsese's forgotten period, too. After Hours and King of Comedy. Even his later movies that have (for the most part) been panned have stunning moments in them. It's his old school appreciation of telling stories through photography that made him a master and as far as I know he is the same person inhabiting the same body with the same mind. I'm not one to lose respect for an artist because he or she has not been able to maintain a lifetime of sublime creativity. There's no doubt that Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Goodfellas are superb films on any measurable level and they always will be. Same goes for the talent of the man who made them.

__________________
Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats. - Diane Arbus
PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce

Frosstbyte

Amazing photos, but just out of pure curiosity, do the rules about not posting pictures of minors really include images from famous films or TV shows? Can I really not post a picture of the cast of Full House or something because there are minors in it? Seems odd.

mixedmedia

Yes, that is the rule. And it saves a lot of haggling and quibbling to be sure.

One more observation about these photographs that I just realized. They confirm visually what I had always read about Scorsese and his preference for perfectly pressed blue, blue jeans.

__________________
Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats. - Diane Arbus
PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce

guyy

I don't like him, either.

There are a lot of films out there, and there are a lot of them i'd watch again, and a lot of them i'd watch before seeing another Scorsese film. There are plenty of others with good/interesting method.

sadistikdreams

Okay, okay, let me defend myself.

I saw The Departed, or Hey Go Fuck Your Mutha The Depahted. Absolutely hated it. I mean, I like some of his films, like Goodfellas, Last Temptation of Christ, and The Aviator. But he has too much of a crush on Leo DiCaprio.

__________________
"Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the noble art of leaving things undone.
The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of non-essentials."
-Lin Yutang

hearts, by d.a.