It's another slow week in DVD land, a calm before the big release storm slated for the fall. But what we're lacking in quantity is more than made up for in quality, as one of the greatest American films of the 1970s gets a new release, an epic Shakespeare adaptation finally hits DVD and a true musical innovator gets the full PBS treatment.
DRIVER WANTED
Few movies capture the zeitgeist of the angry young man (or the dangerous lone nut) as well as Taxi Driver. One of the best films of the 20th century, Taxi Driver launched a thousand ships: Director Martin Scorsese solidified his place atop a new generation of filmmakers, Robert DeNiro gave one of the defining performances of his career, Jodie Foster made the first steps in her transition from child star to adult Oscar winner, and John Hinkley got wood and decided he needed to shoot Ronald Reagan. Driver comes with some baggage.
A character study of Vietnam vet Travis Bickle, a frequenter of porno theaters by day and a cab driver by night, the film brilliantly inhabits the grimy mean streets of Manhattan in the mid-1970s. Travis also digs guns, girls (virginal blondes are preferred, but underage prostitutes will do), and talking to himself in the mirror. He's a complicated guy.
Taxi Driver has inspired a generation of pop culture, including everything from the de rigueur Simpsons references to a David Bowie video and songs by The Rolling Stones, The Clash, Pantera and Ludacris, among others. This two-disc set includes notable new interviews with Scorsese and commentary by writer Paul Schrader. Although it's not for the feint of heart, I can't recommend this one enough. They just don't make movies like this anymore.
HAMLET UNABRIDGED
From one lunatic to another, Aug. 14 sees the release of former Brit wunderkind Kenneth Branagh's William Shakespeare's Hamlet. If you're wondering if by 'lunatic' I meant the eponymous crazy Dane or the film's director — well, I'm not sure either. Branagh debuted with the inspiring Shakespeare adaptation Henry V (earning two Oscar nominations), followed by the classy Hitchcockian thriller Dead Again (earning comparisons to Orson Welles). He then mixed more film versions of the classics (Much Ado About Nothing, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein) with commercial projects (Peter's Friends), before attempting Hamlet. By far Branagh's most ambitious film, Hamlet clocks in at over four hours long and includes every word ol' Shakes penned. Since this is the whole play; you get all the hits ("To be or not to be," "The play's the thing," etc.) along with the less-heralded B-sides ("By and by is easily said.") The movie is beautifully shot in 65 mm, which must have been pricey, and was financed by the brave souls at Castle Rock. Sure, the end result is a brilliant, terrifically acted and staged telling of perhaps Shakespeare's greatest play, but unfortunately the only people who appreciate it remain English majors, their professors, anglophiles and people who have to see everything Jack Lemmon was ever in.
Post-Hamlet Branagh sort of faded from glory while maintaining a steady career. He starred as the villain in the God-awful Will Smith-vehicle Wild Wild West and didn't return to directing for four years, adding a few more Shakespeare adaptations to his resume since 2000. I'm holding out hope for a 10-hour King Lear.
LES IS MORE
While he's definitely not crazy, guitar legend Les Paul is a true iconoclast. The inventor of multitrack recording, reverb and echo effects, and (give or take a Leo Fender model) the most recognizable guitar in rock 'n' roll history, Les Paul has defined and shaped popular music from the 1930s through today. Now over 90 years old, Paul still plays gigs in New York City on a regular basis and recently got the full biography treatment from PBS with Les Paul: Chasing Sound, a retelling of his life through video clips, records and interviews with some of the biggest names in music over the last 50 years. This one promises a tour of musical history and the likes of Keith Richards, Paul McCartney and Jeff Beck singing the old man's praises.
This article appears in Aug 8-14, 2007.