Taxi Driver (1976) First Time Watching! Movie Reaction!!

[@TBRSchmitt]

Martin and Robert always deliver! What a crazy ending! Thank you all for your support!

[@izzonj]

Martin played the guy in Travis' taxi talking about killing his wife.

[@shanenolan8252]

I believe she was 12or 13 but it wasn't her first movie she was in several Disney kids movies and commercials from 6 or 7 years old , eventually she went to college ( Harvard) and went back to acting afterwards, and won 2 academy awards she is a director now and occasionally acts .

[@pete_lind]

The end suggest, Travis dies on the sofa and everything that happens after that is just in his head , before hes gone . Outside shot after that shows that nothing changed at all , it just continues as before , his actions had no effect .

[@bananasaregood8655]

Great movie. Have you guys watched raging bull? Would you consider watching a couple horror/thrillers from the early 2000s, ‘hollowman’ with kevin bacon and ‘one hour photo’ with robin williams??

[@christopherbrown6049]

This movie never fails to shock me

[@nationalcoasternews5798]

The guy in the taxi talking about killing his wife is actually Scorsese. He’s a really good actor

[@Dooklawz]

yep....and earlier in the movie as the camera pans following Betsy walking into the campaign headquarters you see Martin kind of sitting/leaning against the wall at the entrance of the place sort of watching her walk by

[@jamesalexander5623]

You beat me to it! .... Scorsese should have done more acting!

[@Rmlohner]

@@jamesalexander5623 He has a pretty good role in Quiz Show as a sleazy corporate CEO.

[@mikeminer1947]

The kid's got potential!

[@christianhernanalancamaren1582]

03:54 other cameo

[@honovy4393]

The last scenes with the letter about Iris and him returning to his normal job/routine, even his hair growing back gives you the impression he might be returning to some kind of normal. The final shot of him quickly glancing back into his rear view mirror with the quick flare up of music gives the audience a sort of uneasy feeling because it's a subtle way of letting us know that he won't be.

[@MrKoernchen]

Well, if the scene was reality and not his last fever dream right before death.

[@carlossaraiva8213]

Yes. It's an hint that Travis is in a cycle and sometime in the future he will go off the rails again and he might not come out a hero next time.

[@carlossaraiva8213]

@@MrKoernchen it is reality in universe. But the dying dream interpretatiin as always made for a good water cooler conversation.

[@zatoichi1]

Maybe he's just gone full vigilante and finally found his purpose in life.

[@horysmokes3339]

Another interpretation is that we're witnessing a dream sequence in his final moments. Everything working out for Travis (surviving, being a hero, saving Iris, Betsy interested once again) seems at odds with the rest of the film. The prospect of Travis being free without charges, driving his taxi etc, and not being locked up in a mental institution seems far fetched. Add to that the press coverage of Travis would no doubt have alerted Palatine's security to him being the guy they chased earlier that day either via the mohawk or Betsy.

[@athos1974]

Taxi Driver takes place in a deteriorating, filthy, bankrupt NYC. I grew up in the Bronx during in 70s-90s when the city looked just like this. As kids, we grew up far faster, more mature and streetwise than many kids today. I knew people just like the characters in this film. It's like a visit to my old neighborhood.

[@humansrants1694]

Good Netflix documentary about it NY was a huge red light district in the 70s.

[@mr.nobody9697]

you speak the truth. I have family that grew up in the bronx from the late 60s till this day. When i was a kid we`d visit every summer and living in CT it felt like the 13/14 year olds were acting like 18-20 year olds where i lived. It was fucking wild.

[@athos1974]

@@mr.nobody9697 👍

[@adamromero]

@@humansrants1694 Do you know the name of it?

[@Fedorevsky]

@@adamromero Crime Scene: The Times Square Killer

[@leonagnew895]

Not long after the film's release the screenwriter, Paul Schrader, had an encounter with a deluded young man who sneaked into his office and shut the door behind him. I think he might have had a gun, I can't remember, but he was convinced Taxi Driver was about him. He was asking Schrader questions like: "How did you know this about me? How did you find me?" Schrader calmed him down by explaining that lots of young guys feel the way Travis Bickle does; alone, disconnected and confused. Pretty crazy.

[@LA_HA]

Leon Agnew: It's sad that this probably happens a lot more than we think to writers, actors, and directors

[@jean-paulaudette9246]

I think John Hinkley Jr., who shot President Ronald Reagan (non-lethally) mentioned having done it 'for Jodie Foster' or some such business. I always imagined that must have made a really traumatic impact on her, especially being so young.

[@jean-paulaudette9246]

@@yt45204 Hmm. I can't in conscience deny the possibility.

[@sexysadie2901]

@@yt45204 Meh

[@Corn_Pone_Flicks]

@@sexysadie2901 Well, that was insightful.

[@ferodrigues1211]

" All the animals come out at night " one of my favorite movie lines of all time. Thanks for posting.

[@Reptilia12]

I’d be interested to know what you thought of The Clash track “red angel dragnet” that riffs off this monologue

[@karlmortoniv2951]

There was a fair amount of concern in the press over Jodie’s part when the movie came out but her mom had read the script before agreeing to let Jodie do it and discussed everything in it with her. Jodie and her mom hung out with some working girls as preparation - Jodie putting sugar on her toast was something she saw one of the girls do, it was a way to cope with withdrawal that she suggested when they were shooting the diner scene. Jodie was examined by psychiatrists before she was cast to make sure she wouldn’t be damaged by the experience, and there was a social worker on set when she was and ever since Jodie has said that everyone treated her well, especially de Niro. During the shoot, particularly of the bedroom scenes with De Niro and Keitel, she was just fine but the two guys, Scorsese and the crew were a nervous wreck. Scorsese couldn’t discuss what he wanted her to do so he relied on de Niro to pass on his direction. In later years Jodie said at the time “Taxi Driver” was made she had more movie experience than all the rest of the cast put together so for her it was just another, much cooler and more adult, acting job. As for shooting the ultraviolent finale, apparently Jodie was totally geeking out over how they did all the bullet hit and gore effects. She hadn’t been in a movie with a lot of gun stuff in it before. It was a long, arduous scene to do and her enthusiasm helped everyone keep it together and get through it. So don’t worry - Jodie had a great time making “Taxi Driver.” 😊

[@BigBoss-zi5ss]

They also used Jodie's older sister for some shots that were more adult

[@alanmurray5963]

Also for the more adult moments with de niro her older sister replaced her

[@lukeizabelle2131]

I can see that, that she could geek out over those gory scenes lol. I mean, when I was her age (12 years old) I already used to watch horrors and enjoy watching them so it wouldn't be so surprising to know how much she loved those scenes lol (even though she was a girl and not a boy). I guess that kids can tend to be much less innocent than some adults think

[@geeebuttersnap2433]

That is a ridiculous exaggeration. Robert De Niro had stared in Godfather part 2 before this movie. He was in 12 other movies before this one. Jodie foster had only done 6 movies before taxi driver. Harvey Keitel had been acting in television shows since the 66, Jodie was only four years old at the time. So there is no way she had more experience then the entire cast together. Peter Boyle also started acting in 1966. No way she had more acting experience than guys who have been acting since she was only four years old.

[@LISA75_]

@@geeebuttersnap2433 Jodie did her first commercial at the age of 2 , and was on TV in commercial steadily from that age, by the time she was 7 she was in TV-shows. If you look at her IMDB she worked her arse off her entire childhood on multiple TV shows and films, she was a veteran . She really only slowed down from acting when she went to YALE and after the President Reagan assassination attempt, and the nutter doing it because he wanted to get her attention .

[@Asoleimani1989]

This movie is a character study first and foremost so plot isn’t all that important. It’s really just meant to be a slice of life story of a deeply disturbed individual. King of Comedy is similar that way also Btw, the man in the back of the Taxi talking about killing his wife was Martin Scorsese himself!

[@TheEnnisfan]

He's also sitting outside Palentine headquarters when we first see Betsy.

[@rustincohle2135]

"Joker" was inspired by not one, but TWO amazing Martin Scorsese films starring Robert de Niro. "Taxi Driver" and "The King of Comedy". You should react to the latter as well. Jodie was actually 12 in this and this was not her first movie role (she had been acting in movies since 1972 and started acting on TV in 1965 at age 3)-- Jodie was also a child prodigy and has always been gifted and exceedingly intelligent (very high IQ). You should also know this is the film that inspired John Hinckley to attempt his assassination of Ronald Reagan. He connected with the character of Travis Bickle so much that he saw the film 17 times in theaters. And over those 17 viewings he became infatuated with Jodie Foster and stalked her. It was Jodie he was trying to impress when he tried to take out Reagan. Also, don't let anyone tell you that Travis actually died in the shootout and that the "happy hero ending" was a delusion in Travis's head as he bled out and died. Both director Martin Scorsese and screenwriter Paul Schrader have stated repeatedly that this is NOT the case, and to think so is to miss the entire point of the film. The point being that Travis is falsely heralded as a hero instead of the demented PTSD-riddled loner that he is. And instead of him getting the psychiatric help that he desperately needs, he's let loose on the streets again and it's only a matter of time before he has another violent outburst-- this is why we see him do that double take at his rearview mirror, he's witnessing another street crime which will trigger him again. Travis is a ticking time bomb, that's the point of the film. Travis has severe PTSD from his service in Vietnam.

[@i_so_late]

King of Comedy is very underrated

[@DylansPen]

I'd say also that Sling Blade has elements of this movie in it. A mentally unstable person who actually sees what is good in life and sees so many people doing evil, and in the end he sacrifices his own freedom to save the kid and his mother who he knows are good people from the mother's boyfriend who is really the evil doer in the movie. A similar motif.

[@mikeminer1947]

Yes, I would say that Joker is more inspired by King of Comedy and it's so good! It's completely mind-blowing to watch De Niro playing Vito in Godfather II and then as someone like Travis Bickle from Taxi Driver or Rupert Pupkin from King of Comedy; unbelievable it's the same actor!

[@rustincohle2135]

@@mikeminer1947 He wasn't living there cuz ya know, spoilers.

[@mikeminer1947]

​@@rustincohle2135Thanks! It's been a while... edited appropriately.

[@stsolomon618]

The score for taxi driver was composed by Bernard herrmann, he composed Pyscho. This was his last score before his death. My favorite Scorcese film.

[@rustincohle2135]

Herrmann literally died only 6 or 12 hours (I forget which) after finishing the Taxi Driver score.

[@JSavo_]

Didn’t know that. Wow.

[@Tolstoy111]

@@JSavo_the film is dedicated to Hermann

[@dr.burtgummerfan439]

So cool seeing a young Harvey Keitel! Albert Brooks (the guy with the perm and glasses) is an underappreciated comedy genius. Some of his movies are definitely worth a watch.

[@keithbrown8490]

"Broadcast News" great movie with Albert Brooks

[@MikeB12800]

Albert Brooks was amazing in Drive.

[@debbiek4951]

Albert Brooks in "Defending Your Life" with Meryl Streep, great movie

[@MikeB12800]

@@debbiek4951 yeah love that movie. That baseball with with Brendan Frazier is goofy but I like Brooks in it. And the Muse was a great movie too.

[@allenschneider8579]

Lost in America, Defending Your Life, Broadcast News are my favorite Brooks films.

[@matthewganong1730]

The Mohawk comes from Travis’s time in the Marines. In Vietnam the special forces soldiers would sometimes shave their heads into Mohawks before going on particularly dangerous assignments.

[@frogger1952]

Remember, Betsy said Travis was a walking contradiction. When first meeting Mathew, he referred to him as a cowboy. Then, on the night he shot him, he came to him as an Indian.

[@ljay79]

A great film. One of Robert Deniro's best performances.

[@jean-paulaudette9246]

LOL I imagine that's a disappointing thing for an actor to hear, that one of their very early roles is their best work.

[@paws27]

@@jean-paulaudette9246 Well maybe for some, but he gets so much praise for nearly his entire career that it's more of a compliment saying that he's always been good.

[@el34glo59]

Nah he's been brilliant his entire career so it's a good compliment ​@@jean-paulaudette9246

[@Fidel_L.Bousquet1970]

This movie may be hard to watch, but it's a masterpiece. You can rewatch it 10 times and still find things you didn't notice before. The scene where Travis is talking on the telephone and then the camera moves away and we just see the corridor is brilliant. The moment is so awkward and embarrassing that even the camera has to move away. Scorsese is a genius with the camera.

[@markcalvert7944]

As someone else commented, "Taxi Driver" was composer Bernard Herrmann's last film score. He died Christmas Eve 1975, after completing one of the final scoring sessions. Herrmann had also just completed the score for Brian DePalma's "Obsession"; a "Vertigo" reimagining.

[@mrkelso]

This was a perfect reaction to this complex fever dream of a film. You said, "If it made more sense, it wouldn't have been as good a movie." Exactly right. You two are... superb.

[@gusfring9194]

truf

[@Mikey_Sea]

Fever dream is great description of this film. 👍

[@scottjo63]

Fun fact, Robert DeNiro actually became a NY city cab driver complete with ID showing that he was in research for the role.

[@alanmurray5963]

Amazing fact, and at that point he was already an Oscar winning actor (Godfather2) No body took method acting more seriously. For raging bull he learned boxing 4 a year and also gained 60pounds and collected his second oscar

[@angelotrinidad6888]

Yep and he was only recognized once or twice by his passenger

[@jeeveseventynine9263]

Cape Fear (1991) is another Scorsese+De Niro teamup. Highly recommended! Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange, Juliette Lewis and even the original cast is in it as well, Robert Mitchum and Gregory Peck.

[@keithbrown8490]

Scorsese used the original music score of 1962's Cape Fear for his 1990's remake but for Taxi Driver he got composer Bernard Herrmann to do an original score which would be his last he died the day after he finished recording the music in the studio .

[@foreignmilk]

couldnt agree more. excellent film. deniros most frightening role

[@_Some_Guy_]

+1 Cape Fear!

[@EdDunkle]

Cape Fear is well done, but as the son of a public defender I can tell you that no real public defender would ever rat out his client to the police. Public defenders hate the police, hate district attorneys, and hate judges.

[@daerdevvyl4314]

Ed Dunkle It sounds like your parent hates a lot of people. For myself, I prefer the victims of crime to the criminals.

[@quietman71]

Many years later, Jodie Foster made a guest appearance on Sesame Street. At one point, she encountered Oscar. Oscar tried to taunt her, and when he was done, she beamed a great smile, and said, "You know what, Oscar? I LIKE you." Oscar did a double take and said... "You talkin' to ME?! You talkin' to ME?!" In another Sesame Street episode, Elmo met Robert De Niro, and they talked about acting. De Niro mentioned you can be anyone when you act; you can even be an out-of-shape boxer or a New York City cab driver.

[@rizwankhalil-at998]

that is amazing

[@shady_the_one]

Shit, really?

[@Ozai75]

It's fascinating in that some people (not the crew) interpret the Film's ending as Travis' dying thoughts, while the crew claim it's real and that it represents a loop that Travis isn't cured of his madness and will eventually slip again into ultra violence. And yes, Jodi Foster was 12 at the time this was filmed, and Martin Scorsese didn't know how to really communicate with her, so De Niro took her under his wing and basically taught her on the job.

[@quixoticcapital6442]

I figured Jodie Foster was around 15 playing a 12 year old. It's very strange how some kids seem to "get" the world & their place in it at such a young age. Don't think she could play such a mature character without being so herself.

[@okeefe757]

Iris definitely seemed older and kind of wiser(in some ways) than her years, but obviously that's just Jodi Foster (who was/is so talented, even back then).

[@deadmanwalking8740]

Which is pretty crazy considering Jodie had been acting since she was 3 meaning she probably had more experience then DeNiro and Keitel combined

[@sanket677]

Yeah she was 12 when the script was written but by the time they started filming she was around 15.

[@markhamstra1083]

@@sanket677 That would be quite a trick since she was only 13 when the film was released.

[@ericsierra-franco7802]

Yes...the "You talkin' to me?" line that is so iconic is from Taxi Driver.

[@longago-igo]

Taxi Driver is the only movie that I saw 10 times in the opening week of release. Free entrance to the theater made it possible. It was the soundtrack which really sold it for me.

[@rustincohle2135]

Is that you, John Hinckley?

[@izzonj]

"I think someone should become a person like other people." Brilliant script by Paul Schrader. Has there ever been a better line showing that someone was disconnected from the rest of humanity!

[@ericsierra-franco7802]

You guys do the most intelligent and thoughtful reactions to films on KZbin.

[@CloneByDesign]

One detail I really like is how Easy Andy comes off as a suave, confident salesman when he’s talking about firearms, but then slowly turns in to a desperate creep as soon as he starts talking about drugs and cars. I think the way he acts is a reflection of Travis’ attitude towards firearms and narcotics, the former being more positive, and the latter being negative.

[@DeeWaterlily]

I really like that part too. At first a detached salesman. Then something flips when he sees that wad of cash that Travis displays and then he becomes manic and out of control.

[@desmoove]

I've seen this movie countless times since I was a kid and only recently caught on to that. That was a genius move from both Scorcese's direction and that actor's performance. Deniro and Scorcese just let that guy go and just reacted!

[@slaythegodz]

He was played by a real drug dealer.

[@desmoove]

@@slaythegodz Damn. Now I gotta watch this whole movie again to see what else I missed.

[@TheEnnisfan]

Easy Andy was actually a friend of Scorsese's. He directed a film about him called American Boy: A Profile of Steven Prince.

[@jean-philippedoyon9904]

The last minutes of the film...hell the last 5 seconds of the film change absolutely everything ! That ending is too good to be true, the perfect ending scenario for the character and that last 5 seconds, it's like a restart of his pattern all over again ! Was it a dream ? Is he actually dead ? That ending is still studied in film school today, it's absolute genius !!

[@izzonj]

DiNiro adlibbed the "you talkin to me?" scene. Scorsese just told him to talk to the camera. Back in the 70s, seeing Travis with a Mohawk was really shocking. Men didn't shave their head or ear hair like that back then unless they were real freaks. Someone who did that was pretty scary

[@carsontate01]

No other film I have ever seen has been able to capture the feeling that this one does. The complexity of the mind of travis and how we can relate to him in such a specific way yet be unsure of what he is really thinking. It’s hard to put into words how it was done all I know is that it is something really special

[@patty1h]

Native NYer - that is exactly what Times Square was like in the late 70s - early 80's. Peep shows, X-rated theaters, strolling prostitutes and those big Yellow cabs. Luckily, it's a whole new world now. Also, the theater worker that Robert D. was hitting on early in the film was his first(?) wife.

[@Fredo_Viola]

It was scary as hell back then but I absolutely prefer that to the way it is now. NYC is a shell of itself. It’s all moolah now.

[@championskyeterrier]

You can practically SMELL 70's Times Square watching a movie like this.

[@athos1974]

@@Fredo_Viola I agree. It could be scary, but it was real, and vibrant and interesting. Not the fake, plastic, Disneyfied version it is today.

[@Fredo_Viola]

I agree. Do you remember that odd period in between when all the theaters had been closed down and Times Square was pretty empty, but the new stores hadn’t been built yet, and they had these really beautiful, mysterious poems on the theater fronts. I was so mesmerized by that. Man, NYC really was magical for a while there.

[@joeymac3777]

This movie not only inspired "The Joker", but on the bad side of things, it also inspired John Hinkley Jr., the man that shot President Reagan to do his deed. Hinkley was obsessed with Jodie Foster. He sent her numerous letters, cards, phone calls. I think he even showed up at her house at least once. Foster was naturally freaked out by Hinkley and ignored him. He didn't like being ignored, so in a last ditch effort to impress Jodie Foster, he decided to shoot and attempt to kill President Reagan.

[@tucci06]

Fun fact: John Hinckley Jr. has a KZbin channel.

[@LA_HA]

@@tucci06 Who doesn't?' haha. Just joking

[@ThisLoveIsSweet]

The TV show Greatest American Hero had to change the surname of its main character from Hinkley to Hanley because of that dude too.

[@carlossaraiva8213]

Even to this day it's not a good idea to bring this subject to Foster.

[@carlossaraiva8213]

That he wanted to kill Reagan makes him a crazy. That he didnt finished the job makes him a loser.

[@francisalbert1799]

The ultimate character study. A lot of film classes go to this movie.

[@andrewjones575]

How did Rocky beat this to the Best Picture Oscar?

[@francisalbert1799]

@@andrewjones575 Scorsese was a New York guy and it was too raw for Hollywood at the time. The one he should have won best director for was Raging Bull and he was robbed of that one too.

[@andrewjones575]

@@francisalbert1799 You prefer Raging Bull to Taxi Driver?

[@elonif4125]

@@andrewjones575 I do too. I think Raging Bull is Scorsese’s best movie

[@andrewjones575]

@@elonif4125 Why is a 1980 film in black & white?

[@talesfromthehoodtv503]

Im from New York born and raised, studied it so much growing up its one of my favorite films of all time,fun fact Deniro drove a taxi for 2 weeks in new York to prep for filming and said people would recognize him and ask hey weren't you in the Godfather and he would respond"i get that all the time"new York was a scary place to be in those days believe that,im watching this again tonight

[@michaelbuhl4250]

In the 1970s New York city was basically bankrupt (I think at one point it was literally bankrupt), and the crime rate was very high. I've heard it said that the biggest past time in NYC back then was mugging. This movie captures that feel really well.

[@joeblow9374]

Ford to City "DROP DEAD"

[@gammaanteria]

The taxi supervisor in the opening scene who interviews Travis Bickle for a job is played by Joe Spinell, a great character actor was in a bunch of other famous movies. He played Willi Cicci in "The Godfather" and "Godfather II" (which also had De Niro, though they didn't share any scenes)--he's the one who makes the joke at the hearing "Yeah, the Corleone family had a lot of buffers.'" He was also in "Rocky." I also love his brief appearance in two b-movies of the same period, "92 in the Shade" (where he plays a West Virginian coal miner on vacation in Key West) and "Rancho Deluxe" (where he plays a Native American).

[@TheTrashStash]

and Maniac!!

[@Madbandit77]

He was also a mob thug in the comedy "Cops and Robbers" and a slimy lawyer in "Vigilante" with Robert Forster. Fun character actor who sadly passed away on 1989.

[@JamesSmith-hw6tl]

He's the cop leading task force with Stallone and Williams against terrorist Rutger Hauer in 'Nighthawks.'

[@shainewhite2781]

Nominated for 4 Oscars: Best Picture Best Actor Best Supporting Actress Best Original Score.

[@izzonj]

The score is so brilliant. The melancholic jazzy sax stands out. But the dissonant sustained chords that play under some scenes two are like the city itself breathing in and out.

[@dathorndike4908]

My best friend Ken used to drive cabs in New York City when I was still living there. Some nights I would come out and ride with him. He worked the 6pm to 6am shift usually. The stuff I saw... Taxi Driver was so real in its portrayal of New York City and driving cab in the 70's and 80's. The stuff in the movie really was not exaggerrated. That stuff - and even worse was common place during that time period. My friend kept a club in the front seat with him for protection. Many cabbies carried guns. Taxi cab robberies were common and many cabbies sadly lost their lives. You'd read it in the Post or the Times every week. They have really cleaned up the city now and made it all touristy, so I doubt it is as colorful or dangerous as it used to be, but back in the day.. you had to have steel balls to do that job night after night.

[@Philly9758]

Another Scorsese film you guys would enjoy is “After Hours” (1985). “Magic” (1978) is another film worth checking out that has similar themes to “Joker”.

[@jocgo]

Absolutely highly recommend After Hours. It’s a must see.

[@ThisLoveIsSweet]

After Hours. I love that movie

[@JulioLeonFandinho]

After Hours, the Scorsese movie everybody use to forget, one of his best

[@bigneon_glitter]

_After Hours_ is Top 5 Scorsese. So good.

[@brendans2931]

'Magic' is so great. The 5 minutes without the dummy scene is so uncomfortable.

[@JacobPMendoza]

At 12:35 That scene with Scorsese as the passenger gives me chills everytime I see it. It sticks out the most to me.

[@tonycampos9605]

You guys are really on point with the movie reactions lately. In regards to the ending, I think that Travis is stuck in a vicious cycle. He's still not ok and it won't be long until he goes off again.

[@Doutsoldome]

This is an absolute masterpiece! Both _Taxi Driver_ and _Raging Bull_ put Scorsese on par with the best filmmakers of all time, and that's a list with people like Ingmar Bergman, Andrei Tarkovsky, Akira Kurosawa, Frederico Fellini, Orson Welles, and Stanley Kubrick, to name a few. If I may make a humble suggestion, another one from Scorsese that is usually overlooked, but that I consider a special gem, verging on perfection, is _After Hours._

[@antviper135]

I need to watch some more movies because I haven't seen any movies of these guys. Except for Stanley Kubrick (Full Metal Jacket and The Shining) and Orson Welles (Citizens Kane)

[@Doutsoldome]

@@antviper135 Give them a try. Some of them are a bit demanding, though. I didn't list these directors based on popularity; I went for artistic quality. A trick I do is to judge movies based on two axes: artistic merit and entertainement value. These are not the same thing, and can be very independent from each other. Bergman, for example, is not for everyone; but, boy, are his movies great art! If you're not accostumed to watching movies with this mindset (expecting true art, not just entertainment), it may take some effort to get into it. But it is totally worth it. If you'll allow me to make a more specific suggestion, try watching Kurosawa's _Seven Samurai._ Cinema doesn't get much better than that -- I don't know if it is even possible. And, from the movies you cited, I venture to say that you would like this one.

[@victorsixtythree]

Jodie Foster started out as a child actress at a very young age. So, believe it or not I think she was one of the most seasoned actors in a movie that included people like Robert DeNIro and Harvey Keitel.

[@victorsixtythree]

As other have suggested, you guys should check out "The King of Comedy", another Scorsese/DeNiro movie and "the other" movie that inspired "Joker". It gets overlooked sometimes because the two have made so many incredible movies together (Taxi, Driver, Raging Bull, Good Fellas, Casino...)

[@josephamoraz7990]

Don't forget about " mean streets " don't believe anyone has reacted to that yet

[@quietdemon8138]

One of THE best movies ever made imo, cool fact the dude in the black shirt outside the political building and the same dude who says he’s gonna shoot his wife is the director Martin Scorsese, he’s well known for occasionally having cameos in either his own movies or other ones

[@jamesscanlan6240]

Yes, he was great but he only did the role because the actor they hired for the role couldn't make it.

[@arconeagain]

'He seems like very angry inside, but he hasn't been aggressive at any point. I'm like waiting for him to snap.' You picked up the vibe beautifully.

[@danedward4255]

ART pure and simple my favourite movie, the cinematography is off the scales

[@longago-igo]

Another interesting film that Paul Schrader wrote and also directed was Hardcore (1979) w/ George C. Scott & Peter Boyle. It continues the grittiness and themes of Taxi Driver from the perspective of a father of a ‘lost’ daughter.

[@themoviedealers]

The "you talkin' to me" monolog in the mirror was improvised by DeNiro. My big pop culture reference was during the sketch comedy series SCTV, where they subbed in various celebrities (Woody Allen, Gregory Peck, Bob Hope) for DeNiro in that scene. They must have done that bit at least a dozen times.

[@francisedwards4069]

You are so right, SCTV in my opinion was better than SNL

[@adamwarlock1]

You're right that De Niro came up with it, but he'd been doing it for years before this movie. I was watching the Brian De Palma 1970 movie "Hi Mom" once and my jaw dropped when De Niro started doing this same speech.

[@MrSuperHappyPants]

Jodie is astounding in this. Martin and the people on set tried to coach her through the more intense scenes, being like "hey, there's gonna be some heavy stuff - we just want to make sure you're ready for this". And she's like "Can you please just let me do my job here? I understand the role. Let me work." Not to discount DeNiro's performance at all. He's brilliant in this. This film is in my top 3. Thanks for the video. You run a great channel and I love your insights. Keep it up please. All my love.

[@shainewhite2781]

This film is what caused obsessed fan John Hinckley, Jr. to shoot President Ronald Reagan in order to impress Jodie Foster.

[@GrosvnerMcaffrey]

No his mental illness caused it. The film just inspired him

[@vincentdawn9689]

The film didn't cause anything. Hinckley's illness caused it. Millions of other people watched this film without becoming obsessed with Foster and attempting to kill someone.

[@GrosvnerMcaffrey]

@Shaun Jay so does Lorne Armstrong from to catch a predator. Anyone can have one as long as they follow community guidelines

[@marksaldana3051]

Yup this film was his inspiration!

[@highstimulation2497]

no. no film or piece of art makes anyone do anything. including god, in spite of what countless crazies claim. only people themselves do that.

[@jkhristian]

I always interpreted the ending as Travis could blow again at any moment. Also, it may criminal next time. Remember, he wanted to kill Palantine. I think he just wanted to kill people. It just was fluke that his successful killing was a group of criminals, AND that the media made him a hero. Travis is a ticking time bomb.

[@LearnToRefine]

The whole vibe of someone in the big city searching for something, but not knowing what they want.. and they ultimately end up in chaos and violence and darkness. That seems like an entire genre in the early to mid 1970's. "Looking for Mr. Goodbar", "Taxi Driver", "Midnight Cowboy", "Marathon Man". Weird and violent movies that make you think.

[@alanmurray5963]

Dirty Harry , Straw Dogs, Dog day afternoon could b added to that list. The seventies brought a lot of controversial but compelling movies

[@vincentdawn9689]

The final shot of the film w/ the rearview mirror means that Travis is still paranoid and dangerous and that he's probably going to do something violent again, only next time he won't be mistakenly seen as the "hero". Travis is deeply disturbed. He may have incidentally helped a little girl, but he's still out of his mind.

[@jbacunn]

Exactly. Travis is a time bomb waiting to go off.

[@Fredo_Viola]

Yep, that’s how I see it as well. I always felt like he was moving the mirror so he couldn’t see his own face, out of deep painful guilt and psychosis. Such a mysterious ending…

[@killersalmon4359]

Yep - that's it. Travis basically murdered a bunch of people, but the public thinks he's a hero because of the people he killed. But he could have just easily killed Palatine. And the next time he snaps, the people he kills might not be bad people.

[@bigboi2724]

I believe the final scene was Travis snapping back into reality. He never killed those pimps he only imagined it.

[@vincentdawn9689]

@@bigboi2724 That's a fan theory, and not one that Scorsese or Schrader support. What I said is canon directly from them, not me.

[@rhwinner]

When I was a kid we happened to be driving in Brooklyn when they were filming this. It was the scene where Tracy Foster is walking down the street. We stopped and asked what movie it was, and they said, 'Taxi Driver.' Little did we know it would be one of the greatest movies of all time!

[@TheTerryGene]

Jodie Foster had appeared in a number of films prior to this, mostly Disney productions but also Scorsese’s “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore” for which Ellen Burstyn won the Best Actress Oscar.

[@jamesbednar8625]

Yep - can also remember seeing her appear on "The Brady Bunch" in early 1970s

[@Madbandit77]

@@jamesbednar8625 She also was episodes of the original "Kung Fu" and "Adam-12".

[@QBAN2010]

This is my new favorite KZbin channel. You both are so likable and do such a great job focusing on the movie without a lot of unnecessary banter and chit chat. I have watched a few of your reactions now so when I see them now it is like having friends over for movie night. Samantha, you are adorable and you both seem perfect for each other. My favorite reaction vid so far has been Jackie Brown. By far my favorite Tarantino movie. You both won me over by recognizing the sweet relationship between Jackie and Max Cherry in spite of all the chaos surrounding them. I have subscribed and look forward to many more movie nights with you both. PS, I know you can’t review everything but I hope some day you can get around to some old classics. Would love to see you react to The Caine Mutiny or Key Largo. Keep up the excellent work. I also appreciate how you keep things clean and classy. Blessings to you both!!!

[@Fatherofheroesandheroines]

Are you talking to me?.. Are you..talking..to me?.. Ok sure I'll watch this movie.. also Jodie Foster was a child star for years before this. This was her early role in a serious movie and EXTREMELY controversial because of what she was.

[@palermotrapani9067]

That is a young Cybill Shepherd, first appeared in the Last Picture Show in 1971. Was with Bruce Willis in popular show Moonlighting. Yes, that is Jodie Foster. Lots of Movies from 73 to maybe 78 were sort of made with a Post Vietnam and watergate America trying to make peace with itself again but still kind of at war with itself.

[@bdog1323]

I always liked that the speech that Peter Boyle's character tells him by the cab, is the same speech they added into one of the Everybody Loves Raymond episodes, just a little shorter.

[@Al_NERi]

Just wanted to leave some love for the late great character actor Joe Spinnel, here in a very small role as the cabstand supervisor who interviews Travis, and is the first character to show him a shred of begrudging respect, after a testy Noo Yawk introduction, based on their shared marine corp experience. Great actor, (The Godfather one and two, Rocky one and two, many more) , always catches the eye with his monumental, flint eyed, moon faced presence.

[@CloneByDesign]

This movie is like a nasty fever dream. Crazy to believe New York was actually like this back in the day.

[@jamesbednar8625]

Great review!!! You are correct - the "You talking to me" quote comes from this movie. I can remember that this quote was all the rage after this movie came out, can remember it well. Also, it was used in schools a lot whenever a teacher called upon someone to answer a question OR to defuse a tense situation like a bully wanting to beat your butt. As a former taxi driver at night from 1999-2001, you would be quite surprised about what happens inside a taxi and types of "customers" you drive around. I worked in a medium-sized town & and small town outside a military installation. This movie just barely touched on what can happen inside a taxi cab when you are driving around. Thankfully, nothing too dramatic, but enough to scar you for life. You definitely understand why other drivers always fight over the day shift, driving at night was quite the "education" in human behavior - even in meium to small sized towns. Been trying to convince myself to become an Uber Driver, but my taxi driver memories would flood back into my mind and - NOPE, do not need that crap anymore.

[@tolkienismaster]

I think Micheal Mann's Thief would somehow be a great follow up to Taxi Driver. Top level reaction.

[@neonvandal8770]

The part after the shooting at the end was all in his head as he was dieing- his fantasy of being a hero. New York the 70s was like that- a violent, sleazy hole, full of crazy people. Great film.

[@mapesdhs597]

And yet, curiously, many say they miss it... Check the comments/exchanges below this video, and note the girl shown is the channel owner: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p4DWmGB5m5hjeLM The personal recollections in the comments make for fascinating reading.

[@shainewhite2781]

12:37, that's Martin Scorsese in a cameo!!! That's crazy!!!

[@drdavid1963]

Haven't watched this for a few years. Great to see your reaction. It is one of the greatest films ever made. It's as simple as that.

[@jonrobinson8549]

"Taxi Driver" was Jodi Foster's second movie with Martin Scorcese. Two years earlier, when she was only about 11, she was in "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore." I highly recommend it to you. Secondly, you came very close to Travis's most important quality. Travis did not know slang, trivia, or pop-culture, but he knew important things about morality and love. His greatest pain came from knowing important things. On the other hand, this worked against him because he fell for the pitch that couples went to porno movies, which they did at the time. After the sexual revolution, slightly more sophisticated porno movies were sold as sexy entertainment for couples, but of course, this was just a pitch. Travis's lack of pop-culture understanding led him to believe the pitch, but SOME pop-culture knowledge would have helped Travis avoid that mistake.

[@nigelw7626]

Good insight you sound like a true cinephile!

[@TTM9691]

Yeah, that's a very good Scorsese movie that gets overlooked.

[@sunnyschramm9650]

21:35 LOL - Harvey Keitel? :D

[@Nimzzeee]

Scary thing is, knowing Bob de Niro is an incredible method actor, that must've been an incredibly weird time for any of his friends and family to be around him during and in preparation for the movie.

[@Gramet-sc1ki]

It’s a vietnam marines veteran, a movie about ptsd. We could see he can’t sleep got this scare in the back when he do pushups. He got this green army jacket and made this air cut before action. Because it’s an Iroquois precisly Mohawk haircut which was an haircut before assault in Vietnam like Native americans style . The history of this haircut his the us airbrne in second world war.

[@Kainlarsen]

This is an awesome movie. I think Travis still does represent a lot of men, young and old, who feel lost and disillusioned with the world and life, and just want to do *something*, *anything* to feel like they matter or make a difference. Travis walked the fine line between hero and villain, almost became a villain, but then when that road was closed to him, even though he was ready to end it all, he did something good, however violent. I think we can all agree saving a young girl from a life of prostitution and abuse is better than killing a politician out of some misguided anger. He's still no saint, and still somewhat mixed up, but that act helped him get his shit together at the end.

[@kuribayashi84]

The score for this movie was the last one composed by Bernard Herrmann. He died in his sleep the night after he finished recording it.

[@DerUberGaijan]

The people, including Travis, going on after being shot is pretty realistic. The idea of someone instantly going down - dead - with a single shot is very Hollywood. In real life, adrenaline and momentum keep people going after several shots unless it's right through the head.

[@andrewcrouch8730]

One possible explanation of the ending (which I think makes the most sense) is that everything after Travis sitting on the couch bleeding profusely is a fleeting hallucination as his life comes to an end. All of that epilogue (Travis recovering and going back to his life like nothing happened, Iris going back to her parents, Betsy riding in the taxi and attempting to reconnect with Travis) is just a bit too comforting and perfect to be real.

[@USCFlash]

Cybil Shepherd was AMAZING in this & The Last Picture Show. She should've become one of the biggest movie stars of all time but she got sidetracked & sometimes things just don't work out. She became huge later on TV during 80s & 90s but it's a different thing to movies. She had a tremendous movie screen presence that later stars of the 80s & 90s like Demi Moore & Melanie Griffith simply did not have. She should have been right up there at the top with the other top screen ladies of her generation like Jessica Lange, Sigourney Weaver & Susan Sarandon & certainly ahead of boring hyphenates like Cher.

[@-TheFilmBuff-]

The guy with the glasses at 2:07 is in the godfather as hitman willi Cicci who is in multiple scenes in the first 2 movies and is the one who traps and kills Don Cuneo in a revolving door in the baptism scene

[@jthompson7175]

I'm in the minority on this, but my favorite Martin Scorsese movie is a dark comedy called After Hours. I don't want to say too much about it because it's kind of best not knowing what to expect going in, but people trying to explain it have said its like Seinfeld crossed with Escape from New York. In a strange way, that's not wrong. Also it has an appearance by Cheech and Chong. ;)

[@karlmoles6530]

"I feel like I'm just waiting for him to snap." Hehe, you'll see.

[@Saul.2910]

Love this movie. Sometimes there is a disturbingly-fine line between a hero and a villain…

[@luciolamonica]

12:35 - say hello to Mr. Scorcese! epic cameo!

[@McPh1741]

If you want to watch another gritty 70s movie, I recommend “Death Wish” starring Charles Bronson.

[@frogger1952]

A better film than that...The French Connection. One of the all time great NYC movies along with Sweet Smell of Success.

[@fudhater8592]

"There's no way that happened!" It's New York City in the 70's. IT HAPPENED

[@drlee2]

I have Taxi Driver in one of my Top 5 movies ever. Robert DeNiro was nominated Best Actor and should have won. His performance as Travis Bickle is legendary and is probably in my Top 3 film performances. The film was also nominated for Best Picture and Jodie Foster was nominated Best Supporting Actress. The director Martin Scorcese, who was also nominated Best Director, actually played the cameo role of the ranting homicidal husband in Travis' cab. He also played a random guy sitting on the stump. hanging outside of Palantine's headquarters. EDIT: Wow, I guess I was wrong about Scorcese being nominated Best Director for this. Learn something new everyday! lol This travesty is up there with Spielberg not getting nominated Best Director for Jaws.

[@DMichaelAtLarge]

Jodie Foster appeared in six movies before Taxi Driver. She was about 13 when she filmed it. She began her career at age 2 in commercials and made her first TV appearance at age 6. So she came to Taxi Driver as an experienced veteran.

[@loohole81]

PTSD, combat stress after service. Travis is trying to live a normal life but is struggling. The movie shows Travis breaking down in many ways.

[@harveybeck8452]

Yeah is true people didn't know about it when they watching it

[@JH-lo9ut]

Travis is not trying to live a normal life. He seeks out the worst that society has to offer, to feed his hatred and cynism. "I'll work anywhere, anytime". He takes the worst shifts, in the worst parts of NY. After Betsy dumps him, he goes to a black neighbourhood where kids throw bottles at him and yell "go home". Why does he do that? He knows what will happen but he does it just to further torment himself. Travis has money, he works all the time, but never does anything but watch porn and pop pills by himself. Really, for as bad as Wizard's advice is, there is some trace of an old man's wisdom there: "go out, get drunk, get laid". You are a human Travis, stop being a martyr. Yes, Travis may be suffering from PTSD, but he is treating it the worst way possible.

[@tjchesney4997]

This was a great upload. Paul Schrader, who wrote it, was upset by the ending, for the simple reason that Travis had not changed. He was a ticking-time-bomb of a good guy. He will kill again....

[@desmoove]

Scorcese: "...I mean all the stuff I just said you must think I'm pretty sick" TBR Schmitt!: "...I mean we do but I don't know if Travis does" Again, i don't know what it is, maybe your delivery or something, but I laughed my a$$ off at that take!

[@1223jamez]

My father took me to see this film when it first came out in 1976 and I was 15 years old. This movie even though it’s 50 years old is extremely violent in today’s standards!

[@My-Name-Isnt-Important]

The setting of New York here, is very alien to people who only have been after New York was drastically changed in the early 90s. All of the peep shows and other locations that brought an undesirable element, were removed and banned from operating downtown. The New York of the late 70s was very dangerous and was not a place you could walk freely. The Park, the subway, certain parts of the city, were places too dangerous to visit at night. Strangely though, the city did have a certain charm to it, and was a place tourists still flocked to. It's very corporate and stale now, and extremely expensive for locals. The crime is returning now though, that's something that nobody missed.

[@brianflaherty4517]

Boston was the same way , we had the combat zone. It was fun listening to them trying to process what was going on in this film.

[@jamesscanlan6240]

I was there in the late seventies; row upon row of porno theatres, peep shows and even live sex shows. It's wrong I suppose, but I'm kind of nostalgic for NYs hellhole period. I mean, an M and Ms store; how lame is that?

[@highstimulation2497]

the crime is returning? why?

[@jamesscanlan6240]

@@highstimulation2497 Is it? I thought it was like Disneyland now.

[@My-Name-Isnt-Important]

@@highstimulation2497 Can't really discuss why crime is returning to how it once was online, or really at all. It's political and will only start arguments.

[@shainewhite2781]

Here's a fun fact you might not know: Rorschach gets in a taxi, talks to the driver, telling him that he wants to get rid of all the crime and hatred in all the world, even if it means killing a man with his bare hands. He gets out of the cab after arriving at his Destination. He thanks the driver and asks for his name: Travis Bickel from Taxi Driver! It's confirmed that Watchmen and Taxi Driver take place in same universe!

[@the_vile_one.]

wow great fun fact!😃

[@Fallopia5150]

Making a living in the seedier side of life. NYC at night. Just driving, pill popping to keep driving and getting paid, seeing all the filth, trying to find something good in that mess. De Niro nailed it.

[@batape1965]

When I was very young (4 or 5), we lived in a town just outside of Detroit. In the Fall, my father would take my sister and I for evening Sunday walks. On one neighborhood block, there was a salvage garage, where cars that had been totaled that weekend would be brought before ultimately being dismantled for usable parts. There was a streetlight that allowed us to clearly see the cars in the dark. This was before seat belts were regularly in use. There were numerous grisly wrecks. Crumpled, caved in bodies with giant holes in windshields. Black/red blood soaked bench seats. They smelled of gasoline and miscellaneous burning. One time, there was a shoe. We asked dad, why is there one shoe? He didn't know and said we had to get back home. The first time I saw Taxi Driver, the scene with the stunned police officers in the motel room, tracking slowly down the slippery stairs, finally rising above the ring of shocked onlookers, brought back the memory of that salvage garage.

[@hilarymiseroy3251]

This movie is about alienation and what it can lead to. There is a thin line between being a hero or a villain. The whole point of the ending is telling you that Travis is going to do it again because he now has the taste.

[@Hexon66]

Travis is no hero, only in a modern maga mindset would that even seem reasonable. It's a shame the film had to be toned down from what it was, a horror story of white males in America feeling like they're losing their identity and supremacy.

[@fernandof.2225]

FUN FACT: Peter Boyle speech "you become the job" was used on one episode of "Everybody loves Raymond", for just no reason but paying homage to this movie :) lol

[@mpireone]

I enjoyed Cybill Shepherd (Betsy) in the TV series "Moonlighting" with Bruce Willis

[@ace-of-teacups]

Me too!

[@mpireone]

@@ace-of-teacups Favorite episode - Big Man On Mulberry Street.

[@frogger1952]

The other cast members definitely did NOT enjoy Cybil Shepherd, particularly DeNiro. The coffee shot scene took forever to shoot because she kept blowing her lines.

[@elvisleeboy]

This is my favourite film, and I have watched it countless times and yet I never noticed the scar on his neck until you pointed it out. Mind blown.

[@christianhernanalancamaren1582]

This movie can very well summarize the decade of the 70's. Guys, I recommend "Network" from the same year. By the way "Joker" takes a reference from that movie too. Very good reaction, as always.

[@rabbitandcrow]

Network is amazing.

[@MrUndersolo]

One of the greatest American films of the last fifty years.

[@chrisbanks5925]

"You talkin to me?"

[@neiluk1470]

When he asked the Wizard for advice and they had that conversation, it's my favourite part of the whole movie. It is like talking to one's dad.