New TAXI DRIVER disc hits

Some people get angry when studios rerelease movies on DVD multiple times, causing fans to "doubledip" - purchasing movies more than once with vague promises of "ultimate editions," "director's cuts," "collector's editions," etc.

While this practice may be nefarious and a money-making ruse, I kind of look at it as a way to appease film obsessives who continuously search for definitive versions of their favorite movies.

So I didn't mind - and was quite thrilled - to see that Sony rereleased TAXI DRIVER in a two-disc, collector's edition. Sony previously released a "Collector's Edition" of the 1976 Martin Scorsese film in 1999, with some extras, including an excellent "making of" documentary (which is included in the newest release). But the disc lacked commentaries and any TAXI DRIVER lore or information. And the 1997 disc was totally bare-bones with a shoddy image presentation, which was improved upon in 99. Yet the 1999 image was still fuzzy...back to that shortly.

The latest version includes a ton of TAXI DRIVER stuff on disc two:

"Martin Scorsese on Taxi Driver" Featurette
"Producing Taxi Driver" Featurette
"Influence and Appreciation" Documentary - Robert De Niro, Oliver Stone, Roger Corman and others pay tribute to Scorsese and the film
"God’s Lonely Man" Documentary
"Travis’ New York Locations" Featurette
Storyboard to Film Comparisons with Martin Scorsese Introduction
New Feature-length Commentary by Writer Paul Schrader
New Feature-length Commentary by Professor Robert Kolker
"Taxi Driver Stories" Featurette
"Making Taxi Driver" Documentary (the one on the 1999 DVD)
Animated Photo Galleries
"Including Scorsese at Work" Photo Montage
"Original Screenplay Read Along"

The only notable MIA is a commentary by Scorsese himself, which is surprising seeing that he typically provides commentary for his films...but, who knows, that'll probably show up on HD or Blu-Ray...but this missing element is nitpicking because this is such a sweet package.

The locations comparison is a special feature highlight with side-by-side shots of NYC in 1976 and NYC shots in 2006. Times Square and surrounding areas are unrecognizable comparing now to then yet this feature instills a strange nostalgia for TS back in the 70s even though walking through there back then was a dangerous proposition.

And what about the new disc's image? Well - seen on plasma - its a revelation. I've never seen the film look this good. Its light years beyond the 97 release and makes the 99 release look like a worn VHS. In fact, this version confirms something in the film that's bugged me for years. In a scene where Travis picks up a man and a hooker, I always wondered who this man was. The man's face was always obscured - not only by shadow, but by bad film transfer. Travis recognizes the man and its this recognition that sets off Travis' obsession to save Betsy from her misguided devotion to presidential candidate Charles Palentine - for it is, indeed, Palantine groping the hooker in the back of Travis' cab. And its this clarity (visual and psychological) - seen for the first time on the latest DVD release - that adds a whole new layer of meaning to TAXI DRIVER.

Roger Ebert has stated many times that CITIZEN KANE - a film he's seen hundreds of times - presents something new to him upon each viewing.

TAXI DRIVER is my CITIZEN KANE.