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TAXI DRIVER. An Unparalleled Descent into a Man’s Madness [4K-Steelbook Review]
![TAXI DRIVER. An Unparalleled Descent into a Man’s Madness [4K-Steelbook Review]](https://i0.wp.com/cinapse.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/image-24.png?resize=894%2C496&ssl=1)
One of the quintessential landmarks of American cinema
There’s something about revisiting a classic that reminds you about the potency of cinema. No introduction is really needed. Taxi Driver planted its star Robert De Niro and director Martin Scorsese firmly on the map, as well as exposed us to the mercurial talents of writer Paul Schrader (Raging Bull, First Reformed). Winner of the Golden Palm at the Cannes Film Festival (1976). Nominated for Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Actor (De Niro), Best Supporting Actress (Jodie Foster) and Best Original Score (Bernard Herrmann). Taxi Driver‘s status as one of the greats of American cinema has only grown since it’s original release, and as part of the Columbia 100 Years celebration, it’s gotten a new 4K-treatment by Sony Pictures to celebrate.
De Niro stars as Vietnam war veteran Travis Bickle. A man increasingly consumed by his trauma, and detached from the world around him. Unable to sleep, eat, and find his place in the world, he watches people and the city from behind the wheel of a taxi cab. A job that seems to be his last ditch effort to find human connection and purpose. His exposure deepens his dismay and disgust, and after two notable encounters take a sour turn (realized by the impeccable performances of Cybill Shepherd and a young Jodie Foster), he is sent spiraling towards an embrace of the darker side of his psyche.
A plot that seems simple, but the film garners weight and impacts thanks to the performances, a deftly wrought script, and the vision of its director. The film mines the hustle, bustle, and grim underbelly of New York to great effects, introducing us to a cross-sectional slice of society, while Scorsese’s direction conveying Bickle’s loneliness even amidst millions of people. Cinematographer Michael Chapman draws from the light and dark of the surrounds to ease us into this man’s psyche, aided by the dramatic tones of Bernard Herrmann’s score. The film is an ongoing drip of unease, and thanks to the performance of De Niro, as enthralling as it is disconcerting. He treads a fine line, adding a little sheen of charisma and sympathy to an erratic and unstable man trapped within a web of flaws and troubles. More than just a meme or a quote, a picture on a tee or dorm room poster, this performance, and film in general, has real impact and real resonance. It’s affecting, witnessing this man’s descent into madness, and more so being hit by the reality of how our society can fail people, those who fall through the cracks due to a lack of support, and a lack of connectivity to the people around them.
The Package
These days some legacy re-releases on the 4K format can be a bit underwhelming, so it’s great to report that Sony have done a superb job here. The transfer is impeccable, with natural and robust colors, and well saturated images. The picture quality is pristine, a smooth moving image, free of any crushing or artifacts. What is notable is how the extra quality allows more brightness and balance to open up the film to appreciate the (improved) details, without sacrificing any of it’s brooding palette. Deep inky blacks and a fine range of contrast support the shadowy scenes, and add to their impact. Grain feels a tad heavy in parts, but it feels appropriate given the tone of the film.
This release comes in a special steelbook presentation. A sleek exterior showcasing a front with new artwork, and a back and gatefold showing scenes from the film. Inside are two discs containing the 4K edition, a digital download code, a Blu-ray copy of the film, as well as the legacy extra features.
Image courtesy of Sony Pictures Extra Features:
- Making Taxi Driver Documentary: Just over 70 minutes in length, it’s a solid look at the production, it’s initial reception, and it’s legacy. Sadly lo-def, but an interesting compilation of interviews and footage
- Storyboard to Film Comparisons with Martin Scorsese Introduction: Juxtaposing the early storyboards with what ended up being shot. The introduction opens up us to Scorsese’s filmmaking approach
- Animated Photo Galleries: Stills from the film
- 20th Anniversary Re-Release Trailer: The only ‘new’ feature
- 40-Minute Taxi Driver Q&A featuring Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster and Many More Recorded Live at the Beacon Theatre in New York City at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival: Just over 40 minutes in length, and showcases a lively Q&A with plenty of the cast (including Cybill Shepherd, Paul Schrader, and Harvey Keitel) chiming in with their memories and thoughts on the film’s longevity
- Commentary with Director Martin Scorsese and Writer Paul Schrader Recorded by the Criterion Collection: Scorsese is a wealth of film knowledge, Schrader similarly so, with a thick streak of chaotic energy. Just a top notch commentary in terms of both education and entertainment
- Commentaries by Writer Paul Schrader and by Professor Robert Kolker: A little drier a commentary, but still well worth a listen as it opens up the discussion to Taxi Driver‘s place in, and impact upon the history of cinema
- Martin Scorsese on Taxi Driver: A 15 minute chat, recently recorded, with the filmmaking reiterating his thought on the film and making it
- Influence and Appreciation: A Martin Scorsese Tribute: Notable filmmakers and actors share their views on the renowned director
- Producing Taxi Driver: Michael Philips breaks down his part in the production, notably his service as a go-between for Scorsese and the studio
- God’s Lonely Man: A 20 minute piece reflecting on the character makeup of Travis Bickle
- Taxi Driver Stories: Real cabbies, real stories, real good
- Travis’ New York: The film’s cinematographer Michael Chapman and then Mayor Ed Koch share their thoughts on the look and feel of New York in the 70s
- Travis’ New York Locations: A short rundown of the filming locations
- Theatrical Trailer:
The Bottom Line
Taxi Driver is one of the quintessential American movies. A landmark of cinema, that cemented the talents of De Niro and Scorsese. Even 50 years later, it’s craft and impact is undeniable, and this 4K release, with it’s stunning visual presentation and host of extras, is the perfect way to revisit a classic.
Taxi Driver 4K-UHD Steelbook is available via Sony Pictures Home Entertainment now
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FANTASIA 2024: THIS MAN – THE ROOM meets THE RING
Tomojiro Amano’s This Man was easily another one of my most anticipated films of the fest with its blurb promising an eerie folk horror narrative, by way of an eclectic mix of J-horror and eastern horror. This description was complemented with a still that showed some kind of surreal super horror hybrid. What I got was something much different, and I am not mad at all.
The film’s plot reads like a horror version of Dream Scenario. We have a group of people in Japan who all see the same grotesque man in their dreams, who looks like the real life Japanese offspring of Bert and Ernie. Soon after their nightmare they are either murdered by someone, or they just start coughing up blood till they die on the spot. The film’s primary focus is on a family of three who ignore this strange urban legend, that is until the wife sees the man in her dreams one night. This causes the husband to seek out answers from a sorcerer who was recently kicked out of the sorcery union, who attempts to help them.
The plot here sounds pretty solid, and if it would have been if they kept the scope small like most J-horror films, but soon the film goes into this bizarre nihilistic downward spiral as we have 10,000 dying from “Bernie” night terrors and 10,000 people a day killing themselves to avoid him. The ridiculous part is they say only 1 human sacrifice is all they would need to end this madness, but not one of those probably 100,000 who have died in that third act, would die to save their country.
The Tommy Wiseau comparison comes in, because as I watched the film I started to notice some things that felt way too familiar. Overlit scenes that were punctuated by background music that was just a little bit too loud, along with acting that definitely felt a bit overly melodramatic and forced. The editing style here is also that weird stream of conscious editing that you’d recognize from The Room, where the scenes just keep going. The flourish is when the director needs a transitionary pause, he cuts to this shot of these clouds over and over again for some odd reason.
So it’s more of a stylistic and narrative comparison, rather than to say this film is just bad, because it’s not, it’s downright entertaining.
The scene that locked me into this comparison, was early on and between the father of the family and a detective investigating the deaths. Both men are coded hetero in the film and happen to meet in the gym. They then go on to have one of the most uncomfortable dialog exchanges I’ve seen committed to camera in a long time:
Who talks like that who’s not in a Tommy Wiseau movie? I don’t know if the translation was off but this kind of off putting exchange tends to happen whenever one character interacts with another. It’s brilliant, awkward and cringe-inducing all at the same time.That and the character who everyone is terrified of is downright laughable, whenever he is on screen he doesn’t exactly invoke dread, more like who approved this makeup and why the hell is he peeling carrots? Also we are supposed to know it’s a dream because they cue the smoke machine every time. Seriously I need to see this again with a packed like minded audience at midnight where it should just shred.
Detective: You often come here?
Father: Yes, to improve my strength.
Detective: Live nearby?
Father: Five minutes on foot.
Detective: You have a great body.
Father: Not at all.
Detective: What do you do?
Father: I’m in IT. Sitting at a desk all day so I need to exercise.
What do you do?
Detective: I am a detective.
Father: No wonder you ask so many questions.
Detective: Wanna spar?
This Man is honestly the kind of film I can’t wait to inflict on others. From the insane setup, the stilted overacting, the bizarre antagonist, to the gory and bizarre ending that comes out of nowhere, it’s just all types of what the hell and I loved it. This Man is the kind of film that you really have to be in the right mindset going in, and once I recognized that I was having the time of my life. This Man is a bizarre mess of a film that needs to be seen to be believed, and that needs a cult following ASAP.
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Film Masters Unleashes THE CRIPPLED MASTERS on Blu-ray
My first encounter with Joe Law AKA Chi Lo’s Crippled Masters (1979) was on a blind buy VHS tape purchased from Suncoast Pictures one Saturday night in 1997. Usually the reality never matched the promise of those early VHS covers, especially the martial arts ones, but here it certainly did. At the time it was put out by New Line Cinema, who are probably best known for Lord of the Rings now, but back when they picked pick up Masters, New Line trafficked in the likes of art house treasures and more sordid genre fare like the films of John Waters, who had the best description of the film in his book Crackpot:
“If you want to be civic minded and publicize your newly installed handicap ramps, show The Crippled Masters, an honest-to-God karate film with two heroes-one has no arms, the other no legs. Everybody beats them up until one jumps on the other’s shoulders, and together they become a killing machine.”
While some may lump Masters in with Chinese and Hong Kong fighters, the film’s lineage was actually Taiwanese, who were not as well funded as the likes of Shaw Brothers and Golden Harvest of the East. Because of that they weren’t above exploiting two disabled individuals to deliver one of what in my humble opinion is one of the greatest fight flicks out there. The film takes the revenge route and has the local kingpin Lin Chang Cao (Chen Mu Chuan) who suffers from severe kyphosis himself cutting off the arms of once great martial artist Lee Ho (Frankie Shum), who was actually born without fully formed arms due to thalidomide syndrome.
Lee then goes into exile where he comes across Tang (Jackie Conn) some months later, who was one of the men who maimed him. Tang had also crossed the boss, and had acid poured on his legs for his transgression. Conn in real life had lost the use of his legs due to complications in childbirth, and they were kept crossed at all times, so he could maneuver with his hands. The two men soon meet a contortionist/martial artist master, who then recruits them as students and trains the men for both vengeance and to steal 8 Jade Horses. The horses were stolen from their master by Lin and hide the secret to defeating him.
The thing that really stood out to me about the flick making it a favorite for me personally is how the two men endure so much hardship, but by the end of the film overcome their disabilities become martial artists beating the bad guy and winning the day. The acrobatics needed to achieve this feat and fights here are nothing short of impressive, since we can definitely see both men are powerful fighters in their own right and this was way before CGI or greenscreen. Then there’s the very clear reality that these two men were already disabled, became martial arts experts after the fact, who then went on to star in four films, which is almost as impressive as the plot of this film to be honest.
Film Masters have sourced this HD scan from the only surviving 35mm film print. And after watching their raw scan, which is also an extra on the disc, I can see they had their work cut out for them. It definitely looks leaps and bounds better than my VHS and allows a clearer look at the sheer tenacity on screen from the Masters. The film also comes with a very aggressive DTS-HD mono track, this had my sub thumping my home theater whenever there was a fight on screen, hitting a solid low whenever a punch landed. There’s also a very informative commentary as well as a 30 minute mini-doc Kings of Kung Fu: Releasing the Legends, which looks to act as an intro to the kung-fu crazed that birthed this insanity.
Watching the film now, there’s a new more nuanced context at play in the current climate. Echoing the excellent commentary on the disc by Will Sloan and Justin Decloux of The Important Cinema Club, I would like to think that this film really does transcend its exploitative trappings even though this film was originally made to allow abled body audiences to gawk at these disabled men. It definitely allowed the audience to sympathize with these men and not only root for them, but see them for the heroes they were. It’s most definitely a negative conceptually, but these film did enable these men to have careers in film as martial artists and allowed them to make make a living, which is the crux of the question of did this film purely exploit or empower them as well. I would like to say a little of column A, and also column B. -
FANTASIA 2024: THE SOUL EATER – Disappointing and Derivative
One of my most anticipated titles of Fantasia this year was the latest by the French directing duo behind one of my favorite entries in the New French Extremity, The Soul Eater. Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury, who helmed the extreme cult classic Inside are back, with a film that was written by newcomers Annelyse Batrel, Alexis Laipsker and Ludovic Lefebvre, which disappointingly felt more like a derivative knockoff lacking the energy of their previous works.
The film essentially is the story of two cops from different organizations played by Virginie Ledoyen and Paul Hamy, who are summoned to the small remote town of Roquenior where there’s been a brutal double homicide. Ledoyen’s character is there because of the extreme nature of the crime, that has a couple stabbing each other to death in an orgasmic frenzy of blood and gore and Hamy’s character is there because a notorious white van was found on the premises. This van just happens to feature prominently in his investigation of six missing children and their cases intersect with the single living witness. The young son of the dead couple who won’t stop talking about a local urban legend called “The Soul Eater”.
While the performances are full of gravitas and there is a palatable chemistry between the pair, it thankfully never culminates into anything on screen. This only works to keep you firmly invested in the stakes and a plot that at best felt like it was cribbed from one of the lesser seasons of True Detective, with some big swings that missed every mark its hollow mix of the cults and the supernatural. This also goes for the look and overall atmosphere of the piece as well, it just felt too derivative of Detective’s bleak lower income dystopian world, where basically everyone is poor and a terrible person. By the time everything eventually culminates in the third act, it manages to betray any trust the viewer had in these directors at the ridiculousness of the logic employed to justify a The Happening level bad reveal.
It also didn’t help that I sat down to watch this after my second viewing of Longlegs, which also uses its plotting to construct a similar otherworldly murder fueled mystery box. But unlike Longlegs, which really earns its ending by filling every nook and cranny with dread and this otherworldly ambience and breadcrumbs, this film just feels like they pulled a Lost and had no idea how they were going to stick this landing and pay off these mysteries, which don’t get me wrong had possibility. It’s a shame because I really enjoyed the leads’ performances and I think the concept of regionalizing or adapting Detective, might have actually been a good idea, depending on the execution. You just need to have a concept and delivery on par with the original, otherwise it’s going to be a knockoff like Soul Eater rather than an impassioned homage or love letter.
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Two Cents Basks in the EVIL UNDER THE SUN
In this week’s Back to the Beach, we travel to an island off the coast of Spain for an all-star Agatha Christie whodunnit.
Two Cents is a Cinapse original column akin to a book club for films. The Cinapse team curates the series and contribute their “two cents” using a maximum of 200-400 words. Guest contributors and comments are encouraged, as are suggestions for future picks. Join us as we share our two cents on films we love, films we are curious about, and films we believe merit some discussion. Would you like to be a guest contributor or programmer for an upcoming Two Cents entry? Simply watch along with us and/or send your pitches or 200-400 word reviews to [email protected].
The Pick: Evil Under the Sun (1982)
When the Two Cents crew had suggested a beach theme, I knew almost instantly that Evil Under the Sun was the only title I could pick. One of the last big-screen adaptations of Agatha Christie’s for a while (until the boys at Cannon Films decided to give it a go in the late 80s), Evil Under the Sun is a decadent escape into a sun-drenched paradise among a group of characters who are just as catty as they are entertaining. Because this is a Christie adaptation, it just so happens that there’s also a worthwhile murder at the center of this secluded island getaway, one that fans of the genre will find themselves instantly hooked on that also manages to use its beach setting to powerful effect. So put on some Cole Porter, enjoy a cocktail, and try to uncover the evil under the sun.
Our Guest
Of the all-star Agatha Christie adaptations that were a fixture of the 1970s and 1980s, Evil Under the Sun is easily the frothiest – the summer getaway of murder mysteries, if you will. While the mystery itself – part murder, part jewel heist – is certainly engaging, with enough misdirection to really keep you guessing until the solution is revealed, the true fun comes from the cast of suspects and the barbed dialogue they throw at each other. Unlike certain recent Christie adaptations, there’s no cast member who isn’t given their moment to shine and they each play up their hatred of the eventual victim superbly.
Peter Ustinov returns to the mustaches of Hercule Poirot after his first stint in Death on the Nile, keeping his detective infinitely fussy and seemingly harmless. Of the supporting cast, the great Maggie Smith shines the brightest as the resort owner, Daphne Castle. She lands every laugh line expertly and mines her “frenemy” relationship with Diana Rigg’s Arlena with everything she has. Their competitive rendition of “You’re the Top” is a bitchy delight.
The location shots of Majorca are dazzling, Anthony Shaffer’s sharp screenplay keeps the train moving at just the right pace, and Anthony Powell’s costumes provide plenty of humor and glamour. Poirot’s bathing suit is a joke all its own, while the cut of Nicholas Clay’s swim trunks needs to be seen to be believed. Keeping this a relatively spoiler-free zone, there’s also a costume toward the end of the film that deserves entrance applause – you’ll know it when you see it. The movie is a fun romp in the sun, with a little death as an excursion.
(@jerrydowney913 on Xitter)
The Team
Before Kenneth Branagh gave the all-star Agatha Christie murder mystery a new life, it’s important to remember that so many of the mystery writer’s works had found their way onto the big screen that the author was practically a movie genre unto her own. While most fans count Sidney Lumet’s 1974 adaptation of Murder on the Orient Express as the best of the all-star Christie mysteries, almost all of them would consider Evil Under the Sun to be a close second.
The plot deals with a small assortment of guests at an island resort on the Adriatic, all of whom become suspects when a theater diva (Diana Rigg) turns up dead. Director Guy Hamilton and screenwriter Anthony Schaffer do a superb job transferring Christie’s text to the screen and enlivening it with witty one-liners and great monologues for its cast to recite. The biggest benefactor of this, naturally, is Peter Ustinov, who, in his second outing as Hercule Poirot, finds the right balance between the detective’s playful nature and clever instincts. The rest of the cast is a cinephile’s dream with Maggie Smith, Jane Birkin, Roddy McDowall, Sylvia Miles, and James Mason all taking their turns as both eccentric hotel guests and credible suspects.
But all the game performances and fun dialogue wouldn’t work without a solid mystery at the center, which Evil Under the Sun definitely has. Shaffer’s adapting of Christie’s yarn is perfect. The mystery is neither dense nor obvious, but rather a smart puzzle that offers its audience a seemingly unsolvable scenario that plays with time and detail in the most dizzying of ways. All of this culminates in a showstopping ending that could only have come from a mind like Christie’s.
(@frankfilmgeek on Xitter)
Oh, how I love Cinapse staffer Frank Calvillo’s taste, and how pleased I am that he had us check out Evil Under the Sun. Not because I adored the film (it was fun enough) but because of what the programming of this title means for the concept of programming itself. Frank loves fancy things and classic things. He loves the romance of old Hollywood stars and classical big casts, etc. So it makes me happy that when we dreamed up a beach-themed month, this is the title he advocated for and which we watched and experienced together. I personally know almost nothing about Agatha Christie’s work or of the many tales of Hercule Poirot beyond Branagh’s most recent adaptations, of which I’ve only seen one.
That said, Evil Under the Sun has all the hallmarks of the well-worn formula of a whodunnit, and therefore it’s going to be entertaining and satisfying at the most basic of levels. I enjoy that Poirot is full of foibles and unflattering eccentricities. While Sherlock Holmes is an odd man, he’s not as silly or perhaps flawed as Poirot. The grand cast and majestic summer beach setting do make it perfect for this series. And I found it fascinating that the murder itself doesn’t happen until about an hour into the two-hour film. Ultimately the setting, the cast, and the writing come together for a sumptuous and entertaining romp that feels much like any classical murder mystery, with a little extra sunshine.
(@Ed_Travis on Xitter)
Viewing this through a 2024 lens, the biggest takeaway I had in this delightful Poirot mystery is how clearly this tale – and probably specifically this adaptation – had an impact on Rian Johnson’s second Benoit Blanc film, Glass Onion. I knew that his Knives Out mysteries were calling back to these classic star-studded ensemble movies and to Agatha Christie tales in particular, but even so, I didn’t realize that this one was such a specific reference point: the remote private island setting and its colorful guests, the meeting of the cast before they’re ferried over, even the island’s unusual methods for tolling the hour (Johnson’s “hourly dong” hat-tipping Christie’s noon cannon).
Peter Ustinov is a fun anchoring presence in the role of Poirot, a little more whimsical and upbeat than Kenneth Branagh’s current and more straightforward version of the character (which I’m also quite fond of for different reasons). Both are deeply calculating, but Ustinov rather cleverly masks it with his seemingly bumbling and disarming presence (a trait that Johnson clearly picked up and ran with for his Benoit Blanc). This is a great yarn, mixing up character-driven comedy with intrigue, delivered by a top-notch cast so good that some of them almost feel a little wasted, if not for the fact that the casting itself is subtly serving up some red herrings (James Mason in a minor supporting role!?). The central mystery doesn’t even kick off until a good 50 minutes in, nearly at the halfway mark, and that’s OK because we’re having a good time observing these characters, many of them squabbly and self-absorbed. Thanks to Frank for the recommendation; I was already planning to check this series out and am glad to have a reason to do so.
(@VforVashaw on Xitter)
I loved Agatha Christie novels when I was growing up. And, while I tended to gravitate towards Miss Marple, I enjoyed many Poirot stories as well. Yet, I have never cared a great deal for any film adaptations of Christie novels, despite my love for thrillers and mysteries. I think part of my issue is that I typically like my mysteries bloodier and more graphic, in the vein of Giallo films. While I certainly enjoy many films that aren’t gorefests, I think in this particular genre, I barely prefer when they are. There’s an additional stylistic flair that most Christie adaptations employ that doesn’t seem to vibe with me… even if I can’t pinpoint exactly what that is.
Sadly, this film didn’t buck that trend for me. While I vaguely remembered the novel, despite the 25+ year gap since last reading it, I couldn’t get into this film. Perhaps, I simply prefer these novels to the films… or perhaps, my tastes are just wildly different than they were in my pre-teen and teen years… but I can assert that this one isn’t for me – 42-year-old me, at least. However, I fully get the appeal of this film and it certainly screams “Frank” in its sensibilities and style. If nothing else, I genuinely appreciate Frank sharing a film he loves with us all!
(@thepaintedman on Xitter)CINAPSE GOES BACK TO THE BEACH!
Every week in July, we’ll be headed to the beach. Sometimes it’ll be fun, other times it’ll be a difficult journey, and yet other weeks it may end up deadly! Join us this month by reaching out to any of the team or emailing [email protected]!
July 29th – Club DreadAgatha Christie, Back to the Beach, Blu Ray, Cannon Films, Cole Porter, Crime, Diana Rigg, Giallo, Glass Oinion, Hercule Poirot, Home Video, James Mason, Jane Birkin, Kenneth Branagh, Knives Out, Maggie Smith, Miss Marple, Movies, Murder on the Orient Express, Peter Ustinov, Rian Johnson, Roddy McDowall, Sherlock Holmes, Sylvia Miles, Thriller, Two Cents, You’re the Top -
DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE: Marvel Jesus is here to Save the MCU (Spoiler Free Review)
As a long time fan of the MCU, I can say without any malice they are currently through it at the moment. The once well-oiled cinematic machine that simply printed money with each new release, has stumbled time and time again since Phase Three buttoned up the Infinity saga. A bevy of unengaging characters, a glut of mediocre films and TV shows to keep up with, have all but scared off most who don’t possess the backlog of knowledge required for entry. Deadpool & Wolverine are here not only to offer a return to those good old days pre-snap, but help us remember what made us love the MCU in the first place, just from a very adult POV.
After a brief recap of the first two films, we get to witness Deadpool’s first official foray into the MCU proper as he attempts to interview for the Avengers, his rejection triggers a midlife crisis that has the downtrodden Wade Wilson a few years later selling used cars, still looking for a way to “find a way to matter in the MCU”. The opportunity soon presents itself as he is abducted by the TVA and told that because the “anchor being” of his particular timeline has died, his timeline was beginning to unravel and would soon be following suit – with the anchor in question being Logan from the 2017 superhero masterwork. This has Wade first looking for a replacement Logan, and when that doesn’t quite workout, he then comes across a Wolverine with an exceptionally troubled past, who reluctantly joins him to take on the TVA and save his timeline.
(Before you cry about spoilers, this all happens in like the first 15 minutes)
Stakes-wise the film has the tension of one of those sorority boner comedies, where the only thing that can save the frat house is a last minute bikini car wash, and I think the writers were smart enough to realize that. Death and stakes in general in the MCU have been reduced to more of an inconvenience than anything else. They’re something that can be reversed or written around based on a nostalgic itch or a bigger paycheck for the star in question. So the writers decided to use this opportunity to instead really dig into the state of superhero films past and present and the MCU as a whole. This is done in a meta self deprecating love letter shared with its fans laced with some Kendrick Lamar level double entendres one liners.
What I loved about the humor is it has both an easy mode, coupled with a IYKYK deep cut for those steeped in both Marvel and its celebrity lore.
These whip smart jokes and visual gags come fast and furious and for the most part land. Even with my personal Ryan Reynolds tolerance waning after him experiencing an almost Chris Pratt oversaturation. Thankfully Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine manages to not only anchor the film, but balance and stand his ground with the Merc with a Mouth on a scene to scene basis. Not only do we get to see the two eviscerate one another more than once, both physically and verbally, it transpires in some truly brutal fights that finally gave me what I had always imagined a comic accurate depiction of a Wolverine asskicking would be like. I will also add when it comes to the verbal back and forth, while Jackman’s wit may not be as sharp as his claws, it cuts twice as hard based on delivery alone.
Deadpool & Wolverine works as not only a MCU multiverse palette cleanser, but a requiem for all the heroes and villains that have led us to this point, surprisingly not just of the mutant variety. I think that unexpected poignancy may be the most surprising thing for long-time fans of comic book films in general, who get not just a cameo, but a continuation and closure to some characters’ journeys that were cut short when they were left behind. But for those simply looking for crude humor, action and gore, this film has that as well, along with a grand finale that finally delivers on Deadpool’s potential as a character thanks to the bottomless pockets of Mickey Mouse and a go big or go broke attitude. Deadpool & Wolverine is a hilariously meta glimpse at the state of superhero cinema through the eyes of one of the media’s most fearless and deranged characters. He reminds us of not only why we’re in the theater, but shows us there’s still some gas left in that Honda Odyssey.
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DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE Is a Crass Explosion of the MCU’s Worst Instincts
Marvel’s latest is a textbook example of dopamine cinema.
If you’re a long time Cinapse reader, you will know about our admiration of Roger Ebert’s description of films as “empathy machines.” This is very vividly describing the ability of film, at its best, to provide a window into a world totally unlike the viewer’s and to live in someone else’s shoes for a while. The power of film then becomes transformational, giving you peeks in alternate realities you may not otherwise have access to. It’s true movie magic.
Unfortunately, the past decade of blockbuster filmmaking has seen a more insidious idea of what film’s ultimate power can be, what I have taken to describing as movies functioning as “dopamine” machines. This can best be described as taking familiar, comfortable symbols or tropes and feeding those back to the viewer in uncomplicated, digestible ways. This provides the sense of feeling like the movie is with you, rather than the movie itself pulling you towards it. It’s basically this
…as cinema. And as that example may underline, the absolute king of weaponizing this has been the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The crowning achievement of this style of filmmaking came with the climax of Avengers: Endgame, where over a decade’s worth of groundwork finally culminated in a final flash of jackpot. Those videos of people losing their minds in those final moments? That’s a high that, quite frankly, is hardwired into our brain and had never quite been achieved with such mastery before
And as with all highs, those in charge of the MCU have been chasing it ever since. Something resembling it was achieved in No Way Home, but you could feel the diminishing returns slightly. And it is worth noting that every other attempt to wrap a similar decades-spanning franchise into a similar moment fall slight flat because they feel manufactured. You can feel the manipulation, and thus our minds reject it.
Of course, Marvel in particular has attempted to also move away from this. Be it misunderstood experiments like Eternals or realigning efforts like The Marvels, the MCU has felt adrift since 2019; that’s five years now, and the fact they have pared down their releases to a single film for 2024 is telling. But make no mistake: this year’s offering, Deadpool and Wolverine, is another dopamine machine. The difference now is the movie at least wants you to know it knows that you know that we all know what the game is now.
The third Deadpool film and 14th X-Men film overall, Deapool and Wolverine starts with a fairly strong conceit. At the end of the previous film, Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds), AKA the hyper-violent anti-hero Deadpool was gifted a gadget that allowed him to fix his timeline and seemingly cross between realities. This led to him having an existential concern about his broader place in the world of superhero films, and after a failed interview to become an Avenger, he decides to give up the life of being a superhero. Only for the TVA (they’re from the Loki TV show, so hopefully you’ve seen at least some of that) to pluck him out, tell him his timeline is doomed, and to basically offer him a chance to move for…reasons?
Wade naturally rejects the offer, and proceeds to attempt to save his universe, but to do that he’ll need a version of the X-Men Wolverine (Hugh Jackman). Eventually after montaging through various alternate realities, only to discover he happened to pick the saddest sack Wolverine available. The pair then have to team up to save their universe from both the TVA and malicious forces from other forgotten or discarded superhero franchises.
This being a Deadpool movie, you can imagine how aware the whole ordeal becomes more or less immediately. Yes, Deadpool is aware he’s in a movie, but even more pointedly, he’s aware he is in a film that serves as both the bridge for Deadpool to come into the MCU and also what will technically be the fourth swan song for Fox’s X-Men film franchise. Plenty of industry insider humor, going every way, that will certainly appeal to both comic and film obsessives alike. The movie wants you to feel like you’re in on the joke.
The problem is the joke is a bit exhausting. Even as someone who has a perhaps misplaced fondness for the shagginess of the Fox Marvel films that came before the MCU template set the bounds of what superhero films had to follow,
Beyond all of that, this bit is centered around stylishly staged but ultimately numbing violence. Deadpool’s whole deal, outside of being self-aware, is how unapologetically violent he is allowed to be. The film certainly earns its R-rating once again, both in terms of copious amounts of violence and constant, unrelenting coarse language. But very little of it feels especially thrilling, especially when you hit yet another gigantic fight scene that is punctuated by buckets of CGI blood splatter. You can feel the applause shots begging to be admired like 2016-era Jeb Bush.
The highlight of the film, perhaps unsurprisingly, is Hugh Jackman. Jackman has over 20 years of Wolverine under his belt now, and he clearly can slide into the character without much trouble. This version is a variant on the theme he presented in Logan, adding to the depth of survivors guilt and weariness a sense of self-loathing. But it is telling that part of that weariness is directed at having to do all of this nonsense, to be stuck in yet another parade of references and easter eggs, that the war has ultimately been lost and now he’s stuck fighting the same battles over and over again.I never wish for films to fail, partially because making any movie is hard work and people putting hours upon hours of labor into an artifact deserve to have that hard work admired. But I also fear that if this is a harbinger of what the brain trust at Marvel think their audience wants, and they are proven correct, the MCU as a whole is on a trail to become little more than a hollow ouroboros.
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Breaking News. ANCHORMAN: THE LEGEND OF RON BURGUNDY Lives On
The Channel 4 news team look sharper than ever in 4K
It’s been 20 years since we first heard Will Ferrell utter those immortal words “I’m Ron Burgundy“. The birth of one of his most beloved, and oft revisited characters in the two decades since his debut. With this all new 4K transfer, there’s a chance to revisit where it all began. 1970s San Diego, a time when men were anchormen (it’s not anchorlady!), with many leather bound books, and apartments that smelt of rich mahogany. Field reporter Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd), sportscaster Champ Kind (David Koechner) and meteorologist Brick Tamland (Steve Carell), all led by news-anchor Ron Burgundy (Ferrell), who as the top rated news-team in the area rode the wave of celebrity that came with being on top. Until things changed, and their all-male domination was shaken up by the hiring of reporter Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate). Her own star on the rise, she is seen as an addition to the team to address concerns over diversity, but instead of driving the team to greater heights, there is open-conflict. Rivalry gives way to romance, although the problems for the team don’t seem to be improved, and for Ron, a fall from grace is looming on the horizon.
Essentially, Anchorman is an overt commentary on broadcast TV, chauvinism, and power dynamics in the workplace. A group of guys, thriving on their celebrity, indulging in parties, scotch, suit shopping, and some light misogyny. A perfect world thrown into uncertainty because of changing social standards, and the growing power of women. The 70s is a pitch perfect area to scrutinize and also hold up as an example as to how far we’ve come (or in many ways haven’t), as well as serve as comedic fuel. Behavior and expectations so inappropriate it’s funny, compounded by the blinkered obliviousness of these men, and many others at the time. Jokes come at breakneck speed, both sharp and witty as well as abstract and absurd. Adding to this is an off-the-cuff flow, as the improv and natural banter between the cast just propels the film forward. Supporting characters and notable cameos just heap on the fun, rather than detract from it. There are defining comedies in the history of cinema, think Caddy Shack, Animal House, Groundhog Day, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Ferris Bueller, Airplane, or Some Like it Hot. Films where the chemistry of its cast, the spark of a good script, and the overall formula works not just in the moment, but to create something that becomes a benchmark. Anchorman is undeniably a pop culture landmark and quotable phenom, and even after 20 years it’s relentlessly funny fare.
The Package
Quite often these big studio 4K releases of older films, especially cult fare, gets a bit of short thrift when it comes to transfer quality. Thankfully, that’s not the case here. Anchorman looks superb in 4K, and the transfer really shows off some of the well-considered 70s-era production design (with cinematography by Thomas E. Ackerman). Reflecting this, the color palette tilts towards warmer hues, while colors have a healthy pop. Blacks are solid, offering a good range of contrast. Detail and clarity of image is excellent, the film doesn’t look in any way over-processed, instead retaining a grain and natural filmic quality. Unsurprisingly, there are no new extra features here, but the release pulls from the various legacy editions to give one of the most verdant packages I’ve seen in a long time.
- Both Theatrical and Extended versions of the film
- Commentary by Adam McKay, Will Ferrell, Lou Rawls, Andy Richter, Kyle Gass, Paul Rudd, David Koechner, and Christina Applegate: Amusingly bringing together stars and not-stars of the film, the result is an eclectic, chaotic, and hilarious commentary that is a piece of entertainment in its own right
- Deleted & Extended Scenes: Running close to an hour and comprised of deleted scenes, extended scenes, alternate takes, and more. More hit than miss, and a nice window into the loose/improv approach to many of the screens
- Bloopers: Humorous cuts, largely stemming from the cast breaking into laughter
- “Afternoon Delight” Music Video
- ESPN SportsCenter Audition – Ron Burgundy: A short clip of a faux audition for Burgandy to serve as anchor on the fledgling ESPN network
- Wake Up Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie: My first encounter with this was back when the film was originally released on DVD, quite simply, an entirely alternate Anchorman movie. 93 minutes in length, centered around a completely different plot, and showcasing some, but not all, of the cast, along with some new comedic faces. It’s not quite as sharp or consistently funny as the main feature, but its well worth a watch
- Intro-Commentary with Will Ferrell and Aaron Zimmerman: Tees up Wake Up Ron Burgandy
- PSAs: Amusing era-specific public service announcement, think the news team speaking to the community about the hippy menace
- Award Speech: Ron Burgandy’s acceptance speech for a local award
- Raw Footage “Good Takes”
- “Afternoon Delight” Recording Session
- Specials: EPK style kits touching on behind the scenes style approach, with one being more of an interview style affair with Burgandy himself
- Cast Auditions:
- Table Read 6/2/03: The first assembly of the cast for a readthrough
- Rehearsals: Another series of improv takes
- Playback Video: Remote reports from the news team in the field
- Commercial Break: Another ‘in character’ sketch
- Trailers
The Bottom Line
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy is one of those lightning in a bottle films that showcases a collective of comedians at the peak of their powers, knocking out an instant comedy landmark. A riotous, imminently quotable film, that straddles the fine line between brilliance and sheer stupidity. The 4K makeover is a welcome boost to the visuals, and the extra features included are an embarrassment of riches and sure to delight all fans of the film. Knights of Columbus, this is a fine release from Paramount.
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgandy, is available on Paramount Home Entertainment 4K-UHD now
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ODDITY is a Creepy, Claustrophobic Chamber Play
Damian McCarthy’s supernatural sophomore feature rewards a nail-biting atmosphere with satisfying if uneven execution
Stills courtesy of IFC Films. One year after the death of her sister Dani (Carolyn Bracken) by an escaped asylum patient, blind medium Darcy (also Bracken) returns to the site of her murder–an Irish countryside mansion Dani was in the middle of renovating…and where her widowed husband and asylum warden Ted (Gwilym Lee) still lives with his new partner, Yana (Caroline Menton). Darcy’s unexpected arrival is an awkward surprise for Ted and Yana, exacerbated by her insistence on staying the night as a form of closure. Darcy, the owner of a “cursed objects” oddities shop in the city, also brings a present–a terrifying wooden sculpture of a screaming man–that she believes will help her uncover the truth behind Dani’s murder. Ted spirits off to a night shift at the asylum, with Yana following behind for a weekend in the city…until a pair of missing car keys effectively traps Yana with her husband’s creepy, sleuthing ex-sister-in-law.
With its locked-room mystery effectively in motion after a chilling opening and efficient setup, Damian McCarthy’s Oddity deliciously takes its time ratcheting up the tension. Hitchcock once said that all that was necessary to create suspense was to show a ticking bomb underneath a table during an innocuous conversation. Frozen with rage, Darcy’s demonic wooden centerpiece acts as a chilling promise of Oddity‘s horrors to come. Along the way, McCarthy fiendishly infuses Hitchcock’s maxim with ghostly flair, as he utilizes Brian Philip Davis’ judicious editing and Aza Hand’s unpredictable sound design to tease offscreen spirits and invade his atmosphere with faint yet piercing bumps in the night. Dread is built up to nail-biting degrees as the audience becomes just as trapped as the hapless Yana in a situation that incrementally shifts from awkward to terrifying.
It’s an astonishingly fun evolution of McCarthy’s practical ambitions, first on display in his debut feature Caveat; where his reach exceeded the low-budget grasp of that film’s ultimately disappointing execution, the same restrictions work wonders in Oddity’s claustrophobic countryside setting. The relentlessness of Oddity’s pacing makes the mansion’s cavernous interior feel paradoxically inescapable, with new frights capable of appearing in any encroaching dark corner. Bringing back Hitchcock, much of Oddity feels reminiscent of a paranormally-charged adaptation of Dial M for Murder–a near-single-location chamber play now brimming with supernatural scares and wry reveals that reward the audience’s cultivated patience. Much like Oddity’s spare yet impactful jump scares, brief cutaways to Ted’s curious interactions with an asylum orderly (Steve Wall) provide much-needed opportunities to burn off the carefully built tension until the mechanics of McCarthy’s screenplay collect these diverse elements into a banger of a finale. While mileage may vary as to the successful execution of these various twists and turns, it’s clear that McCarthy has honed a watchful eye on how to evoke and release tension where it’s desperately needed.
The withdrawn performances by McCarthy’s mainly three-hander cast (minus its mannequin) play well into Oddity’s intricately managed suspense, as some characters’ reluctant politeness and diverging beliefs in the beyond eventually come to blows with primal satisfaction. While Menton’s Yana is at first grating in her hostility towards Darcy’s familiar yet alien presence in her home, her gradual caving-in to Oddity’s various scares becomes quite satisfying to witness. Bracken excels in her dual role as victim Dani and investigator Darcy; in addition to playing both roles, she conceals some exciting reveals in her latter role that lend Oddity some of its most satisfying payoffs. Less impactful, though, is Lee’s Ted. While Ted is mainly the stiff-upper-lip skeptic when it comes to the paranormal, Lee and McCarthy’s insistence on playing each of his moments as an obstinate stick in the mud robs Ted of what fleeting chemistry he has with Yana during their limited screen time, as well as whatever ambiguities his character deserves to have as Oddity’s reveals take shape. However, the spectrum of belief created by these three characters grants Oddity an unexpected strength.
While McCarthy’s sophomore feature is first and foremost a horror film, the cast’s performances give Oddity an intriguingly chameleonic tone, allowing the audience room to constantly question just what genre the film might truly belong to.
Oddity is now playing in theaters courtesy of IFC Films and Shudder.
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Criterion Review: BOUND Beguiles in 4K
Lana and Lilly Wachowski’s seductive debut feature remains as alluring as ever
Back in 1996, Lana and Lilly Wachowski (wonderfully credited as such in this new release) delivered their breakout feature Bound. A brooding and sensual neo-noir that showcased much of the visual flair and interest in themes of queerness, power, and love, that so pervaded their follow-up, The Matrix. Befitting genre traditions, the plot is relatively simple. Violet (Jennifer Tilly) is a girl trapped in a relationship with Caesar (Joe Pantoliano), a money launder for a local mob outfit. A $2million score that falls into Caesar’s “to do” pile, sparks a plan and a means of getting from under his thumb. But Violet needs help, and after seducing her building maintenance worker Corky (Gina Gershon), she proceeds to enlist her in a plan to take the money and send Caesar on the run. Well made plans go awry, and soon the pair find themselves getting closer to each other, as the factions hunting for this money close in.
A simple plot centered around a love triangle and a heap of cash, the rest is mood and character. Many of the noir tropes are present, with some flipped to provide some compelling twists and turns. What sets Bound apart is a through-line of investment, and hope, in the burgeoning relationship between Violet and Corky. It doesn’t just give us an inherent embrace of queerness, but also a fight the patriarchy angle, as we see the toxicity and destructiveness of these men encircle them. You end up not just rooting for the pair to have a shot at love outside this dangerous dynamic, but also for them to succeed, through using smarts over the more blunt force strength of these oppressors. Tilly channels old-school bombshell vibes as Violet, while Gershon offers a perfect counterpoint with the more gruff charms of Corky, a seething leather-jacketed rebellious element. Their chemistry is palpable, as they so clearly complement and strengthen each other. Pantoliano completes the headliners with an odious character that he is so adept at bringing to life.
Bound is a remarkably accomplished debut feature, not just in terms of technical merits, but its vision too. The Wachowski’s script is perfused with a black sense of humor and wit. Through the steamy sequences, sensuality, and gender-infused power plays, the film confidently flirts with the erotic thriller genre. Nudity and violence well weaved into the narrative. It’s compelling storytelling married to a distinct look ( thanks to cinematographer Bill Pope milking the $6 million budget to great effect) and tone, but what pulls it all together is the well defined ties that bind these women together in this dire situation, and how their love could offer them both the freedom they seek.
The Package
Criterion’s 4K transfer and restoration is approved by cinematographer Bill Pope, and the results are truly impressive. The films aesthetic is heightened, thanks to some deep deep blacks, and a vibrancy to the colors that contrast against them, and more stark lights. There is an impressive contrast range, depth and detail to the image, and a natural filmic quality that persists. Criterion have put out some stellar 4K releases and this is one of the best so far. The extra features are largely made up of archival features and include:
- One 4K UHD disc of the film presented in Dolby Vision HDR and one Blu-ray with the film and special features
- Audio commentary featuring directors Lana and Lilly Wachowski; actors Gina Gershon, Joe Pantoliano, and Jennifer Tilly; editor Zach Staenberg; and technical consultant Susie Bright: Runs the gamut of covering the films themes, production, on set intimacy coordination, technical approaches, on-set experiences, and more. Lively and informative
- New video essay by film critic Christina Newland, Pipeline to Seduction: The only addition to the legacy features is a very nice contribution that dives into the screenplay vs realized form of the film, and the themes and symbolism littered through the feature
- Six interview programs featuring Gershon, Pantoliano, Pope, Staenberg, Tilly, actor Christopher Meloni, composer Don Davis, title designer Patti Podesta, and film scholars Jennifer Moorman and B. Ruby Rich: Reflective pieces as each looks back on their experience making the film, and its ensuing legacy. Really nice, personally and emotionally informed interviews with the cast. The ‘scholars’ piece is more angled toward discussing Bound within the noir genre, while the crew members discuss their technical contributions that brought he film to life
- Trailers:
- PLUS: An essay by scholar McKenzie Wark: Included in the liner notes. touching on the Wachowski’s oeuvre, and the cinematic era that Bound was released in
- New cover by Drusilla Adeline/Sister Hyde Design
The Bottom Line
Bound is not just one of the Wachowski’s finest features, it’s one of the best directorial debut features to grace our screens. Brooding, sensual, and beguiling filmmaking, along with a trio of captivating performances. Criterion’s 4K treatment is resplendent, and the extras nicely cover all the elements that went into making the film a cult classic.
Bound 4K is available via Criterion now
