We scoured the Internet, like we do for at least nine hours a day, for an excuse to embed Scorsese clips into one, organized blog post. Lucky for us, we found that timeliness was applicable: the 35th anniversary edition of Taxi Driver is out on Blu-Ray! We'll probably stick to our used copy that we picked up in Huntsville, but that doesn't mean we can't do a list to celebrate the anniversary.
Scorsese is known for using music to contribute to his storytelling process. He was the executive producer for a seven part series about the birth of blues music and directed his own documentary about the Delta blues artists like John Lee Hooker. He also directed "one of the best concert films of all time", The Last Waltz. So, dude likes movies and music, a lot. Let us mention that while doing the research for this article was fun. We basically sat and rewatched our favorite joints. Finding some of the clips on YouTube was a bit harder. Feel free to let us know what your personal favorite musical moments in Marty's history are.
Robert De Niro as Johnny Boy in Mean Streets (1973) Rolling Stones, "Jumpin Jack Flash" Ok, this is, hands down, one of the best entrances in the history of cinema. Yes, that's a risky statement to make, but what could possibly be cooler than De Niro in a hat, walking into a bar in slow motion with two hippie breezies under his arms? We've only met one person in our lives with that kind of swag.
Robert De Niro as Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver (1976) Jackson Browne, "Late For The Sky" It's a short clip, but it truly is what the caption reads as: classic. Can you tell that we're huge, unapologetic De Niro fans yet?
Tom Cruise as Vincent Lauria in The Color Of Money (1986) Warren Zevon, "Werewolves of London" THIS SCENE. Although it always pains us to see the aged Cool Hand Luke alongside that douchebag Tom Cruise, you have to hand it to him...he makes you want to be him in that moment. It should be noted, the clip begins with another great song, "It's in the Way That You Use It" by Eric Clapton.
Robert De Niro as Ace Rothstein in Casino (1995) Jeff Beck and Rod Stewart, "I Ain't Superstitious" "They never know what hit them; and if and when they do find out that they just got zapped by a cattle prod, they wish they really did have a heart attack." This song was originally recorded by Howlin' Wolf in 1961, but Jeff Beck's version was number 86 on Rolling Stones' "100 Greatest Guitar Songs Of All Time." Hm. Also, Casino used the word "fuck" a total of 422 times. We think this might be a reason why it's in our top five. We've loved that word since we were sneaking episodes of South Park in elementary school.
