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[UPDATED] Taxi Driver Blu-ray announced, includes Criterion commentary track

[UPDATED with full special feature descriptions from Press Release]

It looks like my hope that the special Sony/Criterion relationship that allowed for the BSS Story boxed set to exist has indeed born fruit! Sony has announced today that it’s April 5th release of the Taxi Driver restoration on Blu-ray will actually include Criterion’s classic laserdisc commentary track by director Martin Scorsese and writer Paul Schrader!

This is huge news. I don’t mean to diminish the fact that Taxi Driver has been restored and will be making its Blu-ray debut, but the fact that Criterion has allowed one of their most prized possessions to be licensed by another studio is blowing me away! They are notoriously precious about their popular, custom-built/recorded assets and use their value to leverage licenses. That Criterion allowed this particular commentary track, one acclaimed for inspiring filmmakers, studios and home-video enthusiasts alike, to show up on a Sony disc speaks to a tight bond now forged between the studios. I hope this is a sign of more great crossover work to come in the future.

Taxi Driver [Blu-ray] (1976)


TAXI DRIVER


(April 5, 2011 – MSRP $24.95)
Video: 1.85:1 MPEG-4 AVC 1080p
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

Special Features:

  • Interactive “Script to Screen” feature, exclusive to Blu-ray. Explore the Taxi Driver script like never before in this interactive experience. The script will automatically scroll as the film plays so you can read along and discover the stage direction notes along with differences from the original script to the finished film.
  • Original 1986 Commentary with Director Martin Scorsese and Writer Paul Schrader recored by The Criterion Collection
  • “Martin Scorsese on Taxi Driver” featurette
  • “Producing Taxi Driver,” a behind-the-scenes featurette
  • “Influence and Appreciation” – Robert De Niro, Oliver Stone, Roger Corman and others pay tribute to Scorsese and the film in this video homage
  • “God’s Lonely Man” – a documentary featuring screenwriter Paul Schrader and Professor Robert Kolker discussing the loneliness themes as seen in the film. Schrader also talks about what circumstances lead to writing the screenplay
  • “Travis’ New York Locations” – a contemporary, video visit to the film’s famous locations in New York City, comparing them to the same locations used in 1975
  • Video bonus: “Storyboard to Film Comparisons,” with a Martin Scorsese Introduction
  • Commentaries by writer Paul Schrader and professor Robert Kolker, discussing the film scene-by-scene
  • “Taxi Driver Stories” featurette—taxi tales as told by real life New York city cab drivers
  • “Making Of Taxi Driver” Documentary
  • Animated Photo Galleries that include photo montages featuring the film’s music score, location shots taken during filming and Martin Scorsese at work
  • The Taxi Driver 35th anniversary edition also features movieIQ+sync, which gives you the full movieIQ experience on your computer or iPhone by linking to your Blu-ray Disc. Once connected, movieIQ+sync will display all of the great information movieIQ offers on your computer screen or iPhone instead of onscreen, all while staying synchronized to the movie!
  • Trailers

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One comment for “[UPDATED] Taxi Driver Blu-ray announced, includes Criterion commentary track”

  1. [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by theblurayblog, Sean Wicks and A.J., Duc Trinh. Duc Trinh said: RT @theblurayblog: 'TAXI DRIVER' Blu-ray announced, will include classic 1986 @Criterion commentary track: http://bit.ly/eabOkC [...]

    Posted by Tweets that mention Taxi Driver Blu-ray announced, includes Criterion commentary track -- Topsy.com | February 14, 2011, 6:31 pm

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