I watched taxi driver as a young prosecuting attorney when it opened in the theaters. It was extremely disturbing because it was so realistic.
There’s no question that Robert De Niro is a great acting talent. I disagree with him about Trump, and I think that Hollywood has propagandized itself into irrelevancy. There is no reason anyone in America should be influenced by the opinion of a celebrity, because we all get one vote each, and in fact, most celebrities are neither well educated nor intelligent.
Very well done Sasha. I enjoyed the video combined with the narration. I used to enjoy watching DeNiro. His current hate for Trump repels any desire to his movies now. I suppose he doesn’t care since he already made his money. It is disappointing to know how little respect he has for those of us who paid for the tickets that funded his career. The tough guy is now bitter, small and emotionally weak. Once a bright star and now a sad pathetic flicker.
Sasha, great job. Your flair as a filmmaker comes through. Your passion, eye for detail, artistic resonance and ability to put current events in historic contxt make for one exceptionally engaging post. Thank you
Excellent article! I love your work and your musical choices.
After watching the Lou Reed clip and remembering how much of a renegade he was, I wondered if he were alive would he be still “sticking it to the man” or become compliant to government control like Scorsese, Schrader and DeNiro.
I am able to separate the art from the artist. I don't know why Robert DeNiro has such intense vitriol for Trump--it's almost sociopathic ironically. Taxi Driver could not have been made today because they would have to complete the RAISE (Representation and Inclusion Standards Entry) form, which is sickening to read. There must be a certain # of minorities, LGBTQ etc., otherwise you will not be considered for an Academy Award. That said, it is a good thing that they have tried to be more inclusive. Growing up, the only movie I ever remember seeing directed by a woman was "Desperately Seeking Susan" by Susan Seidelman. However it's an overreach and they must let the pendulum swing back to the middle. Taxi Driver is a fantastic movie that would not be made today and the other one that comes to mind is Tropic Thunder with Robert Downey jr. in blackface. There is such a dearth of good films today because the filmmakers are all trying to check the boxes and not offend. This preoccupation with political correctness has stifled creativity. The Marvel movies are so tired! I refuse to see any prequels and sequels. They are all one big blur. I hope the industry will start to change course and focus on making films that recapture originality instead of making one-sided political statements either directly or through their projects. Great post Sasha. I rarely watch clips but I did this time--good choices! sabrinalabow.substack.com
I never watched Taxi Driver and don’t think I would have liked it. My disdain of De Niro keeps me from watching it now, even if I could find it to watch. I’m sure your review of Taxi Driver is on point, but I’ll never really know.
You are correct, he's, obviously, a great actor. Is he STILL acting when he goes on his rants about Trump? Is he being paid to vilify Trump? Most everything Deniro says about Trump appears scripted. There really isn't any truth in his rants about Trump. Why is DeNiro so obsessed with Trump? I think DeNiro is doing what he's so great at. Acting.
I watched taxi driver as a young prosecuting attorney when it opened in the theaters. It was extremely disturbing because it was so realistic.
There’s no question that Robert De Niro is a great acting talent. I disagree with him about Trump, and I think that Hollywood has propagandized itself into irrelevancy. There is no reason anyone in America should be influenced by the opinion of a celebrity, because we all get one vote each, and in fact, most celebrities are neither well educated nor intelligent.
Not following your train of thought...
Very well done Sasha. I enjoyed the video combined with the narration. I used to enjoy watching DeNiro. His current hate for Trump repels any desire to his movies now. I suppose he doesn’t care since he already made his money. It is disappointing to know how little respect he has for those of us who paid for the tickets that funded his career. The tough guy is now bitter, small and emotionally weak. Once a bright star and now a sad pathetic flicker.
Also, your video format is superb. Please do more of this.
Sasha, great job. Your flair as a filmmaker comes through. Your passion, eye for detail, artistic resonance and ability to put current events in historic contxt make for one exceptionally engaging post. Thank you
Excellent article! I love your work and your musical choices.
After watching the Lou Reed clip and remembering how much of a renegade he was, I wondered if he were alive would he be still “sticking it to the man” or become compliant to government control like Scorsese, Schrader and DeNiro.
I am able to separate the art from the artist. I don't know why Robert DeNiro has such intense vitriol for Trump--it's almost sociopathic ironically. Taxi Driver could not have been made today because they would have to complete the RAISE (Representation and Inclusion Standards Entry) form, which is sickening to read. There must be a certain # of minorities, LGBTQ etc., otherwise you will not be considered for an Academy Award. That said, it is a good thing that they have tried to be more inclusive. Growing up, the only movie I ever remember seeing directed by a woman was "Desperately Seeking Susan" by Susan Seidelman. However it's an overreach and they must let the pendulum swing back to the middle. Taxi Driver is a fantastic movie that would not be made today and the other one that comes to mind is Tropic Thunder with Robert Downey jr. in blackface. There is such a dearth of good films today because the filmmakers are all trying to check the boxes and not offend. This preoccupation with political correctness has stifled creativity. The Marvel movies are so tired! I refuse to see any prequels and sequels. They are all one big blur. I hope the industry will start to change course and focus on making films that recapture originality instead of making one-sided political statements either directly or through their projects. Great post Sasha. I rarely watch clips but I did this time--good choices! sabrinalabow.substack.com
WOW. Great essay and outstanding video. Very thought provoking, revealing and intense. Thank you
Also the degrading of what happened to president Trump is vile. Empire in collapse indeed. Amr Australia
WOW -- so well done! Many thumbs up 👍👍👍👍👍👍
Excellent, Sasha! Encore!!👍🏼👍🏼
I never watched Taxi Driver and don’t think I would have liked it. My disdain of De Niro keeps me from watching it now, even if I could find it to watch. I’m sure your review of Taxi Driver is on point, but I’ll never really know.
Taxi Driver was a stupendous film. Say what you want about DeNiro but he was and is a tremendous actor. There is no question.
You are correct, he's, obviously, a great actor. Is he STILL acting when he goes on his rants about Trump? Is he being paid to vilify Trump? Most everything Deniro says about Trump appears scripted. There really isn't any truth in his rants about Trump. Why is DeNiro so obsessed with Trump? I think DeNiro is doing what he's so great at. Acting.
DeNiro is a butt wipe.
Wow! This is brilliant. I love the format. I have been thinking about Network a lot recently and enjoyed your take on it.
I LOVE this video/narration format. Excellent job, Sasha. You keep one-upping yourself, as my teenage sons say.
Love it!!!
Ok this is awesome! I want more narrations of your articles! You’re the best! I love how you draw parallels to movies! Continue the great work!