Taxi Driver is 50 years old but it’s still one of cinema’s most definitive portraits of urban paranoia and societal detachment. Travis (played by Robert De Niro) obsesses on the city that he harshly judges even though he’s as much a part of New York as those who he wishes will be washed away.
This scene features Robert De Niro, Martin Scorsese, and Paul Schrader at their definite best. I imagine that, for a lot of people, this is one of those scenes that solidified their opinions on New York City. For the record, the last time I was in New York, everyone was fairly pleasant. They weren’t exactly friendly but I also didn’t get my bag stolen. (Those of us who don’t live in New York tend to assume that we’ll get mugged as soon as we leave JFK.)
Today, the Shattered Lens wishes a happy birthday to actor Steve Carell. This scene that I love is from Foxcatcherand it features Carell cast against type, as the sociopathic John du Pont. (Carell received his first and — to date — last Oscar nomination for his performance as Du Pont.) In this scene, Du Pont corrupts a young wrestler played by Channing Tatum.
I love westerns! Absolutely love them! Every now and then someone still gets them right, and director and star Kevin Costner delivered a great one in OPEN RANGE. Of course, one of his best decisions was casting Robert Duvall as the lead in his film. It’s a film I rewatch each year. As a matter of fact, I watched it just a couple of weeks ago and enjoyed it again.
In recognition of OPEN RANGE being released 23 years ago today, on August 15th, 2003, I thought it might be fun to share this scene from one of the best westerns of the 21st century!
Today, the Shattered Lens wishes a happy birthday to one of the better actresses of her generation, Jennifer Lawrence. This scene that I love comes from 2009’s Winter’s Bone. I still think this is Lawrence’s best performance.
Today, the Shattered Lens wishes actor and comedian Steve Martin a happy 81st birthday. Originally from Texas, Martin has been a cultural mainstay for longer than I’ve been alive. He’s a master of both comedy and drama, as anyone who has watched the two seasons of Only Murders In The Building can tell you.
And he can sing too!
Here he is, performing Maxwell’s Silver Hammer in 1978’s Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Though this was not Martin’s film debut, it was his first “big” role. Steve Martin was 33 years old here. Remarkably, he only seems to have aged a few years in the decades since appearing in this film.
It’s not just The Birds that cause chaos in this scene from Alfred Hitchcock’s 1963 film of the same name. I will never understand why that gentleman decided that he just had to light up a cigar at that particular time. And if he had used a lighter instead of a match, he could have prevented a lot of trouble.
You do have to respect the Birds for somehow knowing that he would do exactly that and therefore, making sure that the gasoline ended up right around his feet. Those birds are clever!
Seriously, though, this scene really creeps me out. I think it’s because there’s so many birds and, as this scene showed, there was absolutely no way the humans on that island were going to be able to win this particular battle.
145 years ago, on this date, director Cecil B. DeMille was born in Ashfield, Massachusetts. From the silent era until his death in 1959, DeMille was one of Hollywood’s superstar directors. His films, which were often over the top and effective at the same time, helped to build the modern film industry.
Today’s scene that I love comes from DeMille’s final film. From 1956’s The Ten Commandments, Moses parts the Red Sea.
(Please note, this video starts with a frozen image that lasts for about 12 seconds.)
James Woods was recently asked on X if he would have enjoyed starring in a sequel to one of his movies!
His response… “John Carpenter’s VAMPIRES, because it was just so much fun to do!”
As a huge fan of Woods going back to the 80’s, I saw VAMPIRES when it played in the movie theater. I really enjoyed it, and I’ve even written a review for the film for this website. (On a side note, I shared that review with Mr. Woods, and he thanked me for it.) One of the main reasons I like the film is the badass opening sequence. Woods couldn’t have looked any cooler, and Carpenter’s guitar sets the macho mood perfectly. Today I thought it would be fun to share that scene with all of you. It’s a long clip, but it’s still awesome. Enjoy!
Rest in peace to the great Reggie Bannister. After years of ill health, Bannister passed away on August 9th at the age of 80.
Reggie Bannister will always be remembered for his role as the same-named Reggie, the ice cream man in the Phantasm franchise. For all the attention that was given to how scary Angus Grimm was, Reggie was the heart of the film. Today’s scene that I love comes from 1979’s Phantasm.
My title may be a little misleading, but I always find it fascinating when certain iconic individuals work together on screen. Tom Laughlin and Charles Bronson crossed paths early in both of their careers, with Laughlin accomplishing something that very few actors would be able to claim later on… he knocked out Bronson!
It all goes back to the pilot episode of Charles Bronson’s T.V. series MAN WITH A CAMERA, titled “Second Avenue Assassin,” which premiered on October 10th, 1958. In that first episode, Mike Kovac (Charles Bronson) wants to get a picture of his old neighborhood pal, Joey Savoyan (Tom Laughlin). Joey has risen in the boxing ranks, and is getting a title shot at the champ, Sal Benning. But it seems that success has changed Joey from the guy Mike knew, and there have been many reports that he’s turned into a jerk who’d rather punch a reporter or photographer than look at them. When Mike goes to Joey’s training camp and proceeds to tell him that his attitude is an embarrassment to the people pulling for him back home, Joey gets pissed and the two men end up in the ring. Apparently, Mike could whip him back in the day, but times have changed and after absorbing a few of Mike’s jabs, Joey lays his ass out cold with one punch. The photograph that makes the papers that night is Mike lying flat on his back with the headline “Joey Savoyan puts ace photographer in darkroom!” There’s more to the story, and Bronson and Laughlin end up working together, but not many characters have knocked Bronson out and got to live to tell about it!
In celebration of Laughlin’s 95th birthday in badass heaven, I decided to share that video with you today. Enjoy!
Through the Shattered Lens 