Funny Or Die

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Someone working for the Copenhagen film magazine Ekko allegedly reported today -- get this -- that Martin Scorsese is open to the idea of remaking Taxi Driver with Lars von Trier as some kind of creative partner. Or vice versa.

Can't be real. Has to be bullshit.

The report, allegedly emanating from the Berlin Film Festival, says Scorcese and von Trier are in attendance, and that the two men had discussed the possibility of a remake. And it gets more twisted. The Ekko story allegedly says that Robert De Niro would again play the title role -- presumably a reference to Travis Bickle.

In an initial reaction, von Trier's Zentropa producing partner Peter Aalbek said he could "neither confirm nor deny," but that an official announcement would be made soon.

The 67 year-old Scorcese is in Berlin for the world premiere of his new psychothriller, Shutter Island. I don't know what von Trier is doing there, if he's there at all. This whole thing could be a total figment of someone's imagination. It's such a repulsive idea, it's embarassing to even float it as a joke.

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on February 14, 2010 at 2:55 PM

comment #1

Ray DeRousse says ...

Mr. Scorcese, if you're actually considering this, please take the advice of movie fans everywhere and check yourself into the nearest psychiatric hospital immediately.

Posted by Ray DeRousse at February 14, 2010 3:23 PM

comment #2

Colin says ...

It's safe to assume this is view-baiting by some blogger.

Posted by Colin at February 14, 2010 3:29 PM

comment #3

DeeZee says ...

Then I guess the video game wasn't canceled because of Marty, as I'd like to have believed.

Posted by DeeZee at February 14, 2010 3:36 PM

comment #4

Noah Cross says ...

But the James Cameron remake of "Citizen Kane" is still happening, isn't it?

Posted by Noah Cross at February 14, 2010 3:40 PM

comment #5

Josh Massey says ...

Scorsese and De Niro have openly talked about a Taxi Driver sequel for years. This, though, does seem like somebody trolling for page hits.

Posted by Josh Massey at February 14, 2010 3:43 PM

comment #6

DeeZee says ...

Noah: Don't forget about Goodfellas 2 with Shia *and* Sophia Coppola!

Posted by DeeZee at February 14, 2010 3:45 PM

comment #7

LanceMc says ...

This is just crazy enough that I think I'd actually like to see it, so long as it's not Scorsese actually directing.

Posted by LanceMc at February 14, 2010 3:50 PM

comment #8

CitizenKanedforChewingGum says ...

Are you high, Lance?

I smell bullshit (thank God), but stranger -- well, equally strange -- things have certainly happened in H-wood.

This is one of the Scorsese films that I would thought would have absolutely been off-limits for a remake. This is seriously one of the most cherished classic movies that budding cinephiles of every age group always seem to discover during their adolescence only to later cite it later as one of the movies that solidified their interest in film for life.

If you absolutely have to remake a Scorsese film, why not something that seems a little dated (Alice Doesn't Live Here...), something that you could completely reimagine (After Hours), or something that never quite entirely worked in the first place (New York, New York).

Baffling, if true.

Posted by CitizenKanedforChewingGum at February 14, 2010 4:06 PM

comment #9

Ray DeRousse says ...

There is a difference between SEQUEL and REMAKE. I'd be in board for a sequel. A remake is out of the question.

Posted by Ray DeRousse at February 14, 2010 4:11 PM

comment #10

corey3rd says ...

I'm remaking Kundun except this time the Dali Lama Fights Against the Chinese. Lou Diamond Phillips is the star and Jonah Hill is his bumbling fat monk buddy called "Monky."

Posted by corey3rd at February 14, 2010 4:13 PM

comment #11

LanceMc says ...

I've never been on board with the idea that certain films are "sacred" or whatever you want to call it, at least in the sense that they should never be touched or remade or reinterpreted or so on. As long as the original film is still going to exist or be available, who really gives a shit? Yeah, this is probably a bad idea, and most remakes are just judging by motives behind why most of them are made and thusly end up being pretty worthless. But it's not a rule. Taxi Driver is an extremely rich and vivid film of course, and the idea of Lars Von Trier reinterpreting/remaking it (with old De Niro, no less)... well, it's fucking insane. Insane enough to maybe produce something provocative and at the very least something interesting.

Posted by LanceMc at February 14, 2010 4:14 PM

comment #12

CitizenKanedforChewingGum says ...

That's true, Ray.

Frankly, I don't much care for the idea of a sequel, either, but if they wanna do something like Herzog did with Bad Lieutenant, I don't find it nearly as offensive as the idea of futilely trying to replicate ("better?" HA) the original.

Posted by CitizenKanedforChewingGum at February 14, 2010 4:22 PM

comment #13

BurmaShave says ...

Why doesn't Von Trier just spin off the themes into his own thing, like TAXI DRIVER does with THE SEARCHERS. He might trick himself into making a film that actually seems to revere women.

That being said this idea reminds me far too much of Scorsese's cameo in THE MUSE to be real. "I'm gonna remake RAGING BULL, except this time it's gonna be a really thin guy."

Posted by BurmaShave at February 14, 2010 4:26 PM

comment #14

CitizenKanedforChewingGum says ...

Burma's first paragraph is what I'm talking about. If this empty trend of thoughtless remakes and disposable sequels increases (or even continues at the present pace), eventually we won't even have any original classics to remake in 20 years. It will be just all be third or fourth generation material. Carbon copies of carbon copies.

Posted by CitizenKanedforChewingGum at February 14, 2010 4:49 PM

comment #15

Momus says ...

The new Travis Bickle will be shown with his only true friend, his laptop, reading Jane Burgemeister's antiswineflu blog, hacking some Estonian websites, trolling HE, sending mails to LexG and cackling triumphantly.

You're gonna love it, people.

Posted by Momus at February 14, 2010 5:13 PM

comment #16

smithkov says ...

Maybe it's a clever way of promoting Shutter Island? I mean, the movie is about an island for the insane and the idea of a Taxi Driver remake with von Trier would seem to fit with that theme.

Posted by smithkov at February 14, 2010 7:01 PM

comment #17

YND says ...

Scorsese (rightly) had BREAKING THE WAVES in his Top 10 of the 90s, so he clearly has respect for von Trier.

I totally agree about being sick of retreading old creative ground... but that BAD LIEUTENANT redo really did it right, didn't it? The "variations on a theme" thing might not deserve outright condemnation.

Posted by YND at February 14, 2010 7:40 PM

comment #18

berg says ...

ANTICHRIST is a balls out horror film that puts most films in that genre to shame .... I immediately had to see Antichrist twice, ... a Scorsese / Von Trier duo would produce a film for the ages

Posted by berg at February 14, 2010 7:45 PM

comment #19

lipranzer says ...

You know, if there's a shred of truth to this, I may have to reverse my opinion on the drug stories about Scorsese Peter Biskind wrote about in EASY RIDERS, RAGING BULLS.

Posted by lipranzer at February 14, 2010 7:45 PM

comment #20

googs says ...

how drunk am i right now?

Posted by googs at February 14, 2010 9:09 PM

comment #21

Luke Y. Thompson says ...

"but if they wanna do something like Herzog did with Bad Lieutenant.."

If Nic Cage is the star, I will be there YESTERDAY.

Posted by Luke Y. Thompson at February 14, 2010 10:50 PM

comment #22

zukario says ...

I agree with this article writer opinion this story is just bullshit.
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Posted by zukario at February 15, 2010 12:36 AM

comment #23

bluehairbrain says ...

Well, I doubt they would discuss an actual remake in the traditional sense. Probably the idea, if at all true, is to make a The Five Obstructions-style movie, with vonTrier challenging Scorsese to "remake" Taxi Driver. After all, The Five Obstructions was also a "remake"...

Posted by bluehairbrain at February 15, 2010 12:44 AM

comment #24

High Chaparral says ...

It's already been made: The Assassination of Richard Nixon (or: Travis gets a divorce).

Posted by High Chaparral at February 15, 2010 1:43 AM

comment #25

LexG says ...

I realize no one here has been privy to my theater work or short films, but I absolutely PROMISE YOU I would knock this shit out of the park.

Now all they gotta do is cast Amanda Seyfried in the Cybill Shepard part and K-Stew (or Fanning) as Iris, and you'd gladly be welcoming the Lexman into the rarefied De Niro/Penn/Rourke stratosphere.

Posted by LexG at February 15, 2010 4:29 AM

comment #26

bluetide says ...

If there's any truth to this, it had to be more than a little inspired by this year's Bad Lieutenant.

Posted by bluetide at February 15, 2010 6:09 AM

comment #27

Punchdrunk says ...

This seems as good a place as any to ask...sorry in advance for taking it a bit off topic but...

Does anybody know what became of Garth Avery, the young prostitute that played the friend of Iris? I've wondered this for years, ever since I first learned she was a real pro.

Posted by Punchdrunk at February 15, 2010 9:39 AM

comment #28

JD says ...

Clearly none of you have seen The Five Obstructions. If you had, you'd realize how fascinating this has the potential to be.

Posted by JD at February 15, 2010 10:25 AM

comment #29

riyaroy21 says ...

i also vote for a sequel..i make it makes more sense and also it will be something refreshing...i mean they can work with the same backdrop and characters and make a all together new film out of it,..people who have not seen the old for them also it will be new...

Posted by riyaroy21 at February 15, 2010 9:33 PM

comment #30

George Prager says ...

Actually, no. Werner Herzog is going to do TAXI DRIVER: PORT OF CALL NEW ORLEANS, after he does, BREAKFAST CLUB: PORT OF CALL NEW ORLEANS.

Posted by George Prager at February 16, 2010 4:38 AM

comment #31

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comment #34

Jenny4 says ...

I have mixed feelings about re-makes - most don't work out, though the rare one does.
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comment #36

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comment #37

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comment #38

Jenny4 says ...

Hope they don't have Robert de Niro in it again. Body pillows

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comment #39

tapeworms in dogs says ...

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This specific belongs to the Scorsese videos i always would certainly notion can have unquestionably recently been off-limits for any remake. This can be certainly the most appreciated typical motion pictures which newer cinephiles of the generation generally manage to find out in the course of its teenage years simply to be able to after cite the idea after since on the list of motion pictures which solidified its fascination with roll film for life-long. flat coat retriever

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comment #40