10. 28www.timeout.com/london XXXXX – XXXXX 2010
‘TaxiDriver’istheperfectmoviefor
aJamesonCultFilmClubnightout.
Ithasbecome partofthefabricof
popularculture,itsinfluences
resonatingfarbeyondthescreen–
andata JamesonCultFilmClub
session it’snot onlyagreatscript
andstunningperformancesthatare
celebratedbuttheverytextureofa
classicmoviethatisattheheartof
theexperience.
Whatisitabout‘TaxiDriver’that
makesitsomesmerisingand
troubling,overthreedecadessince
MartinScorseseshotitin1975?
Rightfromtheopeningcredits,with
ayellowcabemergingfromacloud
ofsteam,andtheeyesofTravis
Bickle,RobertDeNiro’sdisturbed
cabdriver,reflectedintherear-view
mirror,weknowwe’reinhellish
territory.We’reinsomeone’sdark
world,andyetwedon’tknowwho
thisguyis,whathe’supto,andwhy,
orevenif,he’ssomeonewewantto
spendfivesecondswith,letalone
almosttwohoursofafilminwhich
heappearsinalmosteveryshot?
From a screening of
‘Trainspotting’ in a disused
warehouse in the depths of
East London, to the
haunting ‘Halloween Chills
in the Chapel’ series,
Jameson Cult Film Club’s
last season didn’t fail to
impress. Cult classics were
brought to life and fans
were transported into a
world of garlic-yielding
draculas, acrobatic
astronauts and even a
Spinal Tap tribute band.
If you want to completely
defy the traditional cinema
experience, and enjoy all
this for free plus
complimentary Jameson
cocktails then this is the
time to get in the know.
Because this year’s season
is only just beginning.
Each Jameson Cult Film
Club event is tailor-made to
enhance every movie-goers
night out, breaking out
beyond the walls of a
cinema and taking some of
the greatest films ever
made ‘on location’. At
‘Halloween Chills’, for
example, horror fans
screamed their way through
‘Dracula’, ‘Halloween’ and
‘American Werewolf in
London’ within the spooked
atmosphere of Islington’s
Time Out has been
reviewingfilms for over
40years.HereDave
Calhoun, editor of our
revered film section,
gives us a modern take
on a cult classic.
Bickle,aswrittenbyPaul
Schrader,isanendlesssurprise.
He’sawalking,talkingexperiment
inmalealienationandloneliness:
atickingbombofrageand
disappointment.Oneminute,we
mightsympathisewithhisfeelings
aboutdrugsandcrime,butthenext,
hesayssomethingracistordoes
something
disturbingandwe
recoil.Wemight
thinkheisvolatile
anddangerous,
especiallyaround
women,yetwhen
wewatchhim
sittinginacafé
withIris(Jodie
Foster),theyoung
prostitutewho,
accordingtoher
pimp,Sport
(HarveyKeitel),is
just12yearsold,Bickleappearsless
Taxi
Driver
TimeOutand Jameson Irish whiskey are excited to announce the new
season of the Jameson Cult Film Club, giving film fans the chance to catch
free screenings of cult classics in amazing locations
XXXXX – XXXXX 2010 www.timeout.com/london29
THIS WEEK...
vileandmorecaringthanthe
gangstersandpusherswhoinhabit
herworld.
Partly,ofcourse,it’sDeNiro’s
performancethatgivesthefilman
extralevelofenergyandmenace
thathascarrieditacrossthedecades,
andhisstardomthathaspropelled
ontothousandsofwallstheposter
imageofBicklewalkingdowna
NewYorkstreet.WithoutDeNiro,
therewouldhavebeenno‘You
talkin’tome?’speech.Schrader
neverwrotethoselines.Hegave
Bickletheinnerthoughtswehearas
voiceover,butitwasDeNirowho
improvisedthose
lines.Thescript
directionsimply
read:‘Travistalks
tohimselfinthe
mirror.’
Andwhatof
NewYorkCity,the
unbilledstarofthe
film,theplace
Bicklecallsan‘open
sewer’(acity
recreatedasthe
settingforthis
specialJameson
CultFilmClubevening)?Scorsese
givesusdocumentary-style
TimeOutarchive
August 27 1976
‘Utilising,especially,Bernard
Herrmann’smostmenacing
scoresince“Psycho”,Scorsese
hassetaboutrecreatingthe
landscapeofthecityinaway
thatconstitutesatrulyoriginal
andterrifyingGothiccanvas.
But,muchmorethanthat,‘Taxi
Driver’isalso,thankspartlyto
DeNiro’sextremeimplosive
performance,thefirstfilmsince
“Alphaville”tosetaboutareally
intelligentappraisalofthe
fundamentalingredientsof
contemporaryinsanity.’Dave
Pirie
snatchesofcitydwellersgoing
abouttheirbusiness,butwe
alwaysseetheplacethroughthe
filterofBickle’sparanoia:
prostitutes,kidsthrowingrocks
atcabs,aguyholdingupa
grocerystoreatgunpoint.For
Bickle,NewYorkispurgatory.
Watching‘TaxiDriver’today
youseeacitythathassince
changedbeyondrecognition.
Bickleprophesiedthat‘someday
arealrain’llcomeandwashall
thisscumoffthestreets.’In
reality, though,that‘rain’was
risingpropertypricesandMayor
Giuliani’s‘zerotolerance’
campaign.
It’s34yearssinceScorsese
made‘TaxiDriver’,andtheNew
York-borndirectorcontinuesto
dominateAmericancinema.
‘TaxiDriver’wasnominatedfor
fourOscarsbutwonnone,even
thoughtheCannesFilm
FestivalgaveitthePalmed’Or.
Butthefilm’sstatus issafeand
it’s aworthyJamesonCultFilm
Club movie: it’snotjustoneof
Scorsese’sbestfilms.It’soneof
themostimportantAmerican
filmsofthepast50years.
TimeOutarchive
July 1 1983
Scorsese:‘It’sacliché,youknow,
peoplesay:“It’slonelyatthetop”,
butit’scertainlytrue…Ican’tlie
aboutit…Icomehomealotofthe
timeandI’mbasicallyalone.’
Chris Peachment
TimeOutarchive
May 22 1991
‘MeetingDeNiroisamixtureof
apprehensionandoverwhelming
excitement;ratherlikegoingtoa
dentistinTahiti.Hisrare
interviewsarenotoriousfortheir
perils;recentlyhewalkedouton
BarryNormansimplybecause
BazzaaskedhimifTomHanks
hadbeatenhimtothecentralrole
in‘Big’,aswasrumoured.Asit
washeturnedup20minuteslate,
buthelookedfitandwell,and
smiledalot.’Steve Grant
‘WithoutDeNiro,
therewouldhave
beenno“You
talkin’tome?”’
‘Andwhatof
NewYorkCity…
theplaceBickle
callsan“open
sewer”?’
Be part
of a unique
movie
experience
Enjoy Jameson responsibly
Union Chapel, hosted by a
couple of lost hikers, the odd
zombie and Michael Myers.
The Clapham Grand got a glam-
rock makeover for its showing
TICKETSof ‘This Is Spinal Tap’,
complete with a pre-screening
gig rocking with all those Tap
classics, a replica of
Stonehenge and a debauched
after-party. The Royal
Institution – more usually
associated with scientific
study and analysis than a
rocking good party – went all
sci-fi for its screening of
‘Moon’. Think spacesuits, an
astronaut floating above the
crowd, and the film’s cast and
crew in attendance.
Expect nothing less as this
year’s Jameson Cult Film Club
gets under way on September
23 with a special Soho
screening of Scorsese’s
seminal classic, ‘Taxi Driver’,
accompanied by a garage bar
and ’70s NYC disco event.
The venue is Brewer Street
Car Park, which will be turned
into a dramatic set for the
night – like someone has
gouged a corner of seedy
1970s New York City out of the
ground and flung it down in
W1. Neon lights glare, a lone
sax plays Bernard Herrman’s
evocative score, diary notes
are strewn all around and the
scent of hot dogs fills the air as
Travis Bickle’s world becomes
this unique cinema space for
one night only…
COMPETITION
Forachancetowinatripfor
twotoTheJamesonDublin
InternationalFilmFestivalgoto
www.timeout.com/jameson
andanswerasimplequestion.
Competition closes at 23.59pm on Sunday
XXXX XX 2010. Full terms and conditions online
Supporting
partnerIMAGES: COPYRIGHT © 1976, RENEWED 2004 COLUMBIA PICTURES INDUSTRIES, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
WWW.JAMESONCULTFILMCLUB.COM
For your chance to get involved in
Jameson’scultfilmclubexperiencegoto
To apply for tickets
join the club at
www.jameson
cultfilmclub.com.
The website features
heaps about cult
cinema along with
exclusive film prizes
and vibrant
discussions about
great movies.
Members will
automatically be
entered into
monthly draws
to win film
goodies,
including copies
of the huge
Time Out Film
guide.
Promotional feature
Thursday, 28 October 2010
34. 1. understand the legalities
2. it’s not always about the £
Thursday, 28 October 2010
35. 1. understand the legalities
2. it’s not always about the £
3. MAKE A take STATEMENT
Thursday, 28 October 2010
36. 1. understand the legalities
2. it’s not always about the £
3. MAKE A take STATEMENT
4. make it immersive
Thursday, 28 October 2010
37. 1. understand the legalities
2. it’s not always about the £
3. MAKE A take STATEMENT
4. make it immersive
5. think global
Thursday, 28 October 2010
38. 1. understand the legalities
2. it’s not always about the £
3. MAKE A take STATEMENT
4. make it immersive
5. think global
6. nurture your community
Thursday, 28 October 2010
