A film set during a crucial point in modern history, director Pavel Lungin’s TAXI BLUES was among the first works to address the coming end of the Soviet Union and the beginnings of the new Russia. The story of two men representing the old ways and the new, the critically-lauded 1990 festival favorite led the way for such films such as Russian Ark and Mother and Son and was a Best Foreign Language Nominee for the Golden Globes and the Independent Spirit Awards. And, on January 20, KOCH Lorber Films brings TAXI BLUES to DVD for the very first time, a must-have addition to the home entertainment library of every world cinema aficionado at $24.98SRP.
Port Washington, NY– A film set during a crucial point in modern history, director Pavel Lungin’s TAXI BLUES was among the first works to address the coming end of the Soviet Union and the beginnings of the new Russia. The story of two men representing the old ways and the new, the critically-lauded 1990 festival favorite led the way for such films such as Russian Ark and Mother and Son and was a Best Foreign Language Nominee for the Golden Globes and the Independent Spirit Awards. And, on January 20, KOCH Lorber Films brings TAXI BLUES to DVD for the very first time, a must-have addition to the home entertainment library of every world cinema aficionado at $24.98SRP.
Middle-aged taxi driver Shlykov (Pyotr Zaychenko) has always accepted the Soviet way of life and has worked hard to attain the little he has. One night, a customer -- aimless, Jewish saxophone player Lyosha (Pyotr Mamonov) – stiffs Shlykov on his fare. The cabbie chases down the hard-drinking young man, and after a rocky start, a friendship develops between the two. Shlykov lets Lyosha stay in his tiny apartment and suffers a financial setback for his troubles, yet, soon, the musician is discovered and sent on a jazz tour of America. When he returns to Moscow a star, the embittered Shlykov looks to renew their old “friendship,” but can things ever be the same again?
TAXI BLUES provided the West with an incredible and stark look at late-Soviet life. The New York Times’ Janet Maslin declared the film “superb … a haunting travelogue filled with raw, pitiless glimpses of a troubled society.” Peter Travers of Rolling Stone called it “a caustic comedy of startling originality.” Lungin (Luna Park, The Wedding) was named Best Director at the 1990 Cannes Film Festival, and the film also captured the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury and was nominated for the venerable festival’s highest award, the Palme d’Or. The acclaimed 1991 U.S theatrical release, also an Official Selection at the New York and Toronto Film Festivals, is presented in a digitally-remastered version, featuring a 16 x 9 aspect ratio and Dolby Digital sound. The film is in Russian with English subtitles.
About KOCH Lorber Films
Dedicated to providing the best in award-winning, classic and contemporary international cinema, documentary features and cultural programming, KOCH Lorber Films is a market leader for high quality releases to both wide and specialized audiences through theatrical, television and home video distribution. KOCH Lorber Films DVD releases include: the classic films La Dolce Vita, The Decline of the American Empire, Teorema and The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, and recent festival hits such as Intimacy, The Girl from Paris, Children of the Century, The Five Obstructions and Save the Green Planet. Visit KOCH Lorber Films online at www.kochlorberfilms.com.
