Story perspectives

DePalma’s 4K Skit Remaster Adds Dionysus, Taxi Driver Prequel

5/24/2026

Summary

DePalma 4K Remaster

A 4K remaster of Brian DePalma’s early comedy skit has been released.
The release frames an early Robert De Niro story as an alternate-universe prequel to Taxi Driver.
It also includes the full feature film Dionysus in 69 as a high-definition extra.
Dionysus in 69 records Richard Schechner’s Performance Group experimental play, illustrating DePalma’s shift from avant-garde to mainstream cinema.

Summary

DePalma Beginnings

Brian De Palma rose to early fame alongside Paul Bartel and ahead of Martin Scorsese among 1960s film-student prodigies.
His first feature, Murder à la Mod, began shooting in 1964 but is listed as a 1968 release and employed experimental multi-screen and subjective camera techniques.
De Palma moved from student to filmmaker through unlikely adventures released on Blu-ray, blending exploitative elements with avant-garde Hitchcock riffs that foreshadowed his later style.

Summary

DePalma Limited

The edition is limited to 5,000 copies in full-height Scanavo packaging with a removable OBI strip.
The discs include subtitles, a 2026 Travis Woods commentary, and interviews with Ellen E Jones and Charles Hirsch.
The limited-edition booklet offers a new essay by Matt Zoller Seitz and adds the rare 85-minute “Dionysus in ’69” performance.
Reviewers rated video, sound and supplements “Excellent,” citing Dolby Vision/HDR presentation of Robert Elfstrom’s handheld cinematography.

History

Historical Context

Criterion released Spinal Tap on LaserDisc in 1994, expanding its cult-film catalog. A 1991 controversy over audio commentaries on three James Bond films prompted stricter restoration standards, culminating in a 2025 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray and a 2026 limited 5,000-copy Blu-ray set featuring new essays. The earlier 1998 double-sided DVD is now out of print.

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DePalma 4K Remaster

A 4K remaster of Brian DePalma’s early comedy skit has been released.
The release frames an early Robert De Niro story as an alternate-universe prequel to Taxi Driver.
It also includes the full feature film Dionysus in 69 as a high-definition extra.
Dionysus in 69 records Richard Schechner’s Performance Group experimental play, illustrating DePalma’s shift from avant-garde to mainstream cinema.

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