I have been a fan of the "Taxi" TV series for a long time, and am currently re-watching all the old episodes on DVD.
This one plays on the well-established greed of Louie DePalma (Danny DeVito). Martin Mull guest stars as Roger Chapman, a Hollywood man in NYC to scope out stories and location for a movie about a cab driver.
Early on Judd Hirsch as Alex Reiger, the quiet man who wants to keep his life private, "I'm a cab driver, tell me where you want me to take you", seems to be the perfect role model for the fictional character in the new movie.
After a week, "disrupting" operations and bringing them a breakfast spread every morning, Chapman announces that his boss has give the OK to have Louie's garage as the location for the 4-week shoot, but only if it is OK with Louie. This brings out the worst in Louie, knowing he now has the power over the production. He pulls Chapman aside and asks, "What's in it for me." Chapman tells him "I can make you location coordinator and ... pay you $15,000." Louie pauses and says, "That's not exactly the figure I had in mind, but OK, I'll do it." Rieger pulls his aside and asks what figure he had in mind, and Louie answers, "Twenty-fine dollars", then jumps with glee into Alex's arms.
SPOILERS: The night before Chapman and his staff were to leave, he invited Louie and all the cabbies up to his hotel suite to celebrate. He received a phone call, all the studio bosses had changed jobs, and the new guy doesn't like the idea. There will be no movie, and Louie is crushed. "But I already told ma that we are moving to Queens."
This one plays on the well-established greed of Louie DePalma (Danny DeVito). Martin Mull guest stars as Roger Chapman, a Hollywood man in NYC to scope out stories and location for a movie about a cab driver.
Early on Judd Hirsch as Alex Reiger, the quiet man who wants to keep his life private, "I'm a cab driver, tell me where you want me to take you", seems to be the perfect role model for the fictional character in the new movie.
After a week, "disrupting" operations and bringing them a breakfast spread every morning, Chapman announces that his boss has give the OK to have Louie's garage as the location for the 4-week shoot, but only if it is OK with Louie. This brings out the worst in Louie, knowing he now has the power over the production. He pulls Chapman aside and asks, "What's in it for me." Chapman tells him "I can make you location coordinator and ... pay you $15,000." Louie pauses and says, "That's not exactly the figure I had in mind, but OK, I'll do it." Rieger pulls his aside and asks what figure he had in mind, and Louie answers, "Twenty-fine dollars", then jumps with glee into Alex's arms.
SPOILERS: The night before Chapman and his staff were to leave, he invited Louie and all the cabbies up to his hotel suite to celebrate. He received a phone call, all the studio bosses had changed jobs, and the new guy doesn't like the idea. There will be no movie, and Louie is crushed. "But I already told ma that we are moving to Queens."