Gift Guide: Go Way, Way Behind the Scenes of Taxi Driver

How can 35 years pass before a photographer's voluminous archive of pictures and other historic data from one of the greatest American films ever made finds its way to the public? Why were you holding out on us, Steve Schapiro? And why does your damn Taxi Driver compendium -- featuring vintage snapshots and recollections of Robert De Niro, Martin Scorsese, Jodie Foster and the rest on the set -- gotta have me robbing houses and turning tricks just to have its expensive hide under the tree by Christmas?

I haven't actually turned any tricks yet (but oh my God, I found a great fence for all this stolen jewelry; let me know if you need a referral), but the $700-and-change required to order this 348-page, annotated, Scorsese-introduced, limited-edition, author-signed slab of cinema history (18.6 pounds!) isn't exactly going to make itself, you know? There is always the option of waiting for the trade version -- not unlike the one that brought Schapiro and editor Paul Duncan's staggering Godfather Family Album down to an altogether reasonable $45 or so -- but when the Travis Bickle devotee in your life won't settle for anything less than the very best, sacrifices must be made. Get to work! Only 25 shopping days!

Used from $699 @ Amazon