Two-Lane Blacktop

Absolutely awesome movie

Less dated than Easy Rider, this early 70's time capsule is an existential masterpiece. What the hell does that mean? It means the film is full of space. It's about absolute nothing, or everything, or somewhere in between. It's a poem that doesn't deliver what an audience expects but is utterly faithful to it's idea. It doesn't have an emotional pay-off, but instead finds a stylish way to cinematically burn rubber and fade away. It's characters are called Driver, Mechanic, GTO and Girl. Its stars are James Taylor (yeah the pop singer), Dennis Wilson (yeah the late Beach Boy), Warren Oates (in perhaps his finest performances) and Laura Bird (most won't know her, she's good). Driver and Mechanic are the original slackers. They love racing, and hustling people to keep racing and their supercharged '55 Chevy. They are not hippies, but car junkies. The meet a loud mouth middle aged guy driving a newer sportier GTO who wants to race them for pink slips. Eventually they agree to what amounts to a gentlemen's type race from New Mexico to the East Coast. There's not a lot of suspense to the race, and the film is about. . . well whatever you want it to be about. GTO pretends to be someone else everytime he picks up a new hitch-hiker. He's amusing himself with his creative imagination and re-inventing himself to escape the middle age blues. Eventually there's a little bit of a competition over a young female hitchhiker. The film was filmed on location as cast and crew drove across the country. The bare-bones script is by Rudolph Wurlitzer and Will Curry. The film becomes more and more abstract as it moves along. The story matters less and less. A circle eventually forms and we realize we've been riding along on a very unique, one of a kind film. There's a wonderful example of an utterly open ended final shot. Some are going to find this film very dull and wonder what there is to admire and respect about it. Others are going to 'discover' all sorts of things that are of course not actually present in the film itself, but are thoughts and reactions the film has sparked and triggered within them as they watched the film. Other's will enjoy the muscle cars, and late 60's cars that make sporadic appearances or rev up their engines on occassion. It's a film you watch many times and find different subtexts, moods, ideas and space within. It's a film that requires the viewer to both observe, accept and participate in, like one would a living sculpture. It's the kind of art film you would never expect from a director who made two quirky Westerns for Roger Corman in the mid 60's (The Shooting and Ride the Whirlwind --with Nicholson right before Jack became a star with Easy Rider). Hellman also went on to make the very interesting Cockfigher with Warren Oates. He's appreciated by a small, growing cult of afficianado's and you'll find Hellman's name more recently as executive producer of Reservoir Dogs. For something really unique I suggest you find a way to watch the DVD of Two-Lane Blacktop. The film was long out of circulation because of disputes over music rights. They were resolved and the film has been beautifully transferred to DVD and actually looks better than it ever did since the contrasts in light were carefully boosted during the DVD transfer. Chris Jarmick Author of The Glass Cocoon with Serena F. Holder - A steamy cyber thriller available January 2001. Please order it today. Thank You

for motor reving , axle twisting, tire burning, fun fun fun. good old movie..just to chk the old cars out. grab a 6 pack before watching..

All good as advertised

VHS version of TWO LANE BLACKTOP - purchased online through Amazon.com Amazon.com has never let us down. A Buyer can trust in the fact that Amazon.com only allows top quality Sellers, and for that we thank them! The copy we received was, apparently, a collector's item. Even better. We appreciated the fact that there were NO FLAWS in this recording, and that must be why--because it was NOT a video store copy. FILM REVIEW: Excellent film! If you are from that era and were a teenager in the late 1960s, or, therefore, a young adult in the early 1970s, you will feel that this film is SO right-on. If you are not from the era but are interested in the culture of that time period, then you should watch this film. Either way, it is, indeed, a Cult Film. The ending was a little mystifying, but I believe it seemed that way, only because there was probably meant to be a Part 2. Production was excellent; characters were excellent. One who is not from that era might find it all a bit strange, especially the non-communicative attitude of James Taylor's role. But, that is so much how guys were then. And, even the girl who decided to hit the road. She was beautifully played. That is exactly how it happened for many a young person then. Whatever happened to that actress? Even Warren Oates' character, as an older person, sort of washed up and lost, was right-on of the time period. He was a little older, and had some savy that the others did not, and he had some money, or the capability of getting some more money (that's how he ended up with the girl). It was all done very well. Also, if one is not interested in the culture of the time period with respect to individuals and their emotions and the games they played, and how hard it was to find a place in the world, it happens to be an excellent portrayal of all the small townsfolk along the way, and just how ready they were to drag-race with anybody "driving through their territory in a hot car." It was an unwritten challenge; everyone felt THEIR ride was the best!

This cult film captures the sounds and spirit of the American muscle car craze of the 60' and 70's. Too bad James Taylor and Dennis Wilson don't perform a song or two. The director's comments are super-interesting and likely will interest movie buffs. Spoiler****I would have cast Duane or Greg Allman as the young man who spirits away Girl near the end.

Great movie! Warren Oates is so good in this movie!

This is a film where nothing happens, except right at the end, when nothing happens. Dialogue is minimal. Acting is underplayed, and several of the stars are "non-actors" (whatever that means). The tone is nihilistic - although I should point out that no-one dies, and nothing particularly bad happens. Yet despite all that, it's watchable and engaging. This re-defined for me what film making can be. It's not like anything else I've seen (including films made after it), although directors like Jarmusch obviously share some of Hellman's values. It was on my "must see before I die" list for years, and I was prepared for it to fail to meet the hype. In fact, I think it far exceeds it: a classic, a milestone, a must for everyone with a serious interest (whatever that is) in film.

I purchased this item as used. Thought I would get a used DVD and case. What I got was about box set with a screenplay,-a smaller book that explains the scenes-and two DVD’s. One- original movie and one revisiting the movies original route and commentary 20 years later. Paid under 50.00!!! Best video purchase I have ever made!

Film fantastique, une nostalgie des routes américaines disparues avec des voitures de rêves, des personnages sans attache et donc libres, enfin cette forme de cinéma où la route est le principal personnage romantique et dont on aimerait être le témoin silencieux du tournage.

Auf der DVD findet sich der Satz "Wenn es jemals ein Filmregisseur verdient hätte, wiederentdeckt zu werden, dann wäre das Monte Hellman". Quentin Tarantino hat es gesagt, man kann ihm nur zustimmen. Monte Hellman hat schöne Filme gedreht, immer konsequent am amerikanischen Massengeschmack vorbei. Seine beiden Western "Ride the Whirlwind" und "The Shooting" gaben dem dahinsiechenden Western Genre neue Anregungen, auch wenn ein existentialistischer Western nichts für John Wayne Freunde ist. "Two-Lane Blacktop", vom produzierenden Studio boykottiert, ist auch an den Kinokassen ein Flop gewesen, begeisterte aber die Filmkritiker. Und entwickelte sich so ganz still, als ein Geheimtip, zum Kultfilm. Der New Yorker Buchhändler, der mir vor Jahrzehnten das Drehbuch verkaufte, hatte extra fett "scarce" auf einen gelben Aufkleber geschrieben. Und natürlich den Preis hochgesetzt. Wahrscheinlich ist es heute wirklich etwas wert. Den Film bekommt man aber ganz preiswert, und man sollte ihn unbedingt kaufen. Und ansehen. "Easy Rider" ist ja nur wegen des Soundtrack gut - und weil es der Karrierestart für Fonda, Nicholson und Hopper war. Aber es ist kein wirklich guter Film. Dies hier, das ist ein wirklich guter Film. Das Label "existentialistisch" hatte er bei der französischen Filmkritik von Anfang an bekommen, und das auch wohl zu Recht. Ein Road Movie, das das gerade erfundene Genre transzendiert. Ein Autorennen quer durch Amerika auf den alten Landstraßen, die einmal die echte Route 66 waren. Bis auf Warren Oates (und in einer Nebenrolle Harry Dean Stanton) keine professionellen Schauspieler. Und das war vielleicht auch gut so. Der Film kommt daher wie das wirklich Leben, und er ist in den letzten vierzig Jahren erstaunlich jung geblieben. Und vielleicht hat sich das Amerika abseits der großen Highways inzwischen auch kaum verändert. Die DVD enthält als hochwillkommene Zugabe ein langes Interview mit Monte Hellman, der mit seiner Tochter und einigen Filmstudenten noch einmal die Route 66 abfährt.

Maybe you're a car enthusiast or a classic car enthusiast but maybe not American classics? Watch this film anyway because this is the Iconic Road Movie! Street racing for cars (pink slips) with some drag racing thrown in as well. Some humour, in fact a fair bit of fairly dry humour (even spelled the english way which amazon highlights as a mistake). How realistic are the car scenes? Well the scene at the start of the film was for real and the police turned up. The main car is the real deal and was also used in American Graffiti (actually there were 3 identical cars). Sure there's a slow section in the middle of the film but it picks up pace again after. Whatever your age if you're a car person you ought to watch this film at least once.