Rating: Summary: Slow, But Captivating Review: I finally saw this last night after having heard so much about it. Yes, "Two-Lane Blacktop" is a slow-moving film, but its essence is very soothing. Perhaps it's the quiet of the open road or the quaintness of the small-town gas stations and diners. Or maybe it's that the simplicity of the protagonists' lives points to a simpler era."Two-Lane Blacktop" makes me think of Jack Kerouac's "On the Road." The acting of the two leads is stale, but their good looks make up for it. You could almost feel the Girl's wanderlust; her character is admirable for rejecting convention in search of a larger life. G.T.O. is obviously in need of pyschiatric help, but the hitchhikers he picks up are fascinating. (It's a bonus that Harry Dean Stanton is one of them.) See "Two-Lane Blacktop" if you just want to peacefully zone out for a couple of hours.
Rating: Summary: An Increadable insperasional movie Review: Two Lane Blacktop is one of those movies that just seems to leave you in awwww it is just great for ordinary movie watcher's I could see the story laging at times but you have to understand it to appreshiate it
Rating: Summary: Literature on film! Review: Two-Lane Blacktop is literature on film! At first viewing, it may seem stylistic but plotless, as the casual observer without proper frame of reference will miss some subtle subplots. The first subplot is the contrast of the genuine versus the wannabe, as revealed in the cars and their owners. There has always been a street-race rivalry between the the home-built hotrod and the checkbook-aquired factory musclecar (fellow gearheads will nod knowingly). This contrast extends to The Driver, who is earthy and real, and GTO, who is always playing a role. At first, GTO tries to stand toe-to-toe with The Driver, but he is eventually subjugated by the horsepower of the '55 and the mechanical know-how of Driver and Mechanic. The second and more interesting subplot is the tension within The Driver, who feels more comfortable with machines than with people (perhaps machines are easier to control). Believe me, this type of personality exists - confirm with any gearhead or IT professional. His machine zen is interrupted by the hitchhiker, to whom he opens himself up (barely). The hicthhiker eventually leaves, and at the end of the movie he slides shut the window of the '55 Chevy, symbolically shutting out human emotion/interaction and returning to his mechanical world. Watch this movie looking for these subplots, and you may have a whole new viewing experience.
Rating: Summary: best collector dvd offer ever Review: This is without any doubt the best dvd collectors offer ever. It is packaged in a metal tin( which is totally cool, looks just like the vhs box I have. The booklet inclosed within the tin is a must for any hotrod fan alive or a fan of james taylor. The very nice tin and booklet are eclipsed by the key chain of the 55 chevy from the movie. The key chain itself is worth the price of the dvd, I think any car buff or hotrod lover would want this key chain and movie. The movie is great also where else can you see a super 55 chevy with a 454 under the hood. This movie is a classic in my book I would have given it 6 stars if I could have. This is the first and only movie james taylor was in. You better get your dvd copy soon it's limited to a run of 15,000 copies only.
Rating: Summary: Two Lane Blacktop - the best car movie ever Review: Two Lane Blacktop is the best car movie ever. It has the best cars, quality chase scenes, and is more true to life than any other. It hits the mark straight in the bullseye as far as street racing and proper cars go. This is no Hollywood rubbish like The Fast and The Furious. This is real.
Rating: Summary: A PURE MOVIE Review: This movie is not for the person who needs every bit of the movie explained in dialogue, but for the viewer who appreciates art and honesty. This isn't a action packed Vin Diesel type movie (all though a lot better). All though most people will not enjoy this movie, for those who do they will watch it over and over again and It will become one of your favorites. This movie doesnt really have a plot It just tells about the nomadic life of a couple young drag racers and their 55 Chevy. This movie has the best ending of any movie I've ever seen and I've seen a lot of movies. TWO LANE BLACKTOP
Rating: Summary: On the Road to Nowhere Review: The 1971 film "Two-Lane Blacktop" is arguably the best of the late 60s, early 70s existential road film genre (including "Easy Rider," "Vanishing Point" and "Electra Glide in Blue"). Director Monte Hellman's stark, at times unyeilding examination of American alienation is brilliant simply because of its refusal to pander to an audience undoubtedly looking for the commercial release of an exciting car chase. There is a race in "Two-Lane Blacktop," though it seems to end almost before it begins. There are extraordinary muscle cars as well, including a souped up '55 Chevy contrasted with a new Pontiac GTO. But Two-Lane Blacktop is a character study, even though the characters are not people we would particularly like to know. The three main characters, haunted lost souls void of identity and emotion, are played by James Taylor, Dennis Wilson and Warren Oates. Taylor and Wilson silently cruise the backroads of America looking for the next race in their 55' Chevy. They eventually meet Oates, a chattering, nervous man involved in some kind of middle-age crisis while picking up hitchikers in his GTO. These men decide to race cross country, but eventually lose interest. Throw into this uneasy mix a young hitchiker played by Laurie Bird. She jumps back and forth between these three men, holding off their awkward advances, eventually realizing their emotionless lives are headed down an endless highway without destination. "Two-Lane Blacktop" is a morose study of men perpetually lost on the backroads of a nameless American landscape. They are hovering ghosts, void of identity, forever searching for a meaning which cannot be found. There are no easy truths or answers in Hellman's complex odyssey. These men are trapped, their cars serving as rolling coffins, redemption seemingly around the next bend, inexorably moving further and further away. The time period of the early 1970s and the scratchy period music moaning from the AM radio, combined with the faceless gas stations and roadside diners of numerous small towns, all contribute to the overall effect of Hellman's dark character study. "Two-Lane Blacktop" is one of the finest American films no one has ever heard of.
Rating: Summary: Nostalgic Flick Review: This film brings back good memories of my days in High School in the early '70's. I had a '67 Goat and my best friend and his brother both had hopped up '55 Chevy's. It seems a bit odd that the "Driver" had little if any interest in his vehicle. He was too busy being laid-back. When asked what type of tranny he had, he said "a four speed" rather than "Borg Warner T-10 Rock Crusher", or such. As far as racing cross country, his engine would be screaming at 70mph as the rear end would be 4:11's or so. Plus, I kept thinking that he should put air filters on the dual quadrajets, especially when spinning around in the dirt. Fun movie though. It kept my interest. Warren Oates played his part well. A real dweeb. Never really figured him out, or the other characters for that matter. If you like this type of movie you must also check out "Vanishing Point".
Rating: Summary: Nostalgic Flick Review: This pre-oil-embargo film brings back good memories of my days in High School in the early '70's. I had a '67 Goat and a friend and his brother both had hopped up '55 Chevy's. It seems a bit odd that the "Driver" had little if any interest in his vehicle. He was too busy being laid-back. When asked what type of tranny he had, he said "a four speed" rather than "Borg Warner T-10" or "Muncie Rock Crusher", or such. As far as racing cross country, his engine would be screaming at 70mph as the rear end would be 4:11's or so. Plus, I kept thinking that he should put air filters on the dual quadrajets, especially when spinning around in the dirt. Fun movie though. It kept my interest. Warren Oates played his part well. A real dweeb. Never really figured him out, or the other characters for that matter. If you like this type of movie you must also check out "Vanishing Point".
Rating: Summary: great for gearheads Review: i would have to agree with most previous comments,including those that found it boring.i love it,but i know that a lot of that is muscle car nostalgia.this is how it was,when you could walk in the dealership and drive out with a 400+hp street rod.yeah,this movie's got it's boring points,but so does "zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance"the title should tell you if you're interested
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