Taking Sides: Vanishing Point vs. Two Lane Blacktop

I'll have to see Vanishing Point, but I absolutely love Two-Lane Blacktop (started a Classic or Dud thread on it a while back, but who knows where the hell it is now...). All of Hellman's films rawk!

Hellman's 'Cockfarmer' (ok ok 'Cockfighter') is banned in the UK - cruelty to animals still a big no-no w/ the BBFC. And it's got Warren Oates in it. And it's based on a nov by the great Charles Willeford. Grrr...

Though ultimately I have to give the prize to Vanishing Point for historical reasons - it's one of the first movies I saw in the theater and it has a better soundtrack.

Personal thrill: seeing Vanishing Point at the Egyptian a couple years back with Barry Newman and Richard Safarian commenting afterward.

I finally watched this last night.

About all it has in common with the original Vanishing Point is a '70 Challenger and a guy named Kowalski. Once you get that out of the way, it's a spectacularly horrible piece of mid-90s Populist anti-government cheese-a-roni that manages to namecheck Ruby Ridge, Waco, and a substitute Montana Freemen organization before facing off against the bulldozers. I get the feeling that the screenplay had nothing to do with Vanishing Point until they figured out that they probably could get funding by grafting some VP elements onto the story.

Extra hilarity points for having Jason Preistley in the "Supersoul" role, only here he's called "The Voice." Christine Elise plays Kowalski's wife, giving this a 90120 Score of 2.

I can understand why people think Two Lane Blacktop is boring, but the themes it touches on are explored in unique and subtle ways - American freedom, emotional deadness, male ego/bravado, hobbies-as-life. The cinematography is fantastic, great performances (with mostly non-pro actors), smart screenplay, and an ending that's nearly mystical in its perfection.

In contrast, Vanishing Point is a grindhouse exploitation film that thinks it's Camus on LSD, and the gap between its intent and actuality is massive. I don't mind grindhouse exploitation, but Vanishing Point is pretentious in the worst way possible - stupid convinced that it's smart.

whoah Vanishing Point was co-written by G. Cabrera Infante!?

You guys sound so silly discussing the 'homophobia' of Vanishing Point. The two gay dudes try to stick Kowalski up! Which is why he kicks them out of the car! There's a friggin' revolver and everything! Did you miss that part??

Anyway, both movies are great and I go back and forth about which one is better.

Had no idea there was a VP remake...

stfu

You guys sound so silly discussing the 'homophobia' of Vanishing Point. The two gay dudes try to stick Kowalski up! Which is why he kicks them out of the car! There's a friggin' revolver and everything! Did you miss that part??

OTFM

but overall i thought this film was a bit dull.

^The writers chose to make em gay, did you miss that part?

anyway, VP director dead

http://www.fandor.com/blog/daily-richard-sarafian-1930-2013

And RIP to Barry Newman, Kowalski himself:

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/barry-newman-dead-vanishing-point-petrocelli-1235506906/amp/

the music for vanishing point -- c.27 mins in -- is pure drum & bass :0

it's "freedom of expression" by the j.b. pickers

J.B. is producer and one-time rockabilly singer jimmy bowen

there's like a two-car car race during the single-car car race movie and that's the music

Watched Vanishing Point for the first time in advance of reading Charles Taylor's chapter on it in Opening Wednesday... All I knew was the infamous hitchhiking scene from The Celluloid Closet.

Found a couple of things interesting. I initially thought its influence on the Spielberg of Duel and The Sugarland Express was obvious, but looking up release dates, Duel came out only six months later, so it's hard to say. When a couple of cops ran down Kowalski's CV, I thought of a similar scene pertaining to Kurtz in Apocalypse Now. And seeing Cleavon Little, Delaney & Bonnie, and Rita Coolidge was nice. Didn't really care for it otherwise.

Weird coincidence: finished the film tonight, stuck around for the musical credits, and noticed there was a Big Mama Thornton song. She was elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame today.

(I'm glad I watched the shorter American version--my DVD has a British version 20 minutes longer. That must have Charlotte Rampling's scene, because I'm pretty sure I never saw her.)

Two Lane Blacktop

IIRC, Rampling's scene is only thing added to the Brit cut. She plays this morbid, suicidal hitchhiker that Kowalski hooks up with the night before his last confrontation with the cops.

It's weird they cut her out, as she was a somewhat reasonably known actress in the states at the time.

xps The influence on Duel is possible: Matheson's story was published a month *after* Vanishing point was first released, meaning Spielberg had a short production time within that six month period.

That is, Duel was conceived and produced entirely after the release of VP.

There you go--thanks.

Talking about the that VP cuts on the DVD reminds me about the hot minute Fox was doing really nice, very cheap DVDs of niche titles: The Driver with a deleted prologue; Little Murders with an Arkin/Gould commentary; Mazursky films w/commentaries...