"This radio station was named Kowalski, in honour of the last American hero to whom speed means freedom of the soul. The question is not when's he gonna stop, but who is gonna stop him."Kowalski works for a car delivery service. He takes delivery of a 1970 Dodge Challenger to take from Colorado to San
Francisco, California. Shortly after pickup, he takes a bet to get the car there in less than 15 hours. After a few run-ins with motorcycle cops and highway patrol they start a chase to bring him into custody. Along the way, Kowalski is guided by Supersoul - a blind DJ with a police radio scanner.REVIEW"Vanishing Point" is the counter culture movie to end all counter culture movies. It's got it all -- the grizzled, moody anti-hero; the rebellion against authority; the naked hippies; the criticism of racial oppression; the bleak, "what's the point of it all?" existential angst. But first and foremost, "Vanishing Point" is one hell of a kick-ass movie.It's clear why Quentin Tarantino, an obvious cinephile, fell in love with this movie and decided to pay homage to it with his car chase film "Death Proof." Because "Vanishing Point" above all else is supremely cinematic. It's a film about movement -- our protagonist is never content to stand still, lest the demons chasing him catch up to him. And like him, the film never stands still either. It's kinetic and full of an angry and restless energy, and it's always compelling even if it doesn't always make sense.Barry Newman plays the tortured hero, Kowalski, looking like a cross between Mike Brady and Tim Roth. Cleavon Little is the blind DJ who becomes a sort of guardian angel to Kowalski. And old-time character actor Dean Jagger has an unsettling cameo as a hermit living out in the desert wilds.
July 17, 2011
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