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Beautifully directed and utterly unique, Two-Lane Blacktop captures the spirit of its era as smoothly as it evokes the feeling of the open road. Read critic reviews
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Two-Lane Blacktop Photos
Movie Info
In this cult favorite road film, a mechanic (Dennis Wilson) and a driver (James Taylor) live only to race and maintain their 1955 Chevy. Heading east from California with no particular agenda, they give a girl (Laurie Bird) a ride, and en route she incites jealousy between the men by sleeping with them both. Meanwhile, the trio encounters an overbearing GTO driver (Warren Oates) who agrees to race them to New York, each side putting at stake their most prized possession: their car.
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Rating: R
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Genre: Drama
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Original Language: English
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Director: Monte Hellman
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Producer: Michael Laughlin
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Writer: Will Corry, Rudy Wurlitzer
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Release Date (Theaters): wide
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Release Date (DVD):
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Runtime:
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Distributor: Universal Pictures
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Production Co: Universal Pictures
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Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)
Cast & Crew
News & Interviews for Two-Lane Blacktop
Critic Reviews for Two-Lane Blacktop
Audience Reviews for Two-Lane Blacktop
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Perhaps all road movies should feel this desolate and uncertain. Hellman's brilliance here is taking a number of elements that shouldn't work (James Taylor's and Dennis Wilson's performances) or should be in a more conventional movie (the cross country race plot point) and mixing them together into something that feels totally unique.
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With little dialogue and zero character development, this is a very unique flick. There are things to like. Some of the scenery shots are beautiful and the film has a relaxing, chugging, pleasantness about it. However, what little there was of a plot fizzled out into nothingness. If you like films about nothing, this one is for you.
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1971 was quite a year for minimalist, existential road movies, because, released just months apart were Vanishing Point, and this little gem, Two-Lame Blacktop. Of course, they were also preceded by the similar Easy Rider, but still, it blows my mind how this all happened in the span of just a few years. The plot is so bare it almost really doesn't exist. We get two guys known solely as The Driver and The Mechanic who make a living aimlessly driving from town to town across the southwest in their '55 primer gray Chevy challenging anyone they can to drag races to make a little cash for food. One day they take on GTO, a driver of the eponymous 1970 car, and challenge him to a cross country race t Washington D.C. for pink slips...and that's pretty much it. Oh yeah, and there's a girl of course. From a technical standpoint, the film is quite a marvel. I love the sparseness of it, it's got a strong sense of style that perfectly fits the era, and it's shot, framed, and edited very well. It's also quite faithful and authentic to the culture of the automobile. The performances are fine, given the material, and I'm curious as to why musicians James Taylor and Dennis Wilson (Driver and Mechanic, respectively), didn't take on more acting gigs. Warren Oates is also good as GTO. All in all, this isn't a film for everyone, but it's worth watching if you can tap into its specific groove, sit back, and relax.
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70s road movie, unconventional at times especially once outcome of film, the main focus, 2 men roam the country racing for money and to pay their way, thiungs take a turn in their story with two events, the picking up of a young attractive hitchiker, and a guy they havew been following closely who also seems capable of a good race, once they encounter, a race is bet on in return of the others car as winnings, its here the film works diferently, and its certainly interesting, as the two guysa with women in tow, go about this race that doesnt seem to be happening, with personal intrusions coming into play, the film certainly fits its 70s time with films like this, possibly Easy rider being a influence to some degree, and while film isnt flawless its a curious watch
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