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Two-Lane Blacktop (1971) DVD Review
Two-Lane Blacktop (1971) DVD Credits:
Two-Lane Blacktop (1971) Directed by:
Monte Hellman
Two-Lane Blacktop (1971) Written by:
Not available at this time
Two-Lane Blacktop (1971) Cast:
James Taylor, Warren Oates, Laurie Bird, Dennis Wilson, David Drake
Two-Lane Blacktop (1971) Released by:
Not available at this time
Region:
1
Two-Lane Blacktop (1971) DVD Release Date:
11th December 2007
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Two-Lane Blacktop (1971) Synopsis:

The Driver and The Mechanic are two car freaks driving a 1955 Chevy throughout the southwestern U.S. looking for other cars to race. They are totally dedicated to The Car and converse with each other only when necessary. At a gas station, The Driver and The Mechanic, along with a girl who has ingratiated herself into their world, meet G.T.O., a middle-aged man who fabricates stories about his exploits. It is decided to have a race to Washington, D.C., where the winner will get the loser's car. Along the way, the race and the highway metaphorically depict the lives of these contestants as they struggle to their destination.

Two-Lane Blacktop (1971) DVD Review:

Director Monte Hellman found his start in the film industry along with much of the talent in the 1960s, working for Roger Corman. When there wasn’t a large emphasis on film school as there was on experience, Corman was the one teaching new filmmakers, and he did it through the production of many, many films. Because of this training, and the success of Easy Rider, Hellman was able to make Two-Lane Blacktop. Essentially a road trip far simpler than the one in Easy Rider, and better according to Kent Jones in the article included in the booklet by him, Two-Lane Blacktop is a film with little dialogue and fewer characters. A pure and simple film, it is also an extraordinary classic given fantastic treatment in this new double-disc set.

The film is so simple, in fact, that many of the characters don’t even have names that are spoken out loud. This is mostly because the dialogue is kept to a minimum, especially from the driver of a souped-up ’55 Chevy, played by James Taylor, and his mechanic, played by Dennis Wilson of The Beach Boys. They are listed as “driver” and “mechanic” in the credits, and not only do they not use each others names, but they seem to know each other so well that the only time talking in really necessary is when someone else enters the equation. It doesn’t take long for this to happen when a random underage girl (Laurie Bird) decides to tag along with them for a while before hitchhiking somewhere else with someone else.

While on the road they come across an aggressive and insecure man played by Warren Oates. Driving in a Pontiac GTO at reckless speeds, he stops to pick up nearly every hitchhiker he sees just to tell them a string of lies to make him seem more impressive. These two cars cross paths several times before the drivers finally have a chance to meet, but when they do a race is started. They decide to have a race across the country for the pink slips to the cars, although there are many distractions along the way, and it often seems that the race is far more important than the outcome.

This special director approved release of the film comes with incredible art throughout the package, including a perfect cover. The box set is also equipped with a small book version of the screenplay, made especially for this set to fit in alongside the discs. There is also a 37-page booklet with the Kent Jones essay “Slow Ride” and an additional article written by Michael Goodwin about the filming of Two-Lane Blacktop. Also in the booklet with more incredible photography is an appreciation by director Richard Linklater.

The first disc of the set contains a remarkable, director-approved and supervised, restored high-definition transfer version of the film. There are also two commentary tracks to go with the film, including an insightful one with director Hellman and filmmaker Allison Anders who spends the entire commentary showering Hellman with praise about his masterpiece. The second commentary has the writers, including screenwriter Rudy Wurlitzer and author David Meyer. The second disc contains plenty of vintage material, including footage from the screen tests and photos and publicity material for the film, but there is are also new interviews with several important figures and a featurette looking at the restoration of the Chevy and the areas that the film was shot in as they look today. This is just one more way that this film was monumentally important, in that it wouldn’t be the same today as it was in 1971.

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Two-Lane Blacktop (1971) DVD review written by: Ryan Izay

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