markbognor
South East
Posts: 9,970
Club RR Member Number: 56
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Whats the end all about then? Are there any stories about why it ends like it does or did they just run out of money and/or film stock.
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I think the idea is that they just carry on racing regardless of the routes their friends or associates choose......
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Last Edit: Jun 19, 2007 9:52:47 GMT by Lewis
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Nathan
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 5,649
Club RR Member Number: 1
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Jun 19, 2007 10:00:23 GMT
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Never seen it but it seems hard to get a copy unless you get the bootlegged Ebay ones
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Jun 19, 2007 10:12:43 GMT
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To be said in a disinterested “Driver” voice: It doesn’t matter.
Not sure if Desert Island Discs lets you take films on, but if they did that’d be my choice. My copy of it was taped off the BBC2 Moviedrome series years ago, complete with Alex Cox intro. I love the detail of it, the incidental stuff in the background, the odd bits of music on the radio. If I went to live in America that’s when I’d like to live there.
I’d like to know the real reason “GTO” has the, erm, GTO. He comes up with some rum old stories to his hitchhikers.
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Jun 19, 2007 10:18:34 GMT
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Aye, genuine copies cost like $300+ l;ast time I looked. I got mine of eBay for £6. It was a hooky copy of course... not that they said in the ad, but hey....
And anyway, the moral of the story is that all people, regardless of their differences are united in their love of high octane high performance machinery and that teh previous rivary betwen the two cars and their occupants has taught them to understand and respect each other. Hense when Mr GTO picks up the hitchhiker at the end he says "won this racing cross state in a black '55 Chevy gasser I used to run back then"
You have to remember that back then Mr GTO would have ben the epitome of what we would later call a yuppie or whatever. He drives a new car, probably on finance, bought not built.
I'm not sure if the errors he makes describing the car are deliberate - for example he says its a 454 big block and of course its a 455 in a Poncho. So is that sloppy scripting or is that there to re-inforce the point that he really isn't a car guy, he just flashed the cash and bought a new hi-po car.
If the film were made today he'd be driving a BMW M3 or something.
The one I reckon has a really toss ending is Vanishing Point. In fact that whole film is toss IMO. Apparently its an alagory of the life experiance and the whole title "vanishing point" refers to the fact that the human conciousness expands beyong the never ending horizon to achieve a higher state of being. This is why there is a white flash beofer the car hits the bulldozers. Kowolski has atained a higher state of being and.... blah blah blah. I always thought it was a plotless piece of curse word about a drug addled car delivery driver. But I guess I was wrong.
Two Land Black Top however is a classic film in pretty much every respect.
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1941 Wolseley Not Rod - 1956 Humber Hawk - 1957 Daimler Conquest - 1966 Buick LeSabre - 1968 Plymouth Sport Fury - 1968 Ford Galaxie - 1969 Ford Country Squire - 1969 Mercury Marquis - 1970 Morris Minor - 1970 Buick Skylark - 1970 Ford Galaxie - 1971 Ford Galaxie - 1976 Continental Mark IV - 1976 Ford Capri - 1994 Ford Fiesta
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Jun 19, 2007 10:29:56 GMT
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I was reading about this film in the paper this weekend, has it just come out on a kosher DVD?
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1974 Lancia Beta Saloon 1975 Mazda 929 Coupé 1986 Mazda 929 Wagon 1979 Mazda 929 Hardtop 1982 Fiat Argenta 2.0 iniezione elettronica 1977 Toyota Carina TA14 1989 Subaru 1800 Wagon 1982 Hyundai Pony 1200TL 2-dr 1985 Hyundai Pony 1200 GL 1986 Maserati 425 Biturbo 1992 Rover 214 SEi 5-dr 2000 Rover 45 V6 Club 1994 Peugeot 205 'Junior' Diesel 1988 Volvo 760 Turbodiesel Saloon 1992 Talbot Express Autosleeper Rambler 2003 Renault Laguna SPEARS OR REAPERS
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Raoul Duke
Part of things
Posts: 990
Club RR Member Number: 117
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Jun 19, 2007 10:50:18 GMT
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The one I reckon has a really toss ending is Vanishing Point. In fact that whole film is toss IMO. Apparently its an alagory of the life experiance and the whole title "vanishing point" refers to the fact that the human conciousness expands beyong the never ending horizon to achieve a higher state of being. This is why there is a white flash beofer the car hits the bulldozers. Kowolski has atained a higher state of being and.... blah blah blah. I always thought it was a plotless piece of curse word about a drug addled car delivery driver. But I guess I was wrong. You could be right. I loved the film when I first saw it (mostly because of the soundtrack) but I can't really see what the message is supposed to be - drug-fuelled endurance racing is heroic and soul-saving? I'm guessing it had more to do with freedom & not letting 'the man' restrict you, it fits with the time period. My favorite explanation of the ending is simply that his perception was so screwed by the amphetamine binges that he thought the gap was big enough to drive through. ;D
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...a redder shade of neck on a whiter shade of trash...
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Marc
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,037
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Jun 19, 2007 10:52:19 GMT
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www.play.com/Product.aspx?title=3322275&r=R2&PRODUCT_TITLE=Two-Lane+BlacktopHere it is gents. I've never seen it, but the myth around this film seems to be almost as big as the film itself! As for Vanishing Point, I love it. I love the pointlessness of it all, the fact there is no actual plot, just a series of set pieces really. I think basically it is, as RaoulDuke said, about freedom and non-conformity. Also, I believe Barry Newman himself said that the ending was simply Kowalski was so off his face he believed he could fit through the gap. Nothing else.
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Last Edit: Jun 19, 2007 10:58:35 GMT by Marc
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markbognor
South East
Posts: 9,970
Club RR Member Number: 56
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Jun 19, 2007 10:59:03 GMT
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I think amazon list it as well, my bro ordered mine for my birthday in feb, but i think the release date got put back, anyhow just got it at the weekend. Like has been said the incidental music and the backgroun scenes are superb.
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Jun 19, 2007 11:00:14 GMT
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The one I reckon has a really toss ending is Vanishing Point. In fact that whole film is toss IMO. Apparently its an alagory of the life experiance and the whole title "vanishing point" refers to the fact that the human conciousness expands beyong the never ending horizon to achieve a higher state of being. This is why there is a white flash beofer the car hits the bulldozers. Kowolski has atained a higher state of being and.... blah blah blah. I always thought it was a plotless piece of curse word about a drug addled car delivery driver. But I guess I was wrong. Sorry but I disagree with that! Also there are many interpretations about the ending. A more sensible one is that Kowalski has given up caring about life (shown by the flashbacks to his late girlfriend, being framed by police colleagues because he stopped one of them raping a girl etc etc) & in his drugged up state, believes that he can make it through the 'gap' (actually the reflection off the bulldozers). More info here
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street
Posted a lot
6.2 ft/lbs of talk
Posts: 4,662
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Jun 19, 2007 11:07:54 GMT
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You have to remember that back then Mr GTO would have ben the epitome of what we would later call a yuppie or whatever. He drives a new car, probably on finance, bought not built. Yeah thats exactly it. When I first watched it I didn't really get it because in my mind they were both running 'cool old cars', but after a 2nd watch of it I kept in mind the fact that GTO was the equivelent of a new M3 driver or simular and it all fell into place.
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markbognor
South East
Posts: 9,970
Club RR Member Number: 56
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Jun 19, 2007 11:18:50 GMT
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Thanks for the wiki link that made for some interesting reading.
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v8lee
Posted a lot
FoMoCoMoFo
Posts: 1,045
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Jun 19, 2007 11:22:51 GMT
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I once read that the ending was supposed to be the '55 crashing bur they ran out of money.
Also, the '55 is the same car that was used in American Graffiti. 'strue.
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No more old cars
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Jun 19, 2007 11:25:06 GMT
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Two-Lane Blacktop > Vanishing Point. Fact. VP somehow seems more contrived, TLB just seems to meander along with little real point in an effortless, relaxed manner and what it portrays is so much more like a glimpse of real, ordinary life. Little snippets like when they buy bits for GTO’s carb in a parts store, the sound of the buzzer whenever the GTO’s door is open, the dreariness of the places they go through.
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Jun 19, 2007 11:37:06 GMT
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Sorry but I disagree with that! feel free. I picked that mangled form of words simply because I've had a few people try tell me theres a bunch of deeper meanings in there and I don;t believe there are. I think its just a curse word film someone said "Lets like make Easy Rider but with a car instead so its not so obvious its a rip off" but missed all the good bits of Easy Rider. And ended up with some half decent driving shots of a nice car interspersed with ludicrous set pieces and stereotypes "this is where we meet the hippies" "this is where we meet the soul DJ" etc. But where I'm from its herrasy to criticise it because its got a Mopar in it...
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1941 Wolseley Not Rod - 1956 Humber Hawk - 1957 Daimler Conquest - 1966 Buick LeSabre - 1968 Plymouth Sport Fury - 1968 Ford Galaxie - 1969 Ford Country Squire - 1969 Mercury Marquis - 1970 Morris Minor - 1970 Buick Skylark - 1970 Ford Galaxie - 1971 Ford Galaxie - 1976 Continental Mark IV - 1976 Ford Capri - 1994 Ford Fiesta
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Jun 19, 2007 11:46:01 GMT
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Crash. Death!. Like all great road movies. Easy Rider, Vanishing Point, Dirty Mary Crazy Larry. You have to die in the end because life is a pointless struggle against the man.
TLB is a classic tale of the interfering woman and the damage they do to male relationships. The mechanic knew that something was wrong with the engine. But instead of fixing it he let the driver race. And he knew there would be trouble but he left it because his buddy nicked the girl.
Charlie
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Jun 19, 2007 11:46:24 GMT
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Jun 19, 2007 12:02:22 GMT
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the fact that the company who bought the DVD rights went bust meaning that there were no legit copies available for years. They also did it in a nice "movie film" tin can with a poster, which is extra collectible if all in good nick.
Either the copy on eBay there is a yet another pirate (99.99% of them were when I looked to get mine a few yearsa go) or somehow someone has sorted out the DVD release rights and you can buy it again.
just looked on amazon and they have it so it must have been re-released again.
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1941 Wolseley Not Rod - 1956 Humber Hawk - 1957 Daimler Conquest - 1966 Buick LeSabre - 1968 Plymouth Sport Fury - 1968 Ford Galaxie - 1969 Ford Country Squire - 1969 Mercury Marquis - 1970 Morris Minor - 1970 Buick Skylark - 1970 Ford Galaxie - 1971 Ford Galaxie - 1976 Continental Mark IV - 1976 Ford Capri - 1994 Ford Fiesta
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stinkwheel
Posted a lot
Doctor Of Gonzo Journalism - One of gods own proptypes, never even considered for mass production.
Posts: 2,280
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Jun 19, 2007 12:05:55 GMT
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Gotta agree and disagree, brilliant film, and pointless, you can have both.
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1973 Citroen Dyane 6 1980 Citroen Acadiane 1992 Citroen AX 1990 Citroen BX 1997 Citroen XM 1993 Citroen BX 1997 Citroen Xantia 1977 Citroen Ami 8 1996 Ford Escort 1989 Citroen BX 1997 Suzuki RF900 1988 Yamaha TDR250 1979 Honda CB400. 'I need less vehicles'
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Jun 19, 2007 12:07:14 GMT
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aye, I guess you can. But I thought it was both
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1941 Wolseley Not Rod - 1956 Humber Hawk - 1957 Daimler Conquest - 1966 Buick LeSabre - 1968 Plymouth Sport Fury - 1968 Ford Galaxie - 1969 Ford Country Squire - 1969 Mercury Marquis - 1970 Morris Minor - 1970 Buick Skylark - 1970 Ford Galaxie - 1971 Ford Galaxie - 1976 Continental Mark IV - 1976 Ford Capri - 1994 Ford Fiesta
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