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Two-Lane Blacktop, a review by Jon

TWO-LANE BLACKTOP (1971)
4 out of 5



James Taylor (Driver) and Dennis Wilson (Mechanic) are driving across America in a souped up Chevvy, drag racing for money. Along the way they pick up a hitchhiker, played by Laurie Bird, and get into a race for "pinks" with Warren Oates in his G.T.O.

Time for change of pace. So far this marathon has featured people driving for a reason, but the early 1970s American cinema was defined by several classic movies that were more about the road than the journey. Aimless quests for freedom matched only by aimless filmmaking in some cases, started by Easy Rider in 1969. That's a film I found hard to really like, but I do admire it and it's importance can't be undervalued.

Two-Lane Blacktop is in some ways, Easy Rider in cars, though the characters have more interest in their vehicles than Fonda and Hopper who were more interested in drugs. It certainly shares it's laidback, cool vibe. Or is that lazy and comatose? Depends on your point of view, but Two-Lane is definitely better without compromising the idyllic idea of freedom.

The script is so lean the characters don't have names. Driver and Mechanic as they are credited, are also played by singers who can't act. That sounds like a criticism, but it's just an observation, because their manner was ideal and they weren't tasked with any sort of development. This is a film about mood and, I felt, a melancholic nostalgia for a time that surely couldn't last. The very final shot is as memorable and poetic as any.

The story, such as it is, follows the two as they drive across America challenging other drivers and entering competitions in drag racing to earn money. Get a proper job, you might say! But that's kind of the point. They pick up a hitchhiker... well, actually she just gets in the car when they stop for food. Then they get in and ignore her and carry on the journey. They say nothing for miles! Which pretty much tells you the whole style of things just kind of happening without argument or commentary. An urban natural order perhaps.

They keep tussling with the driver of a G.T.O. and finally make a bet for the cars on who can get to Washington first. That might sound like a plot, but trust me, it isn't! You have to see it to see why. Warren Oates plays an incredible character in a very poignant role as "G.T.O.". He's a show-off seemingly trying to fit in and be hip who annoyed me at first, but he gives the film a purpose and some much needed dialogue and by the end, he's a heartbreaking figure. For a film that seems so light, his part is brilliantly written. He picks up a string of hitchhikers (each one a comedy moment in their own right, especially Harry Dean Stanton) and gives each one a different story. One he tells the story to twice, so used as he is to lying. He reminded me a little of Leonard in Memento; it's impossible to know how long he has been out on the road or why. It gives the film a mysterious sad quality.

That character and the commitment to the mood make for a powerful screenplay, while Monte Hellman's direction is similarly restrained. There's plenty of driving of course and plenty of talk about cars, but very few stunts unless you count track shots at drag races. There is one highlight when they spin off the road to avoid an accident, but this isn't a pure petrol head experience. They do sound great though!

It's very hard to commit and say whether this film, like might be said about Easy Rider, is monumental work of art or a pointless exercise in boredom. It's wide open to interpretation. I loved it. G.T.O. made sense of the whole lot for me and made it a very memorable experience and I look forward to seeing it again. If you fancy challenging your conceptions about what makes a good film, give it a shot. It's a little bit of French New Wave played out on the American highways!

The Criterion DVD is superb. If you enjoy the film (big "if" possibly!) the interviews and features expand on it brilliantly. Nice feature about tracking down and restoring the Chevy too. Comes with a "book". Wasn't sure what to do with that; certainly wouldn't fit in the DVD player...

The Car's the star: Custom Chevy versus Ford Pontiac G.T.O.


Trailer

(From Car Movie Marathon on August 20th, 2008)

Ghost Rider, a review by addicted2dvd

Ghost Rider: Widescreen Edition (2007/United States) IMDb |Trailer |Wikipedia | Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Director: Mark Steven Johnson Writing: Mark Steven Johnson (Writer) Length: 110 min. Rating: Rated PG-13 : Horror Violence and Disturbing Images Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.40:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, English: DTS: 5.1, French: Dolby Digital: 5.1 Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

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Stars:
Nicolas Cage as Johnny Blaze
Matt Long as Young Johnny Blaze
Raquel Alessi as Young Roxanne Simpson
Brett Cullen as Barton Blaze
Peter Fonda as Mephistopheles
Donal Logue as Mack

Plot:
Johnny Blaze (Nicholas Cage) was only a teenage stunt biker when he sold his soul to the devil(Peter Fonda). Years later, Johnny is a world-renowned daredevil by day, but at night, he becomes the Ghost Rider of Marvel Comics legend. The devil's bounty hunter, he is charged with finding evil souls on earth and bringing them to hell. But when a twist of fate brings Johnny's long-lost love (Eva Mendes) back into his life, Johnny relizes he just might have a second chance at happiness--if he can beat the devil and win back his soul. To do so he'll have to defeat Blackheart (Wes Bentley), the devil's nemesis and wayward son, whose plot to take over his father's realm will bring hell on earth -- unless Ghost Rider can stop him.

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Audio Commentary
• Bonus Trailers
• Featurettes
• Closed Captioned

I felt like watching the sequel... but before doing so I wanted to re-watch the original film as it has been a good 3 or 4 years since I seen it last and really didn't remember too much about it. Only really remembered that I enjoyed it. Sure... this movie wasn't perfect... but what it was... it was a whole lot of fun and it looked awesome! And I think that is what I liked the most about this movie. While I did like the story... the effects were just great and a whole lot of fun to watch. It is funny... when it comes to Nicholas Cage... I either like him in something or I just hate him. I don't know why. When I first heard he was doing this I thought well there goes any chance of this movie being any good. But I was really wrong... I found I liked him a lot in this role. I also really enjoyed Sam Elliot in his role.




(From What Movies I Been Watching on August 24th, 2012)

"Stargate SG-1" Marathon, a review by DJ Doena

Synopsis: After a world war that was implicitly caused by SG1's arrival on the planet, Daniel is stuck there. A religious leader has overcome his goverment and has the Stargate under his control. With the help of the soldiers of the old administration and some SG teams he tries to regain control over the situation.

My Opinion: This episode failed to give the feeling that you are in a post world war situation. This is mostly due to the fact that we didn't see much of the planet and what we saw was undamaged.

Synopsis: Teal'c is testing a new machine that embeddes the consciousness into a virtual reality. But the program adapts itself and makes winning harder for Teal'c - until he wins no more. Unfortunately Teal'c can only leave after a having completed the scenario. Teal'c is trapped and he could very well die in real life.

My Opinion: Great episode. The First Person Shooter feeling was much better than in the movie Doom. I really liked the scenes when they showed the surveillance monitors in which Teal'c was seen as game character. The way Teal'c ran through the corridors also looked as if he was a player avatar and not a real person. But they should have given Daniel the god mode cheat.

Synopsis: Teal'c has moved into his first appartment outside the base. But he has problems to adapt to the lives of "normal" people. However, his neighbours like him, especially the good looking woman next door. But she has also problems of her own.

My Opinion: I also would like to have "T" as a neighbour. If I hadn't read Erica Durance's (Lois Lane in Smallville) name in the intro, I am not sure I would have recognized her. I had the feeling she was much more natural here, in Smallville she seems to be much more factitious and - alarmingly - old. I liked the episode, yet I found it unrealistic that Daniel has gone alone.

Synopsis: The industrialist Alec Colson discloses that alien exists in a press conference. He even presents a living Asgard. He got this information because his company has helped to build the F-302 and has analysed a part of the Asgard DNA. But there are forces outside the SGC who also have no interest that the truth comes out.

My Opinion: I liked this episode, too. Especially Carter's and Thor's attempts to cover it up with the help of the hologram technology. But the end felt a bit constructed with him having to leave Earth to avoid assassination.

(From "Stargate SG-1" Marathon on April 22nd, 2008)