A Movie Review by L. Miller (courtesy of IMDb.com)
Kowalski transports cars across the western US in 1970. He gets a gig transporting a 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T from Denver to San Francisco and sets out at maximum warp, stopping only for gas and strategy. He commits no crime outside of speeding, and fleeing the cops who are trying to stop him simply because he will not stop. He finds allies along the way, including an old prospector, a DJ named Super Soul, and a hippie who seems to me to be an alternate ending to the life of Peter Fonda's character Wyatt in "Easy Rider". He drives and drives and drives until he meets his destiny in a tiny town on the California-Nevada border at 10:04 AM on some unnamed Sunday.
Why? Is it because of his past; ex-cop, ex-racer, tragically bereaved? Is it because of the truckload of speed he takes at the beginning of the movie (draw your own metaphors between Kowalski's internal use of the noun and external use of the verb)?
Or is it the road, the infinite expanses of the Southwest, the silence, the freedom, the sound of the motor surging, the tires spinning, the wheels gobbling up and sitting out the black asphalt? Who knows? Kowalski seems indifferent as to why he drives, only that he must drive, must evade, must get to where he is going and will not - can not - be stopped.
Do yourself a favor. Rent the original, don't see the '97 made for TV movie (it has some high points, but it's like watching the '99 "Psycho" before seeing the Alfred Hitchcock original). In fact, rent this and "Two Lane Blacktop" from Monte Hellman, and "Mad Max" and/or "The Road Warrior". Watch all of them in as close to one sitting as you can get.
If after watching these movies, you don't understand how they're expressions of the same call to the open road, return them and give up. Not everyone was meant to hear it, just like not everyone has perfect pitch or the ability to wiggle their ears.
This movie drove me (pun intended) to take the handle kowalski and buy a Challenger of my own (flame red, 1973, you see the 1970 R/Ts are very hard to get).
It probably won't do the same for you, but if you've ever been driving down the open road and wondered what would happen if you _didn't_ get off at the next exchange, in fact if you never got off at all, then this film is for you.
And I hope the next ignoramus who compares this masterful film to "The Dukes of Hazzard" loses his brakes and plows into a line of parked Harleys outside some bar with a name like Whiskey Junction or the Dew Drop Inn.
I have never seen the remake of 'Vanishing Point'; and I would never watch it. I don't think I ever would, as having seen the original, a remake could never compare. Kind of like those people that read the book and are thoroughly disappointed with the movie. I did see 'Gone in 60 Seconds'..I enjoyed the movie..but kept it in the frame of mind that it was a 'new' story.
Not a rehash of a classic.
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2006 Charger R/T Inferno Red
Stable mate:
1999 FLHTCI Harley Davidson
2006 Torch Red 5sp Mustang GT
1995 Blue Camaro
A Movie Review by L. Miller (courtesy of IMDb.com)
Kowalski transports cars across the western US in 1970. He gets a gig transporting a 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T from Denver to San Francisco and sets out at maximum warp, stopping only for gas and strategy. He commits no crime outside of speeding, and fleeing the cops who are trying to stop him simply because he will not stop. He finds allies along the way, including an old prospector, a DJ named Super Soul, and a hippie who seems to me to be an alternate ending to the life of Peter Fonda's character Wyatt in "Easy Rider". He drives and drives and drives until he meets his destiny in a tiny town on the California-Nevada border at 10:04 AM on some unnamed Sunday.
Why? Is it because of his past; ex-cop, ex-racer, tragically bereaved? Is it because of the truckload of speed he takes at the beginning of the movie (draw your own metaphors between Kowalski's internal use of the noun and external use of the verb)?
Or is it the road, the infinite expanses of the Southwest, the silence, the freedom, the sound of the motor surging, the tires spinning, the wheels gobbling up and sitting out the black asphalt? Who knows? Kowalski seems indifferent as to why he drives, only that he must drive, must evade, must get to where he is going and will not - can not - be stopped.
Do yourself a favor. Rent the original, don't see the '97 made for TV movie (it has some high points, but it's like watching the '99 "Psycho" before seeing the Alfred Hitchcock original). In fact, rent this and "Two Lane Blacktop" from Monte Hellman, and "Mad Max" and/or "The Road Warrior". Watch all of them in as close to one sitting as you can get.
If after watching these movies, you don't understand how they're expressions of the same call to the open road, return them and give up. Not everyone was meant to hear it, just like not everyone has perfect pitch or the ability to wiggle their ears.
This movie drove me (pun intended) to take the handle kowalski and buy a Challenger of my own (flame red, 1973, you see the 1970 R/Ts are very hard to get).
It probably won't do the same for you, but if you've ever been driving down the open road and wondered what would happen if you _didn't_ get off at the next exchange, in fact if you never got off at all, then this film is for you.
And I hope the next ignoramus who compares this masterful film to "The Dukes of Hazzard" loses his brakes and plows into a line of parked Harleys outside some bar with a name like Whiskey Junction or the Dew Drop Inn.
AHHH YESSS, alias my avatar,and my post name.....nice too get recognition.
Last edited by Vanishing Point : 12-11-2005 at 12:23 PM.
I saw the remake first, years ago, and it was ok. I saw the original a few months ago, and ti is FAR superior to the remake. I absolutely LOVE the original! I have dreamed of just hitting the open road so many times... just screw the cops and fly off into the horizon. I had this dream, fantasy, whatever you want to call it before I saw the movie... so when I did finally see it, you can imagine how well I related to it. If there were no consequences... it's what I would be doing right now.
What was the make, model and year of the car they sailed into the bulldozers in the end?
Hint...it wasn't a MOPAR.
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I saw the remake first, years ago, and it was ok. I saw the original a few months ago, and ti is FAR superior to the remake. I absolutely LOVE the original! I have dreamed of just hitting the open road so many times... just screw the cops and fly off into the horizon. I had this dream, fantasy, whatever you want to call it before I saw the movie... so when I did finally see it, you can imagine how well I related to it. If there were no consequences... it's what I would be doing right now.
It is tough to find the time, money and opportunity to "hit the open road" before your retirement days. I'm very grateful to have had the good fortune to ride a motorcycle around the nation on 2 separate occassions. The first trip was more than 2 months long and really felt like I was retired.
There is nothing like long days cruising the highways across scenic deserts, endless cornfields and gorgeous mountains to satisfy the wanderlust. I don't think I would average 35 mpg in a 2008 Challenger, though.
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