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Two Lane Blacktop from Criterion in December

15 October 2007

The 1970s gave birth to more than its fair share of cult films, including a number that fit into a genre that has its own specific following, the Road Movie, and prince among these has to be Monte Hellman's 1971 Two Lane Blacktop. I'll let Criterion outline the plot and strange appeal of the film, which they do rather well:

Drag racing east from L.A. in a souped-up '55 Chevy are the wayward Driver and Mechanic (singer/songwriter James Taylor and the Beach Boys' Dennis Wilson, in their only acting roles), accompanied by a tagalong Girl (Laurie Bird). Along the way, they meet Warren Oates's Pontiac GTO-driving wanderer and challenge him to a cross-country race—- the prize: their cars' pink slips. Yet no summary can do justice to the existential punch of Two-Lane Blacktop. Maverick director Monte Hellman's stripped-down narrative, gorgeous widescreen compositions, and sophisticated look at American male obsession make this one of the artistic high points of 1970s cinema, and possibly the greatest road movie ever made.

A favourite with both road movie addicts and car enthusiasts, Two Lane Blacktop is to be released on US DVD by Criterion in December as a Director Approved Double Disc Set with the following special features:

  • New, restored high-definition 2.35:1 anamorphic digital transfer supervised and approved by director Monte Hellman;
  • Dolby Digital 5.1 and original mono 1.0 soundtracks;
  • Audio commentary by director Monte Hellman and filmmaker Allison Anders;
  • Audio commentary by screenwriter Rudy Wurlitzer and author David Meyer;
  • New interviews with Hellman, star James Taylor, musician Kris Kristofferson, producer Michael Laughlin, and production manager Walter Coblenz;
  • Rare, never-before-seen screen-test outtakes;
  • Performance and Image: a look at the restoration of a '55 Chevy from the movie and the film's locations today;
  • Color Me Gone: photos and publicity from Two-Lane Blacktop;
  • Original theatrical trailer;
  • PLUS: Rudy Wurlitzer's screenplay, reprinted specially for this release; new essays by Kent Jones, appreciations by Richard Linklater and Tom Waits; and a reprint of the 1970 Rolling Stone article "On Route 66, Filming Two-Lane Blacktop."

Two Lane Blacktop will be released on 11th December 2007 by Criterion at the SRP of $31.96.