Motion Pictures Not Everybody Liked Two Lane Blacktop…

I was in college in Baton Rouge and read a story in Playboy or Gentlemen Quarterly or some mag. It said they were making a movie to be released the next year and gave the name of the movie. I enjoyed the story and didnt think about it again. A year later I was driving my 1947 Mercury thru San Angelo Texas and saw a primered straight axle 55 at a theatre. I pulled in to look at the car and saw the movie poster for Two Lane Blacktop with the same car so I went in and watched the movie. As I watched I realized it was the same movie I had read about, they had changed the name of the movie. I never cared about plot or its absence, it was fun to watch.

 

I got a kick out of HDS playing a touchy feely hitch hiker . Harry is one the all time great character actors. Don't forget about the leaking q-jet on the GTO. LOL.

 

I believe there's a saying, " You don't go to a gunfight armed with a knife "

 

If they did, it would be a love story between the "Driver" & "Mechanic"

 

I add Hot Rod Willys, and definitely Heart Like a Wheel.

 

I got lost when you said you were in college and read something in Playboy. When I was in college,I didn't even realize Playboy had print!

 

I was 15 when it came out and was a car crazy kid. I lived in rural New England so there wasn't much cool car stuff going on. I soaked up Rod & Custom, Car Craft and Hot Rod magazines as that was the only source to see cool cars.

I didn't care about the boring story. Hell, for me it could have had no dialog at all. I was just happy to see hot rods and drag racing. As a 15 year old, James Taylor and Dennis Wilson were kind of like Milner in AG. Super cool dudes with a bad ass car. The kind of guys we all wanted to be.

Today, I occasionally will watch TLB and still don't care about the story or dialog. It brings me back to the early '70s and I get to reminisce about how things used to be. Same with Vanishing Point or any other '70s car movies.

I equate it to our traditional hot rods (or any 1970's or earlier car for that matter). If you compare them to modern cars you will say they are terrible. They handle like crap, ride rough, hot, loud and uncomfortable. But you know what they do that new cars don't? They put a big ass smile on my face!

So that's the thing. I can watch TLB knowing that it is really a crap movie but I will smile all the way through. If you weren't a car guy in the '70s then maybe you won't get it. Like they say, "for those who understand, no explanation is needed. For those who don't, no explanation is possible".

 

Put your hand on the radio!

 

Ya can't beat the whine of that "Rock Crusher"! That made the Movie for me!!

 

I always liked how James said 'Otto-MO-Beel race'

 

James Taylor and Monte the driver of the green coupe and writer

 

James Taylor with Leno revisting and driving the 55

https://youtube.com/shorts/ghp9mUMyozs?feature=share

 

I've seen Vanishing Point mentioned. Now that movie simply sux. The end. Well, the car did have like a 70 speed trans. He sure did shift a lot, but Chrysler Corp had to show off that new pistol grip. Had one, kool. Dirty Mary and Crazy Larry, same. Shit. All around. To me the background cars are fun in those flicks. Movie magic, anyone ever notice the Challenger turned into a Camaro at the end of VP? Ever notice how the Charger missed the gas pumps at the end of the Bullit chase? "Englishtown 1968" in Heart like a wheel. But Connie's car was a 73 and modern Weld Wheels in the pits. Car movies for car folk ought sweat the details a little better. Mods, I hope I didn't offend the topic, it is about car movies...

 

if you facebook, the full video is on there. its on the Two lane blacktop page or the American Grafitti/Two lane blacktop page.

 

Yes, I seen it on there but that's all I found on YouTube.

 

I always laugh when movies show a big lumbering four door in a chase scene and they use sound footage of a four speed equipped car, Streets Of San Francisco comes to mind.

 

i know youtube dont have full video. But facebook does. For those that wanna see full movie its on facebook under Mikes auto sales. You can view it there. If i knew how to link stuff, I would

 

that firebird burt drove in smokey and the bandit was quite the car that thing squealed tires in the gravel and the grass

 

https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=watch_permalink&v=224729422392374

 

Let's face it we all watched it for that bad ass 55. Another good movie back then was Macon County line Don Johnson and Nick Nolte ripping up the deep south in that yellow 57 similar storie line.

 

Thanks man, I can build a car but have to learn how to use my cell phone

 

i read where they used the TLB car for the sound effects in Smokey

 

Must be a car movie rule. Doesn't matter if it's a race car scene or regular street cars, if someone has to go faster, they grimace and shift into yet another gear. You can feel it coming and is a real credibility killer.

That and tyres screeching on dirt.

My rule of thumb: if it's a 'car movie,' it will be shit.

Tucker was fine, but it was a biopic about a person.

 

Good move, Smogger T/A's were wheezers even through the tailpipe splitters.

 

The goobers need to be spoon fed. Then & now the general public? Avoided at all cost's. Cure? Shut off the got dame TV. You are eating from their menu. Drink yer beer!~

 

It could be worse. You could've been watching 'Beverley Hills 90210'.

 

They used American Graffiti 55 sound effects in several movies, off the top of my had King of the Mountain comes to mind when Crazy Cal circles the porche before the final race.

 

I don't remember either..

 

10 1/2.... If I use all my fingers and drop my pants, I can count to 10 1/2....