Two Lane Blacktop Receives Major Honor

[Alan Smith]

Will do. I feel it almost has to be separated so it doesn't get overwhelmed by the number of films, and carrying it over from this thread, I think going from 1971-76 and keeping it within the range of Two Lane Blacktop would be good. And of course, my favorite era 1966-1970 in a separate entry.

Honestly, I can rattle off any number of films that are better on several levels than Two Lane Blacktop and will leave more of an impression but this isn't the thread to do that...which is why a separate one would be good.  

And I want to get away from Two Lane Blacktop because quite frankly, as cool as it is and I've posted as much in this topic, there are *so many more* that are more compelling, more unforgettable, more technically impressive, more whatever than that film, but I think the Dennis Factor carries it a bit more than the film would carry itself.

I have to disagree with you.  When I first saw Two Lane Blacktop I knew very little about Dennis and certainly wasn't the fan I am now, but the film was amazing.  There are precious few films from that era (or any other frankly) that can stand alongside this one, much less better it.

I am curious though, to the majority of posters here, would you still like the film if Dennis wasn't involved?  Would you even be interested in it?

Yeah, absolutely!

While Dennis beautifully plays his role of the mechanic - the key character (s) are the cars and their journey; this film adds to the dialogue started in Easy Rider  and contiuned through-out the road movie tradition of american cinema.

[I. Spaceman]

To tell the truth, Two Lane Blacktop was one of the reasons I got into the band, not the other way around.

[guitarfool2002]

Will do. I feel it almost has to be separated so it doesn't get overwhelmed by the number of films, and carrying it over from this thread, I think going from 1971-76 and keeping it within the range of Two Lane Blacktop would be good. And of course, my favorite era 1966-1970 in a separate entry.

Honestly, I can rattle off any number of films that are better on several levels than Two Lane Blacktop and will leave more of an impression but this isn't the thread to do that...which is why a separate one would be good. 

And I want to get away from Two Lane Blacktop because quite frankly, as cool as it is and I've posted as much in this topic, there are *so many more* that are more compelling, more unforgettable, more technically impressive, more whatever than that film, but I think the Dennis Factor carries it a bit more than the film would carry itself.

I have to disagree with you.  When I first saw Two Lane Blacktop I knew very little about Dennis and certainly wasn't the fan I am now, but the film was amazing.  There are precious few films from that era (or any other frankly) that can stand alongside this one, much less better it.

I am curious though, to the majority of posters here, would you still like the film if Dennis wasn't involved?  Would you even be interested in it?

I disagree with precious few that can stand alongside, and as proof there is now a thread "Films 1971-1976" under general music on this board that has some notable films, among them some of the most trend-setting, innovative, and copied/ripped-off films of all time. All time classics in other words.

And I haven't even gotten to 1967-70, which I will always feel was the most innovative and exciting time for film, lining up directly with a similar renaissance in popular music.

Naturally it's all opinion, but I can't agree with the precious few description at all because of the amazing movies that were released during the same era.

Put it this way, for me at least: There are specific scenes in specific films from 67-76 that are so beautiful to watch, so well done, so powerful, so well filmed and captured in time, that watching them makes me choke up a bit. Usually it's not due to the plot that is unfolding, but due to the notion that you're watching truly great art by people who were at the top of their creative game.

That's over the top, I know, but nothing in Two Lane Blacktop strikes me that way, or hits me right in the gut the way scenes in those other films do. It's all personal opinion, of course!  


Back to the Dennis connection, I think his role was most definitely a gateway for a number of Beach Boys fans who may not have actively sought out the film in the decades since it was released and during a time when the film could be difficult to locate. People getting into the BB's even in the 80's and 90's and beyond...I'm assuming this...who were not film buffs probably would not have found it without looking for that film Dennis was in. Just my two cents, I've definitely been wrong before!

A close comparison for me was the film "Electra Glide In Blue". I probably would not have tracked that down had it not been for the band Chicago being featured in various acting roles throughout the film. And even now, there is kind of a renewed interest as people of a certain age might remember hearing that Terry Kath song "Tell Me" during the final episode of Miami Vice, then tracking it down online years later, finding out it was from the film Electra Glide, then perhaps taking a chance on watching that film.

[Jon Stebbins]

There was also an obvious connection to the Beach Boys with Elektra Glide In Blue as James Guercio went almost immediately from directing his final cut of this film to playing bass in the Beach Boys touring band and co-managing them. Jim told me he regretted not being able to direct Dennis in a film around the time he signed him as a solo act to Caribou.

[Wild-Honey]

I watched TLBT last night.  I really liked it.  Dennis and Warren were IMO the best on screen, the other two were a little wooden but it didn't detract too much. I liked the soundtrack too.  Dennis really had something alright, AND great hair!     Seems like the poor guy had a hex on him though..  I mean why oh why did he never act again? And after POB being such a great album did nothing come of that either (well I sorta know the answer there).  Just such a shame...

[rn57]

Two-Lane Blacktop director Monte Hellman, on his Facebook page the other day, posted a pic just taken of himself and another person with a BBs connection - Oscar nominee/Golden Globe winner Sally Kirkland, who was Carl's colleague in the MSIA/John-Roger ministry.  (She mentioned once in an interview that she and Carl went to the White House during the elder George Bush's administration, to attend an event connected with GB's "thousand points of light" agenda.  I've looked high and low for a photo of Carl at that event, but never have seen one.)

[Ed Roach]

There was also an obvious connection to the Beach Boys with Elektra Glide In Blue as James Guercio went almost immediately from directing his final cut of this film to playing bass in the Beach Boys touring band and co-managing them. Jim told me he regretted not being able to direct Dennis in a film around the time he signed him as a solo act to Caribou.

Funny thing is, I don't recall them ever discussing anything that had to do with Dennis acting in a film for him.  The projects Jimmy was attempting to direct back them, (such as "Coast to Coast" with Robert Blake), were all intended for Dennis to be involved in writing the soundtrack's, but never any mention of acting.  While JG regrets it, I imagine DW had already made it clear he had no interest to appearing in another film.  What a shame, eh?

[Jon Stebbins]

There was also an obvious connection to the Beach Boys with Elektra Glide In Blue as James Guercio went almost immediately from directing his final cut of this film to playing bass in the Beach Boys touring band and co-managing them. Jim told me he regretted not being able to direct Dennis in a film around the time he signed him as a solo act to Caribou.

Funny thing is, I don't recall them ever discussing anything that had to do with Dennis acting in a film for him.  The projects Jimmy was attempting to direct back them, (such as "Coast to Coast" with Robert Blake), were all intended for Dennis to be involved in writing the soundtrack's, but never any mention of acting.  While JG regrets it, I imagine DW had already made it clear he had no interest to appearing in another film.  What a shame, eh?

It is a shame. Especially since Guercio was so insistent on directing an edgy Cowboy film like Tom Horn with Steve McQueen. Dennis could have pulled off a western for sure, limited dialogue, lots of horses, beards, booze, guns and fistfights. He'd have been a natural like Kristofferson.

[rn57]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzNS03lGx-U

Worth mentioning, if any of you have a hankering to make movies or are making them and have some downtime between projects, that Monte Hellman is now taking students for another of his freelance Master Classes in film. (He teaches a similar course at CalArts, but this is something he does on his own time.) The above link gives an idea of his approach as a teacher.  He'll show a lot of movies, from Hitchcock to (naturally) Hellman and beyond, and discuss them and just about anything else.

After this class is over he's getting to work on another feature to won't be teaching again until 2015.  He can be reached via Facebook and is also on Twitter.

It's worth mentioning that his course fee is pretty reasonable (though I forget the exact figure).

There is no Hollywood director, living or dead, with a career as long as Monte's. His first film, The Beast From Haunted Cave, came out in 1958, 55 years ago. (By contrast, Robert Altman's career was 52 years, Sidney Lumet's 53, John Ford's 49.)  So we're talking the voice of Experience, here.

[rn57]

Huh....talk about thorough. All right....

...Goood Evveninng...

Befahrre we begin tonaht's puh-foh-mannce, I should like to menntion that the, ah, management, in the interests of ahr youngah viewerrs, has playced a strategic asterissk ovah onne lettuh of moy name.

We willl now continyu...with a messagge from our sponsuhh....

[Wild-Honey]

Okay,  why didn't Dennis want to act again?  I may have read it but can't remember it and couldn't find what I wanted via search button. 

[?]

I'm curious as well.  He was obviously good at it and from everything I've ever read he had a great time during filming so what's the story?

[Jon Stebbins]

I don't think he had such a great time...I don't know where you read that. Barbara Wilson, who was with him on the set says he hated the tediousness of the process, all the standing around and waiting for set-ups to do a 30 second take...and then more waiting etc... Dennis was naturally good at acting, like he was naturally good at so many things, but I think the actual job of being an actor on a movie set was probably too boring for him. That said, he should have done more of it because he had a special presence that translated extremely well to the camera.

[?]

I don't think he had such a great time...I don't know where you read that.

Well, for example:

“Dennis Wilson (of Beach Boys fame) was the last one to come onboard, after I ran through every actor and some other musicians.  As a matter of fact, we even met with Randy Newman.  Fred Roos, the casting director, finally suggested Dennis.  If memory serves, I saw Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, and James Caan; I think I saw every young actor in Hollywood.  Dennis was very easy going. The only problem was that he was having so much fun that it was hard to find him when we were ready to shoot because he was off somewhere playing all the time.”   –Director Monte Hellman

http://theselvedgeyard.wordpress.com/2010/06/30/two-lane-blacktop-under-the-hood-of-the-epic-1971-road-flick/

I've read other similar recollections.  I don't doubt that he may have been bored by the actual work involved in making a film, but I've always been under the impression that he enjoyed the experience as a whole.

[Jon Stebbins]

I don't think he had such a great time...I don't know where you read that.

Well, for example:

“Dennis Wilson (of Beach Boys fame) was the last one to come onboard, after I ran through every actor and some other musicians.  As a matter of fact, we even met with Randy Newman.  Fred Roos, the casting director, finally suggested Dennis.  If memory serves, I saw Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, and James Caan; I think I saw every young actor in Hollywood.  Dennis was very easy going. The only problem was that he was having so much fun that it was hard to find him when we were ready to shoot because he was off somewhere playing all the time.”   –Director Monte Hellman

http://theselvedgeyard.wordpress.com/2010/06/30/two-lane-blacktop-under-the-hood-of-the-epic-1971-road-flick/

I've read other similar recollections.  I don't doubt that he may have been bored by the actual work involved in making a film, but I've always been under the impression that he enjoyed the experience as a whole.

Having fun being "off somewhere" sounds like he thought it was less fun to be on the set.

Barbara Wilson on Dennis' Two Lane Blacktop experience. "Shooting a film was a really tedious process, you can sit around all day....he'd shoot for two minutes, sit around some more, etc... That wasn't fun for him." (thanks to ESQ)

But yeah...he liked the idea of being in a film, and probably would have liked to make some films since he was into cameras and shooting the Beach Boys among other things. But to answer the question of why didn't he act more...i think one of the reasons is he was fast and the process is slow.

[bgas]

I don't think he had such a great time...I don't know where you read that.

Well, for example:

“Dennis Wilson (of Beach Boys fame) was the last one to come onboard, after I ran through every actor and some other musicians.  As a matter of fact, we even met with Randy Newman.  Fred Roos, the casting director, finally suggested Dennis.  If memory serves, I saw Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, and James Caan; I think I saw every young actor in Hollywood.  Dennis was very easy going. The only problem was that he was having so much fun that it was hard to find him when we were ready to shoot because he was off somewhere playing all the time.”   –Director Monte Hellman

http://theselvedgeyard.wordpress.com/2010/06/30/two-lane-blacktop-under-the-hood-of-the-epic-1971-road-flick/

I've read other similar recollections.  I don't doubt that he may have been bored by the actual work involved in making a film, but I've always been under the impression that he enjoyed the experience as a whole.

Having fun being "off somewhere" sounds like he thought it was less fun to be on the set.

Barbara Wilson on Dennis' Two Lane Blacktop experience. "Shooting a film was a really tedious process, you can sit around all day....he'd shoot for two minutes, sit around some more, etc... That wasn't fun for him." (thanks to ESQ)

But yeah...he liked the idea of being in a film, and probably would have liked to make some films since he was into cameras and shooting the Beach Boys among other things. But to answer the question of why didn't he act more...i think one of the reasons is he was fast and the process is slow.

YEah, too bad, because I don't believe every film goes down in this way (with short takes followed by long breaks). 
He might've gotten hooked up with some better pacing and had it change his existence! 

[NHC]

A high school classmate of mine from the mid-60's directed a drag racing sub-culture film called "American Nitro" c. 1979, before he went on to work for G. Lucas on many blockbusters. We were just talking about Two Lane Blacktop and he told me that for "American Graffiti" Lucas brought in not only the producer of Two Lane, Garry Kurtz, but also the main car. Regarding classic cult films like Two Lane and Nitro, he also commented that "it is all very funny to have what one reviewer called, 'this exercise in asphalt anthropology', taken up by the natives themselves as their own battle flag".  Asphalt anthropology.  I like that.

[SgtTimBob]

Ah Two Lane Blacktop! I actually first saw this on late night TV before I was seriously into the BBs (I thought they were a cheesy barbershop/surf group from my parents childhood), so I had no idea that the mechanic was a member of the band. All I remember is being totally mesmerized by the mood and performances in the film. It just had this amazing vibe about it, that I felt said a lot about the way people interact with each other in certain situations.

I loved the fact that you never got the real story about GTO, yet at the same time you felt like you could read his whole story out of the things he wasn't telling us. Those long emotionless silences between the driver, the mechanic and the girl, were in fact crammed full of emotion because of how underplayed everything was. It's masterful stuff.

A truly unique experience and yes, I am gonna have to say it really is so much better than Easy Rider. Really nice to hear that it's going to be looked after for future generations to enjoy, so that those satisfactions really can be permenant (ba dum tish). I must pick up the blu-ray.

[The 4th Wilson Bro.]

Cheesy barbershop/surf group from your parents' childhood, eh?    My I inquire as to your age?

[SgtTimBob]

Cheesy barbershop/surf group from your parents' childhood, eh?    My I inquire as to your age?

I'm 29. My parents were born late 50s early 60s. To be honest though, they only had one BB album in their vinyl collection, which was a random 'best of' collection. But when I saw TLB all I knew about the BB's was that they'd done the I Get Around song that was in Flight of the Navigator, lol.

[ontor pertawst]

It's playing for three showings this week at Cinefamily on Fairfax:
Wednesday, April 3rd | 11:59pm
Friday, April 5th | 10:00pm
Saturday, April 6th | 9:50pm

http://vimeo.com/63135203

Come early and claim a couch for maximum comfiness!

[rn57]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzNS03lGx-U

Back in January I mentioned that Monte Hellman, director of Two Lane Blacktop, was teaching one of his master classes. (He teaches courses at Cal Arts, but the master class is something he does on his own time.)

 Now, Monte's gearing up to teach another of them. Immediately after it he'll be heading off to direct another feature, the latest in his 55-year career, so he won't be doing another class until sometime in 2014.

As I recall the setup, two or three times a week for a month, Monte shows a movie - either one of his, or one by another director - then spends two-plus hours analyzing and discussing it. The class is a small one - I think he runs it in his living room with a big ol' flat-screen. He charges about $800 or $900 for the course, which on a per-hour basis certainly beats Cal Arts' tuition. 

Should you be in the LA area with a little foldin' money and feel like breaking down Two-Lane Blacktop frame by frame with the man who made it, and seeing some other classic cinema and learnin' lessons from the all-time longest-serving Tinseltown director, well, there's your chance, since three places in it are still open. Monte can be reached at Facebook - or via the white pages for that matter.

I think it's been mentioned here that before Dennis was cast in Blacktop, Monte actually had a meeting with Randy Newman about his playing The Mechanic. I've often wondered who the heck cooked up the notion of Randy playing opposite James Taylor and Warren Oates (which is what the movie would have been since this was the very last role cast).  It looks like the idea may have originated with Mike Salisbury, an album-cover designer of note in the '70s (and a pretty big name in graphics and branding all-round since then), who was a friend of Randy's and was much involved with getting Blacktop made.

[rn57]

Just found this on Youtube and it seems worth dusting off this thread to post it - a video of the Byrds' classic "Lady Friend," starring the late Laurie Bird. Dennis is seen in it, but only from the back, though his appearance is quite amusing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBvIZ8KY75o

[Toursiveu]

It's nice to see this film finally getting its due.  It wasn't so long ago that people were walking out of a screening at Cannes.  Now will someone tell me how the genius that made this could possibly end up directing Silent Night Deadly Night 3?

(I kind of like SNDN3, but you know...)

You mean there's a Silent Night Deadly Night part three?? Surely it can't possibly be better than part 2, with that lead actors incredible dancing eyebrows?

There's actually a Silent Night, Deadly Night, Part 4 and a Silent Night, Deadly Night, Part 5!!!

[ESQ Editor]

The Library Of Congress has included Two Lane Blacktop among its latest selections for preservation in the National Film Registry. This is a distinguished honor as these films are chosen for their "enduring importance to American culture". I like the idea of Dennis Wilson, in a completely non-Beach Boys role, having a piece of something that is lasting and important in the American tradition.

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/19/breakfast-at-tiffanys-and-the-matrix-among-movies-added-to-national-film-registry/

FANTASTIC!