Amazon.com

Sensitive singer-songwriter, soft-rock poster boy, boomer troubadour:James Taylor has outlived the stereotypes offered by fans and critics alike by simply staying his musical course and continuing to refine his familiar, deceptively mellifluous style. This 1998 concert displays Taylor's craftsmanship and easy rapport with both his band and his audience to satisfying effect, offering a repertoire that draws from his entire career while providing a generous selection of songs from his Grammy-winning 1997 set, Hourglass.Fans will love it, of course, but even jaded listeners can find fresh feeling and formidable expertise here.

By now, Taylor's skill at low-key love songs is a given, making him an archetypal "sensitive New Age guy" on the strength of his canny mix of emotional vulnerability, romantic imagery, and understated delivery.Less obviously, Taylor has gradually transformed the shadows of disillusionment audible in his earliest songs into a nuanced acknowledgment of his own age."Line 'Em Up," from Hourglass, typifies his skill at limning disarmingly lucid, frankly philosophical vignettes, here woven around a recollection of Richard Nixon's last hurrah, while "Jump Up Behind Me" affords a testament to self-determination ultimately as serious in theme as it is buoyant in its musical framework. Throughout, Taylor's stage band proves a thoroughbred, its accompaniment rock solid and delicately detailed, and perfectly matched to a crack backing chorus.

Among the first video concerts produced with DVD in mind, Live at the Beacon Theatre has been in heavy rotation in home demonstration suites ever since its release, an achievement understandable after hearing the crystalline 5.1 mix engineered by Frank Filipetti, who shared a Grammy as coproducer on Hourglass and snagged a second award for his engineering of that album. --Sam Sutherland ... Read more

Reviews (106)

If There Was A Show In Heaven...
...It would probably sound like this. "James Taylor Live at The Beacon Theatre": This DVD is a true delight. Over twenty classic songs delivered by a voice that has never sounded so good. The atmosphere is incredible, and only a true musician like James Taylor can create this kind of ambience, derived from his songs and stories alike. One gets the feeling that many of his "ex-hippie" fans are part of the audience, as strong and as loyal as ever, which really adds to the pleasure. Unlike most, there is absolutely nothing pretentious about James Taylor and his show. This is as real as it gets, and James Taylors hearty personality shines through continuously. It's an evening of story through song that is endlessly captivating. "Mexico" and surprises such as a superb version of "Everyday". As an eighteen year old, Im proud to realise that its from showmen like this and the musicians that accompany, that I can hear and see timeless music with value and heart. Sadly, I had to take away one star because "Carolina In My Mind" and "Sweet Baby James" are two songs that are shamefully absent from this title - why?

What an amazing concert!
As a longtime JT fan I was thrilled to find this great concert, which I first saw on PBS, on DVD. The sound and picture are great, but of course the best thing about this DVD is the artist himself. JT gives us a fresh take on many of his hits, treats us to some of the more obscure songs that only die-hard fans will recognize, and includes some of the songs from the beautiful "Hourglass" CD. (Also highly recommended!) The band and backup singers are the best and James is in great voice and great spirits.

The bonus stuff is a nice surprise -- an interview with JT, and 2 vidoes -- "Copperline" and "Enough to Be on Your Way" (heartbreakingly gorgeous!)

If you like James Taylor your money will be well spent on this DVD. It's a bargain at any price. I know I'll watch it over and over for years to come.

Pullover is better!
After reading the reviews about "Live at the Beacon" I assumed that I was missing the better show, having already purchased "Pullover". WRONG! Pullover is superior in all respects; presentation, sound, and picture. Made me question just what those "Beacon" fanatics were listening to and looking at. JT was much, much more relaxed in Pullover and as another reviewer said "He was definitely having more fun." I sat through the whole Pullover concert (enjoying every minute...) but found myself using the "skip" button while viewing Beacon. You just need to purchase Pullover....you won't be missing anything by passing on "Beacon".

Old Stringbean Is Back!
Sweet Baby James is back, this time with another terrific concert performance of his ever-growing catalogue of unforgettable songs. While he is easily one of the most successful of all of the record selling artists of the last thirty years, he is also one of the hardest working live performers in the business, and is in perpetual demand throughout the country, indeed, the world, as a first class draw for huge crowds. I haven't had the pleasure of seeing him sing live in decades, but always anticipate his new record releases and DVDs such as these in order to stay in touch with this most singular talent. Like the late John Denver, Taylor approaches the stage with enthusiasm and a charismatic charm that is simply hard for me to resist. Needless to say, I succumbed to the temptations herein pretty quickly.

Included here are many works not previously available on DVD, all delivered with the typical flawless Taylor rendition. Of course, the panoply of perpetual favorite favorites like "Fire And Rain", "Copperline", "Everyday", "You've Got A Friend", and "Sweet Baby James" are all here, as are many others, for a total of some two dozen songs or so. Old JT is aging, as are we all, but he has mellowed even more over the years, and by prevailing over his own demons and continuing to do what he does like no one else can, has once again offered us a gift that I urge you to go out and grab for your very own. Enjoy!

COULD NOT BELIEVE IT !!!
I've been a James Taylor fan for 32 years. That's right, 32 YEARS! I'm 46 and at age 14 Mr. Taylor was my very first musical influence. That being said, I have to tell you how boring this concert was. He has a live version of "Steamroller" that's awesome but on this DVD it's so straight and bland I couldn't believe it. He seemed to be very uncomfortable on the very few occasions he was verbal with the audience. I began to look at him very closely to find some sign of illness, diahrrea or something. He seemed like a man who was happy to be performing in front of others for the first time. Happy to be there but also nervous to be there.
Maybe the audience got in for free so he didn't feel obligated to give a real performance.
The last blurb I read about James Taylor was on the Berklee College of Music website. He had stopped by the college because his brother asked him to speak to his class. Well, his brother teaches Stagemanship or Showmanship and James was probably not the best person to speak on that subject.
There's been plenty of 5 star reviews and I wish I could've been one of those people but I'm not. Although I love James Taylor I can't pretend this was good when it wasn't. I wouldn't pay more than $3.00 for this DVD. ... Read more

Amazon.com

James Taylor's Live atthe Beacon Theatre quickly became the demonstration DVD of choice formany high-end home-theater owners due to its gorgeous picture and pristinesound. It's a treat, then, that Taylor's second concert DVD, Pull Over(recorded in the summer of 2001 on the tour of that name), has those samequalities, with the added benefit of a widescreen picture, though it's not anamorphically enhanced for widescreen TVs. Of course Taylor himself is as reliable as ever, showingno signs of age in his warm voice as he and a great band cover a number of songsfrom his then-unreleased OctoberRoad album as well as such favorites as "Carolina in My Mind," "Fire andRain," "You've Got a Friend," "Your Smiling Face," "How Sweet It Is (To Be Lovedby You)," and "Sweet Baby James." Pull Over is an outstanding concertDVD, but if it had beenn anamorphically enhanced, it might havelaid claim to being one of the best ever. --David Horiuchi ... Read more

Reviews (28)

James Taylor's still got it
I'm a bit torn when it comes to this DVD. On the one hand, James Taylor is an extremely talented musician, especially in concert. The material on this DVD is everything a Taylor fan could hope for - the classics like Fire and Rain, a few less well-known songs such as Frozen Man (beautifully done on this DVD), and some stuff from October Road. But the production values on the DVD itself are a bit less than stellar. The quality of the picture is okay at best, and at times rather poor. Also, whoever did the camera transitions should be fired - call me picky, but the transitions between views were often poorly timed and lent absolutely nothing to the experience of watching the performance.

Still, despite all this, I give it five stars because I love James Taylor, and I love his music. Any fan who can say the same will surely like this DVD. The technical issues aside, I am very pleased with Pull Over. It's no substitute for seeing James perform in person, but it is nevertheless a must-have for James Taylor addicts.

Still THE Man!
From reading the reviews, I wasn't sure about purchasing this dvd since I have the Beacon Theatre concert, also. Well, I'm glad I did - even if some of the songs are duplicated, there is still enough different material, plus different arrangements, to make this well worthwhile. James and the band are more relaxed and spontaneous in Pull Over, and look like they are having a lot more fun during this tour (this dvd is a taken from several concerts) than at the Beacon. Although it is very sad to have lost Carlos Vega, it is also a treat to see Russ Kunkel back on the drums just like he was 30+ years ago on Taylor's earlier albums.

One reviewer commented that the sound was not as good on this dvd and sounded like it had been heavily processed. To me, the mixing is uneven - on some songs, especially at the beginning, the mix is muffled (lacks crispness, the bass is way too strong and the instruments don't seem well defined, plus Taylor's voice sounds like it is in the background) but on others, it is first rate. The Beacon concert has uniformly excellent sound, but Pull Over is hit and miss although even the "poorest" is still pretty good.

Overall, Taylor and his band/background singers put together a wonderful show - this is a "must buy" for his fans!

A Crapy DVD
Although James Taylor is a great singer this concert wasn't his best I thought. In the Past I have listened to his concert CD's and thought they were very good (despite the extreme altering of the songs). But in this DVD he alters his songs way too much to the point where I can't even recognise them. Also the camera switches views practially every second making it really hard to focus and get into it.

Over all, I'd rather eat rat poison that have to watch this DVD again. It sucks and I just prefer listening to his un altared CD's. D O N O T B U Y

The Ole String Bean Is back!
Sweet Baby James is back, this time with yet another terrific concert performance of his ever-growing catalogue of unforgettable songs. While he is easily one of the most successful of all of the record selling artists of the last thirty years, he is also one of the hardest working live performers in the business, and is in perpetual demand throughout the country, indeed, the world, as a first class draw for huge crowds. I haven't had the pleasure of seeing him sing live in decades, but always anticipate his new record releases and DVDs such as these in order to stay in touch with this most singular talent. Like the late John Denver, Taylor approaches the stage with enthusiasm and a charismatic charm that is simply hard for me to resist. Needless to say, I succumbed to the temptations herein pretty quickly.

Included here are many works not previously available on DVD, such as "Frozen Man" here with a funny and yet poignant introduction that shows how well Taylor succeeds at broaching bittersweet and often meaningful subjects with a touch of humor and satire. Also new here is "You Can Close Your Eyes", "Millworker", and "That's Why I'm Here", all delivered with the typical flawless Taylor rendition. Of course, the panoply of perpetual favorite favorites like "Fire And Rain", "Copperline", "Everyday", "You've Got A Friend", and "Sweet Baby James" are all here, as are many others, for a total of some two dozen songs or so. Old JT is aging, as are we all, but he has mellowed even more over the years, and by prevailing over his own demons and continuing to do what he does like no one else can, has once again offered us a gift that I urge you to go out and grab for your very own. Enjoy!

Buy This DVD
I saw the HDNet broadcast of this concert and thought it was fantastic. I immediately went to Amazon and purchased the DVD and was very happy with my purchase, although I thought the video quality of the DVD wasn't quite as good as the broadcast. Picky, picky. ... Read more

Description

This musical adaptation of the Studs Terkel book examines the average worker's viewpoint--showing that he or she is anything but average. Based on a series of interviews with real working people--construction workers, waitresses, firemen, secretaries and cleaning women--"Working" is both an exploration of the individuals' occupations and a lament for lost hopes and dreams. This musical adaptation was conceived by Stephen Schwartz (Godspell, Pippin). A must for all musical theatre buffs. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Buy This Right NOW!
Wow, this movie has it all! Patti Labelle, James Taylor, Rita Moreno, Barbara Barrie, Barry Bostwick and many more familiar faces appear in this wonderful 1982 musical which aired on PBS. With Book by Studs Terkel and Music by a list of artists including James Taylor (Millwork) you can't go wrong with a story about the working persons struggle through everyday hardships. In this filmed musical, Studs Terkel acts as a narrator who interviews people with different jobs, a construction worker, paper boy, housewife, hooker, secretary, boss, etc. This movie is for anyone who has ever punched a time clock, a co-worker, or a cow...or anyone who would like to. The section with Patti Labelle singing about cleaning ladies is worth the $ alone. Just to mention a great add on to this is the "Working" soundtrack available on CD here, it's not the same production but its worth it. The company who released this video, Broadway Theatre Archives has a list of other PBS plays and musicals, also try the video of "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide when the rainbow was enuf."

Mediocre at best.
This PBS production for American Playhouse is basically just a filmed version of the songs and monologues that make up the Broadway musical WORKING. Unfortunately, the film lacks most of the energy or the excitement of the live version. There are still some wonderful performances, most notably Rita Moreno as the Waitress singing "It's An Art", Eileen Brennan as the tired factory worker, Barbara Hershey as the prostitute, Patti Labelle as the cleaning woman and Barry Bostwick as the steelworker singing "Fathers & Sons". Overall, the acting is stronger than the singing (except for in Labelle's case,where the opposite is true) and the actors, while well cast, are not helped by awkward transitions and poor directing.

The big cast musical numbers that open and close the show are totally lacking in energy, mostly due to the fact that they are stagnant (no musical staging), probably because the director didn't know how to film movement.

This is only interesting for those who want to have a record of the material (songs and monologues) that comprise the show.

It would be nice if someone were to film a stage production of this show and edit it properly. That would make for a much more interesting viewing.

Hey Somebody, Don't You Want To Hear...
The story of my life? So begins one of the most underratd musicals ever. With a simple message, "Everyone has a story." This is a TV adaptation of a musical based on a book by Sociologist and pundit Studs Terkel available by the grace of God for the first time on DVD. I knew the play from high school and was anxious to see it on film. It's a fairly reliable adaptation of the play, except that it omits two very fine songs and is kind of simply set up (it was PBS after all).

For those unfamiliar with the book or the musical, Working is based on a series of interviews Terkel performed with people from all walks of life. The book was subtitled "People Talking About What They Do All Day And How They Feel About What They Do." Composer and Lyricist Stephen Schwartz (with help from the likes of James Taylor and Craig Carnelia) adapted the interviews (which were verbatim from these peoples' mouths) into a musical.

Now let me adress a common concern right here. "I don't like musicals." Something like that is simply impossible to say. It's like saying "I don't like soup." You can't. There are too many different kinds of musicals (indeed soups) to say that you hate them all. Do you hate bright and sunny musicals like "Meet Me in St. Louis" or lavish dance numbers like "42nd Street" or quasi-historic grandeur like "Camelot?" In Working the musical performances are limited to singing at the camera, or singing off camera.

And the singing is performed by some wonderful people. "Rocky Horror's" Barry Bostwick as the Steelworker, Scatman Crothers as a Parking Lot Attendant called "Lovin' Al: The Wizard," "West Side Story's" Rita Moreno as a Waitress who feels like an artist, Charles Durning as a retiree, Patti LaBelle as a Cleaning Woman and James Taylor (mentioned above) as a Trucker. Highlights include Bostwick's stirring ballad "Fathers and Sons" Moreno's "It's an Art" and the highly affecting "Me and My Machine" performed by an unseen vocalist during the Millworker scene.

People who do these jobs, might be inspired by these completely true stories. And people who interact with these people might be inspired as well. Inspired to spend a few brain cells thinking about the guy who put his car together, talking to the telephone operator who's been having a hard day, showing respect for the cleaning woman, you even see hookers in a new light.

"Hey somebody, don't you want to hear the story of my life?"

Could have been better
...- the production is flat & lacking in energy (especially in the chorus numbers "See That Building" & "I Hear America Singing/All the Livelong Day") and sets look cheap. And some of the actors are miscast or can't sing very well. It would have been much better filmed in performance with an audience instead of an empty studio.
I happen to have done this musical & like it, but this is just an OK production. Fans of the show will want to buy it as it's the only "movie" version available.

There are standout performances - Barbara Hershey as a vulnerable hooker, Eileen Brennan as an exhausted millworker, Edie McClurg as a perky operator, Charles "Hill St Blues" Haid as the mischievous "gas man," Charles Durning as a retiree, and James Taylor adds a nice touch as he sings something he actually wrote for the show ("Brother Trucker").

But there are also annoying, jarring or boring performances, like Beth Howland as the housewife & Didi "Grease" Conn as a receptionist - both of them breathy & nasal.

Some actors push it too hard - seems like most were cast because they were the "hot A list" for the moment (i.e. the late 70s) which makes the show a little dated. It would have been better casting some unknowns (but great singers from Broadway). So "Where Are They Now?" - Eileen Brennan? Barbara Barrie? Beth Howland? Didi Conn? Matt Landers? Vernee Watson-Johnson?

Good thing they didn't make an album of this soundtrack - its thin singing & orchestrations pale in comparison to the original cast album of 1978, which has much better singers (like Bob Gunton & David Patrick Kelley) and there's more excitement, feeling & fullness in the songs.

Interesting note: Lynne Thigpen (cast as receptionist) & David Patrick Kelley (playing an activist Copyboy complaining about his capitalist newspaper) are the only ones from the original Broadway cast to make it into this broadcast, originally shown on PBS ~1982. On Broadway, Kelly sang the soaring ballad "The Mason," which very unfortunately was cut from this version. Pigpen sang "Cleaning Women."

Okay, people..........you're missing the point..............
First off, the reason that they are all "staring at the camera" is because this is filmed in a documentary style. As if all of the people are being interviewed about their lives and jobs.

Great performances by an all-star cast. Eileen Brennan ("Clue," "Murder by Death") gives a WONDERFUL performance, but unfortunately does not sing her character's "Millwork" song herself. Patti LaBelle sings the [...] out of her "Cleaning Women" song, but does not seem all that emotionally involved in the proceedings. Barry Bostwick gives a touching and brilliant performance, delivering a heart-wrending rendition of "Fathers and Sons." Rita Moreno stops the show, and other wonderful performances given by all.

The sets are rather like "Sesame Street for adults," but I personally find it to be very affective and theatrical. Semi-realism with some flat, 2-dimensional pieces thrown in there for you to remember that this is--after all--a theatrical piece (despite all of the realism in the documentary-style acting and film-making).

All in all, this is a BEAUTIFUL piece. A show about REAL human beings, telling their lives and stories in a non-linear way. Few musicals about real people are out there (only Sondheim's and Kander & Ebb's pieces, as well as I DO! I DO!, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, and RAGTIME come to mind), but those that are are very affective and are truely quite moving.

However, my one MAJOR let down: Craig Carneila's beautiful song "The Mason" is not in this film. ... Read more

Amazon.com

James Taylor is The Driver, a car-obsessed racer with stringy hair and a concentration that precludes conversation. He travels the backroads of rural America with his buddy, The Mechanic (Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys), an equally obsessed lost soul at home only in the car or under the hood. They have no names, only designations, and no life outside of their gypsy existence, riding the unending highway in their souped-up '55 Chevy from race to race. After picking up a hitchhiking Girl (Laurie Bird), whose presence breaks the tunnel-vision focus of the two men, they challenge a middle-aged hotshot, the garrulous G.T.O. (Warren Oates) to a cross-country race. Monte Hellman's Two-Lane Blacktop is the most alienated evocation of modern America ever made, an almost abstract study in dislocation and obsession set against a vague landscape of roadside diners and rest stops. Taylor and Wilson deliver appropriately blank performances, only expressing emotion when The Girl sparks jealousy between them. Oates is a glib dynamo constructing a new persona in every scene, as if trying on characters to play as he ping-pongs between the coasts. "How fast does it go?" asks The Driver, admiring G.T.O.'s car. "Fast enough," he answers. The Driver snaps, "You can never go fast enough." These are characters on the road to nowhere who can't work up enough speed to escape themselves. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (70)

Color me gone, baby!
I've just made my fourth trip down the two-lane blacktop, having recently caught this film on the Big Screen. (Do not--repeat, DO NOT--miss a chance to see this in a theatre.) This film gets better ever time I see it. Part road movie, part travelogue of America circa 1970, part existentialist tragedy, it's a strange, fascinating hodgepodge with no real precedent--not even "Easy Rider"--that I'm aware of. "Two-Lane Blacktop" is what it is; if you're expecting just another car chase movie, you will likely be disappointed. It's a movie for anyone fascinated by the mystique of lonely gas stations in the middle of nowhere, of long, quiet rides down the highway with nary another soul in sight.... I've never seen a movie that has so effectively communicated the extraordinary vastness of America. It manages to be sad, pathetic, funny, and haunting all at once. You can criticize it for its sometimes shaky acting (Warren Oates, at least, is fabulous), but I think the sum effect of the movie precludes serious complaint. And what an amazing ending....

Existential Road Trip
Less dated than Easy Rider, this early 70's time capsule is an existential masterpiece. What the hell does that mean? It means the film is full of space. It's about absolute nothing, or everything, or somewhere in between. It's a poem that doesn't deliver what an audience expects but is utterly faithful to it's idea. It doesn't have an emotional pay-off, but instead finds a stylish way to cinematically burn rubber and fade away. It's characters are called Driver, Mechanic, GTO and Girl. Its stars are James Taylor (yeah the pop singer), Dennis Wilson (yeah the late Beach Boy), Warren Oates (in perhaps his finest performances) and Laura Bird (most won't know her, she's good).

Driver and Mechanic are the original slackers. They love racing, and hustling people to keep racing and their supercharged '55 Chevy. They are not hippies, but car junkies. The meet a loud mouth middle aged guy driving a newer sportier GTO who wants to race them for pink slips. Eventually they agree to what amounts to a gentlemen's type race from New Mexico to the East Coast. There's not a lot of suspense to the race, and the film is about. . . well whatever you want it to be about. GTO pretends to be someone else everytime he picks up a new hitch-hiker. He's amusing himself with his creative imagination and re-inventing himself to escape the middle age blues. Eventually there's a little bit of a competition over a young female hitchhiker.

The film was filmed on location as cast and crew drove across the country. The bare-bones script is by Rudolph Wurlitzer and Will Curry.

The film becomes more and more abstract as it moves along. The story matters less and less. A circle eventually forms and we realize we've been riding along on a very unique, one of a kind film. There's a wonderful example of an utterly open ended final shot.

Some are going to find this film very dull and wonder what there is to admire and respect about it. Others are going to 'discover' all sorts of things that are of course not actually present in the film itself, but are thoughts and reactions the film has sparked and triggered within them as they watched the film. Other's will enjoy the muscle cars, and late 60's cars that make sporadic appearances or rev up their engines on occassion.

It's a film you watch many times and find different subtexts, moods, ideas and space within. It's a film that requires the viewer to both observe, accept and participate in, like one would a living sculpture.

It's the kind of art film you would never expect from a director who made two quirky Westerns for Roger Corman in the mid 60's (The Shooting and Ride the Whirlwind --with Nicholson right before Jack became a star with Easy Rider). Hellman also went on to make the very interesting Cockfigher with Warren Oates. He's appreciated by a small, growing cult of afficianado's and you'll find Hellman's name more recently as executive producer of Reservoir Dogs.

For something really unique I suggest you find a way to watch the DVD of Two-Lane Blacktop.

The film was long out of circulation because of disputes over music rights. They were resolved and the film has been beautifully transferred to DVD and actually looks better than it ever did since the contrasts in light were carefully boosted during the DVD transfer.

Chris Jarmick Author of The Glass Cocoon with Serena F. Holder - A steamy cyber thriller available January 2001. Please order it today. Thank You

A RESPONSE TO REVIEWER "CORREIA"
Hey Correia,
Everyone's entitled to their opinions, but you're in the minority here. Two-Lane Blacktop is worshipped by film-lovers around the world and is regularly cited as one of the best pop-art flicks of the 70's, one of the most exciting periods in American cinema.

The reviewer's two complaints (little dialogue, couldn't understand what it was about) reveal the shortcomings of the reviewer, not the film. I mean really: "no dialogue?" Is he serious? Has he never seen a Western? A film noir? Charlie Chaplin? Keaton? Bresson? Wong Kar Wai?

In order to get Reservoir Dogs made, Quentin Tarantino got Two-Lane Blacktop director Monte Hellman to co-produce. I'm not a big Tarantino fan, but he DOES have great taste in other people's movies [his film company A Band Aparte is named after a Jean-Luc Godard film (paucity of dialogue, anyone?), he helped get Wong Kar Wai's Chungking Express distributed, and idolizes Monte Hellman as one of the great American directors].

Based on the fact that Correia would critique a movie because it has little dialogue, it is no surprise that he "had absolutely no idea what the movie is about." Surely he can't mean the plot? Two muscle-car drivers race across country for their cars' pink slips? Most Schwarzenegger movies are less "high concept" (i.e. easy to sum up in a sentence).

Or is Correia admitting that he couldn't identify any Grand Themes or Social Issues? It's true, Hellman doesn't hit his viewers over the head with Deep Meanings. Like most of the greatest works of art, Hellman allows the meaning to be porous, letting each viewer read a certain amount of their own lives and themes into the characters.

TLB bears analysis, and is in fact deeply philosophical, but it is first a riveting aesthetic and emotional experience. Like a great landscape painting (or a David Lynch film?), it is primarily meditative, spiritual, and even deeply religious, rather than intellectual.

While watching it one re-experiences and understands many of the best things 'about' America-- the Road, movement, freedom-- and some of the worst-- rootlessness, restlessness, alienation. It can be read as a portrait of the modern, secularist, existential journey through life; in the lack of dialogue one could feel alienation and aloneness, or a comfortable silence expressing the deep bond between the driver and mechanic (we never hear the character's names, nor do the credits give them any).

TLB traffics in pop iconography, in quintessentially American images. We travel with the perfect embodiment of the Self-Reliant American Male, through rugged, iconic American landscapes, until the landscape and the travellers (and the audience?) become one.

Have these two men achieved a level of self-reliance that has freed them from the constraints of civilization? Or has their laconic independence imprisoned them, dooming them to ride alone, ala John Wayne in The Searchers? Hurtling through a Godless universe with only the most ill-defined of goals to guide them, and so on? Undergrad term paper, anyone?

The value of any creative expression is in the effort you expend, the distance you travel, to explore its meaning. Movies and books should pull us out of what we know, force us to expand to incorporate new ways of seeing and thinking. It ain't always easy but it's almost always rewarding. I applaud Correia for trying, but just because TLB isn't immediately easy to 'get' doesn't mean it isn't a great work of art.

Two Lane Dead End
I watched the movie after purchasing it for a freind who is a big James Taylor music fan. I was disapointed in the character writing, as J.T. (The Driver)and Dennis Wilson (The Mechanic) both play the "straight" role, and it causes the scenes to drag. Upon more in depth analysis, Wilson's character is supposed to be aloof, and J.T.'s intense. Unfortunately, bad acting and poor character developement defused this combination.
Warren Oates does contribute to some of the best scenes in the film, as the mixed-up "GTO". A chameleon-like persona, ever-changing to adapt to and impress each hitch-hiker he picks up.
The scene with Harry Dean Stanton is particularly amusing in its context.
In all, "Two Lane Blacktop" was interesting, easy to watch, but the ending, if you can call it that (I find it hard to believe that the original theatrical ending is what I viewed on DVD) left me cold and wanting.

DENNIS WILSON IN HIS ONE AND ONLY
THE REASON I GOT THIS MOVIE WAS BECAUSE OF DENNIS IT DID NOT HAVE A BIG BUGET BUT IT HAD FAST CARS AND THE ACTING WAS COOL PLUS THEY HAD A DOORS SONG IN IT SO YOU CANT GO WRONG WITH THAT SO FOR ALL THAT STUFF I GIVE IT 5 STARS BUY WHY YOU STILL CAN. ... Read more

Reviews (70)

Color me gone, baby!
I've just made my fourth trip down the two-lane blacktop, having recently caught this film on the Big Screen. (Do not--repeat, DO NOT--miss a chance to see this in a theatre.) This film gets better ever time I see it. Part road movie, part travelogue of America circa 1970, part existentialist tragedy, it's a strange, fascinating hodgepodge with no real precedent--not even "Easy Rider"--that I'm aware of. "Two-Lane Blacktop" is what it is; if you're expecting just another car chase movie, you will likely be disappointed. It's a movie for anyone fascinated by the mystique of lonely gas stations in the middle of nowhere, of long, quiet rides down the highway with nary another soul in sight.... I've never seen a movie that has so effectively communicated the extraordinary vastness of America. It manages to be sad, pathetic, funny, and haunting all at once. You can criticize it for its sometimes shaky acting (Warren Oates, at least, is fabulous), but I think the sum effect of the movie precludes serious complaint. And what an amazing ending....

Existential Road Trip
Less dated than Easy Rider, this early 70's time capsule is an existential masterpiece. What the hell does that mean? It means the film is full of space. It's about absolute nothing, or everything, or somewhere in between. It's a poem that doesn't deliver what an audience expects but is utterly faithful to it's idea. It doesn't have an emotional pay-off, but instead finds a stylish way to cinematically burn rubber and fade away. It's characters are called Driver, Mechanic, GTO and Girl. Its stars are James Taylor (yeah the pop singer), Dennis Wilson (yeah the late Beach Boy), Warren Oates (in perhaps his finest performances) and Laura Bird (most won't know her, she's good).

Driver and Mechanic are the original slackers. They love racing, and hustling people to keep racing and their supercharged '55 Chevy. They are not hippies, but car junkies. The meet a loud mouth middle aged guy driving a newer sportier GTO who wants to race them for pink slips. Eventually they agree to what amounts to a gentlemen's type race from New Mexico to the East Coast. There's not a lot of suspense to the race, and the film is about. . . well whatever you want it to be about. GTO pretends to be someone else everytime he picks up a new hitch-hiker. He's amusing himself with his creative imagination and re-inventing himself to escape the middle age blues. Eventually there's a little bit of a competition over a young female hitchhiker.

The film was filmed on location as cast and crew drove across the country. The bare-bones script is by Rudolph Wurlitzer and Will Curry.

The film becomes more and more abstract as it moves along. The story matters less and less. A circle eventually forms and we realize we've been riding along on a very unique, one of a kind film. There's a wonderful example of an utterly open ended final shot.

Some are going to find this film very dull and wonder what there is to admire and respect about it. Others are going to 'discover' all sorts of things that are of course not actually present in the film itself, but are thoughts and reactions the film has sparked and triggered within them as they watched the film. Other's will enjoy the muscle cars, and late 60's cars that make sporadic appearances or rev up their engines on occassion.

It's a film you watch many times and find different subtexts, moods, ideas and space within. It's a film that requires the viewer to both observe, accept and participate in, like one would a living sculpture.

It's the kind of art film you would never expect from a director who made two quirky Westerns for Roger Corman in the mid 60's (The Shooting and Ride the Whirlwind --with Nicholson right before Jack became a star with Easy Rider). Hellman also went on to make the very interesting Cockfigher with Warren Oates. He's appreciated by a small, growing cult of afficianado's and you'll find Hellman's name more recently as executive producer of Reservoir Dogs.

For something really unique I suggest you find a way to watch the DVD of Two-Lane Blacktop.

The film was long out of circulation because of disputes over music rights. They were resolved and the film has been beautifully transferred to DVD and actually looks better than it ever did since the contrasts in light were carefully boosted during the DVD transfer.

Chris Jarmick Author of The Glass Cocoon with Serena F. Holder - A steamy cyber thriller available January 2001. Please order it today. Thank You

A RESPONSE TO REVIEWER "CORREIA"
Hey Correia,
Everyone's entitled to their opinions, but you're in the minority here. Two-Lane Blacktop is worshipped by film-lovers around the world and is regularly cited as one of the best pop-art flicks of the 70's, one of the most exciting periods in American cinema.

The reviewer's two complaints (little dialogue, couldn't understand what it was about) reveal the shortcomings of the reviewer, not the film. I mean really: "no dialogue?" Is he serious? Has he never seen a Western? A film noir? Charlie Chaplin? Keaton? Bresson? Wong Kar Wai?

In order to get Reservoir Dogs made, Quentin Tarantino got Two-Lane Blacktop director Monte Hellman to co-produce. I'm not a big Tarantino fan, but he DOES have great taste in other people's movies [his film company A Band Aparte is named after a Jean-Luc Godard film (paucity of dialogue, anyone?), he helped get Wong Kar Wai's Chungking Express distributed, and idolizes Monte Hellman as one of the great American directors].

Based on the fact that Correia would critique a movie because it has little dialogue, it is no surprise that he "had absolutely no idea what the movie is about." Surely he can't mean the plot? Two muscle-car drivers race across country for their cars' pink slips? Most Schwarzenegger movies are less "high concept" (i.e. easy to sum up in a sentence).

Or is Correia admitting that he couldn't identify any Grand Themes or Social Issues? It's true, Hellman doesn't hit his viewers over the head with Deep Meanings. Like most of the greatest works of art, Hellman allows the meaning to be porous, letting each viewer read a certain amount of their own lives and themes into the characters.

TLB bears analysis, and is in fact deeply philosophical, but it is first a riveting aesthetic and emotional experience. Like a great landscape painting (or a David Lynch film?), it is primarily meditative, spiritual, and even deeply religious, rather than intellectual.

While watching it one re-experiences and understands many of the best things 'about' America-- the Road, movement, freedom-- and some of the worst-- rootlessness, restlessness, alienation. It can be read as a portrait of the modern, secularist, existential journey through life; in the lack of dialogue one could feel alienation and aloneness, or a comfortable silence expressing the deep bond between the driver and mechanic (we never hear the character's names, nor do the credits give them any).

TLB traffics in pop iconography, in quintessentially American images. We travel with the perfect embodiment of the Self-Reliant American Male, through rugged, iconic American landscapes, until the landscape and the travellers (and the audience?) become one.

Have these two men achieved a level of self-reliance that has freed them from the constraints of civilization? Or has their laconic independence imprisoned them, dooming them to ride alone, ala John Wayne in The Searchers? Hurtling through a Godless universe with only the most ill-defined of goals to guide them, and so on? Undergrad term paper, anyone?

The value of any creative expression is in the effort you expend, the distance you travel, to explore its meaning. Movies and books should pull us out of what we know, force us to expand to incorporate new ways of seeing and thinking. It ain't always easy but it's almost always rewarding. I applaud Correia for trying, but just because TLB isn't immediately easy to 'get' doesn't mean it isn't a great work of art.

Two Lane Dead End
I watched the movie after purchasing it for a freind who is a big James Taylor music fan. I was disapointed in the character writing, as J.T. (The Driver)and Dennis Wilson (The Mechanic) both play the "straight" role, and it causes the scenes to drag. Upon more in depth analysis, Wilson's character is supposed to be aloof, and J.T.'s intense. Unfortunately, bad acting and poor character developement defused this combination.
Warren Oates does contribute to some of the best scenes in the film, as the mixed-up "GTO". A chameleon-like persona, ever-changing to adapt to and impress each hitch-hiker he picks up.
The scene with Harry Dean Stanton is particularly amusing in its context.
In all, "Two Lane Blacktop" was interesting, easy to watch, but the ending, if you can call it that (I find it hard to believe that the original theatrical ending is what I viewed on DVD) left me cold and wanting.

DENNIS WILSON IN HIS ONE AND ONLY
THE REASON I GOT THIS MOVIE WAS BECAUSE OF DENNIS IT DID NOT HAVE A BIG BUGET BUT IT HAD FAST CARS AND THE ACTING WAS COOL PLUS THEY HAD A DOORS SONG IN IT SO YOU CANT GO WRONG WITH THAT SO FOR ALL THAT STUFF I GIVE IT 5 STARS BUY WHY YOU STILL CAN. ... Read more