Editorial Review

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 Read more

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Reviews (79)

Bring this movie back
This movie needs to be brought back onto DVD. Its a classic car chase movie with rather shabby dialog, but the filming is excellent on this screenplay. The girl that they pick up on the way is pretty cute and the scenes are classic America 1971, before we got shafted with an energy crisis, runaway inflation, a 55 mph speed limit, and Wal-Mart. Its fun to see the drivers make their stops in ratty gas stations, greasy diners (pre-Waffle House) and go through what was small-town America. Long live the two lane blacktop!
cult road flick
Remember Jerry Lundegaard from "Fargo," a con man on his last tether who's so wrapped up in his lies that when they begin to unravel and he looks out of the screen with his puppy dog eyes, you pity him for not having thought things through well enough to pull it off? Lundegaard's got nothing on G.T.O. (named after the car he drives), a consummate liar who spins yarns without betraying a muscle, in a role played by Warren Oates that comes off like the prototype for Chris Cooper's orchid thief character in "Adaptation." In fact, the whole movie, simple yet engaging and at times mesmerizing, with characters who are underdeveloped but nevertheless feel natural and true, comes across like a study guide for modern-day indie filmmaking. James Taylor -- in his only movie role as a drifter whose survival depends on the virility of his Chevy -- with his chiseled stare, primitive-grunge style and somber presence is to Vincent Gallo as Jack Nicholson is to Christian Slater. Too bad he decided to stick with songwriting. "Blacktop" is like a Kerouac novel on film, an oddball adventure with no beginning and no end. The film also owes a healthy nod to "Easy Rider." Look closely for a non-frontal cameo by Harry Dean Stanton as a gay hitchhiker.

A Concert of Muscle Cars
This is a classic road film back in "the day" of homegrown muscle cars and the growing groundswell of resentment toward the Vietnam War, draft slavery, and other forms of state terrorism such as the National Guard killings of students at Kent State University.For nearly two hours, government mayhem is forgotten while the viewer joins the drivers and passengers of cool muscle cars in their playful pursuits.
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Subjects:  1. Drama    2. Feature Film-action/Adventure    3. Movie   

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Reviews (12)

Boring and stupid,a waste of time,money,and film
SN,Dn was a classic horror flick and the second one was a alright black comedy but this pathetic trash is the worst of the series next to that horrendous part 4.
Silent Night, Deadly Night 3: Better Watch Out!
Silent Night, Deadly Night- Pt. 3 is a standard horror sequel.I liked it a little more than SNDN- Pt. 2, but it still had many flaws.Many of the characters were annoying or boring.You didn't even feel bad when they got killed.The acting is real sucky.And of course the dialogue is standard horror movie cheese.Ricky also didn't talk and say his corny one-liners.This movie did have quite a bit of black comedy.The movie wasn't as gory as the first two; which really suprised me with it being a sequel and all.However, the story could have worked out if they had used it the right way.This movie definetly had a chance at being good, but towards the middle & end they made it stupid and almost tried to make the movie a dud.The plot was better than the second but they just didn't execute the movie the way I had wished.The horror classic that shocked the world is back with a new, mind-jolting terror in Silent Night, Deadly Night 3.Dr.Newbury has saved the life of the hideously injured Ricky Caldwell.The doctor has encased his patient's exposed brain inside a Plexiglas cap, yet he has failed to revive him from his deep coma.In Newbury's attempt to reach the comatose victim's mind, he connects Ricky's brain waves to a gifted clairvoyant, Laura Anderson, who unexpectedly taps into the dark and twisted realm of his haunted dreams.Ghastly things start to happen and Detective Connolly, must fight to stop the dangerous experiment.Check this one out only if you have an hour and a half to blow.(5/10)

GOODTHIRD
AFTER RICKYS PUT IN COMA HE WAKES UP AFTER A DEADLY EXPERIMENRT WITH A GIRLNAMED LINDA ND ON THE WAY KILLS NURSES TRUCK DRIVERS CUTIING OFF PEOPLES HEADS ALL LEADING TOLINDA FOR THE FINAL SHAOWDOWN GREAT THIRD BUT ACTINGS KINDA BLAH ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Horror    2. Horror / Sci-Fi / Fantasy    3. Movie   

Editorial Review

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 Read more

Features

• Color
• Dolby
• Letterboxed
• Widescreen
• NTSC

Reviews (79)

Bring this movie back
This movie needs to be brought back onto DVD. Its a classic car chase movie with rather shabby dialog, but the filming is excellent on this screenplay. The girl that they pick up on the way is pretty cute and the scenes are classic America 1971, before we got shafted with an energy crisis, runaway inflation, a 55 mph speed limit, and Wal-Mart. Its fun to see the drivers make their stops in ratty gas stations, greasy diners (pre-Waffle House) and go through what was small-town America. Long live the two lane blacktop!
cult road flick
Remember Jerry Lundegaard from "Fargo," a con man on his last tether who's so wrapped up in his lies that when they begin to unravel and he looks out of the screen with his puppy dog eyes, you pity him for not having thought things through well enough to pull it off? Lundegaard's got nothing on G.T.O. (named after the car he drives), a consummate liar who spins yarns without betraying a muscle, in a role played by Warren Oates that comes off like the prototype for Chris Cooper's orchid thief character in "Adaptation." In fact, the whole movie, simple yet engaging and at times mesmerizing, with characters who are underdeveloped but nevertheless feel natural and true, comes across like a study guide for modern-day indie filmmaking. James Taylor -- in his only movie role as a drifter whose survival depends on the virility of his Chevy -- with his chiseled stare, primitive-grunge style and somber presence is to Vincent Gallo as Jack Nicholson is to Christian Slater. Too bad he decided to stick with songwriting. "Blacktop" is like a Kerouac novel on film, an oddball adventure with no beginning and no end. The film also owes a healthy nod to "Easy Rider." Look closely for a non-frontal cameo by Harry Dean Stanton as a gay hitchhiker.

A Concert of Muscle Cars
This is a classic road film back in "the day" of homegrown muscle cars and the growing groundswell of resentment toward the Vietnam War, draft slavery, and other forms of state terrorism such as the National Guard killings of students at Kent State University.For nearly two hours, government mayhem is forgotten while the viewer joins the drivers and passengers of cool muscle cars in their playful pursuits.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Drama    2. Feature Film-action/Adventure    3. Movie   

Editorial Review

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 Read more

Features

• Color
• Dolby
• Letterboxed
• Special Edition
• Widescreen
• NTSC

Reviews (79)

Bring this movie back
This movie needs to be brought back onto DVD. Its a classic car chase movie with rather shabby dialog, but the filming is excellent on this screenplay. The girl that they pick up on the way is pretty cute and the scenes are classic America 1971, before we got shafted with an energy crisis, runaway inflation, a 55 mph speed limit, and Wal-Mart. Its fun to see the drivers make their stops in ratty gas stations, greasy diners (pre-Waffle House) and go through what was small-town America. Long live the two lane blacktop!
cult road flick
Remember Jerry Lundegaard from "Fargo," a con man on his last tether who's so wrapped up in his lies that when they begin to unravel and he looks out of the screen with his puppy dog eyes, you pity him for not having thought things through well enough to pull it off? Lundegaard's got nothing on G.T.O. (named after the car he drives), a consummate liar who spins yarns without betraying a muscle, in a role played by Warren Oates that comes off like the prototype for Chris Cooper's orchid thief character in "Adaptation." In fact, the whole movie, simple yet engaging and at times mesmerizing, with characters who are underdeveloped but nevertheless feel natural and true, comes across like a study guide for modern-day indie filmmaking. James Taylor -- in his only movie role as a drifter whose survival depends on the virility of his Chevy -- with his chiseled stare, primitive-grunge style and somber presence is to Vincent Gallo as Jack Nicholson is to Christian Slater. Too bad he decided to stick with songwriting. "Blacktop" is like a Kerouac novel on film, an oddball adventure with no beginning and no end. The film also owes a healthy nod to "Easy Rider." Look closely for a non-frontal cameo by Harry Dean Stanton as a gay hitchhiker.

A Concert of Muscle Cars
This is a classic road film back in "the day" of homegrown muscle cars and the growing groundswell of resentment toward the Vietnam War, draft slavery, and other forms of state terrorism such as the National Guard killings of students at Kent State University.For nearly two hours, government mayhem is forgotten while the viewer joins the drivers and passengers of cool muscle cars in their playful pursuits.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Feature Film-action/Adventure   

Editorial Review

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Reviews (8)

What are these people talking about!?
This film has been discussed by fans with an almost hushed reverance.They claim it to be so enigmatic, so thought provoking, so compelling, so unpredictable, and on and on, but I'm here to tell you now that this is pure garbage.
Duel In The Dust
THE SHOOTING (1966): Willet Gashade (Warren Oates) and his dimwitted friend Coley (Will Hutchins) are in a state of growing paranoia after their partner is inexplicably shot to death by an unseen assassin at their small mining camp. The murder may have been in retaliation for the accidental trampling death of "a little person" in town, ostensibly by Gashade's brother, who had left camp in a great hurry immediately prior to the shooting. The next morning, while the two remain confused and suspicious over this disturbing mystery, a strange young woman (Millie Perkins) shoots her horse to death outside of the camp and then offers Gashade a thousand dollars to lead her to a place called Kingsley. He accepts even though he makes no attempt to hide his distrust. Intrigued by The Woman, Coley offers to tag along. On their journey, the trio are tracked at a distance by a black clad stranger, Billy Spear (Jack Nicholson). Meanwhile, The Woman laughingly toys with Coley's emotions and refuses to answer any of Gashade's questions. Spear eventually joins them and proves to be a most despicable companion. Hostile and abusive in the extreme, Spear is a gunslinger cohort of The Woman, who is herself quickly revealed to be every bit as wicked as Gashade had suspected from the beginning. Eventually, the strange journey ends in bloody disarray at the foot of a rock-strewn mountain, where Gashade comes face to face with the answer to the mystery, at great cost. Doesn't make a lot of sense, but interesting
Not sure what to make of this film.It doesn't make a lot of sense.Read more

Subjects:  1. Westerns   

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Reviews (3)

Book is way better than the movie
The movie never captures the complexity of the plot as outlined in the book (Alistair MacLean's Death Train)The special effects scene of the avalanche (the most important part of the movie) could have been great, but is rather disappointing instead.It was shot in a minitature train setting (which in itself is good), but they are way too static and unexciting.It felt like a very low budget special effect -- just imagine how such a scene could have been done with today's computer animation technology -- it could have been awesome.Pity!

Good mix of Lee Marvin, Linda Evans & Robert Shaw
This film has a good plot and real characters. The scenes of Milan and Europe in winter are good. Dysktra's avalanche special effects are not quite Star Wars but very good. If you like trains, travel with Cold Warunder tones, you like this movie.

Okay story but,....
This could have been a good movie if Robert Shaw hadn't died while they were making it. In Leonard Maltin's review he says that most of Robert Shaw's voice had to be re dubbed. As far as i could hear ALL of it was. Itwas just too hard to enjoy because it obviously wasn't Robert Shaw's Voice.There are some good performances in this film though. And a good plot. Butif you're planning to buy it because you're a fan of RobertShaw,...Prepared to be dissapointed. I'm sure he gave a good performancebut the emotions displayed by the actor who dubbed him were lacking. Sad.Could have been a classic movie if it weren't for that. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action / Adventure    2. Feature Film-action/Adventure    3. Movie   

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Reviews (8)

Are two Cormans better than one?Perhaps
No discussion of the silliest-looking monsters in film history would be complete without mention of Beast from Haunted Cave (which was reportedly nicknamed Humphrass).It's some kind of diaphanous, tentacled, spider-like thing that likes to wrap his victims up for later blood-sucking.Its costume looks to consist predominantly of saran wrap.There's nothing the least bit scary about it - and the same goes for the movie, which plods along for some 72 minutes.
Beast from Haunted Cave
A real oldie but a goodie, Monsters, screams you name it this has it.

Too little, too late
While fairly well acted for this type of flick, the pacing is awful for viewers who need regular doses of monster scenes throughout. In this case it's too little monster during the first three quarters and way too much monster at the end. The characters move around from place to place
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Subjects:  1. Horror   

Editorial Review

Monte Hellman's Read more

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Reviews (13)

Vanishing Ways
This is not an exploitation film, nor is it hard to watch, as some would have you believe.Yes, it depicts real cockfights, but that is what this is about- cockfighting and the men who love(d) it...This film is graceful, lovely, and goes down quite easily.It's one that you can finish and then watch again right away.
Cockfighter
W. C. Fields had a notorious and well-documented loathing of children and small animals.There's nothing innately evil about children and small animals, but they tend to be small and cute and have been known to steal an audience's attention and sympathy without breaking much of a sweat.Roosters tend to be small, if not terribly cute.They're capable of diverting an audience's attention, though.Would Fields have envied COCKFIGHTER'S Warren Oates?After all, Oates not only gets to (really) kick a feathered, five-pound scene-stealer, but also, in a continuous, uncut shot, gets to stretch its neck out and chop its head off.
"Winning is the name of the game."
Warren Oates plays Frank Mansfield in 1974's "Cockfighter."Although outlawed in most states, cockfighting was legal in Georgia, and Oates portrays a top trainer.However, Mansfield is also a deeply flawed man whose success leads him to recklessness.On the night before a major fight, he impetuously enters a cockfight that ends badly.At that moment, he takes a vow of silence, which he will not break until he can regain his position in the sport.Throughout most of the movie, therefore, Oates is mute, with his thoughts serving as narration.
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Subjects:  1. Drama    2. Feature Film-action/Adventure    3. Movie   

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Subjects:  1. Feature Film-action/Adventure    2. Movie   

Editorial Review

Three cowhands, between jobs, have the bad dumb luck to pitch night camp in the same valley as a cabin full of guys who just robbed a stagecoach and killed the guard. Come morning, a posse arrives, forms up along the ridge, and takes for granted that everyone down below is guilty--fit for either shooting to bits or hanging from a tree, whichever comes first. Precisely half of Read more

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Reviews (4)

Tough, laconic Western
Jack Nicholson wrote the screenplay for this little gem, and in the dialogue he captures the flavor of life at that time perfectly.While too much time is spent on the shootout in the first half of the film, the second half more than makes up for that, as Jack and Cameron Mitchell--two cowpokes unlucky enough to be too close to an outlaw gang--hole up in a sodbuster's cabin. SEE THIS WITH "THE SHOOTING"
In the spring of 1965, Roger Corman, the king of profitable, low budget movies, helped produce (without credit) two amazing films that have achieved legendary cult status.Now, thanks to VCI Home Video, Monte Hellman's "THE SHOOTING" and "RIDE IN THE WHIRLWIND" are available on DVD in pristine, widescreen transfers.The films should be seen together. They are subtly connected in many ways.Perhaps even insubtext and theme. ride the whirlwind
wow ! i saw this movie years ago ! can't remember very well, but remember that it was one of the best performances of Cameron Mitchell !(i am a bigfan of him !) the movie is as far as i remember about friends who got falsaccused for something and got hunted ! and about sacrifice !watch it ! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Westerns   

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Reviews (9)

the REEL Ali
After listening to the audio book Sound & Fury from Blackstone Audio, this bio pix of Ali is a wonderful self promotion.
I thought I was renting a documentary
Expecting to see a documentary of the great man I was rather surprised when I realised this is in fact a film starring Ali himself detailing what he sees as the key points in his life. Chip Mcalister
Chip was excellent in this movie and I know what happened to him.I ran into him in San Clamente, Ca and ate lunch with him.He seems to be doing very well.Good actor and good guy. 11/16/02 ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Drama    2. Feature Film-drama    3. Movie   

Editorial Review

Three cowhands, between jobs, have the bad dumb luck to pitch night camp in the same valley as a cabin full of guys who just robbed a stagecoach and killed the guard. Come morning, a posse arrives, forms up along the ridge, and takes for granted that everyone down below is guilty--fit for either shooting to bits or hanging from a tree, whichever comes first. Precisely half of Read more

Features

• Color
• Letterboxed
• Original recording remastered
• Widescreen
• NTSC

Reviews (4)

Tough, laconic Western
Jack Nicholson wrote the screenplay for this little gem, and in the dialogue he captures the flavor of life at that time perfectly.While too much time is spent on the shootout in the first half of the film, the second half more than makes up for that, as Jack and Cameron Mitchell--two cowpokes unlucky enough to be too close to an outlaw gang--hole up in a sodbuster's cabin. SEE THIS WITH "THE SHOOTING"
In the spring of 1965, Roger Corman, the king of profitable, low budget movies, helped produce (without credit) two amazing films that have achieved legendary cult status.Now, thanks to VCI Home Video, Monte Hellman's "THE SHOOTING" and "RIDE IN THE WHIRLWIND" are available on DVD in pristine, widescreen transfers.The films should be seen together. They are subtly connected in many ways.Perhaps even insubtext and theme. ride the whirlwind
wow ! i saw this movie years ago ! can't remember very well, but remember that it was one of the best performances of Cameron Mitchell !(i am a bigfan of him !) the movie is as far as i remember about friends who got falsaccused for something and got hunted ! and about sacrifice !watch it ! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Movie    2. Westerns   

Features

• Color
• NTSC

Reviews (9)

the REEL Ali
After listening to the audio book Sound & Fury from Blackstone Audio, this bio pix of Ali is a wonderful self promotion.
I thought I was renting a documentary
Expecting to see a documentary of the great man I was rather surprised when I realised this is in fact a film starring Ali himself detailing what he sees as the key points in his life. Chip Mcalister
Chip was excellent in this movie and I know what happened to him.I ran into him in San Clamente, Ca and ate lunch with him.He seems to be doing very well.Good actor and good guy. 11/16/02 ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Boxing    2. Movie    3. Sports    4. Sports Highlights   

Editorial Review

Back when Jack Nicholson was a Hollywood unknown appearing in Roger Corman quickies such as Read more

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Reviews (20)

Nice To See A Young Jack Nicholson, But That's About It
The Terror is a 1963 horror film (actually in color!) starring Boris Karloff and Jack Nicholson that hasn't really gained much recognition. And understandably so. Like Bela Lugosi, Karloff seemed to fall into numerous low budget B-movies after his initial fame of the Universal era reached its peak. This is one of those movies. For plot details, here's what the back of the DVD case reads: