VANISHING POINT (1971)

[Allhallowsday]

VANISHING POINT (1971)

Watched this last night... did not remember that ending!!!  

No wonder people still talk about this film.  The flashback method is hardly clear and somehow works perfectly to explain things and yet explain nothing.  I don't think it's great, but damn, it is good!!  And kind of bad, but I don't mean in my cryptic way, I mean just plain bad.  And SO "hip" and kookoo.  I think I'm in love. 


http://youtu.be/pA4ymmXa8rs   

[RCMerchant]

This used to play on late night uhf channels alot here back in the 70's.

How could you not remember that ending?
When I think of 70's car movies, I think of TWO LANE BLACK-TOP, DUEL, and this.

[Allhallowsday]

This used to play on late night uhf channels alot here back in the 70's.

How could you not remember that ending?
When I think of 70's car movies, I think of TWO LANE BLACK-TOP, DUEL, and this.

I always think of DIRTY MARY CRAZY LARRY... with a comparable end.  I think this might have been the first time I ever really paid attention to VANISHING POINT...  I used to watch those late night movie broadcasts you mention - mostly Horror back in the'70s - and ignored the "hippie" stuff.  DUEL was made for TV so I'm sure I first watched that primetime.  

[RCMerchant]

Forgot all about DM,CL- and yep! The endings are similar- and surprising!

[The Burgomaster]

This used to play on late night uhf channels alot here back in the 70's.

How could you not remember that ending?
When I think of 70's car movies, I think of TWO LANE BLACK-TOP, DUEL, and this.

I always think of DIRTY MARY CRAZY LARRY... with a comparable end.  I think this might have been the first time I ever really paid attention to VANISHING POINT...  I used to watch those late night movie broadcasts you mention - mostly Horror back in the'70s - and ignored the "hippie" stuff.  DUEL was made for TV so I'm sure I first watched that primetime.  

I saw the DIRTY MARY, CRAZY LARRY and VANISHING POINT double feature at the drive-in back in the 1970s. Now I have both on DVD and if I watch one, I usually watch the other the same day or the next day.

[RCMerchant]

I saw DIRTY MARY,CRAZY LARRY on a double bill with- of all things- something called NIGHT WATCH with Elizabeth Taylor.

[Allhallowsday]

I saw DIRTY MARY,CRAZY LARRY on a double bill with- of all things- something called NIGHT WATCH with Elizabeth Taylor.

Don't know that last, but I do remember being surprised by the ending of DIRTY MARY CRAZY LARRY which I realize now was derivative (from VANISHING POINT) but definitely memorable.  We were certainly invested by the end with the characters in DIRTY MARY CRAZY LARRY.  

I think of VANISHING POINT lately.  It's cool when things break through.  I know Ron knows what I mean... there aren't characters to get invested in, there's just Kowalski and... characters! 
 
VANISHING POINT is about that space between the two snowplows that block escape.  

[Neville]

As a child of the 80s, I didn't know about this film but for a couple of mentions elsewhere. It's terrific, but some parts are a bit confusing for me, like the encounter with the hippies near the end, or the driver's final decision. Still a unique and very interesting movie.

[Archivist]

I'd never heard of this movie until this thread.  Thank you, fiends, queens and tentacled beings!  I've just read the Wiki synopsis and WTF is this movie?  And how have I never seen this before?? 

[Allhallowsday]

This was on TCM last night.  It went off at 4:30am.  I watched all of it. 

[Trevor]

I saw DIRTY MARY,CRAZY LARRY on a double bill with- of all things- something called NIGHT WATCH with Elizabeth Taylor.

Night Watch was a pretty creepy film as I remember: a lady thinks she sees a murder take place next door and no one believes her.

[RCMerchant]

I saw DIRTY MARY,CRAZY LARRY on a double bill with- of all things- something called NIGHT WATCH with Elizabeth Taylor.

Night Watch was a pretty creepy film as I remember: a lady thinks she sees a murder take place next door and no one believes her.

I have not seen NIGHT WATCH since 197-whatever! I found it interesting- but once I saw Peter Fonda running from cops for and hour or so, I forgot all about Liz.

[Trevor]

I saw DIRTY MARY,CRAZY LARRY on a double bill with- of all things- something called NIGHT WATCH with Elizabeth Taylor.

Night Watch was a pretty creepy film as I remember: a lady thinks she sees a murder take place next door and no one believes her.

I have not seen NIGHT WATCH since 197-whatever! I found it interesting- but once I saw Peter Fonda running from cops for and hour or so, I forgot all about Liz.

[RCMerchant]

I saw DIRTY MARY,CRAZY LARRY on a double bill with- of all things- something called NIGHT WATCH with Elizabeth Taylor.

Night Watch was a pretty creepy film as I remember: a lady thinks she sees a murder take place next door and no one believes her.

I have not seen NIGHT WATCH since 197-whatever! I found it interesting- but once I saw Peter Fonda running from cops for and hour or so, I forgot all about Liz.

At the Strand in Paw Paw, in the balcony! I was throwing popcorn and bubblegum at the kids below! We all were! It was a Saturday Matinee show-in the summer at 2:00 in the after noon! We were there until about 6:30!

That's why I like posting here. Brings back good memories!

[Trevor]

At the Strand in Paw Paw, in the balcony! I was throwing popcorn and bubblegum at the kids below! We all were! It was a Saturday Matinee show-in the summer at 2:00 in the after noon! We were there until about 6:30!

That's why I like posting here. Brings back good memories!

I tried that in my home town theater (Gwelo, Rhodesia): I had to clean up the mess.  That theater really wasn't too clean anyway.