Title sound familiar? Might be that we've been looking for it forever! It finally became available through Video Search of Miami after a long absence, as their copy was destroyed by Hurricane Andrew. This one looks far removed from its original source print but even a crappy copy of TLB is better than none at all.
This was rumored to be Monte Hellman's best film. For more on the Mighty Hellman, see CdC #2. After seeing TLB I'd still have to say that Flight to Fury stands as his best work that I've seen, but TLB is definitely worth a watch and the biggest reason for that can be summed up in two words: Warren Oates.
Oates worked even more with Hellman than he did with Peckinpah and gave some of his best performances with both of them. I'd say he's just about at the level that he was in Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia, with Oates as G.T.O in Blacktop, a psychotic driving around for no apparent reason. He might have actually given his reason but it was lost in the sea of lies that he tells throughout the film.
The protagonists are a couple of guys (James "I've Seen Fire and I've Seen Rain" Taylor and Dennis Wilson) driving around in their souped-up Chevy just traveling from race to race to make a little bread, man. The key words to this film are low key.
Hellman's low key directing style is in full effect here, which makes these two laid-back dudes even more so. They're just wandering around, nonplussed by their surroundings. At one point a young woman crawls into their back seat while they're eating at a diner—they just come back and start driving. They know she's there, but they just don't really give a shit.
Eventually they meet up with Oates, who has passed them the moment every opportunity and then accuses them of following him. They agree to a cross-country race—but this ain't no Death Race 2000, it's slow and easy, man. They constantly stop and help each other out and a weird relationship begins to build. Then the movie just kind of ends. Sound dumb? It's not, really. I had a nice time watching it.
Now, I still say that Hellman's Flight to Fury is the best thing I've seen of his so far but Two Lane Blacktop is probably number two. I've attempted to contact Hellman to find out if there is another source for TLB with no luck. Rumor has it that it is shown sometimes on A&E but I've never seen it there. The only place I know of right now to get it is for purchase through Video Search of Miami (P.O. Box 16-1917, Miami, FL 33116, or call 305-279-9773). I still think $27 is a bit pricey but what can you do? And I think Warren Oates is worth it.