The Finish Line: The Film Catches Fire

Abstract

Two-Lane Blacktop becomes a cult classic, honoured with inclusion in the National Film Registry and released by the prestigious Criterion Collection. This chapter features interviews with some directors who say Monte Hellman and his most famous movie influenced their work – Kelly Reichardt, Richard Linklater and Wes Anderson. Reichardt says she admires the film’s rigor, construction and realism. Linklater says he likes the movie because it defies expectations, and he has paid tribute to it in some of his films by featuring a GTO. Anderson says he admires the film because it is like a genre movie with the genre taken out. This chapter also features interviews with musicians who have paid tribute to the film, one with a mock soundtrack album, and the other with a video remake. Many hip young people think Two-Lane Blacktop is cool.