Posted on: January 13, 2013 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

 

The Blu-Ray Special Edition of 1971’s Two-Lane Blacktop is the definitive edition of this James Taylor / Dennis Wilson (yes, the singers’) film. During Two-Lane Blacktop, the duo are paired with Laurie Bird and are thrown into a cross-country race. The title itself seems to represent the high-water mark conceptualized by Hunter S. Thompson in Fear and Loathing; there are nods to the hippie subculture as well as the more gritty and rough-hewn seventies. The title ties together wide-open spaces with sparse dialogue; the actors are not given names and feel more like roles than specific characters. Viewers will need to watch Two-Lane Blacktop a number of times to properly understand the nuance of the philosophical content brought to bear; the featurettes included will provide additional insight into the specific choices made in this title.

The transfer of this title to the Blu-Ray format is absolutely stellar, providing viewers with the clearest version that they will have ever seen. The commentaries that are laid down on this Blu-Ray will provide considerable amount of background information for those viewers that were not alive or cognizant during the early seventies; I personally felt that there was a better dialogue between David N. Meyer and Rudy Wurlizer (screenwriter). The viewer’s perception of the film is further clarified with the inclusion of a set of interviews from those intimately associated with Two-Lane Blacktop (Taylor makes an appearance alongside Michael Laughlin (producer), Kris Kristofferson, and Walter Coblenz (production manager).

The Blu-Ray Special Edition of Two-Lane Blacktop can be purchased at any reputable online retailer or at well-stocked physical stores. Check out the Criterion website for more information about their titles and their 2013 slate of releases.

Rating: 9.4/10
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Two-Lane Blacktop (Blu-Ray Special Edition) / 2013 Criterion Collection / 103 Minutes / http://www.criterion.com

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