Two-Lane Blacktop

Spaghetti with Italian sausage.

Two-Lane Blacktop, 1971, directed by Monte Hellman, starring James Taylor, Dennis Wilson, Warren Oates, and Laurie Bird.

I first saw Two-Lane Blacktop during its initial theatrical run in 1971. I was wandering around the Georgetown neighborhood in Washington D.C. when I walked by an arthouse cinema - though I didn't know what 'arthouse cinema' was. I was 16 years old and had been brought up on Hollywood movies. The title, 'Two-Lane Blacktop," seemed to point toward a car chase movie, just the thing for me. This movie had that feature, but was completely different than the Hollywood-car-chase genre - in a good way. Two-Lane Blacktop introduced me to independent films. And it has remained one of my favorites for over a half century.