TWO-LANE BLACKTOP Two-Lane Blacktop is a 1971 road movie with no beginning, no ending and no speed limit, is directed by Monte Hellman. Actors and actress are singer-songwriter James Taylor (the Driver), the Beach Boys drummer Dennis Wilson (the Mechanic), Warren Oates (GTO), and Laurie Bird (the Girl). “Blacktop” means an asphalt road. It is existential road movie, because, as the race grows increasingly, the road itself takes on a real identity as if it were a place to live and not just a place to pass by. This is a freedom according to Monte Hellman, the road goes forever but that doesn’t mean there is anywhere to go but it will forever stand… Two-Lane blacktop might not have a destination but has a direction. It has been associated with …show more content…
The purpose is to drive more, it is not important to compete with cars, it is not important to win, it is important to be on the road. THE PLACES IN THE FILM The town square, where the girl panhandles for bus fare “to San Francisco” is in New Mexico. When GTO’s car needs a little attention, they pull into an unattended service station, and change their plate to a local license plate. The garage is in Boswell, Oklahoma. After picking up another $300 from the race, they drive past a spectacular dam, it’s in North Carolina. The girl finally accompanies with a motorcyclist is on the North Carolina-Tennessee border. One of the locations is the old service station at Tucumcari, New Mexico, where the challenge for the pink slips is wagered, in a race to Washington DC. After a café ;The car, with its three footloose travelers, continue east on Highway 89, then Townsend-Winona Road, with bits of San Francisco Peaks and Flagstaff’s extensive volcanic cinder formations glimpsed in the background. Two Department of Public Safety officers pulled over GTO for speeding in Texas. Texas is also indicated as the location of the scene where GTO picks up his most receptive
Roll the windows down, turn the music up, and drive slowly. Now you're cruising. Cruising is the art of seeing and being seen, and in Tucson the center of this art is Speedway Boulevard. This six-lane street runs east to west through Tucson and is one of the busiest thoroughfares in the city. It hosts a mix of commercial and private buildings: small shops, offices, restaurants, grocery stores, apartment buildings and older homes, as well as the University of Arizona. Despite the apartments and occasional houses, Speedway is mostly a commercial street populated with strip malls and other businesses. Cruising is most visible along the more commercial, business-oriented East Speedway, which for the purposes of this essay is defined as the three mile stretch of road from Alvernon to Wilmot. Like most streets, Speedway was built for an entirely practical reason: to conduct automobile traffic from one place to another with a minimum of waiting. This utilitarian reason is inverted by cruising. The purpose of cruising, unlike driving, is not to arrive but to not arrive. Cruising is a social activity wherein the cars become tools for meeting other people as well as a means of getting from one place to another. The reputation of cruising, and of the nighttime Speedway, is not nearly so benign. As traffic slows and the music increases, the character of Speedway as a place - that is, a focus for human memory and experience - changes to reflect the activities and desires of the cruisers.
The green flag drops on the first race in The National Dirt Racing Association(NDRA). It doesn’t matter where people go, on some little road in a small town, people will find a small dirt track. The speedways are mostly always located in city areas where a large amount of people live. After a weekend of racing the teams head to the shop to fix the car up again. Despite the fact, that racing had been around since before 1978; whenever Mr. Robert Smawley introduced NDRA, and later Mr. Bill France introduced NASCAR, more people paid attention to the sport of racing.
But my intention is very far from being confined to provide only for those driving the cars: it is of a much ...
Looking up, you see that it is almost your turn. After getting off the hood of the car, you open the door, and sit inside the vehicle. As you firmly grasp the wooden steering wheel, the scent of unleaded gasoline fills the air, the rigid feel of the leather racing seat brushes skin, and the warm touch of chrome on the shifter radiates through the car. Sliding the key into the ignition, you turn it and hear the low grumble of the HiPo 302 cubic inch engine. You shift the car into first gear and begin to creep forward to the drag strip. You pull up to the starting line and wait. Looking over to the right and seeing your opponent eagerly awaiting the race in his red 1968 Camaro brings excitement. Overhead on the loudspeakers an announcer calls, “Up next, is a 1968 Camaro going against a 1965 Mustang Fastback. The Camaro is fitted with a 327 cubic inch engine and puts out about 210 horses while the Mustang has a 302 cubic inch high powered engine which cranks out 230 horsepower. This, ladies and gentlemen, will be a race of the ponies.” A shift into first gear sends a shiver of anticipation. You look at the light tree ahead and wait for it to turn green. It starts to count down. The first set of lights goes up. You begin to rev the engine to 2000 RPM’s. The second set of yellow lights goes up. The engine revs up even more. The car shakes slightly and the engine growls even louder. The third set of yellow lights goes up. The engine revs to 5000 RPM’s. The green lights go up. A quick dump of the clutch and the engine roars like a lion as it sprints down the track. The front end of the car lifts up and slams back down as the speed rapidly increases. The car screams as you shift into second gear. Looking over to the right, you glimpse the...
In this country, the age of the internal combustion engine has found its niche, states Jack Burden. And where cars go, roads must follow. Warren uses the exposition to describe a road in detail. Highway 58 has two components. Jack notes that the road has a slick, black line down the center and a dazzling concrete slab on both sides of the line. Because of the heat and light reflecting off the slab, only the black line is clear. Since the contrasting colors of the road are specified, the archetypes of the colors can be examined. The white of the slab is associated with purity, peace, and wholesomeness, while black of the line is associated with darkness, ignorance, and even death. Warren develops tension in the symbol of the road through the
How would you like to go over 100 mph and make a living doing it? The event I am researching is NASCAR. NASCAR is which a multibillion dollar industry they race 1500 races a year in 39 states and 100 tracks. NASCAR is the 2nd most watched sport in the United States. The major race series they are the sprint cup series, nationwide series, and the camping world truck series. NASCAR is the largest sanctioning body of stock car racing in the United States. NASCAR headquarters are located in Daytona Beach Florida.
Perso, Jeffrey. "The Lost Highway." MetroActive Travel Online. 1 May 1997. 9 April 2001. http://www.metroactive.com/papers/cruz/05.01.97/hitchhike-9718.html.
The $160.00 entry fee that is required to run in "The Race Across the Sky" is money well spent. Not only do individuals get to run in one of the most beautiful states in the country, but they get to experience the friendly atmosphere of Colorado. The locals from Leadville volunteer to work at the aid stations which line the course, and there is truly a spirit for running. It is not only a challenging and competitive race, but a guaranteed good time. Throughout the 30 hour race which begins at 4:00 A.M. and ends at 10:00 A.M. the following day, there are fans and volunteers to make the experience more enjoyable. There is definitely a "personal" feeling which the Leadville 100 brings to running.
In the film Wendy, has it all mapped out on where she is going and how much money she will need to make it there. Wendy is from Indiana and is currently in Oregon trying to make her way to Alaska for a better paying
As illustrated here, San Rafael can be seen as a study in contrasts, within its environment, the political beliefs of its citizens, and in the racial and economic breakdown of these citizens. I learned from Paul that San Rafael was much more than I had originally thought. I quickly discovered that it was not, in fact, the pretty little town that existed solely to feed the two large malls it contained, but in fact has its own charms and dirty little secrets. Just like every town across America, it is not exactly what it seems.
...breathing and feel the warm air dance across her bloody face. After a long time the eight men and she started walking towards a hill, slowly and quietly, in a single line formation. Behind the hill was the forty-eight state of the United States, Arizona. It was still dark as they climbed up, so they knew they had to be careful with each step they took. As they reached the peak they climbed down under trees and bushes. Taking the first steps on the Desert of Arizona.
Country Invitational. The finish line is just ahead, and the crowd is going wild with
It’s fair to say that life on the road is something most people do not desire, as a way to live out their days; but a young man named Chris McCandless believed it was necessary to avoid the venomous grips of society. McCandless goes as far as to venture out to the rest of the United States and even crossing borders to achieve his true destination, Alaska. He shows us living such a life can hold many unique and wonderful experiences. Consequently, he also shows us the difficulties that most do not expect upon leaving for such a journey. Many speak about the advantages, like the freedom they enjoy, and the wondrous relationships formed along the way; but even so, some disadvantages outweigh the advantages, like the
...o go. With the driver also off the road it gives them the opportunity to sell their car, or to give the car to a loved one who is just starting to drive.
Oberrecht, Kenn. Driving the Pacific Coast, Oregon, and Washington. Chester, Connecticut: The Globe Pequot Press, 1990.