Reviewed by Johnny McNair

Fox Home Entertainment – 99 minutes US/106 minutes UK – 1971 – Rated R – 1080p Widescreen 1.85:1 – DTS-HD Lossless 5.1 Audio Mix

Because of the changing times, most of the films of the late 60’s and early 70’s focused on rebellion of the system. On the streets people were marching and protesting “the man” while on the big screen rebels used vehicles such as motorcycles or fast cars as a way of escape to take “the man” on at rapid speeds. Whether it be Easy Rider or White Lightning, the thrill of the open road, a roaring engine, and of course a killer soundtrack is all that was needed to pack audiences in. The 1971 film Vanishing Point is the perfect example of the rebellion genre, and to this day considered original car chase film that has spawned everything from Smokey and the Bandit to The Fast and the Furious. Vanishing Point is now available on Blu-ray from Fox Home Entertainment, so pump up your 8-Track and strap on your seatbelts.

THE MOVIE

The plot of Vanishing Point is so simple a five year old could have written it, but it doesn’t matter because you’re not watching this film for the story, you just want to see the car chases and the naked girl riding around on the motorcycle. Barry Newman plays Kowalski, one of the best drivers around who has been given the job of delivering a 1970 Dodge Charger from Denver to San Francisco in twelve hours. There is never any clear reason outlined what the purpose of the delivering the vehicle is, because it’s just a set up for wild car chases.

The main thing standing in Kowalski’s way is Johnny law, and it seems that down every road he turns, the fuzz comes after him harder. Like an episode of The Dukes of Hazzard, cars are spinning out, tumbling into ditches, and colliding into twisted metal. To add to the ‘man against the system’ adventure, Kowalski’s journey is detailed by a blind radio DJ called Super Soul (Cleavon Little) who helps by filling him in on info from the police band radio that keeps him out of harm’s way like a guardian angel.

None of the characters are fleshed out and Kowalski is not the hero or the anti hero, he’s just the man behind the wheel who makes an occasional pit stop to interact with random folks who help him out, such as a snake wrangler, hippies, and a naked blonde who is so free that she rides around on her crouch rocket like Eve in the Garden of Eden. In the early 70’s this was most likely revolutionary and seen as a new style of western, and it’s very obvious where Quentin Tarantino got many of his ideas, such in his Grind House flick Death Proof.

Compared to today’s movies with all the CGI car chases, purist will enjoy the traditional car and stunt aspects, but the chases may feel very slow paced, compared to Mad Max or Gone in 60 Seconds. As nostalgia Vanishing Point works the same way that other early 70’s rebel flicks were effective, but unless you’re a fan of muscle cars, ten car pile-ups, and the sound of tires screeching in the dirt, there’s nothing here for you.

VIDEO

Presented in full 1080p in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio, Vanishing Point looks good for a film that’s 38 years old, but it definitely shows it’s age. The colors look washed out and in certain spots overexposed. Grain is thick and there’s very little detail, but this is also a factor to the low budget the original film had. Overall it’s satisfactory, but not Blu-ray demo material.

AUDIO

Vanishing Point offers a DTS-HD Lossless 5.1 audio mix for the Blu-ray generation, but also provides the film’s original mono 1.0 track for those who want to keep it real. The dialogue is not memorable at all, so the only purpose of the audio is to exploit the sounds of the car chases and the soul soundtrack.

EXTRAS

The bonus features provided are actually better than you would expect, with both the US version as well as the seven minute longer UK version.

Director Richard C. Sarafian provides an audio commentary track, telling tales of the making of the film.

Built for Speed: A Look Back at Vanishing Point is a retro look at the making of the film, which includes interviews with some of the people involved with the movie.

Super Soul Me is a treat for soul music buffs who love the film’s killer soundtrack. This can either be watched in standard mode or via Picture-In-Picture as the movie plays.

Interactive 1970 Dodge Charger tells you everything you need to know about the main attraction of the film. A computer display of the vehicle allows you to see it from every angle, along with a trivia track explaining every detail.

0A-5599 is a featurette about the ultimate muscle car.

A Virtual Dashboard can be displayed as you watch the film, displaying the car’s mileage in real time, as well as the soundtrack info.

Various trivia tracks are available related to the film as well as the 70’s culture.

BOTTOM LINE

Vanishing Point is a cool movie for car fanatics and anyone who loves this genre, otherwise there’s not that much there. The Blu-ray offers decent picture and sound, and the options of both the US and longer UK versions, with a good package of bonus features. Overall, you may want to rent his one first before you decide to purchase it, but if you already love this flick, this Blu-ray is a must buy.

SCORES (out of 5):

The Movie: 3.0

Video: 3.0

Sound: 3.0

Extras: 3.0

Bottom Line: 3.0