Vanishing Point

Vanishing Point is an absolutely amazing piece of 70s cinema. At it’s core this is a minimalist movie about a driver in a fast car that cares about nothing except the road in front from him. However, in this movie about the quest for nothing(ness) but the purity of the road, it’s at the same time a rebellion against the very real problems of the 70s — a Vietnam war still raging abroad, recession at home, and a fundamental lack of trust in the authorities and the government. Barry Newman, plays our protagonist Kowalski, who is — get this — a Medal of Honor Vietnam War veteran, a former race car and motorcycle driver, and also a former police officer who was dishonorably discharged in retaliation for preventing his partner from raping a woman they were supposed to be saving. This is not some young, dumb hippie rebelling for the sake of rebelling… Kowalski is the embodiment of someone fed up with the system. Oh yeah, and he drives and absolutely badass white 1970 Challenger R/T 440 Magnum! If you are a fan of the independent film movement of 70s (who isn’t?) and you haven’t seen this yet, seriously, watch it tonight — you won’t be disappointed.

This UK quad is at the top of many lists — independent films, car buffs, 70s grit, cult favorites, you name it. It doesn’t turn up often and this particular copy is in quite nice condition.