From a recent interview with Monte Hellman:
You were very involved in the Criterion edition of your film, “Two-Lane Blacktop.” In fact, you conducted and produced the interviews with Kris Kristofferson and James Taylor for the “Two-Lane Blacktop” disc.
I did about four pieces for the DVD and that was a lot of fun. In fact, I’m going to be doing similar things for Criterion releases of my two Jack Nicholson westerns, “The Shooting” and “Ride in the Whirlwind.”
That’s a scoop! Criterion hasn’t even announced these discs.
They’re a ways off. We haven’t even closed the deal yet but we’ve talked about it and basically agreed. They’re not going to be doing it until sometime in 2012.
I always heard rumors of these two coming to Criterion, but total sploosh for a 2012 release date. That is some pretty fancy fake cover art.
The existential westerns from Jack Nicholson & Monte Hellman:
74. Monte Hellman’s Ride In The Whirlwind: A nearly conventional western where mistaken identity and vigilante justice turn the innocent to theft and murderer.
75. Monte Hellman’s The Shooting: Wow. That was something different. Not expecting it to be so exceptional. I am going to rewatch the hell out of this. Possibly my favorite Hellman yet? Yep, better than Two-Lane Blacktop and Cockfighter. Of course, Warren Oates is the lead.
A RACE FOR PINK SLIPS
between a ‘55 Chevy and a GTO
across a long-gone America
when the road was much more
than a shopping aisle.
Three road hogs
and an underage girl
riding in back with the tools.
The nights are warm
and the roads are straight.
This one’s built from scratch,
and as Warren Oates says,
“Those satisfactions are permanent.”
-Tom Waits
