Road Movies
In the guise of a comedy or drama, a thriller or romance, the road movie acts as a metaphor for life where during the course of the running time, the characters lives are changed forever by the journey that they are taking. People go through love, loss, redemption and salvation. They are on the road of discovery, learning about themselves and adjusting to the changes and hurdles that the road throws up at them. Finally, there is the destination, the goal which makes the journey worthwhile, where closure is provided and a final catharsis occurs; the literal end of the road.
However, if this sounds like too much hard work for you and you just want some good, honest car chases with burning rubber and squealing tires, then look no further than "Car Chase Movies". Just click on the link at left.
Pictured: Kowalski and his Dodge Challenger in 'Vanishing Point'.
Thelma and Louise (1991)
Director: Ridley Scott
Starring: Brad Pitt, Geena Davis, Harvey Keitel, Michael Madsen, Susan Sarandon
This controversial 'female road movie' stars Susan Sarandon as a bored waitress, and Geena Davis as a put-upon housewife, who decide to set off on a v... Read more
Mad Max 2 ( aka The Road Warrior ) ( Blu-ray ) (1981)
Director: George Miller
Starring: Mel Gibson, Joanne Samuel, Hugh Keays-Byrne
Called by Andrew Sarris a 'post-apocalyptic adventure yarn of such breathtaking velocity that it would have spun hopelessly out of control without the... Read more
Vanishing Point (Blu-Ray) (1971)
7.3/10
Director: Richard C Sarafian
Starring: Barry Newman, Cleavon Little, Dean Jagger
Vietnam War hero Kowalski (Barry Newman) has become a pill-addicted driver for hire. Transporting a car from Colorado to California, he enlivens the j... Read more
Badlands (1973)
7.9/10
Director: Terrence Malick
Starring: Martin Sheen, Sissy Spacek, Warren Oates, Alan Vint
Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek star in this tale of two outcasts on a murder-spree in a film that is one of the most stunning directorial debuts in the... Read more
Detour (1945)
7.4/10
Director: Edgar G Ulmer
Starring: Tom Neal, Ann Savage, Claudia Drake, Tim Ryan
This noir masterwork was made on pennies by Edgar G. Ulmer,and focuses on a New York night club pianist hitchhiking to L.A. who is picked up by an ami... Read more
Natural Born Killers: The Director's Cut ( Blu-ray ) (1994)
7.3/10
Director: Oliver Stone
Starring: Juliette Lewis, Robert Downey Jr, Tom Sizemore, Tommy Lee Jones, Woody Harrelson
Dubbed 'A Clockwork Orange' of the 90s, this all-out audio-visual experience is something that comes along all too rarely. Oliver Stone has, with the... Read more
Elvis and Anabelle (2007)
7.3/10
Director: Will Geiger
Starring: Max Minghella, Blake Lively, Joe Mantegna, Mary Steenburgen, Keith Carradine
An artful blend of romantic whimsy, dark comedy and magical realism, this Texas indie stars Max Minghella as Elvis, the soul-searching son of a mortic... Read more
Black God, White Devil (1964)
7.4/10
Director: Glauber Rocha
Starring: Joao Gama, Geraldo Del Rey
A masterwork, 'Black God, White Devil' blends mysticism, religion, and popular culture, into a powerful, bleak and cruel epic, that unashamedly expres... Read more
Bolt ( Blu-ray ) (2008)
6.9/10
Director: Byron Howard, Chris Williams
Starring: John Travolta, Malcolm McDowell, James Lipton, Susie Essman, Miley Cyrus
Thanks to his starring role on a hit television show, Bolt (John Travolta) the pooch has become a household name. But he has bought into his own heroi... Read more
The World's Fastest Indian ( Blu-ray ) (2005)
7.8/10
Director: Roger Donaldson
Starring: Annie Whittle, Anthony Hopkins, Bruce Greenwood, Diane Ladd, Walton Goggins, Pau...
In 1967, at the age of 68, Invercargill-born Burt Munro broke the land speed record on the salt flats of Utah, fulfilling a life-long dream and settin... Read more