Though I wish nothing more than to love a Bressonesque journey into the heart of America, Monte Hellman’s rush of gear headed existentialism kind of left me twirling my hair in the uncomfortable back seat waiting for someone to yell over the loud rumbling of the 55 Chevy. Many cultists say ‘Two-Lane Blacktop’ is ten times the movie ‘Easy Rider’ ever was but I’m going to have to disagree on that one. Hopper’s movie may be poppy, irresponsible, and dated, while Hellman’s minimalist gaze retains a timeless artfulness to it, but it had so much optimism, rage, and life crammed into each frame that it surpasses its mere place in film history and remains a fascinating entertainment. I think superiority shouldn’t be measured in this case since it’s a matter of what does it for you. All I can say in the end is that I’m glad to have ridden along with it and that’s about that with that ride- the experience has burned out along with the final frame of the film.