Vanishing Point

UPC: 024543110408

Studio: 20th Century Fox

MPAA Rating: R   Contains:[Mild Violence, Nudity, Questionable for Children, Substance Abuse]

Summary: Richard Sarafian directed this minimalist chase film, starring Barry Newman as ex-marine, ex-race car driver and cop named Kowalski. He drives into Denver to deliver a car and pick up another vehicle to drive to San Francisco. To make the fifteen-hour drive to San Francisco bearable he pops a load of pep pills and drives off. Almost immediately, he is told to pull over by the police, but Kowalski refuses to stop. Ignoring the cops, a police chase ensues. Egging Kowalski on is a blind black disc jockey, Super Soul (Cleavon Little), who announces his comings and goings on his local radio show, praising Kowalski to the skies as "the last American to whom speed means freedom of the soul." Super Soul's hype makes Kowalski a media sensation and Kowalski fans mount up -- as do the police cars chasing him -- as he races against time to deliver both the car and himself to his San Francisco destination. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

Category: Action

Features: ccIncludes both U.S. and U.K. movie versions
Full-length audio commentary by director Richard C. Sarafian
Theatrical trailer and TV spots

Vanishing Point

Format: DVD

Release Date: 02/03/2004

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Theatre Wide-Screen

Audio: DD2 Dolby Digital Stereo, DD1 Dolby Digital Mono

Runtime: 98 Minutes

Sides: 2

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English,French,Spanish

Subtitles: English,Spanish

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Side #1 -- U.S. Version
1. Main Titles [1:59]
2. The White Challenger [7:33]
3. Kowalski's Bet [4:14]
4. Super Soul [1:06]
5. On the Run [1:00]
6. Suspect Vehicle [4:58]
7. Duel [5:07]
8. Crossing the Line [3:38]
9. The Ex-Cop [:36]
10. The Last Free Soul [2:34]
11. Hot Pursuit [2:29]
12. Into the Desert [2:57]
13. Super Soul's Warning [6:36]
14. Scars [:18]
15. The Prospector [2:23]
16. Hiding From the Helicopter [3:20]
17. The Faith Healers [5:01]
18. Newlyweds [2:24]
19. Big Brother Is Listening [:36]
20. Off the Air [3:01]
21. Angel's Offer [7:23]
22. Sensing a Trap [2:56]
23. A Long Time Ago [2:41]
24. The Pig Pass [1:03]
25. Kowalski's Call [2:53]
26. Back on the Air [2:20]
27. Showdown in Cisco [2:45]
28. End Titles [4:17]
Side #2 -- U.K. Version
1. Main Titles [2:00]
2. The White Challenger [7:33]
3. Kowalski's Bet [4:14]
4. Super Soul [1:06]
5. On the Run [1:00]
6. Suspect Vehicle [4:58]
7. Duel [5:07]
8. Crossing the Line [3:38]
9. The Ex-Cop [:36]
10. The Last Free Soul [2:34]
11. Hot Pursuit [2:29]
12. Into the Desert [2:57]
13. Super Soul's Warning [6:36]
14. Scars [:18]
15. The Prospector [2:23]
16. Hiding From the Helicopter [3:20]
17. The Faith Healers [5:01]
18. Newlyweds [2:24]
19. Big Brother Is Listening [:36]
20. Off the Air [3:01]
21. Angel's Offer [7:23]
22. Sensing a Trap [2:56]
23. A Long Time Ago [2:08]
24. The Pig Pass [:33]
25. Kowalski's Call [1:03]
26. The Hitchhiker [2:53]
27. Alone Again [2:20]
28. Back on the Air [2:45]
29. Showdown in Cisco [4:17]
30. End Titles [:48]

Keith Phipps

The late 1960s and early '70s had no shortage of symbolically charged road movies, and if Vanishing Point isn't quite the same caliber as Two Lane Blacktop or as culturally significant as Easy Rider, in its best moments it comes close. A huge drive-in hit, the film turns its modest budget to its advantage, making a virtue out of its plot's simplicity, and in the process becoming a beautiful example of the now-vanished B-movie avant garde. As Barry Newman's benzedrine-powered drive from Denver to San Francisco progresses, it becomes less about getting a job done than an almost allegorical journey toward death, a sort of Pilgrim's Progress for a time of post-Woodstock disillusionment. Director Richard Sarafian stages the near-constant chase scenes hypnotically, aided by the expert cinematography of John A. Alonzo, and he gracefully incorporates flashbacks to Newman's past life, explaining a bit more of what's brought him to his present state. Elsewhere, sequences featuring hipster D.J. "Super Soul" Cleavon Little makes the counter-cultural relevance of Newman's desperate journey clear. If anything, a little too clear: Vanishing Point's greatest flaw may be its tendency to overstate its case. Is it really necessary for Little to refer to Newman as the "last American hero" and "the last beautiful free soul on this planet"? Does Little really need to be nearly-killed by a racist mob to make clear what's at stake? Also puzzling is an archaic scene in which Newman battles a pair of stereotypically gay bandits. But even with such moments, Vanishing Point still works beautifully, aided by Newman's quiet, beautifully understated performance: his world-weary expression and grizzled visage make it nearly impossible to romanticize his trip, and equally difficult not to sympathize. ~ Keith Phipps, Rovi

Cast and Crew: John Amos  Actor 
Arthur Malet  Actor 
Anthony James  Actor 
Rita Coolidge  Actor 
Cherie Foster  Actor 
Robert Donner  Actor 
Tom Reese  Actor 
Karl Swenson  Actor 
Severn Darden  Actor 
Owen Bush  Actor 
Delaney & Bonnie & Friends  Actor 
Gilda Texter  Actor 
Lee Weaver  Actor 
Timothy Scott  Actor 
Valerie Kairys  Actor 
Richard Sarafian  Director 
Michael Pearson  Executive Producer 
Michael Pearson  Producer 
Jimmy Bowen  Composer (Music Score) 
Guillermo Cain  Screenwriter 
Pete Carpenter  Composer (Music Score) 
Norman Spencer  Producer 
Barry Newman  Actor 
Cleavon Little  Actor 
Dean Jagger  Actor 
Victoria Medlin  Actor 
Paul Koslo  Actor 
Charlotte Rampling  Actor 

Country: USA