The Dodge Challenger Message Board

Anyone else watching Vanishing Point tonight? I got the go ahead from the wife and my 9 year old. We have seen it at least twenty times. Funny thing, they actually like it and watch the whole movie intensely.

I have a copy on tape somewhere. Wore my first copy to death. Also have a DVD copy with directors talk-over.

But I have only ever watched it alone. Most people just "don't get it".

Even when I first saw it at the cinema in the early '70s I was on my own to see it. I was bunking off school and the cinema was a nice warm place to spend a couple of hours.

It was fun to see again. Love the sound of the engine whinning. Is that what a big block sounds like?

Every time I watch it I always notice something new. Anyone else see the girl on the Honda scrambler?

Jon wrote:Anyone else see the girl on the Honda scrambler?

See her? I was a young teenager when I saw that film. She must have had an effect on me and my hormones because I have dated lots of girls with long blonde hair and been married to two.

Gilda Texter is her name. The girl in the film that is. She was only ever in three films. Similar roles if you know what I mean.
But since then she has worked as Costume Designer or Costume Supervisor on many film and TV productions up until a couple of years ago.

There are actually two versions of the original movie. There was a USA version and a European version. In the USA version they cut out the female hitchhiker who represented death .according to the director. The director felt that the USA audience wouldn't understand the etheral ideas behind it. He figured they just wanted action. Meanwhile the UK version is actually the full version.
Of course like any true VP fan, I have all three versions (both USA & UK versions and the 1996 remake)

Nope.

The UK and European versions are the same as the USA version. Never seen any other version. The scenes you describe (with the British actress Charlotte Rampling) were cut before the movie was ever released anywhere.

My DVD has both of them also. The one with the hitchhiker at the end of the movie is listed as the UK version. I don't remember ever seeing it until this DVD came out.

They must have found the original master and included it.

I saw this film in the UK when it came out and I don't remember the scene. When it went to PAL VHS over here in the early 80s it didn't have it in either.

I didnt know about any of this stuff! Cool! I need to get the version with the scene cutout? So I should order the UK version? I'm not what you would call a 'movie buff' I really dont know. Which one should I get that is uncensored,(I definitely know what that means) +

Oh and another thing. Vanishing Point is a BRITISH production and not an American movie. I don't think a lot of people realise that.

Couple of scans from an old book I have.

Thanks for the article Dave. I agree VP should have had a more positive ending. I always figured they may have run out of money and put an end to the script and Kowalski.

Jon wrote:I agree VP should have had a more positive ending.

...making it just another regular film. I am sorry, but I do not agree with that.

Jon wrote:Anyone else watching Vanishing Point tonight? I got the go ahead from the wife and my 9 year old. We have seen it at least twenty times. Funny thing, they actually like it and watch the whole movie intensely.

Once I managed to persuade my wife to see it with me. After the film, she said that she liked the music. A couple of months after that she admitted that she said this thing about the music just to make me happy (or something). I have given up.

Whoever planned the tunes back then really had an ear for music. After watching the movie they stick in my head. The tune where Kowalski is hitting it down the highway after losing the motorcycle cops in great.

Wish I could find an original sound track.

I have a UK release soundtrack LP.

Jon wrote: Wish I could find an original sound track.

Found it on CD at Amazon's a couple years ago.

Dave, I'm sure you're right but here in the USA they call it the European version. I didn't realize that they premiered the same version in the UK originally.

fal308 wrote:Dave, I'm sure you're right but here in the USA they call it the European version. I didn't realize that they premiered the same version in the UK originally.

Pretty sure that scene was not in it. It was a very long time ago and it is possible I forgot but I cannot find any evidence to suggest the scene was left in any version as it was cut from the film before its release anywhere. It was released in the US before Europe.

Unless the European version was different to the UK version? Or maybe when I saw the film it had already been around once and I was seeing another version that was doing the rounds second time around?

I can't actually remember the date I saw the film. I know it would have to have been in the early 70s. But it might not have been 1971 when it was originally released. I have a feeling it might have been 1972. Outside chance it was 1973. But it would have been the same print doing the rounds.

All the VHS and DVD versions I have ever seen in the UK have not had the scene. Non of the versions ever on UK TV have ever had the scene. Usually these are converted from a print that was available in UK cinemas.

I wish I knew. But the director has said many times that the scene was cut before release. He has never said anything about the scene being left in for release outside the US that I know of?

I do know that in the US they have often talked about a European version having the scene still in. Maybe the scene has been added since and called "The European version" for that reason?

Or maybe I am completely wrong and i have either forgotten it or never saw an original print!

You could be right. IDK.
I remember seeing the movie when it came out originally. It was at the local neighborhood cinema (when we still had them). I think we saw it a couple of times. One time as we were walking across the parking lot a "70 white Challenger was pulling out of the lot. That was pretty cool. Of course he lit 'em up on his way out

Dave, so you've never seen the hitchhiker scene? I guess Jon and I are the only ones to have seen this secne? Hard to believe.

fal308 wrote:You could be right. IDK.
I remember seeing the movie when it came out originally. It was at the local neighborhood cinema (when we still had them). I think we saw it a couple of times. One time as we were walking across the parking lot a "70 white Challenger was pulling out of the lot. That was pretty cool. Of course he lit 'em up on his way out

I can see how that memory would stay with you.

Got to thinking, playing the CD in the Challenger might be a little dangerous, if you know what I mean.

dave-r wrote:Couple of scans from an old book I have.

I saw the UK version, I don't remember seeing Charlotte, the hitchhiker, Bald. I do remember her being pretty damn hot, though.

I was talking with, Eddie a little bit about this subject. Sometime, in the future, whose game on, taking a "Vanishing Point run", from Denver, Co., to Frisco, CA.? Sound's fun, huh?!

I could do a prerun (in reverse) from Frisco to Denver for us.

When I was 18, my best friend an I did a run in the Challenger from the LA area up thru northern Nevada, then Idaho, Washington, Oregon and back home. Camped in a tent out in the desert one night after hitting Idaho where legal drinking age was 18 years old. Stopped another time on a desolate dirt road along the Salmon river that reminds me of the scene where Kowalski jumps the gap with the motorcycle cop chasing him.

Towards the end, my buddy got pretty good putting dents in the road signs along the way with empty Michelob bottles. What a wild trip that was.

I know where San Francisco is. Where is Frisco, CA, at? It's a big myth where, Kawalski was going. Not San Francisco but' Frisco, CA.

"Frisco" was 60s slang for San Francisco wasn't it? Didn't they have an advertisment for the city called "Don't call us Frisco" or something?

Anyway. I am very much up for this trip. I was thinking maybe in the Fall. But with the Pound being so weak against the Dollar now I'm not sure I can afford it.

I am 50 at the end of July. It would be nice to do this for my half century if possible.

I would really like to stop over in Goldfield one night. Where much of the filming was done.
The Grand Hotel where Super Soul had his radio station is supposed to be getting made into a hotel again. The bottom two floors anyway. Don't know if that will be a reality or not but it would be cool to stop over somewhere in that old semi-ghost town.
Always wanted to see the Pacific coast too.

It would be great if a bunch of us could get together at some point and do this.

When this film was out in the early '70's, l used to drive to all different cinemas to see it again. One of the highlights of my trip out to Arizona/Nevada/California in September 2008, was driving down some of that actual desert road in the film, kept hoping to see Kawalski go flying past me!!!
Bought a genuine cinema poster a few years back too!

im like you dave i was wondering about the name "frisco" there is actually a town named frisco on one of the maps i saw,and if you remember in the end the movie street looked like a dusty old 70s cow town, not the mystic beauty we all know as san fransisco,so there is,or was a town called frisco, i did a google and it is not there, but i do remember looking on an old map and i did find a small town in mid to southern cali,called frisco
,but hey its a road trip, and as i said you and ed are welcome, to stay here and if we have some more people i have some friends with extra room ,here in denver so start saving and we can put it together,when ever it happens , perhaps after the economy settles down, when ever that is

I had heard the new Challenger is finally getting to the rental car companies. For the guys that can't bring their own it maybe something to think about.

Plenty of room around my place, need a tent for the night though. We only have a 3 bedroom house but can accomidate otherwise.