‘Two-Lane Blacktop’ Director Monte Hellman Dies At Age 91
By Ben Pearson/April 21, 2021 2:00 pm EST
Hellman worked with Jack Nicholson several times in the 1960s: he directed the star in Flight to Fury, Backdoor to Hell, Ride the Whirlwind, and The Shooting. 1971’s Two-Lane Blacktop was a flop at the time, but has since gained a cult following thanks in part to its cast, which included singer/songwriters James Taylor and Brian Wilson (of Beach Boys fame). Check out this video from 2009 featuring critic A.O. Scott talking about why this movie is worth your time:
Quentin Tarantino counted himself as a big fan of Hellman’s work, and Hellman served as an executive producer on Reservoir Dogs in 1992. Later in his career, Hellman produced and directed his final feature film: 2010’s Road to Nowhere, which centered on a filmmaker who falls in love with his lead actress. The last thing Hellman directed was a “Vive L’Amour,” a 90-second entry in a 2013 multi-segment film called Venice 70: Future Reloaded.
His other directing credits include Cockfighter; China 9, Liberty 37; Iguana; and Silent Night, Deadly Night 3: Better Watch Out! He also did uncredited second-unit directing work on Samuel Fuller’s war movie The Big Red One and Paul Verhoeven’s 1987 classic RoboCop. Rest in peace, Mr. Hellman.
