The most notorious fan theory suggests that Sandy is in fact dying throughout the movie and the story only plays out in her imagination. Arguably one of the most famous movie theories of all time, it offers a completely different perspective on the movie's otherwise mostly upbeat tone, adding darkness to the musical's joyous light. And while the theory has its detractors, it remains incredibly popular, because it is tied to the film's strangest mystery: what its end really means. It is precisely because of that ending's weirdness and one particularly pertinent line from Grease's first big musical number - "Summer Nights" that a fan theory suggested a grim undercurrent to the classical musical including a dying teenage girl living her last moments "down in the sand". The fantasy sequences of "Greased Lightnin'" and "Beauty School Dropout", which very much play out in the imaginations of the characters singing those songs. The former is the T-Birds imagining their triumphs and how well the car will boost their boyish boasts of machismo, while the latter is Didi Conn's Frenchy imagining the bleakness of her future if her dream fails. Both are very much tied to dreams, but that makes the final sequence of Grease all the more confusing, because when Danny and Sandy fly off from the carnival in Greased Lightnin' it happens in real-time in the real world. Sandy's shock is nothing compared to that of the audience, who have just watched a fairly conventional high-school musical that operates within normal rules of reality end with a car literally flying off into the distance. In that respect, it was no wonder that there was an opportunity for a fan theory to fill in the gap in logic. The starting point of the theory, which was initially posted on Reddit, is one of the lines in "Summer Night" dedicated Sandy and Danny telling each of their listening audiences what happened during their holiday romance at the beach. While the Grease prequel, 'Summer Lovin', will tell the actual story of what happened during that tryst, the only account the audience can trust is the mention of the young couple bowling in the arcade, holding hands, and drinking lemonade. Crucially, the lyrics suggest that Danny and Sandy met when she got a cramp while swimming and Danny saved her from drowning, before showing off "splashing around". While it might sound like empty bragging, the theory suggests that Sandy actually did drown and everything that follows is Sandy fantasizing about what her life could have been as she dies. From the prolog onwards, every event that happens plays out in Sandy's mind, and the reason everything wraps up so perfectly for every character, despite all of the conflict on the way to the finale is that it's all Sandy's tragic wish fulfillment. As a newcomer to Rydell High, Sandy would have been an outsider, but her reality plays out just as a dream would; she is immediately accepted by the coolest group (the Pink Ladies), meets the boy of her dreams (again), and overcomes every issue. And it's not just her: Rizzo's pregnancy scare, the dance competition that Danny wins (albeit with Cha-Cha), the drag race on Thunder Road Everything ends with a happy ending, no matter what the seeming obstacles. It's all a little too convenient and then when Greased Lightnin' takes off for its maiden flight, the reason becomes clear. It's all a fantasy. The theory also suggests that Sandy's mournful reprise of "Look At Me, I'm Sandra Dee" and the final two lines "Take a deep breath and sigh, Goodbye to Sandra Dee..." specifically secretly confirm that Sandy lost her battle to live. In that respect, the image of Greased Lightnin' flying off with Danny alongside Sandy at the end of Grease is actually symbolic of her ascending to the afterlife and her transformation is not one of self-realization, but of death. That metaphorical rise, then, is her rising to heaven in the final moments of her life eking out with her final breaths on the sand. It's tragic and dark, but there is a hint of beauty to it. The theory gained enough attention that stars John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John both commented on it. The former called it fun, though told USA Today that he knew "the writers of Grease, and I was around in the original days. I can't take it too far." Sandy's actor, Olivia Newton-John herself called it "hilarious" and reveled in the idea of Grease being the first ever zombie musical. Unfortunately for fans of the theory, the most notable respondent to the theory was Grease creator Jim Jacobs, who wasn't as big a fan and poured water on the idea of Sandy being dead. He told TMZ that "Whoever made up the theory must have been on acid. Sandy was very much alive." But then, it's rare that the wishes of the creator are taken into account when fans come up with theories, and this one in particular actually does improve the Grease viewing experience, true or not.
Two-Lane Blacktop - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
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Fan of Two-Lane Blacktop or just want to share your movie knowledge? This topic is dedicated to all trivia and questions related to Two-Lane Blacktop
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Dennis Wilson was cast four days before production began.
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Richard Linklater counts sixteen reasons as to why he loves Two-Lane Blacktop: (01) Because it's the purest American road movie ever. (02) Because it's like a drive-in movie directed by a French new wave director. (03) Because the only thing that can get between a boy and his car obsession is a girl, and Laurie Bird perfectly messes up the oneness between the Driver, the Mechanic, and their car. (04) Because Dennis Wilson gives the greatest performance ever . . . by a drummer. (05) Because James Taylor seems like a refugee from a Robert Bresson movie, and has the chiseled looks of Artaud from Dreyer's The Passion of Joan of Arc. (06) Because there was once a god who walked the earth named Warren Oates. (07) Because there's a continuing controversy over who is the actual lead in this movie. There are different camps. Some say it's the '55 Chevy, some say it's the GTO. But I'm Goat man, I have a GTO-'68. (08) Because it has the most purely cinematic ending in film history. (09) Because it's like a western. The guys are like old-time gunfighters, ready to outdraw the quickest gun in town. And they don't talk about the old flames they've had, but rather old cars they've had. (10) Because Warren Oates has a different cashmere sweater for every occasion. And of course the wet bar in the trunk. (11) Because unlike other films of the era, with the designer alienation of the drug culture and the war protesters, this movie is about the alienation of everybody else, like Robert Frank's The Americans come alive. (12) Because Warren Oates, as GTO, orders a hamburger and an Alka-Seltzer and says things like "Everything is going too fast and not fast enough." (13) Because it's both the last film of the sixties-even though it came out in '71-and also the first film of the seventies. You know, that great era of "How the hell did they ever get that film made at a studio?/Hollywood would never do that today" type of films. (14) Because engines have never sounded better in a movie. (15) Because these two young men on their trip to nowhere don't really know how to talk. The Driver doesn't really converse when he's behind the wheel, and the Mechanic doesn't really talk when he's working on the car. So this is primarily a visual, atmospheric experience. To watch this movie correctly is to become absorbed into it. (16) And, above all else, because Two-Lane Blacktop goes all the way with its idea. And that's a rare thing in this world: a completely honest movie.
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"Blacktop" means an asphalt road.
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Esquire magazine named this as their film of the year, even publishing the entire screenplay in one of their issues.
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None of the actors were given the full screenplay, only being fed the pages appropriate for each day's filming. They were not comfortable with this approach.
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By 1983, three of the four leading players were all dead. Laurie Bird committed suicide in 1979, Warren Oates suffered a fatal heart attack in 1982 at the age of 53, and Dennis Wilson drowned a year later.
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Monte Hellman insisted on making the film entirely on location.
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Pulled from theaters within weeks of its release.
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Brock Yates, creator of The Cannonball Run, cites this film as a major influence.
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According to the director's commentary on the first DVD release, the reason the movie took so long to release on DVD was Jim Morrison. Two Lane Blacktop's sound track has scenes in the movie where Doors music is playing in the background. Monte Hellman and the producers had trouble initially securing permission from Morrison's estate to release the film with its original content of Doors music on to the medium of DVD. For obvious reasons, such DVD permission was not part of the original agreement with the Doors in 1972. Eventually, the studio got permission to use the Doors music again and the DVD was released.
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Three 1955 Chevrolets were used as the street racer in the film; both vehicles were built by Richard Ruth. One of the cars used in the film, with the twin carburetors, was driven by Harrison Ford in American Graffiti (1973), and the car that was seen at the gas station in the film - the 210 coupe, aka the #2 vehicle - was recently located in Canada, intact and untouched. The #3 car had a full rollcage installed and was to be used in a rollover scene that was not filmed. It was later used in the rollover scene in "American Graffiti".
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Kris Kristofferson was the first choice for the role of "The Driver".
Two-Lane Blacktop - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
Two-Lane Blacktop - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
Two-Lane Blacktop - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
Two-Lane Blacktop - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
Two-Lane Blacktop - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
Two-Lane Blacktop - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
Two-Lane Blacktop - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
Two-Lane Blacktop - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
Two-Lane Blacktop - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
Two-Lane Blacktop - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
Two-Lane Blacktop - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
Two-Lane Blacktop - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
Two-Lane Blacktop - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts
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