At the tail end of the swinging 70s is William Sachs' Van Nuys Blvd. Crown International is a movie company fast moving up as one of my favorite guilty pleasures in that they released fodder directly targeted towards a specific audience, catering to a drive-in crowd. I sadly never had a chance to partake first hand the drive-in experience which is too bad and so I have to live vicariously through what is presented to us on DVD. Just isn't quite the same, but what can you do?
Bill Adler stars as Bobby, a country kid yearning for the city action he watches on television regarding the "happening" spot of California's busy Van Nuys Blvd. where all types of people go to cruise and meet. He soon comes in contact with Moon(Cynthia Wood), a girl he drags against, along with her pal, Camille(Melissa Prophet). The three are soon arrested by notorious cop, Zass(Dana Gladstone), who has made it a vendetta against the kids who attempt to raise a ruckus on "his strip." A likable / charming Dennis Bowen is Greg, a young man who spots Camille in the car with a jock, insisting that she was in a series of dreams he had(..an obvious homage to American Graffiti)and, in a gutsy move, gets out of his brother's ride to tell her, igniting the rage of her boyfriend..this sets off a truly memorable "celebration of destruction" as the two bash in each other's vehicles with tools.
Greg later meets up with Bobby, Moon, and Camille in jail(..on a wimpy jaywalking charge), igniting a blossoming friendship, and soon they are an inseparable pack, riding on roller coasters, hanging out at the local arcade, getting down at a popular disco floor, etc. Soon Bobby and Moon, Greg and Camille, each duo, finding themselves in love as the days and nights on Van Nuys Blvd provide quite a backdrop for them to do so.
David Hayward has the gem supporting role as an older regular who has been touring the blvd for quite some time, Cooch, soon himself finding romance in the car hop, Wanda(Tara Strohmeier). Wanda has a one night fling with Bobby not long after he arrives(..this guy bags plenty of babes in this movie, the lucky bastard)and they later meet when Cooch introduces her to the pack in what is appropriately awkward and rather amusing.
The running gag of the film has Officer Zass hand-cuffed to his police car thanks to Wanda who retaliates after the cop got a bit too fresh with her, demanding sexual gratification despite her resistance. He spends a good portion of the film this way as he comes in contact with a biker who lifts his wallet and other possessions and a dog who buries the keys to his cuffs in the sand.
William Sachs effectively captures this period of time with quite a flavor, establishing the liberated and free sexual lifestyle concerning one-night stands, randy behavior between people who simply meet up and shag as if they were sharing smokes. A plethora of lovely ladies(..many quite naked)pass through the film and most are uninhibited, willing to buck conventional mores for a good time with whatever man fits their fancy.
The 70's to me is like a whole alternate universe where we witness a type of unpredictable, live and free, engaging yet racy, atmosphere of sex and independence, where the rules of the establishment seemed shattered, where barriers which may've existed before were removed. Granted, a lot of what you might see is slightly altered and skewed, but the cinema of the time expressed a different, less oppressive, less-politically correct world, unlike the world I myself live in today's more modern times. While I thoroughly loathe disco music, I find myself drawn to the styles, culture, this whole scene, a fad that swell and burst..the strobe lights, bright red light which set off a distinctive hue, and those unusual dance moves where gyrating bodies boogie down, those in attendance out there without a care in the world, cutting loose on the floor. I guess this whole time came and went while I was a pup, born as the decade was winding down. Like other films of it's type, Sachs' Van Nuys Blvd casts a fond light on the colorful personalities, lascivious activities, amorous girls, and the overall spirit the 70's had to offer. There is an emphasis on competition, as Bobby(..and Cooch, to a certain degree)must win a race against Moon, to prove his manhood, an ego-trip he will have to deviate from in order to maintain the love of his new girl. The very attractive leads are easy to cozy up to, and the whole movie has a gregarious appeal that, to me, off-sets the rather lurid content that is certain to be off-putting to a more conservative audience. Alas, this is what makes discovering these Drive-in flicks so worthwhile.
Bill Adler stars as Bobby, a country kid yearning for the city action he watches on television regarding the "happening" spot of California's busy Van Nuys Blvd. where all types of people go to cruise and meet. He soon comes in contact with Moon(Cynthia Wood), a girl he drags against, along with her pal, Camille(Melissa Prophet). The three are soon arrested by notorious cop, Zass(Dana Gladstone), who has made it a vendetta against the kids who attempt to raise a ruckus on "his strip." A likable / charming Dennis Bowen is Greg, a young man who spots Camille in the car with a jock, insisting that she was in a series of dreams he had(..an obvious homage to American Graffiti)and, in a gutsy move, gets out of his brother's ride to tell her, igniting the rage of her boyfriend..this sets off a truly memorable "celebration of destruction" as the two bash in each other's vehicles with tools.
Greg later meets up with Bobby, Moon, and Camille in jail(..on a wimpy jaywalking charge), igniting a blossoming friendship, and soon they are an inseparable pack, riding on roller coasters, hanging out at the local arcade, getting down at a popular disco floor, etc. Soon Bobby and Moon, Greg and Camille, each duo, finding themselves in love as the days and nights on Van Nuys Blvd provide quite a backdrop for them to do so.
David Hayward has the gem supporting role as an older regular who has been touring the blvd for quite some time, Cooch, soon himself finding romance in the car hop, Wanda(Tara Strohmeier). Wanda has a one night fling with Bobby not long after he arrives(..this guy bags plenty of babes in this movie, the lucky bastard)and they later meet when Cooch introduces her to the pack in what is appropriately awkward and rather amusing.
The running gag of the film has Officer Zass hand-cuffed to his police car thanks to Wanda who retaliates after the cop got a bit too fresh with her, demanding sexual gratification despite her resistance. He spends a good portion of the film this way as he comes in contact with a biker who lifts his wallet and other possessions and a dog who buries the keys to his cuffs in the sand.
William Sachs effectively captures this period of time with quite a flavor, establishing the liberated and free sexual lifestyle concerning one-night stands, randy behavior between people who simply meet up and shag as if they were sharing smokes. A plethora of lovely ladies(..many quite naked)pass through the film and most are uninhibited, willing to buck conventional mores for a good time with whatever man fits their fancy.
The 70's to me is like a whole alternate universe where we witness a type of unpredictable, live and free, engaging yet racy, atmosphere of sex and independence, where the rules of the establishment seemed shattered, where barriers which may've existed before were removed. Granted, a lot of what you might see is slightly altered and skewed, but the cinema of the time expressed a different, less oppressive, less-politically correct world, unlike the world I myself live in today's more modern times. While I thoroughly loathe disco music, I find myself drawn to the styles, culture, this whole scene, a fad that swell and burst..the strobe lights, bright red light which set off a distinctive hue, and those unusual dance moves where gyrating bodies boogie down, those in attendance out there without a care in the world, cutting loose on the floor. I guess this whole time came and went while I was a pup, born as the decade was winding down. Like other films of it's type, Sachs' Van Nuys Blvd casts a fond light on the colorful personalities, lascivious activities, amorous girls, and the overall spirit the 70's had to offer. There is an emphasis on competition, as Bobby(..and Cooch, to a certain degree)must win a race against Moon, to prove his manhood, an ego-trip he will have to deviate from in order to maintain the love of his new girl. The very attractive leads are easy to cozy up to, and the whole movie has a gregarious appeal that, to me, off-sets the rather lurid content that is certain to be off-putting to a more conservative audience. Alas, this is what makes discovering these Drive-in flicks so worthwhile.