Curtindo a Vida Acelerado

I came across this movie when it was playing on BRAVO, and since they don't show commercials I had no time to get distracted by something else. It's not a particularly good movie, but fun, and something about it kept me watching until 3 in the morning. Probably because I missed the beginning, so I never figured out which guy was the hick, as mentioned on the satelleite summary. That and Cynthia Wood. Wow she looks sweet in this movie. Writer/Director Sachs somehow manages to attach a subplot to no plot. It's an interesting 'slice of life' film that rates high on kitch, low on substance.

I grew up in Citrus Heights, California. started driving in 81, and if you're from anywhere near there and you would know about the cruise at the Sunrise mall and then Birdcage walk. The cruise started around 74-75 at the Sunrise mall, they (police and barriers) shut that down and it moved to the birdcage walk, from Sunrise Boulevard to Greenback lane, down Birdcage walk road in front of tower records and down by Toys "R" Us, I remember hearing on the news that an estimated 5000 cars were involved in the slow cruise. But lot of neighbors and stores complainEd and then there was a shooting at Burger King, so the cops shut it down in 1988-89. Most of the attendees just enjoyed the slow cruise, the chatting with friends. making new friends, but there are always those a-holes that ruin it for everybody. Watching this movie sort of brought back memories of that, for the most part, it shows the antics of three couples who met during the cruise on Van Nuys Blvd. it's kind of a time capsule for the people that lived during this time, sadly our kids and their kids will never know what a slow cruise is like. Unless you make it to Reno, Nevada for hot August nights. But even that does not have the same feel. Been there, done that.

VAN NUYS BLVD. is a near-plot less slice of late '70s exploitation from those guys at Crown International Pictures. This one attempts to gather interest from various sources so it comes across as a mix of road movie, disco flick, and teen sex comedy. There's nudity thrown into the mix, along with scenes of racing and even long, protracted moments of disco dancing that go on for twenty minutes or more.

None of it particularly sticks, and I think it's fair to note that this is a dull and relatively pointless movie. Unless, that is, you're interested in the era, in which case it's a fun snapshot of its time allowing you to checking out the fashions, the cars, and the music scene in the wake of GREASE and Saturday NIGHT FEVER. The young actresses are attractive, but the male performers are pretty hopeless, and the tries-to-be-funny script just doesn't cut it. Writer/director William Sachs also helmed THE INCREDIBLE MELTING MAN, which on the strength of this I would say was his best movie.

I watched VAN NUYS BLVD as part of BCI Eclipse' Drive-in Cult Classics (featuring Crown International Pictures releases) on DVD.

As a teenager growing up in the 70s the only thing I remember about the movie is my friend telling me about the mooning scene during the opening of the film.

I had never seen the film until now, so it seems tame; and, in the director's words "almost innocent." That is certainly true by today's standards; but I am sure it was quite scandalous for the times.

VAN NUYS BLVD is about Wednesday night's cruise scene in Los Angeles, on the boulevard of the same name. It packs in a lot of drag racing, super cool cars, dumb cops; and, hot chicks, with a side trip to Magic Mountain, to boot!

The musical score features a pulsating disco beat; and, the opening song is fun and funky!

VAN NUYS BLVD is very much in the same vein of the more famous (and better movie), "American Graffiti" released two years earlier.

My friend and I ended up in LA in 1986; but by then the cruise scene was gone forever. Nevertheless, for those that have been there, VAN NUYS BLVD is a nice bit of nostalgia for 1970s California living.

The film footage at the beginning and end of Van Nuys Boulevard accurately portrays the action and excitement of what life was like cruising the boulevard. By the time I cruised there in 1981 there were plenty of college and high school students hanging out, cruising and racing. Car clubs gathered in parking lots. I was 22 attending college and my dad bought me a 1978 Corvette. I cruised there in the summer and I will never forget the adventure. It truly was just like in the movie and better. You made friends easily and there were always street races. In the fall of 1981 the LAPD began barricading off the boulevard and closing off traffic. This killed the adventure and those times are gone forever. Having been there, Van Nuys Boulevard is a nostalgic return to the past and a memorable way of remembering a great time of American youth.