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Date Posted: 06:43:33 01/15/09 Thu
Author: Rick
Subject: Poll: Favorite moments in 'Duel' (1971)

For me, the entire film is incredible. I spent 10 years at Soledad Canyon and scouted all the roadways and sites as far back as 1982. One of Spielberg's best films, if not the one.





Rick

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Replies:

[> Re: Poll: Favorite moments in 'Duel' (1971) -- Officer Torch, 08:21:52 01/15/09 Thu [1]

This is actually one of my favorite movies! Believe it was originally made-for-tv. The suspense is fantastic, the photography? Well, superb would be an understatement, especially any moving shots taken from the...hmmm...shall we say monster truck barreling forward. Here, we've one man (a business man brilliantly played by Dennis Weaver driving his '71 Plymouth Valiant) in Southwest desert areas and trying to avoid this grungy oil tanker from hell it seems. We never really see the truck driver, just mostly a hand motion sometimes. A great movie then, still great now. Was good enough for me to record on a TV repeat using my 1st VCR, then getting prerec tape when it became available, then the DVD. This is not that well known of a movie it seems, and you can often find it in a bargain bin. But get it if you can. It's heading for cult status, if not alrady there. Think it was Spielberg's first work as a director , and a fine one at that.

Rick...interesting you travelled those roadways. Hey, awhile back, I went to Vegas a couple times...spent more time in desert country..Red Rock, Island of Fire is it? Lake Meade...great stuff and scenery. Even saw our beep- beep friend the road runner, twice mind you!

My son also enjoyed this movie (I think underrated, and maybe not well known). Last year, we put a tiny camcorder in a gondola freight car behind a diesel on a model railroad layout with scenery. Trackwork was a bit bumpy, but one can see the general idea of the camera behind the prime mover, and just a bit of what it looked like. Hey ..this was fun yaking about some modern Universal flicks. Whatcha say guys...let's maybe add some of the newer fare at times. All in favor, say aye, or better yet, name or tell us of a movie. Oh, in this case Duel, by the way, the truck was the monster(??..I guess), so we're not off thread on horror/drama, plus if you've seen (or see) this movie, you'll see what I...well, moreso what we mean. Any comments


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[> Re: Poll: Favorite moments in 'Duel' (1971) -- Tim, 10:21:39 01/15/09 Thu [1]

I agree, if Duel is not already a cult classic then it should be. It was indeed a TV movie, an ABC Movie of the Week in 1971. I am pretty sure I saw it on its original broadcast.

There are numerous small roles throughout the picture, but the real stars are Dennis Weaver and the phantom tanker truck. Man vs machine, brilliantly played. We see the truck driver's hand and arm a few times, and (I think) his boots once, but never his face. There are many great moments. Here are just a few:

Dennis Weaver confronts the driver in a truck stop, although it turns out to be the wrong man.

The truck tries to push the Plymouth into the path of an oncoming train.

The truck crashes into the rattlesnake cages, releasing them, as their owner runs around frantically.

Weaver tries to warn the bus driver about the dangerous truck, then is astonished to see the truck helping out the bus.

The dramatic conclusion, which initially leaves Weaver elated, then quietly reflective.

Tim


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[> [> Re: Poll: Favorite moments in 'Duel' (1971) -- DAN, 08:03:47 01/16/09 Fri [1]

I remember when I first watched "Duel," I was a little disappointed at the end when we never got to see the truck driver or find out his motive.

Many people who saw "Duel" came to the conclusion that the trucker got mad because Weaver passed him. But I think he was probably a serial killer who has done this before and Weaver just set the trucker off again.

Anyway it's one of the best made for TV movies I can remember.

And Tim has already mentioned the best scenes.


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[> Re: Universal -- Tim, 16:58:23 01/15/09 Thu [1]

I like the idea of adding some of the more recent Universal pictures to the discussion here.

Tim


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