Thanks to everyone who came out to the
Brantford Arts Block back on the 9th to see Like...Dreamsville's presentation of Detour. Hope you all had a good time and enjoyed the flick.
Detour is a very unusual film noir. It was conceived as a B-movie and was shot on a budget of approx. $20,000 in 6 days. Over time it has become a cult classic with fans of the genre because of it's style. There is very little dialog for much of the film, the story telling relying on the narration of the lead character Al, played by Tom Neal and the clever way the film was shot.
The story is about a New York musician who's girlfriend decides to move to California to pursue her dream. Al decides, one day, to pack it all in and move out to be with her. Not having any money, he starts hitchhiking and eventually picks up a ride to Los Angeles but sometime in the night while he takes over the driving, the guy who picked him up dies in his sleep, the way things unfold, there is nothing to prove that it wasn't murder so Al starts thinking up ways to cover his tracks. In the long run he makes matters worse and that's all before he runs into the woman who apparently knows all about what happened....
"Did you ever want to forget anything ? Did you ever want to cut out a piece of your memory or blot it out. You can't, you know. No matter how hard you try."
"I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me"
"you're going to make Carnegie Hall yet, Al."
"Yeah, as a janitor. I'll make my debut in the basement."
"Ever done any hitch hiking ? It's not much fun, believe me. Oh yeah, I know all about how it's an education, how you get to meet a lot of people and all that, but me, from now on I'll take my education in college, or in PS 62 or I'll send $1.98 and stamps for ten easy lessons."
"We rode along for a little while and neither one of us sayin' anything. I was glad for that. I never know what to say to strange people driving cars, and to, you can never tell if a guy wants to talk. A lot of rides have been cut short because of a big mouth."
"I began to think about the future, which couldn't have been brighter if I'd embroidered it with neon lights. It was nice to think of Sue shooting to the top. It's amazing what a full belly can do to your imagination."
"You're not foolin' anyone ! This buggy belongs to a guy named Haskell. That's not you mister !"
"I'm going to bed...."
"alright then, suppose I call the cops ? If you're innocent, what've you got to be scared of ?"
O.k., go ahead and call the cops, at least they'll give me a square deal. Go ahead and call 'em, see if I care."
"You want me to call 'em?"
"You heard me, but I'm warnin' ya, if I'm pinched, I'll swear you were in on it, I'll say you helped me. If I fry, I'll get even with you."
"The world is full of skeptics, I know, I'm one myself. And the Haskell business, how many of you would believe he fell out of the car?
"...Now after killing Vera without even meaning to do it, how many of you would believe it wasn't premeditated ? In a jury room, every last one of you would go down shouting that she had me over a barrel and that my only out was force."
"I keep trying to forget what happened. I wonder what my life would have been if that car of Haskell's hadn't stopped. But one thing I don't have to wonder about, I know, someday a car will stop to pick me up that I never thumbed. Yes, fate, or some mysterious force can put the finger on you or me for no good reason at all...."
Watch the whole film right here !
