This is a nostalgic movie about cruising your car on a popular strip in the late 1970's. This particular strip is Van Nuys Blvd., north of Los Angeles, California. Cruising Van Nuys Blvd. was a cultural phenomenon that didn't last long - only a couple of years. As cruising takes hold of a local culture, each community creates new laws and police find creative ways to discourage young people from congregating. When people on the streets outnumber the total available police force, local residence get scared - even if there has been no significant rise in crime.
I was a part of a cruising culture in the mid to late 1990's on Lindbergh Blvd. in Saint Louis, Missouri. From Hooters Restaurant to Ronnie's Movie Theater, the 4 mile strip was packed with bumper-to-bumper automobiles, Thursday through Saturday nights. At the peak of the local cruising popularity, heavy traffic could be seen every night, and weekends brought people from all over the country. Vendors would set up in parking lots and sell cool stuff - no permits, but no police available to enforce permit laws. Street lights were useless on weekends after dark - the steady, slow moving traffic would rarely completely stop for a red light. Public fights and public sex were commonplace. Bass speakers blared, low riders with ground effects lights lit up the pavement, and it seemed like a lawless carnival for a teenager. It was an amazing time and place. I took it for granted because I was young; I couldn't appreciate how lucky I was to be a part of it, or how quickly it would all be over.
Most of the reviews of 'Van Nuys Blvd.' (1979) complain that there is no plot. I guess I can understand that complaint, but they don't understand cruising. Sometimes when you go cruising, nothing happens. Sometimes, it seems like a boring night of driving in a circle, until you take one more lap and meet the right girl. Sometimes, you get chased by cops. And, sometimes it just feels like being stuck in traffic.
So, yeah, this movie might leave some people feeling like it was a pointless waste of 90 minutes... like aimlessly driving around with no destination... But, maybe it was supposed to feel that way. As for me, I can dig it.
RealReview Posting Scoring Criteria:
Acting - 0.5/1;
Casting - 1/1;
Directing - 1/1;
Story - 0.5/1;
Writing/Screenplay - 0.5/1;
Total Base Score = 3.5
Modifiers (+ or -):
Authentic Location Shooting: 0.5 (It really isn't anywhere special, but it feels very authentic.);
Music Score/Soundtrack: 0.5 (I downloaded the title track. Seriously, I did.);
Cultural Significance: 0.5 (This film captures a moment in time, that will be relevant to a niche group of cruisers for as long as automobiles are driven by young people.);
Total RealReview Rating: 5
