As I look back on the countless movies that have shaped my cinematic experience, one brave offering leaps to mind: Duel (1971), directed by the then-unknown Steven Spielberg. Having seen it for the first time just six years after its release, it struck an immediate chord with me—not merely as a film but as an immersive adventure during long, winding motorhome road trips down those nostalgic two-lane highways. After all, what’s a road trip without a bit of fear and exhilaration?

A Thrilling Premise

Duel is an unassuming yet masterful thriller, and it transports us into the boots of David Mann (portrayed by Dennis Weaver), a traveling salesman who becomes a reluctant protagonist in a deadly game of cat and mouse with an unseen truck driver in rural California. The movie begins innocently enough, but as Mann encounters a dilapidated Peterbilt, it transforms into a relentless chase that epitomizes the essence of road rage. The artful way Spielberg captures anxiety, frustration, and fear elevates Duel from a simple story to an engaging psychological thriller.

Relatable Tensions

As a fan of action-packed thrillers with heart-pounding car chases, I can’t help but revel in the film’s extraordinary use of vehicles as its main characters. The timeless duel between Mann and the monstrous truck illustrates a primal struggle of man vs. machine. Who hasn’t felt that rush of adrenaline while driving, especially when faced with reckless drivers? The movie resonates deeply with anyone who has ever been on the road, creating a unique connection that persists even after more than five decades.

The cinematography, predominantly shot on location in California, adds to its authenticity, and those dusty roads remind me of childhood summers spent on family road trips. Spielberg’s direction couples beautifully with Richard Matheson’s intelligent screenplay, which coaxes tension from every frame. What’s brilliant about this film is how it manages to elevate an ordinary incident into an epic survival story.

Sound and Fury

One of the film’s most compelling features is its minimalistic approach to sound. The absence of dialogue amplifies the eeriness and tension. The growl of the truck engine serves as a character in itself, conveying menace and power without uttering a word. Spielberg’s ability to utilize sound and silence strategically keeps viewers on the edge of their seats—a technique that would define his future projects.

From the pulse-quickening moments where Mann finds himself sandwiched between track and truck, to the visceral final confrontation, every scene is carefully crafted to maintain suspense. The artistry in storytelling is evident as the viewer is left guessing about the truck driver’s motives—an enigma that intensifies the film’s allure.

Timeless Legacy

Duel is not just a thrill ride; it has left an indelible mark on cinema and continues to influence filmmakers today. Spielberg’s take on road rage feels timeless, and the film’s status as a coveted cult classic attests to its lasting power. Critics laud it as one of the greatest television movies ever made, and it proudly sits in the annals of American film history.

This masterclass in suspense is more than just a movie; it’s a nostalgic experience that can turn a road trip into a thrilling escapade—even if you’re just driving to the grocery store. As I reflect on this film, I must highlight that it’s a testament to the art of storytelling; a simple narrative framework, developed with supreme direction and compelling visuals, can create anxious anticipation and excitement.

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Final Thoughts

Ultimately, Duel still resonates with viewers who appreciate its raw intensity, thrilling car and truck chases, and the fear of being prey in the vast, open roads. I wholeheartedly believe it stands the test of time, and if I were to rate it, it would earn a perfect 5 out of 5 stars in my book. A classic that perfectly encapsulates action, drama, and innovation in filmmaking, Duel remains an unforgettable ride that sparks both nostalgia and adrenaline, even fifty years later. If you haven’t seen it yet, rev up your engines and experience this cinematic gem—you won’t regret it!

Related links:

Duel ( Wikipedia)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duel_(1971_film)

Duel ( IMDb) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067023

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Maria San Filippo, Emerson College

Writing during what seems – in retrospect – to have been the wildly carefree summer of 2019, Washington Post film critic Ann Hornaday lamented that “sex is disappearing from the big screen.”

Fast forward two years, and, improbably enough, it’s conservative New York Times columnist Ross Douthat who’s pleading for “sex and romance [to] make a comeback at the movies.”

Both commentators blame this sexual stagnation on what they see as an abstinence-only policy in Hollywood, fueled by the Weinstein effect on one hand and family-friendly franchise fever on the other, where libidinal energy has been sublimated into buff-yet-sexless superheroes. To Hornaday and Douthat, sexual prudence seems to be tipping into prudery.

Hornaday and Douthat are correct that the traditional sex scene – a tasteful “pas de deux” between glossy stars, typically straight and vanilla, presented as a spectacle for our visual pleasure – has become increasingly rare.

But after devoting hours to watching sex scenes as research for my book “Provocauteurs and Provocations: Selling Sex in 21st Century Media,” I can reassure the randy and romantic among us that sex onscreen isn’t disappearing. Far from it.

Instead, over the last decade, it’s simply changed – and mostly for the better.

What’s hot: honesty and humor

Today’s sex scenes are first and foremost fun – as ideally sex itself should be – and emphasize the truthful over the tasteful.

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In some cases, you’ll see likable, relatable characters revealing perverse predilections, such as the all-consuming hots that Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s protagonist in the TV series “Fleabag” has for a clergyman she dubs “Hot Priest.” Or when Kathryn Hahn’s character in Joey Soloway’s directorial debut “Afternoon Delight” drunkenly confesses to her gal pals that she’s “masturbated to that scene for two decades.” The scene she’s describing? The gang rape from “The Accused.” What’s more, her friends agree it’s hot.

Other moments make for embarrassing yet endearing waypoints en route to real intimacy. In Desiree Akhavan’s “The Bisexual,” a bout of postcoital queefing cracks up a couple and dispels the awkwardness of their morning after. And in a carnal scene from Michaela Coel’s “I May Destroy You,” neither sanitary products nor a blood clot manages to kill the moment. It’s the latest woman-created show – joining “Girls”, “GLOW” and “I Love Dick” – to shatter the taboo against mentioning, much less showing, menstruation during sex.

Other filmmakers bulldoze the boundaries of which bodies the culture industry deems fit to depict. For this we have “Girls” creator Lena Dunham largely to thank; the actress famously insisted on baring all in the face of brutal fat shaming and portraying her show’s privileged protagonists’ sexual escapades in all their cringe-inducing candor.

Alongside defying the opposition and outrage meted out to artworks or artists deemed obscene or unattractive, some filmmakers have sought to redefine the sex scene altogether.

In my view, some of the most arousing sex scenes put to celluloid are ones where clothing stays put and verbal foreplay takes center stage. In “Laurel Canyon” and “Take This Waltz” – again, works created by women – would-be philanderers engage in dirty talk as a means to sublimate their desire, but in such smoldering terms as to arouse the viewer. https://www.youtube.com/embed/C_8fbYOtG90?wmode=transparent&start=0 Sexually charged dialogue permeates ‘Take This Waltz.’

Romcom’s morning after

While not clinching my case that the sex scene is flourishing, these films repudiate Douthat’s assertion that there’s “a cultural void where romance used to be.”

It’s all part of redefining what romance looks like on screen.

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And I don’t mean merely making the couplings and casting more inclusive: “Crazy Rich Asians” relies on the same Cinderella-style premise as “Pretty Woman.” I’m talking about the sunsets-and-soulmates wish fulfillment fantasies that, for decades, served as the template for most romantic comedies: boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl.

As my new edited collection “After ‘Happily Ever After’: Romantic Comedy in the Post-Romantic Age” points out, recent films like “Appropriate Behavior,” “Before Midnight,” “Medicine for Melancholy” and the Netflix series “Love” rejuvenate the romantic comedy genre by actually addressing the realities and complexities of intimacy.

In these works, issues of coming out, growing old, being Black and staying sober are what drive the plots – and true love doesn’t conquer all.

Queering the scene

Regrettably, outside of art cinema, queer male characters rarely get naked or have sex onscreen. But given that straight sex on screen got a huge head start on queer sex, it’s no surprise that same-sex couples aren’t getting it on with gusto at the multiplex.

Queer male intimacy more often finds mainstream success by inviting viewers to relish unrequited romance in films like “Weekend,” “Moonlight” and “God’s Own Country.” Even films focused on queer women are getting in on the swoon-worthiness of not getting off, a phenomenon mocked by Saturday Night Live’s recent parody “Lesbian Period Drama.”

In some cases, queer filmmakers have stretched the boundaries of the sex scene by exchanging explicit sex acts for erotic insinuation, as with the suggestive shots of one woman’s hand penetrating the other’s armpit in Céline Sciamma’s “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” or the infamous scene of Armie Hammer’s character slurping cum from a hollowed-out peach in “Call Me by Your Name.”

Safer is … sexier?

An outgrowth of the #MeToo era is the on-set intimacy coordinator – a professional trained to ensure that safe practices are in place when shooting sex scenes. In many ways, their presence is long overdue in an on-set environment where nudity quotas were, for a time, the norm.

Rather than delivering a cold shower for spectators, these more ethically and safely executed scenes are arguably sexier – perhaps in part because the performers feel safer and less inhibited, and perhaps because viewers might feel less morally compromised while watching them.

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As in real life, consent is what makes scenes of sexual degradation and endangerment hot. A film like Jane Campion’s “In the Cut,” in which Meg Ryan’s character is clearly heard consenting to having rough sex with Mark Ruffalo’s character, is exemplary in this regard. So, too, are the intimacy-coordinated sex scenes in last year’s “Normal People,” along with those in “Duck Butter,” which even gave the performers the opportunity to co-script the scenes themselves.

[Over 106,000 readers rely on The Conversation’s newsletter to understand the world. Sign up today.]

Though I find that Hornaday’s and Douthat’s laments leave out a lot, I share their view that preaching abstinence takes a blinkered approach to art, as to life. The repercussions of rendering sex invisible – unseen and unacknowledged – aren’t just aesthetic. In times of political division and social unrest, sexual freedoms and sexual minorities are more strictly regulated and persecuted.

This threat of silencing makes it all the more important that filmmakers continue screening and – as radical sex theorist Gayle Rubin titled her landmark 1984 essay – “thinking sex.”

So far, filmmakers are meeting the challenge.

Maria San Filippo, Associate Professor of Visual and Media Arts, Emerson College

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Looking for an entertainment experience that transcends the ordinary? Look no further than STM Daily News Blog’s vibrant Entertainment section. Immerse yourself in the captivating world of indie films, streaming and podcasts, movie reviews, music, expos, venues, and theme and amusement parks. Discover hidden cinematic gems, binge-worthy series and addictive podcasts, gain insights into the latest releases with our movie reviews, explore the latest trends in music, dive into the vibrant atmosphere of expos, and embark on thrilling adventures in breathtaking venues and theme parks. Join us at STM Entertainment and let your entertainment journey begin! https://stmdailynews.com/category/entertainment/

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Star Trek: The Next Generation

As a lifelong fan of Star Trek: The Next Generation, I’ve journeyed through the stars with Captain Picard and his remarkable crew, absorbing the profound lessons and intricate storytelling that have come to define this iconic series. After watching all the episodes, I’m excited to share my selection of the top ten episodes, chosen for their storytelling quality and their impact on fans over the years.

1. The Best of Both Worlds

This exhilarating two-part episode redefined the stakes in Star Trek lore by introducing the sinister Borg, an alien collective that assimilated cultures into their own. The chilling narrative intensifies as Captain Picard is captured and transformed, culminating in a heart-stopping showdown that forever changed the landscape of the series. It’s a masterclass in tension and character development.

2. Yesterday’s Enterprise

In this gripping journey through time, the Enterprise-D is unexpectedly thrust into a parallel universe where the Federation is embroiled in conflict with the Klingons. The emotional return of Tasha Yar and the poignant sacrifice of the USS Enterprise-C convey deep messages about the costs of war and the weight of choices made. This episode beautifully explores the concept of parallel timelines and what it means to fight for a cause.

3. The Inner Light

Often hailed as one of the show’s finest achievements, this episode sees Captain Picard knocked unconscious and lives an entire lifetime in just a few minutes. It delves into love, loss, and the bittersweet nature of existence, leaving viewers with a profound message about cherishing moments and relationships. The storytelling here is a testament to the art of character-driven narratives.

4. All Good Things…

As the series finale, this two-part episode brings Captain Picard’s journey full circle. The narrative weaves together time travel, existential dilemmas, and the fate of humanity in a thrilling fashion. With beloved characters standing by, it offers poignant reflections on growth, friendship, and the enduring spirit of exploration, all while delivering a satisfying conclusion that fans cherish.

5. Chain of Command

This intense two-part episode confronts the harsh realities of warfare and the ethics surrounding torture. With Patrick Stewart delivering a performance that lingers in memory, Captain Picard’s capture and subsequent torment by the Cardassians elevate the discussion of morality in times of conflict. It poses challenging questions about humanity, resistance, and the choices we make under extreme pressure.

6. The Measure of a Man

This landmark episode scrutinizes the essence of sentience and rights of artificial intelligence as Data finds himself on trial to determine if he is a person or merely a machine. The thought-provoking dialogue and ethical dilemmas resonate deeply, prompting viewers to consider what it truly means to be human. It raises timeless questions that continue to echo in today’s discussions of AI.

7. Darmok

In a remarkable exploration of communication and cultural barriers, the Enterprise encounters an alien race that communicates solely through allegory and metaphor. This captivating episode demonstrates the challenges and triumphs of understanding between disparate civilizations, ultimately illustrating the universal need for connection. It’s an inspiring reminder of the power of language and empathy.

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8. The Offspring

When Data creates a daughter, we’re invited to explore profound themes of parenthood and the definition of humanity. The emotional depth of this episode, combined with Brent Spiner’s standout performance, makes this a heartwarming and impactful story about creation, love, and the responsibilities that come with it.

9. The Wounded

This thought-provoking episode addresses the moral complexities of warfare and the pursuit of vengeance. Captain Sisko’s struggle to stop a rogue Starfleet captain who is targeting Cardassian ships examines the toll that conflict takes on both sides and the lingering scars of resentment. It urges viewers to consider the ramifications of our actions and the possibility of redemption.

10. Cause and Effect

Caught in a gripping time loop, the crew of the Enterprise-D faces the challenge of breaking free from predestined events. This cleverly crafted episode provides thrilling suspense and delves into themes of fate and free will. The intricate storytelling, combined with a clever resolution, makes it a standout installment that keeps fans on the edge of their seats.

Conclusion

These ten episodes exemplify the greatness of Star Trek: The Next Generation, showcasing powerful storytelling, richly developed characters, and the thought-provoking themes that inspire generations. Each episode has left lasting impressions and continues to resonate with fans, contributing to the enduring legacy of this beloved series. So, whether you’re a longtime follower or a newcomer, these episodes are a must-watch as they encapsulate the very essence of what makes Star Trek a cultural phenomenon. Boldly go where few have gone before!

Experience the full series on Paramount +.https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/star_trek_the_next_generation/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Trek:_The_Next_Generation

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