Vanishing Point Forever

The 1971 movie Vanishing Point, about a car delivery that goes very wrong, is regarded by many as one of the ultimate car chase movies. Written by renowned Cuban novelist Guillermo Cabrera Infante under a pseudonym (Guillermo Cain) and directed by Richard C Sarafian, the movie can be read as a modern Western, a dystopian allegory of our surveillance society, and a love letter to the muscle car (in this case a Dodge Challenger), all rolled into one. Robert M. Rubin’s new book Vanishing Point Forever brings together everything there is to know about this cult phenomenon in one lavishly illustrated volume.

The movie is adored and paid homage to by the likes of Quentin Tarantino, Steven Spielberg, Bruce Springsteen, Richard Prince, Alberto Moravia, Guns ‘n’ Roses, Primal Scream, Audioslave and countless others. In the fifty-plus years since the its release, the film continues to generate lore and legend around it.

A must-own for film fans and classic car buffs alike, Vanishing Point Forever explores the movie’s profound impact across popular media, the arts and car culture in comprehensive detail. The book's near-600 pages include a complete reproduction of the film’s final shooting script, pages from Cabrera Infante’s early drafts, his own location scouting photos (never seen before) and a gold mine of production and publicity stills, ephemera, excerpts, reflections and essays. Rubin details how the movie came to life – from stars Barry Newman, Cleavon Little and Charlotte Rampling (so enigmatic she was cut from the main release) to the groundbreaking stunts coordinated by Hollywood legend Carey Loftin, to its unique, remarkable half-life.

In the words of its director, Vanishing Point is a film that just 'wouldn’t die'.

Film Desk Books, 572pp, 24cm × 17cm, illustrated hardcover, 2024