Followed by a Q&A and book signing with Robert Rubin. His latest book, Vanishing Point Forever (Film Desk Books, 2024), is a deep dive into the film, its pseudonymous screenwriter Guillermo Cain (in reality the celebrated Cuban novelist Guillermo Cabrera Infante) and the long tail of its influence on art, music, and cinema (notably Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof).

Vietnam War hero Kowalski (Barry Newman) has become a pill-addicted driver for hire. Transporting a car from Colorado to California, he enlivens the journey by making a wager with his drug dealer: If the trip takes under 15 hours, Kowalski’s latest amphetamine purchase is free. But Kowalski’s recklessness on the road results in a much-publicized police chase. Radio jock Super Soul (Cleavon Little) covers the pursuit and turns Kowalski, who refuses to pull over, into a martyr for freedom.