''End of the Road'' is a 1970 American

comedy drama film Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...

directed, co-written, and edited by

Aram Avakian Aram A. Avakian (April 23, 1926 – January 17, 1987) was an American film editor and director. His work in the latter role includes ''Jazz on a Summer's Day'' (1959) and the indie film '' End of the Road'' (1970). Life and work Aram "Al" Avak ...

and adapted from a 1958 novel by

John Barth John Simmons Barth (; born May 27, 1930) is an American writer who is best known for his postmodern and metafictional fiction. His most highly regarded and influential works were published in the 1960s, and include ''The Sot-Weed Factor'', a ...

, and stars

Stacy Keach Walter Stacy Keach Jr. (born June 2, 1941) is an American actor and narrator. He has played mainly dramatic roles throughout his career, often in law enforcement or as a private detective. His most prominent role was as Mickey Spillane's fictiona ...

James Earl Jones James Earl Jones (born January 17, 1931) is an American actor. He has been described as "one of America's most distinguished and versatile" actors for his performances in film, television, and theater, and "one of the greatest actors in America ...

and

Harris Yulin Harris Yulin (born November 5, 1937) is an American actor who has appeared in over a hundred film and television series roles, such as '' Scarface'' (1983), ''Ghostbusters II'' (1989), ''Clear and Present Danger'' (1994), ''Looking for Richard'' ...

. The film was given an

X rating An X rating is a rating used in various countries to classify films that have content deemed suitable only for adults. It is used when the violent or sexual content of a film is considered to be potentially disturbing to general audiences. Aust ...

for an abortion scene, and other frank scenes including one in which a naked man rapes a chicken. The film won the

Golden Leopard The Golden Leopard () is the top prize at the Locarno International Film Festival, an international film festival held annually in Locarno, Switzerland since 1946. Directors in the process of getting an international reputation are allowed to be ...

at the

Locarno International Film Festival The Locarno Film Festival is an annual film festival, held every August in Locarno, Switzerland. Founded in 1946, the festival screens films in various competitive and non-competitive sections, including feature-length narrative, documentary, sh ...

. A nine-page ''Life Magazine'' article was published on Aram Avakian and ''End of the Road'' on November 7, 1969. Avakian was also interviewed at length in ''Playboy'' and ''Esquire''. ''End of the Road'' is a ground-breaking early indie picture. Many of the cast and crew went on to distinguished careers. The film gained a cult following at art movie houses across the U.S., where audiences would speak aloud the lines while they watched the midnight screenings. In 2012 it was released again (DVD) from a brand new original print struck from a pristine negative by Warner Brothers, as part of a series of re-discovered cinematic treasures in their archives. The director

Steven Soderbergh Steven Andrew Soderbergh (; born January 14, 1963) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, cinematographer and editor. A pioneer of modern independent cinema, Soderbergh is an acclaimed and prolific filmmaker. Soderbergh's direc ...

rediscovered the film, spearheaded its revival, and made a companion documentary, ''An Amazing Time: A Conversation About End of the Road''.

Plot

After a catatonic episode on a railway station platform, Jacob Horner is taken to "The Farm", a bizarre insane asylum run by Doctor D. After being cured, Jacob takes a job as an English lecturer and begins a disastrous affair with Rennie, the wife of a colleague.

Cast

as Jacob Horner *

as Joe Morgan *Dorothy Tristan as Rennie Morgan *

as Doctor D *

Grayson Hall Grayson Hall (September 18, 1922 – August 7, 1985) was an American television, film, and stage actress. She was widely regarded for her avant-garde theatrical performances from the 1960s to the 1980s. Hall was nominated for an Academy ...

as Peggy Rankin *Ray Brock as Nurse Dockey and the Sniper *

John Pleshette John Pleshette (born July 27, 1942) is an American actor and screenwriter, best known for his role as Richard Avery on the television drama ''Knots Landing'', and for portraying Lee Harvey Oswald in the TV movie '' The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald ...

as Finkle *

James Coco James Emil Coco (March 21, 1930 – February 25, 1987) was an American stage and screen actor. He was the recipient of a Primetime Emmy Award, a Drama Desk Award and three Obie Awards, as well as nominations for a Tony Award, an Academy Awards, ...

as School Man

Reception

John Simon wrote 'End of the Road is a pretentious, unappetizing disaster.'.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:End of the Road (1970), The 1970 films Golden Leopard winners Films with screenplays by Terry Southern Films directed by Aram Avakian 1970s English-language films American comedy-drama films 1970s American films

Plot

Cast

Reception

See also

References

External links