I thought the preacher was a trip, and extremely creepy, especially the way he flicked his tongue at the snake. Was he based on Charlie? Charles Manson was in the news when this movie was being made. The Manson Family lived in Death Valley.
Whaddaya think?
We got a job.
What kind?
...The Forever Kind.
The counterculture era (later 1960's and 1970's) was a time of spiritual awakening and experimentation.
Some of that experimentation took the form of Far Eastern religions, like the Beatles visiting the Maharishi in India, or the Hare Krishnas, or Zen Buddhism, and sadly sometimes it became sinister and evil cults like Charles Manson's, or Jim Joneses.
However, in the USA most of it was in the classic Protestant Christian tradition, with "Jesus Freaks", "Born Agains", and the like. Popular songs of the time had titles like "Spirit In The Sky", and "Jesus Is Just Alright". Or think of movies like "Jesus Christ Superstar" and "Godspell", released at about the same time as Vanishing Point.
This movie was definitely a journey into the counterculture, all new and exciting and strange to the average viewer at the time, including me.
Many metaphors, so I thought possibly Manson. Excellent reply. Thanks.
We got a job.
What kind?
...The Forever Kind.