Monte Hellman is dead at 91, and if that name means nothing to you, "The Shooting" is streaming on HBO Max and "Ride in the Whirlwind" is on the Criterion Channel and iTunes. Shot back to back in 1966 with a young Jack Nicholson, they& #39;re masterpieces at the dawn of indie cinema.

And, yes, he made "Two-Lane Blacktop" (1971), the rare drag race movie to co-star a Beach Boy (Dennis Wilson) and a pre-"Fire and Rain" James Taylor.

I have also been gently reminded that Hellman used Warren Oates better than any director outside of Sam Peckinpah, notably in "Cockfighter" (1974) -- available on Prime Video, so what are you waiting for?