Maybe you didn't like their characters (probably because you don't understand or empathize with such people), but that doesn't make the acting bad.
~ Observe, and act with clarity. ~

Both Mark Frechette & Daria Halprin went on to pan & berate the movie after it was released, oddly enough. Frechette in particular did not get along with director Antonioni at all and was very unsatisfied with the final result. Halprin seemed to like the director better, but was also unimpressed with the movie itself. Here is a very awkward interview with the both of them on the Dick Cavett show. Mark Frechette was really wrapped up in a cult leader of the time, Mel Lyman, and even got Daria involved with the cult for a short while as well, since they had become close after making the movie with one another. In the interview, Frechette is bent on promoting his cult leader, which is one of the reasons he & Antonioni did not get along very well. Daria eventually got out of the cult & distanced herself from it, while Mark met his unfortunate demise. Google or wikipedia "mark frechette" for the whole story.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jyzFfrtLRk
|{(V)
I can't understand your crazy moon language.

I honestly don't care at all about them being unknown they were lousy actors. Then again, the script was a travesty in itself so it's not like they had any impressive material to work with.
Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose.

That was really good, but the opening scene with the radicals was interesting, and the scene when they are driving along in the city looking at billboards and such is really cool the way it is edited with the music.
I agree though that there is a lot of the movie that is fairly weak.
See a list of my favourite films here: http://www.flickchart.com/slackerinc

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The only thing that made this movie for me was the Death Valley scenery. Everything else, except for some of the music, was not very interesting at all.

They do get by just barely. The fact that much of this is without dialogue helps. I like the fact that both leads were pretty much unknown, before and after this film. And after watching this, I'm not surprised about the "after."

I think that they get by, in a way that a star couldn't.

They were both non professionals making their acting debuts. In fact I think this is the only film they ever starred in.
http://most-underrated-movies.blogspot.com/

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