Dennis Hopper RIP

[DavidM]

I just saw this on the BBC news page. I imagine there are some fans, or people with thoughts about him, here.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment_and_arts/10191448.stm

I always liked the soundtrack that was put together for his film "The Hotspot" which featured Miles Davis, Taj Mahal and John Lee Hooker all playing together pretty smoothly (or so it seems to me).

[EleanorT]

Gosh I think it was last Monday night in Paris that I was watching on tele a documentary all about him and his films.

[DavidM]

Here's a bit of that soundtrack;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Asq4r42zwk&feature=related

[Des]

Hopper has left life's Big Brother house, so here are his best bits. Well, his performance in Blue Velvet that is. Chilling.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqJgJtcZQHQ

[Hugh Weldon]

Des

Chilling

Indeed, but I always wondered what Roy Orbison made of it.

[Adam Blake]

I'm sorry the old bastard's dead but I'm glad he didn't have to hang around for years getting sicker and sicker.

Good choice, Des, but this was always my favourite bit of Hopper. This could be some kind of epitaph for him now, I suppose.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TAixFYnDh4

I think his best film as a director and as an actor is "Out Of The Blue" which has been almost completely forgotten. It's the kind of film America would prefer to forget, I'm sure. I found the trailer on YouTube. It's a pretty crappy trailer ("The Easy Rider for the 80s" it surely was not) but it gives you a flavour:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgR_LUmf4vs

[NormanD]

Anyone remember "Paris Trout"? A role that seemed ideal for him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1vS35xASvU

The original novel is excellent, written by Pete Dexter (a resident of Whidbey Island. Ring any bells Jonathan?)

[Adam Blake]

Anyone remember "Paris Trout"?

Of course, another classic monster. He was so good at playing monsters and psychos, it's a shame he didn't get a chance to do much else - although he's great playing comedy in "Flashback". I'd love to have seen him play Shakespeare: Prince Hal, say, or Enobarbus, or Fool in Lear.
Hey-ho...

[jackdaw version]

. . . The original novel is excellent, written by Pete Dexter (a resident of Whidbey Island. Ring any bells Jonathan?)

No bells rung — but you can bet I'll be looking around. Thanks for the tip.

[jackdaw version]

Apparently known as "Pete" hereabouts in the library system. Paris Trout, the book, is on its way. Paris Trout, the film, is not to be found on DVD.

I liked the title of this other book by Pate Dexter, Paper trails : true stories of confusion, mindless violence, and forbidden desires, a surprising number of which are not about marriage — a title that might well have suited both Dennis Hopper's life and his oeuvre. It's also on its way from the library.

[NormanD]

...an aside on Pete Dexter. The first, and my favourite, was one of his that my brother gave me as a Christmas present, "Deadwood". How many years has he known me, I thought, and he's giving me a cowboy book??!! It's the story of Wild Bill & Calam, and the OK caboodle. Fantastic. Due for a re-read soon.

And feeling obliged to get back to Mr Hopper, wasn't there some discussion on him here not that long ago - maybe when his cancer was first diagnosed as untreatable? He'd become a far-rightist, hadn't he? Possibly the result of a drug-addled earlier life. And a half-decent photographer.

[jackdaw version]

I can't claim to know all that much about Mr. Hopper — but certainly an interesting life with a variety of side trips taken. If you ever watch the 1 Giant Leap film, which I recommend, there's a sequence with him that includes the arrival and admittance to his ever-so cool pad in which he then makes various mystical remarks. There's also a semi-hilarious series of shots with him and Dean Stockwell discussing the LA modern art scene of the 1960s in Cool School. As far as being a far rightist, I have no idea, but we had some mention of him recently due to his wife divorcing him more or less on his death bed and requiring that he abstain from the use of his medicine before visitation with the ever so special child. Here's the topic: viewtopic.php?f=46&t=13529&hilit=Hopper

[john poole]

He'd become a far-rightist, hadn't he? Possibly the result of a drug-addled earlier life. And a half-decent photographer.

He was a Republican, but supported Obama in 2008.
Trivial note - His photography was used on the cover of Ike & Tina Turner's "River Deep, Mountain High" LP.

[NormanD]

He'd become a far-rightist, hadn't he? Possibly the result of a drug-addled earlier life. And a half-decent photographer.

He was a Republican, but supported Obama in 2008.

My apologies for maligning him. I should have said "rightist" (NRA supporter, etc). I stand by "drug-addled".

"The American Friend" suited him very well, it's a great film and I've seen it a few times. I was never convinced that Tom Ripley would have gone around wearing a cowboy hat, however. I don't think that Patricia Highsmith was overly struck by his interpretation.

[garth cartwright]

Easy Rider still stands up pretty well, doesn't it? I haven't watched it for a few years but must do so again. I thought about it a lot when I was traversing the US. I guess its ending with murderous hillbillies played to hippie sentiment but had a grain of truth in it. Isn't Phil Spector in the film - trying the coke? The great Karen Black is there as one of the hookers and Jack Nicholson has never been better.

Judith, would you be willing to share any thoughts on this film? I'm guessing you saw it when first released and maybe even knew some of the people in it.

I've never seen The Last Movie. Did see Out Of The Blue in the 80s and it was very grim - seem to recall it had Neil Young's Rust Never Sleeps as soundtrack. Colors - which he wrote and directed but didn't act in - was rubbish. I can watch ad's for police brutality if they're well written and directed ala Dirty Harry or Lethal Weapon but this wasn't even up to a TV movie. Good Ice-T title tune tho'.

He seemed to settle into being a psycho-for-rent from then on. I was never that keen on Blue Velvet as a film - I'm just not a David Lynch fan - but no doubt his performance was what made that film a hit. He was good in River's Edge as a one legged biker with a blow up doll for company. Speed saw him doing his act by numbers. Can't recall if I saw anything else with him in. Oh, Apocalypse Now - he's doing his Easy Rider character, just older and weirder. Quite enjoyed him in that.

By the sounds of it a dreadful person to deal with - he handcuffed the lovely Michelle Phillips to the stove for the duration of their brief marriage! At the last US election he declared he had voted Republican all his life but now so wanted Obama to win he was voting for him. Much to the derision of James Woods, Jon Voight and other Hollywood rightwingers.

Oh, I recently watched Not Quite Hollywood, a doc on the Oz B-movie industry in the 70s - Dennis went out there to star in some Oz Western in the mid-70s and by all accounts was even wilder than the guys making those crazy films. Like Iggy, DH was one of those American characters who seem to be able to push themselves to extremes and then settle back and live a normal, comfortable life with no evident damage showing.