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Dennis Hopper (1936-2010)




Filmography

The Trip (1967) uncredited: second unit director - MGM Midnite Movies Double Feature with Psych-Out (R1)

Easy Rider (1969) Sony DVD/BD (R1) Criterion DVD/BD (part of the BBS Story)

The Last Movie (1971)

Out of the Blue (1980) OOP Anchor Bay (R1)

Colors (1988) MGM (R1)

Catchfire / Backtrack (1990) Lionsgate (R1)

The Hot Spot (1990) MGM (R1)

Chasers (1994) Warner (R1)

Homeless (2000)


Forum Discussions

Easy Rider Criterion BBS Story


Web Resources

Easy Rider: 35 Years Later - Laszlo Kovacs on the 35th anniversary of Easy Rider - Bob Fisher (MovieMaker, 2004)

Dennis Hopper's The Last Movie: The Film That Buried a Visionary - JP (The Selvedge Yard, 2009)

The Last Movie - Brandon (Deeper into Movies, 2010)

The American Dreamer - Rudy Hatfield (Mondo Video, 2011)

Out of the Blue - Alfred Chamberlain (Blastitude)

Out of the Blue - Dorothy Woodend (The Tyee, 2010)


Publications

Dennis Hopper & the New Hollywood - Orlean, Thoret, Marcade, Evil (Flammarion, 2010)

You might also want to include relevant DVD information for each of Hopper's films.

Mr Sausage wrote:You might also want to include relevant DVD information for each of Hopper's films.

Will do. Hope I can add The Last Movie's dvd info soon (hint hint Criterion):).

The other day, I read the Rolling Stone article about his last days. Quite sad stuff, as his madness appeared to rear some of it's ugly head before he died. Some good stuff from Nicholson about him and the funeral. Went a little into detail about the whole mess that started when he said on Leno that Rip Torn pulled the knife on him, and how it turned out what actually happened was that Dennis was the one wielding the knife.

Does anyone with knowledge of rights know who, if anyone has Out of the Blue? I know after the Anchor Bay dvd went oop, there has been alot of public domain type releases, so any help would be great. Thanks.

I think only Sanctuary Digital Entertainment's release is 16:9 anamorphic

*CG* wrote:Does anyone with knowledge of rights know who, if anyone has Out of the Blue? I know after the Anchor Bay dvd went oop, there has been alot of public domain type releases, so any help would be great. Thanks.

There is a producer who does. Cinefamily had to arrange with him to screen it as part of the Hopper series. Definitely not PD. I think he is hoping to finally get a DVD out since Hopper died.

Thanks to the both of you all. Really the most important release would of course be The Last Movie FINALLY getting a dvd release, but Out of the Blue, to me, is his best film and one of my fav films.

Adam wrote:There is a producer who does. Cinefamily had to arrange with him to screen it as part of the Hopper series. Definitely not PD. I think he is hoping to finally get a DVD out since Hopper died.

Hmmm, I wonder if he is trying for a new dvd release. I sure hope. And since this is a Criterion forum, it would sure look good in a loaded C blu.

Also, I have seen on a couple of sites, that Out of the Blue was screened in the UK edited. And then goes on to say, "All releases (I guess meaning dvds) are of the edited version". So it got me wondering, is the 94 min version we all have must of seen is an "edited" and is there actually a longer cut?

Any thoughts on The Hot Spot? I was thrilled to discover that right after the blandly efficient Colors finally gave him public clout as a director again, Hopper churned out this bizarre and beautiful mess* that operates on a completely different level than any other post-70s neo-noir I've seen (most of which I find positively nauseating [Body Heat and The Last Seduction in particular]). The way it was marketed as some steamy sex-romp (by Hopper himself, no less) seems misleading, as the sex scenes often come off like surreal parodies (that quarry session?) and not really sexy at all. Gloria's flashbacks (/nude Connelly) are presented in an oddly deadpan fashion without sound that collides unsettlingly with their lurid subject matter, like a conscious reversal or modification (still tits, after all, and quite brazenly displayed) of the sensationalism of the film's overriding aesthetic (specifically the blunt colour-coding -- Dolly's bold reds and blacks v. Gloria's virginal whites and nondescript greys). Visually, there are some very interesting things done with perspective and focus during the prolonged sequences at the used car lot, with Hopper constantly placing Connelly in the deep background (her office is across the parking lot from Don Johnson's Harry Madox) and around the peripherals of the frame, and repeated use is made of a Coca-Cola mural displaying a blonde bombshell that seems to deliberately thrust Madsen's presence into scenes where she is absent (this image in particular has stayed with me, and lemme throw this one in just for the hell of it). William Sadler and Jack Nance are allowed to go nuts and they make the most of it.

* I wish I could put this in the context of Backtrack, but I have yet to see it.

Anthology Film Archives is screening a NEW 35mm print of Hopper's Out of the Blue this weekend (starting tonight), and Criterion tweeted about it. Might just be to pimp out Criterion's/Linda Manz comparison to Days of Heaven, since there tweet seems to reference Malick's film, but not Hoppers', even though it's for Hoppers'. Here is the tweet:

If you're in NYC, check out @AnthologyFilm's revival of a rarity starring DAYS OF HEAVEN's Linda Manz!

Adam wrote:There is a producer who does. Cinefamily had to arrange with him to screen it as part of the Hopper series. Definitely not PD. I think he is hoping to finally get a DVD out since Hopper died.

I think the producer is John Alan Simon of Disovery Productions (he is being thanked on the new print).

^^^ It starts this weekend but Anthology is showing it all through the week until Thursday 6/9. I'm definitely going to try to catch me a double-feature of "Out of the Blue" and some random Renee Daalder flick.

^ I wonder if John Simon, the producer, will be there answering questions and such one night. I hope this new transfer gets a dvd/blu release by someone.

I finally saw "Out of the Blue" Monday night at the Anthology warehouse. I have a lot of problems with this movie. It's hilarious but also extremely nihilistic (which cancel each other out), appropriate since this is Hopper helming his first flick in almost 10 years during his dark post-"Last Movie" period. Linda Marz is never less than riveting to watch through, and her performance alone is worth seeing the movie for. Her awkward voice and tomboyish acts of rebellion, survival and ultimately of escape from her dead-end cycle of life/death/abuse both felt real but also mannered. Since CeBe is living in her own realm the self-conscious performance by Marz actually works out to the character's (and this the movie's) advantage. For a movie about punk rock there's very little of it on "Out of the Blue" (Elvis songs and that one Neil Young tune take the lion's share of heard tunes) but Marz perfectly captures the brewing spirit of simmering resentment at life that feeds into punk youth mindsets from this era. It's the second best child performance of 1980 (after "The Shining's" Danny Lloyd) and wisely Dennis gives himself second-billing to let Marz hug the spotlight. When Hopper turns the nasty on though (especially during the beer-spilling scene) he's equally intense. Very uneven supporting cast though (including an out-of-nowhere small role for Raymund Burr) though at least Sharon Farrell tries to keep up with her co-stars. A confining low budget and the most shocking use of a school bus full of children as a plot device (makes the accident scene in "The Sweet Hereafter's" look tame) give the flick an aura of counter-cultural relevance it couldn't otherwise afford. Me? I was the only one in the theater who apparently didn't see the ending coming; my outloud 'Oh My God!' spoken reaction of shock made those around me laugh. Takes all types of viewers, right?

^The only reason Raymund Burr was even in the film was because before Hopper took over, the film was suppose to have Raymund Burr's character as the lead. Raymund Burr's role quickly was downsized and I don't think Hopper even wanted him in the film. Anyways, fun fact, Raymund Burr still thought he was the lead up until he finally saw the final film.


Now to this "New print", I hope that this gets a new dvd/blu release. With The Last Movie not seeing any light of day in the near future, this is one I am really wanting to see get re-released.

Has anyone ever heard of John Alan Simon or Disovery Productions/Discovery Films (the distributors of Out of the Blue) and if I can get contact info (e-mail) to see if a new release is being worked on?

I saw a really bad quality copy of Out of the Blue last year but I really loved it. It captures a feeling for wayward lives and disappointments, assembling a myriad of low-key setpieces that in sum create a dramatic payoff that is so intense but also incredibly surprising when it does hit you. Linda Manz's performance is a marvel, she understands her character so well.

"Dennis Hopper and his Russian Dynamite Death Chair Act" Video Footage Included

Hopper Fans! If any of you want to sign this petition I've got going I'd be really grateful.

MrGregoryArkadin wrote:Hopper Fans! If any of you want to sign this petition I've got going I'd be really grateful.

Signed. For anyone interested, it's a petition for The Last Movie.

Does anyone have his interview in Cahiers Du Cinema?

It's referenced on his Wikipedia page as: Interview in Cahiers du Cinema (Paris), July–August 1980

I can't find it online anywhere, any help would be much appreciated!

Thanks!

This interview clip with Jim Jarmusch is directly relevant to the topic at hand.

(Coincidentally, just finished watching "Rebel Without a Cause" for the first time, where Hopper's mostly silent part is due to his having his dialogue cut after getting in scuffles with Ray over Ray's romance with Natalie Wood, who Hopper was dating at the time.)

Facebook page for Out of the Blue ran by Discovery Productions

We look forward to bringing Out Of The Blue to a whole new generation of movie-goers.

Despite Out Of The Blue premiering at Cannes, as an official entry in 1980, Dennis Hopper’s Out Of The Blue was sitting on the shelf when John Alan Simon rescued it, got the rights to distribute and along with Dennis, took it on the road. It played successfully at art house cinemas all across the US, breaking records in many of them.

We were very grateful and pleased by the earlier collaboration of the Cinematheque Francaise for the 35mm restoration of Dennis Hopper's Out of the Blue, allowing the movie to screen as a special event at cinemas all over the world.


Discovery Productions, Inc. (John Alan Simon and Elizabeth Karr) plans now to undertake a 4K digital restoration of this landmark film. - so that we can make it available to a whole new generation of cinema audiences. Because Out Of The Blue exists only as a 35mm print, its audience has been limited to those who are fortunate enough to see it in a theatre like BFI, Cinemateque, Anthology Film Archives, The Roxie, Metrograph and other art house / indie cinemas.


As on the previous successful 35mm restoration, Robert Harris has been kind enough to offer his advice and expertise to us in this process - Robert is currently working with the Cinematheque on the much more difficult digital restoration of Abel Gance's Napoleon - and we are already benefiting from this learning curve. Other of his restorations include Lawrence of Arabia and Rear Window.

We’re excited to embark on this journey and would like you come along with us for the ride.

Slightly concerning if it literally "exists only as a 35mm print". What happened to the earlier generations?

Calvin wrote:Facebook page for Out of the Blue ran by Discovery Productions

Slightly concerning if it literally "exists only as a 35mm print". What happened to the earlier generations?

It's awkwardly phrased, but the producers mean that it's never existed in DCP form. I saw a new 35mm print struck from the original camera negative a few years ago at the Cinefamily in Los Angeles, and it looked terrific.

I saw Out of the Blue on an old ass DVD after reading Jon Rosenbaum's effusive praise for it. It's really weird at points but I remember liking it quite a bit.