What are they gonna say about him? What are they gonna say? That he was a kind man? That he was a wise man? That he had plans, man? That he had wisdom? Bullshit, man!
– Dennis Hopper, Apocalypse Now
If I were to make a short list of the most important or influential films of all time Easy Rider would certainly be on it. It was a film for an entire generation, a film for the counter culture. Its success ushered in a new era in which the studios allowed a new type of filmmaker to take over Hollywood. If Easy Rider had been the only film Dennis Hopper had directed and starred in that would have been enough to make him a legend.
Luckily it wasn’t. He went on to become one of the most interesting and risk taking actors of his generation. His presence in a scene would always add a raw energy that would change a films entire dynamic. Take Speed for example. What should have been just an average action movie villain turned into an obsessive, funny madman. Other than his performance in The American Friend and a scene stealing role in Apocalypse Now, Hopper fell on hard times in the late 70’s and early 80’s. However, in 1986 he had possibly the greatest acting comeback of all time. He was nominated for an Oscar for Hoosiers. It was a beautiful role that mirrored his own personal life, playing a struggling drunk who finds redemption being an assistant basketball coach. But the other role he had that year might be his greatest and one of the greatest performances ever – Frank Booth. The Blue Velvet villain is one of the most psychotic characters ever put on screen.
If you want to see a great example of Hoppers talent, just watch his scene with Christopher Walken in True Romance. It is a brilliant face off between two amazing actors. In the scene tables are turned again and again and Hopper goes through every type of emotion, knowing his fate and knowing he must protect his son.
So tonight go drink a Pabst Blue Ribbon in honor of one of the all time greats.
What a Crappy Time To Be Alive! 