The American Dreamer
May 31st, 2010 by Glendyn
Sad to hear that Dennis Hopper has passed away. I’ve seen a bunch of Dennis Hopper films but the one that will stay with me will always be Easy Rider. I saw it when I was 19 years old on VHS. There was something about that film which really clicked with me. I’m sure alot of the American counter culture flew over my head, but the sense of adventure struck deep. It inspired my early love of travel and in particular hitch-hiking. I went on many hitch-hiking journeys with a dubbed VHS copy of Easy Rider in my bag as good luck charm.
While at university I found a book of photographs by Dennis Hopper . In the front of the book he wrote an introduction telling a story of when he was a kid he drank petrol, stared at the sun and went blind for a couple of weeks. He went on to discuss how this had altered the way he would ‘see the world’ for ever. That story has always stayed with me too. Crazy.
In looking through a bunch of a YouTube clips I found some snippets from a film called The American Dreamer. I have never seen this film, but it looks to be a pretty cool ‘behind the scenes’ of Hoppers follow up to Easy Rider a film called ‘The Last Movie‘. I’m going to try and track down a copy because it looks pretty promising. (Bit’s of this clip look like a whole heap like another film I love. But thats a whole other post…)
What was your favourite Dennis Hopper film? He directed, produced, starred and featured in over 200 of them!
- 7 Comments »
- Posted in Inspiration, Of Interest?
June 1st, 2010 at 8:37 am
He was so good in Blue Velvet!
June 1st, 2010 at 9:22 am
I watched the ‘oxygen mask’ scene from Blue Velvet yesterday. It’s so crazy. I guess if you get Lynch and Hopper working on a scene like that, it’s going to get weird at some point. I wonder why they never worked together again?
June 1st, 2010 at 11:10 am
Easy Rider. EASY RIDER. There was electricity in that film. Finding out he passed away was a terrible way to start the day…but we flew kites on a deserted beach at sunset and it reminded me of how I felt watching Dennis and Peter cruise down that open highway. And how I longed for that sense of freedom. He’s not really gone (he’s just on another adventure).
June 1st, 2010 at 11:18 am
Hi Ellen, thats a lovely way to think about it. Flying Kites at Sunset, nice! Hopper definitely had a love of the landscape and the faces within in.
June 2nd, 2010 at 3:23 am
interesting to see dennis did a tv film called “the last ride”…
he was fantastic in rumble fish, blue velvet, even speed. i think everyone will agree his crowning jewel was easy rider though.
great blog by the way. always interesting.
June 8th, 2010 at 6:55 am
[...] of Easy Riders… Here are a couple of shots of me on my new ride, an 09 Triumph Thruxton! Photos from a quick [...]
July 5th, 2010 at 2:01 am
Tracks, Mad Dog Morgan, The American Friend are 3 of his best