Dennis Hopper (1936-2010)

Amongst the biggest news from this Memorial Day weekend was that Dennis Hopper, the actor, director, photographer and general iconoclast, had died at his home in Los Angeles due to complications related to prostate cancer. There have been many great tributes around the internet and the world to the life and career of this "American original" (I hate that cliché, but it's very applicable here) but I will try to remember or celebrate Hopper here because of his roles in two of my favorite films of all-time: Easy Rider and Blue Velvet.

As a great lover and admirer of Kerouac, it definitely makes sense that Easy Rider would rank high on my list of favorite films. Hopper, both as director and starring alongside Peter Fonda, did a good job of internalizing and encapsulating the rebellion and the energy that began with On The Road and moved it forward, into something new and different. In that sense, I think that Easy Rider is much closer to Kerouac's vision than something like The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, or the exploits of Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters that was documented in that book. But Hopper directed one of the best films of all time in Easy Rider, and one that also featured one of (if not the) greatest soundtracks of all time. That Hopper was responsible for this American cinematic masterpiece places him amongst the titans of Hollywood and should secure a spot in the minds and hearts of all fans of film.

In addition to his role acting and directing Easy Rider, Hopper could also be seen in other landmark films such as Rebel Without a Cause (in a very small capacity, but he's there), Cool Hand Luke, True Grit, Apocalypse Now and Hoosiers. But, at least in my opinion, his greatest acting role came in 1986 with his performance as Frank Booth in David Lynch's masterpiece Blue Velvet. This film served as Hopper's comeback in Hollywood, as he had fallen victim to drugs and alcohol to such a degree that he had disappeared completely off the Hollywood map until Lynch picked him to play the nitrous-oxide inhaling, obscenity shouting, sexual deviant whirlwind of energy and evil at the heart of Blue Velvet. The legend goes that, after reading the script for Blue Velvet, he called David Lynch and said "I have to play Frank Booth because I am Frank Booth!" But, whether or not that was true, Hopper was cast as Booth and  did his part by playing one of the most menacing and terrifying characters in all of film. Watching Blue Velvet for the first time this past year, I couldn't help but notice the menacing energy that Hopper brought to Frank's character, and how that fear and terror he brings drives the film. I also rank Blue Velvet amongst my favorite films of all time, and it is due in no small part to Hopper's terrifying violent and brutal performance. So as we remember the late Dennis Hopper, I'll share with you my favorite scene from Blue Velvet that features Hopper, including a, shall I say, ringing endorsement for one of my favorite kinds of beer (Be warned: this is incredibly profane and NSFW in any capacity. But you should still watch it).  Feel free to share and Dennis Hopper-related thoughts or opinions, and let's remember the life and career of this great actor, director and, above all, original.