Central Cinema Waterford, Tuesday 18th June at 7:30pm to 11pm
Dennis Hopper had a multi-faceted career that spanned over five decades. He started acting alongside James Dean in the 50s.
50 years ago in 1969 he made his directorial debut with ‘Easy Rider’ which he co-wrote with Peter Fonda (who also produced it) and Terry Southern.
The film follows two bikers travelling across the American Southwest and South to the Mardi Gras festival in New Orleans. They have smuggled cocaine from Mexico and sold it in LA for lots of money which they have stashed in the fuel tank.
The film helped kickstart the New Hollywood era of filmmaking.
Hopper followed up with ‘The Last Movie’ in 1971. This effectively put an end to his directing career in Hollywood. In 1980 he was given the chance to direct again when he took over the production of ‘Out of the Blue’, a Canadian production in which he stars as an ex-con father. Hopper completely rewrote the script and made it his own.
The result is surely his most accomplished film as well as one of his finest and most unhinged performances.
Hopper plays Don Barnes, a trucker released from prison who attempts to piece his life and family together while battling the bottle and the repercussions of a tragedy, which still festers like an open wound. His wife Kathy (Sharon Farrell) is scraping by as a waitress, shooting smack and fooling around with his former “best friend” Charlie (Don Gordon). The Barnes’ teenage daughter Cebe (Linda Manz) in an unforgettable and star-making role) is running wild, obsessed with Elvis, punk rock and CB radio.
BYOBS event (beverages and snacks).
Schedule:
7:30pm to 9:05pm – Easy Rider
9:10pm to 10:40pm – Out of the Blue
Central Cinema Waterford, 123A Parade Quay, Waterford.