Hamilton Lake
I don't watch a lot of documentaries, but that might change after seeing this one. I knew going in that it was about Dennis Hopper, and didn't know anything other than that. I thought that was all I needed to know. But it's not a typical interview documentary where they talk to some people, have some narration, then repeat it all over again. This is engaging and entertaining. It tells a story and uses techniques that I have not previously seen in documentaries, but which seem obvious in retrospect. I appreciated what I saw, and I recommend this film to anyone who even has a mild interest in Dennis Hopper, or even if you just have a couple hours to kill.
deltablues-06321
Great insight and stories of the amazing Dennis Hopper from his wing-man, Satya De La Manitou
A must see for any Hopper fan.
He's missed beyond words.
Well done, Satya!
awakeinreality
There are a few Dennis Hopper documentaries, I have seen some great ones. This one is ultimately different though as it's about Hopper by way of his PA, friend and confidant, Satya de la Manitou.
Manitou speaks candidly but always with love and respect of some of what he experienced in the rise, "sleeping" and rise again of Hopper's life and career from Easy Rider and his black balling from Hollywood in making "The Last Movie" to his last days and utimely death. Just like in "The Last Movie", Hopper's career refused to die.This documentary explores some of his private life, haunts, fellow actors and friends that shared experiences with Dennis.
Manitou has a very deep love for Hopper which is beautifully apparent, but never shys away from telling it how it was.
Some of Hopper's most influential films as a director and actor are looked at uniquely and cements his impact on American counterculture, the movie world and in history.Beautifully shot, scored and edited this film is worthy of anyone being a fan of Hopper,film or sociology for that matter.Rebel, Icon and outlaw, Hopper may be never intended to be any of those, but he definitely was.
Binkconn
The prime of Hollywood icon and iconoclast Dennis Hopper finally gets the examination it deserves with this documentary, narrated by Hopper's longtime friend Satya De La Manitou. I had the honor of seeing the film at a screening at the Jean Cocteau Cinema in Santa Fe with Mr. Manitou and Dennis' brother in attendance. Focusing primarily on the period of his post-Easy Rider success as he attempted to direct his avant-garde film The Last Movie in Peru, the doc. offers wonderful circa-1970 footage of Peru and its people as well as of Taos, New Mexico, where Hopper lived and edited the footage. The film also explores his post-drug burnout/Hollywood exile and resurgence years with interesting, often hilarious tales from shoots in Australia, on Apocalypse Now and Wim Wender's The American Friend. While the film sometimes gets a little overdone in the self-congratulatory reminisces of Hollywood bigwigs and the footage of Satya himself gets over-elevated to mythic proportions, the footage of Hopper himself as a man and actor, combating his demons while trying to make authentic art , is what makes this film fascinate and well worth seeing.
AD
