Friday, June 3, 2005 | 4:58 a.m.
WEEKEND EDITION
June 4-5, 2005
What: "Land of the Dead," featuring Dennis Hopper.
Where: Brenden Theatres at the Palms.
When: 7:30 p.m. June 18.
Information: www.cinevegas.com.
Dennis Hopper's first credited screen role was in 1955's "Rebel Without a Cause."
In many ways, the film's title fits the actor-filmmaker, who has often maintained a rebel status -- at least by mainstream Hollywood standards.
His maverick approach to filmmaking, which produced the landmark "Easy Rider" in 1969, nearly destroyed his career in 1971 with the critically drubbed "The Last Movie," which was quickly yanked from U.S. theaters.
Hopper, however, made a triumphant comeback in the late '80s with a pair of spectacular performances, as the psychotic Frank Booth in "Blue Velvet" and as alcoholic assistant basketball coach Shooter in "Hoosiers."
A new role for Hopper is chairman of the Creative Advisory Board for CineVegas, a title he assumed last year after receiving the festival's Marquee Award in 2003 for lifetime achievement in film.
With Hopper's help, CineVegas was able to honor such big-name stars as Jack Nicholson, Sean Penn and Holly Hunter, and filmmakers such as David Lynch.
This year the honorees include Christopher Walken, Nicolas Cage, Ann-Margret, Samantha Morton, Wim Wenders and George Romero.
With CineVegas opening its nine-day run Friday, the Las Vegas Sun recently spoke to Hopper about his role with the festival, the importance of film festivals to independent filmmakers and if he had any regrets about his film career.
Las Vegas Sun: What does your job as chairman of the Creative Advisory Board for CineVegas entail?
Dennis Hopper: Well, first of all, I really am only involved in helping to find the celebrities we award. Trevor Groth is the one that really selects the films and Robin Greenspun and Danny Greenspun are the ones who really are doing the festival. And my daughter, Ruthanna, is assisting Trevor Groth. So I really am involved only in the celebrity hunt to find the ones who we're going to reward and honor.
This year we have Nicolas Cage, we have Ann-Margaret for the 100th anniversary of Vegas, and we have Chris Walken, Samantha Morton, Wim Wenders, George Romero. We're also premiering "Land of the Dead," which is a film that I'm in that Mark Canton made and is George Romero's fourth zombie movie. That's the job that I'm involved in.
Sun: How do you decide whom to honor?
DH: We basically award the ones I think are worthy. And hopefully they're available to come up. Some of them aren't, so we switch things around. But generally, people are responding very positively. A lot of people are working that time of year. But Chris Walken and Nicolas Cage are finding time to break free.
Sun: Are you and CineVegas primarily honoring those actors, actresses and filmmakers you know?
DH: I know them (or) I may only admire them. Samantha Morton I don't know, but I certainly enjoy her work. That's primarily what it's based on, the work.
Sun: I read a quote from you that after attending CineVegas, you'd never seen a film festival that compares to it. What is it about the film festival that makes it so unique?
DH: Well, I just thought it was so convenient for Hollywood. There's no place you can give a better party or better anything than Vegas. Vegas is everything you want that is good about every city and bad about every city, and there's just more of it than any other place. (Laughs) It's just a wonderful place, especially for those of us who don't gamble. It's the greatest playground in the world.
Sun: Is that why Las Vegas has become so popular with filmmakers?
DH: It's such an exciting destination. I can't think of any place in the United States that is as exciting, really. And it's all new, and it's newer and newer every time you go. Steve Wynn has opened up his Wynn Las Vegas. It just gets better and better as time goes on.
Sun: I heard a story that during last year's CineVegas you were rooting against the Los Angeles Lakers in the finals so that (Laker fan) Jack Nicholson, who was being honored with a lifetime achievement award, would come to the festival. Is that true?
DH: I heard that rumor. (Laughs) I don't think it was me personally, but there was certainly people in my camp who were doing that, I do believe.
It was wonderful that he came. And Sean Penn and Robin Wright came to the festival last year and we're going to have a great one this year.
Sun: To have the caliber of celebrities you bring to CineVegas, that must help the festival.
DH: It's such an obvious festival. And Danny and Robin Greenspun really love movies and care about movies and there's nobody better than Trevor Groth to find the movies. And to find movies that need distribution, that are really quality films, what a worthy cause that is. I just think that it's so close and so wonderful, that it should be a major festival, and it's beginning to go that way.
Sun: How important are independent film festivals to Hollywood?
DH: It's certainly important for business. Everybody in Hollywood goes to Cannes now to buy and sell their product. And I hope that that transfers to Las Vegas. It's certainly a lot closer.
Sun: "Easy Rider" was one of the first independent films to be released and was extremely profitable. What kind of impact has the film had on independent filmmakers?
DH: I think it shows that you can go out and make a film if you just have determination. We made it, I think, for $320,000. At that time the low-budget film in Hollywood was $1.2 million. The low-budget film in Hollywood now is $5 million.
We now have DVD and video and all kinds of different venues to show and digitally realize our projects. You could do a a digital film or video film for probably around $10,000-$15,000 and probably blow it up to 35 mm for $140,000. Surely we'll have digital theaters soon. So all of this is a very positive thing, (for) young filmmakers to be able to make films.
Sun: So you're a fan of digital cinema?
DH: I'm a fan of anybody who can realize their projects and not spend millions and millions of dollars doing it, because it just eliminates a lot of us from ever being able to make a film or to make feature stories and project them. The digital world and video world has certainly opened that up to a lot of people.
That doesn't mean everybody can make a great movie. Everybody has a still camera and digital camera, too, and it doesn't mean they take great pictures. But it does mean that it gives the opportunity to those who didn't have the opportunity before to be able to perform.
Sun: Two years ago your film "The Last Movie" played at CineVegas. It has since played in other film festivals. Considering the film nearly ruined your career, is the sudden interest in "The Last Movie" vindication?
DH: It's been a long time. It's playing tonight. The Classic Film Series is playing it at the Playboy Mansion tonight. It's been playing all over Europe and in museums. It's nice to have it seen again.
I've always liked it and I still like it. I never had a problem with the film. (Laughs)
Sun: In the book "Easy Riders, Raging Bulls" there's the assertion that unexpected blockbusters, such as "Jaws" and "Star Wars," changed the studio mentality from making thoughtful, personal films to effects-driven spectacles for the masses. Considering your background as an independent filmmaker, do you lament the direction Hollywood took?
DH: I don't know because I was already blacklisted by that time. "Easy Rider" came out in '69 and I went away and did "The Last Movie," which I'd written with Stewart Stern before that. And ... Universal refused to distribute my film. So in 1971, before any of those films came out, I was already finished. I didn't direct another movie until 10-12 years later.
(George) Lucas and Francis (Ford Coppola) and (Steven) Spielberg all came in after I'd finished my career.
Sun: Do you have any regrets about your film career?
DH: I have regrets that I didn't go on and be able to make films and join the big-boys club, after certainly showing a most promising beginning and winning the Venice Film Festival and winning best new director at the Cannes Film Festival for "Easy Rider."
Sun: I read a story that said you're scheduled to appear at the James Dean Fest this weekend in his hometown of Marion, Ind.
DH: I am? No, I'm not going. But I certainly honor James Dean. I've just never been to his home in Indiana. Even when I made "Hoosiers" there, I just didn't go.
He's certainly the best actor that I ever saw work. I watched him work in his last two films ... "Rebel Without a Cause" and "Giant." It was the last year of his life (and) I was with him almost every day.
Sun: Did he have an impact on you?
DH: Oh yeah, he had a tremendous impact on me. His death had a tremendous impact on me, as did a lot of people.
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