Dennis Hopper's "The Last Movie" (1971)

[MrGregoryArkadin]

 

Arguably the most misunderstood and maligned film of the past 50 years, Dennis Hopper's followup to the smash hit "Easy Rider" has never seen a proper release in any format besides a small run of VHS tapes in the early 1990's. This is a film which had classic filmmakers like Nicholas Ray and Alejandro Jodorowsky assist in the editing process, where other classic filmmakers like Samuel Fuller and Henry Jaglom acted, and the film also influenced the cinema giant Orson Welles to push his work further which lead to works like "F For Fake" and the also unreleased "The Other Side of the Wind" (in which Hopper acts, playing himself in a party scene that is oddly reminiscent of a party scene in "The Last Movie" itself.)

 

 

This is a film that won the Critic's Prize at the Venice Film Festival in 1971 but tanked once released to the public (mostly do to a nearly invisible marketing campaign). Dennis Hopper had re obtained rights to the film in late 2009, but passed away before fulfilling his intention. Either love it or hate it, it's influence cannot be denied. This is a film that deserves a proper release, and with enough support maybe we can make that happen.

 

 

 

 

http://www.change.org/petitions/the-criterion-collection-oscilloscope-laboratories-blue-underground-release-dennis-hoppers-motion-picture-the-last-movie

[RowanMartin68]

I totally agree.. I wish Glory Stompers would get a proper Dvd release as well.

[RowanMartin68]

I wish tcm would show glory stompers and the last movie on tcm underground. that would be a good night