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Jim Henson's 1986 film "Labyrinth" is a deeply beloved classic among kids of a certain age. It presents the raw sexuality of David Bowie, playing a sexy goblin lord in tights, his bulging package kickstarting millions of kids' puberties. At the beginning of the film, the main character, the 16-year-old Sarah (Jennifer Connelly) wants nothing more than to live in a fantasy world, happy to remain in her pretty-princess phase indefinitely. However, when Bowie's goblin king kidnaps her baby brother Toby (Toby Froud), she learns that living in such a world is wild and off-putting. Most of the film is a random, light adventure, but one scene points out that Sarah is unduly clinging onto her childhood trinkets.

She learns the lesson of I Corinthians 13:11. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man,...

Beyond Fest 2024, the genre film festival based in the United States is returning for its 12th presentation with an 82-feature lineup for 15 days of cinematic spectacle! This year’s celebration includes a killer roster of firsts, special screenings, anticipated reunions, and more fan-favorite filmmakers than most cinephiles could handle for one momentous event! This year’s collection of films and creators is better than ever, so prepare yourself for a gauntlet of big-screen wonders, a popcorn diet, and random encounters with celebrities and fans alike.

Per Beyond Fest’s official press release (with some flavor text sprinkled in):

Beyond Fest, the biggest and highest-attended genre film festival in the US is excited to announce its complete slate of 2024 programming comprising 82 features, including 16 World Premieres, 4 International Premieres, 1 North American Premiere, 3 US Premieres, and 25 West Coast Premieres. After entertaining over 25,000 guests in 2023, Beyond Fest returns for its 12th edition, spanning September 25th – October 9th.

The long-awaited unveiling of Gary Dauberman’s Salem’s Lot, the west coast premiere of Terrifier 3, a 30th anniversary Speed reunion with Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock, and focus on filmmakers Sam Raimi and Shane Black are among the many highlights of the 12th edition of Beyond Fest, which will hit Los Angeles starting Sept. 25.

Other big-name titles include the international premiere of Toho’s My Hero Academia: You’re Next and the west coast premieres of The Brutalist, the immigration thriller that is coming off a Silver Lion award for best director at the Venice Film Festival. Sean Baker’s Palme d’Or winner Anora, Donald Trump origin story The Apprentice, and Marielle Heller’s Nightbitch are also on the docket And there will be the U.S. premiere of Sarah Paulson’s suspense thriller Hold Your Breath.

Billing itself the largest genre film festival in the United States,...

The women of Marvel have famously had entire generations in a chokehold. Scarlett Johansson is the perfect example of this, playing one of the most memorable characters of all time, Black Widow. In her role as Natasha Romanoff, she hypnotized the entire fandom, being gorgeous in every way and badass simultaneously.

Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow | Marvel Studios

While many might think that she was the first to ever grip Marvel fans like this, there was one other actress who had the fandom going crazy. Long before even Robert Downey Jr. walked into the franchise, Jennifer Connelly mesmerized fans with her beauty.

Scarlett Johansson Wasn’t The First To Send Marvel Fans Into a Trance

Over the years, Hollywood has collectively agreed on one thing; Jennifer Connelly is one of the most beautiful people who have ever graced a screen. She has been labeled the childhood crush of anyone who...

NYC Weekend Watch is our weekly round-up of repertory offerings.

Film Forum

An essential retrospective of Ousmane Sembène, featuring 35mm prints and new restorations, has begun, while the 3D classic I, the Jury screens on Friday; Michael Roemer’s great The Plot Against Harry and the Tarantino-presented Winter Kills continue screening on 35mm; Contempt continues in a 4K restoration; four Laurel & Hardy shorts play on Sunday

Paris Theater

The Paris has reopened with a new Dolby Atmos screen and a 70mm series featuring Playtime and Lawrence of Arabia, as well as Sorcerer.

Bam

The Battle of Chile, newly restored, plays in three parts.

Roxy Cinema

A Dennis Hopper series is underway: his great, rarely screened directing efforts Backtrack and The Hot Spot play on 35mm, while a print of Waterworld also screens; The Last Movie shows Sunday.

Museum of Modern Art

A retrospective of the Yugoslav Black Wave is now underway.

The Film

Neo-Noir has always been a sweaty genre. Body Heat, which drips with heat, tension and sex, may be the sweatiest of them all, but The Hot Spot isn’t far behind.

One hot day, Harry Maddox (Don Johnson) shows up in a tiny Texas town. He gets a job as a car salesman by simply walking on to the lot and selling one. Set up, he turns his eyes first to the beautiful young receptionist (Jennifer Connelly) at a neighbouring business, then to his boss’ wife (Virginia Madsen) and finally to the local bank, staffed entirely by volunteer firefighters; a detail that gives Harry an idea.

There could have been few films more suited to screening during the heatwave we’re having than this one. During the daytime, director Dennis Hopper’s whole colour scheme is bright and sun-scorched, the heaviness of the heat is palpable, and that...

December 8, 2022 – Ahead of his much-anticipated headline show in Stockholm next February, multi-platinum-selling artist Aitch brings Swedish rapper Greekazo on board to deliver a dynamic remix of his smash hit.

Young Swede Greekazo delivers his signature rap style for his rework of Aitch’s platinum-selling hit. Complimenting the Mancunian’s modern reboot of Ashanti’s original, Greekazo’s rendition follows Belgian rapper Hamza’s melodic remix of “Baby”.

Aitch Photo Credit: Kelvin Jones

One of Sweden’s most prominent rappers in the game to date, Greekazo has racked up millions of streams and stormed up the Swedish charts following his debut single “HotSpot”, released in 2019. With influences spanning from UK drill to American West Coast Rap, the young Swede is often praised for the creative flow in his releases. His track “Försent” with fellow Swedish rapper 1.Cuz, is the most streamed Swedish Hip Hop track of all time and has soundtracked...

Welcome to The Best Movie You Never Saw, a column dedicated to examining films that have flown under the radar or gained traction throughout the years, earning them a place as a cult classic or underrated gem that was either before it’s time and/or has aged like a fine wine. This week we’ll be looking at Harley Davidson And The Marlboro Man!

The Story: The year is 1996 – the future. A biker (Mickey Rourke) and his cowboy pal (Don Johnson) team up to save their favorite bar from going under. To pull this off, they plan a heist but wind up in possession of a massive load of a popular new street drug called “Crystal Dream.”

The Players: Starring: Mickey Rourke, Don Johnson, Chelsea Field, Giancarlo Esposito, Tom Sizemore, and Daniel Baldwin. Directed by Simon Wincer.

“I was fortunate enough to work on a film with Don, the...

With so many streaming services and prestige channels now available, it seems we are living through a new golden age of television, as casino game developers continue to adapt some of the most popular TV series into a challenging entertainment format:

Narcos

Narcos and its spin-off Narcos: Mexico are two of Netflix’s most popular shows. Released in 2015, the series follows the life and crimes of Pablo Escobar.

It’s no wonder NetEnt decided this series would make a perfect video slot game. The Narcos game has 243 play lines and gives players instant cash rewards. It also has bonuses including free spins and re-spins, as well as walking wilds and extra wilds. It is an energetic, vibrant game with great graphics and a fabulous setting. And, of course, it allows players to win big—up to 10x their stake.

Vikings

Vikings became an instant classic when it premiered on Canada...

If you want to see two classic English groups here in North America for the price of one, there are some great shows coming in September. The Pet Shop Boys along with the rock band New Order are touring the U.S. and Canada along with a touring DJ Paul Oakenfield.

> Get Deals On Pet Shop Boys & New Order Concert Tickets Now!

Pet Shop Boys have been nominated for six Grammies and were even designated the most successful British musical duo in the 1999 Guinness Book of World Records. Their most recent album, Hotspot, released in 2020 and was the fourteenth record release by the pop duo.

New Order is the band that spun off from Joy Division, which disbanded after the suicide of frontman Ian Curtis. They have built up a well-respected musical legacy of their own after some years in Joy Division’s shadow. This co-headlining tour was meant to...

Jane Austen certainly wrote some plucky, sassy protagonists. Anne Elliot was not one of them. The first chapter of “Persuasion,” Austen’s final novel, describes Anne as having “an elegance of mind and sweetness of character.” Anne’s love interest, the dashing Captain Wentworth, later claims there is “no one so proper, so capable as Anne.”

The Anne illustrated in Austen’s novel sounds genteel and gracious. The Anne in Netflix’s “Persuasion,” the first straightforward film adaptation of the novel since 2007, is described similarly by her dearest friends. And yet, perhaps in an attempt to make her more relatable in our current resurgence of messy female characters, she also spends much of the film breaking the fourth wall and cracking wise.

Screenwriters Ron Bass (“My Best Friend’s Wedding”) and Alice Victoria Winslow (“Hot Spot”) have given one of Austen’s more demure heroines the “Fleabag” treatment. Luckily for them,...

“Subvert normality. Punk is not sexual, it’s just aggression. Destroy. Kill All Hippies. I’m not talking at you, I’m talking to you. Anarchy. Disco sucks. I don’t wanna hear about you, I wanna hear from you. This is Gorgeous. Does anybody outthere read me? Disco sucks, kill all hippies. Pretty vacant, eh? Subvert normality. Signing off. This is Gorgeous. Signing off.”

“Thumbs Up! Bitter, unforgettable. An unsung treasure.” – Roger Ebert

Shocking. Controversial. Unforgettable. – Dennis Hopper’s brilliant punk rock masterpiece of adolescent rebellion is ready for a new, long overdue close-up!

A kind of spiritual sequel (and cautionary counterpoint) to Hopper’s own Easy Rider, Out Of The Blue chronicles the idealism of the sixties decline into the hazy nihilism of the 1980’s. Here’s a new trailer for the restoration:

Don Barnes (Dennis Hopper) is a truck driver in prison for drunkenly smashing his rig into a school bus.

Celebrating the release of his new memoir, multi-hyphenate Steven Van Zandt joins hosts Josh Olson and Joe Dante to discuss a few of his favorite movies.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

Elevator To The Gallows (1958) – Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review

Breathless (1960) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary

Angels With Dirty Faces (1938)

The Fisher King (1991)

Tony Rome (1967)

Lady In Cement (1968)

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989)

The Killer (1989)

True Romance (1993)

True Lies (1994)

Get Shorty (1995) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary

Point Blank (1967) – John Landis’s trailer commentary

Catch Us If You Can a.k.a. Sweet Memories (1965)

Double Trouble (1967)

Performance (1970) – Mark Goldblatt’s trailer commentary

The Driver (1978)

A Hard Day’s Night (1964) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary, Tfh’s Don’t Knock The Rock piece

Help! (1965) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary, Charlie Largent’s review

Blue Collar (1978) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s...

With the horrible specter of Covid still hanging over the world, the folks at the Frontières co-production market were a little concerned that their genre submissions would be heavily virus-centric.

However, they needn’t have worried. The lineup for the 2021 market, organized by the Fantasia International Film Festival in collaboration with Marché du Film – Festival de Cannes, features a wildly creative array of projects, including one about a telepathic serial killer cat, another about deportation and a deadly virus which kills white people, and yet another which puts a horrifying twist on the often harrowing experience of coming out.

“I am very happy that our lineup is not about Covid,” says Frontières executive director Annick Mahnert. “We did have a couple submissions on that theme, but overall people said no, we don’t have to write about this. It’s happening in real life, but we’ll find something else to talk about.

It is hard to know where to begin and what to say first when it comes to Dennis Hopper, both on screen and off. As an actor he began in the late 50s with small roles in films like Rebel Without A Cause (1955) and numerous TV performances. James Dean was a hero and friend to Hopper. A great way to view Rebel Without A Cause is to watch Hopper’s intense studying of and admiration for Dean on screen in that film. Hopper was witness to so many periods of American culture, a complex masculine figure much like his friend and contemporary Harry Dean Stanton, the whiskey, cigarettes and American highway mythology follows his legacy. This mix scratches the surface of an iconic figure of 20th-century popular culture and a great artist, it is a time capsule with no linear trajectory, bending back and forth across genre and feeling.Coming...

Plus ‘Crestone,’ ‘F.T.A.,’ ‘The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly,’ ‘Fast Times at Ridgemont High,’ ‘Merrily We Go to Hell,’ ‘Trances,’ ‘Masculin Feminin,’ ‘Smile,’ ‘The Hot Spot,’ ‘Tank,’ ‘Sweet Liberty,’ ‘All-American Murder,’ ‘The Cellar,’ ‘Winterbeast,’ ‘Horizons West,’ and ‘The Wages of Sin.’

Continue reading The Best Movies To Buy Or Stream This Week: ‘The Good, The Bad & The Ugly,’ ‘The Mitchells Vs. The Machines’ & More at The Playlist.

A sizzling neo-noir that should have boosted Dennis Hopper into feature bankability goes a tad slack — my guess is that Hopper’s fine directing instincts got blurred in the editing process. Don Johnson, Virginia Madsen, Jennifer Connelly and others are well cast in Charles Williams’ hardboiled sex ‘n’ crime yarn, and the temperature indeed rises when Johnson gets near his co-stars. The narrative momentum breaks down somewhat, yet the great-looking show remains a favorite, atmospheric and oversexed.

The Hot Spot

Blu-ray

Kl Studio Classics

1990 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 130 min. / Street Date May 4, 2021 / available through Kino Lorber / 24.95

Starring: Don Johnson, Virginia Madsen, Jennifer Connelly, William Sadler, Charles Martin Smith, Jerry Hardin, Barry Corbin, Jack Nance, Virgil Frye.

Cinematography: Ueli Steiger

Film Editor: Wende Phifer Mate

Original Music: Jack Nitzsche

Written by Nona Tyson, Charles Williams from the 1952 book Hell Hath No Fury by Charles Williams

Produced by Paul Lewis

Directed by Dennis...

Exclusive: Here’s a cool-sounding Euro package. Polish filmmaker Agnieszka Smoczyńska, who will helm her English-language debut Silent Twins starring Letitia Wright this fall, has been set to direct dystopian crime drama Hot Spot.

Producers are Klaudia Smieja-Rostworowska at Poland’s Madants, who produced Claire Denis’ High Life and Agnieszka Holland’s Mr Jones, alongside Before Midnight producer Christos V. Konstantakopoulos at Greek production outfit Faliro House.

Jan Naszewski’s New Europe Film Sales, which is repping rights on buzzy 2020 Cannes label title Sweat and has also been inking deals this week on Noomi Rapace starrer Lamb, has boarded world rights to the pic.

Poland has been on a roll in recent years, delivering acclaimed features including the Oscar-nominated trio Cold War, Corpus Christi and Loving Vincent. Smoczyńska herself helmed 2016 Sundance World Cinema Dramatic jury prize winner The Lure and 2018 Cannes premiere Fugue.

For Hot Spot, she is re-teaming with The Lure scribe Robert Bolesto.

SeriesFest recently announced it will be going virtual for its sixth annual event.

With the move, more additions to the lineup have been announced.

SeriesFest today revealed new additions to its previously announced line-up as well as details regarding its annual international International Spotlight in partnership with Liberty Global.

A screening of Apple TV+’s multi-Daytime Emmy Award nominee, Ghostwriter, followed by a conversation with Academy Award-Winning and DGA-Nominated Director, Luke Matheny, the children’s series’ writer and director, and Svp, Creative Development, Sesame Workshop, Kay Wilson Stallings, also an executive producer has been announced.

Additionally, there will be a screening of Silent Rose, a hybrid drama that is a multi-character portrait of life in high school after the 2016 presidential election fallout, has also been added to the docket, followed by a conversation with Variety's Top Documaker to Watch, Mitch Dickman, moderated by executive producer, Evan Shapiro (Portlandia).

Cast members...

In today’s TV news roundup, Netflix reveals a first look at Season 2 of “The Umbrella Academy,” and Showtime will host a virtual concert on June 21 benefitting the Equal Justice Initiative.

Casting

Nickelodeon has signed an overall deal with 13-year-old social media influencer and hip-hop artist Alaya “That Girl Lay Lay” High. Nickelodeon and High will work together to develop programming across multiple platforms, create music initiatives and build a consumer products business spanning across fashion, accessories and publishing. High has been rapping, singing, writing and producing since the age of five and has already impressed the likes of Nick Cannon and Le’Veon Bell. She became the youngest female rapper to sign a recording contract with Fresh Rebel Muzik/Empire at age 11 and released her debut album “Tha Cheat Code” in September 2018.

Dates

Amazon Prime Video announced that Jim Gaffigan‘s newest stand-up comedy special, “Jim Gaffigan: The Pale Tourist,...

Bill Gavin, the former Goldcrest executive and general manager of Australia’s Hoyts Theatres, has died at the age of 83 at his home in Auckland, New Zealand, after a short illness.

Gavin moved to the UK in the early 1960s after securing a contract to cover New Zealand’s then highly successful Formula One drivers, going on to write a biography of UK driver Jim Clark. He segued initially into the music business and established Gto Films to promote glam rock acts, the company then branched into distribution and worked on the UK release of Weir’s classic Picnic At Hanging Rock and the original version of Swept Away.

In 1978 he moved to Australia to become general manager of Hoyts Theatres and spearheaded the company’s entry into distribution. His down under success distributing the first Muppet Movie caught the eye of Lew Grade, who invited him to join Itc Films’ sales team in London.

Gavin worked on films including ‘Gandhi’ and ‘Whale Rider’.

Bill Gavin, a former executive at the UK’s Goldcrest Films who worked on films including Gandhi and Whale Rider, has died aged 83 at his home in Auckland, New Zealand after a short illness.

The industry veteran worked on several award-winning features throughout his career as an independent sales agent, distributor, exhibitor and producer.

Born in Wellington, New Zealand, Gavin began his career as a motor racing journalist and moved to the UK in the early 1960s after securing a contract to report on successful Kiwi Formula One drivers competing overseas.

Seinfeld fans rejoice! On Jan. 13, 2014, the popular sitcom's stars Jerry Seinfeld and Jason Alexander were spotted outside of Tom's Restaurant on the Upper West Side in New York City.  The diner's exterior was used for the gang's favorite coffee shop, where they often met to discuss the day's events. The hot spot also inspired the popular 1981 Suzanne Vega song "Tom's Diner." Seinfeld, 59, and Alexander, 54, were captured entering the restaurant by Brooklyn, N.Y. resident Ali Phil.  The picture-taking fan said the duo was filming at [...]...

The second part of the first Reel Ink round-up of recent books on film includes the biography of a sometime Hollywood rebel, the history of a now forgotten British studio, a look at a film that remains one of the most controversial ever made in the UK, and a hugely compelling history of cinema by the great David Thomson.

Time was against me so I haven’t been able to get through all the reading goodness I’ve acquired in the past eight weeks or so, but I’ll catch up in January. Happy New Year!

It’s official: Dennis Hopper was an unrepentant douchebag off screen as well as on. The predominant impression that Peter L. Winkler’s Dennis Hopper: The Wild Ride of A Hollywood Rebel (The Robson Press) leaves one with is that Hopper was a deluded, misogynistic gasbag, a moderate talent who likely suffered from...

The Qantas Group has launched a new social commerce site which allows users to discover and share new holiday destinations with their social networks and then book accommodation online directly from the site.

It is thought to be the first platform that connects social discovery with commerce in the travel category.

Tourism Australia boss Andrew McEvoy has backed the new site, which has launched with a digital campaign by Badjar Ogilvy Melbourne.

New research from Tourism Australia supports the business model, with results indicating social media updates from friends directly influenced 20% of those surveyed to book a domestic holiday.

The site primarily targets people taking driving holidays in Australia, which comprises 68% of the domestic accommodation market.

Hooroo marketing head Lija Wilson said in a release: “Travel is the most social of all categories – we all ask our friends for inspiration and suggestions and then share our experiences through our networks...

Pippa Middleton and her boyfriend, Alex Loudon, enjoyed a rollicking Thursday evening out at Public nightclub in London, but she didn't look any worse for the wear as she headed to work this morning. The hot spot they hit up last night is a favorite of Prince Harry and is owned by his friend, Guy Pelly. Pippa and Alex reportedly left around 1:30 a.m. and climbed into the backseat of a car together for a safe ride home. Pippa and Alex have been spending tons of their time together, and he even joined her to visit her older sister Kate Middleton in North Wales last weekend. View Slideshow ›...

Pursuant to Netflix’s world conquest tactic of being on every possible entertainment device (both dedicated and portable), Nintendo has announced that the upcoming 3Ds handheld gaming system will have support for the Instant Streaming.

Netflix subscribers will be able to stream movies to the device’s 3.5 inch screen with their valid subscription. With this functionality already available on the Wii, users will be able to pause a movie on the console and then resume it on the 3Ds where it left off.

To sweeten the deal, the 3Ds will be able to access WiFi at At&T HotSpots, allowing gamers to set up shop in a Starbucks and connect to the internet. The Hot Spot access won’t be available until May however.

The Nintendo 3Ds release in North America on March 27.

Park City exploded with celebs, gifting suites and parties…but all I wanted was a glimpse of Mr. James Franco!

What a day, what a day! I honestly don’t even know where to begin. My partners in crime and I packed more fun into one day than most people do the entire Sundance Film Festival! From brunches, to suites, to dinners, to parties, we did it all…yet we still somehow managed to miss the one person we were dying to see (read below)! Nevertheless, Friday was still a day to remember and in an effort to most efficiently and accurately paint the day for you, I’ve broken down each hour. Please Note: Just reading this diary might make you exhausted!

11:00 a.m.: After primping, prepping and recovering from Snoop Dogg the night before, Mel, Annika and I headed down to Main St. for the Carrera Sunglasses brunch,...

Roger Corman’S Cult Classics: Up From The Depths/ Demon Of Paradise Double-feature Collector’S Edition DVD - January 18, 2011

In Up From The Depths, staff and vacationers at a first-class resort on the island of Maui are beginning to mysteriously disappear. A biologist believes that an underwater earthquake has caused a giant, and very hungry dormant prehistoric fish to be released from his slumber. Voraciously, the fish helps himself to a tourist buffet. Now it’s open season for the local fishermen to find the creature and kill it! Starring Sam Bottoms (Apocalypse Now, The Outlaw Josey Wales), Virgil Frye (The Hot Spot) and Kedric Wolfe (Mr. Boogedy); written by Anne Dyer; produced by Cirio Santiago; directed by Charles Griffith.

The hunters become the prey when illegal dynamite-fishing prematurely ends the hibernation of a mythological carnivorous lizard-man in Demon Of Paradise. The owner of the local resort, whose patrons have...

In 2010 Shout! Factory delivered us stellar editions of some truly classic Roger Corman films. The best part? They have no signs of slowing down in 2011! That's right, kids, five more flicks are on the way on January 18th that are bound to bring a smile to your horror-loving face!

From the Press Release

Roger Corman’S Cult Classics: Sci-fi Classics Triple-feature Collector’S Edition 2-dvd Set

In Attack Of The Crab Monsters, a group of scientists become marooned on an island while investigating the disappearance of researchers who were looking into atomic activity in the Pacific. They quickly fall prey to giant, mutant crustaceans that have the ability to absorb the minds of their prey. Starring Russell Johnson (Gilligan’s Island), Richard Garland and Mel Welles (Little Shop Of Horrors). Attack Of The Crab Monsters is a Roger Corman Production. Produced and directed by Roger Corman; screenplay by Charles B. Griffith.

Yesterday's (June 13) 21st annual Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation Celebrity Picnic took many stars on a safari themed day filled of face painting, musical performances and carnival games. Celebrities came out in droves to join in the day of fun and help out for a good cause. The hot spot of the day was "hamming" it up in the Kodak Photo Sharing Booth where celebrities got to pose in front of life-size animals and dress up in fun safari themed costumes. Howie Mandel (R) goofs around At the Kodak Photo Sharing Booth, adventure-seekers went on a safari-themed photo shoot with their favorite celebrities. The stars .monkeyed. around and scored awesome Kodak swag in front of larger-than-life...

Dennis Hopper: actor, artist, filmmaker, Hollywood survivor.

Just days after remembering the loss of Sydney Pollack two years ago, we awaken to mourn the loss of another Hollywood icon, Dennis Hopper, less than two weeks after his 74th birthday. Hopper had been on my short list of "dream interviews" during my tenure at Venice Magazine. When I was lucky enough to finally sit down with him in November of 2008, I was thrilled, and didn't know quite what to expect.

What I found while smoking cigars with Hopper in his Venice home-studio, was a thoughtful man with a gentle demeanor, who spoke in measured tones and loved telling stories. Gone was the wild-eyed "enfant terrible" that Hopper had made his name playing, and sometimes living. What I saw instead was a man who seemed to be at peace with himself and his life, who loved his children, art, film and new ideas.

Dennis Hopper, the high-flying Hollywood wild man whose memorable and erratic career included an early turn in "Rebel Without a Cause," an improbable smash with "Easy Rider" and a classic character role in "Blue Velvet," has died. He was 74.Hopper died Saturday at his home in the Los Angeles beach community of Venice, surrounded by family and friends, family friend Alex Hitz said. Hopper's manager announced in October 2009 that the actor-director had been diagnosed with prostate cancer.The success of "Easy Rider" and the spectacular failure of his next film, "The Last Movie," fit the pattern for the talented but sometimes uncontrollable Hopper, who also had parts in such favorites as "Apocalypse Now" and "Hoosiers." He was a two-time Academy Award nominee and in March was honored with a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame.Tributes...

Chicago – Beloved actor and legendary easy rider Dennis Hopper lost his long battle with prostate cancer this morning at age 74. With a career spanning over the last half-century, Hopper is best known for directing, co-writing and co-starring in 1969’s counterculture classic “Easy Rider”. The script awarded Hopper his first of two Oscar nominations (the other he received for his memorable supporting role in 1987’s “Hoosiers”).

Dennis Hopper

The Hollywood icon died at his home in Venice Beach, Calif., on Saturday, May 29th, from complications due to prostate cancer. He was reportedly surrounded by his children at the time of his death. Hopper was diagnosed with the disease in late 2009, and by March of this year, the cancer had metastasized to his bones. That same month, Hopper made his last public appearance when he received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Hopper began his career in television, and appeared...

News is breaking across the internet that a legend in the world of film, Dennis Hopper, has died at the age of 74.

There are few forces in the world of film greater than that of Hopper, whose power and prowess as a writer, director and actor was evident in every moment he spent in front of, or behind, the camera.

Easy Rider was a stark love letter to the counter culture of the sixties and the tremors it created in Hollywood lasted for many years. It was perhaps a defining moment in a career which began with Rebel Without a Cause. His work in David Lynch’s Blue Velvet has not lost any of its darkness, and Frank Booth remains one of film’s most iconic villains with his expletive ridden rants and truly terrifying screen presence.

A look at his filmography exposes my pitiful lack of knowledge of his work,...

Dennis Hopper, who personified Hollywood rebellion, both on screen and off, died Saturday at his home in Venice, Ca. after a long battle with prostate cancer. He was 74.

Having made his big screen debut in 1955's iconic "Rebel Without a Cause," opposite his friend James Dean, Hopper biked to fame as director/co-writer and finger-flashing cyclist, along with Peter Fonda and Jack Nicholson, in 1969's "Easy Rider." That movie, which was embraced by the burgeoning youth culture, signaled a generational change in Hollywood and also earned Hopper a best original screenplay Oscar nomination, which he shared with Hopper and Terry Southern.

He was also nominated for an Oscar for his performance as an alcoholic high school basketball coach in 1986's "Hoosiers."

Hopper, like many of the characters he played early in his career, was known for his sometimes anarchic off-screen moves and drug use in the first half of his life.

'Easy Rider' star died of prostate cancer Saturday.

By Kelley L. Carter and Jem Aswad

Dennis Hopper

Photo: George Rose/Getty Images

Actor Dennis Hopper — star of "Easy Rider," "Blue Velvet," "Giant" and many other films — died Saturday of prostate cancer at his Los Angeles-area home, according to The Associated Press. He was 74.

The two-time Academy Award nominee, who announced through a manager in the fall of 2009 that he had been diagnosed with the disease, was surrounded by family and friends at the time of his death, friend Alex Hitz told the AP.

The actor directed, co-wrote and starred in directed 1969's "Easy Rider," perhaps the most memorable film of his wildly erratic, nearly six-decade-long career. In that classic, generation-defining film — which also established Jack Nicholson as a major star — he and Peter Fonda played motorcycle-riding hippies "in search of America." The film was a Hollywood success story...

'Easy Rider' star died of prostate cancer Saturday.

By Kelley L. Carter and Jem Aswad

Dennis Hopper

Photo: George Rose/Getty Images

Actor Dennis Hopper — star of "Easy Rider," "Blue Velvet," "Giant" and many other films — died Saturday of prostate cancer at his Los Angeles-area home, according to The Associated Press. He was 74.

The two-time Academy Award nominee, who announced through a manager in the fall of 2009 that he had been diagnosed with the disease, was surrounded by family and friends at the time of his death, friend Alex Hitz told the AP.

The actor directed, co-wrote and starred in directed 1969's "Easy Rider," perhaps the most memorable film of his wildly erratic, nearly six-decade-long career. In that classic, generation-defining film — which also established Jack Nicholson as a major star — he and Peter Fonda played motorcycle-riding hippies "in search of America." The film was a Hollywood success story...

Dennis Hopper's recent announcement of terminal cancer jump-started a long-overdue appreciation of his art and life. He got a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame last month (finally), and newspaper and blog appreciations are starting to pop up, focusing mainly on Hopper the performer. That makes sense: Hopper's career spanned a half-century's worth of theater, cinema, TV and recorded music; his list of collaborators stretches from Elizabeth Taylor and John Wayne through Kiefer Sutherland and Gorillaz.

Still, one hopes descriptions of Hopper's directorial career don't start and end with "Easy Rider." Hopper's 1969 debut is notable for its alternately ecstatic and lacerating portrait of the counterculture, the then-unusual use of pre-existing pop songs for its soundtrack, adventurous editing and its status as the first independently financed feature to become a mainstream smash. But there's more to his directorial résumé than philosophical bikers.

Although he directed just seven features ("Easy Rider,...

Following a 10-year break, Dennis Hopper is back in the director's seat with a new road movie, A Night in Old Mexico, being produced by David Valdes (Unforgiven). United Artists is looking at boarding the project, which stars Robert Duvall as an aging man who travels to Mexico with his grandson. The film was written by Bill Wittliff (Legends of the Fall). Televisa Cine, the film arm of Mexican media behemoth Televisa, has signed on as an executive producer of the project and also will reportedly serve as a line producer. Hopper last directed Chasers in 1994. His other directing credits include The Hot Spot, Colors, Out of the Blue, The Last Movie and Easy Rider. As an actor, he's involved a list of projects, including Closing the Ring, Legacy, Americano, The Last Ride, House of 9 and Wicked Prayer. Hopper is repped by ICM.

Following a 10-year break, Dennis Hopper is back in the director's seat with a new road movie, A Night in Old Mexico, being produced by David Valdes (Unforgiven). United Artists is looking at boarding the project, which stars Robert Duvall as an aging man who travels to Mexico with his grandson. The film was written by Bill Wittliff (Legends of the Fall). Televisa Cine, the film arm of Mexican media behemoth Televisa, has signed on as an executive producer of the project and also will reportedly serve as a line producer. Hopper last directed Chasers in 1994. His other directing credits include The Hot Spot, Colors, Out of the Blue, The Last Movie and Easy Rider. As an actor, he's involved a list of projects, including Closing the Ring, Legacy, Americano, The Last Ride, House of 9 and Wicked Prayer. Hopper is repped by ICM.

Unlike many of her other Hollywood counterparts, Jennifer Connelly is proud of the nude scenes she's done in past movies. The sunning brunette, currently starring as Russell Crowe's wife in A Beautiful Mind, took things to shocking proportions in the gritty art film Requiem For A Dream. In the movie, Jennifer treats viewers to a full-frontal nude scene and her character becomes a drug-addicted prostitute who performs a naked lesbian show, featuring a sex toy, for a roomful of cheering businessmen. And the screen star is happy with her racy past, explaining, "I don't regret anything. Those were formative experiences. I used to be shy and timid. I was a good kid and I wanted to be one, but it can lead to a reserve that can be a little hampering. It's been a gradual unleashing." The actress, who also bared her breasts and buttocks in Waking The Dead, Inventing The Abbotts and The Hot Spot, recently won a Golden Globe for her role as Alicia Nash in A Beautiful Mind.