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| Dennis Hopper enjoys a cigar on the set of his final film, 'The Last Film Festival'. |
Ever think to yourself that the world could use another Dennis Hopper movie in it?
I have.
Now I get a lot of teasing from friends and family, "is this one of those Kickstarter projects you're backing". But the truth is, I love Kickstarter.com. And if this isn't what Kickstarter is all about, then I don't know what is!
Today is May 17th 2015. It is "Dennis Hopper Day", and it's a day dedicated to celebrating the work of the late actor and filmmaker Dennis Hopper. And what better way to celebrate "Dennis Hopper Day" than telling you about his final film, "The Last Film Festival".
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| Director Linda Yellen & Dennis Hopper on the set of 'The Last Film Festival'. |
'The Last Film Festival' is a feature length comedy starring Dennis Hopper, written by Linda Yellen and Michael Leeds, and directed by, Linda Yellen. Dennis plays Nick Twain, a big-time Hollywood Producer whose latest flop of a film has been rejected by every film festival in the world except the O'Hi Film Festival.
O'Hi is a small town with big dreams, whose film-loving Undertaker has persuaded the Mayor to host the event in the local high school. But Nick Twain will do anything to get his film distributed, so in a last-ditch effort for publicity Twain and his dysfunctional cast and crew descend on the town.
Dennis Hopper has long been a hero of mine. He changed the face of independent filmmaking for generations to come with his groundbreaking and wildly successful film, Easy Rider, and gave fearless performances whether playing rebels in Apocalypse Now, Rebel Without A Cause and Giant, or villains in True Romance, Blue Velvet and Speed. He was always convincing and unforgettable.
~ Linda Yellen, Director of 'The Last Film Festival'
And so there you have it. Dennis passed away before the film was completed. But the story doesn't end there. This is where I come in, along with 505 other backers who came to support Dennis' final film, when Linda took to Kickstarter to raise finishing funds for post-production.
I never got to meet Dennis Hopper, but I did talk to him on phone once for like 10 minutes a long time ago. It was in the mid 1990's, and I lived in this building in Hollywood, Ca where we were all struggling writers, directors and filmmakers and we all used to hang out together. And somebody said they'd had Dennis Hoppers phone number...so naturally I called him and put him on speaker phone and we talked to him for about 10 minutes about film and movies and the old ways. And if you've ever heard Dennis' voice, it is unmistakable.
Now we have all moved on in life, with our careers and family...but man, I do miss those days sometimes. Those artistic days of filming something that somebody wrote just for the sake of filming it. Or just hanging out and talking about movies and drinking coffee because that's just what you did at the end of the day.
Dennis Hopper was a true patron of the arts. Both in front of the camera and behind it. He was a champion of Independent Filmmaking and art in general. He was somebody who fostered talent and the arts wherever he could, and that is a hell of a legacy to leave behind...
THAT is why I back Kickstarter projects, it's not everyday you get to be a part of bringing one more Dennis Hopper movie into the world, and I couldn't be more proud than having my name listed on the official websites "Hall of Fame" section!
'The Last Film Festival' also features an all-star cast with;
Jacqueline Bisset, Chris Kattan,
Donnell Rawlings,
Jermaine Johnson,
Leelee Sobieski,
JoBeth Williams, Katrina Bowden and Joseph Cross.