Special Report · Film year 1971
The Last Movie (1971)
- Special Guests
- Craig Rogers, David Marriott, John Buck Wilkin, Jessica Hundley, Nick Ebeling, Satya de la Manitou
- Guest Co-Hosts
- Ben Buckingham, Nick Dawson
Show notes
On this special episode of The Projection Booth we’re looking at Dennis Hopper’s The Last Movie. Barely released by Universal Pictures in 1971, the film stars Hopper as Kansas -- a man as middle-American as his name. He’s in Peru as a stunt man for a Western. When the cast and crew packs up and goes back to Hollywood, he stays behind where the natives form a sort of cargo cult around movie-making, holding up Kansas as their god, savior, and their sacrifice.
Mike talks to Craig Rogers and David Marriott from Arbelos Films (opens in a new tab) who have restored The Last Movie and have re-released the film. He speaks to author Jessica Hundley (opens in a new tab), editor of Dennis Hopper: Photographs 1961-1967 (opens in a new tab), John Buck Wilkin (opens in a new tab) who performed music on both The Last Movie and Lawrence Schiller & L. M. Kit Carson's The American Dreamer (opens in a new tab). Finally, he speaks with Nick Ebeling (opens in a new tab), the director of Along for the Ride (opens in a new tab) and its subject, Satya De La Manitou.
Nick Dawson (opens in a new tab) and Ben Buckingham (opens in a new tab) join Mike to discuss the film as well as its fascinating history.
Mike talks to Craig Rogers and David Marriott from Arbelos Films (opens in a new tab) who have restored The Last Movie and have re-released the film. He speaks to author Jessica Hundley (opens in a new tab), editor of Dennis Hopper: Photographs 1961-1967 (opens in a new tab), John Buck Wilkin (opens in a new tab) who performed music on both The Last Movie and Lawrence Schiller & L. M. Kit Carson's The American Dreamer (opens in a new tab). Finally, he speaks with Nick Ebeling (opens in a new tab), the director of Along for the Ride (opens in a new tab) and its subject, Satya De La Manitou.
Nick Dawson (opens in a new tab) and Ben Buckingham (opens in a new tab) join Mike to discuss the film as well as its fascinating history.
Labels: Alejandro Jodorowsky Alex Cox Arbelos Film Ben Buckingham Dennis Hopper Kris Kristofferson Nick Dawson Peter Fonda Sam Fuller
Watch
Music credits
- "Easy Rider, 1970" by Chris Sikelianos
Links & resources
- Buy the Along for the Ride book (opens in a new tab)
- Read Dennis Hopper's Mad Vision by Josh Karp (opens in a new tab)
- Be sure to LIKE Along for the Ride on Facebook (opens in a new tab)
- Read My uneasy ride with Dennis Hopper by John Buck Wilkin (opens in a new tab)
- Read When Westerns Were Un-American by J. Hoberman (opens in a new tab)
- Read Hip Hopp: Dennis Hopper, Protest, And Popular Music by Dominic Preston (opens in a new tab)
- Read DENNIS HOPPER’S “THE LAST MOVIE” | THE FILM THAT BURIED A VISIONARY by JP (opens in a new tab)
Related episodes
Episodes that share keywords with this one.
Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (1973)
Shared: New Hollywood, Kris Kristofferson
Rudy Wurlitzer, David Wolf, Paul Seydor, David Lambert and others
The King of Marvin Gardens (1972)
Shared: Cinematographer László Kovács, New Hollywood
Ellen Burstyn
Jaws (1975)
Shared: New Hollywood, Universal Pictures
Carl Gottlieb, John LeMay, Jamie Benning, Chris Sasser
Human Highway (1982)
Shared: Dennis Hopper, Dean Stockwell
Charlotte Stewart, Darren Williams, Heather Drain
Comments (1)
Roger Great discussion, gentlemen, on a fascinating, flawed film. I have to say the angle that film had "dehumanized" our dream faculties and the Incans thereby 'stripped' the filmmaking process of its mechanization to return it to its ritualistic roots was a brilliant insight. Not about their loss of innocence (although that may be the starting point), but a return to it. Was that Mr. Dawson? Keep up the great work! Roger