Sunday February 16th 2014, Movie night, Can Dialectics Break Bricks Cinema by Jeffrey Babcock: Out of the Blue. Directed by Dennis Hopper, 1980, 94 minutes, in English. Door opens at 8pm, film begins at 9pm.
As a true low-budget independent work, this film delivers more art and honesty than most indie films before and after. The film opens with Dennis Hopper drunkenly driving his big truck with his daughter (Linda Manz- *Days of Heaven*) in clown make-up and asking her if he is sexier than Elvis. Then he crashes into a busload of screaming children, destroying the lives of the children, his daughter and himself. The film follows the wake of this incident and the black clouds that follow him and his daughter. The film climaxes with one of the most over-the top, crazed endings of any film. That final scene with Hopper and Manz has to have influenced Hopper’s role in David Lynch’s *Blue Velvet*.
Hopper considered this 80’s punk rock/trucker movie as a follow-up to Easy Rider (1969) in that this is what would have “*likely happened to the Easy Rider characters ten years later*”. Unpolished, riveting and uncompromising… a film that marked the end of an era.
Two viewers comments:
“‘*Out Of The Blue’ is one of the most haunting and disturbing movies ever made. Dennis Hopper has had mixed results as a director, but this is his masterpiece. While nowhere near as well known as the pop culture landmark ‘Easy Rider’, this is easily a much more important and accomplished work. Filmed in Canada during the period when Hopper was still persona non grata in Hollywood, he may have been out of control in FRONT of the screen (the movie features one of his legendary unhinged performances), but he certainly was fully in control BEHIND the scenes. Unexpected and devastating. You’ll never forget it.*”
“*A great film. Dennis Hopper’s acting shines in this film. He also directs with a stylized flair that was apparent in Easy Rider. This film was made during his “down time”. After being ostracized from Hollywood due to the mess of The Last Movie and his off screen actions. This was his last stab at trying to get back into the studio system. Linda Manz is great as C.B. But the real reason to watch this movie is Dennis Hopper, he puts on one hell of a show.*”
Film night at Joe’s Garage, warm and cozy cinema! Doors open at 8pm, film begins at 9pm, free entrance. You want to play a movie, let us know: joe [at] squat [dot] net
