Dennis Hopper's new Oscar trail

There's the free Election Day Krispy Kreme doughnut we have coming to us, the big-screen resurrection of the Three Stooges, and family-unfriendly Brit comedian Russell Brand's potential turn as a Jack Sparrow sibling in Disney's next "Pirates of the Caribbean" flick.

In short, it's a highlight-filled day.

Plus, there's Dennis Hopper. Dennis Hopper, people!

Fresh off his a.m. political powwow with the ladies of "The View" -- the former staunch Reagan/Bush supporter voted for Obama, for the record -- the veteran Oscar- and Emmy-nominated actor had his own campaign to discuss with Gold Rush.

Like many of his brethren at this time of year, he's on the Oscar trail. And, despite his storied career, it's a new experience for him.

Back when "Easy Rider" snared him a writing nod in 1970, and "Hoosiers" a supporting actor nomination in '87, the awards game was a good deal simpler, he said. "Times have changed," he said. "There was no blogging then."

We do what we can to complicate matters.

Hopper, who's co-starring in the pay-cable version of Oscar winner "Crash," is talking up his supporting role in "Elegy," an art house drama from Lakeshore Entertainment/Samuel Goldwyn Films with Sir Ben Kingsley and global movie goddess Penelope Cruz. Hopper plays a womanizing poet and ironic moral touchstone for his best friend (Kingsley) who gets into an intense May-December romance.

GR: Tough year for indie film, huh?

DH: I know studios are going for those big boffo boxoffice action pictures that have a huge first weekend and get to stay in the theaters longer because of it. It's a trend that's happening in Europe too, where those movies are losing their identities. They're emulating American movies because that's where the money is. But even in this environment, "Elegy" isn't a hard sell. This movie is warm and heartfelt, it's funny, it's dramatic, it's tragic. It's a slice of life, which is my favorite kind of film.

GR: Really?

DH: Not that I didn't love "Speed," but something like "Elegy" is very different work. It's not about big action, it's about relationships. Those human stories -- those are the ones I really do prefer, the ones that make a comment on our lives. "Easy Rider" did that. Everybody thought of it as a motorcycle movie, but it's really a commentary on that time.

GR: Do you think Oscar has a dollar value, as in, a financial worth to one's career?

DH: Probably it does for best actor and actress. For me, at my age? Not sure about that, but it's fun to be nominated, and the recognition from your peer group is nice. Not that I expect it.

GR: Did you ever expect it?

DH: No, but I was surprised at the nomination for "Hoosiers" instead of "Blue Velvet."

Click through to find out what it's like to be memorialized by the French, and there will be no Jerry Lewis references.

 

GR: You mentioned you've just spent some time in France?

DH: The French cultural minister named me a commander of Arts and Letters, and there's a retrospective at the Cinematique (Francaise) of my entire working life, since about 1955. There's clips of early TV shows on monitors, pieces from my art collection, art I did myself, films with Andy Warhol, photos that I don't even know where they came from. There are a few of my own paintings that I've never shown anywhere before. The French really know how to do research! As I walked through, it was like seeing some of that stuff for the first time. It was amazing.

If you happen to be in Paris, the exhibit lasts until mid-January. For those stateside, watch for "Elegy" on DVD (release scheduled for the first of the year), and catch the trailer here.

Comments

[William Dakota]

Just watched MAD DOG MORGAN on IFC and was disappointed that it was in a pan & scan version. This is one of my favorite Hopper films. It was also out on one of those $1 cheapies at Walmart. The film was from a scratchy print and looked lousy. I wondered if my memory of the film was somehow, tarted over the years. But, IFC showed me how wonderful it was with a 3 star rating. Now, if Mark Cuban can get a widescreen version for his HD network, that would be interesting, I'm sure. It deserves a restoration release. More on Hopper at www.Zimbio.com/Meeting Dennis Hopper