1969: DENNIS HOPPER talks about EASY RIDER | Line Up | Classic Interviews | BBC Archive

[@digamojones]

This is the best ‘pure’ Hopper interview I have seen.

[@annapeterson2602]

Definitely one of the greatest artists of the 21st century. And an incredibly kind human. I used to work for him and he treated me like an honored guest, always.

[@SenorMoose]

He was physically abusive to every one of his wives -- not sure how kind he was -- but he was incredibly talented.

[@TobinHolz]

@@SenorMoose People are complicated and they grew up with different backgrounds and personal issues. no person is perfect. In the divorce proceedings between Dennis Hopper and Victoria Duffy-Hopper, several specific allegations were made. Victoria Duffy-Hopper accused Dennis Hopper of abuse, claiming that she was a victim of his abusive behavior. She alleged that Hopper "berated, belittled, threatened, and intimidated" her into signing a prenuptial agreement and that he threatened to "publicly destroy her" if she did not comply. Additionally, she claimed that Hopper and his adult children engaged in a campaign to force her out of the family home and to change his estate plan against his wishes. On the other hand, Hopper's assistant, Emily Davis, accused Victoria Duffy-Hopper of being a "threat to Dennis' life," claiming that she was trying to kill him and spreading false accusations about Hopper being abusive and financially unsupportive. These allegations were part of a highly contentious and public divorce battle that included disputes over child custody and financial support.

[@IBOGW]

20th Century

[@phillipecook3227]

Interviewer is Philip Jenkinson. Along with Tony Bilbow they were the BBC's resident cinema gurus before Barry Norman.

[@tharpdown]

Great interviewer. Genuinely interesting and well thought out questions all around

[@artful_dodger59]

This was great to see. Easy Rider was an absolutely perfect period piece for that time. It's very cool to hear Dennis explain it so eloquently. Although it's one of my favorite movies, (I don't think we will ever have movies that depend on character and acting like this ever again) I can only watch it when I'm psychologically prepared, it is so disturbing in a few ways. The ending especially. Thank you for putting this in my feed today, Google

[@jasonedwards6870]

What are they going to say about him? What? Are they going to say he was a kind man? He was a wise man? He had plans? He had wisdom?

[@iadorenewyork1]

Ha! "Apocalypse Now"!

[@RSimoes10]

Fantastic.

[@ClassicRockRemastered-p1i]

Wonderful historic interview. Dennis does not address the specifics of the film clearly enough for my liking but I can tell he's very sincere and expressing the emotions that went into the film's creation.

[@1954telecaster]

Dennis really was the character he played in Apocalypse Now

[@xiscozapatero1914]

Hopper is an absolute legend. Of cinema, and life. 💚✌🏻

[@MatteBlack2024]

This is good. Though I don’t believe American news media have ever given “all” the information, I appreciate his righteous indignation at American hypocrisy throughout the clip.

[@azinegg]

Always liked Dennis hopper” ❤

[@TobinHolz]

Thank you so much for preserving this moment BBC

[@Johnconno]

'They smoke the jazz cabbage the whole time.'

[@jasonayres]

Can't say exactly why, but I just had this passing thought. "Dennis Hopper as Indiana Jones.."

[@phillipecook3227]

Remember he's changed in 54 years : )

[@bid84]

He’s dead, don’t think he would do it

[@Guminyourhair]

@@bid84 couldn't be any worse than what we actually got...

[@larrymclarnon-pd8xf]

Dennis nails it here.😊

[@tonym994]

the man who eventually made 'COLORS', a good film set in the inner city, about 15 yrs. later. rest his soul. from 'EASY RIDER' and the vast country side, to the urban jungle.

[@micktaylorisgod]

Makes a lot of sense if you ask me.

[@BuckRolly1]

It's Sancho Panza in Don Quixote, Dennis, not 'Poncho Sanchez' 😂😂😂 3:31

[@Broomehall]

Dennis was often seen as wayward or difficult by certain members of the Hollywood establishment, and he may well have been those things from time to time, but there was also an honesty and deep understanding of the untruths within the Governmental system that few main stream Americans were willing to acknowledge, you could dislike Hopper but you couldn't ignore what he had to say.

[@xelphinx]

"RIGHT ON!" Huey ☮️ Johndavid NM 7.6.24

[@petergivenbless900]

Half a century later; nothing much has changed, just everything got louder (the future is just the past with the volume turned up!).

[@HippyMetalhead]

Exactly!!

[@MysteryZenSide2]

02:13 mk. ...exactly

[@JMoruzzi]

Focus going in and out, close-ups of hands - I think the camera operator must have been smoking some of Hopper's stash!

[@peterm1826]

The information is still there same today.

[@aisle_of_view]

Johnny Depp copped this look for years.

[@scorpnov13]

Depps got the hole in same place in his hat while being interviewed on Letterman

[@TheSnowdogsShorts]

When I watched the film, the marijuana smoking was not something that I saw as a big deal. It is just something they did. Maybe it shows more how we see it these days. For the sake of transparency: I do not use marijuana myself, but I fully support legalisation.

[@gary7vn]

Try it. You'll like it. Safest substance on the planet.

[@TheSnowdogsShorts]

@@gary7vn I have tried it. I am one of a very small minority of people who get no positive benefits from it. I just get extremely paranoid while using it. I have several medical conditions that in most people are often helped by using marijuana. It frustrates me that I get no benefit from it.

[@johngore7744]

It’s been legal here in Quebec since 2017. It’s fine.

[@swampape201]

his vision for a world to be clothed, transported, fed thanks to technology...its taking us far too long

[@inkey2]

Really proud of Dennis holding his cool with this idiot interviewer because Dennis Hopper could be quite explosive when attacked. Who'd have ever guessed that in many U S States today (at least 2 dozen) there are actually state sanctioned retail pot stores. There is a store 3 blocks from me here in the Boston suburbs. No big deal at all. The state sure loves the taxes from it.

[@tonym994]

he should've corrected this guy as soon as he linked reefer w/ addiction. this is not a film about addiction, to any degree. ironically, George truly "needs" a shot of booze to start his day. hasn't had breakfast, probably. great way to ruin your stomach, liver, etc. but pot (and Dennis should've pointed out that you couldn't get hooked on weed if you smoked it nite & day, 24/7). I honestly forget if they're cashing in, is w/ Coke or Junk, at the outset, where Phil Spector has a sample snort. so, ironically, the only addicted person depicted in the film, is George. he can't just ride cross- country w/ out access to booze. those 2, could go the whole movie w/ no reefer, w/ NO withdrawal symptoms. they'd miss it, though. but 'habitual' and 'addictive' are not the same thing. and tobacco is abused thru out the film, which most certainly IS addictive, physically.

[@k_DAN]

Meanwhile, Hopper had smoked a lot of grass and dropped some acid before this interview.

[@AladdinSaneNYC]

How do you know? You his dealer?

[@37GT]

He’s the pusher.

[@k_DAN]

Hopper " nobody's getting the right information ". Wow, he was already totally on to that in '69.

[@samsquanch1996]

He looks hungover as hell, probably was lol.

The interviewer represents the man who’s afraid of new ideas and resorts to trying to diminish those ideas by suggesting that the artist (now famous and with money) is just like him. This type of person is still around nowadays. It is very wise not to heed them as they’re afraid of challenging or progressive ideas. The interviewer is only concerned with the surface of the film, without really paying any attention at the content and message of the film. Truly a narrow mind.

[@ClassicRockRemastered-p1i]

I disagree 100%. The interviewer was fantastic and sympathetic. All the questions about the straights and the establishment's reaction to Easy Rider were in the context of "Those who may not understand..." never talking down to Dennis in the slightest! I think you are totally off base and owe the fine interviewer an apology. Seriously.

[@davidshurville3658]

What a smart and inspirational pot smoker. Go well Dennis.

[@TerryRyan-xs7fw]

You didnt lose your mother....i lost your mother.come on hopper fans comment the movie he said that in

[@rogerfournier3284]

Are they talking about fake news?

[@djhoneylove5710]

This interviewer is obsessed with pot and the cameraman is drunk.

[@Liofa73]

Philip Jenkinson spent money to get rid of his Manchester accent. I'd suggest it would have been a better interview if he had stuck to his roots.

[@JackSmith-kp2vs]

@Liofa73 Of everything spoken about in the interview and you chose to make that irrelevant identity politics statement

[@ramonathompson6932]

In my opinion, he's way out...there

[@aadirao9401]

Jesus Christ man move past the 'pot smoking'

[@iadorenewyork1]

That's what squares were hung up on back then!

[@christinacascadilla4473]

This movie sucks. It was only a box office success because it was made for about $400,000 so it was guaranteed to make money given the ethical and artistic drift of the late 1960s. It’s a terrible movie that just looked avant-garde due to ineptitude. As far as having cultural impact, other than deluding young people that you could change the world by taking drugs, listening to rock music, and engaging in promiscuous sex, there was none. Look at it this way…if you and your friends watched this movie at age 18-the Vietnam War was going on-and “dug” the message, you all would have been 52 years old and at the hight of your earning and political power by 2003. Yet you folks still let George W. Bush be elected president and we still went to war in Iraq. Your generation changed nothing. Because change takes real effort. And you folks from the 1960s either never learned that or sold out sometime in the 1970s or 1980s. This movie starts with those two main characters engaging in a drug deal and ends with them being murdered. I always considered that as Karma. That’s the only good part of the movie. I believe the screenplay for this movie was, unfortunately, was written at the Hotel Chelsea, where I eventually lived. I’ll rank that below Sid stabbing Nancy.

[@davidmatela9868]

If you think Easy Rider sucks, then tell me what is a good movie

[@Арман-и6в]

Жизнь:-У тебя НА выбор есть 3 варианта! 1) Жизнь даёт ОЧЕРЕДНОЙ урок в чёткой последовательности; 2) Повезло-Неповезло! 3) и ЗА ЧТО МНЕ ЭТО? ВЫБОР ЗА ТОБОЙ❗

[@gary7vn]

Thank the gods that the insane and evil war on a plant is over in my country. Not so in the UK where the interviewer probably spent his entire career lying about it like he does in this video.

[@xiscozapatero1914]

He is like an advert for those DEVIL'S HARVEST propaganda posters

[@bobshark123]

he is talking shite

[@allancrotch2953]

We are not getting the information !!!!!!! Take note BBC