Dennis Hopper kicked-off his acting career with ‘Rebel Without a Cause,’ which was followed by ‘Giant.’ By the end of the 1960s, he had made a place for himself on television, and starred in several movies.
The independent road drama film ‘Easy Rider’ marked his directorial debut in 1969. The film bagged in a ‘Cannes Film Festival Award,’ and earned an ‘Academy Award’ nomination in the ‘Best Original Screenplay’ category.
He followed it with various small projects and again hogged the limelight for his performance in the epic war film ‘Apocalypse Now.’ For his third directorial drama film, ‘Out of the Blue,’ he was honoured at Cannes. He also starred in suspense thriller film ‘The Osterman Weekend’ and drama film ‘Rumble Fish.’ His performances in ‘Hoosiers’ and ‘Blue Velvet’ were widely acclaimed. He also bagged in an ‘Academy Award’ nomination for ‘Hoosier.’ His performance in ‘Paris Trout’ earned him an ‘Emmy Award’ nomination. He also earned fame for starring in film like ‘Waterworld,’ ‘Super Mario Bros,’ and ‘Speed.’
Set in the time of the Vietnam War, Apocalypse Now details a soldier's descent into madness, when he is tasked with assassinating a rogue Special Forces officer, who has apparently set himself up as a 'God' deep in the Cambodian jungle.
War veteran Lucas ‘Luke’ Jackson is sentenced to two years on a chain gang for cutting parking meters. However, in the prison, he becomes an inspirational hero to the rest of his fellow convicts, including the prisoners’ leader Dragline for standing up to the guards and their sadistic leader Walking Boss Godfrey.
This 1955 American drama revolves around a troubled but sensitive teenager named Jim, who rejected his elder’s values, and also wanted to have a purpose in life. The film is known as a groundbreaking attempt to portray the moral decay of the American youth of the time, as well as to explore the conflicts between generations.
Giant is a Western drama film, which tells the story of a Texas ranching family, as they are fighting to survive the changing times.
Wyatt and Billy, two freewheeling motorcyclists and drug smugglers decide to travel cross-country through America to find some kind of spiritual truth. In their journey, which sadly ends in tragedy, they ingest drugs, come face to face with bigots, hatred, violence, and other travelers looking for free lifestyles.
True Grit is a Western drama film, which tells the story of a young girl, who in order to find the person who killed her father, hires a US Marshall. A Texas Ranger eventually joins them in their quest for justice.
The film is about an Elvis-fan Clarence Worley, who falls for and marries a call-girl, Alabama. While trying to retrieve her belongings, Clarence gets into a scuffle with Alabama's pimp, Drexl, and kills him. He mistakenly picks up a suitcase of cocaine in place of Alabama’s clothes. They decide to sell it in Hollywood, but are pursued by the mafia and the police.
Named after Bobby Vinton’s song, Blue Velvet, is a neo-noir thriller by American filmmaker David Keith Lynch. It starts when a college student, who is in town visiting his ailing father, finds a human ear severed and thrown in a field. What follows, is his journey to try and uncover the mystery and getting involved with an enticing lounge singer.
This sports drama film tells the story of Norman Dale who runs the basketball program of a high school of a small town in Indiana. He befriends a local drunk and makes him his assistant, and tries to create a winning team.
Rumble Fish is a crime drama film, which tells the story of an absent-minded street thug named Rusty James, who struggles to live up to the reputation of his legendary older brother.
This Western drama film revolves around the personal revenge story of Jed Cooper. Although he is innocent, he is punished and left for dead, for crimes he never committed. He returns as a lawman determined to bring justice to the vigilantes who tortured him.
Speed is an action-packed thriller where a bomb on a bus is rigged to blow up if the speed of the bus falls below 50 mph. Set in Los Angeles, a brave cop, played by Keanu Reeves, tries to save the passengers on the bus with the aid of another passenger, portrayed by Sandra Bullock, before the bomb goes off.
The American Dreamer is a documentary film, which revolves around the life of Dennis Hopper, well-known actor and director. The film examines ‘his life during his wildest and most creative period.
This 1955 crime film revolves around bank robber Roy Earle. After escaping from prison, he plans one final heist before retiring and giving up his life or crime.
This biographical film is about the life of Jean-Michel Basquiat, a struggling street artist, who struggles with his heroin addiction and soon manages to rise to fame as one of the most well-known artists.
During the filming of a Western in a Peruvian village, an actor dies in a stunt. Kansas, the horse wrangler, quits the film business and stays in the village with a former prostitute, Maria. Then the local priest asks for his help as the villagers, not knowing that movies are not real, start re-enacting the movie scenes with actual violence and killings.
Elegy is a romantic drama film which tells the story of an elderly professor who starts dating a beautiful graduate student. He soon sees that he is becoming quite jealous and possessive due to their relationship.
Colors is an action crime drama film which tells the story of an experienced cop and his hot-tempered rookie partner, who patrol the streets of Los Angeles, while attempting to keep the gang violence under control. While doing their job, both cops deal with issues such as racism.
In a zombie dominated world, the remnants of humanity have built small protected feudal societies all over the U.S. The ruthless Paul Kaufman rules one such class-divided society while his second-in-command plans a revolution. A battle for survival ensues when the zombies learn to evolve and adapt.
Matty is unable to find a job since his father is a mob boss, and employers fear him. He is not content doing menial jobs for his father, but he tries to convince his father that he is ready to be a reliable partner. Soon, an opportunity presents itself.
The presidential elections get interesting when it comes down to just one man’s vote. However, this man is none other than Bud Johnson, who is not only dim-witted and jobless but also apolitical.
In future when the polar ice has melted and water has submerged most of the earth, human communities thrive on atolls. A mariner arrives; however finding that he is mutant, people sentence him to death. Meanwhile a gang of Smokers attack the atoll to find a girl who has a map of a mythical Dryland. The girl Enola and her mother Helen escape with the Mariner pursued by the smokers.
When a television channel decides to telecast the daily life of an ordinary person they choose a video store clerk and begin filming his life 24X7. Very soon, the show becomes very popular and he becomes a celebrity. But it also invites complications in his life and he starts looking for ways to quit the show without breaching his contract.
A Los Angeles mechanic, a songwriter, and record producer race their high-powered cars up and down a dangerous and deadly mountain in order to compete for the ‘King of the Hill’ title.
The Young Land is a western film which tells the story of an American gunslinger who kills a Mexican man in California shortly after the war between Mexico and America. The man is arrested and put on trial for murder. Meanwhile the Hispanic population is waiting to see the outcome of the trial.
Loosely based on Hendrik Willem van Loon nonfiction book of the same name, this movie has a devil and an angel acting as prosecutor and defender respectively in the Great Court of Outer Space. The argument revolves around whether to allow humanity to continue existing despite its faults or let it get destroyed by the Super H-bomb invented by earth scientists.
Mario and Luigi, two Brooklyn plumber brothers discover a hidden alternate universe of ‘Dinohattan’ inhabited by evolved dinosaurs and ruled by malevolent King Koopa who plans to take over the world. He has kidnapped Princess Daisy; so now Mario Bros. must face hazards and lethal encounters from Lizard King Koopa and giant reptilian guards Goombas, to rescue Daisy and save the world.
Dennis Hopper Awards
| Speed | Best Villain | 1995 |
