Dennis Hopper and the new hollywood

Dennis Hopper and the New Hollywood goes much further than simply celebrating the work of an (in)famous film artist.

Three late ‘60s films in particular are cited as changing the business of American filmmaking – Bonnie and Clyde, The Graduate, and Easy Rider. But it was Easy Rider – filmed and produced with an indie, maverick sensibility, and a massive box office hit on its release in 1969 – that marked a true shift in both audience and studio consciousness.

Dennis Hopper was a central player in this consciousness shift, as co-writer, co-star and director of Easy Rider after a period in the box office wilderness. As an artist, auteur, and as a counterculture icon, Hopper claimed and has since never relinquished, a key place in American cultural history.

Dennis Hopper and the New Hollywood is an expansive exhibition showcasing an extraordinary man’s life’s work, his collaborations and personal art collection, and an amazing insight into a formative era of Hollywood.

The exhibition was originally curated by the Cinematheque Franscais, however the version that will be on display at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image is co-curated by ACMI . There are a number of different works on display that ACMI has managed to secure through international loans etc. as well as a brand new section focusing on Dennis’ making of Mad Dog Morgan (shot in Australia).

ACMI will also curate a film season and a series of public programs, talks and workshops based around the exhibition that will open exclusively at ACMI in November 2009.