A Geek’s Eye on Dennis Hopper

Actor, filmmaker and one of the original Hollywood bad boys Dennis Hopper passed away today from complications related to prostate cancer, an absolutely unfitting and nasty way for the prolific actor to go. His best known works are certainly stuff of tinsel town legend: Easy Rider, Rebel Without a Cause, Apocalypse Now and Blue Velvet.

IMDB lists a whopping 202 acting credits (2 of which have yet to be released), 8 directorial credits including Easy Rider and 4 writing credits, also including the 1969 film. His first was in an episode of a long gone television show called Cavalcade of America at the ripe old age of 9. That’s a 65 year career with virtually no time off. But the recently turned 74 year old had a few geek tie-ins you either didn’t know about or in our first example, may have chosen to forget.

Super Mario Bros.

The success of Nintendo’s iconic hero by 1993 practically guaranteed a feature film, and with names like Hopper, Hoskins and Leguizamo, who could have thought it would turn out worse than botulism poisoning? Hopper was cast as King Koopa, Bowser himself, but instead of a fire breathing mega lizard, we get a leather clad white guy with corn rows. Really though, who else would you pick to say the words “Ba-bomb” for the first time in flim history?

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2: (this clip gets gory, you’ve been warned)

10 years after it scared the hell outta movie-goers, someone got it in their heads that The Texas Chainsaw Massacre needed a sequel. Not the brightest of moves, but I’m sure by now it’s earned its cult classic status, right? At any rate Hopper was called in to play Lieutenant ‘Lefty’ Enright, a former Texas Marshall looking to hunt down the Leatherface clan. Chaos ensues, as it often does, and Dennis is pitted in a one-on-one, honest-to-God, chainsaw fight. As in take your favorite sword fight, and replace the swords with chainsaws. Name one other Oscar Nominee who’s done the same. Go on, I’ll wait.

Hell: A Cyberpunk Thriller

In 1995 the only real celebrity precedence set in the video game world was Dana Plato and we all know how that turned out. Still, digital voice tracks were more and more prevelant on games for disc based consoles and dialogue was as free flowing as Slim-Fast which meant a need for voice over artists and star power. Hopper offered up his vocal chords to this hellacious 3DO title that made use of rendered cinematic sequences and 3D gameplay. Don’t sweat it, I had to look it up too. I don’t know anyone that owned a 3DO either.

24 (image courtesy of EW.com)

You 24-menites (you know who you are) likely geeked out when Hopper was revealed as Victor Drazen, a not-so-typical bad guy worthy of Jack Bauer’s attention, particularly after trying to kill Senator Palmer and Jack’s family. I don’t really have anything witty here to say, cuz I’m not THAT geeky.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

The big boy of gaming controversies, GTA Vice City raised the bar for acting, soundtracks, cinematics and gameplay for gamers of the world. Rockstar Games set out to do something big with their title and voice work wasn’t overlooked. After all, when you think of fast cars and explosions, isn’t Speed the first thing that comes into your mind? And when you think Speed, you force yourself to forget Keanu Reeves and never admit to thinking about Sandra Bullock leaving Dennis Hopper’s bat-guano crazy bomber. In GTA:VC Hopper voices Steve Scott, a pot bellied porn director that’s got it in his head that the skin flicks he’s creating should have artistic value. Needless to say, Tommy Vercetti shows him otherwise

So maybe you learned something today. Dennis Hopper will be missed and there’s no shortage of movies, games or television shows that exemplify his dedication to the industry or his quality of work. If you haven’t seen them yet, I suggest loading up Netflix and checking out Easy Rider or Hoosiers. Maybe skip over Waterworld. Just sayin.