Dennis Hopper: 1936 - 2010

Well, this sucks... much like last year's loss of Farrah Fawcett, Ed McMahon, Billy Mays, and Michael Jackson all within days or weeks of each other, so seems to be the case this year. Famed and awesomely brilliant painter Frank Frazetta recently passed, as did metal legend Ronnie James Dio. And just one day after the death of former child star, Gary Coleman, an other great has passed. He was 74.

Dennis Hopper, most notable for directing and starring in the 1969 film, Easy Rider, and most infamous for portraying Bowser in the retched Super Mario Bros. movie, has died due to complications with prostate cancer. While it's been awhile since I've made an obituary post, and for the three recent passings I probably should have, Hopper's passing has the most for me to talk about personally.

For one, Easy Rider is a cinematic classic for its depiction of rebellion culture, and its influence lives on in many films today. Heck, the season one finale of The Venture Bros. perfectly mirrors the ending moments of the film! Hopper, who has been acting since 1955, has appeared in hundreds of films, some fantastic, and some a bit beneath his level of talent, but he was always great in everything did, and I always enjoyed seeing him on screen.

I think I'm going to have to play Gorillaz' "Fire Coming Out of the Monkey's Head" on loop for the rest of the night. For those that don't know, it's the track on Demon Days that Dennis Hopper provided narration on, and can even be seen recording in their documentary, Bananaz. He (and the others I mentioned) will truly be missed.