So, why has the doc been so difficult to see over the past four decades?
It was made for college audiences, says Lawrence Schiller, who directedThe American Dreamerwith the late L.M.
Dennis wanted a following on the college campuses, he wanted to reach that younger audience.
So, now, he wants to develop another audience.
Students saw it in, like, 60 colleges across the country.
But then Dennis purchasedThe Last Movieback from Universal and started having the film shown at film festivals.
He wanted the audience to understand what was going on in his life while he was making that film.
These days, the ability to screen this former Holy Grail of cult docs is anything but limited.
I didnt want the film to be perfectly clean, like it originally was.
I wanted it to have a feeling of age.
I wanted the feeling that we were looking back at history.
Then again, by Schillers own admittance, history may not be quite the right word.
The film is not a documentary, insists Schiller.
This is Dennis Hopper playing Dennis Hopper.
We would discuss in the morning, What do we want to achieve today?
But basically thats what hes doing.
Well, that wasnt difficult.
We sent Dennis brother down to the airport.
And, of course.
nobody said, No.
Schiller says he has been amazed by the reaction toThe American Dreamersince its long-delayed release.
The response has been absolutely extraordinary.
Theyve just asked for the film to be shown in Kathmandu.
I cant believe it!
you could seen a clip fromThe American Dreamer, above.
