Out of the Blue
Director: Dennis Hopper Run Time: 96 min. Format: DCP Release Year: 1980
Starring: Dennis Hopper, Don Gordon, Linda Manz, Raymond Burr, Sharon Farrell
New Restoration!
Dennis Hopper directed and stars in OUT OF THE BLUE – the spiritual sequel to his own EASY RIDER, chronicling the collapse of sixties idealism into the nihilistic haze of the 1980s. Taking over the directing chair two weeks into production, Hopper extensively re-wrote the script to more immediately center his teenage costar Linda Manz… and from her first frames, one can see why. Manz is an incredibly magnetic performer and her ability to hold her own with the just-barely-not-off-the-rails performances from the adults in the film is remarkable.
Hopper’s Don Barnes is a truck driver sent to prison for drunkenly smashing his rig into a school bus—while his daughter CeBe (Manz) rides along in the cab. 5 years later, CeBe has become a teen rebel and outsider obsessed with Elvis and the Sex Pistols. Meanwhile, her mother Kathy, (Farrell) dulls her own pain by shooting up and taking refuge in the arms of other men, including her husband’s best friend, Charlie (Gordon). After Don’s release, the family struggles to re-connect and start over before the revelation of dark secrets leads to a harrowing conclusion.
OUT OF THE BLUE is an unquestionably dark and bleak film but the performances at its heart burn as brightly as those in any other film released that year. Manz gained a cult status based mainly on this film and her role in DAYS OF HEAVEN. Though she largely retreated from acting soon after OUT OF THE BLUE, her lasting rep- utation with today’s revered indie actresses (namely Chloë Sevigny and Natasha Lyonne, who co-present this restoration) is testament to her amazing talent.
Restored in 4K by Discovery Productions, Inc. at Roundabout Entertainment.
“A movie of rude, rough vitality… Extraordinarily well-acted by Linda Manz and Dennis Hopper.” – Vincent Canby, New York Times
“If ever there was a movie about Sex & Drugs & Rock ’n’ Roll, this is it. Extraordinary.” – Time Out (London)
