Episode 5: Easy Rider with Katelin Fitzpatrick

On the fifth episode of All the Film Things, I am joined by one of my close friends, Katelin Fitzpatrick, to discuss Dennis Hopper’s 1969 film Easy Rider starring Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper. This episode is spoiler- filled. Dennis Hopper’s Easy Rider is a road/ drama film focused on two hippies riding motorcycles across state lines “looking for America and couldn’t find it anywhere….”  Although the New Hollywood movement was slowly beginning in 1967, it was Easy Rider that officially launched this short- lived yet impactful movement in American cinema. Easy Rider was enormously successful and forever changed the film industry in several ways, including the rise of independent films.  This is the first of three episodes Katelin has appeared on to date. We recorded this on August 17, 2022 as a way to pay tribute to Peter Fonda who had passed away 3 years prior on August 16. I wasn’t sure if Katelin would enjoy this film since it is one that divides audiences. Some consider it a masterpiece while some consider it terrible. I truly believe it is a masterpiece… you just have to watch it a few times. Luckily, Katelin enjoyed the film but there were some moments that made her angry. Since this is one of the earliest ATFT episodes, the audio quality isn’t as great as previous episodes. I was able to improve the audio but unfortunately the audio dips in quality and has some occasional ambiance interference. Despite the poor audio quality, I wanted to post this episode because the quality of the conversation is worthy to be included in this “wide release” of ATFT.  In this episode, Katelin and I first discuss some trivia surrounding the film such as Easy Rider being the first film to use found music, what happened to the original bikes, and how much of the film’s dialogue was improvised. Later in the episode, we analyze the film- specifically the line “We blew it”, its parallels to the hippie movement, and how this film remains current in talking about freedom.  Background music created and used with permission by the Copyright Free Music - Background Music for Videos channel on YouTube.