Steven Van Zandt In New Mob Series

So glad to see a Soprano cast member in a new mobster series. Steven Van Zandt stars in Lilyhammer, the story about a mobster relocated from New York City to the slopes of Norway... where the closest thing to a crew is a motorcycle club.

Van Zandt appeared on HBO's The Sopranos during its entire six-season run. We were in Rome for Harley-Davidson's 110th Europe Celebration, and had been taking pictures of bikes in front of the Palace Hotel. It was one of the hottest days of Summer in Rome on June 19, 2013 -- the day that Sopranos' star, James Gandolfini died of a heart attack around 10 pm at the Palace Hotel. He was only 51 years old.

Van Zandt tweeted, "I have lost a brother and a best friend. The world has lost one of the greatest actors of all time." 
The American-Norwegian series, Lilyhammer made it's debut in Norway in January 2012 and 1/5th of the entire population of Norway watched it! It debuted in the USA as the first-ever Netflix Original series in February 2013. I watched all eight episodes via Netflix DVD and can not wait for season two.

It was such a big hit that Van Zandt cut his concert season short with the E Street Band in order to start work on season two as Frank "The Fixer" Tagliano, a New York mobster in the witness protection program aka Giovanni "Johnny" Henriksen.

Guitarist Tom Morello has stepped in for Van Zandt for the Australian leg of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's Wrecking Ball Tour. 

Lilyhammer is produced by Norway's Rubicon TV, who designed the series around Van Zandt, tailoring it to his wise-guy image honed from years playing Tony Soprano's trusted Consigliere, Silvio Dante. Netflix owns the North and Latin American rights.

Some of the best moments in the Sopranos were the ironies. Lillyhammer turns the Mafia theme completely into a dark comedy. Some of the lines are ROTFL hilarious. Van Zandt has some golden comments and brings something Italian-American over to little Norway. As a mobster, he is barely able to hide his cold as ice personality in the little town of Lillehammer, Norway. Only a crew of outlaw bikers can relate to him, and they are a far-cry from what you would call "professionals."

Click image to enlarge -- 
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Easy Rider - Born To Be Wild

Dennis Lee Hopper, born in Dodge City, Kansas (May 17, 1936 – May 29, 2010) was an American actor, filmmaker and artist. As a young man, Hopper became interested in acting and eventually became a student of the Actors' Studio. He made his first television appearance in 1955, and appeared in two films featuring James Dean, Rebel Without a Cause (1955) and Giant (1956). Over the next ten years, Hopper appeared frequently on television in guest roles, and by the end of the 1960s had played supporting roles in several films.

He directed and starred in Easy Rider (1969) with Peter Fonda, and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay as co-writer.

Riding an iron horse wrapped in the American flag, Fonda portrayed a modern-day Wyatt Earp alongside a Billy the Kid portrayed by Hopper, dressed in Indian leathers, riding a classic rigid chopper. They explored the anti-establishment, counter-culture of the '60s.

With its portrait of counterculture heroes raising their middle fingers to the uptight middle-class hypocrisies, Easy Rider became the cinematic symbol of the 1960s, a celluloid anthem to freedom, macho bravado and anti-establishment rebellion.

No other persona better signifies the lost idealism of the 1960s than Dennis Hopper's portrayal of Billy Zero.

Dennis Hopper, Easy Rider R.I.P.

Dennis Hopper was part of a new generation of Hollywood rebels in 1969 when he directed and co-stared in “Easy Rider."

He remained at the edge of what was exciting and new right up to the end, when he died last week at age 74 at his home in Venice, Calif.

He was famous for his portrayal of the crazy misfit in "Apocalypse Now" (1979) and the cult classic, "Blue Velvet" (1986), and was at work on a TV series adaptation of the 2005 blockbuster,"Crash" when he lost the battle in a second round of prostrate cancer.

"Rebel Without a Cause" (1955) with James Dean launched his film career. He also appeared in such notable films as "Hang 'Em High" (1968), "Speed" (1994), and "Waterworld" (1995).

Dennis' free wheeling, free spirited character became the blueprint for thousands of bikers as many tried to emulate his spirit and the Ben Hardy built chopper that he rode in the film.

He gave up drugs and booze and an out-of-control lifestyle in the mid 1980's and excellerated his career. His credits include at least six films released in 2008 and at least 25 over the past 10 years.

Dennis Hopper -- actor, filmmaker, photographer, art collector, world-class burnout, first-rate survivor — never blew it. Unlike the villains and freaks he has played over the decades — the psycho with the mommy complex in “Blue Velvet,” the mad bomber with the grudge in “Speed” — he has made it through the good, the bad and some spectacularly terrible times. He rode out the golden age of Hollywood by roaring into a new movie era with “Easy Rider.” He hung out with James Dean, played Elizabeth Taylor’s son, acted for Quentin Tarantino. He has been rich and infamous, lost and found, the next big thing, the last man standing. -- New York Times.


Ride Easy... R.I.P. Dennis Hopper

Top Motorcycle Movies of All Time?

A list of "26 Greatest Motorcycle Moves of All Time" is provoking a bunch of comments today on Facebook.

The list includes "Top Gun," "Easy Rider" and "Wild Hog" but omits "The Motorcycle Diaries."

The original article lists some B-movies alongside some cult favorites and more mainstream films, and includes some interesting details that are worth reading. Take a look HERE.

But, I think the list needs to be updated to include "The Motorcycle Diaries" (2004) that follows two friends through the sweeping vistas of South America on motorcycles. Walter Salles is no ordinary director and the cinematography is truely gorgeous.

"Diaries" reminds me how little of the South American landscape we ever see on film in the US.



Also... what about "The World's Fastest Indian" - Anthony Hopkins?


What do you think?