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2001, 07-22:
Report on Q&A Talk with “EASY RIDER” cinematographer LASZLO KOVACS
... He related how director DENNIS HOPPER worked hard to convince him to come "on-board” his "EASY RIDER" project with PETER FONDA...
... [So-called] "B" movies were very popular in the 1960's & 70’s, because they were all the rage with the 4,000-5000 or so [of the then-trendy] drive-in theaters operating at that time...
... It encouraged him when Producer Bert Schneider got his father — then head of Columbia Pictures — to agree to provide financial backing for the “EASY RIDER” project...
... Altho [he was] initially uneager to do the film (due to having done previous "biker" pictures such as "SAVAGE" & “HELL’S ANGELS ON WHEELS”), when Kovacs saw this would be "something different, something new" in the way it showed young people & the beauty of the countryside of America, he agreed to JOIN the venture...
... "EASY RIDER" stunned the film community. Many people thought that, because it was an "independent" project, it was highly "improvised"-- but Kovacs related that almost NONE of it was, that Hopper worked hard to have the film tightly scripted and acted word-for-word [as written]...
... Kovacs expressed great joy remembering the way it became the breakout "star turn" film for JACK NICHOLSON, which he & others could see was happening even as it was being shot...
... Kovacs expressed sadness over how the film studios have allowed so many of their film stocks to DETERIORATE over the years, relating how he had to do work to help RESTORE the middle 20 minutes of the version we'd just seen (which was done over 1½ years as part of the 25th anniversary of its original opening), because the once-missing footage was in such horrible shape...
... He told how they'd used a '68 Chevy convertible to film the scenes of the motorcycles traveling the highways of the nation-- scenes that themselves were basically improvised; he'd had a “great time" working with his "small crew" [in doing the filming]...
... When asked by a member of the audience, Kovacs commented there basically hadn't been any great efforts to provide "political messages" at the time the film was done...
... He spoke of how they'd filmed the "commune" scenes in Malibu (basing it on a Taos commune which at the last minute chose to not let them film there in New Mexico), & how the bikes [being used for the film shoot] were stolen from a truck at one point...
... When I [personally] asked Mr. Kovacs what he was especially pleased or disappointed with in the film as he'd shot it, he replied that, "It's TOO LATE" to be concerned about such things:
... Altho, at the time, he was periodically displeased that certain scenes he'd shot weren't used, "That's HISTORY”, [& he feels] that it’s wisest to just “move on” even at the time, since it's the decisions of the DIRECTOR & editor as to how things end up...
... He never saw any "dailies" as they worked, & one of his main concerns was to try to provide the "rhythm” for the overall film...
... In retrospect, tho he loves the film overall, at the time [it was released], the picture tended to HARM his career:
... The UNIONS were very upset that he (a non-union person) had done the work on the highly-regarded project, & they for years refused to let him JOIN the union. And, [because of that position on their part], he thus couldn't get [to do] work on major film projects (altho he has since done such pictures as "SHAMPOO", ''MY BEST FRIEND'S WEDDING'', etc.)...
... That music [they’d played as a “background”] was so effective, it was decided to use different song cuts in the final FILM-- &, in fact, getting the rights to the music [they wanted] cost about 3 TIMES the $ 350,000 cost of SHOOTING the film [itself]!...
... As to how he decides what & how to film certain things, Kovacs commented that, "It's instinct--", part of the things in your head that you can't explain...
... The collaboration starts with the director & the producer. Near the end of the intriguing discussion, he made the humorous comment, "They call us ‘Technicians'— so we don't ask for more MONEY!...”
... A FASCINATING and enjoyable talk!...
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... Here's a bit of ADDITIONAL information for you (added on April 3, 2012), giving you some "HISTORICAL" chronological facts about his work:
... Besides his work on filming 1969’s “EASY RIDER”, he also worked on 1970’s “GETTING STRAIGHT” & “FIVE EASY PIECES” & “ALEX IN WONDERLAND”, plus 1971’s “THE MARRIAGE OF A YOUNG STOCKBROKER” & “THE LAST MOVIE”...
... Also: 1972’s “POCKET MONEY”, “WHAT’S UP, DOC” & “THE KING OF MARVIN GARDENS”, 1973’s “STEELYARD BLUES” & “PAPER MOON”, 1974’s “HUCKLEBERRY FINN” & “FREEBIE & THE BEAN”, 1975’s “AT LONG LAST LOVE” & “SHAMPOO”, and 1976’s “HARRY AND WALTER GO TO NEW YORK” & “NICKELODEON”...
... In addition, he filmed: 1977’S “NEW YORK, NEW YORK”, 1978’s “F.I.S.T” & “PARADISE ALLEY”, 1979’s “BUTCH & SUNDANCE: THE EARLY YEARS”, 1981’s “THE LEGEND OF THE LONE RANGER”, and 1984’s “GHOSTBUSTERS” & “MASK”...
... Plus: 1986’s “LEGAL EAGLES”, 1988’s “LITTLE NIKITA”, 1989’s “SAY ANYTHING”, 1991’s “SHATTERED”, 1992’s “RADIO FLYER”, 1993’s “RUBY CAIRO”, 1994’S “THE LAST KARATE KID” & “THE SCOUT”, 1995’s “FREE WILLY 2: THE ADVENTURE HOME” & “COPYCAT”, and 1996’s “MULTIPLICITY”...
... And, he also filmed: 1997’s “MY BEST FRIEND’S WEDDING” (filmed in the Chicago area), 1997’s “JACK FROST”, 2000’S “RETURN TO ME” & “MISS CONGENIALITY”, 2002’s “TWO WEEKS NOTICE”, & 2007’s “TURN FROM THE FLAG: A FILM BY KLAUDIA KOVACS”...
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