portrait of this blog's author - by Stephen Blackman 2008

Saturday, September 16, 2017

HARRY DEAN STANTON


On of my all time heroes and actor in so many of my favourite films (Missouri Breaks, Repo Man, Two Lane BlackTop, The Last Temptation of Christ, Wild At Heart, Alien, Paris,Texas, Inland Empire, The Straight Story, Seven Psychopaths, The Godfather Part II, Green Mile, Cool Hand Luke, One From The Heart. And two Bob Dylan films; Renaldo & Clara and Pat Garret and Billy The Kid, to name but a few, Harry Dean Stanton has passed away at 91. 
Now THAT is a life lived fully!


This interview always stayed with me: 
“I’m 87 years old…I only eat so I can smoke and stay alive.. The only fear I have is how long consciousness is gonna hang on after my body goes. I just hope there’s nothing. Like there was before I was born. I’m not really into religion, they’re all macrocosms of the ego. When man began to think he was a separate person with a separate soul, it created a violent situation.The void, the concept of nothingness, is terrifying to most people on the planet. And I get anxiety attacks myself. I know the fear of that void. You have to learn to die before you die. You give up, surrender to the void, to nothingness.
Everyone wants an answer. I think it was Gertrude Stein who wrote, ‘There is no answer, there never was an answer, there’ll never be an answer. That’s the answer.’ It’s a hard sell, but that’s the ultimate truth.
Anybody else you’ve interviewed bring these things up? Hang on, I gotta take this call….. Hey, brother. That’s great, man. Yeah, I’m being interviewed… We’re talking about nothing. I’ve got him well-steeped in nothing right now. He’s stopped asking questions.” 
– Harry Dean Stanton

Missouri Breaks:Jack Nicholson, Kathleen Lloyd, Harry and Marlon Brandon





Harry and Kris Kristofferson


Harry, Kris and Johnny

Buddies Jack and Harry

Paris Texas with Nastasia Kinski



Paris, Texas by Wim Wenders and written by Sam Shepherd - Ry Cooder 'Cancion Mixteca' sung by Harry Dean Stanton

One of my favourite Ry Cooder/Freddy Fender songs here sung by Harry Dean

Rest easy now Harry

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