R.I.P., filmmaker George Hickenlooper, age 47

R.I.P., filmmaker George Hickenlooper, age 47

He was an in-betweener. He didn't make pretentious art films, and he didn't make mindless blockbusters. He did try to make movies which had ideas and told good stories, whether he created fictional tales or documentaries.

When he wandered into the documentary side of the business, his favorite subjects were other filmmakers, like Coppola, Dennis Hopper and Monte Hellman.

If Hickenlooper's movies weren't always successful, at least they were thoughtful. We can't really afford to lose guys like him, because we don't exactly have a surplus of honest men with interesting ideas.