This year has not been kind to our Hollywood stars, and now, another Hollywood icon is battling a serious disease. Dennis Hopper, who is now 73 years old, is dealing with prostate cancer. He is currently undergoing treatment under a special program at the University of South California.

More on his condition from The Telegraph:

The Hollywood actor, who has been married five times and has four children, has cancelled all travel plans so he could focus on treatment, Mr Maydew said. “We’re hoping for the best,” his manager told the entertainment website E! Online. He declined to comment further.

Hopper was due to visit Australia next month for the opening of a Melbourne exhibition, Dennis Hopper and the New Hollywood. He said he was “very disappointed” at not being able to travel to Australia for the exhibition, a collection of his artwork and photography, at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image in Melbourne.

Born in May 17, 1936, Dennis Hopper has established a name for himself worldwide in the realms of acting and filmmaking. He is best known for works such as Rebel Without A Cause, Easy Rider, and Speed – among many others. Unbeknownst to many, Dennis Hopper is also active in other pursuits aside from the big screen. He is an avid photographer, painter, and sculptor. As a matter of fact, his work is scattered in exhibits all over the world.

For now, this artist is battling perhaps one of the biggest challenges in his life. Our prayers are with him, together with the hopes that he conquers this disease much like he conquered every thing else in his life.

Got some free time this Thursday? Rather, do you have all of Thursday free? If so, and if you are a fan of Flaming Lips, get your butt over to Hollywood’s Ricardo Montalbán Theatre, which is near the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street. The news is that the band is going to have a FREE concert at 7:30 pm.

There’s some good and some bad here. The good first: the concert is FREE. It is sponsored by MySpace, and they are throwing away the tickets on a first come first served basis. That’s the bad. You know how these things go. Even though the concert is not starting till 7:30 pm, you would have to be there hours earlier to score some tickets.

So why is this gig creating such noise? If you haven’t heard, Flaming Lips has released a new album after so many years. Titled “Embryonic,” the album is getting favorable reviews. This psychedelic band has been in the scene for quite some time now, and while not everyone is into their music, they do have a strong following. Also, a teaser tells us that this will be the band’s last performance till next year. That’s enough reason for fans to make it to Thursday’s concert.

By the way, if you buy the CD at Amoeba, you will also get free tickets. As it was released Tuesday, I don’t know if there are any left. You could go check it out, though. I am sure that beats having to line up early at the venue.