So I finally got to see this particular CHUD Essential. It has long been on my list, and finally it arrived and my friends and I dove right in. On this side of having seen it, I confess that I’m a bit disappointed. I fucking loved the documentary, and everything in it was incredible, but it just wasn’t enough. I need more. I need hours more!
The documentary has the unfortunate issue of having such a vast timeline of events to cover, that items must be skipped or skimmed. Anyone familiar with that production knows that it was truly epic, and while Hearts of Darkness definitely conveyed that, the weight of such things as Marlon Brando’s unprepared arrival or the weather disaster don’t come across as (forgive the pun) apocalyptic as they were. Also troubling is the complete lack of attention to post-production (where the fuck was Murch?!) which was in itself a massive and impressive feat. It’s absence isn’t too much of an issue, as that wasn’t the story the doc was trying to tell, I don’t think. That being said, it was disappointing to see the credits roll when they did.
I hope that there is an enormous amount of footage lying about, more interviews, etc. somewhere so that a mini-series of documentaries can be produced about the production. Think of it, AMC or the History Channel or A&E running a series of 8 or 9 hour longs about the making of Apocalypse Now… it would be beautiful.
If you haven’t seen this doc, or aren’t familiar with what went down to make Coppola’s ‘Nam opus, you do need to see this. Just be aware, it only scratches the surface.
This was a shorty! Thanks for reading folks.
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BONUS: Renn’s One-Word Movie Review
Good / Bad / Neutral
June 27th, 2008 : : Addio Zio Tom (Goodbye Uncle Tom) – Evil
Past One-Word Movie Reviews
June 22nd, 2008 : : You Don’t Mess With The Zohan – Jocular
June 17th, 2008 : : The Happening – Embarrassing
June 14th, 2008 : : Kung-Fu Panda – Thin
June 12th, 2008 : : Run Lola Run – Reckless
June 9th, 2008 : : Day Watch – Upgrade
June 8th, 2008 : : The Amateurs – Endearing
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