I rented this documentary on the making of Apocolypse Now. I really enjoyed it alot. The horror of making this movie would drive most people insane. Has anyone seen this? The stuff regarding Brando is fucking hilarious.."Whats wrong?" "I ate a bug"
Excellent doc. You feel like you were there witnessing the pressures Coppola was under; watching Sheen get piss drunk and cutting himself after breaking a mirror, then be fascinated by his own blood; Coppola worrying not about Sheen after a heartattack, but who to replace him with if he died. Great stuff.
This is a must see for anyone interested in filmmaking. I'd go so far as to say it's as good as Apocalypse Now itself. I really wish they'd release it on DVD (or have they since I last checked?). I was pissed that the Apocalypse Redux didn't have any extras, btw. They should have a boxed set of that, the original version, and Hearts Of Darkness. That would be great.
I'd go as far as to say it's BETTER than Appocolypse Now. I always found that movie to be overrated, but that doc is just fabulous.
A bit off topic.
I havent seen hearts of darkness yet but as far as "making of" documentaries go, I'd like to recommend The Humiliated.
It's the making of The Idiots and it's narrated by lars himself (he had this audio diary when making the film). I think that it is a great example of showing what it means to make a film, the suffering of the director, the responsability , the beauty and horror of it.
You can also see how lars is insane in the membrane and how he brutally tortures his actresses and himself.
I only wish that the making of dancer was as good as this one, I heard that bjork didn't want any footage of her in the documentary, that's why it sucked. The thing I liked the most is a part when the wardrobe lady complaints that bjork bit into and shredded the blouse she was supposed to wear that day and ran off into the woods, and lars shooting the murder scene.
Quote from: rustinglassThe thing I liked the most is a part when the wardrobe lady complaints that bjork bit into and shredded the blouse she was supposed to wear that day and ran off into the woods, and lars shooting the murder scene.
hah yeah that was funny. but that second bit was on sum sick S&M shit. lars is one nasty dirty muvufucka i think.
APOCALYPSE WHEN?
Source: CHUD
One of the all-time great documentaries about the making of a movie is also one of the least seen – Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse. It's filled with unflinching behind the scenes footage of the legendarily difficult Apocalypse Now shoot, and in many ways the documentary is as compelling as the actual film, and it definitely has thematic parallels.
Sadly, you just can't get the damn thing on DVD. I saw it on video tape about a decade ago, but have never seen it again since. Last year there was a very nice Apocalypse Now DVD set, which included the original cut and the longer Redux cut, but the lack of Hearts of Darkness was very obvious.
Today I had a chance to ask George Hickenlooper, who directed the documentary, about what the film's future might be. Sadly, it sounds like it's still quite up in the air. "I talked to Francis about it three years ago, and at the time he said he wasn't ready for it to go out," Hickenlooper said. "I think he's uncomfortable with certain aspects of the film."
It's not surprising that Coppola is a little uncomfortable – the film in many ways documents his meltdown during production. But Hickenlooper says that Coppola doesn't want some of the more colorful moments removed. "It's not that he wants me to cut something out, I think he might want to add additional footage," the director explained. "What bothers him the most is when he says, 'Martin Sheen's not dead until I say he's dead.' He wants that clip put in context. He's embarrassed, but the thing is that he looks heroic in it, in my opinion. He did promise me that he would put it out at some point... but not yet."
So what can be done to get Hearts of Darkness into your DVD collection? "Send Francis asking letters to put it out," Hickenlooper says.
Quote from: MacGuffin on January 30, 2007, 02:29:40 PM
So what can be done to get Hearts of Darkness into your DVD collection? "Send Francis asking letters to put it out," Hickenlooper says.
and while your at it ask him for a free copy of the outsiders that he started giving away 2 years ago (http://xixax.com/index.php?topic=386.msg198747#msg198747), which Pozer should have received by now.
http://www.dvdactive.com/news/releases/hearts-of-darkness.html
Title: Hearts of Darkness
Starring: N/A (Documentary)
Released: 20th November 2007
SRP: Price TBC
Further Details:
Paramount Home Entertainment has announced Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse which is an engrossing, unwavering look back at Francis Ford Coppola's chaotic, catastrophe-plagued Vietnam production, Apocalypse Now. The feature length documentary (1 Hr. 35 Min. 55 Sec) was released theatrically in 1991, and will be available to own from the 20th November. Extra material will include a commentary by Francis and Eleanor Coppola, a CODA: Thirty Years Later follow-up documentary, and a Eleanor Coppola introduces CODA: Thirty Years Later feature. We've attached the official artwork below:
(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg85.imageshack.us%2Fimg85%2F2418%2Fhodaq7.jpg&hash=e9869092d303aad4d2038ea6a0f6b415ffeeed58)
Seriously... they couldn't wait a fucking YEAR to put out the Complete Dossier???!!!!!
ive read comments elsewhere about this dvd release and my only question is: why is everyone mad that it wasn't released with the dossier?
Quote from: Cinephile on October 19, 2007, 09:16:08 AM
ive read comments elsewhere about this dvd release and my only question is: why is everyone mad that it wasn't released with the dossier?
i don't understand the question. isn't it obvious? i mean why wouldn't everyone be mad? the complete dossier should've included this doco.. and EVERYONE knows this. is this some kind of riddle? here's a better one:
FLIP FLOP
who's there?
john kerry.
hahahahha
oh late night drunk posts, i get it. :therethere:
On this thread
http://hollywood-elsewhere.com/archives/2007/10/hearts_of_darkn.php
Hickenlooper complains about not being involved in the release of this DVD and i think that, a he says, this story will get interesting. Check it out.
Apocalypse Cash Cow! Coppola Takes Doc About His Magnum Opus to DVD; Its Director Pouts
by Spencer Morgan; The New York Observer
Legendary director Francis Ford Coppola is being accused of hypocrisy and "corporation"-like behavior by fellow filmmaker George Hickenlooper (Factory Girl).
For the past four years, Mr. Hickenlooper—who along with his partner, Fax Bahr, wrote and directed the 1991 Emmy-winning authorized documentary Hearts of Darkness, which chronicled the problematic production process of Mr. Coppola's Apocalypse Now—has been urging its subject, who owns the distribution rights, to collaborate with him on a splashy DVD release. Indeed, Mr. Hickenlooper said, the two directors shook hands over such a project over lunch a few years ago.
Last week, however, Mr. Hickenlooper read on the industry blog hollywood-elsewhere.com that Paramount Home Video had slated Hearts of Darkness for a November release.
"This is a real slap in the face to me and to filmmakers in general," Mr. Hickenlooper, who had hoped to participate in commentary and presentation of the DVD, told the Transom by phone on Friday, Oct. 19. "It's very disillusioning because I worship Francis," whom he first met at age 16.
He allowed that reissuing the documentary was Mr. Coppola's prerogative not just legally, but personally, since it focuses on the perspective of the latter man's wife, Eleanor, during the famously fraught filming of Apocalypse. But given the corpulent vintner's recent public excoriations of actors Robert De Niro and Jack Nicholson for selling out, the younger director suggested that perhaps his idol might want to practice what he preaches. "He's trying to portray himself as this icon of artistic integrity," Mr. Hickenlooper said. "And yet simultaneously, he's completely burying me and my partner."
Mr. Coppola had not responded to phone calls or e-mails, he added. (The Transom had the same experience.)
"It's heartbreaking because this film made my career," Mr. Hickenlooper said. "It's not like I'm a ghostwriter. I'm a filmmaker."
Quote from: MacGuffin on October 26, 2007, 10:11:30 PM
the corpulent vintner
I'm referring to FFC as "the corpulent vintner" from now on.
From Hollywood Elsewhere:
George Hickenlooper and Fax Bahr's masterful Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse (Paramount Home Video, 11.20) is one of the best making-of-a-famous-movie docs ever made, but the new DVD looks like a VHS tape. It could have looked much better if the original elements had been remastered, but Apocalypse director Francis Coppola, who narrates the DVD along with wife Eleanor, provided PHV with "the same 1" inch tape that was used when they struck the materials for the 1991 videotape," says Hickenlooper.
No remastering, tweaking or upgrading...brilliant! It's almost 2008 with high-def video setting the hgh-end standard, and Coppola and Paramount Home Video have pooled their resources in order to give viewers an image consistent with video standards of 15 years ago.
DVD Beaver's review says that "the quality is poor...parts of the documentary [are] dark and muddy since the footage was shot with 16mm cameras [and[ some scenes were shot or mastered on video. Plus "the raw footage that Coppola shot for his movie was un-restored (scratches, sprocket jumps, etc.), though scenes from the finished film look very good."
DVD Talk's review says "it's aggravating that Paramount didn't give the film a cursory touch-up...this 1.33:1 fullscreen transfer is only a step or two above my VHS copy of the film. The ragged, worn look does evoke the proper atmosphere, but the screens of text lack sharpness and often [and] the newer interview segments look flat and a bit washed-out...a very so-so transfer of a long-awaited title."
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film2/DVDReviews33/hearts_of_darkness.htm
http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=31409
Coppola Talks Hearts of Darkness
IGN chats with the legendary director!
To celebrate the release of the captivating behind-the-scenes documentary, Hearts of Darkness -- which chronicles the struggles to complete the classic film Apocalypse Now -- Francis Ford Coppola was kind enough to answer a few of our questions. Check out the following for his responses!
IGN: Despite the extent and sheer number of challenges associated with the filming, did you find that the struggle made you, in any way, a better filmmaker or inspired a creativity that helped the film in the long-run?
COPPOLA: Hard for me to say. But certainly the panic and energy one gets from being in very difficult circumstances must cause you to rise to your best potential in dealing with them. I've heard that said of me, that I do best when I'm in a tough situation—but in my opinion I can also do good work when I'm happy and relaxed. Though often, when trying to overcome a roadblock to what you thought you would do, you do find innovative solutions.
IGN: Does it increase or break your focus as a filmmaker to exist in such a stressful environment?
COPPOLA: I would hate to think that I can only do good work when I am miserable. I feel that one can find good solutions also when calm and involved in happy collaboration.
IGN: What was the one struggle or moment that resonated with you the most, or made you the most fearful (if that's the appropriate word) that the film would not be completed, or completed to your satisfaction?
COPPOLA: There were so many times during Apocalypse that I thought the project (and I) was doomed. I remember being very low during the huge undertaking of the helicopter battle, proving more difficult that I had thought it would be, and happening while I was also mulling over the replacement of the main actor. Certainly the shock of learning about martin's heart attack—which we had no warning of. He was fit, running several miles each morning and young and healthy—not a hint that this could happen. By the time of the typhoon, I just was beginning to get used to unanticipated events greeting me each week, and took that in stride.
IGN: That said, how does the film hold up in retrospect? Do you feel as if it resembles the film you set out to make, or does it fall short of what you hoped it could be?
COPPOLA: I feel the film caught hold of an energy, an out-of-control and bizarre essence of what, perhaps, that war was like. It comes alive with something unique and beautiful, and that is the most I hope for in a film.
IGN: What the emotional experience like in making Hearts of Darkness – humorous, painful, nostalgic, cathartic?
COPPOLA: Hearts of Darkness was being shot by my wife during a time when I was very occupied (and preoccupied). Often I would put the film down in speaking to her, in hopes (like all husbands) that she would say, "That's OK, Francis -- it's all going to turn out better than you think," and console me. But she'd say, "Would you say that again? I didn't get a good recording!" When the film was done, I understood that it was very good, and agreed that it be shown on TV the two times we contracted for. But I let it go despite the embarrassment I felt from it, for that reason. So when the term kept coming back to me as, "Show it more, in theaters, in DVD's, etc." I felt they had violated our agreement, and wasn't too pleased about it. Especially with provocative lines in it like "Marty is not dead until I say he's dead," which if you understand the context of what was going on (crew members calling home with false news of his death). I tried to correct these mis-impressions by doing a commentary and not editing anything out of the original documentary.
However, I am chagrined with those who say; "It should have been included in the original film's DVD" or speak about the film as somehow anyone, including the directors, had ownership rights to determine how the film be presented. I lived through that experience, not them, they weren't even there, I paid for it with my own money, and it was about me and featured my image and person. If Disney company owns and controls Mickey Mouse why shouldn't I control HOD?