Release Date:
11/20/2007
This is one of the only instances in movie history where a documentary about a classic movie is equally as great as the movie it's documenting. Apocalypse Now almost killed director Francis Ford Coppola. Luckily, his wife was there to document his gradual descent into madness. (Thanks, honey!) This film, originally released in 1991, will give you a whole new appreciation for the trippy film about Vietnam. From lead actor Martin Sheen, who replaced Harvey Keitel a week into the shoot, having a heart attack, to typhoon damaged sets to major budget problems to an overweight and underprepared Marlon Brando, everything that could go wrong went really fucking wrong. It's beyond mesmerizing to see how this thing falls apart, as witness by Coppola's dramatic weight loss throughout the documentary. We're still not sure how Apocalypse ended up becoming a classic and not one of the greatest disasters in movie history. It could have been a miracle, luck, or Coppola's sacrifice, hard work, and vision actually paying off. All we know is there's nothing better than watching Coppola yell at a tweaking Dennis Hopper. Far out!