That's my dream, that's my nightmare. Crawling, slithering, along the edge of a straight razor, and surviving.

Apocalypse Now

This is something I've been wanting to see for a long time. This is a classic American film, Vietnam War films fascinate me, and I'm one of four people who love Heart of Darkness, the book Coppola based Apocalypse Now on. I wasn't sure what to expect when I watched Apocalypse Now, but it was high time I saw it.
Apocalypse Now has many levels and is many different films. The film begins as one film and ends as something different. At first the film felt like a satire. Kilgore and his men kind of treat Vietnam like a vacation. They blast Vagner and going surfing after bombing a village. While I enjoyed this, it was slightly off putting.

The film takes a dramatic turn in the second half. There's no longer humor. Things get dark, shocking, animalistic and insane. Sheen and his comrades go to army stations along the river and chaos is prevalent. The further they go, the darker things get. When Sheen finally reaches his destination, he comes into contact with a man who's gone off the map and does things his own way. He's reached the belly of the beast, the heart of darkness.

These two distinctly different stories are edited together kind of sloppy. It didn't quite feel right upon viewing. However, after taking a couple steps back, it kind of works. It represents the three dimensionalness of the Vietnam War. Some people didn't take it seriously at first, they treated it as a vacation. But as time goes on, as one ventures further down the river, the futility of war becomes more clear and the horror and insanity takes over. Killing and a loss of innocence can mentally unhinge a person. If war doesn't kill the soldier, memories will.

The sound is great. The music is great. The sets, lighting and cinematography are great. The acting isn't revolutionary, but it's good. Marlon Brando does what you'd expect, mutter and brood with his recognizable voice. He makes a statement and his presence is felt throughout the whole film. Robert Duvall is genius. He brings flamboyance, lunacy and audacity to Kilgore. I felt kind of uncomfortable laughing at Kilgore, he's ridiculous, not in a good way. I don't know about Martin Sheen, something about him just rubbed me the wrong way. Hundreds would disagree with me.

I don't know how Coppola is still alive after making this film. From everything I've read and after seeing it, I'm not surprised he went crazy. I'm really shocked no one was murdered on set. It's very powerful and has a strong voice that dares you to not listen. While many people say you either love Apocalypse Now or hate it, there is no in between, I put myself in the middle. I liked it. It's not one of my all-time favorites and I think that the more I watch it, the more I'll like it.

Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction

I would not hesitate to say this is one of my favorite films. It's just so good. The story, editing, the androgynous child, everything. Best part? Glenn Close. Girl is crazy! Her mannerisms and voice convey just how unhinged she is. Perhaps her most terrifying moment is when Close and Michael Douglas' daughter are on the roller coaster. Close just sits and stares, totally nuts inside, as her life twists, turns, and goes upside down. Close electrifies the screen and burns her image into the minds of people contemplating infidelity.

Netflix

Coco Before Chanel-I love a good biopic and I bet the clothes are fantastic.
The Talented Mr. Ripley-I watched this years ago and hated it. I was probably too young to appreciate it.
The Seventh Seal-Netflix Instant. I'll definitely have to be in the right frame of mind to watch this. But I've never seen any Bergman.