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Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse hits DVD

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Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse hits DVD

Old 10-17-07, 06:35 PM
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Another interesting factoid about Hearts of Darkness -- Although the documentary footage is 4:3 (both Eleanor Copolla's home movies and the newer interviews), the documentary itself is the only place to find footage from Apocalypse Now letterboxed to its full 2.40:1 theatrical aspect ratio on home video. Video editions of that film have been cropped to 2.0:1 because Vittorio Storaro has a kooky theory called "Univisium" that he's retroactively enforced on all the movies he shot long beforehand.
Old 10-17-07, 06:37 PM
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Originally Posted by Josh Z
What would you expect the press release to say? "Coming Soon: Hearts of Darkness - A Filmmaker's Apocalypse (Censored Version)"
Why not? This is the studio that unleashed the "Don't Call Me Shirley Edition" upon the world.
Old 10-17-07, 07:18 PM
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Originally Posted by Zen Peckinpah
I want this BADLY, but is the Apocalypse Now HD DVD definitely coming sometime soon or is it just a rumor?
it is complete speculation. i haven't heard any rumors at all of apocalypse now on hd dvd.
Old 10-17-07, 07:44 PM
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It's about f-in time!
Old 10-17-07, 10:04 PM
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Now let's hope they don't "F" up the transfer like the current B.S. DRACULA!
Old 10-17-07, 10:16 PM
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Originally Posted by wm lopez
Now let's hope they don't "F" up the transfer like the current B.S. DRACULA!
Different studio, so that may help. So glad to retire my LaserDisc of this since something about the transition from Side 1 to Side 2 seems off, like a sliver of footage might be missing. I never had the VHS to compare and contrast.
Old 10-18-07, 02:50 AM
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Fantastic!
Old 10-18-07, 06:28 AM
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Better late than never.
Old 10-18-07, 08:40 AM
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Aw hell yeah! I, too, have a worn out VHS to retire.
Old 10-18-07, 08:59 AM
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Meeeeeeeh......this should have been released last year with the (In)complete Dossier.
Old 10-18-07, 10:28 AM
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Time to retire the LD. Now if they can get AN out in HD, I'll be fulfilled.
Old 10-18-07, 10:51 AM
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Originally Posted by Mr. Salty
I don't remember now what the specific issue was, but Hickenlooper admitted he used a clip of Francis Ford Coppola that, in retrospect, was out of context and was inaccurate.

Hickenlooper said he would happily correct that part of "Darkness" because it was factually wrong, and he was in talks with Paramount and Coppola to do so in hopes of getting "Hearts of Darkness" re-released. This was in 2004.
The scene in question was the one where after Sheen had a heart-attack, Coppola says something along the lines of "He doesn't die unless I says he dies!". Which out of context, I guess it seems sort of callow.
Old 10-18-07, 01:57 PM
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I've never seen the documentary, so I'm looking forward to adding it as a companion to the Dossier Edition.

I don't understand why this needed a separate release and couldn't have been added as a disc 3 to the Dossier Edition. But, hell I'll take it and I'm glad it's getting a bonus documentary as well.
Old 10-18-07, 02:39 PM
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Coppola went to Miami in May to attend a public screening of Coda and then did a Q&A with the audience. Someone asked him about Hearts of Darkness and what the hold-up was and he specifically talked about the "He doesn't die unless I say he dies" scene and that it was his only complaint about the movie. So the change will no doubt be made.

Coda, by the way, is really REALLY dull. It was shot on the set of his new movie, Youth Without Youth, and it is extremely disappointing.
Old 10-18-07, 04:06 PM
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So if they're cutting that scene, I guess the VHS copy won't be retired after all.
Old 10-18-07, 04:22 PM
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Nor the LaserDisc, which I'd love to part with.
Old 10-18-07, 05:32 PM
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Since the DVD supposedly has a Coppola commentary, maybe he will explain his comment rather than deleting it.
Old 10-18-07, 05:41 PM
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Originally Posted by Josh Z
Video editions of that film have been cropped to 2.0:1 because Vittorio Storaro has a kooky theory called "Univisium" that he's retroactively enforced on all the movies he shot long beforehand.
No, Univisium is a very good idea for use in filming new movies. Retroactively enforcing it on films that were made in a different aspect ratio - that's the kooky part!
Old 10-18-07, 05:44 PM
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A little too early to jump the gun on whether that scene will be cut. But I agree that it would be in the best interest of all parties if he allowed it to be left in. He could either mention the context in the commentary or maybe have a video intro that might explain it.
Old 10-18-07, 05:54 PM
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At last!
Old 10-18-07, 06:05 PM
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Originally Posted by soonercineaste
So if they're cutting that scene, I guess the VHS copy won't be retired after all.
I don't think they're cutting it, they just want to put it in context. I think, like with all of Coppola's other recent releases, he's going to have an introduction to the movie where he'll probably explain himself and give that scene context, not to mention the commentary.
Old 10-18-07, 06:18 PM
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I hadn't realized this wasn't on DVD. I'm not sure I'll buy it, but I want to see it again. It ran on PBS a few times. The making of the movie was almost scarier than the movie itself. It's also a really interesting look at off-shore film production and all the cheap labor filmmakers get, but in this case, there were definite downsides to that.
Old 10-19-07, 09:54 AM
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Originally Posted by dhmac
No, Univisium is a very good idea for use in filming new movies.
If Vittorio Storaro, as cinematographer, wishes to compose for that ratio on movies he shoots, he is certainly welcome to. But the idea that his "universal aspect ratio" should be applied to all movies by all filmmakers, regardless of the whether the artistic intentions of those fillmakers differ from his own, and for no better reason than that Vittorio Storaro happens to like that shape, well that's frankly just stupid and insulting. What's next, he thinks that all movies should be shot with bright pink filters on the lenses because that's his new "universal color scheme"?

And retroactively applying it to older movies is disgraceful.
Old 10-20-07, 10:05 PM
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This should have been included in the Dossier Set DVD but it's a fantastic news anyway. I'm picking this up!
Old 10-20-07, 10:30 PM
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As excited as I am about this release, it's a bit disappointing to hear that the director of the documentary has seemingly been actively excluded from participating in its release on DVD:

http://hollywood-elsewhere.com/archives/2007/10/hearts_of_darkn.php

Two commentaries (one from Hickenlooper and another with the Coppolas) would have made made this release something truly amazing.

Dr. Forrester

Last edited by Dr. Forrester; 10-21-07 at 06:47 PM.

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