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I'll probably see "Last Tango" sooner or later. I just found the first 35 minutes dreadfully dull when I tried to view it a year ago. The hoopla at its time of release, which you emphasize, hasn't stood the test of time. The flick's rarely mentioned anymore and relatively obscure.
As noted in my original post, I thought Marlon was a little pudgy and somewhat unappealing in "On the Waterfront" (yet not exactly Quasimodo). He got better and looked better as time went on (often, not always), at least until the 80s. "The Young Lions," "One-Eyed Jacks" and "The Night of the Following Day" are good examples.
Brando's size in "Apocalypse Now" actually fit the movie: He "got off the boat" of the US military and was independently winning the war with his own troops. Unfortunately, he painted himself into the proverbial corner and could never go home now, which resulted in his depression and weight gain. Being a jungle paramilitary leader in his mid-50s, he had his minions doing the footwork while he was lying around reading, brooding, eating and gaining weight. This is clearly shown in the film. That said, he wasn't grossly overweight, as observed here <url>https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078788/mediaviewer/rm859546625/</url>.
The flick was inspired by Conrad's book, yes, but it's definitely its own entity with its own message(s). There's the anti-colonial moral, of course, but it's more about Willard coming to identify with Kurtz; they were kindred spirits, it turns out. While there was some ambiguity about Kurtz being mad or a military genius, Willard slowly realized his bold genius contrasted by the insanity of those who were intent on just playing the game of war and perpetuating the misery, "the horror" (Kilgore and the officers back in Nha Trang). The severed heads lying around the camp illustrated Kurtz' intent to do whatever was necessary to end the horror of war ASAP, obviously done with artistic license (since heads & bodies lying around would start to stink in just a matter of a few hours in the hot jungle).
Like Kurtz, Willard decided to depart the game of war at the end because he smelled the "stench of lies." Unlike Kurtz, he wasn’t going to futilely stay in Southeast Asia and try to accomplish America’s stated mission by himself along with whatever motley paramilitarists he could assemble in the jungle. He had a home to go back to, not to mention a message for Kurtz' son.
Marlon's Kurtz is an amazing character and the icing on the cake of the movie. Duvall's Killgore is entertaining, but he's a comic book character who kisses the Brass' butt. Kurtz, on the other hand, is the meat 'n' potatoes of the story and Willard wisely learns from his wisdom and mistakes. Coppola pointed out in the documentary "Hearts of Darkness" that he always thought John Milius' original ending was weak because it didn't top the helicopter raid on the village. The answer Marlon & Francis came up with was to go heavier, darker and moodier. It was the only way to match the greatness of that earlier action sequence -- take an altogether different route. Imagine if Francis got Jack Nicholson for the role of Kurtz (he was a secondary contender); it would've likely been as one-dimensionally unimaginative and cartoonish as his portrayal of the Joker (not that there's anything wrong with that, lol).
Brando showing up completely unprepared for the shoot is a cinematic myth explained in this thread <url>https://moviechat.org/tt0078788/Apocalypse-Now/5e711e578396c32c28e7c2b5/Coppolas-claim-that-Brando-showed-up-completely-unprepared-is-a-MYTH</url>.
<blockquote>Word is they're still living in remote tribal conditions cut off</blockquote>
These days, that can be a good thing (in a way).
I know. It was rolling my eyes when I wrote it.
"Sayonara" and "The Chase" are worthy Brando flicks (I never saw "Last Tango" beyond the boring first 35 minutes). By the time he played Kurtz he was in his mid-50s and had gained weight, but he looked good in an aloof, brooding, mature way (<url>https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078788/mediaviewer/rm3246533120/</url>).
Kurtz was one of his best roles IMHO, a military genius with the gonads to do what was necessary to win the war without the sanction of the Brass, who slandered him as crazy (in order to motivate their "errand boys" to murder him). He was depressed because he had no where else to go beyond his quasi-family of Montagnard natives & American outcasts in the remote jungles of SE Asia.
Reparations will resolve this.
I felt the opposite: She's winsome enough and a fine actress, but struck me as unremarkable and plain.
I just got done watching it and couldn't help wonder why's it's not included in old film noir lists, e.g. <url>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_film_noir_titles</url>.
Yeah, right. Even way back in 1969, when "Two Mules for Sister Sara" was shot, Shirley MacLaine plainly said it was alright working with Eastwood "even though he's a Republican."
Can loony Leftist Argentinians still enjoy Argentina with Javier Milei as president?
Totally agree.
Liked her in "Mr. Holland's Opus," "Urban Legend" and "Dark Kingdom: The Dragon King," aka "Ring of the Nibelungs."
Yeah, the canoe/skinny dipping sequence under the full moon was tipping off how the otherwise normal detective Kyle was going to do some crazy things, not to mention the others.
Lynda Carter was statuesque and stunning in her unique way as Wonder Woman, but who would you take home to meet Mom as your potential fiancée? I'd choose Debra Winger/Wonder Girl hands down. IMHO she <i>topped</i> Lynda/Wonder Woman in that video in her petite, winsome way (<url>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKdOOkJzeeE</url>).
<blockquote>You heal a major unbearable physical ailment only to acquire a greater psychological one that will never heal.</blockquote>
That's a good insight; I'll keep it in mind the next time I watch it.
I saw it about a year and a half ago and noticed that it combines 80's slasher with spooky house à la "Hell Night" (1981). Coming out ten years after the seminal "Friday the 13th," it was rather late in the game but fans of those movies and "Tourist Trap," "The Funhouse," "The Prowler," "Frightmare" (1983), "Zombie High" and "Prom Night IV: Deliver Us from Evil" should appreciate it even though it ranks with the least of em'. Like "Slugs," it's a Spanish production shot in the USA, as you note.
Some viewers understandably complain that the going is slow but, despite some dubious make-up at the end, I felt it works up some nice spookiness, as well as some quality mystery in regards to what's going on at the remote, rundown manor. Clark Tufts stands out in the cast as Jack, looking like a rock star.
Claudia Franjul (Helen) is attractive, as you point out; there's also Liz Hitchler (Susan) and Kathleen Patane (Anne). For me, though, the top highlight is Jennifer DeLora, who shows up around the midway mark as Amanda.
For those interested, the film was shot at Hillburn Manor, a derelict 100-year-old mansion in Suffern, New York, that was demolished after this was shot in five weeks around September, 1989. Suffern is located about 40 minutes north of Manhattan near the border of northeastern New Jersey.
I give it a solid 6/10.
It shouldn't be though. What's more interesting, Spider-Man's origin story in Amazing Fantasy #15 or the Jackal/Gwen Stacy clone storyline from The Amazing Spider-Man #129-149? This is why I never saw the first Captain America movie. I'm more interested in his life/adventures/challenges <i>after</i> becoming a superhero.
Touché.
I don't see how Giganotosaurus has anything to do with this topic.
Hammer decided to simplify the geography in which travel time is condensed to something akin to a European theme park rather than reality. This is more glaring in their first Dracula flick which came out the year after this one: The story starts outside of Klausenburg, the capital of Transylvania in Central Romania at the time, with Drac's castle nearby, then switches to Karlstadt, in South-Central Germany, which is roughly 750 miles from Klausenburg in reality, yet a mere carriage drive away in this film, perhaps 20 miles.
Only if we can prevent the Demonic-rats' brazen voting fraud on several levels (Dominion switcheroos, dead people, illegal votes, repeats, fraudulent mail-ins, throwing away Trump votes, etc.).