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Post by kims on Apr 29, 2024 18:19:32 GMT
My vote is the original theatrical release was better. When I watched REDUX, I wondered what the H the segment with the showgirls being pimped out -what purpose did it serve to the story.
My imagination was: they had a script, then someone said "wait, there's no naked broads" and so the segment was added. I believe it broke the pace and building tension of the film. In this case I agree with whoever had the original right to edit.
The rest of this is theater history:
The original cut was 2 1/2 hrs. Nightmare to theater managers, as I was at the time. I don't remember the specifics of the contract to show this film, but when you get booked with a movie over 2 hours long, you end up with a 4 showing a day schedule instead of 5 shows. This means it takes longer to make your money (back in the day theaters got 10% of gross the first week, 20% the second, etc) Most of these long films were prestige for the studio/production company and rarely had legs (popular enough for repeat viewing and continuing interest in seeing the film). Now I'm curious, when I have a little time I'll do some research for long films with legs.
Sometimes the terms stated that we had to show the film 5 times a day. We'd be stuck with an early showing with maybe 12 patrons and theater spending more in payroll than ticket sales. Or if we scheduled a midnight show, we'd have maybe 12 patrons Sun nite through Thurs nite and a skyrocketed payroll because motion picture operators get overtime after midnight.
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Post by NoShear on Apr 29, 2024 20:02:03 GMT
My vote is the original theatrical release was better. When I watched REDUX, I wondered what the H the segment with the showgirls being pimped out -what purpose did it serve to the story. My imagination was: they had a script, then someone said "wait, there's no naked broads" and so the segment was added. I believe it broke the pace and building tension of the film. In this case I agree with whoever had the original right to edit. The rest of this is theater history: The original cut was 2 1/2 hrs. Nightmare to theater managers, as I was at the time. I don't remember the specifics of the contract to show this film, but when you get booked with a movie over 2 hours long, you end up with a 4 showing a day schedule instead of 5 shows. This means it takes longer to make your money (back in the day theaters got 10% of gross the first week, 20% the second, etc) Most of these long films were prestige for the studio/production company and rarely had legs (popular enough for repeat viewing and continuing interest in seeing the film). Now I'm curious, when I have a little time I'll do some research for long films with legs. Sometimes the terms stated that we had to show the film 5 times a day. We'd be stuck with an early showing with maybe 12 patrons and theater spending more in payroll than ticket sales. Or if we scheduled a midnight show, we'd have maybe 12 patrons Sun nite through Thurs nite and a skyrocketed payroll because motion picture operators get overtime after midnight. kims, I think the point of the USO follow-up was to show the less glossy side of the Playboy mystique. I found the scene to be more ugly than erotic. |
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Post by kims on Apr 29, 2024 21:19:27 GMT
You are probably right, NoShear. I think it does not further the story. I prefer that they stay on topic.
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Post by NoShear on Apr 29, 2024 21:31:22 GMT
You are probably right, NoShear. I think it does not further the story. I prefer that they stay on topic. I noticed the REDUX version featured the sublime ending. I prefer the ending with the demolition of the Cambodian village... How about you, kims: Which version do you prefer? |
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Post by kims on Apr 29, 2024 22:08:15 GMT
I didn't see the end of REDUX, my attention wandered as the showgirl sequence dragged on. At that point I thought the story line of the paranoia of Frederic Forrest was lost. Seeing the tiger he's committed to never get off the boat, the chief later makes him inspect the junk and Forrest is flipping out, then he's all "normal" to spend time with the Playgirl, and then at Kurtz' camp he's all wound up again and won't get off the boat.
Memory fades, it's been 30 years since I saw the original. I think that ended with Sheen taking the drugged out surfer back to the boat. Over the radio someone asks about an airstrike on the village. Sheen turns off the radio without an answer leaving you to wonder if he's going back or if he will follow Kurtz' ideas. If that is how the original ended, I liked it. I like "tiger or the lady" endings.
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Post by NoShear on Apr 29, 2024 22:24:50 GMT
I didn't see the end of REDUX, my attention wandered as the showgirl sequence dragged on. At that point I thought the story line of the paranoia of Frederic Forrest was lost. Seeing the tiger he's committed to never get off the boat, the chief later makes him inspect the junk and Forrest is flipping out, then he's all "normal" to spend time with the Playgirl, and then at Kurtz' camp he's all wound up again and won't get off the boat. Memory fades, it's been 30 years since I saw the original. I think that ended with Sheen taking the drugged out surfer back to the boat. Over the radio someone asks about an airstrike on the village. Sheen turns off the radio without an answer leaving you to wonder if he's going back or if he will follow Kurtz' ideas. If that is how the original ended, I liked it. I like "tiger or the lady" endings. The original release and the REDUX endings are both the ""tiger or the lady" one if I'm not mistaken, kims, which leaves me wondering what context I got to view the ending with the demolition... |
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Post by kims on Apr 30, 2024 19:54:46 GMT
Were two endings filmed? Some program showed the second ending?
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Post by NoShear on Apr 30, 2024 20:11:56 GMT
Were two endings filmed? Some program showed the second ending? Hi, kims. There are two ending variations of Apocalypse Now if I'm not mistaken: There's the original (read: intended) ending, and there's the demolition of the Cambodian village one to my knowledge. I type "intended" because the ending variation only came about as a result of footage capturing the demolition of the Cambodian set after filming was completed to my knowledge - an afterthought tacked onto one ending version. Again, I can't recall the context that I viewed the alternate ending, kims, but I'm confident that it does, in fact, exists. |
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