#72-B: APOCALYPSE NOW (1979)

 

THRILL SCALE 1-10

9

HAVE I SEEN IT BEFORE?

Yes, once, a long time ago

BEST SEQUENCE

The "Ride of the Valkyries" helicopter attack

BEST LINE

"I love the smell of napalm in the morning"

ROTTEN TOMATOES SCORE

98%

ROTTEN TOMATOES CRITICS CONSENSUS

"Francis Ford Coppola's haunting, hallucinatory Vietnam War epic is cinema at its most audacious and visionary."

IMDB SYNOPSIS

"A U.S. Army officer serving in Vietnam is tasked with assassinating a renegade Special Forces Colonel who sees himself as a god."

THOUGHTS

• It surprises me, very much, that Apocalypse Now isn't already on the American Film Institute's list of thrilling movies, and that I had to add it as a supplementary film. It's included in the AFI's list of best movies ever, at #28. Nothing to sneeze at, so clearly the AFI does hold it in high regard. Considering the 100 Thrills list includes several other movies about the Vietnam War, I wonder why they couldn't find room for Apocalypse Now as well. I've said my piece about my own personal moral dilemma of viewing war movies as action-packed thrillers, considering the real human lives which were lost, but if one considers The Deer Hunter, Platoon and Full Metal Jacket to be effectively gripping and heart pounding, I think Apocalypse Now is at least as good as those movies, and maybe even superior to all of them
• The movie is chock-full of stunning visuals, definitely deserving its Academy Award for cinematography (it was nominated for eight Oscars, total). The "Ride of the Valkyries" scene is visually striking and probably the most iconic sequence in the movie, but the shot of Martin Sheen rising out of the muddy water, face covered in camouflage paint, is equally memorable. Going into this viewing, my mind kind of boiled Apocalypse Now down to those two very well-known moments, but there really is a whole lot more to this movie as well
• Martin Sheen is great in this, his wide-eyed stare conveying so much. You seldom see him blink. He also has a very intense way of smoking, which he does constantly throughout the whole movie. His voiceover narration is also pretty crucial to the feel of the film
• I liked the way Colonel Kurtz was built up to be an almost mythological figure throughout the movie, and the way Martin Sheen's Captain Willard developed a fascination, if not outright admiration, for him. Famously, when Marlon Brando showed up to play Kurtz, he was about 88 pounds heavier than Coppola expected so Brando was heavily shadowed for his scenes. Ultimately, though, this just added even more to his mystique
• Dennis Hopper and Robert Duvall also make the most of their relatively short screen times, putting in some very memorable performances, especially Duvall as Colonel Kilgore. Kilgore is the source of the quote up above, his character instigates the helicopter attack, and Duvall got the only acting Oscar nomination for the movie, with only 11 minutes of screen time
• Finally, much like Blade Runner, Apocalypse Now is available in several different director's cuts. Apocalypse Now Redux came out in 2001, and Apocalypse Now Final Cut in 2019. I decided to watch the original theatrical cut, though, primarily because the online consensus seemed to be that the first cut was the best, and the later versions just extended the movie without really improving it. But if anyone out there feels strongly about one of the later cuts being superior, feel free to share

Up next: It's one of the longest-running movie franchises of all time, with the first movie coming out in 1962 and the most recent one out last year, in 2021. And yet, Goldfinger, the third movie of the James Bond franchise, is the only one on the AFI's list (perhaps understandably, since there's a strong consensus that it's also the best). So up next, at #71, is Goldfinger. But after that, let's spend a little more time with 007. I declare this the December of James Bond, with GoldenEye coming next (haven't seen), then Casino Royale (have seen) and finally Skyfall (haven't seen)

#72: PLATOON (1986)

THRILL SCALE 1-10

9

HAVE I SEEN IT BEFORE?

Yes, a few times

BEST SEQUENCE

The fate of Sgt. Elias (Willem Dafoe)

BEST LINE

“What happened today is just the beginning. We’re gonna lose this war. We’ve been kicking other people’s asses for so long, I figure it’s time we got ours kicked.”

ROTTEN TOMATOES SCORE

89%

ROTTEN TOMATOES CRITICS CONSENSUS

"Informed by director Oliver Stone's personal experiences in Vietnam, Platoon forgoes easy sermonizing in favor of a harrowing, ground-level view of war, bolstered by no-holds-barred performances from Charlie Sheen and Willem Dafoe."

IMDB SYNOPSIS

"Chris Taylor, a neophyte recruit in Vietnam, finds himself caught in a battle of wills between two sergeants, one good and the other evil. A shrewd examination of the brutality of war and the duality of man in conflict."

THOUGHTS

• Similar to what I had to say about Full Metal Jacket, another movie about the Vietnam War, it's not quite right to call Platoon entertaining, even though it will have your full attention for the duration of the movie. It's not quite right to call it thrilling, either, even though it will have your heart pounding. I think the best way to describe it is gripping. It's an incredibly hard-to-watch movie, but you just can't look away
• Chief among the difficult sequences would be when the American soldiers invade a Vietnamese village where they find an enemy supply cache. It's the kind of sequence that will stick with you for a long time after the movie ends
• It's a harrowing, visceral film that assaults the senses and shows the horrors of war without glorifying it. In fact, it was the first movie about Vietnam that was directed by a veteran. Oliver Stone was deployed there from September 27, 1967, to February 23, 1968, and he doesn't pull any punches in depicting what it was like. The battle scenes are especially vivid
• Finally, this is a tremendous cast of mostly young actors. Charlie Sheen, Willem Dafoe and Tom Berenger are all fantastic as the main three characters, but you also have Forest Whitaker, Keith David, Johnny Depp, John C. McGinley and, as one of the most detestable characters, Kevin Dillon (probably best known as Johnny Drama from Entourage). It was very jarring at times to hear Johnny Drama's voice coming out of this baby-faced psychopath

Up next: It's going to be a long while before we have another Vietnam War movie on the AFI list, The Deer Hunter at #30. So, let's supplement the list again with one more, appropriately enough starring Charlie Sheen's dad, Martin. Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now, from 1979

#73: LAURA (1944)

THRILL SCALE 1-10

2.5

HAVE I SEEN IT BEFORE?

Nope

BEST SEQUENCE

The climax was effectively shot and well acted

BEST LINE

"Laura, dear, I cannot stand these morons any longer. If you don’t come with me this instant, I shall run amok" - Waldo, wanting to leave a party, the pinnacle of tact

ROTTEN TOMATOES SCORE

100%

ROTTEN TOMATOES CRITICS CONSENSUS

"A psychologically complex portrait of obsession, Laura is also a deliciously well-crafted murder mystery."

IMDB SYNOPSIS

"A police detective falls in love with the woman whose murder he is investigating."

THOUGHTS

• Considered a classic, but it didn't do much for me. As has happened with a few of these movies, perhaps it was just too influential to the point that it wasn't able to stand up to the movies that came after it
• Reminded me of Rebecca, and not just for the sake of the film titles being a woman's first name. Both movies also featured Judith Anderson, although I didn't realize this until after the fact. She didn't make much of an impact on me in this one
• One of the classic examples of film noir, apparently, a genre in which I'm not all that well versed. There will be quite a few film noirs coming up, and perhaps eventually I'll develop a greater appreciation for Laura, but as it stands I just found it kind of bland
• Some witty lines in this script, mostly delivered by Clifton Webb as Waldo. I quoted him above, and another classic would be, "In my case, self-absorption is completely justified. I have never discovered any other subject quite so worthy of my attention."
• Finally, Laura features a young Vincent Price, sporting a Kentucky accent. I found this interesting, especially since I was completely under the impression that Vincent Price was English. Nope! Turns out he was born in Missouri! And I really don't know why I had such a strong opinion about Vincent Price being a Brit. Perhaps because of some of the roles he played? Perhaps because he had such an idiosyncratic voice that it just sounded foreign to me? Who knows, but if anyone else assumed Vincent Price was British, hopefully this review will set the record straight

Up next: It's dark, but I also remember it as one of the most affecting war movies I've seen. Platoon, from 1986

#74-B: BLADE RUNNER 2049 (2017)

THRILL SCALE 1-10

8

HAVE I SEEN IT BEFORE?

No

BEST SEQUENCE

The meeting of the blade runners in Las Vegas

BEST LINE

“Mightn’t happen to have a piece of cheese about you, now, would you boy?”

ROTTEN TOMATOES SCORE

88%

ROTTEN TOMATOES CRITICS CONSENSUS

"Visually stunning and narratively satisfying, Blade Runner 2049 deepens and expands its predecessor's story while standing as an impressive filmmaking achievement in its own right." 

IMDB SYNOPSIS

"Young Blade Runner K's discovery of a long-buried secret leads him to track down former Blade Runner Rick Deckard, who's been missing for thirty years."

THOUGHTS

• Yep, I liked the sequel better than the original
• The world was just as fully realized, the visuals and special effects were equally stunning (if not more so), and the action and plot were more engrossing
• For the majority of the movie I thought I knew exactly where it was going, only to eventually realize I was just expecting exactly what the movie wanted me to expect and that I was being played like a fiddle. If you've seen the movie, you can probably guess what my assumptions were. Now, in hindsight what I thought was going to happen was being so clearly telegraphed by the movie that I was definitely the gullible one, and I should have known that the movie was smarter than that. But then eventually you'd get into some Princess Bride-style circular logic about who's smarter than whom ("I am not a great fool, so clearly I know what's going to happen in this movie. But the movie knows I am not a great fool, so clearly what I expect to happen will not come to pass. But I..."). But ultimately, yes, I was the great fool for thinking I had it all figured out. Definitely a pleasant surprise as it made for a more interesting movie
• As mentioned above, stunning visuals, and I especially liked all the scenes set in Vegas as a feast for the eyes
• Jared Leto had a lot less screen time than I expected, but I think this was a good choice. When he's onscreen he's extremely creepy and effectively enigmatic
• Finally, I really liked all the scenes between K and Joi (K's AI companion), and they really reminded me of Her, a movie that came out 4 years before this one and which has ended up being one of my favourite sci-fi movies ever made

Up next: Laura, from 1944, a movie I know nothing about

#74: BLADE RUNNER (1982)

THRILL SCALE 1-10

7

HAVE I SEEN IT BEFORE?

Yes, once, about 5 years ago

BEST SEQUENCE

When Roy Batty meets his maker, Eldon Tyrell

BEST LINE

"I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate. All those moments will be lost in time... like tears in rain. Time to die."

ROTTEN TOMATOES SCORE

89%

ROTTEN TOMATOES CRITICS CONSENSUS

"Misunderstood when it first hit theaters, the influence of Ridley Scott's mysterious, neo-noir Blade Runner has deepened with time. A visually remarkable, achingly human sci-fi masterpiece"

IMDB SYNOPSIS

"A blade runner must pursue and terminate four replicants who stole a ship in space, and have returned to Earth to find their creator."

THOUGHTS

• OK, so I already know I'm going to lose some of you right away, but I just don't love this movie, and honestly, I'm not even entirely sure if I like it. I can appreciate some of the things it does well, some of the things it has to say, but as a movie it just doesn't grab me
• This world of the future is impressively realized, and the special effects are quite good. There are a number of visuals which are truly stunning - the enormous video billboards, the first shots of the city with fire rising into the sky, the blimp which advertises the Off-world colonies. But it's all in service of a story that I just don't find that engaging
• Side note, at this point "world of the future" is a little inaccurate. I regret to inform you that this movie is set in 2019
• Harrison Ford is one of the actors who appears on the AFI list the most, he's tied with Claude Rains for the number one spot, and he's fine in this. This is our first mention of Harrison Ford, but it's certainly not my favourite Harrison Ford performance (we'll be talking about that much later)
• Rutger Hauer's Roy Batty is the most memorable character, and he provides the biggest thrills. His confrontation with Tyrell is chilling, and his pursuit of Deckard during the climax is uniquely creepy and intimidating just in his physicality
• Daryl Hannah, as Pris, not so much. When she leaps on Deckard's shoulders and smacks the shit out of him from above, only to follow this up with a gymnastics attack, I find it very hard to take seriously
• So, who knows. Maybe I just came to this movie too late? Perhaps it would have had more of an impact on me if I'd seen it younger? I do think it's important to mention, there are quite a few different versions of this movie available. I thought I was watching The Final Cut, considered by many to be the quintessential version, but in hindsight and after doing some research, this wasn't The Final Cut and I don't actually know what version I watched. There was no voiceover, which was only present in the earliest versions, but there also wasn't the unicorn scene, which is only present in the later versions. My version also included the "happy ending". I've gone back and found footage of what I missed, and so while I haven't seen The Final Cut from start to finish, I think I got the idea. But perhaps what I really need to see is more of this story...

Up next: We're supplementing the list again, with Blade Runner 2049

#75: THE THIRD MAN (1949)

THRILL SCALE 1-10

8

HAVE I SEEN IT BEFORE?

Yes, once, within the last few years

BEST SEQUENCE

The Ferris wheel scene

BEST LINE

"In Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love - they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock."

ROTTEN TOMATOES SCORE

99%

ROTTEN TOMATOES CRITICS CONSENSUS

"This atmospheric thriller is one of the undisputed masterpieces of cinema, and boasts iconic performances from Joseph Cotten and Orson Welles."

IMDB SYNOPSIS

"Pulp novelist Holly Martins travels to shadowy, postwar Vienna, only to find himself investigating the mysterious death of an old friend, Harry Lime."

THOUGHTS

• The first time I saw it, it didn't do much for me. I heard it recommended on the Judge John Hodgman podcast, and I watched it on a train, and I thought it was just fine. Maybe it needed a rewatch though, or maybe the viewing conditions just weren't ideal the first time; upon rewatch, this is a really excellent movie. I considered giving it an 8.5 on the Thrill Scale, but I think I'll leave it at 8
• I'm going to avoid spoilers, so by necessity I'll need to avoid talking about some of the more iconic aspects of the movie, but just know that they're iconic for a reason
• Great cinematography. I loved all the skewed camera angles (called Dutch Angles if we want to be pedantic about it)
• I also thought it was very clever to have so much German dialogue with no subtitles - the main character, Holly, is an American who struggles to understand what people are telling him at times, so we're right there with him
• So many great secondary characters, all of them fun to watch. I especially liked Calloway, the British Military police officer
• There's a climactic foot chase through the Vienna sewer system, and while it was very effectively shot, it seemed to run on a little long for me
• I loved the downbeat, pessimistic final scene - a perfect ending for the movie
• Finally, one last iconic piece of the movie is the score, performed on zither by Anton Karas. The music is certainly unique, and while I didn't always feel like the music matched the action on screen, perhaps that was entirely the point

Up next: Ridley Scott's back, and it's a big one. Blade Runner from 1982

#76: THELMA & LOUISE (1991)

TW: Sexual violence

THRILL SCALE 1-10

4.5

HAVE I SEEN IT BEFORE?

Never, but this is one of those movies that entered the zeitgeist so I had a fair idea of what to expect

BEST SEQUENCE

The final car chase

BEST LINE

"So, how long before we're in goddamn Mexico?" - Thelma (Geena Davis) telling Louise (Susan Sarandon) that she's committed to the plan; also great for Louise's big grin after hearing this

ROTTEN TOMATOES SCORE

86%

ROTTEN TOMATOES CRITICS CONSENSUS

"Simultaneously funny, heartbreaking, and peppered with action, Ridley Scott's Thelma & Louise is a potent, well-acted road movie that transcends the feminist message at its core."

IMDB SYNOPSIS

"Two best friends set out on an adventure, but it soon turns around to a terrifying escape from being hunted by the police, as these two girls escape for the crimes they committed."

THOUGHTS

• OK, so it's not very thrilling. There are a few intense scenes, but the majority of the movie is more comedy/drama than thriller/action
• As to whether or not I liked the movie? Well, I saw it last week and the jury's still out
• When the movie was released, a lot was said about its strong feminist overtones, and this is absolutely not my issue. I'm all in for an action movie with a strong female hero (Terminator 2; Alien; Kill Bill) or an overt feminist message (Mad Max: Fury Road). What gets me wondering is whether or not Thelma & Louise earns its emotions or does justice to its characters
• The movie's plot begins with an extremely traumatic scene of attempted rape, which is harrowing to watch, but the rest of the movie's tone fluctuates wildly, becoming downright lighthearted and slapstick-y in some scenes. Now, I'm not a woman; I'm not trying to mansplain feminism or trauma. I'm just curious about some more current points of view. This movie came out in 1991. Does it still hold up when seen through a 2022 lens? I'd love to hear some more opinions about that
• Not to impugn Ridley Scott too harshly, but I might have been more trusting of the movie's intentions if it was directed by a woman. It was, at least, written by a woman though - Callie Khouri, who won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay
• Speaking of Ridley Scott, we'll be seeing more of him - Blade Runner is coming up two movies from now, and the aforementioned Alien is waaaay up on the list at #6
• I quite enjoyed the performances of both Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis. Fun fact, this was the most recent movie to have two people nominated in the same category for either Best Actor or Best Actress
• A lot of southern accents, and they are all over the place. Gotta say, I think Harvey Keitel's might be the worst
• There's some beautiful scenery and a great soundtrack
• And finally, Brad Pitt is in this, and he is extremely hot. The (consensual) sex scene between him and Geena Davis is exceptionally steamy. You go, Brad and Geena!

Up next: The Third Man from 1949