Scott Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 I've been working my way through the IMDB top 100 list and I am strugling to see how on earth this movie made it in there. It is one of the slowest and most boring movies I have ever watched. The "Captain" played by Martin Sheen has to be one of the most wooden characters I have ever seen. The dialogue is absolutely shocking throughout the movie, huge pauses at times IMO just making the scene less and less plausible. Am I watching this movie in the wrong era or something? I really have given all I can trying to like it (as it is seen as a classic). Movies like The Sting show their age nowadays but they also show the potential they had at the time they were released (it was an original idea/plot at the time as far as I know). I can see no originality in the plot, or any actual hook in the story of Apocalypse now at all. Over 2 hrs I'm not getting back Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradleyh_15 Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 Typical USA trying to glorify a war they lost! Do you have the rest of the 100 IMDB films maybe we can save you wasting another 2 hours or so! "I love the smell of napalm in the morning" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shima60 Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 I personally like that film. but thats me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Posted February 28, 2011 Author Share Posted February 28, 2011 Typical USA trying to glorify a war they lost! Do you have the rest of the 100 IMDB films maybe we can save you wasting another 2 hours or so! "I love the smell of napalm in the morning" I sure do lol. Scratch that though, the movie is almost 4 hours long Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradleyh_15 Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 I sure do lol. Scratch that though, the movie is almost 4 hours long Post up the list then and we can try and help you stop wasting your life! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobbeh Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 "I love the smell of Napalm in the morning" End of thread Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTRickeh Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 I watched it when I had glandular fever and it felt like it was going to be the last nail in my coffin. I tried to watch it years later but couldn't because it was so boring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustang Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 Its not a film I could watch very often but I think it deserves its place in the top 100. The whole movie is a slow build up to the end, I want to watch it again now! haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marcAB10 Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 I was just reading a thread on 4chan about really popular films that you think are overated, stuff like Donnie Darko, Inception etc. I dont think I've ever seen Apocalypse Now, I remember the front cover though. Lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 Never seen it. Not that bothered about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTRickeh Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 I was just reading a thread on 4chan about really popular films that you think are overated, stuff like Donnie Darko, Inception etc. I dont think I've ever seen Apocalypse Now, I remember the front cover though. Lol Inception is the best film EVAR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 This thread is full of heathens, philistines, dullards etc etc. Apocalypse Now is a fantastic film, and anyone who says otherwise is a massive wrongcock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobbeh Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 and anyone who says otherwise is a massive wrongcock. Quadraspazed on a life glug? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 And well they should be, the shrub rocketeers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdistc Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 Since when is it glorifying war? I think it is brilliant at demonstrating the juxtaposition and craziness of war (in this case, Vietnam/American war) - surfing during an airstrike, Playmates abandoned in the middle of the jungle, a pointless mission into the heart of enemy territory. It fits nicely into a playlist of Full Metal Jacket, Platoon, The Quiet American, Tigerland.. and to some extent, The Watchmen; their point is the whole pointlessness of it all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Posted February 28, 2011 Author Share Posted February 28, 2011 Post up the list then and we can try and help you stop wasting your life! It won't really matter as I will still watch them anyway, to say that I have done more than any other reason lol. Taste in movies is generally subjective but as they are the highest rated movies by IMDB members I thought they would be well aimed for the masses. I was basically trying to work out if it just wasn't my kind of movie, if I was maybe missing something in the era (due to watching it now, rather than then) or if it really is just over rated and crap. My thinking at this point is the latter. I watched it when I had glandular fever and it felt like it was going to be the last nail in my coffin. I tried to watch it years later but couldn't because it was so boring. Yeah, I could think of better things to be watching while ill. Watching 4 hours of someone constantly regurgitating into a used ashtray and sucking it back up for example. Its not a film I could watch very often but I think it deserves its place in the top 100. The whole movie is a slow build up to the end, I want to watch it again now! haha Slow build up? That has to be the biggest understatement ever. I'm 10 mins from the end of the film (and yet I have peeled myself away from it still bored to tears) and other than an awkward almost sex scene pretty much nothing has happened. Even the way they show the squads going mental is very unrealistic. I could easily pick 400 movies that I have enjoyed more than this drivvle. I was just reading a thread on 4chan about really popular films that you think are overated, stuff like Donnie Darko, Inception etc. I dont think I've ever seen Apocalypse Now, I remember the front cover though. Lol This would certainly fall into that category. Although I really enjoyed donnie darko and inception Never seen it. Not that bothered about it. Unless to quench the thirst of curiosity I wouldn't bother lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Posted February 28, 2011 Author Share Posted February 28, 2011 1. 9.2 The Shawshank Redemption (1994) 567,749 Seen 2. 9.2 The Godfather (1972) 442,087 Seen 3. 9.0 The Godfather: Part II (1974) 268,095 Seen 4. 8.9 The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) 178,386 Seen (will need to rewatch, I was young) 5. 8.9 Pulp Fiction (1994) 452,453 Seen 6. 8.9 Schindler's List (1993) 300,407 7. 8.9 12 Angry Men (1957) 133,786 8. 8.8 Inception (2010) 310,235 Seen 9. 8.8 One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) 234,663 Seen 10. 8.8 The Dark Knight (2008) 506,523 Seen 11. 8.8 Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) 298,787 Seen 12. 8.8 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) 394,459 Seen 13. 8.8 Seven Samurai (1954) 104,507 14. 8.7 Fight Club (1999) 418,085 Seen 15. 8.7 Goodfellas (1990) 249,115 Seen 16. 8.7 Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) 342,052 Seen 17. 8.7 Casablanca (1942) 178,963 18. 8.7 City of God (2002) 183,302 19. 8.7 The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) 417,365 Seen 20. 8.7 Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) 81,880 21. 8.7 Rear Window (1954) 128,194 22. 8.7 Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) 259,535 Seen 23. 8.7 The Matrix (1999) 412,995 Seen 24. 8.7 Psycho (1960) 155,766 Seen 25. 8.7 The Usual Suspects (1995) 286,352 Seen 26. 8.7 The Silence of the Lambs (1991) 267,679 Seen 27. 8.6 Se7en (1995) 306,075 Seen 28. 8.6 It's a Wonderful Life (1946) 110,490 29. 8.6 Memento (2000) 299,395 Seen 30. 8.6 Toy Story 3 (2010) 112,138 31. 8.6 The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) 353,155 Seen 32. 8.6 Sunset Boulevard (1950) 59,572 33. 8.6 Forrest Gump (1994) 331,607 Seen 34. 8.6 Leon (1994) 220,767 Seen 35. 8.6 Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) 165,426 36. 8.6 Apocalypse Now (1979) 185,729 Almost Seen 37. 8.6 Citizen Kane (1941) 146,530 38. 8.5 North by Northwest (1959) 100,069 39. 8.5 American Beauty (1999) 314,637 Seen 40. 8.5 American History X (1998) 246,045 Seen 41. 8.5 Taxi Driver (1976) 170,256 Seen 42. 8.5 Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) 257,691 Seen 43. 8.5 Saving Private Ryan (1998) 291,253 Seen 44. 8.5 Vertigo (1958) 98,700 Seen 45. 8.5 Alien (1979) 194,170 Seen 46. 8.5 Amelie (2001) 197,797 47. 8.5 WALL·E (2008) 204,226 Seen 48. 8.5 Spirited Away (2001) 112,388 49. 8.5 The Shining (1980) 193,711 Seen 50. 8.5 Paths of Glory (1957) 48,664 51. 8.5 Lawrence of Arabia (1962) 84,729 52. 8.5 Double Indemnity (1944) 40,261 53. 8.5 The Pianist (2002) 147,920 54. 8.5 A Clockwork Orange (1971) 208,411 Seen 55. 8.5 City Lights (1931) 30,873 56. 8.5 The Lives of Others (2006) 83,616 57. 8.4 M (1931) 43,215 58. 8.4 The Departed (2006) 288,201 Seen 59. 8.4 To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) 88,422 Seen 60. 8.4 Aliens (1986) 181,721 Seen 61. 8.4 Black Swan (2010) 82,898 Seen 62. 8.4 Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) 238,974 Seen 63. 8.4 Requiem for a Dream (2000) 202,660 Seen 64. 8.4 Das Boot (1981) 74,764 Seen 65. 8.4 The Third Man (1949) 54,274 66. 8.4 Reservoir Dogs (1992) 228,953 Seen 67. 8.4 L.A. Confidential (1997) 175,442 Seen 68. 8.4 Modern Times (1936) 39,466 69. 8.4 Chinatown (1974) 84,889 70. 8.4 Life is Beautiful (1997) 119,744 71. 8.4 The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) 35,745 72. 8.4 Back to the Future (1985) 221,951 Seen 73. 8.4 The Prestige (2006) 231,516 Seen 74. 8.4 Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) 164,970 Seen 75. 8.4 Raging Bull (1980) 96,936 Seen 76. 8.4 Pan's Labyrinth (2006) 169,636 Seen 77. 8.4 Cinema Paradiso (1988) 49,805 78. 8.3 Singin' in the Rain (1952) 59,526 79. 8.3 Some Like It Hot (1959) 72,561 80. 8.3 The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) 63,029 81. 8.3 Rashomon (1950) 42,249 82. 8.3 Once Upon a Time in America (1984) 78,524 83. 8.3 The Green Mile (1999) 219,312 Seen 84. 8.3 Amadeus (1984) 104,881 Seen 85. 8.3 All About Eve (1950) 37,255 86. 8.3 Full Metal Jacket (1987) 165,010 Seen 87. 8.3 Bicycle Thieves (1948) 30,319 88. 8.3 The Great Dictator (1940) 40,827 89. 8.3 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) 171,387 Seen 90. 8.3 Braveheart (1995) 259,560 Seen 91. 8.3 Inglourious Basterds (2009) 208,603 92. 8.3 The Apartment (1960) 39,572 93. 8.3 Downfall (2004) 90,498 94. 8.3 Up (2009) 133,242 95. 8.3 The King's Speech (2010) 43,402 96. 8.3 Metropolis (1927) 43,439 97. 8.3 Gladiator (2000) 304,054 Seen 98. 8.3 Gran Torino (2008) 148,042 Seen 99. 8.3 The Sting (1973) 70,967 Seen 100. 8.3 Unforgiven (1992) 107,555 Seen There have been a few changes since I got them, The Kings Speech being an obvious one, but most of them are pretty much as above. Nice to see Apocalypse Now going down the way (was 35 now 36). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martini Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 It's an excellent head-fuck of a film (IMO). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradleyh_15 Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 I agree FMJ, platoon and tigerland but didn't really enjoy apocalypse now! I didn't mean glorifying war I should have written Americans trying to justify there incompetence and not being able to realise that they were never going to win the war! I would also possibly include deer hunter in the above list! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Posted March 1, 2011 Author Share Posted March 1, 2011 It's an excellent head-fuck of a film (IMO). What part of the movie is a headfuck? Surely by that you mean complicated or makes you think? It makes me sleep. The director is so transparent at what he sets out to do that it is laughable. The acting is absolutely shocking, and laughable in some scenes (the pause when Sheen's character meets the French). He spends more time "smell the fart" acting than he does actually acting, or talking for that matter. Staring intensely must have been the new thing when the film was made. If the message about the pointless nature of the Vietnam war was meant to be hidden in the movie then I must have watched the unabridged version which showed the French family arguing about that very point with the Captain. I liked the surfing part, and the part where the board got nicked. I also thought the scene where the playmates came in was pretty well done. The sex scene with them was ridiculous though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTRickeh Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 You need to watch The Bridge on the River Kwai What a classic. It's kind of strange that I don't like Apocalypse Now as I like loads of other war movies. Have you seen Jarhead? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JakeG Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 Toy story 3 I highly recommend Mr potato head becomes Mr tortilla wrap!! Epic lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snooze Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 Yes - 70s films are "slower" than their modern day counterparts. It's a fashion thing. However, do bear in mind that Apocalypse Now is NOT an action/war film. It's a wartime-based adaptation of a hundred-year-old book. A lot of the symbology in the film is married to characters, behaviours and observations from the original text, and makes more sense in that context. As a standalone film, I tend to agree with you - it doesn't deliver much in the way of pure entertainment. In conjunction with the Heart of Darkness, however, it makes for a more cerebral (still not what I would call entertaining!!) study of human nature. Good stuff. If you're into that sort of thing, of course! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martini Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 Yes - 70s films are "slower" than their modern day counterparts. It's a fashion thing. However, do bear in mind that Apocalypse Now is NOT an action/war film. It's a wartime-based adaptation of a hundred-year-old book. A lot of the symbology in the film is married to characters, behaviours and observations from the original text, and makes more sense in that context. As a standalone film, I tend to agree with you - it doesn't deliver much in the way of pure entertainment. In conjunction with the Heart of Darkness, however, it makes for a more cerebral (still not what I would call entertaining!!) study of human nature. Good stuff. If you're into that sort of thing, of course! Succinctly put. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jevansio Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 I love the film, it's not something I would watch every year or a film which I would sit down with my lass on a Saturday night and watch. But when the mood takes me I enjoy sitting down, getting wrecked and just watching it play out, yeah it's slow, but I love the buildup. I think it's a bit of an acquired taste. NO WAY EVER is Inception No 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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