The Making of 'Apocalypse Now' (Part 3)
6/17/202634 min
Welcome back to the final part of the insane story of the making of Apocalypse Now…
Can Francis Ford Coppola pull victory from the jaws of defeat as the film spirals over budget and out of control. Or will he, like Kurtz himself, end up destroyed by his mad journey to make the film….
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Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsJosh Widdicombe· Host0:00
[tape winding] Hello and welcome. I am Josh Widdicombe. For today, I'm the curator of a place of incredible artifacts and exhibitions, a place that stores the greatest thing on Earth. This is my Archive of Pop Culture. [upbeat music] Welcome back to the final part of the insane story of the making of Apocalypse Now. Can Francis Ford Coppola pull victory from the jaws of defeat as the film spirals over budget and out of control? Or will he, like Kurtz himself, end up destroyed by his mad journey to make the film? [upbeat music] We're here for the last somehow redemptive episode of Apocalypse Now.
Tom Craine· Guest0:47
It needs a bit of redemption, I think, doesn't it so far?
Josh Widdicombe· Host0:50
[laughs] Yeah.
Tom Craine· Guest0:50
It needs a drop of redemption considering the amount of drugs and, uh, lost film.
Josh Widdicombe· Host0:54
Does this make you think that it was worth it?
Tom Craine· Guest0:57
Well- Well, do you know what?
Josh Widdicombe· Host0:58
Let's save that for the end of the episode. Was it worth it? Okay?
Tom Craine· Guest1:02
Yeah.
Josh Widdicombe· Host1:03
But until then, let's just say that one morning, Martin Sheen is found crawling along the road outside the jungle by a bus driver.
Tom Craine· Guest1:11
[laughs] Okay.
Josh Widdicombe· Host1:12
Uh, the bus driver carries him onto the bus, drives for help. The nearest hospital, four hours away.
Tom Craine· Guest1:19
Oh, so he's in a state of real ill health then?
Josh Widdicombe· Host1:20
Yeah.
Tom Craine· Guest1:21
This isn't just a drug stupor.
Josh Widdicombe· Host1:22
No.
Tom Craine· Guest1:22
Okay.
Josh Widdicombe· Host1:23
Yeah, so from the bus, he's basically handed over to a costumer, someone from the costume, Dennis Fell, who places him