Apocalypse Now » Trivia (Movie)

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# According to the George Lucas biography "Skywalking," Lucas' decision to pull out of Apocalypse Now destroyed his working relationship with Coppola, who felt betrayed, and all but ended their friendship, and the Colonel Lucas character was meant as a back-handed snub to his then ex-friend. It would be years before they would be on speaking terms again, and would not work together again until 1986's Captain EO (1986).

Nearly four decades prior, Orson Welles had planned to make a film version of Heart of Darkness, but eventually aborted the project to make Citizen Kane (1941). Footage of Welles reading Heart of Darkness was later integrated into the Hearts of Darkness documentary.

# When Francis Ford Coppola first described the role to Marlon Brando, Brando remarked that an American colonel wouldn't have a name like Kurtz, he would have an English name like "Leighley." Having never read "Heart of Darkness", Brando did not appreciate the reference. Brando eventually read "Heart of Darkness", but not until after the film's completion. After reading the book and liking it, Brando demanded that his name be changed to Kurtz in the film, and Harrison Ford's lines were dubbed to accommodate him.

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# Although no date or year is given for when the film takes place, a newspaper being read by the crew features an article on the trial of Charles Manson. This would date the action to January 1970.

The sequence where the PBR gets attacked with spears exactly mirrors the attack on the jungle boat in the novel "Heart of Darkness". Both captains are killed with a spear.

While in the movie the main character is sent to kill Kurtz, in the source novel ('Heart of Darkness'), the main character is sent to rescue him.

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# Emilio Estevez hung out on the set of the movie in the Phillipines with his father Martin Sheen during the filming of the movie. When casting for The Outsiders (1983) 4 years later, Francis Ford Coppola remembered Emilio hanging out on the set of 'Apocalypse Now', and wanted him to play Two-Bit in 'The Outsiders'.

Jeff Bridges auditioned for the role of Willard.

Nick Nolte has said that he has never wanted a role more than that of Captain Willard, and was very disappointed when Coppola picked Harvey Keitel. When Keitel was fired, Nolte thought the role was his, but Sheen eventually got the part.

Voted #7 On Empire's 500 Greatest Movies Of All Time (September 2008)

One of Francis Ford Coppola's top five favorite films of his own.

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# The visit by the Playboy Playmates was based on an actual visit by 1965 Playmate of the Year Jo Collins. She was so popular with the troops that she was made an honorary GI. The Playmate of the Year character in the movie was played by Cynthia Wood, who was herself Playmate of the Year in 1974.

One of the photos Willard studies in the dossier shows Kurtz in a line of soldiers being decorated by Gen. William C. Westmoreland.

The emcee accompanying the Playboy Playmates is rock concert producer Bill Graham.

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# The original script by John Milius climaxes with Kurtz fighting off an attack by U.S. Army helicopters, firing a machine gun, while exclaiming to Willard, "I can feel the power in my loins!" Francis Ford Coppola thought this was absurd.