George Hickenlooper and Fax Bahr's documentary chronicling the making of Coppola's Vietnam War epic Apocalypse Now is probably one of the most insightful examinations into the craft of film making. Until now Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse was only available on VHS, but the DVD will release on November 20th. Paramount Home Entertainment is releasing the DVD, but not without a bit of controversy.
George Hickenlooper, the co-writer and co-director, of Hearts of Darkness is very disappointed with the cover art of the DVD and feels that Coppola has snubbed both he and Fax Bahr's creative contributions to the film:
Having just viewed the packaging of my film, I have to say I am really pissed off. And I am not pissed off at Paramount. I spoke to Home Video guy Michael Harkin today and he told me Paramount had nothing to do with the packaging or mastering of the DVD. It was ALL delivered by Zoetrope. So this is all Francis' doing...
I have just seen the packaging and I am really disappointed. By writing at the bottom of the package "Eleanor Coppola's Follow-Up Documentary" there is an implication that HEARTS was Eleanor Coppola's documentary, period. Which kind of bomastically [sic] implies that Fax Bahr and I were little more than ghost writer/directors.
The truth is Eleanor Coppola was NOT INVOLVED AT ALL IN THE MAKING OF "HEARTS OF DARKNESS." She saw the film once we had FINISHED IT and before we showed it to Francis. I honestly don't think she had one comment.
Well yes she did. She asked us to remove Dennis Hopper's remark that Francis was supplying him with cocaine on a daily basis. She also asked us to remove Grey Fredrickson's remark that Francis was almost arrested when military police showed up because the real dead bodies being used on the Kurz compaound were actually stolen from a local morgue. That was it.
...I worship Francis and his general support and enthusiasm for creative expression and filmmaker's independence -- especially in light of his doing YOUNG YOUTHFUL YOUTH. I just find it a tad bit hypocritical that he would so blatantly disregard the two principal creative forces behind HEARTS OF DARKNESS.
The cover that has Hickenlooper steamed:
Honestly I can't wait, this is a great documentary. I hope Netflix gets it soon.
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