Aide de Camp Movie Reviews

The only known versions of this "essential" documentary are V-taped from the "Pay-Per-View" broadcast. ALL officially packaged VHS versions have long since disappeared from the video store shelves once it was discovered that this title was pulled "out" of release. Now my 1st reaction was that they were preparing to "bundle" "Hearts of Darkness" with a Special Edition release of "Apocalypse Now:Redux" and was thoroughly dumbfounded to find out otherwise.

That said I will take this oppurtunity to advocate that the ONLY other RIGHT way to release this "essential" documentary left would be as part of a 25th Anniversary ( "Apoc..Now" was 1979 release ) Special Edition Collector's Boxed Set of "Apocalypse Now".I say this because ALL afficianadoes of masterworks of filmcraft will agree that you just CAN NOT apprreciate "Apocalyspe Now" ( or Redux version for that matter ) WITHOUT the inclusion of "Hearts of Darkness" .

In essense, "Apocalypse Now" and "Hearts of Darkness" are ONE FILM and are to be experienced as such. I would also stress that suched a special Edition Boxed Set would be found slakcing "with extreme predjudice" if it didn't also include a "commentary" version from none other than AND inclusion of the ORIGINAL ending.
That amazingly surreal soundtrack intensifying the mysterious destruction of Kurtz's temple compound makes the full ending credits far more dramtically displayed by being displayed "in context" with the obliteration of the world of "Apocalypse Now"; an ending also portraying a rather telling , if subconcious, expression of Copolla's psyche at the time of "that" final cut.
The eerie set of events and the surreal convergences of professional lives on the line surrounding the making of "Apocalypse Now" is one of the great , even historic , filmmaking stories of the 20th century and I effortlessly rank it right up there with the story of the making of "Citizen Kane". Orson Wells' wunderkind stature in pulling off the "Citizen kane" masterwork humbles even Francis Ford Copolla ( which I'm quite sure HE would readily admit ). Copolla was cetainly in awe of that Wellsian masterpiece, as well as of Wells himself, when making his artistic masterpiece, but the parallels of BOTH of their artistic daring and "risking it all" to get their vision on film are striking and awesome nonetheless.
( Perhaps one day we'll see someone equally surreal, like some future Terry Gillaim, attempt making an even more Wagnerian-proportioned dramatization about the making of "Apocalypse Now" the way they made "RKO 281: The Battle Over Citizen Kane" ).
Anyway, the absolute importance that "Hearts of Darkness" serves toward understanding just what planet "Apocalypse Now' came from is inarguably cast in stone as "essential"!
I just wanted to bring in some salient points not yet presented here in making the case for DVD release of "Hearts of Darkness".
My job is done here.

Subtitled, "A Filmmaker's Apocalypse", this 1991 film is a documentary about the making of "Apocalypse Now", the 1979 film based on Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness". Set in Vietnam, it is the story of a captain, Martin Sheen, and his crew's mission to find and kill an insane colonel, Marlon Brando, who had created his own kingdom deep in the Jungle. On the way, everyone is touched with the evil around them. This summer I saw the re-edited version of the film and have been intrigued by it ever since. When I heard about this "Hearts of Darkness" I just HAD to see it.

The filming of Apocalypse Now was supposed to take just sixteen weeks at a budget of $13 million. It wound up costing more than $30 million, much of it put up by Francis Coppola himself, and took almost three years to get to the public. Coppola' wife Eleanor and their three children went along on location in the Philippines. She was interested in making a documentary and shot a lot of behind-the-scenes footage, even secretly recording private conversations she had with her husband about the film. The authenticity of the experience really comes through, as everyone involved with the production seemed to go a little bit insane.

Coppola had serious doubts throughout and we hear his words of despair as he thinks he's making a bad movie. We see the terrible typhoon that destroyed all the sets and realized that the helicopters that were being used for the shooting were actually property of the Philippine government who kept calling them away to fight a real disturbance that was going on just ten miles away. We see shots and scenes that never made it into the original film (although much of it eventually made it into the 2001 "Redux" version). We see and overweight Marlon Brando who insisted on being filmed in shadows. And we are right there to watch the filming of the scene in which Martin Sheehan has a mental breakdown. In order to do this he became bleary-eyed drunk, cut his thumb on a mirror and used the blood as part of the scene. The intensity is chilling and when, a short time afterward, he has a life-threatening heart attack at the age of 36, we're all there to see him as he is given first aid.

Now, years later, some of the actors are interviewed about their experiences. We learn that they did a lot of drugs during many of the scenes - acid, speed, marijuana, alcohol, which certainly added to the authenticity as well as the craziness of the whole production. Robert Duval talks about how his famous line "I love the smell of napalm in the morning was improvised. And the whole cast talks about how they improvised a massacre scene. Laurence Fishburne was only 14 when the film was made, a real coming-of-age experience for him. But this very stirring film portrait belongs to Francis Coppola. We get to meet him as a very imperfect human being doing his best to create an art form out of the script, changing it constantly as he went along, and eventually turning out a small masterpiece which went on to be nominated for eight academy awards.

I give this video my highest recommendation. It is a "must" for movie buffs. And an essential education for anyone involved in filmmaking itself. Don't miss it!

It's truly a shame that this amazing documentary is now out of print. Hunt down a used copy or find it at your local video rental place. It's well worth the effort.

The amazing thing about the Coppola's efforts is the circular karma that seemed to go into overdrive: Francis tries to make a film based on "Heart of Darkness", a story about a man and a country that gets lost in his mental interior while probing the interior of an alien land. He uses the story to try and tell the story of a different man and a different country getting lost in their mental interiors while probing the interior of another alien land. In the process Coppola, trying to deal with his lead actor getting lost in his mental interior while probing the interior of an alien land, loses himself in his mental interior while probing...well, you get the picture.

We all have some imperfection or oddity. But it takes a while for some people to figure this out. At Camp Ovation, a group of teenagers (and adults) find out they're not as "freaky" as they thought.

The story is great, the music is terrific, and there's fun for all. You'll laugh a lot and fall in love with everyone of the characters...well, except for one!

Take your teenager to see this movie!

Anyone anywhere who has ever loved a musical, been in a musical trained to be an actor, put on a show, wanted to put on a show, or just listened to and loved a song ever in their lives will find something to relate to in this delightful movie. Campy in all the right places -- with its requisite gay subtext -- CAMP also provides the viewer with some of the biggest laughs of the year. Todd Graff's knowing sensibility has culled together a mixture of poignant and funny moments from his real-life experiences at STAGEDOOR MANOR, and found just the right cast to bring his vision to life. The musical numbers include two lovely new songs by FAME composer Michael Gore, and TURKEY LURKEY TIME, the blow-out dance feature from PROMISES PROMISES. As welcome as a fresh summer breeze.

This is the best movie I have ever seen.

We all have some imperfection or oddity. But it takes a while for some people to figure this out. At Camp Ovation, a group of teenagers (and adults) find out they're not as "freaky" as they thought.

The story is great, the music is terrific, and there's fun for all. You'll laugh a lot and fall in love with everyone of the characters...well, except for one!

Take your teenager to see this movie!

Anyone anywhere who has ever loved a musical, been in a musical trained to be an actor, put on a show, wanted to put on a show, or just listened to and loved a song ever in their lives will find something to relate to in this delightful movie. Campy in all the right places -- with its requisite gay subtext -- CAMP also provides the viewer with some of the biggest laughs of the year. Todd Graff's knowing sensibility has culled together a mixture of poignant and funny moments from his real-life experiences at STAGEDOOR MANOR, and found just the right cast to bring his vision to life. The musical numbers include two lovely new songs by FAME composer Michael Gore, and TURKEY LURKEY TIME, the blow-out dance feature from PROMISES PROMISES. As welcome as a fresh summer breeze.

This is the best movie I have ever seen.

Let's face it, Speed(5 stars) is a wonderful Action movie, problably the best Action movie of the year, but Speed 2(3 stars) doesn't live up to the original as well as I thought it would. The movie would be so much better if Keanu Reeves reprised his role as Jack Traven. Dennis Hopper was a great villian in the original.

Speed is my favorite Sandra Bullock movie. She is just...phenominal in it. And Keanu Reeves...what a hunk!!
The way they put this film together was great: the stunts, the action, the suspense and thrill of it all! Jan DeBont needs to get back together with Sandra to do another action movie. That would be cool!! I CANNOT think of another movie that is better that Speed! It's definitely #1 on my list.

Despite what some may say, these two films offer an endless supply of edge-of-your-seat action, some of the most amazing stunts, and very good special effects. THE ACTION FILMS OF THE 90's!

Thoroughly enjoy watching this film over & over. It's great fun. Camp (but not in a drag-queen way), a little romantic and lots of fun as we watch the hetero oppressors get their comeuppance. The acting is not the best, but who cares? This is simply fun. Only camp-o-phobes or people expecting deep meanings to their films would not enjoy this movie.

I put off buying this DVD for over a year, as I thought it was just going to be another campy farce. Not that I have anything against that, mind you. But this surprising little film is so much more than the title might suggest: it is as warm and intelligent as it is funny. For starters, in his apparent labor of love, writer/director Alessandro De Gaetano pays homage to cinema of all kinds throughout the script, with cinematic references ranging from 'Casablanca' and 'Star Wars' to 'Moonstruck' and 'Maurice'. Every character name has a Dickensian, if not to say Freudian, significance. The plot is a deftly woven blend of comedy, politics, and romance.

Butch Camp is a defense class for put-upon gays, run by outrageous, foul-mouthed, wise-cracking 'Sam' Rotweiller. Judy Tenuta is both butch and camp as Sam. Arch-wimp Matt (played by cute Paul Denniston like Woody Allen on speed) is underpaid, overworked, afraid of love and, fed up, he enrolls in the course. For his first assignment, he must go to a sports bar armed with butch vocabulary cards and infiltrate 'the enemy'. He encounters manipulative Janet Cockswell (yes, that's right), her gorgeous boyfriend Rod (!), and his friend Woody (!!). Rod is played by wonderful Jason Teresi, the sweetest hunk ever, without whose warmth, beauty, rye humor, and delightfully mischievous personality as a foil to Matt's nervous negativity, the film would not have worked. Matt is surprised to find someone 'straight' who is so sensitive, literate, and musical, with whom he has so much in common. Dismayed, disarmed, and despite his self-imposed aloofness, Matt starts to fall in love as Rod takes him under his wing. Janet and Rod are both attracted to Matt's bashful eccentricity.

Rod quietly and steadfastly pursues the hapless, defensive Matt. He is seductive and persuasive by virtue of his compelling looks, athletic body, and honest, gentle, caring, insistent nature. His smile and twinkling eyes could melt any heart. However, they also seem destined for one another because (a) Matt needs furniture and Rod has 'a great five-piece sectional', and (b) they both have stunning hair.

Their romance is the heart of Mr. De Gaetano's story -- and the most pleasant surprise of the film. Treasure abounds as Matt and Rod find each other, and themselves in the process. They are the sweetest couple this side of 'Beautiful Thing', and theirs is the sexiest love story since 'World and Time Enough'. The film is not without its flaws and miscalculations, to be sure, but they become insignificant when the characters are so warm and winning. The full five stars are for them, with thanks.

I just wish dreams came true in 'real life' like they do in 'reel life'.

Wall street analyst (Oscar-Winner:Whoopi Goldberg) cannot survived in the World Business Men. So, she sets up with a Phony Fictitious business male partner and she decide to dress herself as a Man!

This Comedy is a Remake from a French 1982 film. Goldberg is Quite Good in the lead. Great suppoting cast:Including-Two Time Oscar Winner:Dianne Wiest, Eli Wallach, Timothy Daly, Bebe Neuworth, Austin Pendleton and Lainie kazan. Directed by Donald Pertie (Grumpier old men) has made a good comedy but he has made funnier films that this one. Grade:B.

Whoopi Goldberg stars in THE ASSOCIATE, a humorous movie about the stock market and a woman finding her way. She plays Laurel Ayers, a stock broker who is promised a promotion. When her co worker takes her promotion right from under her, she is determined to make it on her own. She quits and starts her own company. To her dismay she finds out that it's not easy making it in the world as a woman, doors are constantly slammed in her face because of her gender, so she sets out to take the world over by storm, by creating a fictional person, Robert Cutty. Yes she creates a man and even dresses up as one. Cutty takes the world by storm, but Laurel has to keep up with her charade. Eventually she realizes that Cutty has been nothing but trouble for her, no one cares about what SHE has been doing, and a man is still getting all the credit for her ideas. So she sets out to kill a fictional man that doesn't exist! She realizes she is no better than she was, because Cutty is getting credit for all her work and ideas. ...Overall a really humorous and well acted film, worth seeing many times.

I must have seen this movie about twenty times or more! Each time I viewed it, I discovered something new in the movie!I loved
when Whoopi finally got a break-through and was given an account to prove her worth as a business woman! Women are still looked down in 2002 in many fields!The White Male is still given every thing over the Black woman and the white woman! Opray was the frist African American woman given close to a billion in revenue, we're cousins by the way Opray and I! No, really!!

viewing the movie helped me to make many successful deals without feeling like a helpless female!

Anyway Whoopi plays a guy as well as she does a girl! Five stars for you Whoopi!

Joshua may not have been a cinematic blockbuster, and the film definitely strayed from Fr. Girzone's original text to appeal to a more mainstream group, but the actors, the producers and the directors of this film definitely got the message across. Tony Goldwyn was exceptional as Joshua. He brought out the humanity that Jesus had to have in order to reach the people He set out to save. He understood that preachy evangalistic and overly religious zealots, more often than not, turned people away. Hence, his ability to "come down from the pedastal" to talk WITH the people and not AT them. THAT is what endears Him. THAT is what will ultimately continue to bring people to Him. And I think Joshua captures that wonderfully. A simple message given in a wonderfully simple, but beautiful film. You can break down the mechanics of the film all you want. You can criticize the fundamentals of cinematography, and production and all the underlying basics that, supposedly, make films great. But you cannot escape the fact that the film's intention was to touch people and maybe, just maybe, for some, give hope a name. And it did.

Joshua is a movie for everyone who doubts that there is a God. He teaches us what it is that God asks of us which is to love one another with unconditional LOVE. We need to put aside petty jugdmental attitudes that destroy rather than build up God's Kingdom. Joshua shows us how to do that and why we should be more loving as our God is. I loved this movie even before I saw the end which will blow you away. Joshua is beautifully presented
and I wish everyone could see it.

I am Catholic and even though I knew this was written by a retired Catholic priest, I was worried that this would be slanted against the Church. I was particularily worried when I saw from the opening credits that a character was going to play the Pope. My fears were groundless. I had a pang at one point when a character named Fr. Pat threw his collar to the ground...but what an outcome! This movie (and book btw) captures the spirit of the Gospel. It's fair to all faiths. The outcome is extremely touching and healing. It earns not just 5 stars but 5 WOWS!

This movie was proabably one of the worst films i've ever seen. To the person aka Mike Vegas, have you ever been on a trip to Italy? This movie was filmed entirely in California. WAKE UP!!!!
This movie ranks along side the classic Stallone flick......Rhinestone.

Rodney Dangerfield plays Lupo, the owner of the Serenade Cafe, a very successful Italian restaurant that features singing waiters. Rodney is in his eighties but still manages to fire off some great jokes. When a couple asks him how he keeps his weight down, he replies, "At my age, everything is down!" When he asks an overweight couple how they're enjoying their meal, they grunt their approval while they keep on eating. He warns them, "When you get to the white part, that's the plate!" Lupo hires a female opera singer to entertain the diners. When Gina sings, Lupo falls madly in love with her. Gina (Annabelle Gurwitch) tells him that she can only love a man who is a great opera singer. Since Lupo can't carry a tune, he flies to Italy to be trained as an opera singer by Vincenzo (Richard Libertini). No matter how bad he sings, Vincenzo keeps encouraging him to keep taking lessons so he can keep taking Lupo's money. Vincenzo persuades the local opera company to let Lupo sing. Lupo is so bad that the villagers chase him off the stage and down the streets. The scene of him being chased by villagers carrying torches is reminiscent of a similar scene from Frankenstein! Lupo finally reaches a dock, finds a rowboat and paddles his way to safety. The next morning, he washes ashore on a pond and is found by a young boy, who calls his mother. She is the beautiful Rosa (Anita De Simone) who takes pity on Lupo and takes him home. There we meet her Mamma (Elsa Raven) and Papa (Hamilton Camp) who also take a liking to Lupo. Lupo listens to the family singing as they work, and can't believe how great they all sing. Rosa lets him in on their family secret. The grapes they grow produces a magical wine, and anyone who drinks the wine becomes a great singer! Lupo returns to America and, with a constant supply of wine, becomes the opera singing sensation Lupo the Great! Unfortunately, Gina still wants no part of him. When Lupo discovers that Rosa is going through with an arranged marriage to Marcello (Vincent Schiavelli), a man she doesn't love, he flies back to Italy to stop the wedding. Lupo's attempts to get to the church on time, first on horseback and then with the help of the police, outdoes Dustin Hoffman's similar scene in The Graduate! Lupo arrives just in time to stop the wedding and profess his love for Rosa.

This movie has a more leisurely pace than Rodney's previous films, with less one-liners and more character development. The pastoral scenes in Italy are visually beautiful and give the movie a magical quality. On the other hand, the scenes of the restaurant and surrounding streets in New York City have the look of a soundstage in a movie studio. Considering the peak of the Three Tenors' popularity and Rodney Dangerfield's age, I'm sure this movie would have found a much bigger audience if it had been made several years ago.

Rodney travels to italy to learn how to sing. and meets a charming lady. I tell you, this movie is an adventure. and in this movie, not even the horses show Rodney any respect, like when he calls for the horse, and the horse run away.
and Rodney actally slaps Robert Davi around, can you imagen that? Rodney brawling like Bud Spencer in the kitchen, and to top that, Davi ends up getting suffocated between Annabella Gurwitch legs.
This movie will bring you more than a couple of laughs, its a charming and well done flick, with alote of well known faces, its just a real treat. with a little magic. it has all the ingredients for the perfect movie. it has comedy, romance, wine, women and song, a little action and actually some horror. (you who has seen the movie knows what i'm talking about)
Bravissimo!!

im a fan of Jason Patric and this is my lesser favorites of his. man im glad Keanu "Neo" Reeves left because if he made this one he would be like, well you all would know what would happen. here's the story, Patric works for the same guys as Keanu worked for(lucky turnout) and what do you know, Sandra Bullock finds out about this. Patric takes Bullock on a cruise ship where Willem Dafoe comes and wrecks havoc on the ship and then in the end it crashes into a mainland. you getting me so far people because this movie makes the original look like watergarbage but the original isnt, its way the hell better then this one. Glenn Plummer, Termurea Morrison, Joe Morton and Colleen Camp are all wasted in this washedout sequel. Jason Patric...what the **ck!!!

it was alright, but i can't say it was better or as good as the first. i strongly recommend watching the first, then watching the second.

Ok i will admit the movie does have its flaws here and there. just because Keanu(iam the one neo)reeves is not in this movie does not mean it is bad they actually do a good job of tying the lose ends up.the main flaw of the picture is basically jason patrics bland acting he has an atitude like he knows the sequel will fail.in most ways sandra bullock is better then the first. the film has a load of action and SPEED as you might say so before you neglest this fallen gem you may want to add it to you library.

im a fan of Jason Patric and this is my lesser favorites of his. man im glad Keanu "Neo" Reeves left because if he made this one he would be like, well you all would know what would happen. here's the story, Patric works for the same guys as Keanu worked for(lucky turnout) and what do you know, Sandra Bullock finds out about this. Patric takes Bullock on a cruise ship where Willem Dafoe comes and wrecks havoc on the ship and then in the end it crashes into a mainland. you getting me so far people because this movie makes the original look like watergarbage but the original isnt, its way the hell better then this one. Glenn Plummer, Termurea Morrison, Joe Morton and Colleen Camp are all wasted in this washedout sequel. Jason Patric...what the **ck!!!

it was alright, but i can't say it was better or as good as the first. i strongly recommend watching the first, then watching the second.

Ok i will admit the movie does have its flaws here and there. just because Keanu(iam the one neo)reeves is not in this movie does not mean it is bad they actually do a good job of tying the lose ends up.the main flaw of the picture is basically jason patrics bland acting he has an atitude like he knows the sequel will fail.in most ways sandra bullock is better then the first. the film has a load of action and SPEED as you might say so before you neglest this fallen gem you may want to add it to you library.