3RD FAVORITE FILM OF ALL TIME-DONT GET OFF THE BOAT

"APOCALYPSE NOW" 1979
Written and Directed by Francis Ford Coppola
Based on the book "Heart of Darkness" by Joeseph Conrad
Winner of 2 Academy Awards (Sound and Cinematography), Nominated for Best Picture
Starring Marlon Brando, Martin Sheen, Dennis Hopper, Laurence Fishburne, Robert Duvall and Harrison Ford.


THIS ALMOST MADE NUMBER ONE ON MY LIST. ALMOST, but my main number one was just too damn perfect. Not that THIS movie isn't perfect, there's some flaws but its damn near close.

Apocalypse Now tells the story of a damaged yet skillful solider Captain Willard (Martin Sheen's greatest performance besides THE WEST WING) is sent on a dangerous mission to assassinate a Former Green Beret who went ape crazy and claimed he was a GOD within a hidden tribe in the jungle  of cambodia. Simple mission right? wrong. Paired up with a crew of crazed soldiers, they head up to seek this "classified" mission during the hell of vietnam. The film is never clear as to what year it takes place but it doesn't matter; the movie clearly shows that Vietnam was a death zone mentally and physically to our young men in the 60's.

From the very first shot of the film, Francis shows the heart of man as the beautiful, peaceful trees of the jungle blowing in the wind EXPLODES in flames after a chopper passes through frame-EVIL. Jim Morrison's voice from the song "THE END" hums like a ghost letting the audience know you are in for some deep, tramatic shit. What follows is a super-imposition shot (and there's ton of these in this film) of Sheen staring at us with a spinning ceiling fan letting us know we're just as crazy or heading to BECOME crazy during this journey. This film is dark from the beginning to the end. It holds so much power to make you feel exactly what these soldiers, or at least the characters in the film, felt as they head for a world of chaos: dirty, deranged, depressed and most of all AFRAID. By the end of the movie where Jim Morrison's voice is heard through a whisper again, you want Williard to end ALL OF THIS and it all comes through the wonderful, well deserved Oscar win for Cinematography. I have to say in my opinion, every shot in the film looks like a painting.

The making of the film alone is one of the reasons why I truly love this film, Francis and everyone involved. A film that was suppose to take at least 6 weeks to shoot took a total of 16 months in pre-production, 2 years in post (OMG) due to the destructive monsoon weather in the philippines, over budget and actors basically "losing it".

Here are the FACTS in case you don't know:
1. George Lucas was set to direct this film  but was too occupied with Star Wars (THANK GOD)

2. Steve McQueen, Al Pacino and Jack Nicholson were up to play Williard but declined. Harvey Keitel was hired and fired after 2 weeks replacing him with Sheen. There's footage of Keitel's scenes on the documentary "HEART OF DARKNESS"

3. Brando's character "Kurtz" based on the book, was suppose to be real skinny and frail due to malnutrition but Brando being BRANDO at the time, went the opposite, gained tremendous weight not out of method acting but out of I DONT GIVE A FUCK, PAY ME MORE method,  along other problems he gave Francis.

4. Martin Sheen was a severe alcoholic at the time  and appears drunk in the opening scene; within production he would suffer a heart attack.

5. Laurence Fishburne (aka Larry Fishburne) lied about his age saying he was 16 when he was actually 14. When the film was completed he was 17.

There are so many facts on this film that it would be way too long to discuss; however the testament this crew and Francis went through inspires me as a filmmaker and actor that the SHOW MUST GO ON and go on RIGHT during the storms. It almost reminds me of what Sir David Lean wen't through with LAWRENCE OF ARABIA; both men made masterpieces when their backs were against the wall, facing termination from the studios.

I don't consider Apocalypse Now a WAR film. I view it as a war within mankind-the evil that man performs on a daily basis just to get what they want and need and sometimes dying for. The soldiers in the film fought all their battles from machines to spears and knifes-they were heading up to the river when in reality and mentally they were going backwards. Its truly a heart of darkness when you have the hunger to kill, especially killing when your forced by the government to do so (another topic, another time).

No matter how you look at it, WAR IS EVIL and no good comes out of it. I always think what would Willard's life become after the mission? In my opinion, worst than the beginning. He would stay in the military until it killed him. I don't think he would survive the world outside the jungle-I could see him being so traumatized and mentally damaged that he probably would've committed suicide. Truly a heart of darkness.

I'm a dork like that. I think beyond.

Hey, don't blame me. Francis developed a great character I care about.

Such a great film.

BIG FACT:
There's no opening credits nor is there an ending to this film. When it was premiered in 1979, audience received a program with credits. After the great super-impostition of Brando saying "the horror" with an ancient stone in the background, the film went to black at that was the end. Two versions of the ending were shown years later: 1. Willard leaves on the boat and the military air strike team blows up the villiage, killing everyone in it. The Redux version shows ending credits.

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NEXT: FILM #2
"You were too old to be called anything else. You were always too old"

HOW TO GET CLIENTS AS A PERSONAL TRAINER IN THE GYM

TIPS ON GETTING CLIENTS IN A GYM AS A PERSONAL TRAINER

Im no EXPERT, let's get that out the way; but I KNOW some stuff. I was hired as a personal trainer for Equinox Fitness 8 years ago and was told it would take me 3 months to get off the floor. The floor meaning "FLOOR SHIFTS", a humiliating yet rewarding experience as a new trainer to tell the gym "HEY IM NEW AND I NEED CLIENTS FAST SO I WONT WEAR THESE STUPID ASS ROOKIE UNIFORMS". The norm was "within 3 months you're not gonna make any money. You gotta work the floor, picking up weights, engaging clients because THIS IS your business"-more on that nonsense talk later.

But I said SCREW THAT and using the methods I'm about to share, I set a record in that gym in TriBeCa that to this day, far as I know or care of, was on the floor for only 4 weeks.

1. PROFESSIONALISM no matter what. Look like you give a damn when doing floor shifts. Avoid chatting with other new and old trainers on the floor during busy hours and keep moving-smile, clean machines a bit, rack and re-rack to rack weights, be there on hours/days you're not on shift. The key is to BE SEEN. Look neat, smell neat, be neat and ALWAYS  BE ON TIME.

2. EXPOSURE. Don't just train or do a floor shift, then go home-WORKOUT. You are now a walking billboard of fitness, like it or not; therefore showcase your best moves, best workouts etc ALONE. Are you showing off? YES. WHY? Because someone is ALWAYS watching you and if you're serious about fitness then they want the same passion and drive you have. And when I say workout, WORKOUT to the tee-wear your best clothing that reveals your body. Don't be a dork working out fully covered like you have something to hide. The fitness industry is VISUAL.

2. Make a weekly goal program. "this week I will talk to 2 people and sign up 1 for a free session" seems small right? Wrong. 2 people will turn into 4 people, then the next week will be "I'll talk to 4 people and sign up 2" next thing you know you have clients. It's no different than a fitness program.

3. Gyms will get mad at me for this but stay away from doing FLOOR DEMONSTRATIONS. It's just desperate and forced advertising from managers and it screams "THIS trainer is not pulling enough sessions, sign up with him so I, the manager alone, can hit bonus". If the managers would give them my tools of getting clients, they wouldn't need it; however managers are pressured by the "big dogs" who just want their pockets full so you might have to do this. If you are assigned, give it your best BUT if you use these tools they wouldn't ask you to do this unless you have a shitty manager.

4. Study body language. Not everyone is approachable. Study and watch who and how they're working out. I don't  like to be bothered when I workout but it all depends on the mood I'm in. I may look pissed off, but if you approach me with a nice smile and something I will add to my next exercise, then I'm all ears. Never and I mean NEVER assume a fit client doesn't need you.

5. CONFIDENCE. You may be new and not know a lot of things. The client doesn't know that but you damn well better sell it like you know your stuff. Lack of confidence in any industry is a complete turn off. I'm not saying you have to lie, if there's a question you don't know the answer to, just say "I honestly don't know but I will research it and have the answer for you the next time we meet", that's better than "well this movement works your bicaleipious.." making up some word. BELIEVE your the best trainer for them; they need you just like you need them-no one wants a trainer who doesn't know what he/she is doing yet alone doesn't know who they are. Certifications is just a piece of paper without personality and confidence.

6. My last one and this is gonna piss some of you trainers: DON'T DEPEND ON MANAGERS GIVING YOU PROFILES. You are off the floor for a reason and they constantly say "THIS is your business" which we all know is complete bullshit cause if that's the case, give trainers the amount of money they deserve; however it's true in a sense-operate like you are your own INC. Get your clients with these methods or your own style and method. When you depend on them too much, they got you by the balls then you'll complain that you're not getting enough cause the new trainers are getting it all which leads to frustration which leads to your sessions faultering. I say this cause once you go PRIVATE, no one is gonna give you jack squat. You have to fish for it and private is 10 times harder. 

Speaking of private, I will also blog on how to become and remain successful as a private trainer.

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4th ALL TIME FAVORITE FILM- Sir Lawrence

LAWRENCE OF ARABIA

Winner of 7 Academy Awards including Best Picture 1962

Starring Peter O'Toole, Alec Gunniness, Anthony Quinn 

Directed by Sir Davis Lean

MASTERPIECE

That's the word that plays in my head over and over when I watch this film, all 227 minutes of it. 

Beautifully crafted, sharp direction and brilliant performances from the leads, Sir David Lean spent almost a year in the hot desert creating the story of T.E. Lawrence. Yeah yeah yeah we can complain about the history of it being white washed-another film where the white man saves the day in a land not his own.

Ok

The film tells the story of the  real T.E. Lawrence to go from lieutenant to colonel, sets on a mission, a BALL-sey mission at that, in the desert tribes tries to unite and tip the balance in the Allies' favor against the Turks in World War I.

Yeah...one man dressed in all white tries to make peace...for 3 long hours and my God is it long but it's equivalent to staring at the best painting in the world for 3 hours.

It was so long that there was an intermission in its theatrical release-wished they had that for LORD OF THE RINGS.

So why do I like this and use it as a tablet of inspiration when I prepare to film my projects? No matter environment, actors used, you MUST create or at least try to create a masterpiece. Try filming a  violent feature length film with brand new state of the art equipment at the time with wide lens, in 115 degree heat for almost a year-and not only make a masterpiece but it became a box office hit and snagged some oscars.

We can debate all day how Marlon Brando, Lawrence Oliver and DeNiro are the greatest actors of our time and of course I agree; however Peter O'Toole is the best underrated actor who gave in my opinion and according to PREMIERE magazine, the best performance in cinema history.

Sadly to this day, he has never won an Oscar. 

The rape scene alone, the pain he endures through betrayal and mission at hand, priceless. He was also, this debatable, the first to shoot someone in the head at close range onscreen. Numerous versions of the film have cut the scene but if you look at the brand new editions, it's there.

There would be no STAR WARS and INDIANA JONES if it wasn't for this film. It's so hot it makes you feel hot watching it.

Highly recommended.

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Next

"never get out of the boat"