On the Slant: Jon & Francis

[Jeff Eline]

I meant to ask this last month, but forgot... In Jon's column he mentions that he had dinner with Francis Ford Coppola. FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA?!?! I think that's pretty cool.

If you don't mind me asking... how did that happen? Have you guys been friends? What did you talk about? What did he wear? (That's a joke!)

As a huge fan and student of his work, I'm very envious!!

[Glenn Godsey]

Originally posted by Jeff Eline:
... In Jon's column he mentions that he had dinner with Francis Ford Coppola. FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA?!?! I think that's pretty cool.

If you don't mind me asking... how did that happen? ...As a huge fan and student of his work, I'm very envious!!

I am a huge fan and student of Jon's work, too. How did Coppola ever swing getting to have dinner with him?

[Jon Racherbaumer]

I met Coppola through my daughter, Erika, who knows many celebrated people. FFC (Coppola) owns a nice house in the French Quarter, which by the way is filled with tons of memorabilia. FFC loves to cook and he cooked our supper and we shared wine from his vineyard.

Jeff: He was barefooted and dressed in shorts and an open shirt.

At first it was difficult for me to suppress the million of questions I was dying to ask about his films and experiences, but I held off until after dinner. He is also a fan of illusion; hence, there was much common ground to discuss illusion, cinema, and other kinds of magic. He is also a member of the Magic Castle.

FFC is very laid back and still enthused about projects, although he laments the current state of filmexcept for some of the Indie stuff. His daughter is married to Spike Jonze.

There is another film director who lives here: Taylor Hackford (married to Helen Mirren). He is currently shooting Unchain My Heart (Ray Charles bio-pic) in Louisiana. Much of the footage was shot in my neighborhood in Algiers Point. Ive had some interesting discussions with him, as well. He is also a fan of magic.

Harry Shearer (many voices of "The Simpsons") lives here part of the time, as well. He is currently in the pic, A Mighty Wind. Some of you may remember This Is Spinal Tap? He did one of the best impersonations of David Copperfield in the history of mimickry.

Onward

[Jeff Eline]

Thank you Jon for the reply. I was afraid I had asked in inappropriate question because there was no response - so I sincerely hope I wasn't being nosey.

I can't think of many that I would rather sit down and discuss film with than FFC. I respect his work very much. Anyone who has seen Hearts of Darkness probably feels the same way.

Thanks for the glimpse.

[Guest]

I know the plot is heavily based on "Heart of Darkness," Josef Conrad's novella (and Michael Herr's Dispatches) , but the movie is called Apocalypse Now. The only retitle I know of is the re-release with 49 minutes of added footage Apocalypse Now Redux from 2001.

One of my all-time top ten.

--Randy Campbell

[Jeff Eline]

Randy, I meant the documentary made about the making of Apocalypse Now. To see him deal with Martin Sheen having a heart attack and the goverment loaning him military helicopters and then taking them back in the middle of a shot, and the behind the scenes stuff with Marlon Brando - it's all very facinating.

[Guest]

Jeff:

My bad. It is indeed a great film about the making of the film (Hearts of Darkness: A Film-maker's Apocalypse). Les Blank's Burden of Dreams about the making of Werner Hertzog's Fitzcarraldo is right there with it.

Two thumb tips up.

--Randy Campbell

[Jeff Eline]

Thanks, I will definitly check that one out.

[Guest]

Isn't film great? You can make a film and make a film about the making of the film. How long before we get a making of the making of? :p :)