Work Lessons From One From the Heart

What do I know about creative control? While no one finds any LinkedIn posts in any format anymore, I have creative control of these articles. Lest you thought I had a team writing these articles.

AI wouldn't believe me if it could. You have definitely enjoyed some of Francis Ford Coppola's movies. He is one of the great directors from the Auteur Period. Between Bonnie and Clyde and Star Wars there were many great films and personal stories from around the world.

It all changed in 1981. Some movies cost a lot. Superman: The Movie cost forty million dollars which set a record broken the following year by Star Trek: The Motion Picture. That movie is remembered as Star Trek: The Slow Motion Picture as the crew wears pajamas and barely does anything.

The effects looked good. The Original Series had character and no budget. No one ever talked about how much Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan cost. It was what a Star Trek movie was supposed to be opposed to a light show.

One From the Heart would have worked as a low budget film. There are good facets. The pragmatic version of myself asks:

Why Build Sets To Look Like Las Vegas When You Can Film In Las Vegas?

Did the city not look fake enough? They could have requested permits. It's not like the unholy alliance with the Philippine Government to film the battle scenes in Apocalypse Now. The followup to that film- any movie would have been a letdown. All the more reason to make a smaller film.

You Have the Film You Have

Frederic Forrest was coming off The Rose and Apocalypse Now. Never get off the boat. Watching this film, James Caan would have been a better male lead. This might have been shot in that period when his sister died and he barely worked through the decade.

It is nice seeing Teri Garr in lingerie. That should not be a highlight. She was in her golden age which ran from Oh, God through After Hours. Raul Julia, Nastassja Kinski and Harry Dean Stanton played their roles well.

Dance Scenes Seem Possible in Las Vegas

When you build a version of LAS- I understand building the neon city to create an idealized Las Vegas. McCarran Airport could have been used.

Is It That Easy To Find Exciting Partners After a Breakup?

It's only a movie. Usually one finds a partner and the other sleeps alone. At least they didn't have side pieces who moved up after the breakup.

Failure Leads To Success

This movie bankrupted American Zoetrope Pictures. To climb out of debt Francis Ford Coppola directed smaller films. The Outsiders was a hit. Rumble Fish did not make much money. It is definitely worth seeing.

Money Isn't Everything

Scarface lost money. It has recouped its budget by now. Megalopolis lost a lot of money. As time progresses more will find that film and it will be appreciated. At least Francis Ford Coppola does not use GoFundMe to finance his films.

One From the Heart has a fifty percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. That seems accurate. You might be in the half of the audience that likes this film. It is definitely worth watching once. The same cannot be said for Cats or the Joker sequel. I would rather see an ambitious project that cost a lot than an expensive film that is inconsequential.