“The whole point of the experience of this film is that you trust the
madness that Coppola was in while editing it. And supposedly, he was literally holding editors ransom at the end, forcing them to try things. And from a cool, rational perspective, you would think, “Surely it’s a good idea to let Francis have a relook at a film and think how he might want to change things.” But no, the whole point about it, when you see it, when you see it at the end of—what was it?—a three- to four-year journey to make it, that’s what you see. What you don’t want to see is a reexamination of it from a more leisurely perspective. The fact that it’s edited from inside the storm, that’s where you want to see it edited from. You don’t want to see it edited in a proper, rational, professional way. You want to see it edited by someone who is insane or going insane.
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"If you love films and care about filmmakers, you'll have a hard time putting this book down. These lively conversations reveal just how much one generation of filmmakers influences the next - and how a single movie can change the course of a young person's life and career."
-Leonard Maltin, author of Leanord Martin's Movie Guide -
"A great and provocative read. Elder begins with a simple question and leads a wide variety of filmmakers down all sorts of unexpected paths. Why do we respond so passionately, even irrationally, to the movies that change our lives? The wonderful thing about being a critic or a lifelong movie lover is that life changes all the time in relation to the spells being cast on the screen. Elder's book honors that alchemic relationship many times over. It's addictive."
-Michael Phillips, film critic, Chicago Tribune