Episode #7: Badlands

In episode #7 we discuss Terrence Malick's first full-length film: Badlands. Kit, a captivating loner from "the wrong side of town" falls in love with Holly before beginning a murderous crime wave. Based on the real life story of Charles Starkweather and Caril Ann Fugate. Starring Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek. SHOWNOTES Badlands - Criterion Collection Directed by Terrence Malick who has several other films in the Criterion Collection including Days of Heaven (1978) The Thin Red Line (1998) The New World (2005) Malick’s The Tree of Life starring Jessica Chastain and Brad Pitt is NOT in the Criterion Collection Martin Sheen stars as Kit Sissy Spacek stars as Holly Sissy also starred in The Help (2011) along with Allison Janney who appeared as C.J. Cregg on The West Wing with Martin Sheen Badlands was based on the real life story of Charles Starkweather and Caril Ann Fugate The movie Natural Born Killers also depicted the sensationalism surrounding a pair of serial killers Kit (Martin Sheen) has a heavy resemblance to James Dean The plastic trash bag was invented in 1950 Warren Oates played the role of Holly’s father Warren also starred as Sergeant Hulka in Stripes with Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, and John Candy Another great example of a memorably narrated movie is The Shawshank Redemption Martin Sheen dancing in Badlands sort of resembles The Bluths doing their best impressions of a chicken The Badlands in Montana Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood is another movie that follows two outlaws on the run from the authorities Gassenhauer by Carl Orff was also used in Finding Forrester and Monster (starring Charlize Theron) Kit and Holly dance in the dark to A Blossom Fell by Nat King Cole The Sheen’s have a strong family resemblance Martin Sheen was 32 during the filming of Badlands Platoon featured Martin Sheen’s son Charlie Sheen aged 21 Apocalypse Now featured Martin Sheen aged 36 Martin Sheen’s other son Emilio Estevez starred in The Mighty Ducks at age 29 and The Breakfast Club at age 22