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.
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
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
