The trailer for Mike Figgis' MEGADOC delves into the turbulent development of Francis Ford Coppola's Megalopolis.

      Few recent films satisfy like MEGADOC. Regardless of the cinematic quality of Mike Figgis’ documentary––considering the poorly designed title cards with noticeable typos, the lackluster music, and possibly insufficient focus on interviewee George Lucas while completely omitting Spike Lee––providing a now-rare behind-the-scenes glimpse into one of the more intriguing films in recent history (something I both appreciated and struggle to defend against common critiques) left me feeling quite indulgent. This feature-length exploration of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis––covering around 2001 table reads with Robert De Niro and Uma Thurman, early rehearsals with the eventual cast, the director’s efforts (and often struggles) to realize his vision, and its eventual premiere at Cannes––is set to release on September 19 through Utopia, who have just launched the first trailer.

      As David Katz mentioned in our review from Venice, “With stronger connections to Apocalypse Now in its self-financed origins than in his studio-supported successes (which extended to Bram Stoker’s Dracula in the early ‘90s), it was clear that a documentary capturing the on-site events needed to be created. Enter Mike Figgis, familiar with offbeat, independent work and Hollywood comeback tales. While viewing MEGADOC, the 107-minute feature making its debut this week at the Venice Film Festival, we ponder what Figgis might have been restricted from showing. Nonetheless, his project is essential to comprehending what Megalopolis represents and what hindered it, and perhaps, that greatness was not its fate.”

      Check out the preview: