9. Apocalypse Now
United ArtistsSo as far as Apocalypse Now goes, it might be a simpler process to list the things that didn't go wrong on set. First of all, they were shooting this entire film in the rainforests of the Philippines, which doesn't seem like a brilliant idea. The tremendous heat and humidity took a toll on the cast and crew, probably playing a contributing role in lead actor Martin Sheen experiencing a heart attack at the age of 38. This (along with other issues, such as sets being completely destroyed by hurricanes) made a shoot that was supposed to only take about 6 weeks stretch out to an astonishing 16 months, and come in severely over budget. Then you've got the human wrecking ball that was Marlon Brando in his late career. He was paid a massive amount of money in advance for his work as Kurtz, only to show up to set late, drunk, forty pounds overweight, and completely unfamiliar with the material. He hadn't read the script, let alone read Heart of Darkness or done any other character research. This film shoot was so horrendous that Francis Ford Coppola threatened suicide several times before he was finally finished with what is now a classic war film.