While The Odyssey just reminded us that some stories are timeless, it’s very much an exception to the rule. The work of nearly every writer, actor, and director has a lifespan, and most of those lifespans aren’t much longer than those of their creators. Even Christopher Nolan had to reimagine The Odyssey for a contemporary audience, and one day, his approach will look old-fashioned too. That’s not a new revelation, but it was still remarkable when, 30 years ago today, one infamous debacle ended two of those long lives at once.
As Marx wrote, history repeats itself: first as Apocalypse Now, then as The Island of Dr. Moreau. The latter limped into theaters in 1996, took a critical drubbing, and dragged itself out of sight to perish in the cinematic wilderness. Both films star Marlon Brando, and both had productions so infamously troubled they inspired documentaries. But while Apocalypse Now overcame its challenges to become a haunting classic, Dr. Moreau is an obscure mess.
