Kurtz (Heart of Darkness) circumstances and remote settings to assert power over others. It is widely believed that Conrad drew influence from these characters, as well as Stevenson's plot lines, when writing "Heart of Darkness". In the 1958 loose adaptation for the CBS television anthology series "Playhouse 90" Kurtz was played by Boris Karloff. This version uses the encounter between Marlow and Kurtz as its final act, and adds a backstory in which Marlow had been Kurtz's adopted son. Francis Ford Coppola's acclaimed Vietnam War film "Apocalypse Now" (1979) centers on the protagonist's mission to find and kill the renegade Colonel Kurtz (played by
Darkness Rising (film) Darkness Rising (film) Darkness Rising is a 2017 supernatural horror film directed by Austin Reading. Frank Scheck for "The Hollywood Reporter" claimed the film "would be infuriating except that its terminal dullness saps the energy required for outrage." Monica Castillo for "The New York Times" found that the film had potential but disappointed saying "Austin Reading's horror movie "Darkness Rising" has the makings of a solid haunted-house story...However, tossing these ingredients together does not guarantee a decent scare." Noel Murray of "The Los Angeles Times" called the film "as blandly forgettable as its title." Maitland McDonagh for "Film Journal International"