In all seriousness, Cimino's magnum opus was just one of many high profile disasters that resulted from directors being given complete creative freedom throughout the 70s.
It turned out that having the suits breathing down the necks of filmmakers was, perhaps, not such a bad thing afterall.
Motion pictures are massive collaborations. When one person gets obsessed with their "artistic vision" and thinking they are the key to the process, and reject all suggestions from others as how to make it better, the results are always poor. Whether this particular prima donna is the director, script writer, starring actor, etc., makes little difference.
I used to think it was the charisma of Martin Sheen that made the movie, but have changed my mind over the years.
It's beautifully filmed.
It's hard watching Kit do some of the bad things he did though.
Watching it I felt like I lived in that midwestern town. I could almost feel the heat, and such. I belive it was Texas?
Martin Sheen also did a movie with Linda Blair called "Sweet Hostage". It not the masterpiece of Badlands, but a good movie. I haven't seen on tv for years though. I thought it was good?
Art often benefits from editing — as this Soderbergh anecdote illustrates.
That doesn't mean you want a "suit" as an editor.