from Paramount Home Entertainment
starring Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton
directed by Francis Ford Coppola
| | | List Price: | $124.99 | | Price: | $61.99 | | You save: | $63.00 (50%) | | | Media: | Blu-ray | | Availability: | Usually ships in 24 hours |
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Editorial ReviewStudio: Paramount Home Video Release Date: 09/23/2008 Run time: 549 minutes Rating: R On the DVD People used to say this was Frank Sinatra's world, and the rest of us just lived in it. After watching the multiple special features in the box set The Godfather - Coppola Restoration, one might conclude it's actually time for a cultural and historical revision: This is the Corleone family's world. The rest of us better tread lightly. Actually, the point of the half-dozen or so features crammed onto a disc accompanying the beautifully restored The Godfather, The Godfather II and The Godfather III, is that The Godfather movies have penetrated popular culture in such a deep and meaningful way that they are second-nature to everything. David Chase, creator of and writer on The Sopranos, for example, describes in the featurette "Godfather World" that his hit HBO series was intended to be the story of the first generation of mobsters actually influenced by Francis Ford Coppola's hit trilogy. Joe Mantegna calls the three films "the Italian Star Wars." (Mantegna co-stars in The Godfather III.) Alec Baldwin says no matter what one is doing, one is compelled to stop and watch the films if they're on television. Richard Belzer calls the films "a religion." And so on. A number of people similarly testify in "Godfather World" to the importance and ubiquitousness of The Godfather and its sequels in American life. There's no point in arguing, so its best to move on to the other featurettes, including "The Masterpiece That Almost Wasn't," reviewing in detail much of what has been said about Paramount's mistreatment of Coppola, about casting fights (Steve McQueen as Michael?), about the studio's assumption they were getting a quick-and-dirty B-movie, and about producer Robert Evans' determination to keep his choice of director and unlikely actors under his wing. Fresh information within the special features, however, begins with "... When the Shooting Stopped," a fine study of post-production on The Godfather, with several surprising and fascinating facts. Among emerging details is an explanation of why Michael Corleone's scream toward the end of The Godfather III is silenced out. (Hint: it was meant to be the inverse of a sound effect in the first movie.) "Emulsional Rescue: Revealing The Godfather" talks about the painstaking work of restoring the first two films, beginning with a phone call from Coppola to Steven Spielberg (after the latter's DreamWorks studio became part of the Viacom family) asking if he'd request money from Paramount for restoration work. "The Godfather On the Red Carpet is a negligible series of fawning statements about the movie from hot young actors, while "Four Short Films" are brief and enjoyable takes on different aspects of The Godfather's impact on modern living. --Tom Keogh
Stills from The Godfather - The Coppola Restoration Giftset (Click for larger image)
Features:
Customer Reviews:
- Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
- 4 1/2 Stars for Blu-ray
I am personally not a fan of The Godfather Part III, I don't even regard it as part of the trilogy. This review is only for Parts I-II.
These films have been restored to what Paramount claims to be "the best they'll ever look." I agree with them about 95% on this statement. Here's why:
On both films (especially Part I), there are a few instances of white specks and minor print defects. Also, the colors arent 100% consistent all of the time. I agree that color problems can't be helped, it's... more info
- Never go against the family
If you happen to like the Godfather Trilogy, then you simply cannot own another copy of this movie. Go buy a Blu-ray player along with this movie. Its cinematic perfection.
- Magnificent Trilogy
I can't tell you how excited I was about this restoration, but Amazon made me an offer that I can't refuse. Excelente, watch the movies with the ligths off.
- Godfather on Blu-ray (finally!)
Outstanding transfer. Notably superior image (on 70" Sony SXRD RP LCD) to current DVD box set. Extras are worth viewing and reinforce importance of serendipity in art. Godfather (I) considered third greatest American film (after Citizen Kane and Casablanca) of past 100 years by AFI - this release helps understand why.
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