THE
GODFATHER
Starring
Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton,
John Cazale, Talia Shire, Gianni Russo, Richard S.
Castellano, Abe Vigoda, Al Lettieri, Sterlng Hayden, Lenny Montana,
Alex Rocco, Morgana King, Al Martino. Directed by Francis Ford
Coppola. (1972, 177 min).
PARAMOUNT
THE
GODFATHER PART II
Starring
Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, John Cazale,
Talia Shire, Lee Strasberg, Michael V. Gazzo, G.D. Spradlin, Bruno Kirby, Richard
Bright, Morgana King, Tom Rosqui. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola.
(1974, 200 min).
PARAMOUNT
The
following review is for the handful of misguided movie fans who have somehow
managed to make it this far in life
without The Godfather in
their collection. You really have no more excuses.
There
are a few films so historically iconic that when you actually come
across a someone who says they've never seen them, you simply offer a deadpan stare and reply, "You're kidding, right?"
The
list of such films is pretty damn short...Star Wars, Jaws, Casablanca,
to
name a few. More than just classics, those films' cultural
impact is so massive they transcend generations. It goes without
saying that The Godfather is also high on this list. Not
only the mother of all gangster
epics, the film is one of the greatest ever made...in any
genre.
 |
| "I thought I told you to flea-dip the cat." |
The Godfather remains endlessly quotable and compulsively watchable (no matter how
many times you've seen it), not-to-mention thematically & aesthetically timeless. It made stars out of
Al Pacino, Robert Duvall & James Caan, and was arguably the
pinnacle of Marlon Brando and director Francis Ford Coppola's careers. Movies just don't get much better
than this.
And
when I speak of The Godfather, I'm referring to both the 1972
original and 1974's The Godfather Part II. Nobody
really thinks of them as two separate movies anymore. Unlike any
other franchise in history, you can't have one without the other. Each
film is made even richer and more rewarding by the existence of the
other. While the belated Godfather Part III
is much better than its maligned reputation suggests, it's the one
that actually plays most like a traditional sequel, and as such, the
law of diminishing returns certainly applies.
But anyone
who reveres these films know all this and undoubtedly already have
them in their collection. Who the hell is content to watch them only
once?
 |
| "This is my lucky chair, Kay. It ain't going anywhere." |
The
Godfather saga has been
frequently released in various formats and editions for years, both
separately and as collections. The Coppola Restoration
Blu-Ray boxed set, released in 2008, remains the best bet for collectors and
completists, with impeccable picture & sound and a plethora of
comprehensive bonus features. So why repackage and release them
yet-again, with almost none of the extra goodies offered on previous
discs?
Well,
this is the 45th
anniversary of the original, which is surely worthy of some kind of
commemoration. And at a list price of less than ten bucks a pop, it's
also the cheapest they've ever been made available on Blu-Ray, the
perfect opportunity for those who may have invested in the first DVD
boxed set - which was also loaded with extras - but simply want
upgraded picture and sound (well worth it, by the way).
But
most importantly, if you've never gotten around to seeing The
Godfather or including it in
your collection, there's never been a better time to remedy that
problem. To quote an obscure old film I vaguely recollect, it's an offer you can't refuse.
EXTRA
KIBBLES
AUDIO
COMMENTARIES: Both films feature the same audio commentaries by
writer/director Francis Ford from previous releases, which are
exceptionally entertaining, comprehensive and loaded with
behind-the-scenes .anecdotes
DIGITAL
CODE FOR A MOBILE APP GAME
KITTY CONSENSUS:
MEOW! MEOW! MEOW!
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