DVD
REVIEW: The Godfather: The Coppola Restoration

09/22/08

Sometimes we criticized many
video Home Entertainment companies when they are just trying to
sell a new DVD release of a classic film by just adding a
special feature here and there, when in reality is the same
previous version of a few years back. Those were some of
critics received by Paramount Home Entertainment early this
year with the release of "Indiana Jones The Adventure
Collection Box Set" prior to the theatrical release of
"Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull", but
at the end we all know that is part of the business. That is not the case, when we
hear or see the re-mastering work performed to a true
cinematic masterpiece like "The Godfather" trilogy.
The Godfather was, is and
will be a big part
of Hollywood's cinematography history. Since the released of the first part
in 1972. followed by part 2 in 1974 and finally sixteen years
later the criticized part 3 in 1990, this trilogy has become
a
cultural phenomenon that captivated audiences worldwide and
continues to make big impression in new generations. It
will probably be very difficult to find movie goers that
don't know or haven't heard about the Corleone family or
haven't admired Marlon Brando and Al Pacino's clinic in
acting; performance to remember and enjoy every time the
film is playing. It doesn't matter how many times you
have seen the film, The Godfather trilogy is just a pleasure to
watch.
The feel and look of this films is exceptional in this
"Coppola Restoration". With an all new 5.1
Surround Mix, the film sound is just extraordinary. It is
just amazing to see what experts can do to a film with new
technology. The picture quality in this restoration takes
the film to an all new level. After watching this
collection, it is very hard to believe that The Godfather
was released 36 years ago. According to Paramount Home
Entertainment "The Godfather" and "The Godfather II"
underwent extensive frame-by-frame examination and
restoration in this effort that lasted more than
a year to complete. All under the direction of Coppola and
cinematographer, Gordon Willis. I just have to say that The
Godfather film has never looked better. I can only imagine
how beautiful these films look in Blu-ray. This restoration
was so good that the films are going to be released in
selected theaters around the country. So make sure you check
your newspapers to find out when and where.
"The Godfather: The Coppola
Restoration" includes five discs. Three for the films and
two discs
loaded with special features. Disc four includes all previously
released special features from previous "Godfather"
releases, including The Making of The Godfather, filming
locations and the music from the Godfather. Disc five is
loaded with new features. Some of these features talk about
the detailed process of how the restoration of this
films took place. It also includes a very interesting
special bonus called “The Masterpiece That
Almost Wasn’t”, where we get to get ease the intrigue and
watch the luck of putting an unknown director with an unwanted
cast.
Once again Paramount Home
Entertainment shines with the release of "The
Coppola Restoration", making it a must have for every movie
fan. "The Godfather: The Coppola Restoration" will be
released on September 23, 2008.
Just in case you don't want
to get the Box set, you will be
able to get individual DVDs and add your
favorite Godfather film to your collection.
VIDEO:
16x9 Widescreen
AUDIO:
English
5.1- French 5.1(Dolby Digital). English 2.0 (Dolby Digital).
Subtitles - English Spanish French - Optional
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Godfather World: This is a nice featurette
that explorer how the Godfather films has influence culture.
Includes comments from The Sopranos creators, critics, cast
and directors. (11:20)
The Masterpiece That Almost Wasn’t: This is probably
the best featurette from this collection. It talks about how
the film was created and the different obstacles that the
producers had with the film (29:08)
…when the shooting stopped This featurette talk about the
process of making a long movie at the time the film was
created. It includes comments from George Lucas(14:19)
Emulsional Rescue Revealing The Godfather: This
another interesting featurette about how the film was
restored (19:07)
The Godfather on the Red Carpet The
Cloverfield cast talk about The Godfather (4:04)
Four Short Films on The Godfather This is a series
of four short features about the film.
o
The Godfather vs. The Godfather, Part II (2:18)
o Cannoli (1:40)
o Riffing on the Riffing (1:40)
o Clemenza (1:46)
Commentary by director Francis Ford Coppola in every film
Making of The Godfather This is a complete
behind the scenes of how the film was made (1:13:42)
Additional Scenes
Filming Locations
The Corleone Family Tree
The Music of The Godfather
The Godfather Historical Timeline
Profiles on the Filmmakers
Photo Galleries and Storyboards
RATING BREAK DOWN:
FILM REVIEW |
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VIDEO |
 |
AUDIO |
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BONUS
FEATURES |
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