New Acquisition: Sight and Sound

 

The Godfather (1972)

 

The Godfather Part II (1974)

 

Wayne Miller. USA. California. San Francisco. 1975. Francis Ford COPPOLA meeting with Godfather II crew

Tonight for Sure (1962)

 

A pair of hypocritical blue-noses want to shut down a local burlesque house, even though they're secret smut enthusiasts.

Pretty bad, unfunny and mostly sexist nudie comedy was stitched together from other similar films; remarkable (and perplexing) as Francis Ford Coppola's first feature.

 

The Outsiders (1983)

 

The rivalry between two gangs, the poor Greasers and the rich Socs, only heats up when one gang member kills a member of the other.

From memory: Odd, not quite satisfying melodrama about troubled teenagers (with a remarkable cast of some young up-and-coming stars) does a good job conveying juvenile life and behaviour, but the artificiality of the settings are quite off-putting.

Halliwell (no star): "Oddball youth melodrama, a curious choice for a director with big successes behind him."

Maltin**1/2: "Florid, highly stylized...Ambitious film evokes GWTW and '50s melodramas..., but never quite connects, despite powerful moments." 

Dracula (1992)

 

One From the Heart (1981)

 

The five-year romance of a window dresser and her boyfriend breaks up, as each of them finds a more interesting partner.

From memory: An expensive, audacious, but failed experiment by Francis Ford Coppola, it's visually stunning,  but narrative (and music) are simply not quite from the heart; it's all too obviously artificial.

Halliwell*: "Extraordinarily slim (for its cost) romantic fantasy which makes one wonder why, of all stories in the world, its creator chose this one. It does however boast attractive visuals."

Maltin**: "Lavishly produced but practically plotless romantic comedy...Dean Tavoularis' stylized Las Vegas set and the cinematography by Vittorio Storaro and Ronald V. Garcia are astonishing! Unfortunately, pretty images do not make a film...one of Coppola's most surreal entertainments. A must for the curious - others beware." 

The Godfather: Part III (1990)

 

 

 

In the midst of trying to legitimize his business dealings in 1979 New York and Italy, aging mafia don Michael Corleone seeks to vow for his sins while taking a young protégé under his wing.

 

It's a good movie with all the ingredients of the previous parts, but adds nothing in scope and depth, and the plot is not as stringently scripted.

 

On re-watching: This remains an ambivalent experience, since it falls so way down below the previous two films and has so many flaws and only rare moments of brilliance.

 

Halliwell**: "Overlong, often confusing to those who cannot remember the earlier films, and hampered by at least one wretched performance, it fails to reach the standard of the first two movies in the series. But for all that it retains one's interest most of the time."

 

Maltin***: "Only a filmmaker like Coppola (teamed with writer Mario Puzo) could extend his history-making Mafioso saga and make it work so well. Absorbing story...Longish, but masterfully told, with one almost-fatal flaw: the casting of Coppola's daughter Sofia (an amateur) in the pivotal role of Pacino's daughter."

 

[N.B.: Although many have criticized Sofia Coppola, I disagree: she plays adequate to the role. The problem is that the love story with her cousin is in itself misconceived from the start.] 

The Godfather: Part II (1974)

 

The early life and career of Vito Corleone in 1920s New York is portrayed while his son, Michael, expands and tightens his grip on his crime syndicate stretching from Lake Tahoe, Nevada to pre-revolution 1958 Cuba.

The rare case of a sequel to a masterpiece improving, expanding and deepening the scope of the original; one of the greatest movies ever made.

On renewed viewing: Evey new viewing leaves me in complete amazement over its mastery.

Halliwell****: "Complex gangster movie, explaining the present in terms of the past and providing a comprehensive view of American society, full of good scenes and performances."

Maltin****: "They say it couldn't be done, but cowriter-director Coppola made a sequel that's just as compelling."

 

The Godfather (1972)

 

The aging patriarch of an organized crime dynasty transfers control of his clandestine empire to his reluctant son.

A flawless epic with mastery to be found in all parts, a true cinema classic.

On re-watching: every new reviewing reveals more fascinating details and more context in the narrative.

Halliwell****: "A brilliantly-made film with all the fascination of a snake pit: a warm-hearted family saga except that the members are thieves and murderers. Cutting would help, but the duller conversational sections do heighten the cunningly judged moments of suspense and violence."

Maltin****: "The 1970s' answer to GONE WITH THE WIND, from Mario Puzo's novel...Pulp fiction raised to the highest level; a film of epic proportions, masterfully done, and set to Nino Rota's memorable music. Absolutely irresistible."

 

New acquisition: The Godfather Trilogy

 

Dracula (1992)

Apocalypse Now (1979)

 

 

During the Vietnam War a captain is sent on a dangerous mission into Cambodia to assassinate a renegade colonel who has set himself up as a god among a local tribe.

I remember: Due to the advance hype for 'Francis Ford Coppola's Vietnam' movie the film did not fully live up to the expectations, but did provide unforgettable scenes and an feverish atmosphere of war madness.

On rewatching: Over the decades this movie has grown on me, although I still see it as a somewhat messy masterpiece; and: the French plantation scene in the final cut version is superfluous containing unnecessary pretensions.
 

Halliwell**: "Pretentious war movie, made even more hollow-sounding by the incomprehensible performance of Brando as the mad martinet. Some vivid scenes along the way, and some interesting parallels with Conrad's Heart of Darkness, but these hardly atone for the director's delusion that prodigal expenditure of time and money will result in great art. (The movie took so long to complete it was dubbed Apocalypse Later.)"

Maltin***1/2: "...a mesmerizing odyssey of turbulent, often surreal encounters. Unfortunately, film's conclusion - when he does find Brando - is cerebral and murky. Still, a great movie experience most of the way, with staggering, Oscar-winning photography by Vittorio Storaro."

 

 

Nebo zovyot (1959)

Two countries race to have the first successful landing on Mars.

A probably good Soviet sci-fi movie with impressive special effects is botched (by Francis Ford Coppola!) into a an apolitical space race with some ridiculously hideous monsters added in for more commercial potential, obviously.

Maltin**: "Soviet sci-fi film...is refashioned into a so-so American product..."

The Godfather (1972)

The Godfather (1972)

Apocalypse Now (1979)

During the Vietnam War a captain is sent on a dangerous mission into Cambodia to assassinate a renegade colonel who has set himself up as a god among a local tribe.

I remember: Due to the advance hype for 'Francis Ford Coppola's Vietnam' movie the film did not fully live up to the expectations, but did provide unforgettable scenes and a feverish atmosphere of war madness.

On renewed viewing of the director's cut: The movie retains its feverish nightmare atmosphere (with satiric elements), but can be argued whether the additional scenes improve the original version.

Halliwell**: "Pretentious war movie, made even more hollow-sounding by the incomprehensible performance of Brando as the mad martinet. Some vivid scenes along the way, and some interesting parallels with Conrad's Heart of Darkness, but these hardly atone for the director's delusion that prodigal expenditure of time and money will result in great art. (The movie took so long to complete it was dubbed Apocalypse Later.)"

Maltin***1/2: "...a mesmerizing odyssey of turbulent, often surreal encounters. Unfortunately, film's conclusion - when he does find Brando - is cerebral and murky. Still, a great movie experience most of the way, with staggering, Oscar-winning photography by Vittorio Storaro."

The Godfather (1972)

On the set: Marlon Brando and Francis Ford Coppola

Dementia 13 (1963)

Members of an Irish family are being killed off by one of their own who wishes to inherit the family fortune.

Francis Ford Coppola's mainstream debut is a superior horror B picture and, despite the obvious genre restrictions, shows some artistic aspirations, especially concerning the b/w expressionistic photography and plot development. 

Halliwell*: "Nastily effective macabre piece with interesting credits."

Maltin**: "Gory horror film...filmed for about 29¢ for Roger Corman; may be worth a look for curiosity's sake."

The Godfather (1972)

On the set: Francis Ford Coppola and Marlon Brando