“Listen, whoever comes to you with this Barzini meeting, he’s the traitor. Don’t forget that.”
In celebration of The Godfather’s 50th anniversary, Paramount will re-release the Francis Ford Coppola classic in limited AMC Theatres locations in Dolby Vision starting on February 25, 2022. In the St. Louis area, it will only be playing at the AMC Edwardsville 12 (6633 Center Grove Rd, Edwardsville, IL 62025)
In advance of the 50th anniversary of the first film’s original release on March 24, 1972, Paramount and Coppola’s production company, American Zoetrope, restored all three Godfather films over the course of three years. The entire trilogy will be made available in 4K Ultra HD for the first time on March 22, 2022.
During the restoration process, which was overseen by Coppola, over 300 cartons of film were scrutinized to find the best possible resolution for each frame of all three movies. More than 4,000 hours were spent repairing film stains, tears and other anomalies in the negatives, while over 1,000 hours were spent on color correction to restore the films to Coppola and cinematographer Gordon Willis’ original vision. In addition to the 5.1 audio that was approved by the film’s sound designer, Walter Murch, during a 2007 restoration project, the original mono tracks of The Godfather and The Godfather: Part II have also been restored.
“I am very proud of The Godfather, which certainly defined the first third of my creative life,” said Coppola in a statement, adding that Mario Puzo’s The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone – the director’s new edit of the third film – is included in the restoration. He continued of Coda, “It captures Mario and my original vision in definitively concluding our epic trilogy.”
“We felt privileged to restore these films and a little in awe every day we worked on them,” said Andrea Kalas, senior vice president, Paramount Archives. “We were able to witness first-hand how the brilliant cinematography, score, production design, costume design, editing, performances, and, of course, screenwriting and direction became famously more than the sum of their parts. It was our commitment to honor all of the filmmakers’ exceptional work.”
“Listen, whoever comes to you with this Barzini meeting, he’s the traitor. Don’t forget that.”
In celebration of The Godfather’s 50th anniversary, Paramount will re-release the Francis Ford Coppola classic in limited AMC Theatres locations in Dolby Vision starting on February 25, 2022. Here’s a trailer for the 50th Anniversary:
In advance of the 50th anniversary of the first film’s original release on March 24, 1972, Paramount and Coppola’s production company, American Zoetrope, restored all three Godfather films over the course of three years. The entire trilogy will be made available in 4K Ultra HD for the first time on March 22, 2022.
During the restoration process, which was overseen by Coppola, over 300 cartons of film were scrutinized to find the best possible resolution for each frame of all three movies. More than 4,000 hours were spent repairing film stains, tears and other anomalies in the negatives, while over 1,000 hours were spent on color correction to restore the films to Coppola and cinematographer Gordon Willis’ original vision. In addition to the 5.1 audio that was approved by the film’s sound designer, Walter Murch, during a 2007 restoration project, the original mono tracks of The Godfather and The Godfather: Part II have also been restored.
“I am very proud of The Godfather, which certainly defined the first third of my creative life,” said Coppola in a statement, adding that Mario Puzo’s The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone – the director’s new edit of the third film – is included in the restoration. He continued of Coda, “It captures Mario and my original vision in definitively concluding our epic trilogy.”
“We felt privileged to restore these films and a little in awe every day we worked on them,” said Andrea Kalas, senior vice president, Paramount Archives. “We were able to witness first-hand how the brilliant cinematography, score, production design, costume design, editing, performances, and, of course, screenwriting and direction became famously more than the sum of their parts. It was our commitment to honor all of the filmmakers’ exceptional work.”
“Listen, whoever comes to you with this Barzini meeting, he’s the traitor. Don’t forget that.”
On Sunday, June 4, and Wednesday, June 7, THE GODFATHER makes a rare return to more than 700 theaters nationwide, giving both longtime fans and a new generation a chance to see one of the most influential films ever made back on the big screen. Tickets are available now at https://www.fathomevents.com/events/the-godfather.
WHAT:
It’s an epic saga that redefined American cinema and remains one of the greatest films ever made. On June 4 and June 7, Fathom Events and the TCM Big Screen Classics series commemorate the 45th anniversary of Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather by bringing the milestone film back to movie theaters nationwide for two days only.
The iconic story of a New York mafia family’s rise to power, The Godfatherwon the Academy Award® for Best Picture, was the highest grossing film of 1972 and is widely considered to be one of the most influential films in cinematic history.
Ranked second on the list of greatest American films by the American Film Institute, behind only Citizen Kane, The Godfather will be presented with specially produced commentary by Turner Classic Movies (TCM) host Ben Mankiewicz before and after the feature.
WHO:
Fathom Events, Turner Classic Movies and Paramount Pictures
WHEN:
Sunday, June 4, 2017; 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. (local time)
Wednesday, June 7, 2017; 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. (local time)
participating theater box offices. Fans throughout the U.S. will be able to enjoy the event in more than 700 select movie theaters through Fathom’s Digital Broadcast Network (DBN). For a complete list of theater locations visit the Fathom Events website(theaters and participants are subject to change).
Toy Fair is an annual trade show where hundreds of toy companies get together to showcase their latest innovations for buyers and press. The following is a photo recap from the Funko booth. To see the rest of our coverage, click HERE.
As someone who gave custom Batman Funko Pops to the groomsmen at my wedding, I had to stop by their booth during my Toy Fair trip. Unfortunately their area was forever crowded so I had to settle for a quick walkthrough on my own. This does not come as much of a shock though. To say that Funko has transformed into a phenomenon these last few years is a bit of an understatement.
Funko’s Pop line of collectible vinyl figures started with Batman and now features thousands of characters from Film, TV, comics, and pop culture. There are also seemingly as many variations of Batman as there are total number of properties they license. The Pop brand has expanded to include t-shirts, household items, and several monthly subscriptions based on properties like Marvel, DC Comics, Star Wars and now Disney. Funko also sells Dorbz, Mystery Minis, Rock Candy, Vinyl Vixens, Super Deluxe, Hikari, and several different lines of action figures.
Comparing the first wave of Funko’s to the latest generation reveals stunning progress on these figures. They have an uncanny ability of capturing an actor’s appearance into a perfectly realized 3D vinyl caricature. Just look at the JOHN WICK, GODFATHER, TWIN PEAKS, WESTWORLD, and STRANGER THINGS figures. You do not need any packaging to tell you the identity of each figure.
While there were hundreds of Funko items on display, I tried to focus my photos just on the ones that are relatively new or have not yet been released. Below are some of my favorites, including a peak at some new lines…
Fly over the moon. Sing in the rain. Fasten your seatbelts. Make an offer no one can refuse. See classic movies on the big screen!
Gene Kelly will sing in the rain, Bette Davis will fasten her seatbelt for a bumpy night, Marlon Brando will make an offer no one can refuse, Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint will scurry across Mount Rushmore, and Elliott and E.T. will fly over the moon – and they’ll do it all on the silver screen in 2017. Today, Fathom Events and TCM announce their continuing partnership to bring monthly screenings of their “TCM Big Screen Classics”series to movie theaters nationwide throughout the year.
For the second consecutive year, “TCM Big Screen Classics” offers film fans an amazing journey into the magic of movies year-round. Beginning in January, the series presents one or more films each month in movie theaters – all accompanied by specially produced commentary from TCM host Ben Mankiewicz or Saturday-afternoon host Tiffany Vazquez, giving unique insight and behind-the-scenes tidbits that enhance the movie-going experience. Each title returns for four showings only, making the “TCM Big Screen Classics” series a monthly must-see for movie buffs of all ages.
Each of these cinematic treasures will be digitally projected in its original aspect ratio at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. local time each day (Sundays and Wednesdays).
Tickets for the 2017 “TCM Big Screen Classics”series can be purchased online by visiting www.FathomEvents.com, or at participating theater box offices. For a complete list of theater locations visit the Fathom Events website(theaters and participants are subject to change).
“TCM and Fathom are proud to announce some of the greatest feature films of all time in the 2017 TCM Big Screen Classics series. These 14 titles were released over five decades and include Best Picture winners, epic storytelling, astounding direction, legendary star-power and memorable soundtracks, all of which have captured the hearts of film lovers and defined moviemaking magic,” said Fathom Events Vice President of Studio Relations Tom Lucas.
“The TCM Big Screen Classics series presents a unique opportunity for movie lovers to experience some of the most beloved classics of all time, on the big screen and with a live audience, as they were originally intended to be shown,” said Genevieve McGillicuddy, vice president of partnerships and brand activation, Turner Classic Movies. “Expanding our long-term relationship with Fathom Events and our studio partners makes it possible for TCM to directly engage with a community of movie fans in a meaningful and memorable way, and share our love of classic film in local markets across the country.”
From January to December 2017, here’s a month-by-month look at the amazing films that comprise this year’s “TCM Big Screen Classics” series:
Silent film movie star Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly) finds his muse in Kathy Selden (Debbie Reynolds) just as Hollywood discovers talking pictures, but mega-star Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen) isn’t going to stand for it – she’s bigger “than Calvin Coolidge, put together!” With the help of Cosmo Brown (Donald O’Connor), Don and Kathy will find a way to overcome the scheming Lina. Co-directed by Kelly and Stanley Donen, Singin’ in the Rain is a glorious, grin-inducing example of the Hollywood studio system at its finest, one of the happiest of musicals ever made.
The perfect Valentine’s Day event for romantics and movie-lovers alike, this CinemaScope classic remains as much a tearjerker today as it was 60 years ago, when its misty-eyed tale was first released. Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr star as the two lovers who meet by chance on a trans-Atlantic voyage and fall in love despite their existing relationships. When they agree to meet six months later atop the Empire State Building, they cannot foresee the tragic circumstances that will test the limits of their devotion – and of the tear ducts of millions of moviegoers who have fallen in love with this swooning story of love, fate and circumstance.
Backstage backstabbing and treachery has never been as deliciously fun or as intensely dramatic as it is in All About Eve – which is tied only with Titanic for the most Academy Award® nominations for a single film. Director Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s black-and-white masterpiece also stars a young Marilyn Monroe in one of her first important roles. With a record-breaking four nominations in female acting categories (Bette Davis and Anne Baxter as Best Actress and Celeste Holm and Thelma Ritter as Best Supporting Actress), it remains one of the most riveting dramas ever made, a movie often imitated but never duplicated.
From its dazzling opening credits sequence by Saul Bass, set to a wild scherzo by Bernard Hermann, to its cliffhanging finale atop Mount Rushmore, director Alfred Hitchcock’s cross-country adventure offers non-stop thrills. It stars Cary Grant as Roger O. Thornhill, a man wrongly accused of murder, who hops on to a train … and into the lap of Eve Kendall (Eva Marie Saint). All the while, he’s pursued by the sinister Philip Vandamm (James Mason), who is convinced that Thornhill is a spy. He’s not – but he’s about to become one. Few films are as effortlessly delightful as Hitchcock’s grandest adventure ever.
Dustin Hoffman delivers a Hollywood rarity: a true star-making performance as the confused, floundering Benjamin Braddock. He’s a new college graduate who seems to have no ambition in life until he crosses paths with the very married Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft). The biggest box office surprise of the decade, The Graduate was an Oscar winner for director Mike Nichols (among its seven nominations), and Simon & Garfunkel’s score started a new trend in movie soundtracks. The Graduate may be celebrating its 50th anniversary, but it remains as insightful, relevant and sharply funny as ever, and comes back to movie screens just in time for a new generation of graduates to learn the secret to success: Plastics.
The summer of 1977 might be best known for a certain intergalactic adventure, but Smokey and the Bandit was the year’s second highest-grossing movie, a gleefully silly romp that grossed the adjusted box-office equivalent of nearly $500 million. The plot is almost non-existent – the Bandit (Burt Reynolds) has 28 hours to drive a truckload of Coors beer from Texas to Georgia while avoiding the relentless “Smokey,” Sherrif Buford T. Justice (Jackie Gleason) – and takes a backseat to the stunt-driven action of director Hal Needham and the still-sizzling on-screen chemistry of Reynolds and Sally Field.
There is the sheer perfection of the performances by such legendary names as Brando, Pacino, Keaton and Duvall; the impeccable direction of Francis Ford Coppola; the haunting musical theme by Nino Rota; and the stunning cinematography by Gordon Willis. Any one of these elements would make The Godfather a classic, but this epic crime drama combines them all into a towering achievement in American filmmaking celebrating its 45th anniversary, an epic saga that redefined cinema.
This hysterical comedy from director Billy Wilder finds Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon masquerading as women inorder to elude irate Chicago mobsters while befriending a beautiful singer, Sugar Kane (Marilyn Monroe). One of the most influential movies ever made, Some Like It Hot is one of the greatest comedies of all time, still generating laughs nearly sixty years later.
Director Amy Heckerling’s adaptation of Cameron Crowe’s book (he also wrote the screenplay) didn’t simply capture a moment in time – it defined a generation by observing the behaviors and habits of teenagers in the early ‘80s with sharpness and an endless wellspring of humor. Pitch-perfect performances and a soundtrack filled with hits of the ‘70s and ‘80s, make Fast Times at Ridgemont High one of the quintessential cinematic experiences of the era – a nostalgic look back for those who lived through it and an eye-opening revelation for younger audiences.
1968 file photo of Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty in the movie BONNIE AND CLYDE. Courtesy of Warner Home Video.
Faye Dunaway is Bonnie Parker and Warren Beatty is Clyde Barrow in Arthur Penn’s violent, sexually charged and deeply influential crime drama, a nostalgic look back at notorious outlaws filmed with the passion and zeal of filmmakers who were beginning to explore the boundaries of their craft. With a legendary screenplay by writers Robert Benton and David Newman, Bonnie and Clyde features supporting performances by an exemplary cast that includes Gene Wilder, Gene Hackman, Michael J. Pollard and Estelle Parsons and became a pop-culture sensation. A movie about legends that became a legend itself, Bonnie and Clyde made international superstars out of its cast and influenced generations of filmmakers and audiences.
Thirty-five years since its release, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial remains a singular achievement, a movie that enchanted a generation with its sheer moviemaking prowess and its simple, exquisite story of the bond between a little boy and an alien. Directed by Steven Spielberg from a screenplay by Melissa Mathison, it’s one of the rare movies that can be universally defined by a single shot: Elliott and E.T. flying on a bicycle against a full moon. Set to a lush, unforgettable score by John Williams, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial mesmerizes everyone who sees it – including the United Nations, who, in September 1982, awarded Spielberg the U.N. Peace Medal for his creation of one of Hollywood’s most enduring movies.
Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles – doesn’t sound too bad! Director Rob Reiner’s charming fantasy-adventure, from a screenplay by William Goldman (and based on his novel) is a fairy tale like no other, a movie that is as beguiling to adults as it is to children, infused with magic and beauty. Robin Wright stars as Princess Buttercup, with Cary Elwes as her dashing Westley, and Mandy Patinkin is the revenge-seeking Inigo Montoya – just the beginning in an adventure that’s as fresh, fun and tongue-in-cheek as ever. The perfect cast also includes Christopher Guest, Wallace Shawn, Andre the Giant, Peter Falk, Billy Crystal, Carol Kane and, as the young boy who gets the best bedtime story ever, Fred Savage.
As time goes by, some movies age – but Casablanca remains timeless. Perhaps no other movie has become as beloved and as synonymous with Hollywood glamour as Casablanca. Humphrey Bogart is Rick Blaine, owner of Rick’s, the nightclub that everyone in Casablanca attends – including resistance leader Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid) and his wife, Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman), whose sudden appearance leads to some of the best dialogue ever written for the movies. The screenplay by Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein and Howard Koch took an unproduced stage play and turned it into a movie unlike any other, which received the Academy Award® for Best Picture and became one of the most classic films of all time.
Fifty years ago, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner scandalized audiences with its bold depiction of interracial romance – a poignant subject at this time in history, and its depiction of prejudice overcome by love remain powerful and moving. Sidney Poitier delivers a commanding performance as John Prentice, who accompanies his fiancée, Joey, (Katharine Houghton) to her parents’ home – without telling them that he is black. As her parents, Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy star in their final film together. Produced and directed by Stanley Kramer and written by William Rose, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner was a box-office sensation across the country, including in the South, where the studio worried that audiences would shy away from its subject. It is, in the words of TheNew York Times, “a deft comedy and – most of all – a paean to the power of love.”
I love the movies, really, truly I do, I love the movies. Cinema, motion pictures, movies, film, whatever you want to label this peculiar art form that we all cherish here at We Are Movie Geeks, I have loved it ever since the first time I saw a movie on television, in a theater or at a drive-in. I wish I could recall the first movie I ever saw and what the medium was in which I saw it.
One of my earliest memories was the yearly showing of Wizard of Oz on television and my delight at seeing Judy Garland in a different movie, Pigskin Parade, and realizing that actors made a living by appearing in more than one movie or television series.
I can recall seeing Battle Beyond the Stars at the Pine Hill Drive-in in Piedmont, Missouri, one of the Russian space movies bought and re-edited by Roger Corman. I stood in the playground in front of that huge screen in awe of the space adventure unfolding against a night sky that blended seamlessly with those images of silver rockets and asteroids and weird looking monsters.
I can recall my family going to an indoor theater, probably in Greenville, Missouri, to see a western, in color, and feeling lost in the wide open spaces captured in that (probably) B-movie landscape.
I came to love every genre of film and from every country that makes them. Italian peplum, Russian fantasy films, Japanese historical and giant monster epics, English historical romances, American westerns, comedies, monster movies, musicals, everything, just everything.
And among my favorite films are movies about the movies, documentaries giving the history of the medium or narrow casting down to the history of a single studio or director or actor and using numerous clips to illustrate the story. In my collection are excellent documentaries on the history of Warner Brothers, Universal, RKO and MGM studios. Biographies of John Huston, Orson Welles, Alfred Hitchcock, David Lynch, Roger Corman. Profiles of Joan Crawford, Clark Gable, James Dean, John Wayne, Ginger Rogers and Jimmy Stewart. I particularly love a series called 100 Years of Horror hosted by Christopher Lee and featuring clips from every monster and horror and science fiction picture imaginable.
I say all this as an introduction to an incredible piece of work, a 15 episode history of innovation in the movies, The Story of Film, sub titled An Odyssey by Mark Cousins. This project should be subtitled a Personal Odyssey and I’ll get to that in a minute. I found this box set at one of St. Petersburg’s libraries and brought it home, knowing nothing about the project. Of course I became hooked and watched it all, usually one episode a day, then watched the whole series again and have dipped into certain episodes ever since.
A “Personal” Odyssey would be a more accurate subtitle as Mr. Cousins, (who first wrote a book covering this same ground and then spent six years shooting the documentary) lets us know up front this is his personal and highly opinionated story of film. He takes us step by step through every technical innovation from the invention of the camera to the recent changeover to all digital shooting and projection. He accurately informs us that it was not the camera that made the movies, it was the editing table. The first time two or more pieces of film were spliced together to create a narrative, cinema was made. Then came color tinting, sound, wide screen systems, stereo sound, 3 Dimensions.
If you have ever taken a course in film history or read any of the many books on the subject you’ll recognize a lot of the names here. Among the usual suspects are the Lumiere Brothers, Georges Melies, DW Griffith, Murnau, John Ford, Alfred Hitchcock, Orson Welles, John Huston. And covering so much ground in only 15 one hour episodes of course a lot gets left out. David Lynch is well represented and I was delighted to see David Cronenberg also discussed at some length. If Woody Allen or Mel Brooks were mentioned I missed it.
Cousins narrates his project with his soft Irish brogue and takes a global view of film. Which makes it all the more curious that he does not mention Irish film at all, since there is such a thing. Angela’s Ashes qualifies as Irish and so does The Crying Game. Europe is will represented but there is no mention of the astonishing work of Harry Kumel of Belgium.
Among the countries discussed at length: Germany, Russia, the French New Wave and the Italian neo-realist school. Ozu gets quite a lot of coverage, and rightfully so. But we also get quite a lot on Takeshi Miike (that most horrifying shot from Audition, if you’ve seen it you know what I mean.) and Shinya Tsukamoto.
But I was glad to learn so much about film makers I had never heard of, from countries I had no idea made world class films, or that I had very limited knowledge of. Egypt, Israel, Iran, and Brazil are discussed at some length. Although there is no mention of Jose Mohica Marins (Coffin Joe,) probably the most well known Brazilian film maker, to me anyway.
If Cousins work has a failing it is an open prejudice about main stream Hollywood product. From the beginning he shows us a Christmas tree ornament hanging in space near the Hollywood sign (really!) and labeling Hollywood “the Bauble”. From many comments throughout the series we are asked to consider most of that body of work useless and without merit. I have to be fair and admit that a lot of disposable fluff came off the Hollywood assembly line in the 30s through the 50s. But many smart, personal, well thought out films were made by several directors, most of which have stood the test of time.
Our narrator also makes some truly outrageous statements, and some glaring omissions. While covering Orson Welles we are told that in his entire career Welles “never worked for any of the four major studios!” FOUR major studios? I thought there were about 6 or 8 major studios, RKO was never major? Or Universal? What about Columbia? Also when we get to the French New Wave we are not told that Truffaut, Godard and most of the rest of that crew had been film critics. Their back ground is critical in understanding where, how and why the French New Wave came about. For that matter we never hear the name Cahiers du Cinema, easily one of the most important film magazines ever published.
One very curious statement, Cousins spends some time on Performance, the outrageous psychotropic English gangster mind melding, cross dressing enigma and proclaims it THE film that any aspiring film maker should watch, to see how a movie should be made! Please don’t get me wrong, I love Performance, have watched it numerous times, abused a variety of substances in order to do so. But that is a very strange statement to make. Just as an aside, any time I see James Fox in anything I cannot help but think of Chas and that outrageous Memo From Turner! “Does that sound equitable?”
But when Mark Cousins is on top of his game this series hums. Cousins really gets warmed up when he gets to the 70s and the Decade under the Influence, when the styles of the neo-realists and French New Wave were absorbed by Hollywood film makers like John Cassavetes and Robert Altman. In fact I got the impression that covering the 70s was the point of the whole series.
Many Directors are interviewed and more than a few actors, but even here there are some odd choices. We get interview footage with Gus Van Sant, for instance. But then we get a side by side comparison of Hitchcock’s Psycho and Van Sant’s ill advised remake and what amounts to an apology for the color remake being made in the first place. Van Sant (who I do like by the way, I thought My Own Private Idaho was brilliant) explains that he made the remake basically for the paycheck. Fine, he has that right, just as I have the right never to watch the thing. The main point seems to be that Van Sant could show much more of Ann Heche’s naked body and bloody open wounds than Hitchcock could have ever gotten away with in 1960. Thankfully that is about the only time spent on useless remakes.
The real danger in watching a series like Story of Film is the urge to get out copies of the complete films and watching them all, all over again. If I see clips from Intolerance, Vampyr, Citizen Kane, Vertigo, Passion of Joan of Arc, The Searchers, Blue Velvet, The Godfather, Once Upon a Time in the West or any number of other titles, I want to see the whole movie again.
And the real value in a series that attempts to be this comprehensive is in learning about so many new film makers and their projects. I kept a notebook and a pencil handy to write down Directors and titles while watching Story of Film, and so should you.
There is only one special feature to this set and it is on all five discs, a 90 second ad which covers the whole series in a machine gun edit of clips from every major film and director interview. Maybe I have spent too much time watching movies; I could name just about every clip as it flashed by.
With any faults this is a very valuable and enjoyable series for any movie geek, I learned quite a lot, and I have been accused of knowing everything about movies. The more I learn, about anything, the more I realize how much more I have to learn.
Now if you’ll excuse me I have to watch Gallipoli, Kansas City Bomber and West of Zanzibar again. Oh dear, not enough hours in the day……
“It’s a Sicilian message. It means Luca Brasi sleeps with the fishes.”
THE GODFATHER Screens with live music accompaniment by the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra March 27-29th at Powell Hall in St. Louis
I’ve often said there’s nothing better than watching silent movies with live music, but what about watching sound movies with live music? When the movie is THE GODFATHER and the score is being performed by the award-winning St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, it just becomes one of those events that can’t be missed. Justin Freer conducts Nino Rota’s beloved score performed live by the STL Symphony with Francis Ford Coppola’s Academy Award®-winning full-length masterpiece shown from the Powell Hall stage beginning at 7pm Friday March 27 and 28, and 2pm Sunday March 29th. It’s an offer you cannot refuse!
“Do you renounce Satan?” asks a priest near the end of THE GODFATHER (1972) as he’s baptizing Michael Corleone’s son. “I do” replies Michael just before director Francis Ford Coppola ironically cuts to a montage of the bloody murders of the five rival family heads. It’s one of the most powerful, influential, and brilliantly edited sequences in cinema and perfectly paved the way for a second chapter adapted from Mario Puzo’s novel about crime, corruption, and family. Some feel THE GODFATHER PART II (1974) is actually a better film than the original and it’s only sequel to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. The sequel expanded the scope of the saga and offered Coppola a chance to go to a broader horizon but overall, the original is preferred because it breathed life into the gangster genre and gave crime films dramatic respectability. THE GODFATHER is cited as the very ‘favorite’ by more men of a certain age I know than any other film. THE GODFATHER PART III came out in 1990 to far lesser acclaim and many fans of the first two, including myself, have never given it a second visit. Perhaps it’s aged well and deserves rediscovery but I don’t see the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra performing a concert around that one anytime soon.
Don’t miss THE GODFATHER when it screens with live music accompaniment by the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra beginning at 7pm March 27th and 28, and 2pm Sunday March 29th at Powell Hall in St. Louis (718 N Grand Blvd)
Get get some sugar midnights at the Tivoli! Another awesome line-up of midnight movies including a couple of anime standards and some ‘80s cult nuggets make up the next wave of films at the Tivloi for their “Reel Late at the Tivoli” midnight program! It’s a great selection with the usual variety of standards and classics that draw the late night movie buff crowd.
BLAZING SADDLES from 1974 is the oldest of the bunch and should be great to see on the big screen again. CLUE, SPINAL TAP, and ARMY OF DARKNESS have drawn big crowds in the past. I was unaware that TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES from 1990 had a cult following, but I was surprised last year when SPICE WORLD packed ‘em in, so what do I know?!
Reel Late at the Tivoli takes place every Friday and Saturday night and We Are Movie Geeks own Tom Stockman (that’s me!) is often there with custom trivia questions about the films and always has DVDs, posters, and other cool stuff to give away. I can’t wait to write PURPLE RAIN trivia! Ticket prices are $8. We hope to see everyone late at night in the coming months.
The Tivoli is located at 6350 Delmar in The Loop. Visit Landmark’s The Tivoli’s website HERE
“It’s a Sicilian message. It means Luca Brasi sleeps with the fishes.“
THE GODFATHER screens this Friday and Saturday nights (June 27th and 28th) at midnight at the Tivoli Theater as part of their ‘Reel Late at the Tivoli’ Midnight series.
Everyone has their favorite THE GODFATHER characters, favorite moments, favorite lines. There are so very many good reasons why THE GODFATHER will always be remembered so fondly. No matter how many times you see it the film never fails to make an impact. Even if you’ve seen it so often you essentially have it memorized line for line and shot for shot, it remains a thrilling experience. From the famous opening scene with Marlon Brando’s Don Vito Corleone receiving requests for favors on the occasion of his daughter’s wedding all the way to the end and the final settling of all family business the film never lets up. It’s an undeniably powerful story and one which retains the capacity to surprise. Initially it seems obvious that the story is about Don Vito Corleone. He is the Godfather after all, but for as powerful a presence as Brando is, as the story plays itself out there comes the moment where you realize this is the story of Don Vito’s son Michael, as played so well by Al Pacino. When Michael comes into his own, the film, gripping from the start, becomes even more compelling. Has any character in any film evolved more than Michael Corleone does here? The Michael we meet at his sister’s wedding bears no resemblance to the man we see in the end.
Brando and Pacino are the headliners but they are wonderfully supported by an amazing cast which includes the likes of James Caan, Robert Duvall, and Diane Keaton – and who can forget Al Lettieri (who battled Bronson in MR MAJESTYK and McQueen in THE GETAWAY before his 1975 death at age 47) as Sollozzo? And that’s just scratching the surface. The world of THE GODFATHER is quite unlike any other, often imitated but never duplicated. It’s a triumph in every sense for director Francis Ford Coppola, but perhaps his biggest success is in making you sympathize with the Corleones. We know right from the start that Don Vito Corleone is a man capable of doing monstrous things, but we identify with him anyway. And one cannot help but feel for Michael as he is inexorably pulled into the family business.
Now you can get pulled into the family business on the big screen when THE GODFATHER plays this Friday and Saturday nights as part of The Tivoli’s Reel Late at The Tivoli midnight series.
The Tivoli’s located at 6350 Delmar Blvd., University City, MO. Admission is a mere $8!
An awesome line-up of midnight movies to be screened at The Tivoli with the announcement of the next wave of films for their “Reel Late at the Tivoli “program! It’s a great selection and the usual variety of cult standards and classics that draw the late night movie buff crowd.
If the new remake sucks, you can always see the original GODZILLA when it plays midnights at the Tivoli ant the end of this month. We know the CLASH OF THE TITANS remake blew, but check out the amazing 1981 version on the big screen! JAWS on 4th of July weekend?!?! Just like on Amity Island!– I’m so there!
Reel Late at the Tivoli takes place every Friday and Saturday night and We Are Movie Geeks own Tom Stockman (that’s me!) is often there with custom trivia questions about the films and always has DVDs, posters, and other cool stuff to give away. I can’t wait to write GODFATHER trivia! Ticket prices are $8. We hope to see everyone late at night in the coming months.
The Tivoli is located at 6350 Delmar in The Loop. Visit Landmark’s The Tivoli’s website HERE
