The Godfather Looks Better Than Ever

News
By Ed Perkis
published

The Godfather is, simply, the greatest movie of all time. Don’t give me your Citizen Kane’s and your Gone with the Wind’s or even your Gymkata’s. They don’t hold a candle to Francis Ford Coppola’s gangster drama. Not even if it was a candle lit by Kay Adams to pray for Michael’s eternal soul. The Godfather II was almost as good and even the The Godfather III wasn’t horrible. Ok, it was kinda horrible, but it does have a few good lines and a hit man who does sheep imitations.

The Godfather and its sequels have been available since 2001 in a comprehensive DVD set with commentaries by Coppola and lots of extras. I know this because it happens to reside in my own collection. In the interest of double dipping, though, the trilogy is being re-released on DVD and released for the first time on Blu-Ray in what is called “The Coppola Restoration” on September 23rd.

“The Coppola Restoration” includes, according to their official site, a “meticulous restoration…overseen by Coppola himself.” So, that’s pretty cool. In a nice touch, they are carrying over all the extras from the 2001 DVD plus some brand spanking new items that were created for this release. The commentaries included for each movie by Coppola are from the 2001 release, which aren’t bad but could have been enhanced by additional involvement by actors or others.

The movies can be purchased as individual films (with just the Coppola commentary). They can also be purchased as a 5 disc DVD (the new extras on one disc, the old extras on another) or a 4 disc Blu-Ray (all the extras on one disc).

I’ve specifically avoided awkwardly cramming this story with variations of famous lines like “I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse” or “every time I think I’m out, they pull me back in.” If you’re a fan and you’ve somehow avoided getting the set in 2001, get ready to pony up. If this is a double dip for you, then the re-mastered picture and sound and the new extras is certainly tempting. We’ve included a list of the extras, a video trailer from the official site, and the box art below. Drool at will.

  • DVD and Blu-Ray
  • Godfather World
  • The Masterpiece That Almost Wasn't ... when the shooting stopped
  • Emulsional Rescue Revealing The Godfather
  • The Godfather on the Red Carpet
  • Four Short Films on The Godfather: The Godfather vs. The Godfather, Part II; Cannoli; Riffing on the Riffing; Clemenza
  • 2001 DVD Archive: The Godfather Family: A Look Inside; On Location; Francis Coppola's Notebook; The Music of the Godfather; Coppola & Puzo on Screenwriting; Gordon Willis on Cinematography; Storyboards from The Godfather, Part II; Storyboards from The Godfather, Part III; The Godfather Behind the Scenes 1971; The Filmmakers; Additional Scenes; Acclaim & Response; Trailers; Photo Gallery; Rogues' Gallery

Ed Perkis