If anything the first is the less brilliant of the three. I'm really looking forward to watching the other two again, and then next week I'm going to watch Once Upon a Time as per the recommendations on the previous page. I've never had a look yet, so I'm excited about that too.
Film The Redcafe Movie review thread
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) is joined by CEO Duncan Drasdo and Financial Director Andy Green from the Manchester United Supporters Trust for a special episode on all things behind the scenes at Old Trafford including a brief history of MUST and their aims today, views on INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe so far, and the Old Trafford regeneration.
Nah, the first is the best, though they're better dealt with as one large film, ending on the birthday flash back (and ignoring 3 all together)
The second doesn't deal nearly as well with it's themes IMO. The De Niro bit is overrated. He doesn't really progress as a character, he just wanders around being effortlessly cool throughout and already an admirable, Don like figure at 25 or so. What shaped him from the mute child of the opening bits to that Don like figure would've been more interesting.
Pacino gets more and more evil, and reaches his nadir, but again, all his real progression happens in Part I.
The Godfather is so well structured as a film. Ending on him actually becoming a and the Godfather at the same time. It could've ended on that door shot tbf and would've been no worse for it.
II is brilliantly acted, made,and sweepingly dramatic, but less tight as a whole. Plus Sollozzo is better than Roth, Clemenza is better than Pentangali etc etc.
Trust me. I'm right.
EDIT: Hold on...double take
WHAT!!?
Mockney's Godfather III rant.
I've never seen the Godfather. I'll now leave you all to seethe.
Despite having bought it on DVD and Blu-ray since my last viewing of it, I never ever re-watch Godfather III. Just treat the first two as one film, which again, every time I do feel like watching them, it has to be together, and since that's like 7 hours, I have to take my bi-yearly "Godfather day", usually followed by Apocalypse Now, and last year, since it came out on blu-ray, The Conversation, a damn fine day was had. Coppola's glorious 70's, shame it ruined him.
The Conversation is brilliant. Especially since it was basically just "the little cheap one" he made in between the epics. That run from 72-79 has to be the greatest one man directorial period of all time. He even had a hand in American Graffiti during it.
They made a chronological back to back version of I&II which I've always been quite interested in seeing. If only as a good excuse to watch them again.
They made a chronological back to back version of I&II which I've always been quite interested in seeing. If only as a good excuse to watch them again.
What was that weird musical that he did that bankrupted him? I saw it once back in the 1980's and thought it was pants.
Taken for Wiki
One from the Heart (1982)
Main article: One from the Heart
Apocalypse Now marked the end of the golden phase of Coppola's career.[2] His musical fantasy One from the Heart, although it pioneered the use of video-editing techniques which are standard practice in the film industry today, ended with a disastrous box-office gross of $636,796 against a US$26 million budget,[41] far from enough to recoup the costs incurred in the production of the movie, and he was forced to sell his 23-acre Zoetrope Studio in 1983.[13] He would spend the rest of the decade working to pay his debts. (Zoetrope Studios finally filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1990, after which its name was changed to American Zoetrope).[2] In addition he was forced into US bankruptcy court three times in the next 8 year
I may have been a bit hasty and confused. I'll rewatch the others and come back to this.
Watched Dredd 3D in the cinemas. It really is a great movie, much much better than Stallone's Dredd. There's alot of good (R-rated), over the top action scenes and I didn't mind the 3D, in fact, the 3D effects really added something to this movie, definitely not a gimmick. The ending was a bit rushed and perhaps a bit cheap and the movie could and should have been 30 minutes longer, but no movie is perfect.
Hoping for a Dredd 2, but I doubt it due to poor box office. Really why, this movie was IMO better than the overrated Avengers. Sad to see Dredd 3D not getting the attention it really deserves.
9 out of 10
Hoping for a Dredd 2, but I doubt it due to poor box office. Really why, this movie was IMO better than the overrated Avengers. Sad to see Dredd 3D not getting the attention it really deserves.
9 out of 10
I agree that the 1st is the best of the lot. I loved the 2nd one but the 1st flows better for me and is pretty much perfect. The 2nd is great and they do the sequel/prequel thing really well, but because of that it doesn't flow as well.
I do really like the De Niro bit myself though, just because the whole set for it is brilliant and I do think he acts the part incredibly. To come from what Brando did and the acclaim he got and to nail the role was hard to do and he did it well. I think they should've included some of the deleted scenes which actually show more of his gradual transition to Don. Part of me actually wishes Copolla had left that out of the 2nd completely, and made a prequel a couple of years later, starting from where he did with Vito, going right on until the 30s when Sonny makes his bones on the gang etc which he explains in the book.
I agree on Pacino too. He's brilliant in the 2nd one anyway, but all the groundwork for that performance is laid down in the first one where he's arguably better. It's probably his underrated performance.
I agree that Clemenza's better than Pentangeli too. In fact, you might know this, but they originally wanted Castanello to return as Clemenza. He wanted too much money though and basically asked for himself to do all his lines, so Copolla basically told him to do one. They did great by working Pentangeli out of thin air anyway as he was a great character, but the 2nd would've been better if they'd have had Clemenza. It basically destroys any link between Michael's reign and the original old one to an extent; Genco the old consiliegere long dead, Tessio dead, Vito himself dead, and Clemenza having then betrayed. They did well with what they had and Copolla was right not to bow down to Castanello, but it would've been great to have had him in it if he didn't become so demanding.
Basically, the 2nd is incredible in it's own right, but the two storylines meant they had to refine both too much. Without De Niro's part, they could've done other things such as give Duvall more screen time. They kind of went into the breakdown in relationship between him and Michael for a bit, but because they didn't have time it was never mentioned again and seemed pointless.
Watch it. Watch it now.
I couldn't get Once Upon a Time in America out of my mind when I watched the young Vito parts in 2nd one for the first time, the same sepia toned vision of New York in the beginning of the century but the other one being more developed than the other.
All this talk of OUaTiA has made me listen to this score again. Goosebumps everytime.
I much prefer part 2 although part 1 is brilliant. 3 doesn't exist as far as I know 
For me part 2 is more emotionally engaging than 1 which is the reason I prefer it.
For me part 2 is more emotionally engaging than 1 which is the reason I prefer it.
I much prefer part 2 although part 1 is brilliant. 3 doesn't exist as far as I know
For me part 2 is more emotionally engaging than 1 which is the reason I prefer it.
Agree
I also prefer part 2, think it's a better film altogether, if only for Pacino's performance which is the best of his career.
I also think the plot is brilliant, and the scenes with Fredo are heartbreaking (as is the fact John Cazale died so young).
Not that it matters really though, they're both amazing films, up there in the pantheon of cinema, no doubt.
3 is definitely much weaker on every single point, plot, acting (the dreadful Sofia Coppola), characters... I'd say it's still worth watching, all the ending in the opera is pretty well executed after all. But yeah it's definitely a bit of a let-down after the brilliance of the first two.
I remember watching that scene where Kay tells him how she lost the baby, and seeing the rage build up in him is amazing.
I also think the plot is brilliant, and the scenes with Fredo are heartbreaking (as is the fact John Cazale died so young).
Not that it matters really though, they're both amazing films, up there in the pantheon of cinema, no doubt.
3 is definitely much weaker on every single point, plot, acting (the dreadful Sofia Coppola), characters... I'd say it's still worth watching, all the ending in the opera is pretty well executed after all. But yeah it's definitely a bit of a let-down after the brilliance of the first two.
Yes I reckon if 3 had a different name and no connection to the other two films people would rate it higher as a reasonable film in its own right. But it's def nowhere near the other two.
Agree with this, agonisingly brilliant.
As an aside, John Cazale only appeared in 5 films, all of which were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. The only actor to have this distinction.
I'm with Mockney and Cheesy. The 1st one is the better film, with a much more clearer and sweeping story. It also had many strong characters that didn't return in the sequel, Old Vito, Sonny (that one flashback scene doesn't count), Carlo, Sollozzo, McCluskey...The second is hampered by being a sequel and feels more like a continuation rather than an all-round film. The abortion scene and the ending were powerful (none of them a patch on the Baptism scene in the first one though imo) but the flashback scenes made it feel disjointed.
There's so much more better about 1 when you actually list them. It's got the better lines, the better characters and the better scenes, give or take a couple.
Also, Dog Day is Pacino's best performance. I miss 70s Pacino. He could still out act his hair.
I agree about Cazale though. His performance is better than De Niro's IMO. He was also in the Conversation.
Also, Dog Day is Pacino's best performance. I miss 70s Pacino. He could still out act his hair.
I agree about Cazale though. His performance is better than De Niro's IMO. He was also in the Conversation.
That reminds me, I need to watch Serpico.
One thing I will give the 2nd over the 1st is that performance from John Cazale in the 2nd. He was absolutely incredible in it and I agree he should've won best supporting actor for it.
Such a shame that he died young. Have yet to see a couple of his films but he's great in Dog Day Afternoon as well.
Such a shame that he died young. Have yet to see a couple of his films but he's great in Dog Day Afternoon as well.
Yeah, that's well worth watching. As for Godfather, the first one's my favourite. I loved the rise to power of Michael Corleone...
And Apolloina was well fit.
She was. Odd nipples though. Couldn't act for cock either. The bits in Sicily are probably the weakest bits of it for me. That and when he comes back and tells Kay he's been back "for a year"..Well what's he been doing then?
The end of two is brilliant, but still, for me, the end of one's still better. All the seeds of his persona in II - and the abortion scene - are there. And the door closing on Kay to cut to black (which isn't quite fully captured in the vid) is just perfect.
Should probably have had Hagen standing next to him rather than Rocco to complete the circle, but still.
And that music....*shudders*
As an aside. The best bits of the soundtrack aren't the two famous riffs. They're the two bits at the beginning and 2.38.
Fwiw.
The end of two is brilliant, but still, for me, the end of one's still better. All the seeds of his persona in II - and the abortion scene - are there. And the door closing on Kay to cut to black (which isn't quite fully captured in the vid) is just perfect.
Should probably have had Hagen standing next to him rather than Rocco to complete the circle, but still.
And that music....*shudders*
As an aside. The best bits of the soundtrack aren't the two famous riffs. They're the two bits at the beginning and 2.38.
Fwiw.
Yeah she had anemic nipples. I suspect she didn't make much of a career in acting or the glamour industry.
The part about the source of Luca Brasi's fearsome reputation is a riff on old Italian folklore. Brilliant touch by Puzo.
The part with him practicing his speech to Vito is actually B-Roll of him practicing his lines. Brilliant touch by Coppola.
Really? That is brilliant.
I don't know how many of you have read the Godfather book, but some of the parts about Luca Brasi in it are chinespilling. He's great in the film but might seem a bit like a blundering oaf to some. He's brutal from the book's descriptions though.
Also, there's a good bit in it when Al Neri joins the family before the executions and Vito says to Michael that he's found his Luca Brasi, which is another good touch.
Also, there's a good bit in it when Al Neri joins the family before the executions and Vito says to Michael that he's found his Luca Brasi, which is another good touch.
The guy in the film - Lenny Montana - was an actual Mob heavy, and former wrestler who couldn't act for shit, so basically they just changed his character to reflect/disguise this. The scene of him fluffing his lines when he's actually talking to Brando was actually him fluffing his lines because he was actually talking to Brando!
Doesn't surprise me that much actually. I was never overly keen on the actor since he made Brasi look like a blundering fool when there was so much more to the character.
I watched 'If...' last night. That is a very odd film.
Watched Looper last night.
'As thought-provoking as it is thrilling, Looper delivers an uncommonly smart, bravely original blend of futuristic sci-fi and good old-fashioned action.'
Really enjoyed it: 8/10.
'As thought-provoking as it is thrilling, Looper delivers an uncommonly smart, bravely original blend of futuristic sci-fi and good old-fashioned action.'
Really enjoyed it: 8/10.
Ruby Sparks - A struggling, unhappy writer lacking inspiration starts writing about his dream girl who then somehow materializes out of thin air and he has to ponder weather to keep on writing, as everything he writes about her comes true or to see how it all pans out naturally. It was a fairly enjoyable rom-com but also kinda forgettable I guess. Zoe Kazan is really cute.
I've also seen The Dreamers and Drugstore Cowboy recently, enjoyed them both.
I've also seen The Dreamers and Drugstore Cowboy recently, enjoyed them both.
Still thinking about this. The chaplain in the drawer is fecking my shit up.
I remember seeing that a zillion years ago and have never forgotten it for some reason!!
Finished watching Once Upon a Time in America. Quite simply one of the greatest gangster movies and one of the all-time greats.
Shallow Hal - 7/10
Always avoided it cause I had thought it was shit but a pretty good movie. Funny and moving.
Always avoided it cause I had thought it was shit but a pretty good movie. Funny and moving.
The Shining
As it is re-released, Jonathan Romney explores the lasting obsession with Stanley Kubrick's classic horror:
More:
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-e...g-heeeeres---a-conspiracy-theory-8219343.html
As it is re-released, Jonathan Romney explores the lasting obsession with Stanley Kubrick's classic horror:
More:
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-e...g-heeeeres---a-conspiracy-theory-8219343.html
Premium Rush: Shit, don't watch it.
4/10
4/10
Of Gods and Men - A brotherhood of French monks in Algeria must decide whether to flee their monastery and community or stand their ground and face certain death. A reserved, harrowing, contemplative 'real' drama. Great film.