I’m watching Godfather I on AMC — too many commercials, too bad. I have seen this movie maybe 20 times. I love it every time. I see something new every time. Every shot is brilliant, so well thought out. Part of the fun of vacation is sitting around the house and watching the Godfather and not having one thing I need to do.
Stan
I saw for the first time “Inglorious Basterds”..not as good as I hoped,much less shoot’em ups. And I was disappointed Hitler got it too easy..THAT’S when you want a Peckinpah like slow motion riddled with bullets scene..facial grimaces.
Yeah,it was a little cartoonish and Pitt was terrible…just a one dimension sociopath. Not a bad movie. But it’s no Dirty Dozen.
August 5th, 2012 1:41 pm
Raffaele
I, too, think this is a great movie. It is far better than those that came after it–except the part in the later movie in which the beginnings of the godfather’s life in crime are presented.
Most paisano I know, as well as members of my Italian family, agree Godfather I is wonderful. We all liked Puzo’s book and felt the movie captured the book–which in turn was realistic about Italian life.
Is the movie accurate about Mafia dons and cohorts? Who knows? But is it great entertainment? Oh, yeah!
August 5th, 2012 3:37 pm
Stan
I mean,c’mon Lowell..Pitt doesn’t ever need a shave or get his hands dirty. And it doesn’t matter if he’s flirting with a girl or has a gun to his head…not a bead of sweat or worry. Chews gum with a ridiculous accent. The guy hiding the girls? THATS acting.
Its Bordello of Blood and Nazi’s. Tarantino has only gotten better at making the same movie.
August 5th, 2012 3:55 pm
Stan
My favorite movie? 2001 a Space odd…King Kong no.2 I read that directors gave Kubricks masterpiece 2nd rank of all time greatest films.
And if you like science..”Through the Wormhole” episode on demand (Comcast) right now? the one about Time,the end of the universe and what is nothing?..I recommend that if you are the contemplate what “all” really means kind of person. Watched it twice so far and not done..
I liked the Godfather..it borrowed from “Bonny and Clyde” and “Easy Rider”..and I never thought the day would come that I would have a old Brando look ..or like Brando as the chubby jungle general maybe more…ha!
August 5th, 2012 4:02 pm
ga's
Raffaele…Absolutely loved the Godfather novel, could not put it down when I read it, many moons ago. And you are right, the the movie did live up to the book.
I remember standing in a very long line to go see the Movie that wrapped around the block of Geary St., and Arguello Blvd.
August 5th, 2012 6:33 pm
lameduck
My last day of vacation… I finished reading the girl with the dragon tattoo trilogy and the help. One of my rules is to read the book before seeing the movie. For Tatoo, it was definitely worth it.
Brando was an excellent Don. Sonny made the movie.
Heroes and role models for the local youth
.
August 5th, 2012 7:37 pm
Stan
Like Raffele asks “Is it accurate?” I dont know..but I do know that many young Italians let that movie screw with their heads (and Goodfellas) into being stereotypes. I saw one of those Gordon Ramsey show’s where he helps a Italian American family run a business. And one son..just thought he was Sonny Corleone in real life. What was telling,was that his own family didn’t talk or act like wanna be mobsters in any way..they just wanted to run a business. Regular working people. The “code” was get up and go to work.
August 5th, 2012 8:03 pm
Tommy CostaRica
Lowell, great movie! It’s really a thrill when you can watch an old movie again and enjoy it one more time. I hate to bring it up again but I know deep down inside you will really like Brad Pitt in Money Ball and especially Philip Seymour Hoffman as Art Howe. Please watch it and report back to us here at the Zone???????
August 5th, 2012 9:02 pm
CohnZohn
Tommy, I’m not ready for that.
August 5th, 2012 9:03 pm
Stan
I’m with you Lowell. .And never a Scott Hatteberg bobblehead doll. BRING BACK RAY!
August 5th, 2012 9:17 pm
Stan
And by the way Lowell…Joe Pavlovic at BANG who attempted to take me to task on the A’s?..said something about old Stan he could have only got from the A’s. And I caught it immediately…The only reason he would even want to know..would to please the A’s.
That makes twice now local media spent some time looking in to me..As I said KNBR had Ralph blab it on the radio at the time. And others heard that.
Bring it on media corporations…but as usual,nothing adds up to I was wrong about THEM..
August 5th, 2012 9:27 pm
Peter
Lowell, you should not watch Godfather with commercials. You can’t. …well, you can, but you can’t. Any movie with commercial interruptions or neutered by editing is as infuriating as an ump’s blown call not being overturned by replay.
August 5th, 2012 9:30 pm
Stan
oop Joe Stiglich..is the guys name. Hey,you can see I’m not as upset with the person as I am the idea.
August 5th, 2012 9:35 pm
Tommy CostaRica
I’m with you Peter on that one, in this day and age of technology and the Internet you can get any level of quality of any movie that ever been made which is just a download away and of course without commercials. An amazing thing about living Latin America is you can’t buy, rent or find an original legal movie disk anywhere. You walk into any video store and every single movie is an obvious illegal copy and usually the guy behind the counter is busy making disks while you wait. So I’ve found that it’s better to just download and watch and you can usually find whatever movie you’re looking for before it’s even released on DVD. Stan I must say that “Inglorious Bastards” with Brad Pitt was a great surprise for me. I hadn’t heard anything about it and when I found it and watched it, it was glorious!
August 6th, 2012 6:41 am
Phil Brown
The genius thing about The Godfather is that it takes a family whose business is crime and makes it normal.
And it makes the characters sympathetic as well.
Remember they got where they are by murder. And in the context of the film that’s OK.
Brilliant.
August 6th, 2012 8:06 am
Phil Brown
Oh, and as an aside as a viewing experience it needs to be seen in a theater projected. Gordon Willis’ photography, especially the opening scene in the den, does not translate to the TV screen. Too much shadow detail is lost.
August 6th, 2012 8:10 am
Stan
And that BANG would reveal my full name to the A’s?..That’s not good journalism.
August 6th, 2012 8:28 am
Bob In Portland
I have never been a big Godfather fan, just never was hooked into it. Recently saw “The Conversation” though, and that was great. Great to see San Francisco as it was when I first arrived there. I loved “The Sopranos”, which does a great job of depicting contemporaneous organized crime. “The Wire” too. And everyone should be watching “Treme”.
August 6th, 2012 9:54 am
Mike Smith
Lowell, the History Channel ran a very entertaining show about the Godfather Legacy. The cast and Coppola gave some great behind the scenes commentary. They should be re-airing sometime, worth checking out.
August 6th, 2012 10:07 am
Stan
Ha!..well,Tommy, Pitt’s Hair is always combed and neatly parted. Just like in comic books!
August 6th, 2012 11:09 am
Stan
SO much time has gone by on Mars since water was a liquid..even if some type of “city” had been built there by life-even bacterial life and tubes…would anything survive a billion years or three to be detected?
August 6th, 2012 5:16 pm