I hope someone in this forum will help me out with this one.
What are the exact differences between the original opening scene of GF part 3 and the one that is in the deleted scenes section of the DVD collection?

Wow, Welcome to the board, I don't know the answer on that question, but you're the second Dutch guy here after me!!!!

Als je msn hebt voeg me maar toe!

Gracias Dias!!

The "deleted scene" you refer to isn't really a deleted scene. It is an outtake of a scene that actually appeared later in GFIII (when Archbishop Gilday begs Michael to help rescue the Vatican Bank). It was included in the DVD collection simply to show that, at one time, it was considered as the opening scene of the film, instead of the eerie, decayed Tahoe boathouse.

So it's exactly the same scene as featured in the film, but they were trying to get the same effect as with the opening scene of part 1, with Bonasera and Don Vito.

Not exactly the same, but similar enough.

Hi,
The alternate opening of GF3 shows the family history in flashbacks. We see Sonny, Tom, and Michael. They also show Michael whacking the Turk as well as McCluskey. It was awesome IMHO and should have been left in the film.

Paul

Hi, I'm new here and to the Godfather...so I'm a little slow w/ all the names and terms...but wasn't the intended opening scene of GF 3 supposed to be Michael talking to the priest, But the scene was edited and placed later on?

I think it would have been a good opener. It would have tied the 1st and 3rd movies together.

Putting the Gilday/Michael scene first would also make the papal award look more like a quid pro quo.

I don't know where Paul Pisano got his idea from, but it wasn't the alternative opening of the DVD collection. Maybe another source told him this, but the DVD bonus materials disc show the archbishops scene ("600 million dollar") fading out of the black, just like Bonasera in GF1, as the introduction said.

Does this scene take place in Rome or not? If so, the entire ceremonial award-thing in NY and the party at Michael's house would be pointless, indeed, when this was to be the opening scene.

Hi,
When I watched GF3 on USA it opened with Michael talking about how he loved his father and that the family needed him(They showed flashbacks of GF1 and GF2). In the actual movie Michael is telling this to Kay while at the villa in Sicily before Calo tells him Don Tomassino has been killed.

Yeah, I caught the tail-end of it when I watched the beginning.