Wow, yeah... I heard of that (I have a client on Long Island, let alone the ones in NJ)... it makes me sick to my stomach!

I just bought a new camera last week from "Abe's of Maine", ironically located in Edison NJ. They didn't charge me tax. Go figure.
....time to test it out over at the "Corleone Mall"

The "Corleone Mall" is Amazon... now apparently pissing me off... but I still gotta check...


...but I think MobPosters.com is still cool...

I think they're sick of me over at the "Corleone's". Every time I buy a new camera, I go over there.

I gotta get some sleep. I'm going to A/C tomorrow. I have a free room that God only knows how much it is really going to cost me.

what the>?

anyway here it is..the grand champion of all time!



please write a cooment and reaction on it..especially on the arrangement and beautification of my desktop..hehe.. fee free to comment it. salud!

Very nice. What's the "15" mean?

Thats our rating system - you have R for adult film etc.

Doh! Makes sense...

jhherome - What Region are those discs?

My Godfather Trilogy says 18. They must have resubmitted it.

15 means above 15 years old

what is the heck "REGION"? is

well it says region 2 lol..doesnt make sense..what important is..it works to play with my dvd rom

Corleone Mall


Congrats on being the first to have the DVDs. If you had Blu-ray, I'd really be jealous.

i have pre-ordered it will be delivered on oct 3 hehe

OK, so how did you get the pics?

i have pre-ordered the blu ray it will be delivered on oct 3 hehe

...but the standard DVDs you have were hand-delivered to you, in the Philippines, by Coppola himself... understood.

yes it was hand by copola to me by a ukranian..how did u know that im in the philippines..

and how do i make my self RED as u are.. i likke 100k too

Interpol is tracking down all early released copies of this DVD.

are you joking or what... I can't tell anymore


knowing you, you are probably serious

lol interpol thats awsome..i like it

http://thedigitalbits.com/





Also, here's the final revised Godfather Blu-ray Disc cover, straight from Paramount. The left image is the revised outer slipcase art for the Blu-ray (note the correct logo on the spine) and the right image is the Blu-ray case itself (note that you can now pre-order the title at Amazon, though the retailer currently has the wrong artwork posted)...









Enjoy.

Our Godfather Blu Ray may look different to that one!

I noticed that the particulars for the dvd releases state that the films are in. the 2:40:1. Is this different from the first two dvd releases? I wish they would release the chronological novel for television on dvd.

You want to get the European remastered version of the Godfather Trilogy, if you have a multi region dvd and blu-ray machine.

http://www.thedigitalbits.com/reviewshd/godfathercoppolarest.html#god

The Godfather: The Coppola Restoration
1972-1990 (2008) - Paramount
Released on Blu-ray Disc on September 23th, 2008

Dolby TrueHD

Film Ratings (I/II/III): A/A+/B-
Video (1-20): 19.5
Audio (1-20): 18.5
Extras: A+

All right... I'm going to say three things right up front about this title. First, I guarantee that some yahoo with a DVD review website on the Net is going to crack this case open, spin the discs for five minutes each, and then say that the films look like crap and the set sucks. Second, this person will be wrong in the extreme, and will have just revealed themselves as both a non-expert and an idiot.

Third and finally, Paramount's The Godfather: The Coppola Restoration is, in my opinion, the current favorite for best Blu-ray Disc release of 2008... at the very least in terms of classic film presentation and restoration in high-def, if not overall. Yes, it's that good.

Now, we've reviewed these films before here at The Bits, so I'm not going to get into a discussion of the films themselves. Suffice it to say, these are among the most important and influential American films ever made, and if you're any kind of self-respecting film enthusiast, you already know that. What you may not have known, however, was just how badly these films had deteoriated over the years. The original negatives are in disastrous condition, which meant that if a new restoration wasn't done now, the first film (and possibly the second as well) would simply have been lost to us in any kind of quality presentation. Thankfully, a couple years ago, director Francis Ford Coppola contacted Steven Spielberg (then newly partnered with Paramount and Viacom) to see if Spielberg might be able to use his clout to help save the films. This he did, and so a complete physical and digital restoration was eventually done under the supervision of our very own Robert A. Harris and his Film Preserve (with the help of many talented artists - and artists they are, believe me). To make a very long and complex story short, the best photochemical elements from around the world were gathered, allowing the films to be reconstructed literally piece by piece. The footage was then scanned in 4K resolution so that print damage could be repaired digitally and the original color-timing could be recreated precisely. The result is that the films have not only been rebuilt and saved, they've been restored to quality as good or better than the original theatrical presentations - quality consulted upon and approved by both Coppola and cinematographer Gordon Willis. The bonus of all this effort, is this new Blu-ray Disc release, which captures the films in their most pure and most perfect presentation quality to date (particularly for home viewing), and which accordingly belongs in the collection of EVERY serious film aficionado.

Now... I've seen these films projected theatrically a number of times over the years. But I had NEVER seen them looking as good as they do now. Last year, Adam and I had the good fortune to see the newly-restored Godfather and Godfather, Part II projected in 2K digital at the Ross Theatre on the Warner lot (where much of the restoration work was done by the good folks at MPI). It was a jaw-dropping experience. So I can tell you from firsthand experience that these Blu-rays capture exactly the essence of that experience.

Fans will know that Willis worked very carefully to give these films a particular look. They have a certain grain texture, the color palette is washed with a specific "brassy yellow" patina, the whites are a hair overblown, the blacks are crushed such that there's little detail in them. All of this was by design. Willis wanted the films to have a certain look and feel, reminiscent in many ways of an old photograph. This is exactly what's been captured on Blu-ray - the films just as Willis and Coppola meant for them to look. What this also means, of course, is that these discs don't have "The Look and Sound of Perfect." If you buy these discs expecting quality that's like looking out a window, you're going to be disappointed. You're going to see light grain and lots of it. You're going to see some shots that aren't as sharp as you're used to in films like... say... Wall-E. You're going to see subdued colors and shadows with very little detail (so you MUST watch these discs in a completely darkened room to enjoy the films properly). You're going to hear Dolby TrueHD audio that's largely front-biased, with only light and atmospheric use of the surrounds. But let me tell you, while this might not be PERFECT video and audio on Blu-ray, it damn sure is perfectly RIGHT. The experience of The Godfather on Blu-ray is simply a revelation, and I'll guarantee that the vast majority of you have NEVER see these films at this high level of quality before.

As if the restored, high-definition image quality wasn't enough to justify this set's purchase, Paramount has seen fit to include a great batch of bonus material as well, including EVERY SINGLE EXTRA THAT WAS ON THE PREVIOUS DVD COLLECTION BOX SET. You get all three audio commentaries by Coppola. You get all the deleted scenes. You get all the featurettes, all the storyboards and the filmmaker bios. You get the Family Tree, you get the photo galleries. You even get all four Easter eggs (in roughly the same place they were on the DVD set) AND a new one as well. Plus you get the trailers, now presented in HD. That's just for starters - and keep in mind, all of that material was pretty awesome in its own right.

But there's newly-produced material here too, exclusive to this Blu-ray release, all of it in full HD - something like 2 hours worth of new featurettes in all, including new interviews with Coppola, Willis, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and many other filmmakers, technical people and more. The Masterpiece That Almost Wasn't (30 mins) examines the history of the production and how, as you might guess, it almost never came to be. Godfather World (11 mins) features filmmakers, actors and others discussing the impact of the film. When the Shooting Stopped (14 mins) features stories from the editing room and post production by those who were involved. The best of the new material, in my opinion, is Emulsional Rescue: Revealing The Godfather (19 mins) in which Harris and others talk about the process and the effort involved in restoring these films. There's a ton of interesting information here on the subject of restoration, all well explained and illustrated. Of less interest is The Godfather on the Red Carpet (4 mins) in which various actors and celebrities comment on the films. And the "four short films" (The Godfather vs. The Godfather, Part II, Cannoli, Riffing on the Riffing and Clemenza) are basically just short bits of interview footage that didn't really fit anywhere else - interesting stories, anecdotes, etc. (They're not actually self-contained films in their own right, just so you know.) Also newly-included (if unremarkable) are a "wedding album" with about a dozen photos taken on set during Connie and Carlo's wedding from the first film, as well as a Crime Organization Chart that allows you to read the FBI rap sheets on each of the key members of the Corleone crime organization. Finally, you get a liner notes booklet that's stuck to the back of the slipcase with that weird rubbery glue that isn't really glue. Oddly, it's just slightly too big to actually fit INTO the slipcase, but I solved that problem by trimming the top of the booklet just slightly with a pair of scissors. (Once you do that, it tucks into the case just fine.) The bottom line of all this - what you really need to know - is that the old extras were fantastic and they're all here, and most (if not quite all) of the new extras are great too, making what was already a fantastic set just that much better.

People often ask me, "Why Blu-ray?" Well, folks... THIS is why. Sets like The Godfather (and last year's Close Encounters and Blade Runner sets) are EXACTLY why serious film fans should upgrade to Blu-ray. The very best thing about this format, in my opinion, is not its ability to show off the latest eye-candy blockbusters in total perfection. No, the best thing about Blu-ray is its ability to show you films that you've loved, in some cases for your ENTIRE life, in the kind of quality you've NEVER seen them in before. The kind of quality that was only ever available in a handful of the very best theatres when the films were first released. If you love the cinema, Blu-ray releases like this are a revelation, that serve to expand that love and appreciation even more. And isn't that, after all, what home video formats like DVD and Blu-ray are all about? The Godfather: The Coppola Restoration is a jewel, and should be regarded - along with Warner's How the West Was Won on Blu-ray - as a new benchmark for the presentation of classic films in high-definition.

I'll tell you, it's days like this that I really love my job.

Bill Hunt, Editor
billhunt@thedigitalbits.com

I seen commercials for this on TV several times already. I know what the Col. is gonna get me for my anniversary.

One more week for the Blu-ray release!

From today's NY Post.

'GODFATHER' REBORN
A RESTORED CLASSIC YOU CAN'T REFUSE

September 21, 2008

IT may be a "family" thing, but Talia Shire likes comparing her brother to Michelangelo. At least when it comes to restoring his most celebrated film, "The Godfather."

When the actress, sister of Francis Ford Coppola and portrayer of Connie Corleone Rizzi, first saw the "The Godfather: The Coppola Restoration," available on DVD and Blu-ray on Tuesday, it reminded her of another renowned work of art.

"Remember when they cleaned the Sistine Chapel ceiling, and you saw what the palette really was?" she says. "Francis is overjoyed. He worked with [cinematographer] Gordon Willis on this operatic palette of colors. We have to remember that these were amazing colors and shadows, and they spoke to the themes that were in 'The Godfather.' "

"The Coppola Restoration" is a multi-disc set featuring a meticulous, frame-by-frame digital restoration of the first two "Godfather" films, as well as a remastered version of "Part III" and two discs of extras, many of which are new.

The project took Coppola and Willis more than a year, as the negatives to the first two films had worn out over time, dulling the "brassy yellow" hue that had been an integral part of the film's highly acclaimed retro look. Compared to the 2001 version, the difference is stark, with the colors on the restored version appearing deeper, more vibrant and expressive.

The new extras include "Godfather World," which highlights the film's influence on pop culture, from "The Sopranos" to "South Park," and two new documentaries, "The Masterpiece That Almost Wasn't" and "When the Shooting Stopped," which shed light on the struggles Coppola faced in getting the film made.

Coppola was a last-resort hire, after veteran directors such as Arthur Penn and Elia Kazan turned down offers. Once on board, every day was a trial. Paramount bristled at the young director's every decision, including his choice for the young Michael Corleone. They wanted WASPy Robert Redford for the role instead of a relative unknown named Al Pacino.

"Al had gotten a big award off-Broadway," Shire recalls. "From an actor's point of view, Al Pacino was the Broadway actor. He wasn't some unknown. So it was just a question of helping the studio see him not only in the role, but as a potential movie star."

Even after filming began, Coppola's job was on the line until he filmed the murder of a rival gangster and his police-captain muscle.

"He was always worried the first two weeks that he would be fired. I didn't realize how close to the truth that was," Shire says. "But then you get those two weeks in, and all of those dailies start looking unique and extraordinary."

By the end, though, all involved could only marvel at what they had been part of.

"This was an extraordinary filmmaking experience," says Shire. "You felt everyone on that set were great artists, and you could see everyone hitting their marks in a new way. There was this wonderful feeling that we were growing and learniing. It'll never happen again."

Interesting that for some reason the Blu-ray version is $1 cheaper than the DVD.


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