New director's remastered edit of GF3

Paramount Pictures announced today it will release a new edit and restoration of Francis Ford Coppola’s final film in his epic Godfather trilogy entitled Mario Puzo’s THE GODFATHER, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone. As per the deal, Mario Puzo’s THE GODFATHER, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone will have a limited theatrical release in December, followed by Digital and disc-related releases.

https://www.joblo.com/movie-news/ne...he-godfather-part-iii-coming-to-theaters

With all due respect. Did FFC run out of funds for his winery?

Oh, no--the 584th "new, outstanding, never before seen, director's cut, digitally restored" GF film (translation: shell out yet again). That said, I'll probably get it.

Considering the fact that it's supposed to have a different ending, I find it intriguing. And, of course, I also thought it might be yet another money-grab (and yes, they've gotten my money each and every time )

I'm holding out for "Mario Puzo’s THE GODFATHER, Coda: The Continuing Story of the Life of Michael's Little Dog."

Its my understanding that FFC really didn't want to make GFIII. The only reason he did it was for the money to establish his winery.

I'm always curious as to another version or a "director's cut" as I find those are superior to the theatrical versions. Now, if I could ever see THE GODFATHER SAGA (parts I & II pieced together), I'd be a happy man!

Do you really mess with a masterpiece? Do you want Rhett Butler to come back to Scarlett O'Hara? Do you want to see Rick sucker punch Victor and get on the plane with Elsa and leave Captain Renault behind? The Tinman, Scarecrow and Lion get on the balloon with Dorothy and go back to Kansas? I say if its not broke don't fix it.

I like to see the director's original version without studio interference as again, I've yet to see a film that wasn't enhanced by a director's (longer) cut of the film.

Exactamundo!

If FFC wanted to shoot some "epilogue" scenes set in Sicily in 1997, Pacino (a 'youthful' 80) actually is a little older than the age Michael was supposed to be (77) at his death in 1997; Talia is still acting, so she could certainly portray an older Connie. Andy Garcia is 64 but could probably pass for a paunchy Vito-style 50.

loved the godfather novel for television. had more sonny scenes in it. how is this new release any different besides looking to get our hard earned dollars.

maybe they now have Michael dying alone. they removed the dog. i remember when GF 3 aired on USA network. it opened with michael reading a letter to scenes of the first two films.

I have the Digital Godfather Trilogy that I purchased from Apple.

I have purchased just a few digital movies from Apple.

Is it true, that if you purchase a digital movie from Apple in HD, that if the move is later reissued in 4K, that Apple will upgrade you to 4K automatically??

The way I see it is two-fold for this revamping of the original. #1 A way for FFC to keep busy and once again relive his past glories of being the architect of arguably the greatest two films of all time. #2 Why not? The original wasn't greeted with great fanfare. Why not do a do ever? What do they have to lose? If it is better. FFC can be satisfied that all 3 are equally great. If it is worse. It will make the original look all that much better. To make a quick buck? FFC is estimated to be worth $400 million. No need to have a charity event beef and beer for him. This is a chance for him to redeem himself for what he did with GFIII. I think its generally accepted that he did GFIII for the money to start his wineries. I found the original GFIII to be a updated version of I & II. The basically all followed the same storyline starting with a social event. In any event I will look forward to purchasing this latest addition to the DVD's. I already have all the other ones.

Nothing can save that infamia

Watched it last night.

It looks and sounds awesome; excellent job on the sound and picture remastering.

Yes, it improves on the original cut of GF III. It straightens out the Vatican storyline and makes it a bit more understandable.
No, it doesn't lift it to the level of its legendary predecessors.
No, they don't get rid of, or seriously cut down on, the icky-poo cousin romance.
They didn't fix up some of the first half plot holes and incongruities, like Connie introducing Vincent to Michael as if he doesn't know who he is (and then, 10 minutes later, Michael is discussing how 'he's always felt responsible' for him, offered him jobs, etc etc). Still no reference whatsoever to Sonny's legitimate kids, or Connie's two sons -- all apparently victims of Chuck Cunningham Syndrome. (Sonny's twin daughters, Vincent's half-sisters, do appear, but are never mentioned in the script.)
They cut out about 15 minutes of running time, including one fairly important scene (the scene in which Connie takes on Don-level authority and orders the Joey Zasa hit).

I always thought the hate on GF III was ridculous. This doesn't fix the biggest problem, the absence of Tom Hagen -- but it's a bit more polished.

Thanks for the review, Enzo Now I'm interested.

I just finished watching it. It is definitely a better edited movie than GF3. It flows better and makes the Vatican storyline easier to follow. I doubt it's gonna change many minds of the people that hate GF3 though.

I have read most of the opinions of GFIII. While most were negative. I really wouldn't use the word "hate" to describe the reviews on the thread. I think it was mostly a matter of being disappointed. The best review that I think summed it up was that after the first two, they were tough acts to follow. If it wasn't for GFIII being linked to the first two. On its own, it might have been a decent film to watch.

I don't disagree with anything you said. Very few people are able to watch GF3 without comparing it to I and II, which is completely understandable. Over the years I've become able to and appreciate GF3 a little bit more. On its own it's not an awful movie. Sofia Coppola is never going to win an award for her performance, and George Hamilton will never be Robert Duvall. But at least with re-edit, the storyline itself has improved.

Only after a few viewings and taking notes. Was I able to get a handle on the Vatican situation. By the way. Since being in limbo with the current pandemic. I have been doing a lot of binge-watching on ROKU. One series I have been watching is the "decoding of different situations". One highlighted the Vatican and the suspiciously sudden death of Pope John after only 33 days as pope. One theory was that he was murdered because of corruption within the Vatican. Of course, the Vatican as portrayed in GFIII immediately came to mind.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9mRXhklV84

Spoiler ahead:

I haven't seen the whole coda, but watched a youtube clip of the ending. It seems to me that the Sicilian slide at the end is not a productive choice. I understand that, because of age and expense, they couldn't shoot a whole new ending.

There's something in the original novel about how Michael's Sicilian nature is awakened by his time in Sicily, but I think that Coppola's story is, at bottom, an American story, an immigrant family making it in America with the twist that the family business is on the wrong side of the law. I've always thought that Kay's "Sicilian thing" line was strange because she couldn't specify what the thing was.

Also, I think Sicily has ceased to be exotic in the 50 years since the first movie came out. A lot of that has come from the mafia movies that followed. A lot more because we're exposed to all cultures now, and it turns out that a lot of them have lawless sides. To me, it doesn't seem like invoking "Sicily" is bringing anything unique to mind anymore.

Edit: I've also been wondering if the slide might have been something Coppola had rolling around in his head for the ending to GF2. It fits there about as well, and they did take the trouble to explain what "Cent'anni" meant at the beginning of the movie.

Pete, I've seen the Youtube previews of the Coda; do you think the Coda is worth watching?

I'll probably see it at some point. My bet is that before I get around to it someone will put a collection of all the changes on youtube.

I will continue to hold out for the Complete Saga Remastered. I am a patient man.

I'm curious about this one for a couple of reasons.

First off, it's a Godfather film, so I'm interested in seeing what FFC has done with it. I'm one of those who think that GF3 wasn't as bad as all that. Certainly not up to the first two films, but a good film nonetheless.

But what really has me (and my wife) curious is this: Signora V. (actually, her singing voice) is heard in the film, at the beginning in the church when Michael receives his Papal Knighthood. She was in the choir - they were also filmed but Coppola deemed the footage too dark so only the audio made it into the finished film. She still receives periodic residual checks from SAG/AFTRA. Not a lot of moolah, I think it's around $25 or so.

Anyway, since that part is now cut from GF3, we wonder what's going to happen. Off the top of my head, I would guess that as long as the original version(s) still air on cable and elsewhere, the checks will continue.

Just my two cents, for what it's worth.


Signor V.

I would agree Signor V, as long as the original version continues to play, she'll receive her checks. I watched the original cut and the CODA cut last weekend and I actually enjoyed the original cut more. It was the most I'd ever enjoyed it but with CODA, the pacing seemed to quick, some scenes were trimmed down while others were outright omitted (which is to be expected since the film is actually 12 minutes shorter than the original version, so you knew not everything was going to be in it). However, am I may be in the minority here, but I enjoyed the original version better. I agree, not on par with Parts I or II but I feel the CODA cut was unnecessary in making.

I just received my GF Coda BD disc yesterday.

---Spoiler Alert---

I really miss the cathedral scene where Michael is honored. It could have been cut down a little, but having it completely missing was strange. I felt that really added something to the movie.


When Calò is meeting Licio Lucchesi, I had the sub-titles on and Calò says as he enters Lucchesi's office, "Our friend is dead." I don't know what he was referring to there.


At the opera, Michael is given word that the deal for control of Immobiliare has been ratified by the Pope, so why was the need for Archbishop Gildayto be knocked off? Was it to try and protect the new Pope?


On the BD back cover, the picture of the family is reversed from what we see in the film.


While playing the BD film on my Sony 4K X-700 player, I pressed the player remote's display button, which shows the bit rate on screen. It also showed this: 4K/24p


I don't know if other 1080p BDs I have display that.

I finally watched Coda and...I enjoyed it a lot.

I haven't seen the original cut in a while so I can't speak to every subtle change. But it was definitely easier to follow the Vatican storyline and it moved at a better pace.

To me, the biggest problem with GFIII all along was that Sofia's performance was so terrible that it was hard to buy into that pivotal character. That didn't change. And the awful gnocchi scene remains.

SPOILER

I was lukewarm about the ending. The title slide idea seemed kind of hokey and overwrought to me. FFC didn't abide by that old saying about good screenwriting - "Show me, don't tell me."

And, after all the time he spent (unsuccessfully) trying to get GFIII titled "The Death of Michael Corleone" I found it odd that he didn't die.

SPOILER
Oh, goody! We can now ask Michael our questions! I'd start with “Why did Michael tell Fredo “Roth will never see the New Year”

Godfather Part III: Every Change To The Original In Coppola's New Cut
SPOILER

Metropolitan Opera has been offering free streaming of an opera a day during the pandemic. Tonight, and through tomorrow afternoon, they have Pagliacci and GF3's Cavalleria Rusticana. Both star Placido Domingo.

Edit - here's a link:

https://metoperafree.brightcove-services.com/?videoId=6230182867001

flogging a dead horse!

Sure thing No Tom Hagen [no brainer]

Besides there were too many new characters who popped up in Godfather 3 that didn't fit in instead of cultivating the old characters
eg: Sonny's or even Connie's son/s as power struggle schemers instead of inventing Vincent though Andy Garcia turned in a good performance

I feel in Godfather 2 the new characters Roth and Pentangeli in spite of the absence of Clemenza [granted not the big vacuum as no Hagen in Godfather 3] Clemenza's mysterious, unexplained death - somehow pulled it off
Both Roth and Pentangeli's connection to the Corleones were believable!

Interested to hear Turnbull, J Geoff takes please after their viewing of the The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone

After arguably the greatest two films of all time Coppola in his position can't afford to be made to look ridiculous! He tried not to, tinkering for two decades

The new characters barely made a dent in the big vacuum of no Hagen No doubt poor casting

Can't speak for Geoff. I thought the remaster was a bit tighter in places.
(spoilers)

Starting with Gilday's "confession" did put the Vatican problem in a more plausible light, but the original start--Michael's letter to his kids in the creepy, ruined boathouse and the Papal Knight investiture scene were good (and IMO needed) atmospherics. Not having Michael keel over at the end didn't add anything--just subtracted from "closure."

My opinion of III is unchanged: A good movie overall but not anywhere near GF and II.

three decades III is unchanged: for sale and money

Thanks Turnbull Sure thing Godfather 3 will never be “anywhere near GF and II” however many remasterings!

SPOILER

So here's the picture on the back cover of the Blu-ray. (It's a reversed image of what we see in the film). Anyone care to ID all of the characters. I know the main characters, of course, but most of the children, the older man behind Vincent, and the twins in red, etc, I'd need identifying.

The twins in red are Sonny's daughters.

Our host seems to have identified most of them here, if you scroll down a bit:

http://www.thegodfathertrilogy.com/family.html

Thanks Pete Great find!

Some are never before seen pictures for me - Anthony's first communion party, Vito and Carmela with their young children

Many, many kudos to Geoff, our Don, for posting these photos and i.d.'s. But, Coppola and Puzo were often inconsistent with those individuals and identifications over three movies spanning nearly a century.

In the photo at Anthony's party, the little kid at the far right in the bottom row isn't Santino Jr. In a deleted scene (one of the best, IMO), when Gardiner Shaw is asking Michael for Francesca's hand in marriage, there's a ~7 second bit at the very end (seen only in the TV "Saga" version, not on the "extras" disc in the DVD set) when Michael turns to a hulking young man in a plaid coat and says, "How's the football, Santino?" "Fine, Uncle Michael," he replies. I think he's in that photo in the upper row, right.