The Godfather DVD Collection
by Paramount Home Video
Average Customer Review:
DVD (23 April, 2004)
list price: $69.99 -- our price: $52.49
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Editorial Review

Throughout his long, wandering, often distinguished career Francis Ford Coppola has made many films that are good and fine, many more that are flawed but undeniably interesting, and a handful of duds that are worth viewing if only because his personality is so flagrantly absent. Yet he is and always shall be known as the man who directed the Godfather films, a series that has dominated and defined their creator in a way perhaps no other director can understand. Coppola has never been able to leave them alone, whether returning after 15 years to make a trilogy of the diptych, or re-editing the first two films into chronological order for a separate video release as The Godfather Saga. The films are our very own Shakespearean cycle: they tell a tale of a vicious mobster and his extended personal and professional families (once the stuff of righteous moral comeuppance), and they dared to present themselves with an epic sweep and an unapologetically tragic tone. Murder, it turned out, was a serious business. The first film remains a towering achievement, brilliantly cast and conceived. The entry of Michael Corleone into the family business, the transition of power from his father, the ruthless dispatch of his enemies--all this is told with an assurance that is breathtaking to behold. And it turned out to be merely prologue; two years later The Godfather, Part II balanced Michael's ever-greater acquisition of power and influence during the fall of Cuba with the story of his father's own youthful rise from immigrant slums. The stakes were higher, the story's construction more elaborate, and the isolated despair at the end wholly earned. (Has there ever been a cinematic performance greater than Al Pacino's Michael, so smart and ambitious, marching through the years into what he knows is his own doom with eyes open and hungry?) The Godfather, Part III was mostly written off as an attempted cash-in, but it is a wholly worthy conclusion, less slow than autumnally patient and almost merciless in the way it brings Michael's past sins crashing down around him even as he tries to redeem himself. --Bruce Reid ... Read more

Features

• Color
• Closed-captioned
• Widescreen
• Box set
• Dolby

Reviews (478)

Two great films and one very good film!
The Godfather series is my all time favorite series. With the ranking of The Godfather Part II, then The Godfather, then The Godfather Part III. These movies are just so deep and have the biggest rewatchability to them. If you haven't seen them yet, then you have to pick them up, if you have seen them, and you don't have them, then you need to pick it up :)

One of the Most Over-rated Movies Ever!!!!!!
Where do I begin about this movie? Over-rated like Scarface, just like goodfellas. This is a trend now with these mafia movies. Again, I bought this out of curiousity to see what was all the hype of this so-called "greatest" movie of all time, next to Scarface, and yet, again, I was disappointed. Now, the movie was OKAY, nothing more and nothing less. It's certainly not all that. Some of the storylines were interesting like Michael Corleone and his rise to rule the family, and all the betrayals and backstabbings. A lot of it, however, was rather dry and boring. I can understand why people don't like part 3 of the trilogy. In part 2, I thought that Micheal forgave his brother, Fredo, for his betrayal, so when I watched the last series and happened that Micheal had him killed then I did not quite get that. I thought that he should have forgiven him since he was still his brother regardless. Then his daughter falling in love with her cousin, Vincent, his nephew was really disgusting and repulsing. Seriously, the only really good mafia movie is the Last Don. That movie really rocks! The first part is over 4 hours and last part is close to 3 hours, and never once did my brother or I get bored because the movie was so good. Great acting, good plot, interesting characters, good storyline, every bit was good. The Last Don should be on the list as the best mafia movies, not this garbage, though it's by the same writer. I know people will get mad at me for saying this. I don't see why people should take this so seriously...it's only my view. I realize that I am in a minority when saying it's over-rated, but please, let's not be so hostile and angry. Peace, people, peace.

Just when I think I'm out, they pull me back in !
I've waited so much time to buy those DVDs, I wanted the whole package, the whole story. I really enjoyed those movies, I couldn't stop, I watched them in one day only! Just when I think I'm out, they pull me back in !! The music is great, you just can't forget the mandoline theme when it's starting. All the characters, all the locations, Italy, New York, the intrigues, the romance, everything is perfect ! ... Read more

Asin: B00003CXAA
Subjects:  1. Feature Film-drama   

The Godfather
by Paramount Home Video
Average Customer Review:
DVD (11 May, 2004)
list price: $19.99 -- our price: $14.99
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Editorial Review

Generally acknowledged as a bona fide classic, this Francis Ford Coppola film is one of those rare experiences that feels perfectly right from beginning to end--almost as if everyone involved had been born to participate in it. Based on Mario Puzo's bestselling novel about a Mafia dynasty, Coppola's Godfather extracted and enhanced the most universal themes of immigrant experience in America: the plotting-out of hopes and dreams for one's successors, the raising of children to carry on the good work, etc. In the midst of generational strife during the Vietnam years, the film somehow struck a chord with a nation fascinated by the metamorphosis of a rebellious son (Al Pacino) into the keeper of his father's dream. Marlon Brando played against Puzo's own conception of patriarch Vito Corleone, and time has certainly proven the actor correct. The rest of the cast, particularly James Caan, John Cazale, and Robert Duvall as the rest of Vito's male brood--all coping with how to take the mantle of responsibility from their father--is seamless and wonderful. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Features

• Color
• Closed-captioned
• Widescreen

Reviews (221)

"The Godfather" of cinema
I don't think anybody will fight me on the fact that Marlon Brando's character "Vito Corleone" is probably the coolest and most slick guy in the movie history.
Everything about this film is perfect. The slighly romantic mood to the film to capture that charming Italian style. The patriarical figure Brando plays over his sons, by leading them into a life of crime which seems like the right thing to do in his case. Except for Pacino's character "Michael Corleone" who in the first scene at Connie's wedding is reluctunt to join the family business.
The great thing about this film is that it dosn't drag the Italian-Americans through the dirt. (Like say, 'Goodfellas' or 'The Sopranos') The word 'Mafia' or 'La Cosa Nostra' is never mentioned in this film.There is no edvidence to say that these people are in the Mafia per say.Except the whole 'Family' look upon things, but then aren't all Italians close to their 'a La Famille'
This reflects the issue...is the Godfather a Mafia Movie or are the just Italian who happen to be Criminals?For the obvious reason I am going to say they are Mafia Family, but when this view was struck upon me , it did make me think...

The Godfather is by far the best and most apprecicated film of all time. Generations to come will always look back at this film as the masterpiece of cinema.

Good Film, Horrible DVD
My title says it all - this DVD is absolutely awful. The sound, which claims to be 5.1 surround sound, is tinny and quiet. The picture quality is horrible! 30 years after the release, and somebody couldn't touch-up the film work?? Everything is grainy, there are artifacts in the transfer, you can even see little hairs and nicks that were transferred over from the original film. No extras.

Good movie. Lousy DVD.

How can this be one of the greatest movies ever made?
I finally saw this movie with my family and after an half hour I was thinking of running out in the middle of rush hour traffic, that would have been more exciting than watching this all the way through...but I watched it anyway.
Francis Ford Coppola is a good director but I think Apacoplypse now is a much better film than the Godfather.....I think mostly people just say its so great to go along with the crowd, but seriously I think this movie was too pretentious and boring
If you want a good movie about the mob, then go rent Goodfellas
That movie has all the violence swearing and drug use you could expect in a crime movie, except it has rich charaterizations, a hilarious Joe Pesci,a great storyline that will hold your attention to the very last frame, and an awesome 60's and 70's soundtrack that wont bore you to death like the music in the Godfather......This is a boring movie, please go rent Goodfellas ... Read more

Asin: B0001NBNB6
Subjects:  1. Feature Film-drama   

Unlocking Da Vinci's Code
by Ventura
Average Customer Review:
DVD (08 June, 2004)
list price: $14.98 -- our price: $13.48
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Features

• Color
• Closed-captioned

Reviews (9)

View the review, not the movie
As the overly loud background music begins slightly, to fade out, the camera rests on a large jowled, older professor type of a man with a fake sounding English accent.This, the opening scene of Unlocking Da Vinci's Code, a "documentary" by Ventura studios, is the most realistic shot of the film.From bad reenactments to worse research, the film is unreliable and sadly, still on the shelves.Touted as a "behind the scenes" look at Da Vinci's artworks, the bust of a film plays off of the recent success of the novel The Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown.Spending only 15 minutes out of an hour long film discussing Da Vinci, the poorly plotted "exploratory" and "revolutionary" movie is a waste of space and worth no stars, on a five star rating.
The experts called on within this film were dreadfully inadequate.For the beginning half, the only commentaries by "experts in the field" were from the co-authors of The Templar Revelation.Now, as a whole, authors are not a bad group.These ones even had a realistic sounding English accent!But as the "facts" behind Da Vinci are revealed, one wishes for more than a solitary source.Later, as more experts are interviewed, the credibility increases.Until one realizes that these "experts" in Christian history are professors of such colleges as Western Michigan University, and Canislus College.Where were all of the professors of well-known colleges?Were they too busy with real documentaries to participate in a backyard film?
The rambling subject matter also leaves much to be desired.Introduced as a film on Da Vinci's secret messages, an enthralling subject for those interested, the only time past the first 15 minutes Da Vinci was discussed was in the second to last sentence of the movie.Worse than a middle school history presentation, this professional and "factual" documentary has no coherent thesis or connection throughout.After discussing the Knights Templar, with the helpful two experts, the narrator moves on to a hardly known topic of the Cathars, apparently a Gnostic branch of the Christian church.Barely relating the two secretive and outlawed sections of the Church, the plotline moves on to the history of the Bible.Now, Da Vinci did have some beef with Christianity, and Catholicism as a whole.But how did Da Vinci, born 1500 years later, influence the writing of the Bible?Not content with this distant connection, narration takes us to the finding of the Dead Sea Scrolls, which apparently were the source of Da Vinci's mysterious and enigmatic paintings.Unless Da Vinci had a time machine, which he might have, the movie failed to cover any of his inventions, it would have been impossible for Da Vinci to gain inspiration from the collection of scrolls found in 1947, almost 500 years after Da Vinci's death.
Beside the total lack of connection between scenes, the worst part of the film would have been the reenactments.For around 20 parts in the scenes, there were a grand total of 5 actors.There were 3 different sets for the entire movie, which had several different scenes.The pope and the Egyptian were played by the same person, utterly confusing a typical viewer.The Egyptian discoverers of the Dead Sea Scrolls were apparently quite fluent in English for camel herders.The staged and awful "fight" scenes were played with swords made of aluminum foil or plastic.
I recommend this movie only to my least favorite person and that only if he or she seriously annoys me.Do not watch this and become convinced of the "truths" that were told.Although some were true, it was from The Da Vinci Code that these screenwriters gleaned all of their ideas.The movie was a waste of an hour and not worth even this lengthy review.

Unlocking Who Made This Horrid "Documentary"...
...and I use the term in the broadest sense of the word. Not only is this thing (for I refuse to use the word documentary to describe it anymore)poorly crafted, but also poorly constructed and conceived.

(One star is too good for this debaucle of a film)

Here are the problems:

1.First, the most basic level...this film is not masterfully executed. The re-enactments are completely unrealistic. They are so bad,I couldn't concentrate on the film because I was laughing so hard at the bad wigs ect. In one scene, a 'Templar Knight' in a goofy wig was toying with the fakest sword I ever saw in my life while. Also, I think he forgot to take his watch off. Unless, Templars wore Wal-Mart watches...it's possible, I guess. Wal-Mart is everywhere. Oh and about 4 actors play 20 different characters. That's right, so the guy who plays the pope in one re-enactment scene also plays '3rd Templar from the right' and 'random old man in the background' in different scenes. The result: you can't tell who is who.

Another technical faux pas:
One of the interviews was conducted outside. No problem, right? Wrong. Because in the middle of it, birds begin to squawk and squeal so loudly, you can't hear the interview. Any other film maker would have re-done the interview. But apparently, not this one. Oh no!

2. "Experts"- First of all, I know more about this subject than some of the clowns trying to pass themselves off as experts on this film. And that's not saying much people. One of these faux intellectuals kept getting three different religious orders confused and therefore attributes histories and the like to the wrong groups. Best case scenario: he was a little confused. Worst case scenario: he doesn't know what he's talking about. So, I guess it's just as well that the birds kept talking over this guy. They probably know more about the Templars than he does.

3. There isn't a natural progression of topics in the film. It goes off on tangents without proper subject introduction and therefore doesn't flow well.

4. It provides a very sensationalist view of the topic. Few relevant texts are quoted (and when they are, they are poorly annotated). It relies too heavily on implication and too little on fact , causing a suspicious imbalance in the film's argument.

I recommend this to teachers who wish to show their students an example of how not to make a documentary.

Bottom line people: if you want to unlock the secrets of the Da Vinci Code, I suggest you read books on the subject instead of depending on bad film makers' pseudo intellectual efforts to indoctrinate you. Do some research and make up your own mind. But if you ARE too lazy to read, then I recommend the PBS documentary `From Jesus to Christ' as it employs a much more scholarly approach to exploring similar and related themes.

Packed with Information
This DVD truly brings up interesting points and theories about the Davinci Code and every topic related to it.But I have to say that the narration is rather dry and hard to follow.If this is a subject you are truly interested in and would like to hear some interesting information, then this DVD is good for you.But you have to be able to really sit down and listen, because the narration will really drag you down. ... Read more

Asin: B0002F6BA6
Sales Rank: 4155
Subjects:  1. Documentary