By Patrick Luce Jun 30, 2008, 15:52 GMT
Paramount Home Entertainment has announced the release of a newly restored version of The Godfather films. The Godfather Collection: The Coppola Restoration will arrive on DVD and Blu-ray on Sept. 23rd bringing the classic films “home in a way that fans have never seen before.”
From the Paramount press release:
More than three decades after they won the Academy Award for Best Picture, director Francis Ford Coppola’s classic films The Godfather and The Godfather, Part II will once again be enjoyed by audiences as they originally were meant to be seen, thanks to a meticulous restoration by Paramount Pictures, overseen by Coppola himself.
Both fully restored films will debut on DVD and Blu-ray, along with a newly remastered version of The Godfather Part III, to be included as part of The Godfather, The Coppola Restoration Collection. All three films will be available individually or in a five-DVD collection or four-disc Blu-ray collection, which are loaded with a host of all-new special features.
The Godfather and The Godfather, Part II underwent extensive frame-by-frame examination and restoration utilizing state-of-the-art digital technology in this historic preservation effort, which required more than a year to complete. Robert A. Harris of the Film Preserve supervised the restoration under the direction of Coppola and cinematographer, Gordon Willis. Harris’ restoration credits include Lawrence of Arabia, Spartacus, Vertigo and Rear Window among others.
The new special features created by Kim Aubry, founder of Zoetrope Aubry Productions, explores the complexities of the restoration process and provides new insights and perspectives about how the film almost didn’t come to pass as we know it.
“The Masterpiece That Almost Wasn’t” relates the unlikely events, intrigue, allegiances and luck that put together the unknown director with the “unwanted” cast and contains interviews with most of the living players and many of the films’ admirers. Other featurettes include “…when the shooting stopped,” and “Godfather World,” which take a look at The Godfather’s influence on popular culture today. Each film includes a commentary by Coppola.
The Godfather: The Coppola Restoration DVD Collection, enhanced for 16:9 TVs, with Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround, French 5.1 Surround and English Mono (The Godfather and The Godfather, Part II) and English, French and Spanish subtitles.
The DVD disc breakdown is as follows:
Disc 1:The Godfather feature filmCommentary by director Francis Ford Coppola
Disc 2:The Godfather, Part II feature filmCommentary by director Francis Ford Coppola
Disc 3:The Godfather, Part III feature filmCommentary by director Francis Ford Coppola
Disc 4: (previously released special features) Making of The Godfather Additional Scenes Filming Locations The Corleone Family Tree The Music of The Godfather The Godfather Historical Timeline Profiles on the Filmmakers Photo Galleries and Storyboards
Disc 5: (new special features)Godfather WorldThe Masterpiece That Almost Wasn’t…when the shooting stoppedEmulsional Rescue Revealing The GodfatherThe Godfather on the Red CarpetFour Short Films on The Godfather – The Godfather vs. The Godfather, Part II; CannoliRiffing on the Riffing; Clemenza
The Godfather: The Coppola Restoration Blu-ray four-disc set is presented in 1080p high definition with English 5.1 Dolby TrueHD, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital and English Mono (except The Godfather: Part III) and English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles. The following special features are presented in high definition as noted:
Disc 4:Godfather World (HD)The Masterpiece That Almost Wasn’t (HD)…when the shooting stopped (HD)Emulsional Rescue—Revealing The Godfather (HD)The Godfather on the Red Carpet (HD)Four Short Films on The Godfather - The Godfather vs. The Godfather, Part II (HD); Cannoli (HD); Riffing on the Riffing (HD); Clemenza (HD)The Family TreeCrime Organization ChartConnie and Carlo’s Wedding Album2001 DVD Archive:Behind the Scenes - The Godfather Family: A Look Inside; On Location; Francis Coppola’s Notebook; The Music of the Godfather; Coppola & Puzo on Screenwriting; Gordon Willis on Cinematography; Storyboards from The Godfather, Part II; Storyboards from The Godfather, Part III; The Godfather Behind the Scenes 1971The Filmmakers - Francis Ford Coppola; Mario Puzo; Gordon Willis; Dean Tavoularis; Nino Rota; Carmine CoppolaAdditional ScenesAcclaim & ResponseTrailers (HD)Photo GalleryRogues’ Gallery
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