Close

The Pickwick Film Classics series plans to celebrate the 45th anniversary of Francis Ford Coppola’s film, “The Godfather II,” with special showings on the Pickwick’s new Megatheatre screen on Jan. 19 at 5 S. Prospect Ave., Park Ridge. Show times will be at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. The evening show will include a 6:30 p.m. performance on the Wurlitzer orga...

1607

The coolest thing about Francis Ford Coppola’s casual Italian restaurant in San Francisco, Cafe Zoetrope, isn’t the food. Which is not to say the fare isn’t good, because it is—very good, in fact, and reasonably priced. Nor is it that the smart wine list includes selections from his eponymous Geyserville winery, along with other pours, some premium...

936

The region of Basilicata will be featured this weekend in the PBS show “Dream of Italy.” Host Kathy McCabe explores the stunning landscapes and culinary traditions of the ancient region also known as Lucania. McCabe tours the ancient Sassi of Matera, the towns of the Dolomite Lucani and meets up with Frances Ford Coppola at his resort Palazzo Margh...

2153

The 45th anniversary of “The Godfather” has brought us another Blu-Ray box set and another round of critical reappraisal of the mafia movie classic. The secret of the film’s enduring appeal, however, might be found in its opening line: “I believe in America.” It is often said that “The Godfather” is an ironic commentary on the American Dream. That...

1353

Over the course of 45 years in the film business, Francis Ford Coppola has refined a singular code of ethics that govern his filmmaking. There are three rules: 1) Write and direct original screenplays,  2) make them with the most modern technology available,  and 3) self-finance them.   But Coppola didn’t develop this formula overnight. Though he f...

1102

The Godfather is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential films in Hollywood history. At an epic night at Radio City Music Hall on Saturday, director Francis Ford Coppola and members of his cast – including Al Pacino, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, Talia Shire and James Caan, with Robert De Niro, who appeared in the 1974 sequel – g...

4410

When actor Alex Rocco died in July 2015, I felt a twinge of sadness for the passing of the man who was a key part in my favorite scene from The Godfather (1972). While the movie impacts everyone differently, there was something hilarious yet awesome in Rocco’s portrayal of Moe Green and his righteous indignation when Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) of...

1868

The Godfather is one of the greatest movies of all time. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, it was made on a $6 million budget, completed ahead of schedule and was the first film in history to take in a million bucks a day. It was nominated for 11 Oscars, won three and changed cinema forever. That seismic cinematic shift would never have happened if...

1631

Did you know that The Godfather did not fall out of the sky as a perfectly formed completed motion picture? Furthermore, did you know that not only did it have to be produced for a major movie studio, but said production was in fact quite contentious and difficult? It’s true! In fact, the woes of The Godfather’s making – young maverick director Fra...

1620

by Larry Olmsted   Filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola is still best known for his movies, especially his early successes Patton, Apocalypse Now, and the mega-hits, The Godfather and the Godfather Part II, which have become two of the most lauded and popular films in history. All of these critically acclaimed bombshells were made in the 1970s, an...

1098