Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Misc. Comments



Hello, checking in with our friends in Corleone Land.

We wanted to give a general status update about the project. We're investigating a new source, which we received the other day and have quickly previewed. It's a home recording of a 1986 broadcast of The Godfather Novelette, which on the surface appears to be pretty much the same as our recording of a different, earlier broadcast. Other than that, we're pretty much 97% done.

We've had a lot of comments and emails recently, so I'm going to answer as much as I can. I broke my collarbone and dislocated my shoulder last week, which is why I haven't made any recent updates to the blog as sitting and typing was just too painful.


On to the comments/letters:


 


Thanks for the progress update! One further item pursuant to the whole fileshare upload thing: the other major site for free uploads of large files would be WeTransfer. Fast speeds and uploads up to 2GB in size for free accounts. Might also be worth a looksee... :) 

We're still looking into these staggered upload sites, so we're welcoming any feedback about such sites like this. Thanks for the info!








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Also came across this Australian VHS release of Godfather: Part 1 on eBay:

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&alt=web&id=221277542824



Yep, we've screened all of the Aussie VHS releases that we know of. There were a couple of quick trims that we used, but for the most part they were all identical to the US/Euro VHS releases.





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 I would gladly download and seed the highest quality that you can post... 90gb+
A restoration of this magnitude should be seen in the highest quality possible!!!
Thanks for all of your hard work, looking forward to viewing the result!



Thanks! I agree, that if there ever was a project deserving a large file size, this would be it. Unfortunately, most folks aren't like Godfather fans. (Well, maybe hardcore Star Wars junkies.) We've learned from some projects in the past that at least 3/4ths of downloaders simply hit and run, and the good guys get stuck seeding into oblivion. We hope that a reasonable file size like this will encourage as many seeders as possible.

And like I said in the past, we're always discussing a version 2.0 in the future that will be true HD for the discriminating aficionados among us. This brings me to another point we'd like everybody's feedback on. For our next release, would you like to see an upscaled, slick HD version of The Complete Epic Trilogy, or would you rather see a fullscreen version of The CET? Let us know. 





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I was really crushed when I read that the scene of Michael killing Fabrezio in the pizza parlor was officially lost for good, as this one was a better and more crucial scene for the film compared to the obscure car bomb death. I was also reading about a long sequence of scenes taking place in the 1930's after Vito has killed Carlo Rizzi, where De Niro puts on 40 pounds to more resemble the Marlon Brando Vito and many others that bridge the gap between the young vito corleone segment and the 1945 segment, Are those all officially lost for good ?



I'll turn you over to our buddy at Paramount for this question:


I know that the bloody shootout at the Pizza Parlor death scene is gone for good. It was never actually finished. They spent a few days filming it before Coppola nixed it for good. When he viewed the dailys, he thought they looked absurdly ridiculous. It was so bloody that it was almost laughable, and he thought it might get them an X rating too, so he abandoned the scene midway thru shooting. All that remains is a few stills and I don't know whatever happened to the footage they shot. 

As for the other major sequences, I know that they are "officially" lost. After Barry Malkin made the rough cut of The Saga, pretty much everything that he didn't use went in the dumpster. But almost every single frame ever shot was transferred to video in '76 so Malkin and Coppola could make the edit more easily on tape. After they made their videotape rough cut, the engineers at Paramount used the tape as a reference to make the film master for the Saga. But nobody knows if these tapes were archived or not.

Just for clarity, even if these tape transfers were saved or not, they likely would not be usable since they were time coded to match the film reels they were taken from, meaning they probably would look like this:










Paramount has treated the Godfather franchise pretty badly. From destroying all of the excess footage, to ruining the negatives and losing first gen interpositives, it's a pretty shameful history. Even the excess footage from Part III has been lost, which is why the original opening to that film, which was finally released as an extra to the DVD, was taken from Coppola's crappy VHS dub. And that footage went missing less than ten years after it was vaulted!

So I'm not very hopeful that we'll ever get any "new" footage down the pipeline. I'm pretty sure that the only extra footage we'll be privy to is all of the excess material that has been spread out over the decades in hundreds of different commercial releases throughout the world.





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I just discovered a technique that could significantly increase the visual quality of this fanedit: superresolution.

http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/132950-csi-style-super-resolution-image-enlargment-yeeaaaah

Someone's doing it with Star Wars:

http://originaltrilogy.com/forum/topic.cfm/Star-Wars-GOUT-in-HD-using-super-resolution-algorithm/topic/17552/





I think Superresolution can be a pretty big thing if it's used correctly and for a high-profile project, like Star Wars for example. We didn't find out about it until long into the editing process though, so we won't be utilizing it for this project, but maybe in a future release. I'm especially interested in what it can possibly do for upscaling some of the low-res footage we have.





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"Blood On Their Hands"
The Special Effects Of The "GODFATHER" Saga
http://www.wideanglecloseup.com/bloodontheirhands.html



Great, informative article. Thank you for sharing the link!









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Nobody talks about audio.....

It will be AC3 (lossy) 256 or 448 kbps? But why not PCM, FLAC, DTS 768 or 1536 kbps (lossless)?
Bigger files, but for this EPIC I don't care. :]




We hear you (no pun intended). It will technically be lossy, but it will be a high bitrate.

I wanted to talk about the audio mix at some point, so I guess now's as good a time as any. I've been asked about the mixing project, and why we went from 5.1 DD down to 2.0 DTS. The reasons are manifold, ranging from file size, to best compatibility for the majority of viewers, etc. I think we reached a pretty good compromise in DTS:X.

For those unfamiliar with this fairly new codec, here's basically what you need to know:

1. DTS:X is an open-source codec that is designed to recreate a virtual surround soundscape in a headphone setting.

2. You do not need any special codecs to play DTS:X back on your PC. If you already have the DTS codec, you can decode DTS:X.

3. Playback on Blu-Ray or DVD is universal, however, only a few players and receivers support true DTS:X. For owners of home theater setups without DTS:X, the sound will play out in standard DTS.

4. While designed for use in quality headphones, DTS:X can still be enjoyed in a live multi-speaker setting.

5. DTS:X encoding can be mapped in a number of different ways, including a 32 channel soundscape. We have chosen the 11.1 channel configuration for this project. For a demonstration of this profile, check out this video consisting of a sound test and a DTS:X 11.1 mix of Soundgarden's "Spoonman".



So the bottom line is that our DTS:X mix will sound great with 2 speakers or 20 speakers. And even though it's not flac, it's (in our opinion) the best sound you can get from a moderate bitrate and manageable file size. We think you'll enjoy it.





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WTF!?
Paramount confirmed shooting GF4 (prequel) based on book “The Family Corleone”. (2012)




Ha! Now that's an April Fool's Day joke if I ever heard one! Again, our man in the know:


You're going to hear talk about the Godfather IV until the day you die. Bottom line, it's never getting made. Some of the big rumors right now are that they're making "The Family Corleone" into a movie but it is bullshit. See, "The Family Corleone" was actually written in the early 1980s as a script for Part III. The idea was that they were going to flesh out the 1930's sequence that was cut out of Part II and recast De Niro as Vito and find a new Sonny. They were talking about getting Stallone to play a young Luca Brasi and then it was Mickey Rourke, or Charlie Sheen, that was going to play the Irish kid. But Paramount rejected that script over thirty years ago which is why it sat in the dustbin until Puzo's kids needed the money. I've read the original treatment, it was garbage. And Ed Falco only made it marginally better. It needed Coppola to be a decent story. 

Other things you're going to hear are Eddie Murphy is going to be a black godfather or Denzel Washington. This too goes back to the 80s when Mario Puzo thought he could add a part of a young black crimelord based on the real life criminal Frank Lucas. But Coppola nixed the idea and that character ended up being Joey Zasa. But yes it is true that Eddie Murphy was who Puzo had in mind and he even agreed to do the film if it ever got made. But that never happened and later they made a movie about the real Frank Lucas which was American Gangster with Denzel Washington, which is why his name has come up. 

Other rumors? They're going to make one with Al Pacino and Andy Garcia that takes place in the early 90's. They're making a sequel based on the Winegardner books, or the video games. Or that Francis Ford Coppola is writing a new script. They're all bullshit. The only truth to any rumor is that Coppola called Puzo and talked about making the 30's era movie with all new unknown actors, but Puzo died a few weeks later and Coppola said that he would never make another Godfather film if Puzo wasn't involved. 


There you have it, straight from the decapitated horse's mouth.







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never coming out (((((:- never coming out (((((:- never coming out (((((:-

i think it will never come out, same thing in 2012 , this blog has been around since 2011-2012 and we are in 2015 now , they promised allot and delivered nothing !!

 yes it is never coming out, they been saying it will come out for 3 or 4 years now !!!, i mean why would i believe they will release it now!!, they could at least release what they have ,and re -release a better edit each time they do it, also editing dose not take that much of time , i've been editing for years , i edited a godfather 1 an 2 films in one huge 7 hours and 32 minutes edit and it took me 2 days to do, so spare me the it takes time crap, if they wanted to release it they would have done it 4 years ago!!!



Seriously man, just stop. Pretty much every post with you is "this is never coming out, these guys are liars, waaaah waaaaah waaaaaah". You haven't contributed anything to this project, so please stop bitching as if we've taken money out of your pocket or something. As other posters have pointed out to you, we all have lives, jobs, families and various little things that occupy our lives. We've spent hundreds of dollars and (combined) thousands of hours putting this together and all that we ask from you is a little patience.


I've apologized numerous times for the length of time that has elapsed from inception to completion. And the twelve month hiatus in between where I had no idea if this was ever going to be finished because one of the guys with the most recent batch of completed files went MIA or the other long break where our soundman was deployed to Afghanistan. Yes, the missed "deadlines" for this thing suck, and I take full responsibility. But in a way, it's worked out for the better because we turned up a few cool sources in the meantime that we've been able to utilize and it's better than putting everything together for download and then turning around every six months to say "Wait! We found another two seconds of deleted footage! Ignore the last release and download this again!" We want future releases to be complimentary, like an HD version or a full-frame version, not "mandatory" re-releases that contain new footage that we just found. Who wants to keep downloading the same thing over and over again?

Like Michael said to Clemenza and Tessio, "Be. Patient. There are negotiations being made that are going to answer all of your questions and solve all of your problems. That's all I can tell you right now." And any constructive criticism is always welcome, but if you're just going to keep posting inanities, you can take your nonsense elsewhere.





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Hey guys if you want an extended version of the two films with all hd footage, this guy made an edit of that: http://www.fanedit.org/forums/showthread.php?14167-The-Godfather-Extended-Edition-HD/


Very cool. We were just talking about this a couple of weeks ago, for the guy that wanted an all-HD version of the first two films with just the AMC bonus scenes added in. Or vice-versa, I can't remember.

Someone asked me a little while back if we were going to submit our cut over at fanedit.org, and the answer is probably "no." Don't get me wrong, I love the site, but when I was told by a mod that we wouldn't get "approval" for this project because making a long chronological cut doesn't qualify as a "true" fanedit, I realized which way the wind was blowing. No offense to anyone over there, but we don't need fanedit.org's stamp of approval. This was made by fans for fans, not for wannabe film critics or amateur filmmakers with delusions of grandeur. The only opinions we care to hear are from you guys.





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I recall this scene in the book. Genco is on his death bead asking The Don to help him cheat death. He is worried about satan. As I recall, the Don says something like, "this is the life we choose". I never heard about this scene ever existing in any version. Very interesting.
Regards
(I was nine when my mom took my to see the Godfather in a theater on Cape Cod)





Yeah, that to me was a key scene that should have been included in the film no matter what. I mean, the most iconic element of the film's marketing, the marionette strings, basically came from this scene. (Not to mention the profile pic of Brando that was used so extensively in the Euro posters:











Which kind of reminds me of the Pacino pic from the deleted Pizzeria massacre scene that was one of the most famous publicity stills prior to the film's release...







Also, the accompanying scene just prior to arriving at the hospital spawned a number of publicity stills:













... but I digress. It can be argued that the puppet strings in the logo are merely implied throughout the story and really don't need to be explained, but then again you can say that about any number of scenes, both excised and intact. To me the Genco scene, and the accompanying scenes that were also cut, establish so much about Vito's character that we wouldn't easily infer otherwise, such as:

1. Prior to getting to the hospital, Vito asks mockingly if Micheal's "American" girlfriend can find her way to the city alright. It shows that Vito clearly doesn't 100% approve of Micheal's WASP paramour.

2. Things are already tense between father and son. "What are all these Christmas ribbons?" he says, while running his hands along Micheal's tokens of valor. "They're for bravery," he answers. "What miracles you perform for strangers..." Vito trails off. "Michael, you never come to me as a son. I want to talk to you about your future. I have plans for you." "Si," Micheal answers, walking away, obviously not wanting to pursue the conversation any further.

3. Vito's oldest friend and counselor Genco believes that the Don is so powerful he can even cheat death. Obviously the man has left a larger-than-life impression on even his closest friend. But he himself is modest. "Genco, I have no such power."

4. Vito, if not religious, at least has some concept of Christianity. "You blaspheme," he warns Genco after his old friend begs his Godfather to chase Satan away. He also has come to terms with his own mortality, (or maybe he sees such fears as unmanly) as he gently presses Genco to not fear death.

5. Vito cares deeply for the suffering of others. "Stay with me Godfather," Genco begs, and he does.  

So yeah, I think it was an important scene in the book and on the screen. But I think it was better in the film than in the book, as the dialogue was more natural and less contrite. Which is a general criticism I have with Puzo's writing. His dialogue comes off stiff and preachy. Read the dialogue in any of the shooting scripts (Coppola mainly handled the framing and narrative; he let Puzo write the dialogue for the most part) and compare it to the finished product, which was altered by Coppola and/or the actor during shooting. (A really great example is the semi-final screenplay for Part II.) But that's another discussion for another day.

(And don't get me started on the line "a lawyer and his briefcase can steal more than a hundred men with guns" line that Puzo fought tooth and nail to include in the final film, but was shot down (pun intended) by Coppola, not just once, but for all three films!)

Also, I'd love to hear more about the first time you saw The Godfather out on Cape Cod. In fact, I'd like to do an entry about everybody's first contact with the franchise- what was it like the first time you saw the Godfather or its sequels, and what were your impressions? How old were you, where was it, etc? Leave a comment or email us at godfathermuseum@gmail.com!

We want to extend a huge thanks to everyone that has supported us, even with our less-than-stellar release timelines. Your comments and emails mean a great deal to me personally and we deeply appreciate your understanding and eagerness to see this cut.



Till next time!





79 comments:

  1. 97% is done and you don't say nothing when we can expect it?
    New source again, discussing about version 2.0, first time you saw The Godfather..............

    What The Heck Is Going On?

    ReplyDelete
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    1. 3% for next 3 months, fair deal, sold! LOL

      Delete
    2. I'm no longer going to cite specific dates of when the film is going to be finished, because people mark their calenders and then bitterly weep and threaten suicide when it isn't out yet. So instead I'll cite a percentage, such as 97%, which I should hope is understood easily enough as "it's almost done."

      As for daring to speak about anything other than the release date, you should probably just not read the blog any further, since information about our edit makes up only a small fraction of this site. It's titled "The Godfather Museum," not "1001 Pages Of Projected Release Dates."

      Delete
    3. Gift for Xmas? LOL

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  2. The Godfather Extended Edition HD Is Missing Lots Of Scenes

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    1. No it isn't, version 3 added back in all the non amc hd scenes using superresolution.

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  3. From 5.1 DD down to 2.0 DTS to DTS:X 11.1 Wow! :]
    This was totally unexpected! It must have really special sound!

    About V2, I vote for HD
    Using Superresolution & DaVinci Revival... for remastering footage.

    But first let see how V1 looks. ;]

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  4. So Is It HD Or Superresolution

    Will It Come With English Subtitles

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  5. How Long Will It Be

    Is Der Any Never Before Seen

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  6. Is Der Any Never Before Seen Footage

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  7. Thanks for the update. I've been waiting since 2012, when I decided to look for the most complete version of the saga, and found yours would be it. I have never seen any of the films, though I remember seeing trailers and discussions of them since childhood (I particularly remember the dead animal in the bed), and since I prefer the most complete versions of stories (e.g., 'The Lord of the Rings' extended editions, and 'Dawn of the Dead: Extended Mall Hours' - https://youtu.be/OQO2sOgu0Xw), I decided to wait until your project was complete, of course not realizing I'd be waiting for three years! I understand and appreciate the immense work you've done (including even a bit of tedious colorization!), and will continue to wait patiently for the comprehensive edit. Thanks!

    For the next release, I'd like to see a fullscreen superresolution edition, if possible.

    I don't understand why your project wouldn't be accepted at fanedit.org, since they do, in fact, host extended editions and chronological cuts, *including* of this very trilogy!

    http://fanedit.org/ifdb/component/content/article/79-fanedit-listings/fanfix/459-the-godfather-chronological-epic-1901-1980

    http://fanedit.org/ifdb/component/content/article/87-fanedit-listings/custom-special-edition/386-chronological-back-to-the-future

    http://fanedit.org/ifdb/component/content/article/83-fanedit-listings/extended-edition/293-terminator-the-extended-edition

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    1. Everybody posts a link to the fanedit blog (such as above), but no one posts a link to the actual download. Am I missing something?

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  8. Let's talk what you do with video quality.
    For added scenes, mainly is taken from AMC, DVD/Blu-Ray extras which have best quality.
    LD, VHS, Beta is probably used to minimum for extensions, but now VHS, Beta is reeplaced with VCD.

    But how VCD looks?
    From wiki it have Resolution: 352x240
    Can you post some screenshots comparison before and after cropping, color correcting, resizing... ?
    I'm really curious how it looks.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. About opening credits, did you edit it with better quality footages?
      Taken from the 1977 NBC Saga broadcast.
      http://i.imgur.com/kDNEhCq.png
      AMC
      http://i.imgur.com/T3pTBA4.jpg
      I can somehow swallow it because it is opening credits.... but...
      it can be from German TV, US Bravo, Canadian TLN... also for other scenes in movie.

      AMC de-logo
      http://i.imgur.com/SUBwj2E.jpg

      So, did you change everything what can be changed with better quality?

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  9. Part 1

    Thank you!

    Thank you x 2 -- because I've done editing .. and if you're trying to get the best from whatever sources are available, it's NOT an easy process. Not ALL sources are good quality (much less high quality). So I give kudos for the effort involved.

    Thank you x 3 for NOT being involved with the FanEdit people/site.
    I don't know which is more annoying with them ... the arrogance of some of the 'editors' ... or the arrogance of the so-called reviewers!
    [if I hit someone's nerve ... oops! ... too bad, so sad!]

    I ran across an edit done in 2002 [pre-bluray days], so far it's the most complete I've seen.
    It used Laser Disc and VHS tape sources (several sections were from the 2002 AMC broadcast).
    Picture quality, as expected, old 4:3 standard ... but, for me, and several that have also seen it, irrelevant ... it was getting to see as many of the bits and pieces that were available from the different versions that spawned interest.

    Not to mention, the edit also had added Italian translations in the sub-titles.
    [quick example --- when Clamenza and Rocco were taking Pauly to the field to kill him, Rocco asked Pauly (in Italian) "Hey Pauly, did you fart?" .... this hasn't been in ANY version of the Godfather sub-titles, but it was in this edit]

    You take whatever and however much time you need!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Part 2

    The Saga Version of the Godfather is my favorite!!!
    I'm an old school guy.
    I saw both movies (in 1972 and 1974) in the theatres.
    And frankly, with my attitude at the time, I thought they were a bore.
    I fell asleep at both.
    I started snoring so loudly at Godfather 2, friends had to nudge me awake.

    In 1977, when "The Godfather : A Novel For Television" was broadcast on NBC, I finally sat with friends who had NOT seen The Godfather in the theatres.
    We didn't know which scenes were 'added' back in.
    So we experienced 'The Saga' version first hand.
    A couple years later, we got to see the first VHS video versions (theatrical), and were totally disappointed, because the Saga scenes weren't included.

    Then the Epic version was released on VHS in 1981 ... again, disappointed.

    When Godfather 3 was released, the Godfather Trilogy was released in 1990 (VHS).
    Trilogy had many of the Saga scenes, plus a few only in the Trilogy version, but, was also still missing many scenes.
    More disappointment.

    In 2002, after AMC's broadcast, The Corelone Cut, the edit I mentioned earlier, was shared .... and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
    It had been done in the 4:3 aspect because neither movie had been filmed in widescreen. It was the choice of the editor (Holy Outlaw) to go with the original filmed aspect and not the cropped 1.80 aspect.

    I've seen the widescreen argument way too many times also!!
    Two of the movies' editors (people who had hands on experience with the original film) had made comments over the years of the movies being filmed in 3.3 and 3.1 film stock (standard in the early 70's) ... and cropped for the 1.80 aspect theatrical releases.

    So ANY authorities claiming widescreen filming don't know what they're talking about.
    [get a clue, deal with it, and then get over it.]

    I'm VERY excited to see a new edit with as many elements that are usable!

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    And - as far as the whiner claiming to have done an edit in 2 days - he's either completely full of it, or an absolute liar!!
    You can't simply bang out a 7 + hour edit in 2 fricking days!
    NOT if you're trying to use the best source material available, but possibly if you slam crap together and then do some chest thumping [oops, did I hit another nerve?].

    And if he did it, where's his edit located? [not that I really care ... raw nerves aching?]
    --------------------------------------------------------------------

    You take whatever and however much time you need!!
    We can wait.
    The anticipation will drive us crazy .... but, so what ... it's the end result that matters most.

    ANYONE who complains has NO real idea whats involved in getting an edit, with varying sources, put together.
    If they did, they wouldn't complain.

    ...... and thank you again for your efforts.
    I know EXACTLY how tedious it can be.

    I appolgise if I caused anyone offense, but anxious people ARE a bit grumpy ;)

    lol

    Lonewolf5 - fellow Saga Fan and fellow Saga editor.

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  11. How Long Will It Be

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  12. Is The Godfather: Extended Edition HD Same Has Cut Godfather Museum

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  13. What Does Don Ciccio Say After Vito Stab's Him

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  14. Since your now about 97% done, Could you give us a quick rundown of the changes and new footage the "Complete Epic Trilogy" will have compared to modernknife's "Chronological Epic"? Also, how much of the foreign dialogue will be translated as some of the scenes in the "Chronological Epic" failed to do this

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  15. This is Going Nowhere

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    1. Yes just get the extended edition hd, its all the extra footage using hd sources and the non amc deleted footage has been upscaled using suprersolution: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lS4ZXM-W3HE

      Delete
  16. Hey I was wondering... If the different television/VHS/Betamax/Laserdisc/whatever else releases have different title sequences displaying different names (i.e. Complete Novel for Television, A Novel for Television, Novella, Novelette, Complete Epic, Trilogy, USA GFIII), could you upload any alternate title sequences from version to version? You know, just for completion's sake. Thanks!

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  17. Also, which opening will you be using for GFIII?

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  18. from trusted source (KGB) they are split again LOL

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  19. "because people mark their calenders and then bitterly weep and threaten suicide when it isn't out yet."

    "As for daring to speak about anything other than the release date, you should probably just not read the blog any further, since information about our edit makes up only a small fraction of this site. It's titled "The Godfather Museum," not "1001 Pages Of Projected Release Dates." "

    "ANYONE who complains has NO real idea whats involved in getting an edit, with varying sources, put together. "

    "Fuck off then if this is going nowhere...some of the most impatient fucking people I've ever seen on this blog"


    I Agree, pay no attention to them
    As a part-time filmmaker, take all the time you need & don't rush in getting it done; just focus on making this the Definitive Version to where unless a lost scene or higher quality source appears there'll be no need for a 2.0 version. Even when it's finally completed, watch it as many times as you need and go through everything till your 100% sure that everything in it was done properly with no errors.

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  20. How Long is This Version

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  21. ^^ Read the articles.

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  22. So uh...its been a month now, whats the status?

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  23. For next version I vote widescreen HD. While the extra footage has been seen most often 4:3 open matte, the scenes were not filmed specifically for tv, they were filmed for inclusion in the movies and as such the shots are composed with widescreen matting in mind.

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  24. I found this article detailing the differences between the theatrical version and "A Novel for Television." It's clear from the screen captures that they diid not use the AMC version, probably some public TV version of the Saga.
    Link - http://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=3647095
    The article is in 4 parts. To see the rest just Google "movie censorship godfather x/4," x of course being numbers one through four.
    Anyway (I'm rambling on here), the article mentions a part I don't know from the backstage scene in Part I of the Saga. It says that the reason the theater owner hit his daughter is because she was trying to sneak out with a man. If this is not mentioned or implied in any of the copies of the TV Saga you own (because I for one don't get the implication, if it's there), I recommend getting in touch with the poster and trying to determine A) where this version was broadcast and B) if you can get a hold of it.

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  25. I originally posted this on your Brief History of the Edits page, but I realized you probably wouldn't look there and see this, so I'm posting it here.

    "This post is incorrect on one detail. The 1992 VHS is not the Complete Epic with Part III added. I recently purchased it and the total running time for all five tapes is 583 minutes (9 hours 43 minutes). The Complete Epic runs for 386 minutes. The 386 for the Epic plus the 162 minutes for Part III is 548 minutes. The Trilogy offers 35 minutes of additional footage over the Epic. Just wanted to clear that up. I am unsure about the specifics of the 1997 VHS, though."

    For instance, in the 1992 Trilogy, the Communist scene in Sicily is included, as is the scene of getting ready to go to the hospital ("Can your American girlfriend find her way back to the city?") and an extended Genco scene.
    Vito: ... do not fear death.
    Extra footage begins here
    Genco: It has been arranged then?
    Vito: You blaspheme. Resign yourself.
    Extra footage ends here.
    I remember you posting something about this extended Genco scene somewhere on your site, but it is not present on my cop of the AMC "A Novel for Television."

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    1. Lol "somewhere on your site"
      Try the page you're currently looking at, self...

      Delete
  26. Regarding my earlier post about the version on movie-censorship.com, I found a similar situation on Wikipedia, of all places. On their page for The Godfather Saga, under Godfather Part II additional scenes, it says that when Francesca goes to ask Michael for his blessing to marry Gardner Shaw, he asks her how Santino Jr. is doing in football. I cannot find this on my copy of the AMC Saga or the 1992 Trilogy. (Those are the only copies I own.) I was just wondering if you could find it or have found it and included it. I do not know how to determine the source of this information. My best bet would be to directly message the people in the editing history of the page on Wikipedia (if you can message people on Wikipedia) and see if you can extract from them how they know about this.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Never mind, I found it. He doesn't ask Francesca, he asks Santino Jr. directly. I found it on Modernknife's edit.

      Delete
  27. I didn't know about that scene either

    ReplyDelete



  28. "For next version I vote widescreen HD. While the extra footage has been seen most often 4:3 open matte, the scenes were not filmed specifically for tv, they were filmed for inclusion in the movies and as such the shots are composed with widescreen matting in mind"

    I disagree, Like many other DVD/Blu-ray's there should be an optional Full-Frame or Widescreen viewing that way you get all aspects of the picture on one Edition depending on your preference. Just wouldn't be complete with a matted frame. Also, there shouldn't be a "next version". Like I posted earlier, unless a lost scene or higher quality source appears there should only be this version.

    One other thing: Is it possible to do a Multi-track of both the DTS:X and Dolby Surround 2.0 and maybe the original Mono/Stereo tracks?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow. How do you feel about the borders of painted canvases that are wrapped back behind the board because the artist doesn't intend you to see the sloppy edges?

      So are you saying that theatrical projections and blu rays are substandard and inadequate because they fail to show information the camera happened to capture above and below the widescreen framing, information that the cinematographer never intended to be seen? Find a full-frame open matte copy of All The President's Men and marvel at the boom mikes, cables, etc. that were never meant to be seen... They detract enormously from the viewing experience and are matted out in a proper widescreen presentation. Sorry, I think the cinematographer's preference trumps your preference.

      Aspect ratio should reflect what was seen in the theaters. If it's an older 4:3 movie, then that's what should be on the disc. But if it's a 1950s or newer widescreen movie, then that's how it should be on the disc. Older dvds sometimes offered widescreen films with a full-frame option (either open matte or pan and scan), but that was to accommodate old 4:3 cathode ray tvs. But those tvs are dead and gone. Widescreen tvs are ubiquitous now, and so there is no longer any need for a theatrically widescreen film to be released as a full-frame disc. I have never encountered a blu-ray (or newer dvd) offering a full-frame version of a widescreen film.

      As for "next version", I didn't think there would or should be one either. But it wasn't my idea; it was proposed by the Godfather Museum dude himself; see above. So if he's gonna go there regardless, I stand by my widescreen preference.

      Delete
  29. Will you provide a translation, at least, of the exclusive dialogue found in the Japanese Epic VCD during the Genco hospital scene? Maybe you can get the text from the subtitles, then translate it, or hire a translator to listen and then give you a transcript of the scene? Or try lip-reading? Sorry, I'm going on and on, but I'd like to know what ol' Genco is telling Vito because I like that scene. I wish it hadn't been cut theatrically.

    ReplyDelete
  30. been 2 month no news

    ReplyDelete
  31. ^^^ this dude needs to get over himself.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Definitely they are split again!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  33. Proof they are still unseen godfather footage one of 2
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrJXUEzgyiI&feature=youtu.be

    ReplyDelete
  34. That scene is on The Godfather Trilogy 1901-1980 VHS set AT LEAST. There may be other copies of the film with it. These guys are completionists, I'm sure they're not missing anything.

    ReplyDelete
  35. Still, if you find something really groundbreaking or different than you can find out about, post anyway. Who knows, it may be new!

    ReplyDelete
  36. "This brings me to another point we'd like everybody's feedback on. For our next release, would you like to see an upscaled, slick HD version of The Complete Epic Trilogy, or would you rather see a fullscreen version of The CET? Let us know."

    Why not both on one release for the most optimal viewing experience? Many DVD/Blu-ray Sets offer both fullscreen & widescreen, HD & SD etc.

    ReplyDelete
  37. The three-year (!) delay is (extremely) annoying, but remember this is an entirely volunteer project, so we're not entitled to anything. Their recent posts indicate the edit is 99% complete, so I think we really will finally see release sometime this year. If they hadn't found a bit more material (and I'm glad they did), we would already have it. The suggestion that the project is fake is simply absurd.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. First of all , they are not going to abandon the project if you wont suck it for them,so no need for oh they are putting all there time on this oh they are great oh !!!!,
      secondly the only proof this project exists is the actual download file and edit in-itself, i could keep on writing and writing for years about an edit but without the actual edit this has no fucking reason , what is absurd is them posting coming soon for 3 years , thats absurd !!!!!, unless they post an edit , this is only imagery, and yes i doubt they will release anything , mark my words, see you after 3 or 4 years when they post another coming soon,post !!!!!!!!

      Delete
  38. Everyone who wants an extended edit to hold them off until this version is finished, check this out: http://www.fanedit.org/ifdb/component/content/article/83-fanedit-listings/extended-edition/1165-the-godfather-extended-edition-hd

    ReplyDelete
  39. If you guys want to see some deleted scenes from the Saga, Epic, or Trilogy, look at my YouTube channel. I only have a few videos up currently, but I plan to upload all the deleted scenes from the Saga, Epic, and Trilogy.

    ReplyDelete
  40. yea but there's still all those exclusive shots and extra frames that you'll only find on the items in their sources page

    ReplyDelete
  41. I would like to see that version, but without Part III in the mix. Why not make two different versions of The Compete Edit: one that you are making right now (The Complete Epic Trilogy: 1902-1980) and a one specifically for fans like me that didn't like Part III, just called The Complete Epic Novel: 1902-1959. If you could make that latter version available, I would be thankful for it.

    ReplyDelete
  42. This is a great site full of new and fascinating info, but I've also noticed a few facts which I find doubtful:

    1) You say in your May 2, 2012 post:

    "When the rough cut of Part II was assembled, Coppola had a movie that was 6 hours long. It was basically two different films separated by an intermission- the first three hours detailing the rise of Vito Corleone and the last three hours chronicling the fall of Michael Corleone. At this point, the idea of combining the two stories as a flashback-driven narrative had not been thought of."

    However we have the Second Draft screenplay for The Godfather Part II, dated 24 September 1973 (a week before filming began on October 1st), and the flashback idea of intercutting the two stories is already present in that draft (though that flashback structure would be slightly altered in the released film).

    2) You also say in your May 2, 2012 post about The Godfather Part II:

    "This first "parallel narrative" cut ran 4 hours and 45 minutes. This 285 minute version was cut down to 200 minutes for theaters (210 minutes for theaters that snuck in an intermission). This left approximately 2 hours and 25 minutes* sitting on the cutting room floor.

    "(* About half of this 185 minutes of excised footage was made up of more of Vito's earlier exploits, the rest mainly taking place after Michael Corleone kills his brother Fredo. Many fans would be surprised to know that after Michael kills Fredo, the movie goes on for another hour and a half. Some of these plot points (Michael getting involved in Washington politics, later ending up running what's left of Hyman Roth's Miami business) would be touched upon by Mark Winegardner in his atrociously-written and poorly conceived Godfather Returns and Godfather's Revenge books. The film finally ends in 1972, with Michael Corleone back in his Long Island estate, sitting in a chair, smoking and contemplating his life of crime."

    There's some maths confusion there. 285 minutes minus 200 minutes = 85 minutes (not "185 minutes" or "2 hours and 25 minutes" (= 145 minutes??)).

    I also find this claim that there is an hour and a half of deleted footage after the Death of Fredo Sequence (or any extensive footage)to be very doubtful. None of these scenes appear in the script from a week before filming that I mentioned earlier except for two brief scenes involving Anthony (though it's possible that they existed in the First Draft of the screenplay, the draft featuring Clemenza instead of Frank Pentangeli, which I've never seen a copy of). I've never seen any photos or anecdotes of these scenes (except for that front cover photo of a pudgy-looking Robert De Niro, which could have many explanations). I've never heard any mention of these scenes being filmed other than on your page. I would love it if I were wrong and such footage did exist, but I'm not seeing any good evidence for it. If anyone has any proof for it, let me know.

    3) The claim on this page that the novel "The Family Corleone" is based on a screenplay for Godfather III is incomplete. The author had access to unused pages from Godfather III plus pages from a screenplay for Godfather IV.

    Again, thanks for the great site and for all your research.

    ReplyDelete
  43. This is to the editor(s). I highly recommend using available footage from this high quality version

    http://www.fanedit.org/ifdb/component/content/article/83-fanedit-listings/extended-edition/1165-the-godfather-extended-edition-hd

    While this is currently the most extended version for the 1945 segment in HD, it still doesn't contain the exclusive shots from the items listed on the sources page which is why I still look forward to the CET

    P.S. I recommend waiting for the other two which will be out soon

    ReplyDelete
  44. So what is the story? Will this ever be released? Or is this some long running joke?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This is a stupid joke, they are saying they want to release it since 2012 !!!!, 2012!!! people , come on if they edited a scene each 10 days they would have done it, editing software are available for all users and they are so easy to use, i am an editor 1 week 2 weeks time alone i would have edited it 3 or 4 times, the facts are this is a stupid lie , i said it before and i will say it again,

      Delete
  45. Just shut the fuck up already, Sa'ad. Seriously, we've all been waiting a while for this and your negativity won't make it come any sooner. If you can edit together a chronological edit of the three Godfather films with every bit of footage available quicker than they can, then why don't you? And why are you still checking on this page if you're so certain it's made up? Also, enlighten me, what kind of joke or lie would involve announcing a chronological fanedit of the three Godfather films, making a blogspot page for it, collecting/listing sources from all around the world, posting screenshots from it (along with various articles and trivia facts about the films), and making a trailer for it???? Pretty intricate just for a joke, don't you think? Like great joke guys, you really got us...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "not chronologically"
      Well, that would be why you did it so quickly,..
      "this site is a fake until i see a download link"
      en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-contradiction

      Delete
    2. Im getting really sick of seeing comments that claim this is fake.

      Delete
    3. Hi sa'ad, ive seen your edit, it's shit. Maybe spend a little more time on it next go around

      Delete
  46. (Wow, I can't believe you took the words right out of my mouth)

    If your all that impatient with them for wanting to wait for new material with exclusive and/or higher quality footage to appear, then go make your own Godfather edit, every item you could possibly need for it is already listed on the Sources page. So if anyone out there can prove them wrong by making their own 10½ hour "Complete Epic Trilogy" with every exclusive shot & frames mentioned in under the same amount of time it's taken then go right ahead, but if not then.......https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nleSSekY0A4

    ReplyDelete
  47. I'm putting my hand up for the 90gb full HD version with full audio upgrade and whatever else you can do. A 2gb version cannot do the series justice, and a full90gb HD version could well be the best movie ever released. Don't let these things hold you back.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That would take a month to download for some people though.

      Delete
    2. I would happily wait a month if I was in their position.

      Delete
  48. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. (For our next release, would you like to see an upscaled, slick HD version of The Complete Epic Trilogy, or would you rather see a fullscreen version of The CET? Let us know)

      The article below gives details on why releasing the CET in both a fullframe & widescreen picture would be a better choice.

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

      Delete
  49. Widescreen please, it's definitely better !

    ReplyDelete
  50. I Would still like to see a second version of the Complete Edit that only features I and II footage only and not all three.

    ReplyDelete
  51. Just stumbled across this page today while searching for used VHS copies of The Complete Saga. Will definitely want to see this when it is finished. My question for you die-hard fans is should I spend the 25 bucks or so for a used copy of the complete saga, or do you suggest something else to tide me over until this project is completed?

    Thank you!

    ReplyDelete



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  56. Highly descriptive article, I enjoyed that bit. Will there be a part 2?

    ReplyDelete
  57. Hey where is the download link?

    ReplyDelete