The Godfather trilogy
The Godfather trilogy is one of the most successful Hollywood creations, inspiring loyal fans throughout the world. The films are based on the novel by Mario Puzo, faithfully capturing the world of the Mafia. Many gangster movies have been released since but fans of the genre love to go back to this cultural icon and re-live the films through a Godfather DVD.
The original film of The Godfather was released in 1972, starring Marlon Brando as Don Corleone. Critics were universal in their praise of his performance and it was also the breakthrough for Al Pacino, who played son Michael. The mafia family was completed by James Caan as Sonny, John Cazale as Fredo and Robert Duvall as adopted son Tom Hagen. Francis Ford Coppola directed and went on to direct the two sequels. Videos of all three films later appeared and then the first Godfather DVD was released.
The second movie in the series, Godfather II, centered round the story of Michael with another great performance from Pacino. He was joined by Diane Keaton in the role of his wife Kay and Robert De Niro as the young Vito Corleone. The final installment, Godfather III, came out in 1990 with Pacino and Keaton and the addition of Talia Shire and Andy Garcia. Again, the Godfather DVD versions were extremely popular and the films are also regularly shown on television. Other merchandise has proved successful with fans, including posters, books and games.
Fans want to own all parts of the trilogy of course and most collectors of the Godfather DVD series prefer to buy the Box Set. The first Box Set comprised of three discs and Coppola provided an audio commentary on all three films. A more comprehensive Box Set, containing five discs was then released and has been a great success.
The five disc Box Set is formatted for widescreen and is a treat for fans as it contains many extra bonus features. There is a making of the films documentary, deleted scenes, footage showing cast members in rehearsal and a feature on locations used. Other extras on this Godfather DVD include a feature on the film's cinematography, storyboards and the music from the films. There is also a useful guide to the Corleone family tree and a Godfather timeline. Theatrical trailers are also shown, in addition to the acceptance speeches at the Academy Award ceremony. Coppola's audio commentary is again included over the movies.
