Okay, my 40th birthday, as traumatic as it is, is off to a good start so far--the wife just gave me the Godfather DVD box set tonite. She was gonna give it to me tomorrow (my real bday), but she ended up doing something that pissed me off, so to atone she gave me this early, knowing how thrilled I would be. It worked.

Actually, I love these movies so much I almost don't want to own them. I mean, I'm worried that owning them in some weird way will trivialize them, or maybe just demystify them to me, because they were such seminal events in my moviegoing experience (the first 2, I mean, of course). I'm afraid it might sully my memories of these films to own them and watch them repeatedly.

But actually, fuck that. I can't wait to watch. I'm hoping that maybe Part III will hold up a little better than it first did (I only saw it once, on opening day--and, like with Star Wars Episode 1, it just couldn't live up to the anticipation at the time).

I was just thinking today, before I got this box, how amazing it was that in between the first 2 Godfather movies Coppola made The Conversation--I mean, right there, you have 3 of the best movies of the 70s, back to back. He was a god back then.

Happy Birthday, Jeff!!

So true Jeff, so true. The Conversation is amazing and so very different from the Godfather films. Hell, the fact that he also came up with Apocalypse Now is frankly, too many good movies for one guy.

I guess that sort of explains the rest of his career.

Godfather III has some great moments. The finale at the Opera House, and the scene on the steps, put the rest of the film to shame, imo. When watching it be sure to try the commentary for part III. Coppola defending casting his daughter, Sofia, in the movie. Defending her acting even! Blood is thicker than reason.

Happy birthday, btw.

-Andrew

thank you for the bday wishes--and let me say here Happy Birthday to Jeff Lackey too--we share the date!!

Ya know, I saw Godfather III before I read any reviews, cuz I didn't want to know anything about it, and Sofia Coppola didn't bother me at all. When she got completely savaged in the press, I didn't fully get it. It may have helped that I thought she was damn cute, though.

The Conversation ranks WAY up there in the list of all-time best Gene Hackman performances. Actually, for me, it might be the best.

Happy Birthday, Jeff! I always wondered what a guy who plays games for a living did for his birthday. I have my answer now, watch movies:-)

Godfather I, II, III, The Conversation, oh yeah baby! Is it me or do movies today just don't hold up to these standards?

-DavidCPA

Happy B-Day to boff Jeffs!

As for me, I actually enjoyed Godfather III. I remember watching Michael Corleone wither away in the Sicilian villa, at the movie's end, then began wondering myself how I'd end up biting the big one when my time came. It sorta rattled me a bit-- a guy, who up to this point, thought he was invincible. I thought this was the most poinant scene of the movie... perhaps the trilogy. Perhaps.

I don't know if I'm going to spring for the DvD set. I already own a limited edition, autographed boxed version on VHS. And like Jeff, it was a birthday gift, so it has special meaning. Hmmmm... lemme know how they are.

Raphael

Anyone who likes the wild & crazy days of filmmaking in the '70s should read the book "Easy Riders, Raging Bulls." A fascinating tale -- how the lives of Coppola, Lucas, Spielberg, Scorsese, Bogdanovich, De Palma, Rafelson, Friedkin, Dennis Hopper, Bob Evans, Robert Towne, Hal Ashby, Robert Altman, Warren Beatty, all intersected amid drugs and sex and rampant hedonism to produce perhaps the greatest decade of American film (though I'd say the 20s, 30s and 50s are contenders as well).

It was a magical time. Back then, directors made movies with balls, and studio heads were actually willing to give them the money to do it. Before a thousand Beemer-driving CAA agents in shark-suits, marketing "synergy" experts dreaming of lunchbox tie-ins, illiterate 24-year-old story editors, and pampered 8-figure-salary stars descended upon Hollywood to leave it a pale shell of what it once was.

Okay, that's a bit of an oversimplification, but it sounded good.

The truth is, every decade produces mostly crap, and we remember the good stuff. If you just add up movies like, say, Goodfellas, JFK, Pulp Fiction, Quiz Show, The Player, Silence of the Lambs, Fargo, Shawshank Redemption, Unforgiven, etc., then the '90s don't seem like such a bad decade either.

Even so, I guess the '70s win. Just such a density of talent and consistently adult subject matter. And in what other decade could a huge gigantic special-effects-laden summer blockbuster movie be as grungy and character-centric as "Jaws" was?

Lackey -- Happy birthday to you, too!

---

Quote:

Goodfellas, JFK, Pulp Fiction, Quiz Show, The Player, Silence of the Lambs, Fargo, Shawshank Redemption, Unforgiven, etc

---

"I am alone" should be "am I alone"

-DavidCPA

Heh - Hey, Jeff, not only do we have the same birthday but my 13 year old daughter got me the Godfather DVD set also.

BTW, the only reason Jeff Green allows me to write for his magazine is that I may be the only person in the industry that's older than he is! ;)

Happy Birthday to both of you old fogeys!

--Dave

Well then, happy birthday Jeff squared.

Thanks to Gordon for mentioning "Easy Riders, Raging Bulls" I had meant to buy that and totally forgot about it.
-Andrew

Happy Birthday Jeff. Mine's actually today. 42 here. I have the heart of an 18 year-old though... in a jar by my monitor. Heheheh.

Jeffs-Happy birthday to you both. I hope you have a great year, happy marriages, happy kids and happy times.

Jeff Green, you're right, of course. The risk of trivializing your experience with that DVD boxed set is too great. You should just mail those to me, and I'll watch...guard them for you.

Hey, what are pals for? :-)

Damn, you're old.

Get off my lawn, Bauman!

Happy birthday to you both. Whippersnappers!

"I don't know if I'm going to spring for the DvD set. I already own a limited edition, autographed boxed version on VHS."

What is this "VHS" that you speak of?

Amanpour

"What is this "VHS" that you speak of?"

It is the only way to get Band of Brothers right now.

"It is the only way to get Band of Brothers right now."

I thought you told me that was an 8-track.

Amanpour

"Jeff Green, you're right, of course. The risk of trivializing your experience with that DVD boxed set is too great. You should just mail those to me, and I'll watch...guard them for you.

Hey, what are pals for? :-) "

Kazz, you get off my lawn too. Damn kids. :)

Jeff
(just back from seeing Bob Dylan. Best...concert...EVER!)

Lucky Jeff, I'd love to see Dylan.

I was a huge fan for a long time and then sort of fell away. You could say that I used to care, but, things had changed. Which is accurate but probably too punny for even a message board late on a Sunday night.

It's all been reawakened with "Things Have Changed", from Wonder Boys, which is a song I can't get out of my head, in a most wonderful way.

Haven't heard the new album yet. Is it as good as I've read?

-Andrew

Bub,
(and oops I guess this is now waaaay off-topic)

He's doing Things Have Changed almost every nite, from what I can tell. There's about 6-7 songs he does consistently, but then he mixes it up after that. We were lucky enough to hear him on Sat. do "Knockin on Heavens Door" (my fave), Rainy Day Women, and even a cut from John Wesley Harding, my favorite album.

The new album is *great* --- I don't know what happened to him, but he is just completely invigorated now, both musically and lyrically. He is composing great songs again, and he is playing them with authority. If you're at all a fan, you should buy it.

The coolest thing about the show Saturday nite was just how totally in command he was--of the band, his songs, and the audience. The guy is 60 years old, and he had the place, which had way more of the 17-25 crowd than I would have imagined, enthralled.

One of the high points in my concert-going life: I was in college, 1975, Joan Baez concert. About 4th row, close to middle. Around half-way through her show, she said "I'd like to bring a friend out, if you folks don't mind." This ragged guy with a bandana on his head comes out, with an acoustic guitar and a harmonica holder around his neck. I honestly didn't know who it was at first (but remember, this WAS the 70s, and I may not have been at my highest mental accuity at that moment ;) ) and then he starts blowing on that harp, and the crowd erupted. Dylan and Baez did about an hour together, and she let him do quite a few songs solo. A truly amazing evening.

"The coolest thing about the show Saturday nite was just how totally in command he was--of the band, his songs, and the audience. The guy is 60 years old..."

Heh, we know why that you thought that was cool, just-turned-40 Jeff Green. ;)

"Heh, we know why that you thought that was cool, just-turned-40 Jeff Green. ;) "

Hey--totally. I'll cop to that. That's the thing, though--it was inspiring. To see a guy at that age, still on top of his game, in a business that caters to the young--well, obviously it held meaning for me. I really felt like part of the subtext of the whole show was, "you think today's bands can rock? Here's how you really do it." And his harp solos were awesome--I had no idea he actually could really play that thing.

Jeff Baby, get on down the road, you ain't got no brains, nohow. Sorry. ;-)

So, have you seen Dylan before? Just wondering what the new band is like live in comparison to the last one. I saw him twice in 98, in Ottawa and Toronto on back-to-back nights (different sets, and the Toronto show included a great cover of Gordon Lightfoot's "I'm Not Supposed to Care"), and I'm debating whether or not to catch him this time through, since the closest stop to me this time around is in Syracuse. Be interesting to see Bob on stage with Charlie Sexton.

Man, Love and Theft is amazing. It didn't grab me right away, like Time Out of Mind did, but now I can't stop playing it. It's goofy, serious, funny, sad -- some lines crack you up and the next really bring you down. Brilliant writing.

BTW, Jeff, did you get the cardboard sleeve edition with the two-track live bonus disc? Great addition. I also managed to pick up another live freebie they were giving away with the album purchase at HMV. Five tracks, including live Things Have Changed and (drumroll) Blind Willie McTell. Now that's one song I'd drive to Syracuse to see performed.

"Kazz, you get off my lawn too. Damn kids. :) "

Sure, but first...I want my two dollars!

"One of the high points in my concert-going life: I was in college, 1975, Joan Baez concert."

You were in college then too, Jeff? Good to know there's more than one fellow geezer frequenting this board. :) Didn't see Dylan that year, but did see the Stones on their American tour in Cleveland. That was the year Ron Wood joined the band. Helluva concert.

And speaking of 1975 and the Godfather DVD, wasn't that the year The Godfather II was released?

Brett: I've seen Dylan twice before--but this concert blew both of those away. It wasn't even close. The first 2 times it was like he was just sleepwalking through the show. This was a whole different deal. You can tell he's enjoying himself and that he wants to do this. I'd *highly* recommend catching this tour if you can.

I do have the cardboard sleeve edition of Love and Theft--yeah, good stuff. Oh and I think he is doing Blind Willie McTell some nites. You can check all the set lists at bobdylan.com.

Jeff

"And speaking of 1975 and the Godfather DVD, wasn't that the year The Godfather II was released?"

Ho Ha's! That was 1974, my friend. The cold one.

Greetz..

I remember being a kid and seeing the Godfather on TV. My father was loving it, but having a fit about the kids watching it. Looking back, I'm a bit surprised that they showed the long scene with Sonny getting plastered.

Jeff: I really liked the 98 shows, especially the one in Ottawa. Played a really varied collection of tunes, including "Girl From The North Country." Thanks for the info on the new show. Looks like I'll have to head on over to ticketmaster...

Brett---don't miss it. If you're at all a fan, you really want to see this tour.

Reason #1 to buy the Godfather DVD Box: to see Robert De Niro's screen test as Sonny Corleone.

"I really liked the 98 shows, especially the one in Ottawa."

I did not like the 1998 Godfather. It was not very good at the Italian cultural parts, and the helicopter was more of a cartel than a mafia event. The helicopters are mysteriously misplaced, that is for sure. You should see the better ones first, before you boast of the 1998 one, my friend.

Greetz..

"Won't ya fly, high, yeah, freeeeberg..."
(ripping guitar solo)

DormOnkey