8mm Forum: THE GODFATHER -- 400 foot edition

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Posted by Tony Stucchio (Member # 519) on September 17, 2007, 07:22 PM:

THE GODFATHER -- 400 foot edition (which is actually 330 feet, according to the box.) Marketing Films

How do you create a 17 minute extract from a nearly three-hour film? Marketing did an average job tackling the problem. It opens with about one-minute of Don Corleone (Brando) talking about not wanting to get into the drug business, followed by his getting gunned-down while buying fruit in the city. The lengthiest scene follows -- Michael (Pacino)guns down Capt. McCluskey and Solozzo in the Italian restaurant. Then we have the Don miraculously back up and around (without any explanation) talking with Michael, followed by his death while playing with his grandchild in the vegetable garden. You also get Tessio (the traitor) talking with Michael at the funeral, and the baptism scene with cuts to several of Michael's ordered hits. (Moe Green, Tataglia, Barzinni, etc.) Carlo Rizzi gets strangled in a car by Clemenza and kicks out the front windshield. Michael denies to Kay that he ordered the hit. Then Michael is officially recognized as the new Don Corleone.

The extract makes no sense unless you've seen the whole picture. (And who hasn't?) But unlike the best extracts, you certainly don't feel like you've seen the whole picture. What, no horse's head in the bed? No part of Brando's opening speech? What about "Leave the gun, take the cannoli", or "made him an offer he couldn't refuse"? You won't find it here.

The print: Looks like a dupe. I purchased it new in 1979, and it somehow has not faded. (It is printed on Eastman Safety.) The color was never that good to begin with, but mostly because of the "dupey" quality. The opening "Marketing Films" title with the blue background proves to me that the print has not faded one bit in 28 years. It is probably afraid of getting whacked my Michael Corleone if it fades.

I have never owned nor seen another title from Marketing. Is the quality I describe typical? Short of buying the whole feature, I would be interested in seeing the 3-part extract. Both of these, by the way, were also available from Marketing.

Posted by Winbert Hutahaean (Member # 58) on September 18, 2007, 12:36 AM:

Toni,

Some later MArketing releases are good such as Indiana Jones, Star Trek,(some later in Germany) Star Wars, etc.

But for Godfather 1 & 2 the 3 parter do look the same like your description. I have both and they are in sephia colour.

This is 2 screen shots of

Godfather 1 (3 x 400")

Godfather 2 (3 x 400")

Can somobody tell us why these particular titles look so terrible?. If the case becuase of dupe prints, did not Marketing had a legal contract from Paramount?

thanks,

Posted by Tony Stucchio (Member # 519) on September 18, 2007, 06:34 PM:

Mine looks much better than that. Like I said, no fade or redness. I will have to post a pic of my own when I get around to it -- just watched it the other night and don't feel liking watching it again right away.

Posted by Winbert Hutahaean (Member # 58) on September 19, 2007, 03:02 AM:

Tony,

I think someone said here that the full feature of Marketing always even worse!! (I don't have one)

And for these particular Godfather 1 & 2 have also been confirmed here would have that sephia tone. So, I don't know if a better color is available now for 3 parter.

cheers,

Posted by Gerald Santana (Member # 2362) on September 07, 2011, 03:31 PM:

Hi Fellas,

I was just cleaning up my computers hard drive and saw these screen-shots; thought I should put them up here. These are from the 400' Selected Scene edition.

MORE SCREEN SHOTS HERE

[ September 08, 2011, 09:57 PM: Message edited by: Gerald Santana ]

Posted by Brad Kimball (Member # 5) on September 07, 2011, 06:24 PM:

I have the 3-parter of "Ten Commandments". It also has the titles against a blue background and it did look a little soft when I last viewed them. The colors were still okay, but I know what you mean by it being a bit grainy. Perhaps Paramount didn't furnish Marketing with very good masters.

Posted by Gerald Santana (Member # 2362) on September 07, 2011, 10:29 PM:

Laksmi Breathwaite has taken some screen shots of the Ten Commandments, I did too before I sold the 400' edition to another Forum member. It is a soft print with good color. The same could be said about Grease however, the focus there is much softer. The Godfather however, is nice and sharp with some fade but as you can see, not much.

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