The Godfather trilogy on ABC2
ABC2 is screening the Godfather trilogy across the long weekend.
- Published by David Knox
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Here’s one way to spend your Easter….
ABC2 is screening the Godfather trilogy across the long weekend.
BYO horse head.
9:30pm Friday March 29
Movie: The Godfather
Screening over consecutive nights are all three movies of The Godfather. ‘Don’ Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando), the head and boss of a New York Mafia ‘family’, oversees his daughter’s wedding. His son Michael (Al Pacino) has just come home from the war, but does not intend to become part of his father’s business. Through Michael’s life the nature of the family business becomes clear. The business of the family is just like the head of the family, kind and benevolent to those who give respect, but given to ruthless violence whenever anything stands against the good of the family. An up-and-coming rival of the Corleone family wants to start selling drugs in New York, and needs the Don’s influence to further his plan. The clash of the Don’s fading old world values and the new ways will demand a terrible price, especially from Michael, all for the sake of the family. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, The Godfather stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan and Robert Duvall.
9:30pm Saturday March 30
Movie: The Godfather: Part II
The saga of the two Corleone generations continues with two parallel storylines. One involves Mafia chief Michael Corleone after the events of the first movie; the other is a series of flashbacks following his father, Vito Corleone, from his youth in Sicily to the founding of the Corleone family in New York. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, The Godfather Part II stars Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, Lee Strasberg and Talia Shire.
9:30pm Sunday March 31
Movie: The Godfather: Part III
A compelling follow-up to the previous two classic films. Michael Corleone has a strong desire to escape the corruption of his ‘family business’ but fate and circumstance dictate otherwise. It seems all the power on Earth can’t change destiny – every time Michael tries to get out and ‘go legit’, he’s pulled back in…Â Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, The Godfather: Part III stars Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, Andy Garcia, Franc D’Ambrosio, Bridget Fonda and George Hamilton.
12 Responses
C’mon Jason, I was playing the same game! Marlon Brando is supposed to have padded his cheeks with cotton wool to give himself more of a bulldog look. (He actually only did that during his audition and used a prosthesis in the film). You have to admit, when he delivers his lines it’s not exactly with the clearest diction.
@Secret Squirrel – It’s a line from the first film. “We made him an offer he couldn’t refuse”.
Given that it is on ABC, no commercials is always a plus and I haven;t really watched these movies all the way through, I do not have them on DVD, so now might be a good time to watch them. Hopefully they will be uncensored, given they are on at 9.30 pm. Sounds like a good plan.
The only bit I can see being censored in the 1st film may be the horses head scene, but I have scene that scene on a tv broadcast before so I think its more than likely to be uncut.
The Godfather was originally classified R18+, however, a few years ago, the rating was lowered to an MA15+ (along with some other R18+ films, including Clerks, The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly etc.). It remains to be seen whether ABC would be permitted to air the uncut version of the first film under current television censorship laws.
Incidentally, the ABC has given Part II an MA15+ despite being given an M rating by the OFLC way in 1975 and even as recently as 2008. Parts II and III are likely to be uncut however Part I may be edited if the ABC are still expected to treat the uncensored version as an R18+ film.
@Jason – I can’t understand what you’re saying. Take the cotton wool out of your cheeks.
ABC2’s making me an offer I can’t refuse.
@ Dr_Rud and David Knox.
I can’t see why they wont be uncut. I have the 3 on dvds and the 1st one is MA rated, the other two are M rated and I see in the tv guide the 1st one has an AV rating and the other two M rated.
@thebgl – agreed. Part II set the standards for sequels, arguably being better than the original. Part III is watchable but def the weakest of the trilogy. I don’t know what Sofia Coppola was doing in it.
David, are these un-edited, do you know?
Doubtful.
The original Godfather Parts 1 and 2 are up there as some of the greatest films of all time. Part 3 is not as good but worth watching. If you have not yet seen these films I recommended you tune in to ABC2 this Easter Weekend and see Al Pacino`s brilliant portrayal of Michael Corleone, not to mention the performances of Marlon Brando, Robert De Niro, James Caan, Diane Keaton and many other great actors that made this movie a classic piece of cinema.