Influential films that are a bit rubs really

[Sebastian Cobb]

It seems to be people in their 30s who work in middle management being the biggest fans of Star Wars and Marvel. In my experience anyway. The young kids and 20 somethings I know couldn't give a toss about them.

I find it hard to believe middle managers would just lap up any shit they're fed.

[Dr Rock]

I have a few young nephews who love Star Wars.

[greenman]

I completely disagree.

it's probably my no.1 entry for this category. It feels like they took a sort of interesting gangster film, but one they had kind of already done and is redundant as most sequels are, and cut in a BBC period drama about ye olde new york.

it's pretty enjoyable, all the casino wranglings and things, but I don't see how it's a patch on the original and I'd put it some way down my favourite mafia films. (maybe. how many mafia films are there? is it realistic to say there's like 50? or does it just seem like there is?)

The first film does I think lose a bit of focus after restaurant assassinations, certainly not dull but not quite at the level it is prior to that.

I'd tend to agree about the flashbacks in the sequel, I mean there well made and reasonably interesting but not really enthralling for me, especially relative to something like Once Upon A Time In America. You could argue I spose they work somewhat as breaks between the constant tension of the Michael plot.

Yeah the Micheal stuff is going over similar kinds of details to what we see in the original but I actually find it better made. Pacino especially is I think on a career best level in that film, Cazale gets more time as well and indeed I think Michael V. Gazzo is an improved replacement. Generally it just feels like its moving a bit more away from pulpy gangster expose of the original and more towards a story building off of the characters.

[NoSleep]

I have to wonder if Once Upon A Time In America (which is possibly the single greatest film of all time) would ever have been made (and it was a difficult birth, nonetheless) if it hadn't been for The Godfather.

[greenman]

I have to wonder if Once Upon A Time In America (which is possibly the single greatest film of all time) would ever have been made (and it was a difficult birth, nonetheless) if it hadn't been for The Godfather.

Probably my favourite gangster film and yeah I can certainly see the Godfathers success making it easier to push for although perhaps also ment that the obvious differences in style caused problems? plus of course the Godfather Saga TV series arguably served as a blueprint for the studio's mangled US hack job looking to put events in sequence.

[Shit Good Nose]

the studio's mangled US hack job looking to put events in sequence.

The Epic and Trilogy chronological versions (the ones that Coppola put out after the terrible TV version) are very very fine, though.  Granted they completely remove the clever structures of the first and second films as stand alones, but equally they work as a proper fluid saga.

[greenman]

The Epic and Trilogy chronological versions (the ones that Coppola put out after the terrible TV version) are very very fine, though.  Granted they completely remove the clever structures of the first and second films as stand alones, but equally they work as a proper fluid saga.

Yeah I think there far more successful than the US cut of Once Upon A Time In America where I think whilst the film was always reasonably sequential the framing of it all as flashbacks from the old Noodles is really key to what its after in terms of nostalgia, regret, etc.