The Offer (making of The Godfather TV drama)

[Better Midlands]

This is pretty decent, Matthew Goode is excellent as Bob Evans

[extraordinary walnuts]

I'm about half way through this and loving it. Agreed about Matthew Goode's performance, hugely entertaining. The guy playing Mario Puzo looks and acts just like a young Ben Cafferty from Veep!

[notjosh]

Sounds fun, but not sure how they're getting 10 episodes out of this.

[Ant Farm Keyboard]

I'd rather see a miniseries about the making of another Albert S. Ruddy production seen from his point of view, Megaforce.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

I'm really enjoying this so far. I wasn't convinced at first, as episode one suffers from a severe case of clunky showbiz biopicitis - "Hey, flamboyant Hollywood mogul Robert Evans, isn't that the famous singer and actor Frank Sinatra?" - but it gradually settles down.

It's knowingly big and broad, it doesn't pretend to be anything other than a frothy piece of entertainment. And it's factually correct for the most part. Also, I agree that Matthew Goode is brilliant as Robert Evans. The whole thing is perfectly cast, in fact.

I hope the same team produces a miniseries about the making of Jaws one day.

[Better Midlands]

It's knowingly big and broad, it doesn't pretend to be anything other than a frothy piece of entertainment.

That's about right, reminds me a bit of Vinyl, probably because Juno Temple plays basically the same character and it's set in the 70s.

[Dex Sawash]

Accidentally started this instead of E1 of Star Trek Pike series and was confused af for 10 minutes.

[studpuppet]

I'm really enjoying this so far. I wasn't convinced at first, as episode one suffers from a severe case of clunky showbiz biopicitis - "Hey, flamboyant Hollywood mogul Robert Evans, isn't that the famous singer and actor Frank Sinatra?" - but it gradually settles down.

It's knowingly big and broad, it doesn't pretend to be anything other than a frothy piece of entertainment. And it's factually correct for the most part. Also, I agree that Matthew Goode is brilliant as Robert Evans. The whole thing is perfectly cast, in fact.

I hope the same team produces a miniseries about the making of Jaws one day.

Just finished this, and enjoyed it - they concentrated on voices rather than looks and Robert Evans is perfect. Started re-listening to The Kid Stays In The Picture and it's uncanny. In a way it reminded me of 'Pistol' in that it's broad strokes, but at least it might get the casual viewer interested in delving deeper.

Yes, they should definitely do a Jaws making-of (using the three actors from 'The Shark Is Broken'); and it's a shame that Hearts Of Darkness is already out there otherwise the Coppola actor might have gotten another payday. Maybe Disney will pay them to do Star Wars (including an episode on the Holiday Special).

[studpuppet]

Just reminded myself of his filmed pitch to Gulf + Western's investors when they were considering selling Paramount off (in The Offer, he does something similar in the boardroom scene).

Imagine knowing you've got two of the greatest movies in the pipeline, and yet you're still fighting for your job and your company.

If you've never seen/heard it, either the audiobook or the film (which is pretty much the audiobook accompanied by relevant visuals) of The Kid Stays In The Picture is well worth watching alongside this series.

[Ant Farm Keyboard]

I don't know if it's mentioned in the show, but both Love Story and The Godfather apparently started out as spec scripts bought by Paramount. Evans claimed that it was his idea to get the original writer to put together a "novelisation", as he thought they had potential to become best selling books and build expectations for the film version.

In the original film roll (most of it is featured as an extra on the DVD of The Kid Stays in the Picture), there are many other projects mentioned, like The Odd Couple (plus a few clunkers).

[badaids]

Thanks for pointing this out.  I am enjoying this so far however...

The dialogue is really clunky and keeps insisting on stating very clearly what is going on which is annoying in a way which reminds of of Vyvyan shouting 'oh look here comes the postman!'. 

The performance are great, but it's annoying that everyone seems intent on chewing the scenery and trying to give a bigger character performance than their screenmates.

It's got Giovanni Ribisi who I find intensely unlikeable because he's a hardcore scientologist.

The theme tune is good though.

[Better Midlands]

Mario Puzo working on the Superman/II stories was a real fuck my hatter.

[Ant Farm Keyboard]

Mario Puzo working on the Superman/II stories was a real fuck my hatter.

He ended up writing the script to the other 1992 Christopher Columbus movie, the one that was produced by the Salkinds and didn't have Ridley Scott, Vangelis or Gérard Depardieu, but Brando was there as Torquemada. The press kit was apparently quite a hoot, but not on purpose, as it would lay praise such as "Written by the screenwriter of the three Godfather movies, produced by the producers of the first three Superman movies, directed by the director of the last five James Bond", etc.