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Showing posts with the label 1970s

Classic Movie Fact of the Week: The Mafia and «The Godfather»

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Did you know that...  In Francis Ford Coppola's acclaimed Best Picture winner The Godfather (1972), the word «Mafia» is never heard on screen because the real Mafia did not allow its use.   Written by Mario Puzo based on his own eponymous bestselling novel, The Godfather chronicles ten years in the life of a fictional New York crime family. Academy Award winner Marlon Brando played the patriarch, Vito Corleone, while Al Pacino co-starred as his younger son Michael, who goes from being a reluctant family outsider to a ruthless mafia boss. The cast also included James Caan, Robert Duvall, Talia Shire and Diane Keaton. Critically acclaimed upon release, The Godfather became the highest-grossing film of 1972, winning Oscars for Best Picture, Best Actor (Brando) and Best Adapted Screenplay.   Due to its subject matter, The Godfather originally faced great opposition from Italian-Americans to filming on location in New York. In addition, the Italian-American Civil Rights L...

The Beatles Film Blogathon: "Let It Be" (1970)

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Theatrical release poster Directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg, Let It Be (1970) observes The Beatles from a "fly-on-the-wall" pe rspecti ve, without any kind of narrative, scene titles or intervi ew s, as they rehearse and record s on g for the album Let It Be . The documentary opens with the band rehearsing on a sound stage at Twickenham Film Studios. The songs are still works in progress and numerous run-throughs take place as the group gradually shapes them, breaking off for discussions on how to improve both music and lyrics in between. Highlights include an argument between Paul McCartney and George Harrison over a guitar riff in "Two of U s "; an improvised piano boogie duet featuring Paul and Ringo Starr ; and John Lennon and Yoko Ono dancing while Harrison sings "I Me Mine ." Next, we see the band arriving at Apple Studios, where they begin the recording process for Let It Be . Ringo and George work on "Octopus's Garden" and...