The Godfather Sapphire Edition Blu-ray | February 2, 2010

[DMC86X]

Originally Posted by Chiyo_chichi

Why no part III? Why doesn't anyone like it? I did....

Because it didnt win the Oscar for best picture, like the first two did. The Saphire Series is looking like all best picture winners. Or at least thats the case so far.

[DMC86X]

Originally Posted by robchow

Why doesn’t Paramount just slap a "Sapphire Series" label on the box set as the individual release discs are identical to the one in the set?

Read above post

[steve_dave]

This my same post from the Godfather Part II thread:

Originally Posted by steve_dave

The Sapphire Series tagline is The Best Picture in The The Best Picture:

The Godfather and The Godfather Part II both won Best Picture Academy Awards. The Godfather Part II also was the first sequel to take that honor home.

The Godfather Part III did not win any Academy Awards and was only nominated in several catagories.

As for why it seems like they are being lazy?

Paramount, along with Warner, are having an Academy Awards promotion coming starting on February 2nd. Several titles from Paramount and Warner are being re-released with special Academy Award gold slipcovers boasting about the award or awards the film won.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Top Gun, Hustle & Flow, There Will Be Blood, Ghost, The Duchess, and The Untouchables are from Paramount.

From Warner's side comes Casablanca and Amadeus.

Art for Casablanca:



Art for There Will Be Blood:

[blakXzep]

Originally Posted by steve_dave

This my same post from the Godfather Part II thread:

Well I rather get the Criterion Ben Button then. Will Paramount take away the criterion cover art off for the Academy Awards?

[steve_dave]

Its just a slicover that goes over the regular BD case so Benjamin Button will still be the same release but now with a fancy Academy Award Gold siipcover. Of course for Benjamin Button, I'm sure the key art used for the front will be the same as before but now smaller and in a frame. The back covers for these re-releases will also be similar to the previous non-shiny cover.

Studios have been doing this for a few years now with DVD: Fox, Sony, Universal, Paramount, Disney, and Warner all did it for their DVDs.

[papaholmz]

Originally Posted by Sussudio

Why is this pointless? God forbid consumers should have a choice if they don't want to own all 3 movies....

God forbid I should express my opinion. What the hell is a forum for if not to express one's opinion?

Maybe I should clarify my position since you're have trouble grasping it. I think it is pointless to release these movies under the "Sapphire" brand when there are plenty of other studio movies that have yet to be released and could benefit from the "Sapphire" treatment.

On top of that, the trilogy (which comes with some awesome extras) is currently $49.99 at amazon.com while the two Sapphire editions are $24.49 each..... so, for an extra $1.01 you get the third movie and some awesome extras.

And, to your point earlier, I'm sure the Sapphire editions will drop in price, but you can get the trilogy third-party for about $43.

So, yes, I think this is pointless.

-papaholmz

[toef]

Originally Posted by surfdude12

Coppola himself said on the Blu-ray commentary track (I'm paraphrasing): "I never intended the third movie to be called 'Godfather, part 3', and instead 'The Death of Michael Corleone'" and explains how paramount obviously forced his hand, to piggy back on the reputation of the first 2 movies.

So, for those die-hard Coppola fans, they can now get the director-intended series, just parts 1 and 2. I like the 3rd movie, but can see how some dont consider it part of the Godfather series, especially if COppola doesnt.

I'm not sure I believe that. I'm sure he said it, but it might be a bit of back-pedaling on his part, after how poorly the third movie was received.

Even if he knew it was bad when he was filming it, it may've been a cash-grab on his part, and saying it's not supposed to be part of the Godfather series is just an excuse for why it wasn't that good. He can call it whatever he wants, but people would know it's a sequel to Godfather Part II.

In any case, I don't think it's that bad. It's an average movie, maybe a little better, so it's not a bad movie. It obviously just suffers in comparison to the others.

[DMC86X]

Originally Posted by papaholmz

God forbid I should express my opinion. What the hell is a forum for if not to express one's opinion?

Maybe I should clarify my position since you're have trouble grasping it. I think it is pointless to release these movies under the "Sapphire" brand when there are plenty of other studio movies that have yet to be released and could benefit from the "Sapphire" treatment.
On top of that, the trilogy (which comes with some awesome extras) is currently $49.99 at amazon.com while the two Sapphire editions are $24.49 each..... so, for an extra $1.01 you get the third movie and some awesome extras.

And, to your point earlier, I'm sure the Sapphire editions will drop in price, but you can get the trilogy third-party for about $43.

So, yes, I think this is pointless.

-papaholmz

Well the only titles that will get the Saphire treatment are Paramount titles that have won the Oscar for best picture. So this is probably the last of the Saphire editions being that these five movies( Braveheart, Gump, gladiator, Godfather 1 &2) are the only paramount titles that are worth being on Blu.

[steve_dave]

Originally Posted by DMC86X

Well the only titles that will get the Saphire treatment are Paramount titles that have won the Oscar for best picture. So this is probably the last of the Saphire editions being that these five movies( Braveheart, Gump, gladiator, Godfather 1 &2) are the only paramount titles that are worth being on Blu.

Wow. Let me enlighten you to some contemporary movies that won Best Picture from Paramount and Dreamworks that may be worth your time.

American Beauty
A Beautiful Mind
Titanic
Terms of Endearment
Ordinary People

And the classics:

Wings
Going My Way
The Lost Weekend
The Greatest Show on Earth

So that's a pretty good assortment to choose from. We may even finally get the Robert Redford commentary for Ordinary People that Paramount has been trying to record for years.

[surfdude12]

Originally Posted by toefer

I'm not sure I believe that. I'm sure he said it, but it might be a bit of back-pedaling on his part, after how poorly the third movie was received.

Even if he knew it was bad when he was filming it, it may've been a cash-grab on his part, and saying it's not supposed to be part of the Godfather series is just an excuse for why it wasn't that good. He can call it whatever he wants, but people would know it's a sequel to Godfather Part II.

In any case, I don't think it's that bad. It's an average movie, maybe a little better, so it's not a bad movie. It obviously just suffers in comparison to the others.

good points. i'm referring to the audio commentary at the end of either part1 or part 2 (can't remember off hand now). he actually said the third one wasn't to be called "godfather," so its my inference that he wouldn't count it in the "godfather series." i still like part 3 too, a great film IMO!
whether its bad and whether its part of the series may be different issues, or you may be right that coppola is covering his tush. i dont know enough history on it to know more.

[papaholmz]

Originally Posted by steve_dave

a beautiful mind
titanic
wings
the greatest show on earth

+1

[kefrank]

Originally Posted by papaholmz

Maybe I should clarify my position since you're have trouble grasping it. I think it is pointless to release these movies under the "Sapphire" brand when there are plenty of other studio movies that have yet to be released and could benefit from the "Sapphire" treatment.

On top of that, the trilogy (which comes with some awesome extras) is currently $49.99 at amazon.com while the two Sapphire editions are $24.49 each..... so, for an extra $1.01 you get the third movie and some awesome extras.

And, to your point earlier, I'm sure the Sapphire editions will drop in price, but you can get the trilogy third-party for about $43.

So, yes, I think this is pointless.

"Pointless" isn't really the term I think you're intending to use. Obviously there is a point to releasing these:
-- Make the individual releases available for those who don't want the trilogy
-- Capitalize on an Oscar-season marketing opportunity with virtually no effort required since the discs have long been done

You may have no personal interest in these releases and may be frustrated that other titles aren't getting Sapphire treatment, but that doesn't make these releases objectively "pointless." Furthermore, since this is essentially just a repackaging of existing discs, it's not as if Paramount is spending money and energy that could otherwise go to producing Sapphire editions of other movies. One doesn't preclude the other in this case.

[moonstruck]

Originally Posted by DMC86X

Because it didnt win the Oscar for best picture, like the first two did. The Saphire Series is looking like all best picture winners. Or at least thats the case so far.

If "Chinatown" and "The Ten Commandments" aren't part of the Sapphire Series then Paramount is being very short sighted. IMHO each should have won best picture the year they were nominated. Yes, that means "The Godfather Part II" shouldn't have won over "Chinatown". Again...IMHO.

[steve_dave]

Originally Posted by moonstruck

If "Chinatown" and "The Ten Commandments" aren't part of the Sapphire Series then Paramount is being very short sighted. IMHO each should have won best picture the year they were nominated. Yes, that means "The Godfather Part II" shouldn't have won over "Chinatown". Again...IMHO.

I don't see any reason why Sapphire Series is better then standard special edition.

Chinatown has a very excellent release in the Centennial Collection on DVD and the Blu-ray can improve on that with 1080p video and lossless audio. Sapphire Series tag or not.

The same goes for The Ten Commandments, which also had a wonderful two-disc special edition and again the only improvements would 1080p video and lossless audio for the 1956 release and 1080p video for the 1923 release. It doesn't need the Sapphire Series banner.

[DMC86X]

Originally Posted by steve_dave

Wow. Let me enlighten you to some contemporary movies that won Best Picture from Paramount and Dreamworks that may be worth your time.

American Beauty
A Beautiful Mind
Titanic
Terms of Endearment
Ordinary People

And the classics:

Wings
Going My Way
The Lost Weekend
The Greatest Show on Earth

So that's a pretty good assortment to choose from. We may even finally get the Robert Redford commentary for Ordinary People that Paramount has been trying to record for years.

Well I wasnt talking about Dreamworks. Thanks for the enlightenment....LOL

[Offender_Mullet]

It's common sense: The Godfather Sapphire Series releases are made to make idiots (if you already own the blu-ray trilogy) take a big fatty sweaty double-dip. Sure, it has the attractive name, "Sapphire Series" attached to it.....but.....c'mon.....get real.....The Godfather Trilogy blu-ray set was released just one year ago. Oh but don't worry, we'll be getting the 40th anniversary edition soon enough, in 2012. Maybe it'll be dubbed the "Superlative Collection".

This release has nothing to do with "for people who didn't like the 3rd one" or "Best Picture winner" guys, seriously.....wake up......those are all meaningless non-business sense reasons. The studios need to milk the right movies for all their worth, over and over and over.....so all power to them if people want to blow their cash on the same thing time and time again.

[DMC86X]

Originally Posted by Offender_Mullet

It's common sense: The Godfather Sapphire Series releases are made to make idiots (if you already own the blu-ray trilogy) take a big fatty sweaty double-dip. Sure, it has the attractive name, "Sapphire Series" attached to it.....but.....c'mon.....get real.....The Godfather Trilogy blu-ray set was released just one year ago. Oh but don't worry, we'll be getting the 40th anniversary edition soon enough, in 2012. Maybe it'll be dubbed the "Superlative Collection".

This release has nothing to do with "for people who didn't like the 3rd one" or "Best Picture winner" guys, seriously.....wake up......those are all meaningless non-business sense reasons. The studios need to milk the right movies for all their worth, over and over and over.....so all power to them if people want to blow their cash on the same thing time and time again.

Nah, not me. I dont own the Godfather on Blu. So for me this release is great. I dont believe in double dipping.

[Offender_Mullet]

Then you're in the clear.

[nolfoc]

Originally Posted by DMC86X

Nah, not me. I dont own the Godfather on Blu. So for me this release is great. I dont believe in double dipping.

i dont own this either because i was waiting for them to break up the trilogy, so this is a great release for me as well... however about double dipping if they have better picture and sound thats when ill double dip... other then that forget about it.. i already own goodfellas, and in Feb. the digibook 20th anniversary is coming out if its an upgrade on PQ then i will be double dipping. otherwise i will continue to enjoy my copy!

[DMC86X]

Originally Posted by nolfoc

i dont own this either because i was waiting for them to break up the trilogy, so this is a great release for me as well... however about double dipping if they have better picture and sound thats when ill double dip... other then that forget about it.. i already own goodfellas, and in Feb. the digibook 20th anniversary is coming out if its an upgrade on PQ then i will be double dipping. otherwise i will continue to enjoy my copy!

This calliber of movies deserve their own individual releases anyway.