ISSUE #65
BEAM FROM THE BOOTH | GRAND RAPIDS FILM SOCIETY
[EDITED BY: GRIFFIN SHERIDAN & SPENCER EVERHART]
Hello and welcome back to an all-new installment of BEAM FROM THE BOOTH brought to you by GRAND RAPIDS FILM SOCIETY!
We hope everyone had a safe holiday last week. While we have no events for you this week, we do have an exciting double dose for you NEXT WEEK — starting with the continuation of our SUMMER OF SEQUELS series.
NEXT MONDAY (7/15) we’ll be screening what is arguably the greatest sequel of all time: Francis Ford Coppola’s THE GODFATHER PART II. To make this particular screening even more special, it is both a celebration of the film’s 50th ANNIVERSARY and the 50th GRFS FILM SCREENING! Needless to say, we’ll be celebrating in style, and we would love for you to join us.
Then, just the next day on TUESDAY (7/16), we’re hosting the first of an all-new social event we are offering to local filmmakers: ROUGH CUT NIGHT. Here, filmmakers will have a chance to screen early cuts of their current shorts (or unfinished scenes from their features) in a theater setting with an audience. Our own Matt Everitt has all the reasons you should attend — event if you aren’t pitching — further down, and more.
Check it out...
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
THE GODFATHER PART II AT 50
[BY: RYAN COPPING]
When Francis Ford Coppola won the Oscar for directing The Godfather Part II (1974), he began his acceptance speech by joking “I almost won this a couple of years ago for the first half of the same picture,” referring to his tough (and, in retrospect, absurd) loss to Bob Fosse for Cabaret (1972). Moments later, in the same speech, he shared his reaction to Paramount executive Charlie Bluhdorn’s commission for a sequel to The Godfather: “…my God, to do a sequel to The Godfather is a surefire way to fail and blow everything I was lucky enough to get up to that point.”
These two statements, although made in an apparently unprepared speech given under a rush of emotion, exemplify the contradiction at the heart of both the critical reception and audience experience of The Godfather Part II. The two movies have been, at times, lumped together as one film in two parts — and at other times Part II is seen as its own piece, likely the greatest sequel ever made (I would probably agree with that praise, but I would be absconding my duty as a cineaste and film guy if I failed to mention that James Whale’s 1935 Bride of Frankenstein would also be a good candidate for this designation). The Sight and Sound poll has endorsed both positions: in 2002, votes for either film were combined and the movie(s?) was/were treated as one work, coming in at #4...whereas in 2012 they were split, with The Godfather ranking at #21 and Part II ranking at #31.
Is this much of a distinction, and is it important? Well, to the extent that the way we perceive any film matters, yes. In 2024, at time of this writing, sequels, spinoffs, and franchise films drive the industry and are usually decried as a sad commentary on the state of contemporary cinema. It’s often argued that sequels are corporate cash grabs that lack creativity and pander to audiences. In 1974, the reputation of sequels was even worse — they were considered all those things, with the supposed near-certainty of making less money than the original. Movie studios still thought in terms of individual films, not the idea of a long-term franchise that could include several installments and tie-ins over the course of decades.
Since The Godfather had been the highest grossing movie ever made up until that point, it stood to reason that a sequel would still make money. One of the many things that make The Godfather Part II remarkable is not that it exists, but that it’s not the throwaway it could have been. As he explains in the commentary track for the film, Coppola initially did not want to make the movie at all, and he came onto the project partially as a way of negotiating Paramount’s financing of his personal project The Conversation (another masterpiece released, incredibly, in the same year).
Aware of the dismal reputation of sequels, Coppola tried to give the movie prestige, partially by arguing that it wasn’t a sequel at all; actually, it was the second half of a single film. The title itself is a key to demonstrating this line of thought. Over the objections of the studio, he insisted that the title should be a Roman-numerated Part II in the tradition of Shakespeare and Eisenstein, and, so far as I can tell, a first for Hollywood. The success of subsequent numbered franchise sequels has now obscured this appeal to cultural elites.
So, is Part II simply the continuation of the first film, or is it its own movie? There are arguments for both positions. First, the former: Godfather II makes absolutely no allowance for anyone who has not seen the first picture. Most of the returning characters re-appear with no introduction or explanation for those who are not familiar with them. There is also no recap of the plot of The Godfather, and (thankfully) there is no scene where the characters awkwardly remind each other for the benefit of the audience of what has already happened (“Do you remember that time that we engaged in a gang war after dad was shot, and Sonny took over him while he was sick, and...?”). There are also several narrative and visual references that rely on the first movie for context, the most notable being the flashback that concludes the film.
On the other hand, The Godfather ends on a note of closure and does feel like a finished work. I imagine that, if asked, viewers of that film can imagine something like Michael’s ultimate self-chosen fate, though that prediction makes it no less harrowing to watch. Part II also has some of the production problems that are inherent to sequels. Negotiations for actor Richard Castellano to return as an older Clemenza fell through, so his part was re-written for Frank Pentangeli, a new character played by Michael V. Gazzo. Gazzo is fantastic in the role (he received an Oscar nomination), but the audience lacks the instant emotional connection and trust they would give to Castellano’s character. Worse, the substitution of Pentangeli, a trusted family ally who somehow was not seen or mentioned in the first movie, is obvious — one of the film’s few flaws.
Although Part II is usually discussed as a sequel, it is — of course — also a prequel, and the episodes of a young Vito Corleone (Robert De Niro) also rely on our knowledge of the first movie for dramatic irony. We know what will happen: Vito will become a rich crime boss and loving father (a contradiction he seems oblivious to) and these scenes would play much differently than they would if we did not know his ultimate destination (it is worth noting that Coppola has authorized various edits of both films — and later, Part III — for TV and home video where the narrative is presented in chronological order).
Ultimately, though, it helped to give the movie some prestige at the time. I don’t think presenting Part II as either the continuation of a single film or a sequel changes viewers’ enjoyment of watching it that much (we’ll save a conversation of where Part III/Coda fits for another time). Adopting either perspective still results in a profound and emotionally devastating viewing experience and allows us to appreciate Coppola’s ability to take the film medium to the very greatest of heights. Criticism that the resulting success of the movie laid the foundation for Rocky V and RoboCop 3 may be true, but it ignores that The Lord of the Rings and Before Sunset also may not have existed without it. Though it was not the first great sequel, The Godfather Part II demonstrated to both Hollywood and popular audiences that a follow-up to a great movie could be something profound. It widened the potential canvas that filmmakers have to work on — one of the many, many reasons any lover of cinema should be grateful to Francis Ford Coppola.
4 REASONS TO ATTEND ROUGH CUT NIGHT (EVEN IF YOU’RE NOT SCREENING)
[BY: MATT EVERITT]
Rough Cut Night is coming up on Tuesday, July 16th! We have five short films to check out in various stages of the editing process. You should come, and here’s why:
You may not have a rough cut to screen yet, but you will someday.
It means quite a bit to filmmakers to have the support of their community. The rough cut is an incredibly vulnerable time in the process, and lot of filmmakers know where the project needs to be, but for a variety of reasons it’s not there yet. Creating an environment where unfinished work can be shared by people looking to help is an important part of growth for any film community.
You might have some insight that could help someone take their project up a notch.
There’s the old story of how Star Wars was saved in the edit; if you haven’t heard it, do yourself a favor and watch this:
In fact, now that I think about it, this story alone is why I hope you come to Rough Cut Night. George Lucas was very lucky to be married to Marcia and gain her skill and insight as an editor, but a lot of us don’t have that luxury (and it didn’t last long for George either because well…he’s George.)
You’ll be able to get a look into other people’s processes.
I’ve always learned so much from watching other people’s rough cuts and how they change into the final product. Every editor is different, so every rough cut is different. You’ll be able to see where they get stuck — or where they don’t — and how they push through, and you’ll be able to take notes for your next project.
It’s refreshing to be in a room of people who know how to give good notes.
My job requires me to get notes from people who, despite my best efforts, still offer solutions rather than pointing out the problem they see and allowing me to problem solve. I long for the safety of a room of people who are there to help identify problems and only offer solutions if they’re asked for.
FOODS ON SCREEN I WISH I COULD EAT
[BY: LAUREN PATCHETT]
Kiki’s Delivery Service (Hayao Miyazaki, 1989)
UPCOMING EVENTS
THE GODFATHER: PART II (Coppola, 1974)
WHAT: THE SUMMER OF SEQUELS SERIES CONTINUES with a 50th ANNIVERSARY screening of the film that is often lauded as the greatest sequel of all time. ‘Nuff said.
WHEN: Monday, July 15th, 8:00pm
WHERE: Wealthy Theatre
WHAT: An all-new, FREE social event where local filmmakers will have a chance to screen rough cuts of their current projects!
WHEN: Tuesday, July 16th, 6:00pm
WHERE: Wealthy Theatre
WHAT: Join us for another FREE social event and chat about filmmaking, screenwriting, and cinephilia with other like-minded members of the GR film community.
WHEN: Wednesday, July 24th, 7:00pm
WHERE: The Front Studio Annex — right next to the Wealthy Theatre!
THE TERMINATOR (Cameron, 1984)
WHAT: A special 40th ANNIVERSARY SCREENING of James Cameron’s classic robo-slasher to celebrate ART HOUSE THEATER DAY. Featuring an AHTD EXCLUSIVE, pre-recorded Q&A with Cameron!
WHEN: Thursday, July 25th, 8:00pm
WHERE: Wealthy Theatre
And so we’ve arrived at the end of another BEAM FROM THE BOOTH! We appreciate you taking the time to read it and truly hope you’ll continue to do so. Be sure to SUBSCRIBE to get each issue in your inbox every MONDAY (usually), and stay up-to-date on all things GRFS.
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Look for ISSUE #66 in your inbox NEXT WEEK!
Until then, friends...
