The Film
Francis Ford Coppola has had a stellar film career. Of course, it's difficult to mention the director's name without talking about The Godfather trilogy. However, he's had a string of other hits -- and some misses. Lionsgate has compiled some of those into the Francis Ford Coppola: 5-Film Collection.
One would think that at least one of The Godfather films would be included. Sadly, the Corleones get no respect here. Instead, Lionsgate compiled films that Coppola actually owns, anchoring the set with another one of his most celebrated films, Apocalypse Now. In fact, this film is so celebrated that the studio has included the 1979 original and 2009's Apocalypse Now Redux, as well as lesser known films like The Conversation, Tetro and One From The Heart. If you're into collecting Blu-rays, most of these titles may already be hogging some of your shelf space. That's because almost all of them are already available on Blu-ray, with One From The Heart being the only exception. Still, let's break down the set by film:
It's hard to image that there's anything left to be said about Apocalypse Now. One of the greatest war films of all-time is also one of Hollywood's most interesting tales of all-time. A bloated budget, a bizarre Marlon Brando, weather, walkouts and at least one heart attack plagued the production. Still, the story of "an errand boy sent by grocery clerks to collect a bill" in the jungles of Cambodia is a riveting one. In fact, it's so good that you won't mind that this set comes packing two versions of this film. Apocalypse Now Redux is re-edited, with an additional 49 minutes of footage. For a full review of the film, check out our Apocalypse Now Full Disclosure Blu-ray Review.
Tetro is Coppola's most recent film -- and only his second since the turn of the century. It's the extremely artistic story of Tetro (Vincent Gallo), a man who has been estranged from his family for about decade. That is, until he gets a visit from his younger, half-brother Bennie (Alden Ehrenreich), who happens to be visiting Buenos Aires. Many considered Tetro to be Coppola giving us some insight to his own upbringing. It's certainly a personal film; and one that's worth a peek.
When was the last time you said, "That's a really cool movie with Cindy Williams?" Such is the case with The Conversation. However, Williams isn't the main character, even though she is the main focus -- of Gene Hackman, anyway. He plays Harry Caul, a private investigator hired to follow Ann (Williams) and Mark (Frederic Forrest). If that cast isn't reason enough to own this film, know that it also includes a very young Harrison Ford, as well as John Cazale, Teri Garr and Robert Duvall. For a full review of the film, check out The Conversation Blu-ray Review.
If you think Tom Waits is underrated (and you should), you may enjoy the set's final selection, One From The Heart. This is the only film in the box that has yet to get a Blu-ray release. However, it was re-released theatrically in 2003. That's because it crapped out so badly back in 1982, when it first hit theaters. Despite Waits' Oscar-winning soundtrack, moviegoers had a hard time accepting this musical from the same guy that gave us the Corleones. That's probably because it's so darn sappy. Teri Garr and Frederic Forest play a couple that splits on the eve of their fifth anniversary. It's soapy and reminiscent of about 100 other movies. That said, Waits' soundtrack is a bigger character than the both of them, making this one a standout.
The Picture
As mentioned above, all of these films have already had Blu-ray releases, with the exception of One From The Heart. If you own any of the previous releases, there's nothing new to be seen here.
Apocalypse Now can be soft and grainy in some spots, but the 2.35:1 image is pretty remarkable overall. Coppola supervised the entire restoration process back in 2010, so what you see is what he wants. And frankly, it's hard to imagine that a late ‘70s film about a journey into the Cambodian jungle would look much better than what's presented here.
As the most recent entry into Coppola's resume, Tetro presents a much sharper image. The bulk of the 2.35:1 image is in black and white and it's gorgeous. It's sharp, with a great contrast and is pretty wonderful overall. Even though it's a low-budget effort, it's exactly the type of image you'd expect from a newer release.
Considering that The Conversation is 38 years old, it looks pretty good. The 1.78:1 image does have a good deal of noise sprinkled throughout and you can forget detail on some of those wider shots. However, the colors are nice and the close-ups are impressive, especially given the age of this film.
One From The Heart is the only film presented in the 1.33:1 format. There's a little layer of grain and the film does have its soft moments here and there. However, the fleshtones, Teri Garr's two-tone hair, and all of the other colors of the Las Vegas backdrop are pretty impressive. There's also a decent amount of detail, especially in faces and close-ups.
The Sound
Again, Lionsgate hasn't done any tweaking on the previous releases. All of the films featured here include a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, with The Conversation adding in the option for DTS-HD Mono.
The best of the lot is definitely the two versions of Apocalypse Now. Of all of the films in this set, this one offers the most immersive and often creepy listening experience. The sounds of the helicopters and other ambient effects are just stunning.
Tetro is much less of a full experience, but it's not supposed to be as in-your-face. Still, this is an interesting track. Without a doubt, the main focus here is certainly the dialogue, which is always clear. However, for such a mellow movie, it certainly makes good use of surrounds for atmospheric effects and the film's soundtrack.
The Conversation is the oldest film in the lot. It sort of sounds like it, too, but it's pretty excellent nonetheless. There's a lot going on in this movie, audio-wise; it's the whole point of the movie! The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track has great directionality and is very clear throughout. Also, it's the only film in the set to include the original mono track via DTS-HD Master Audio.
Surprisingly, One From The Heart is pretty quiet, considering how present Tom Waits' soundtrack is throughout. Again, it doesn't sound bad, but it seems like there should be a lot more going on here. It should have been more immersive between that music and the Las Vegas backdrop. There are some surround sounds, but it's mostly about the dialogue, which is clear, but also kind of low. If you want to drop all of that and go for just the music (and you may want to do that given some of the cheesy dialogue), the film comes packing an isolated score track.
The Extras
Whoever put this collection together deserves a horse's head in their bed. Basically, this set picks five Coppola films -- four of which already have Blu-ray releases. If you're willing to get past the whole double-dip thing, Apocalypse Now should be a bit of a kick in the gut, because it's missing a lot of the extras.
Apocalypse Now Full Disclosure was three discs. This set has one, which leaves you with the Coppola commentary and options for BD Touch and the Metamenu remote option. That's the most disappointing part of this package.
The other films are all single-disc releases, so all of the extras are included. For instance, Tetro has some interesting tidbits about the production, with the one on the cinematography being the most noteworthy. Also noteworthy is the commentary track, which has Coppola sitting with star Alden Ehrenreich.
The Conversation is the oldest film in the lot, but still manages to pack in a good deal of extras. There's a pair of audio commentaries, a pair of screen tests, and plenty of archival footage. Most notable is the 8-minute "Close-Up on The Conversation," which is an interesting little promo piece -- mainly because you get to see Coppola at work, on the set, and relaying his vision to the cast and crew, which includes Gene Hackman. The 2-minute "No Cigar" is also a must-see, since it has Coppola explaining his 1956 short film and how it parallels to this theatrical film.
If you don't think One From The Heart deserved a fair shake, this set is determined to change your mind. Tom Waits gets several shout-outs in this section, via an isolated score, one featurette and alternate tracks. There are also three other documentaries, a commentary track, deleted scenes, and much more. Despite what happened at the box office, Coppola obviously has a soft spot for this film, as evidenced by this disc's collection of extras.
Final Thoughts
For some, it's hard to fathom a Francis Ford Coppola collection without any of The Godfather films, Patton or even The Outsiders. Frankly, the guy has a couple of box sets in him, which makes the Francis Ford Coppola: 5-Film Collection a good start. If you already own any of the films on Blu-ray, this set isn't really worth the double-dip -- unless you really love One From The Heart. Otherwise, it's an interesting collection of his work, with Apocalypse Now thrown in just to make sure you're paying attention. It's also priced just at the point where this comes with a strong recommendation. Enjoy.
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