Fancy Editors

You can highlight and background color all you want ... have at it. But one thing I ask. Just one. Never, ever, ever use "Comic MS Sans" font. It is the most over-used font in all creation. :-)

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The scene with Michael preparing to off the police sergeant is wonderful, I will agree with you on that. I love the scene just prior to the actual shooting, when Michael is struggling to speak Italian with Bruno Tatalia. So he opts to go back to English, and through gritted teeth says, "What I want ... what I want is for you to leave my father alone." The camera frame was full-on Pacino's face, and with just his eyes, mouth and voice he conveys so much intensity and emotion.

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I love Godfather II as well ... and I agree that it is probably a "better movie" than the first. My position is: "The second is a better movie; the first is a better story." I leave it at that. That said ...

• Is there any moment in filmmaking when the desired effect of leaving the audience sharing in a feeling of being shunned -- cold and isolated -- is better executed than when Fredo is killed out on the lake at dusk?
• Is there any moment of rejection so painfully portrayed as when Michael Corleone closes the door in the face of Kay, his estranged wife? The look on her face, the look on his ... and the best part -- the door was closed, not slammed. Beautiful.
• Is there any more poignant moment than the end of Godfather II when Michael Corleone has achieved domination ... and is now utterly alone? The sadness of that scene penetrates me to the bone.
  

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I think it can be said that the Godfather series was enormously influential on movies that followed. But here's a question -- what inspiration did Francis Coppola draw from for those films?

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The single most depressing movie I've ever watched is "The Deerhunter." I saw it once and am still shaking off the feeling of depression.

A close second is a movie called "Cal," about a lad in Ireland that falls in with the IRA and ends up being involved in the death of a police officer. Not apprehended right away, by turn of events he becomes involved with the widow of the slain officer. Justice finally gets served, and the mixture of emotions -- betrayal, loss, confusion -- all mixed with a dark color palette and constant rain left me feeling awful. Just awful.

Say what one may, if making the audience feel depressed is the goal, then these two movies achieved that objective spectacularly.

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How's your kidney doing?

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My lovely bride is coming home tonight. She was on a one week holiday with her mother in Greece. She called a few minutes ago to say her flight from Hamburg to Dulles was delayed, so she missed her connection. But she's at least back in the USA safe and sound. Two more flights and, the Lord willing, she'll be home.

She reports security coming to the U.S. is extraordinarily tight. Her passport was checked 7 times.