Into this world of titans, steps Barry Levinson with The Alto Knights and frankly it’s all a bit of a mess. Some of the calamities come from concepts that don’t connect and storytelling that lacks that visceral edge. Concept-wise having Robert De Niro play the two main leads with only bad make-up to distinguish between the two doesn’t work at all. It also causes a bit of confusion as to who is whom.

Storytelling-wise, even though it is based on a true story and real people, it waters down the gangster life to be one filled with domestic bliss (and boredom) and detunes their barbaric behaviour to a glimmer of the true savagery they were capable of. It also portrays a number of them as bumbling fools, they were most certainly not. Pacing is also a problem as the films build to a climax that just never happens.

It takes a convergence of many mistakes to make a gangster film as uninteresting as The Alto Knights. There are however a few moments to saviour. If you are a fan of nineteen-fifties Detroit Iron there are some absolutely classic examples of that automotive art on display and there is a scene of gastronomic excess that will make you so hungry for Italian food, that you should see an early screening so the restaurants will be open on your way home.
Rob Hudson
www.facebook.com/WarnerBrosAU/

A 40-year passion project brought to life with over $120 million of Francis Ford Coppola’s own money, giving him complete creative control, and a cinematic spectacle that demands to be seen on the big screen, this ambitious sci-fi epic, deeply inspired by the Roman Empire, not to mention The Fountainhead, Shakespeare, and Dickens, tells the story of New Rome, a futuristic city plagued by corruption.

Adam Driver stars as an architect striving to build a utopian society, alongside a stacked cast including Giancarlo Esposito, Nathalie Emmanuel, Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, and Dustin Hoffman.

“After a thirteen-year absence, a great American director returns with an ambitious vision of a world in need of renewal.” – New Yorker

“He’s done it again, and perhaps exceeded himself. Megalopolis might be the craziest thing I’ve ever seen. And I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy every single minute of it.” – Vulture

“Francis Ford Coppola’s wild and delirious fever dream inspires new hope for the future of movies.” – Indiewire

Megalopolis – Preview Screening with Special Live Component
Wednesday, September 25 @ 6:30PM
Dendy Cinemas Coorparoo, Brisbane
www.coorparoo.dendy.com.au

Dendy Cinemas is celebrating the 50th anniversary of Francis Ford Coppola’s Academy Award-winning masterwork, The Godfather.

The entire ‘The Godfather’ trilogy will play over these dates:
The Godfather – Part I: Feb 25th and Sun Feb 27th
The Godfather – Part II: Mar 4th and Mar 6th
The Godfather – Part III: Coda – The Death of Michael Corleone: Mar 11th and Mar 13th

Every effort was made to create the finest possible presentation for today’s audiences who can watch the films using technology that has advanced dramatically since 2007 when the last restoration was completed. Using that work as a blueprint, thousands of hours were spent to ensure that every frame was evaluated to create the most pristine presentation while remaining true to the original look and feel of the films.

Coppola’s masterful film adaptation of Mario Puzo’s novel chronicles the rise and fall of the Corleone family and the film trilogy is rightfully viewed as one of the greatest in cinematic history. In preparation for the 50th anniversary of the first film’s original release on March 24, 1972, a painstaking restoration of all three films was taken over the course of three years.

RESTORATION DETAILS

• Over 300 cartons of film were scrutinized to find the best possible resolution for every frame of all three films.
• Over 4,000 hours were spent repairing film stains, tears, and other anomalies in the negatives.
• Over 1,000 hours were spent on rigorous colour correction to ensure the high dynamic range tools were respectful of the original vision of Coppola and cinematographer Gordon Willis.
• In addition to the 5.1 audio approved by Walter Murch in 2007, the original mono tracks on The Godfather and The Godfather: Part II have been restored.
• All work was overseen by Coppola.

Tickets for all three screenings can be purchased at the box office or online at dendy.com.au