Rene's Ramblings: Technology: Netflix Movie Rentals - Godfather, Part II and Casino Royale

Image source: http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1802814933/info

It is a breakthrough business model that combines the old technology with the new technology. New: the web based system of ordering up movies. Old: snailmail to get it to your house.

Unlike traditional brick and mortar rental shops they don't have to have the overhead of brick and mortar stores just places to store all the DVDs and people to fetch them and put them in the mail.

Until on-demand movies via high speed internet gets going, I don't see the Netflix model being defeated.

Anyway, I've now seen Godfather, Part II.

The device of moving forward and backward in time was very well done. It was interesting to hear Coppola in the director's commentary track say that he had the switch backs more frequently but eventually decided to let each period episode run longer so the audience could engage with the characters more. Coppola was on top of his game.

Vito (Brando in part I and DeNiro in part II) is much more restrained and controlled seemingly more able to separate business from personal vendettas while Michael (Pacino) is more volcanic. Though obviously both characters are dark, the obvious difference between Vito and Michael is the impact of revenge upon the characters. It consumed Michael much like Ahab looking for the whale while Vito seemed able to restrain that impulse to some degree.

Much like Star Wars - A New Hope and Star Wars - the Empire Strikes Back, these two Godfather have a similar legacy. The first Star Wars was the ground breaking film but Empire Strikes Back was the more interesting story line but the first film has the virtue of being the first film and creating the pop cultural icons. The same is true here: Brando will forever be associated with more of the iconic moments in film lore but the 2nd film is the more interesting story line.

Image source: http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1808476050/photo/970427658

Casino Royale is the 21st installment of the iconic James Bond series. The reviews on Daniel Craig's edition of Bond have been positive and I can see why. He has drawn the inside straight of revitalizing the Bond character that is at the same time more brutal and more human!

Aside from Craig's very physical performance as the franchise has opted for less gadgets and more brawn, Eva Green was by far the most interesting Bond girl ever! She gets some terrific lines, some real emotions to work with and if blondes have more fun then we must say brunettes are a lot more interesting ...