'Godfather' screening at Film Forum

First two films remastered for DVD, Blu-ray

By PAOLA CAPO-GARCIA

Film Forum will unspool a restored 35mm print of 'The Godfather.'

New 35mm restorations of "The Godfather" and "The Godfather: Part II" overseen by Francis Ford Coppola will unspool in a three-week run at Gotham's Film Forum starting Sept. 12.

The engagement through Oct. 2 is a tie-in with Paramount's DVD and Blu-ray release of all three "Godfather" pics Sept 23. Theatrical releases in L.A., San Francisco and other cities are also planned.

The first and second installments in the trilogy will alternate solo weeks at Film Forum before being double-billed for the final week of the run.

Robert A. Harris, known for his work on such pics as "Lawrence of Arabia" and "Vertigo," supervised the restoration under the direction of Coppola and d.p. Gordon Willis.

The restoration of the first "Godfather" pic was particularly difficult because the original negative was badly worn from repeated use for striking release prints and homevid transfers.

Harris told Daily Variety earlier this year that the condition of "Godfather" negative was "the worst I've ever seen in a picture from the modern era."