Latest news with #TheGodfatherPartII
Irish Independent
15-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
The Good, the Dad, and the Ugly: From Vader to Vito, the best and worst father figures from film
Featuring Finding Nemo, The Snapper, and The Shining The Godfather (1972) & The Godfather Part II (1974) Fathers cast long shadows upon their sons, and none more so than Vito Corleone. Marlon Brando's iconic mafia patriarch hovers near every thought and utterance of Michael (Al Pacino), the son who reluctantly has his father's throne thrust upon him.
New York Times
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
For Patriots fans, David Andrews' retirement has air of finality to it
'One by one, our old friends are gone.' — Johnny Ola, 'The Godfather Part II' If the question ever comes up during Trivia Night at Winter Hill Brewing Company, Joe Cardona was the last active New England Patriot from the Bill Belichick-Tom Brady era. But in announcing in an April 29 news release that Cardona had been released, the Pats left out the important stuff, the stuff worth remembering. Advertisement Such as Cardona's being the last remaining Patriot with a team-issued Super Bowl ring or two locked away in the family jewelry box. Or that Cardona was the last Patriot with license to begin a story with, 'So one day Tom Brady and I walked into a bar, see, and …' Yet that's exactly how it felt Monday when the Patriots held a news conference to announce the retirement of center David Andrews, though he was released from the Patriots on March 13, some six weeks before Cardona was cut loose. It's just that it would have been a tad awkward for the Patriots to hold a news conference that March morning. For one thing, Andrews was still an active player, free to sign with another team. You don't want to hold a party for a player you've just released and then wake up the next morning to find out he signed with the New York Jets. Besides, talk about bad timing! It so happened that March 13, the Patriots held a news conference to unveil four free-agent additions: defensive tackle Milton Williams, cornerback Carlton Davis III, offensive lineman Morgan Moses and linebacker Robert Spillane. It was a day of out with the old and in with the new at Gillette Stadium, except that only the new got a news conference. But, yes, Andrews has decided to retire. There will be no triumphant return to Gillette Stadium this season in a rival uniform. Brady returned as a Tampa Bay Buccaneer, Adam Vinatieri as an Indianapolis Colt, Willie McGinest as a Cleveland Brown, and so on. The next time Andrews returns to Gillette Stadium for a Pats game, it'll either be an outing with the family or in some public appearance capacity. The smart money has him clanging the bell in Robert Kraft's beloved end zone lighthouse in the run-up to New England's Sept. 7 season opener against the Las Vegas Raiders. Before reading the next sentence, please note that no disrespect is intended for Cardona and other holdover Patriots from the Super Bowl days who have moved on since the new coaching staff moved in, including cornerback Jonathan Jones, defensive end Deatrich Wise and linebacker Ja'Whaun Bentley. But the Andrews news conference serves as a reminder, as if any Patriots fan needed one, how much has changed down Foxboro way. Consider that the Andrews news conference included video tributes from teammates from the good old days, including Julian Edelman, Rob Gronkowski, Matthew Slater and, of course, ol' No. 12. It must have been impossible for any Pats fan to watch coverage of the news conference and not daydream. One mean blocking machine. For a decade, David Andrews defined what it meant to be a Patriot 👏 — NFL Films (@NFLFilms) June 3, 2025 Andrews was as solid a player as any team could hope for, even more so considering he was signed as a rookie free agent May 8, 2015, six days after the draft. I always like to look back on when a player signed with a team to measure how much, if any, media hoo-ha was attached to the news. With Andrews there was nothing. Just various 'Transactions' mentions that the Patriots had signed seven rookie free agents, including this David Andrews kid from Georgia, plus receiver Chris Harper of Vanderbilt, cornerback Eric Patterson of Ball State, defensive back Jimmy Jean of Alabama-Birmingham, and so on. Advertisement Next thing you know, it's Week 1 and Andrews is the starting center because Bryan Stork was dealing with a concussion and neck injury. As the season rolled along, with the Pats off to a 7-0 start, the Andrews hoo-ha began — that is, as much hoo-ha as can be bestowed on a player who was an unknown during training camp. Such as this Nov. 3 Associated Press dispatch: 'David Andrews, the center who has played every snap of the 7-0 start, is an undrafted rookie free agent who carries his load like a veteran.' And here we are, a decade later. Monday's news conference was about a retirement, sure, but it was also about preparing Andrews for his new role as a distinguished member of the New England Patriots Super Bowl Ring Club. These things matter with the Patriots, whose annual media guide used to include images of miniature Lombardi trophies with each player's bio to indicate how many Super Bowl-winning teams he's played on. It was two of them for Andrews — Super Bowl LI (the 28-3 game) and Super Bowl LIII. .@dandrews61 announces his retirement from the New England Patriots. — New England Patriots (@Patriots) June 2, 2025 That's why the Andrews presser had a sense of finality to it, not just for one player's career but for one team's two decades of dominance. It was like a high school reunion, and you know what happens at those things: Somebody brings along an old yearbook, which gets passed around while good times are being remembered and re-celebrated. The yearbook then gets returned to the dusty bookshelf from whence it came. And everyone goes home. Insofar as his playing career is concerned, David Andrews has gone home. As have Joe Cordona. Jonathan Jones, Deatrich Wise, Ja'Whaun Bentley … This year, for the first time since 2001, the Patriots media guide will have no miniature Lombardi trophies next to the players' names.
Perth Now
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Peter Stormare: Keanu Reeves is ‘not happy' with Constantine 2 scripts
Keanu Reeves is "not happy with the scripts" for 'Constantine 2', Peter Stormare has said. The 60-year-old actor's titular demonologist is set to return in a follow-up to the 2005 horror flick, and Stormare - who played Lucifer in the movie - has revealed Reeves has been disappointed with Warner Bros.' ideas for a more action-packed 'Constantine 2'. Speaking with The Direct, Stormare, 71, said: "It's a lot of back and forth, because ... I think Keanu, which I know pretty good, is not so happy with the scripts and usually what comes out of the studios. "Because the first one wasn't that successful in the beginning, it became a sleeper and became a cult movie, and now it is one of the biggest cult movies ever. But to do a sequel, the studios want to have, you know, cars flying in the air. They want to have people doing flip-flops and fighting action scenes." Stormare added that the 'John Wick' star believed a 'Constantine' sequel should be "spiritual", and was worried the follow-up would diverge from this concept in favour of focusing on action. He explained: "I think Keanu says, 'I've done 'John Wick'. This movie is spiritual. It's about demons and regular people. And I wanted to keep it that way.' "And we talked about that. I want to do God coming down exactly the same way, but in a black suit and looking more or less like Lucifer from the first one. I'm 12 years older, so it's going to be hard to, you know, completely imitate the first movie. "But, I think from Keanu, he wants to do a sequel that is very close to the first one." Even so, Stormare admitted he hasn't seen any of the scripts for 'Constantine 2' yet, and it was all "hearsay" from Reeves. He said: "That is just hearsay from him, you know, and it's trying to be very secretive. As we say, both me and him, just do the first movie again and add some other elements, and you have a sequel. "'The Godfather Part II' was a sequel that was built on number one. They are similar. You can actually see number one and two together, and they stick together. "So, don't do a completely different movie, then it won't hold together. And I think that's where we are, yeah." 'Constantine' tells the story of the titular exorcist and demonologist who helps LAPD policewoman Angela Dodson (Rachel Weisz) investigate her twin sister's mysterious suicide, only to discover that fallen angels from Hell are trying to enter the human world. While Reeves is seemingly apprehensive about the ideas for 'Constantine 2', Stormare insisted the actor was "very proud" of the character. He said: "I think Keanu is very proud of that. He was fighting for it to be a character that he loved and wanted to develop. "And I mean, with Tilda Swinton doing Gabriel, it is a cool character. And even my Lucifer is a cool character that you can relate to as a viewer ... They wanted to dress me up like, you know, like a devil with a tail and a pitchfork and whatever, but we were really fighting for me to have, like, an off-white suit and do it very simple."
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
At ‘only 94,' ‘Sopranos' star Dominic Chianese eyes second act as troubadour
NEW YORK — Dominic Chianese still has a lot of living to do. And he thinks Tony Soprano may too. The 94-year-old actor best known for playing Uncle Junior on HBO's mob hit 'The Sopranos' is coming to Town Hall on June 30 where he plans to tell stories about his life so far and play folk songs. Chianese told the Daily News from England, where he's spent the past eight years, that he workshopped material in London to suss out whether there's an audience for such a performance. 'I did about seven shows to see if people are interested in stories, and they are,' he said. The Bronx native's show draws from the 25 years of stage work he did before landing a role in 1974's 'The Godfather Part II' and beyond. That included being reunited with 'Godfather' star Al Pacino in 1979 to do Shakespeare's 'Richard III' at the Cort Theatre. While he remembers that experience fondly, Chianese has a clear favorite. ''Requiem for a Heavyweight' with John Lithgow,' he stated convincingly. 'That was my favorite — 1985.' Chianese thanks lots of live theater work for making him a solid actor and said his best performances have happened on stage. But it was his role as crime family boss Corrado Soprano, better known as 'Uncle Junior,' that made him a household name with a few dollars in his bank account. 'I didn't really make any money until 'Sopranos,'' he said. 'It's the best role I ever had and the most financially gratifying role I ever had.' Eighteen years later and 3,400 miles from the gambling dens of New Jersey, he's still known as Uncle June. 'I get recognized all the time,' Chianese said. 'That's gratifying because I like people.' 'The Sopranos' famously concluded with lead character Tony Soprano sitting at a diner where maybe he got whacked. Who knows? The 2013 death of James Gandolfini pretty much put to rest any possibility the beloved gangster series would someday be revived. Like the rest of us, Chianese was stunned when the series' final episode cut to black as a character who may or may not have been a hit man walked toward Tony. 'The way it ended he's still alive,' Chianese said. 'Nobody knows.' Likewise, nobody including Chianese knows how and when his career will end either, but he hopes to wind up in New York City where it all began. 'I'd like to be in Manhattan because there's a lot I'd like to do in my career,' he said. 'I'm only 94.' Being married to an English woman made life overseas alluring to Chianese. He's been bouncing between the U.S. and England for more than 30 years and says it's time to come home where he has family, and hopefully, more career opportunities. Someday performing at Radio City Music Halls tops his bucket list. 'When you go up on 6th Avenue and you see that big place with the Rockettes, that's such a place. That would be nice wouldn't it?' he beamed. Chianese doesn't see becoming a Rockette in his future. But his Town Hall show should give fans a taste of what he wants to do next. It draws from his work in film and television as well as his days as an emcee at Greenwich Village's Gerde's Folk City in the 1960s and '70s. He estimates that he met 600 folk musicians during that period including an already famous Bob Dylan, whom he calls one of his favorite writers. He also had the pleasure of introducing downtown music fans to a local duo named Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, who were fine-tuning a new song called 'The Sound of Silence.' Fans who come to hear Chianese tell stories and play tunes can expect him to perform songs by Dylan, Kris Kristofferson and 'maybe' Leonard Cohen. They'll also hear some Italian classics the Cuban anthem 'Guantanamera' made famous by acts including Pete Seeger, José Feliciano and the Sandpipers. 'That's one of my favorites,' he said. Chianese said music has been an important part of his development as an artist, which he hopes to prove when he hits the stage with a guitar in hand rather than the the mafioso scowl he wore on more than 50 episodes of 'The Sopranos.' 'It's a wonderful career and I want it to keep going,' he said. Chianese said he has friends in New York keeping an eye out for available properties while he tries to figure out what to do with his place in England. He hopes people in his hometown will respond to his June 30 performance — and whatever follows— as well as fans have abroad. It's his feeling New Yorkers may find his stories particularly relatable. 'They should want to know how a Bronx kid made it,' Chianese said.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Robert De Niro Thanks Francis Ford Coppola 'For Not Casting Me' In ‘The Godfather' At AFI Life Achievement Tribute — Watch
Although Robert De Niro was passed over for The Godfather, his starring role in the sequel turned out to be the offer he couldn't refuse. While paying tribute to director Francis Ford Coppola with the AFI Life Achievement Award, he and co-star Al Pacino reminisced about their time with the filmmaker on his seminal mafia film franchise. More from Deadline Francis Ford Coppola's Career In Photos, From 'Apocalypse Now' To 'The Godfather' AFI Life Achievement Award Red Carpet: Elle Fanning, Ron Howard, George Lucas, Spike Lee & More Honor Francis Ford Coppola The 50th AFI Life Achievement Award Dinner For Francis Ford Coppola Is One Of The Starriest And Most Heartfelt Tributes Of Them All 'Francis, thank you for not casting me in The Godfather,' said De Niro during Saturday's gala at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. 'It was the best job I ever, never got. And it meant I was available for The Godfather Part II. Francis, you changed my career, you changed my life. We're all here tonight because of you. We love you.' Following Pacino's breakout performance as Michael Corleone in 1972's adaptation of Mario Puzo's book, the 1974 sequel followed the parallel paths of father and son with De Niro as a young immigrant Vito Corleone (portrayed in the first film by Marlon Brando). The performance won the actor his first Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Pacino prefaced his tribute with a quote from Coppola himself. ''The things you do when you're young that you get fired for, are the same things that years later, they give you lifetime achievement awards for,'' he said. 'You know, none of us were fired from The Godfather, but some of us got pretty close,' added Pacino as the audience laughed at his self-deprecating nod. 'I got the closest. And Francis just fought for us all the time. He fought for his film and his vision, which he always does. Yet, it could have gotten him fired. Everything was a firing threat. It could have had all of us fired, but it didn't. Now, years later, here we all are to celebrate him for it. So, thank you Francis. Thank for believing in me even more than I believed in myself. I am eternally grateful in kind to be part of your Godfather family.' Filmmaking peers like Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Spike Lee and more were also on hand to celebrate Coppola, as well as collaborators like Adam Driver, Elle Fanning and Diane Lane. The Life Achievement Award is AFI's highest esteem for a career in film. Coppola's predecessors include Nicole Kidman, Julie Andrews, Denzel Washington, George Clooney, Diane Keaton and John Williams. Coppola's The Godfather, The Godfather Part II and Apocalypse Now are ranked among history's greatest films in AFI's 100 Years…100 Movies list. A six-time Academy Award winner, his other iconic feature credits, as writer, director and/or producer, include Patton, American Graffiti, The Conversation, The Outsiders and Bram Stoker's Dracula, to name just a few. The evening earned a record $2.5 million for AFI and will be broadcast on TNT on June 18 at 10pm ET/PT with an encore on TCM July 31 at 8pm ET/PT. Best of Deadline Francis Ford Coppola's Career In Photos, From 'Apocalypse Now' To 'The Godfather' Everything We Know About The 'Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping' Movie So Far Everything We Know About Netflix's 'The Thursday Murder Club' So Far
