Deep Thought | Κινηματογράφος ξανά: Νονός, εφέ, Ευρώπη vs ΗΠΑ και άλλα πολλά

·33 min·2 clips

The hosts dissect why The Godfather Part III faced criticism and Sofia Coppola's controversial role.

1. Athens Voice Deep Thought hosts Kyriakos and Isap Fokardyakou record a second listener-question episode dedicated entirely to cinema. 2. Kyriakos is positioned as a cinephile who worships Francis Ford Coppola, while Isap grew up in Thessaloniki navigating both avant-garde and commercial cinema culture. 3. The episode's core question is whether cinema quality is about format, origin, or approach — explored through three listener questions. 4. Listener Anonymous asks whether sequels are good; both hosts avoid a simple answer, noting that sequel quality varies widely by case. 5. Isap discusses The Godfather trilogy in depth, noting that Godfather 1 and 2 hold IMDb scores of 9.2 and 9.3 respectively, while Godfather 3 scores noticeably lower. 6. She explains that The Godfather 3 suffered from comparisons to the established mythology of 1 and 2, a fan backlash against Sofia Coppola's casting as Michael Corleone's daughter, and a perceived weakness in its storyline. 7. Isap reveals that Mario Puzo had no actual Mafia connections, wrote The Godfather to pay gambling debts, and that the entire global romanticization of Italian-American organized crime was built on his invented framework. 8. She notes that until the 1970s, when Coppola's films were released, Italian-American Mafiosi had no glamorized cultural mythology — the Puzo-Coppola collaboration created it. 9. Kyriakos admits he has never seen The Godfather, prompting Isap to declare a need to 'redefine the relationship'; similarly, Kyriakos has not seen the first Star Wars film in full since his youth. 10. On the sequel question, both hosts cite Alien as a case where the second film under a different director has a devoted fanbase arguing it surpasses the original. 11. They also cite Mad Max, where the first film has not held up as well as later entries, particularly Fury Road and Furiosa. 12. Listener unnamed asks whether practical mechanical effects are better than digital CGI; Isap argues the question is false — both have produced classics and failures. 13. She cites John Carpenter's The Thing as the benchmark for practical effects filmmaking achieved on a tiny budget through creative problem-solving. 14. On the CGI side, Isap argues that the Matrix was the turning point: wire choreography, green walls, Keanu Reeves, and costumes combined to change the trajectory of all filmmaking that followed. 15. She notes that modern productions like Dune demonstrate the lineage from Matrix-era digital innovation, and that streaming series now deploy special effects quality that would have been theatrical-only a decade ago. 16. Listener Kostas asks whether European art cinema or American blockbusters are better; Kyriakos gives an instinctive 'blockbusters' answer, then both expand. 17. Isap describes growing up in Thessaloniki where cinephile culture demanded appreciation of avant-garde world cinema, including Pakistani experimental film, as a near-mandatory taste marker. 18. She argues against the art-vs-commercial binary, noting that as streaming has expanded access, audience taste has become more pluralistic and frozen hierarchies are dissolving. 19. The tone is conversational and digressive, with both hosts frequently breaking into personal anecdotes and self-deprecating admissions about their own gaps in canonical viewing. 20. Dedicated cinephiles, Godfather fans, and listeners interested in the history of Hollywood effects will find the depth of knowledge rewarding; casual listeners may find the conversation too insider-focused.

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from ATHENS VOICE Podcast