Mario Puzo Adaptations: The Sicilian- Director's Cut (1987) and The Fortunate Pilgrim (1988) Review

[00:00:00] This podcast is a production of Unfiltered Studios. If you would like to know more about joining Unfiltered Studios, please visit our website at unfpod.com for more information. It was nearly three decades ago that Mario Puzo captured the public imagination with the publication of The Godfather. It remains one of the top-selling novels in publishing history. He returns to a genre he knows so well with his new book, The Last Don, from Hollywood to Las Vegas to New York.

[00:00:29] He probes the workings of a whole new family and finds that there is little difference between organized crime and organized filmmaking. I am pleased to have him here to talk about his view of crime, the mafia, Hollywood, Las Vegas, and a lot of other things, and the craft and art of writing. Welcome. Thank you. I'm pleased to have you here. I'm pleased to be here. Why this? Now, I know that you have heard this question before because some people say,

[00:00:57] The Godfather was so good, Mario. Don't come back to where you hit a home run. I haven't romanticized as much as I did in The Godfather. I mean, in The Godfather you could love them all. You know, they were all great guys and everybody was great. I think this has more of a colder eye on them. You can't tell, like my favorite book that I've written is The Fortunate Pilgrim. I know. But who ever heard of it? How many copies did you sell?

[00:01:27] 5,000? Something like that. 5,000, 3,000. And you decided after that, I'm going to write a commercial success. Well, you know, a writer who's a failure is a joke in his family and friends, you know. And I always used to say, I can write a bestseller whenever I want, but I would never stoop so low. You know, too much of an artist. So, I got really angry that The Fortunate Pilgrim didn't even have a paperback sale.

[00:01:56] Any book could have a paperback sale. And it got these tremendous reviews, you know, and I thought I was going to be rich and famous and everything was full. Nothing happened. And so, when I started teasing, I said, I'm going to write a bestseller. I'll show you. And you were over 45 then, weren't you? Right. When I made that decision, I was, let's see, 19, I was 45 years old. And I published The Godfather when I was 49. But you say an interesting thing about that.

[00:02:25] You say you learned to respect the reader. Right. You weren't writing for yourself and to say how great I am, you were saying, I'm going to serve this reader. Well, when you're a young writer, you think anything you say is important. The reader must listen to you. You're the boss. But really, the rationale is crazy. Why should a reader not be catered to? I mean, readers read for pleasure. You have to please them.

[00:02:55] You don't have to sell out to them completely, but you can write a good book and keep an eye on the money. Which seems to me a reasonable way to operate because a lot of very talented writers quit writing because they write a few beautiful books, they make no money, and they give up. I mean, it's just psychological. Like, if Godfather had not been a success, I don't think I would have written another book.

[00:03:25] Welcome all, welcome all. And just as a build up to this side discussion for Godfather themed week. Yes, we're just giving some detail on two other Mario Puzo adaptations. And just, we had fun briefly discussing this, but I'm just giving a build up to what we ultimately discuss. It's just, again, Mario Puzo could not stop selling his adaptations.

[00:03:50] And it's just interesting how just so many different people vary on his stuff outside of Godfather and let alone Superman adaptation. So, yeah, there was a TV two-part movie called The Fortunate Pilgrim, and it basically has the Godfather look, but it's just a very, you know, typical low-budget TV production.

[00:04:19] And despite its two stars, it just doesn't really cut the mustard. It's not something you need to rush out to, but you can find it on YouTube no problem. Definitely can find it on DVD. The real one to talk about that I do briefly mention is Michael Cimino's The Sicilian. Again, this movie, I would always watch it on Starz, and I was always like, yeah, this is not very interesting.

[00:04:42] But I've come around to it, and someone was able to upload that onto YouTube, and it was clearly the Blu-rays by Shout Factory's director's cut. And, yeah, I had no idea there was this whole just Dino De Laurentiis box. We're having a huge argument over who got Final Cut with Michael Cimino. I thought it was only just with Heaven's Gate and a few other stuff, but this was the same deal.

[00:05:11] Like, I just thought they snipped it and they added more in on home video, but nope. It was meant to be two and a half hours, you know. And it's not half bad. It really is not. It's really a fun movie. When I mention it in Godfather panels and forums, let alone Facebook groups, many people do not care for it. But it has some fans. You will find some people, especially Cimino defenders, they're out there.

[00:05:40] It's just not apparent right away. You've got to pretty much just ask people who've just been around and just start crime enthusiasts. And it's a complicated one because I was always like, yeah, it's part of the Godfather folklore. It's like, no, only in the book version you see Michael Carleone in there. But, yeah, it's inspired by real life, you know, Italian Robin Hood, if you will.

[00:06:06] You know, robbed from the rich, engaged to the poor in Sicily. It was basically an outlaw who was also the town hero. And, yeah, Salvatore Giuliano. And, again, the main complaint about this is that people don't care for Christopher Lambert. But if you're a fan of any of these other actors, which you likely are because there's a lot of big ones. There's, again, Terrence Stamp. There's Josh Auckland. There's John Totoro.

[00:06:36] There's Michael Wincott, Years Before the Crow. There's Andreas Katsoulas, who many will know from The Fugitive. Executive Decision. Star Trek. Babylon 5. There's Jakar. And he was another one of those Italian actors who was just a go-to. And it's just a really neat just fight the man type of outing. It's just really epic. I know other people didn't like the female lead as well.

[00:07:05] But, again, like, if you can handle, you know, a Star Wars or Dune type epic where you don't really care for the main people but like the spectacle, this will do it. And if you're a crime guy, definitely just go for it. And, yeah, it's just one of those. It has had a crazy production.

[00:07:23] It was occasionally on stars because it was, you know, it's just one of those movies that it has had all kinds of just nonstop, just legal.

[00:07:43] Everything from who adapted what, you know, Gore Vidal, who's best known for unusual, you know, works, you know, that he's authored as well as, you know, being a political commentator. You know, he had some credit in the script. But, and again, Dino De Laurentiis being his usual shady self did the whole, you know, you got final cut. But, no, look at the side letter.

[00:08:10] You actually don't have final cut because I was figuring you were going to pull this trick. And so he basically, you know, it's just, it was so many legal shenanigans on who got final cut. But I definitely got to say that this whole uncut version of the movie just made a big impact for me. It was just really intriguing.

[00:08:31] And John Totoro was really also helps carry the movie just as one of the followers of Lombard's Salvatore. And, again, like, it's just, if you're all into just old school gangsters and noir, it's going to have a lot of just intriguing visuals. I don't know what Roger Ebert hated about the cinematography. I think it looks great. It's a very stunning movie.

[00:09:00] And shot by Alex Thompson, who's, you know, done other stuff for Chimino, like Year of the Dragon, as well as Ridley Scott's Legend, Jim Henson's Labyrinth, The Craze, Alien Free, Cliffhanger, Demolition Man, and also his Exhibition. So there you go. And, yeah, I can't recommend it enough. So listen to the rest of our chat here and enjoy the rest of Godfather-themed week.

[00:09:28] Because, after all, it's just interesting just how fans of the books seek out any Mario Puzo stuff and then vice versa. We see Puzo's work and we want to see what the actual books are like. So, even though it's, for legal reasons, got all the Carly Leone connections edited out of this movie, it still has Godfather-level production.

[00:09:55] And even if your mileage varies on the movie, you should just see it just for gangster, you know, just completing your gangster movie collection. Enjoy. We missed. We loaded. We edited. Sometimes we get so deep into conversation that we have separate segments worthy of their own place in the sun.

[00:10:23] Here is a reshuffled mini-episode.

[00:10:30] He wants to buy land for the people.

[00:11:03] Tell Giuliano to behave. He will be safe because he is under my protection. What must he do for you in return? To Don Massino. It's no. You have said the word no to Don Massino Croce. That means you can no longer live. Let me make one final effort to reason with Giuliano. Giuliano, he's not afraid to die. They love him.

[00:11:33] All Sicily loves him. But he says that I can come to him in the mountains like a king. Help the people buy land. Why do you want to do that? No one else ever has. Because no one else ever has.

[00:12:00] The newspapers that I, Salvatore Giuliano, accept the army's generous contribution to the poor people of Sicily. Giuliano. You brought together all of the political parties in Italy with at last a common goal. You. Dead.

[00:12:29] I'm sending him commandos, paratroopers, armored cars. No! Giuliano! When we finish, there will be no mountains left in Sicily. Much less Giuliano. The love of a mother. I must keep my family together. The passion of a woman. I give him my life. I give him my whole life.

[00:12:56] An epic saga of one family struggle and courage that spans a generation. Next, Sophia Loren stars in the world premiere miniseries, The Fortunate Pilgrim. So, speaking of Mario Puzo, I did get to check out some of his other adaptations. He did a miniseries in the 80s with Edward James Olmos and Sophia Loren called The Fortunate Pilgrim. Hmm. It was interestingly filmed, and you can tell that, even though it's on a TV budget, you can

[00:13:26] totally tell that the filmmakers have been told, you know, make it look exactly like The Godfather with that golden, darkly lit, you know, atmosphere. Yeah. Yeah. And it was decently acted, but unfortunately kind of not easy to get into. Now, the Sicilian. Oh. I saw the director's cut version of it. I'm in the minority. I think a lot of people didn't like the casting of Highlander's Christopher Lombard. Don't worry, he doesn't take out a sword. But I didn't mind this.

[00:13:56] I feel like Terrence Stamp and John Totoro are on fire in this movie, and it's interesting how he's in this Italian village fighting against the government. He's just kind of this unsung fixer who becomes an unusual hero. And Chimino is totally like when you flip a coin on the other side of it, if it's a Coppola coin is definitely Michael Chimino. Like he has that same kind. He's using a lot of the same cinematographers and production design as Coppola.

[00:14:25] It's just the reason he didn't become as big aside from his other movies flopping is he just he didn't keep his opinions to himself, you know, so he if a producer said something that was out of line instead of just convincing him them they were wrong or that his idea was their idea. He would always be like, you know, I fuck you, you know, that's what John Amos got written out of his show. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

[00:14:51] That kind of he didn't like JJ's direction in the show and how it was shit. He didn't like it. He didn't like JJ's humor. That's why. Now kids, your father died, but he got written out of the show because he didn't normally I didn't like him. That's a great impression. Now I'm going to be the mother and I'm going to have, why is my name Florida? Why am I named after a state? Why am I 12 years older than my husband?

[00:15:21] Why do I have neck rolls that make me look like a linebacker from the Los Angeles Rams? I don't know. Well, that makes sure it's a roll definitely. Bam, bam, bam. Did Norman Lear ever rip off any Godfather moments on his shows? Not that I know of, no, but I did hear that. I think the question that they came was for Sammy Davis Jr. cameo or appearance on The Family. Yeah.

[00:15:51] I mean, Archie Bunker kind of was Vito Carleone, but a nasty version, if you think about it. No, he's the Jews taking everything. Here's your problem. Your college and your Jews take care of everything. Me, that. Italians, all they got to do is shoot one person. They call a pope, obsolescence, and that shit. They're done for the day. Oh, darn Archie. That chair is at the museum.

[00:16:20] Natural history in D.C. Don't let you care? The Smithsonian. Yeah, Bunker. Yeah, Smithsonian. That's right, yeah. Is there any Godfather stuff at the Smithsonian? I don't. Kay's tears in her freaking tissue after she tells Michael what happened. I know Homicide's board is there. Yeah. Yeah. Wow. Surprised the box interrogation room isn't. Oh, that'd be fucking awesome.

[00:16:49] Just come inside the box. Explore it. No, thanks. You know, if you think about it, if you think about it, the first two movies, if you think about it, first of all, Paramount was taking a chance doing a sequel of one of the most successful movies of all time, right? So Paramount's taking a chance doing that. So this was the, and remember Fox had had a bunch of successes with, you know, Planet of the Apes and stuff like that. Yes.

[00:17:17] But this was, this was a proven commodity to do another sequel to have it where, okay, we're going to go off in this direction to show Michael and like this. No one had ever thought of that. And they were thinking it was going to bomb. Absolutely. And some reviews were looking at the time. You want to talk corporate media. Best picture of 1972. Of 1974. And then when you think about it, the night that Brando wins the Oscar for The Godfather,

[00:17:46] he tells Seycheen Littlefeather to get up there and say, I will not, you know, Mr. Brando cannot accept this Oscar due to the treatment of, of, of, you know, American Indians in, in, and John Wayne was backstage and was going to deck her. Yeah. So it was Clint Eastwood too. Yeah. Right. Yeah. So funny. Wayne hates Eastwood's movies, but respects the guy, but they're both getting all political and it's like, well, that's what Marlon Brando does.

[00:18:13] But, um, if you look at reviews of the time, there's about six of them, which were kind of catering to the whole, ah, it's so boring. And I don't like how they're glamorizing mobsters, but there was enough good reviews to encourage people to go out and see it. But it was one of those, I mean, it is funny how Roger Ebert gave it three out of four. He was like, it's good. It's not great. But then years later, he's like, I, you know, I don't change my reviews for historical reference.

[00:18:42] You know, I want to show what people were thinking then and there, but nowadays it'd be a total four out of four for me. I love narrative. I like the pacing and style and it's interesting too, though, that, but yeah, it was a total chance. Excuse me. Yeah. Excuse me. I'm going to call, I'm going to throw the brown bullshit flag on this one. And the reason why is the narrative didn't change. The movie didn't change. His perception did. Yeah.

[00:19:09] So to me, him giving it a three out of four and then saying, well, now if we were revealing it, it'd be a four out of four. It's like, what change asshole? Right. It's like, I went on ancestry.com and found out I'm Italian. Four out of four. Oh, okay. We're going to be in favor of us now. Well, like I said, the Italians didn't want it at first, or at least the mafia didn't. Now I can't go a single forum without someone saying, oh, I want to be like Sonny kicking people.

[00:19:39] Jesus Christ. We'll return after these messages. All right, folks, Howtac here. We've got a 90-minute weekly Shaq stop. It's growing all over the world. Find it at 2 p.m. and 10 p.m. Eastern time on Mondays, then 3 p.m. on Wednesdays, then 7 p.m. on Thursdays.

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[00:22:06] And then he started to enjoy it. I started going down the phone sex rabbit hole. You've got the wankers, and you jerk off in five seconds, and then they're done because A, they don't want to spend money, and B, they're quick. My stepfather had mania. If I'm yelling at one of my kids, that fear, that rigid fear. Mom even said to me, I hope you have a kid just like you. There are lots of people that are being bought and sold right now for profit. If you think you're going to kill yourself, shut up and kill yourself. If you're not going to kill yourself, then shut up, smarten up, and it's all on you. The bullshit has to end.

[00:22:35] Wow. When I was 11 years old, I was raped and molested over the course of a year. What Jeffrey Epstein had was a sickness inside of him. I am Evan Castrilli Carmichael. I can do anything that I believe that I can. I'm so excited too. Let's go. Next on Better Call Daddy with my mom and my grandpa. Stay tuned.

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