Illinois Entertainer November 2014 | Page 52

Continued from page 16 is its own self-contained story. And, as the only sequel to ever win the Oscar for Best Picture, it could arguably be a better film than the original that inspired it. The characters and actions certainly have a built-in weight carried across from Part I, but I would bet that a person who has magically remained untouched by the cultural phenomenon of this series could watch Part II without ever seeing what precedes it, and they would be thoroughly engrossed and gobsmacked by this shattering narrative of family darkness and corrosive power. Next: The Conversation (113 min) Dir. Francis Ford Coppola, 1974 Availability: DVD/Blu-ray; Netflix Strea Z[