Francis Ford Coppola

This week Francis Ford Coppola’s Tetro hits theaters following its May debut at the Cannes Film Festival. I was among the first to see the film back at the end of April and recently had a chance to speak with the Oscar-winning writer and director over the phone from his office at American Zoetrope, his production house that is also set to distribute the film, but it wasn’t always planned that way. “We sort of fell into self release without really wanting to,” Coppola tells me as the film hits theaters this Thursday, June 11. “It only happened because we didn’t particularly want to ... Read Full Story

Eligibility : Participants must be legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, who are 21 years of age or older at time of entry. Promotion Period : The Toast to Dad Contest (the “Contest”) starts at 12:01 AM Eastern Time (ET) on June 1 and ends at 11:59 PM ET on June 30, 2009 (the “Contest Period”). How To Enter : Visit www.Carrabbas.com and follow the on-screen instructions to register and submit your toast and tribute to Dad in 75 words or less by 11:59 pm ET on June 30, 2009. Limit : Participants may enter more than once ... Read Full Story

Indiewire reported on Francis Ford Coppola’s talk at the Cannes Film Festival. Here are some interesting tidbits: He wrote the screenplay for the movie, “Patton,” was fired, and six years later they made the film. He observed, “the thing you get fired for are the same things you get lifetime achievement award for later on.” According to the article: “Coppola encouraged fellow screenwriters in the room to do as he did. “When I write six pages I turn them over and never read them…Young writers have a hormone that makes them hate their writing.” He also suggested to “write in the mornings” as that’s ... Read Full Story

I don't quite remember how I spent my Christmas in the past, except one. That was a few years ago when I was still living in North Carolina. It was cold and grey outside. I didn't leave the couch for about nine hours on that Christmas Day, mulching on leftovers and sipping hot tea — I was watching "The Godfather" (USA 1972, 175 min.), "The Godfather: Part II" (USA 1974, 200 min.), and "The Godfather: Part III" (USA 1990, 162 min.) continuously. I was completely captivated into a world that the legendary director Francis Ford Coppola creates in these films. It was a magical ... Read Full Story

Written by Kyle Buchanan Though many of his famous peers like to say they’ll soon make smaller, more intimate movies, only Francis Ford Coppola actually seems to be doing it. The director’s latest, Tetro , is a moody family drama about young Bennie (newcomer Alden Ehrenreich) reconnecting with the titular brother (Vincent Gallo) who fled the family years before to escape from their overbearing father. When Bennie unearths one of Tetro’s discarded stories and secretly adapts it into an acclaimed play, the already-riven family dynamics become even more fraught. Movieline talked with Coppola about his own familial rivalries, the criticism his films have received ... Read Full Story