Ahead of the 50th anniversary of The Godfather Part II, a new podcast is exploring why The Godfather and its sequel has had such a hold on American culture since premiering in 1972.
Even all these years later, The Godfather is widely regarded by critics, cinephiles, and celebrities as one of the greatest films ever made.
Rebecca Keegan, a senior film editor at The Hollywood Reporter, is diving deep into the legacy to figure out why the story still captivates audiences today in The Godfather: A Film We Can’t Refuse, which was released yesterday, August 22, as an Audible Original.
The Godfather: A Film We Can’t Refuse features exclusive interviews with series stars Al Pacino, Robert Duvall, Robert De Niro, and Talia Shire in addition to commentary from “film experts and ardent aficionados,” including Top Chef head judge chef Tom Colicchio (talking about meatballs, of course!).
Conceived as a 10-episode podcast series, with each episode centered on one of The Godfather‘s main themes — masculinity, power, the American dream — The Godfather: A Film We Can’t Refuse is actually available in full right now only for Audible subscribers. Instead of 10 episodes releasing weekly, the entire thing was combined into one 8 hour, 21 minute “audiobook.”
The Godfather: A Film We Can’t Refuse is available to all Audible Premium Plus subscribers to listen to now. If you’re already a subscriber, all you have to do is add it to your library to start listening — you won’t even have to use a credit to listen to this Audible Original!
If you aren’t already an Audible Premium Plus subscriber, let us let you in on a little secret: you can sign up for the free trial that’ll give you everything Audible has to offer for one month — including a credit to buy any one book of your choice.
But here’s the real hack: since The Godfather: A Film We Can’t Refuse is an Audible Original and not something a Premium Plus subscriber needs to use credits on, you can use your one free book credit on any other book on Audible, and still listen to The Godfather: A Film We Can’t Refuse for free.
The Godfather: A Film We Can’t Refuse has a run time of 8 hours and 27 minutes.
The Godfather by Mario Puzo
Mario Puzo’s The Godfather is the book that started it all. On Audible, you can read the novel that inspired the movie.
Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli by Mark Seal
This in-depth book tells the story of making The Godfather, which was as dramatic as the scenes that play out on screen.
The Making of The Godfather by Mario Puzo
At a little over an hour, this short essay recounts Puzo’s personal experience on set of The Godfather.
The Godfather Notebook by Francis Ford Coppola
Coppola’s own notes and annotations for eight selected scenes from The Godfather are read in his own voice.
The Contender: The Story of Marlon Brando by William J. Mann
Less about the film and more about the man, The Contender is a stunning and ambitious biography of the actor who brought Vito Corleone to life.
The Path to Paradise: A Francis Ford Coppola Story by Sam Wasson
Going beyond The Godfather, this book by Sam Wasson looks at Coppola and his ambitions to reinvent American cinema with his company American Zoetrope.
This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Writer/Reporter for Decider. Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, how to watch your favorite sports teams and movies on each streaming service and the very best in tech, like soundbars, to enhance your viewing experience. Not only does Angela test and compare the services, devices and merch she writes about, but she’s also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech and pop culture. Prior to joining Decider and the New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews.
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