This is an interview-based piece in which various Hollywood stars and writers and commentators ponder, "What would the world be like without The Godfather?" We explore the ripple effect which The Godfather has had on our culture and on our current entertainment. Many references to the original film are "riffed" on by such modern shows as The Simpsons, The Sopranos, and South Park.

Some interesting spiritual questions to ask ourselves here might include: How much can an artwork or a piece of entertainment truly ingrain itself within our worldviews? Is it possible to become almost irreparably changed by a cultural phenomenon?

This feature tells a story that I had never heard before. That is the story of Paramount Pictures in 1969, and Coppola's tenuous start with this now-epic film. It seems movies were in a slump in '69, and Paramount was struggling. They had high hopes for The Godfather, and they were borderline desperate for it to succeed. This led to unprecedented meddling, cost-cutting attempts, and second-guessing. But Coppola pressed hard and fought for the film he wanted, and we all know the outcome. Robert Evans appears here, as does Coppola, George Lucas, Spielberg, etc. A fascinating concept explored here was whether or not The Godfather had saved Hollywood by showing studios that innovation and art can generate revenue.

Some spiritual thoughts here would focus on perseverance versus desperation. When we are desperate, aren't we more willing to compromise? But when we persevere through a trial, rather than resort to desperation, aren't the outcomes usually more grand?

Here we are treated to a fascinating look at the restoration process of these great films. Apparently the original negatives were virtually destroyed, so a master copy needed to be assembled, and then scanned into high resolution. All the technicians are brought onscreen to tell us about this process by which they lovingly restored The Godfather films.

Some really interesting spiritual concepts were brought up here as the technicians grappled with "restoring" the original artist's vision, but not "replacing" that vision. Today we are constantly faced with innovation that maybe shouldn't be tampered with. Sure, we CAN clone sheep, but is that right for us to do? With technology, film restorers can do whatever they want, but the art is in bringing the original vision to life once again!

This is a mostly self-congratulatory featurette in which actors for Paramount's Cloverfield and Star Trek XI wax not-so-eloquently about their love for The Godfather on the red carpet.

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