@BobbyManzi Hey Bobby
It’s normally at about this point that the Daily Mail would write an article about the BBC ‘wasting’ money sending staff to cover a World Cup. Hard for them to win isn’t it?
The final scene in The Godfather Part II, with the family gathered around the dinner table, was originally going to include Marlon Brando, but he pulled out at the very last minute. Coppola had to rewrite a whole new ending the night before the shoot. He explains:
“It’s a very interesting story, because I had written this scene that we go back to, around the period just before the first Godfather, when they were all young…
My idea was that they would come together, finally, at the end, as a family. And the end of the movie would be a big, beautiful scene with Marlon Brando and Al Pacino, sort of summing up the whole saga that had gone down.
And I was negotiating with Marlon Brando right up to the last minute saying, “Marlon, please, just one day. We’ll give you this money.” But Marlon was so mad at Paramount - for ultimately not paying him any money on the first picture, or whatever he was mad about - And although I didn’t know it until the last day, ultimately, it wasn’t going to be possible to have him in the picture.
So I went to bed that night really worried. I had lost the end of my movie. I had to shoot it the next day. I had no idea what to do. I was sleeping in the Chateau Marmont Hotel. I had this scene. I had paid all this money to get Jimmy Caan to come back and some of the other actors to be in the last scene.
And in the middle of the night, I just had this idea. And I wrote it - which is that they were all gathered for a surprise birthday party for the Don.
And so after this scene plays out, in which Michael’s decision to join the Marines is kind of examined relative to really what all we know is going to happen, and what this young, beautiful, collegiate man who’s a war hero, who goes straight, is going to end up to be: this man without a heart, who’s killed his own brother and alienated his wife… And I thought there could be one beautiful scene with him and Don Corleone as we remember him from the first movie.
Since Marlon didn’t come, I made it the surprise party, and I built it up to the point where they all said, “Oh, he’s here. He’s here.” And they all run out of the room. And as you’re waiting for Marlon to come into the room, you just stay on Al…
And I came up with the solution at, like - three in the morning. And the next day they said, “Well, Marlon’s not coming.” And I said, “That’s all right. I’ve got a scene we can do without him.” And it was this one.
Also, I like that staging kind of, especially about families who ultimately dissolve in front of your eyes, the idea that you have a table full of people. And one by one, someone argues or someone goes off, and then you’re just left with one …
And everything else now is just sound. The father comes, and you know he’s there, and you feel he’s there, but you’re left with Michael alone.”
This quote comes from the director's commentary track off the Godfather Part II Blu-ray
Jon Snow, the former Channel 4 News Lead Presenter, has opened up about his Alzheimer's diagnosis.
The 78-year-old speaks about the disease in an interview with the Daily Mail, and forthcoming documentary.
In Jon Snow: A Last Big Story, he travels to Zambia to investigate a chemical spill and pollution in the Kafue River.
“If you think the world is selfish and rotten, go to the cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer overlooking Omaha Beach. See what one group of men did for another on D-Day, June 6th, 1944.” — Andy Rooney
In these globally turbulent times one man has regularly acted as a wise, thoughtful and witty guide for listeners of @BBCr4today. The former Head of MI6 Sir Alex Younger has analysed, explained and contextualised the actions of Trump, Putin, Xi and the Ayatollahs. After he first appeared in the programme I was lucky enough to get to know Alex and call him my friend. I’m desperately sad to hear the news I’ve long feared was coming. Alex has died after months trying to cheat the
prognosis he was given whe. They discovered the tumour he nicknamed “Putin”.
We’re always told not to speak of a fight with cancer because it risks implying that only those strong enough survive. I understand that. I really do but sod it. Alex fought so hard to find a treatment to give him a little longer to be with Sarah and their lovely children. And he used every last minute of the short time he did have to be with family and friends and to do what he spent a lifetime in the shadows doing - using his intelligence to understand the world, to explain it but, above all, to keep us all safe.
June 21, 1970, Estadio Azteca, Mexico City — under the scorching sun 3,000 meters above sea level 🔥
1970 World Cup Final: Brazil 4-1 Italy
Pelé scored the opening goal with his signature hard kick (18’). Boninsegna equalized the score for Italy (37’).
Then Brazil showed beautiful football that will never be repeated:
Gérson fired a long-range shot to the ground (66’)
Jairzinho completed a quick attack (71’)
And Carlos Alberto completed one of the team’s best goals in history — a beautiful one-two pass with Pelé, then a hard corner shot (86’)!
Brazil is the world champion for the third time. The Jules Rimet Trophy is theirs forever. The 1970 Samba Team is considered the best team ever in the world of football. The miracle of Tostão, Rivellino, Gérson, Jairzinho, Pelé & Carlos Alberto.
Eternal legend. ✨🇧🇷
The Sir Harry Evans Global Fellowship is a unique opportunity for an exceptional early-career journalist to spend 9 months mentored in a @Reuters investigations unit, with access to @durham_uni research resources. Apply by 10 July: https://t.co/tsed9XwAtB
We were delighted to be joined by award-winning journalist and presenter Clive Myrie last night as he discussed his deeply personal journey filming the BBC series African Adventure.
Thank you to everyone who came, and a huge thank you to @CliveMyrieBBC for joining us.
We were delighted to be joined by award-winning journalist and presenter Clive Myrie last night as he discussed his deeply personal journey filming the BBC series African Adventure.
Thank you to everyone who came, and a huge thank you to @CliveMyrieBBC for joining us.
BBC News won the Emmy last night for our coverage of the earthquake in Myanmar. Huge congratulations to everyone involved. It’s a massive tribute to the BBC’s commitment to public service journalism
It is with deep sorrow and profound love that we announce the passing of Sonny Rollins. The Saxophone Colossus died this afternoon at his home in Woodstock, NY at the age of 95. 1/2 https://t.co/6AGmFrB7x4
“Something rather unusual is happening right now inside Russia.” My dispatch for BBC Radio’s From Our Own Correspondent. @BBCRadio4@BBCSounds@bbcworldservice
NEW: A new type of lawfare is emerging, the Wall Street Journal's editor has warned - powerful people suing for the act of reporting.
Lawsuits are arriving before a word of a story has been published, says Emma Tucker.
A depressing development:
https://t.co/nWdZmaUk6R
CHEER UP! Younger Blues need to get with the @ManCity programme, those of us at the Gillingham Wembley play-off Final or 93.20 Sergio or countless other moments have seen it all before… keep the faith… think Nicky Weaver…
When Trump pulled out of the international nuclear agreement with Tehran in 2018, Iran lacked even a single bomb's worth of uranium. Since then, it accumulated 22,000 pounds of enriched uranium. @BlackiLi@WilliamJBroad https://t.co/r8pPDoXqgh