Zoetrope Studios (USA): 9

The American crime film, The Godfather Part III (1990), was produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Co-written with Mario Puzo, the screenplay follows the story of Michael Corleone who is approaching 60 in 1979. Wracked with guilt over his ruthless rise to power, Michael donates millions to charitable causes. He is also dealing with the aftermath of ordering his brother’s murder. Michael and his ex-wife Kay are divorced, and their children Anthony and Mary reside with Kay. During a reception at St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral honoring Michael, which takes ...

Tucker: The Man and His Dream (1988) is a biographical comedy-drama movie directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Detroit’s Preston Tucker harbored a passion for car-making since his youth. During the Second World War, he created an armored vehicle for the military and earned profits producing gun turrets for planes in a small workshop near his Ypsilanti residence. With the unwavering support of his extended family, especially his wife Vera, children Preston Jr., Noble, and Marilyn Lee, Tucker embarks on a mission to create the ‘car of tomorrow’. The ‘Tucker Torpedo’ boasts groundbreaking safety ...

Gardens of Stone (1987), an American drama film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, is based on Nicholas Proffitt’s novel of the same name. Sergeant First Class Clell Hazard, a hardened veteran of the Korean and Vietnam Wars, would prefer to serve as an instructor at the U.S. Army Infantry School at Fort Benning, preparing soldiers for the conflict in Vietnam. However, he is instead assigned to the 1st Battalion 3d Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) at Fort Myer, Virginia. This unit serves as the ceremonial honor guard for fallen soldiers’ funerals and guards the ...

Peggy Sue Got Married (1986), an American fantasy comedy-drama directed by Francis Ford Coppola, follows the story of Peggy Sue Bodell. She attends her 25-year high school reunion in 1985, accompanied by her daughter Beth instead of her high-school sweetheart and husband, Charlie. They married soon after graduation when Peggy Sue became pregnant but have since separated due to Charlie’s infidelity. At the reunion, she reconnects with her old high school friends Maddy and Carol while ignoring Charlie’s unexpected arrival. The emcee then announces the reunion’s “king and queen”: Richard ...

The American musical crime drama film, The Cotton Club (1984), was co-written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. It was based on James Haskins’ book of the same name. Protagonist Dixie Dwyer, a musician, collaborates with mobsters to advance his career but his plans are disrupted when he falls for Vera Cicero, the girlfriend of gangland kingpin Dutch Schultz. Brothers Sandman and Dixie from the neighborhood join The Cotton Club, a jazz club known for its predominantly black performers and white clientele. Mobster Owney Madden is the owner of the club, which he ...

Rumble Fish (1983), an American drama directed by Francis Ford Coppola, is based on the novel of the same name by S. E. Hinton. In Tulsa, Oklahoma, Rusty James is the younger brother of ‘The Motorcycle Boy’, a well-known figure among the local gangs who had previously brought peace between them. When the Motorcycle Boy mysteriously disappears for two months, chaos ensues as heroin takes over the streets and Rusty James struggles to maintain his reputation. As he battles a rival gang leader and gains the upper hand, he is suddenly interrupted by the unexpected ...

The Outsiders (1983), an American coming-of-age crime drama film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, is based on S. E. Hinton’s 1967 novel of the same name. In 1965 Tulsa, the Curtis brothers’ parents are deceased, leaving eldest brother Darrel to raise and support his two younger brothers, Sodapop and Ponyboy. The ‘Socs’ continually harass and attack Ponyboy until some of his fellow greasers intervene. Later at the drive-in theater, Dallas attempts to flirt with ‘Soc’ Cherry Valance but instead becomes angry and leaves abruptly. Cherry ...

One from the Heart (1982), a musical romantic drama film, was both written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The plot unfolds on Independence Day in Las Vegas where Hank, a mechanic, and Frannie, a travel agent, end their five-year relationship. Hank’s lack of consideration for Frannie’s desire for adventure and thrill causes their split. Both individuals end up spending the night with their envisioned partners – Hank with Leila, a circus performer, and Frannie with Ray, a waiter masquerading as a singer and pianist. Following their separate nights apart, Hank experiences an emotional breakdown and ...

The American epic war film, Apocalypse Now (1979), was produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. It begins in Saigon, South Vietnam in late 1969 where U.S. Army Captain and special operations veteran Benjamin L. Willard has returned on another combat tour during the Vietnam War. He openly admits that he is unable to readjust to society in the USA and shares that his marriage has ended. In his room, he drinks heavily, chain-smokes, and experiences hallucinations alone until one day when he becomes upset and injures himself by shattering a large mirror. Soon after, two military policemen arrive to escort him to an ...