Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.5

Gone with the Pope Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf March 23, 2015

In 1974, writer/director/star Duke Mitchell debuted “Massacre Mafia Style,” a rip-roaring take on mob violence and Italian heritage that acted as the creator’s personal response to the phenomenon known as “The Godfather.” A few years later, Mitchell attempted a follow-up, building “Gone with the Pope” over weekends, using favors and his internal drive to see the feature to completion. Unfortunately, production stalled as it was nearing the finish line, with reels of Mitchell’s work tucked away in a storage space, destined to be lost forever after the helmer’s death in 1981. Enter Grindhouse Releasing, who acquired the footage with plans to restore Mitchell’s vision to the best of their ability. Devoting years to the effort, stitching together moments, ideas, and oddities, the producers managed to make a movie, delivering a valentine to Mitchell’s indefatigable cinematic spirit and his unique screen presence. “Gone with the Pope” is undeniably rough around the edges, but it does find unmistakable personality in the midst of a potential mess, making what should’ve been a disposable curiosity into a formidable continuation of the “Massacre Mafia Style” aesthetic.

Fresh out of prison, Paul (Duke Mitchell) has dreams of going straight, only to be offered $100,000 from the Chicago Mob to pull off seven executions in Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Pulling off the hits with pal Giorgio (Giorgio Tavolieri), Paul escalates his moneymaking desire, welcoming former cell block pals The Old Man (Lorenzo Dardado), Luke (Jim LoBianco), and Peter (Peter Milo) to help pull off the impossible. Traveling to Rome by yacht, the gang sets out to kidnap The Pope (Dardado), demanding 50 cents from every Catholic around the world for his release. Floating around with their victim, the team is touched by the Pope’s spirit and understanding, leaving Paul is a difficult position as his hatred of the Church is challenged by his love for his friends.

“Gone with the Pope” does offer a neat idea for a kidnapping picture, going after big game with the leader of the Catholic world, requiring a special plan of infiltration to complete a crude body swap with The Old Man. However, it’s the only piece of plot in the entire effort, and a bite-sized one at that. While “Massacre Mafia Style” chased an epic arc of family and sacrifice, “Gone with the Pope” is mostly a series of vignettes that aren’t stitched together by any obvious thematic thread. It’s more of an atmospheric endeavor, spotlighting Mitchell’s interests in tough guy cinema, Italian charm, and deadly force, with a sizable body count to make up for the feature’s lack of threat.

The feature boasts many Mitchell touches, including a sense of brotherhood among the parolees, stiff performances (many supporting players are simply reading cue cards), a weird handle on individualism (Paul only trusts “puppies and little kids”), and indulges several monologues to highlight Mitchell’s acting skill, including a scorch-the-earth speech on the Vatican’s intentional silence during the Holocaust, preaching faith and love while refusing to aid Jewish interests. These combustible moments are captivating, adding a little spitfire to a wandering effort. Of course, “Gone with the Pope” also keeps up the Mitchell way with troubling technical achievements (crisp focus being a primary challenge) and a scene of unrepentant racism between Paul and a black hooker that’s startling. It’s one of many sign-of-the-times touches in “Gone with the Pope” that pop off the screen. Helping to soften the period blow is a snapshot of classic Las Vegas, following Paul as he drives through downtown, walks the strip, joins a game of blackjack, and takes in a lounge act. A glimpse of long-gone signage alone is worth the price of admission.

“Gone with the Pop” is a strange movie, reaching an apex of weirdness as Paul tempts an obese woman back to his hotel room for a three-way with one of his pals. Straining to remove clothing and move the lady into position, Paul is left a sweaty mess, soon running for his life when the hulking female breaks down a door to catch the exiting duo. Why is this in the film? Only Mitchell knows for sure. However, this type of zaniness isn’t isolated to only one scene, finding “Gone with the Pope” up for little displays of comedy (intentional and otherwise) to break up the severity of the kidnapping plan.

Gone with the Pope Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Bringing a lost movie back to life, the AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation shows off a commendable restoration. Despite pronounced 1970s ornamentation, the feature looks as though it was shot yesterday, delivering as much sharpness as possible (inherent focus issues are obvious), retaining a filmic appearance with tastefully managed grain and minimal spots of damage (some shake is detected). Colors are pleasingly refreshed, delivering bold primaries and rich skintones. The highlights of the visual event are found in Las Vegas, with bright, crisp hues emerging from neon signs and street life. Fine detail is open for inspection, capturing creased faces and fibrous clothing, while distances are preserved with satisfactory delineation.

Gone with the Pope Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound mix has a bit of an uphill climb, with inherent limitations and errors combining to create a slightly inconsistent listening experience. The track does what it can to even out muddled spots, doing a remarkable job restoring the picture with a more modern sound. Dialogue can be challenging, but only in small doses, with most exchanges easy to follow, while passionate extremes are nicely contained. The soundtrack fares better, finding rock tunes emerging with crisp instrumentation, giving some low-end heft. Considering the shape of the elements, it's an impressively managed mix, capturing the spark of "Gone with the Pope" in the best possible way.

Gone with the Pope Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "The Players" (66:52, HD) is the official making-of for "Gone with the Pope," sitting down with editors Bob Leighton and Robert Florio, cinematographer Peter Santoro, stars Jim LoBianco and John Murgia, and, Duke Mitchell friend, producer/director Matt Cimber to discuss the genesis of the picture. Talk isn't limited to "Pope," exploring Mitchell's career and personal directorial vision, and his inability to play by Hollywood rules. Anecdotes are amusing and insight is valuable, pinpointing the mood of the shoot and its scrambled post-production experience.

• "Shooting 'Pope'" (23:18, HD) returns to Santoro, who provides a surprisingly technical discussion of production responsibilities and the look of the feature. Being his first job as a cinematographer, Santoro struggled to keep his head above water, eventually ordered by Mitchell to monitor sound as well as camera. Talk of locations and the effort's visual limitations are informative and entertaining.

• "Restoring 'Pope'" (3:14, HD) briefly touches on the mission to bring the movie back from obscurity, requiring technological concentration to erase scratches and restore color.

• Deleted Scenes (17:18, HD) aren't exactly chunks of narrative, but more abstract montages of images collected during the shoot. There's a little more of Paul in prison, visiting local restaurants, and an extended kidnapping sequence.

• Outtakes (12:41, HD) supply pure, uncut Duke Mitchell, whose directorial method is preserved on the audio of this supplement. Worried about the presence of airplanes and walking his cast through their lines, Mitchell is loud and excitable, identifying the drive he provided to keep "Gone with the Pope" moving along.

• Inserts (6:11, HD) is a literal label, with Santoro returning to tell a story about Mitchell's desire to make quick money, dreaming up an ill-fated plan to make a porno loop for the notorious Mitchell Brothers. Performances were, ahem, not at full attention, but footage of the encounter (sans actual penetration) is included.

• "Frankie Carr and the Nov-Elites: Live in Vegas" (8:15, HD) is an extended performance clip from the lounge act.

• "Hollywood World Premiere" (20:48, HD) spotlights the March, 2010 debut of "Gone with the Pope," held at the Egyptian Theater in Los Angeles. Production participants return to discuss the film at a post-screening Q&A, joined by executive producer Bob Murawski and Duke's son, Jeffrey Mitchell.

• Galleries include "Production Materials" (34 images) and "Theatrical Release" (34 images).

• Filmography for Duke Mitchell is offered.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (2:00, HD) is included.

Gone with the Pope Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Gone with the Pope" goes cross-eyed trying to keep all of Mitchell's ideas in a straight line, but it's an amusing picture, offering a terrific soundtrack of standards and rock songs (Jeffrey Mitchell's "Jackknife" being a particular standout) to elevate dramatics. It's also shockingly coherent considering its unfinished status, with the producers able to shape something out of a grab bag of ideas and images, pulling together a respectable, sufficiently leathery Mitchell-branded viewing experience long after his passing.