They're making us an offer we don't for a minute even consider refusing.

More than three decades after they won the Academy Awards for Best Picture, we'll be able to watch director Francis Ford Coppola's classic films The Godfather and The Godfather, Part II once again as they originally were meant to be seen, thanks to a meticulous restoration by Paramount Pictures, overseen by Coppola himself.

The Godfather and The Godfather, Part II are currently No. 1 and No. 3 in the list of "Top 250 movies as voted by our users" at IMDb.com. On September 23, both newly restored and remastered films will arrive on DVD and Blu-ray, along with a newly remastered version of The Godfather, Part III, to be included as part of The Godfather, The Coppola Restoration Collection. All three films will be available individually or in a five-DVD or four-disc Blu-ray collection loaded with a host of all-new special features.

The Godfather and The Godfather, Part II underwent extensive frame-by-frame examination and restoration utilizing state-of-the-art digital technology in this historic preservation effort, which required more than a year to complete. Robert A. Harris of the Film Preserve supervised the restoration under the direction of Coppola and cinematographer Gordon Willis. Harris's restoration credits include Lawrence of Arabia, Spartacus, Vertigo, and Rear Window among others.

The new special features created by Kim Aubry, founder of Zoetrope Aubry Productions, explore the complexities of the restoration process and provide new insights and perspectives about how the film almost didn't come to pass as we know it. "The Masterpiece That Almost Wasn't" relates the unlikely events, intrigue, allegiances and luck that put together the unknown director with the "unwanted" cast; it contains interviews with most of the living players and many of the films' admirers. Other featurettes include "...when the shooting stopped," and "Godfather World," which take a look at The Godfather's influence on popular culture today. Each film includes a commentary by Coppola.

Here's the disc-by-disc breakdown for The Godfather, The Coppola Restoration Collection DVD edition:

Disc 1:

The Godfather feature film

Commentary by director Francis Ford Coppola

Disc 2:

The Godfather, Part IIfeature film

Commentary by director Francis Ford Coppola

Disc 3:

The Godfather, Part III feature film

Commentary by director Francis Ford Coppola

Disc 4 -- Previously released special features:

Making of The Godfather

Additional Scenes

Filming Locations

The Corleone Family Tree

The Music of The Godfather

The Godfather Historical

Timeline

Profiles on the Filmmakers

Photo Galleries

Storyboards

Disc 5 -- New special features:

Godfather World

The Masterpiece That Almost Wasn't

...when the shooting stopped

Emulsional Rescue Revealing The Godfather

The Godfather on the Red Carpet

Four Short Films on The Godfather --

• The Godfather vs. The Godfather, Part II

For the Blu-ray edition of The Godfather, The Coppola Restoration Collection, video will be presented in 1080p and accompanied by English Dolby TrueHD soundtracks. That disc breakdown looks like this:

Discs 1 - 3 -- Same as the DVD collection.

Disc 4 -- These bonus features are in high-def as noted:

Godfather World (HD)

The Masterpiece That Almost Wasn't (HD)

...when the shooting stopped (HD)

Emulsional Rescue Revealing The Godfather (HD)

The Godfather on the Red Carpet (HD)

Four Short Films on The Godfather --

• The Godfather vs. The Godfather, Part II (HD)

The Family Tree

Crime Organization Chart

Connie and Carlo's Wedding Album

Behind the Scenes --

• The Godfather Family: A Look Inside

The Filmmakers --

• Francis Ford Coppola

Additional Scenes

Acclaim & Response

Trailers (HD)

Photo Gallery

Rogues' Gallery

Pricing:

Each individual DVD -- $19.99 U.S.

Five-disc DVD Collection -- $72.99 U.S.

Four-disc Blu-ray Collection -- $119.99 U.S.