Robert,
I also saw this film upon it's release in a 70mm presentation with the Dolby sound, and it left an impression that I can't overstate. I seem to remember the sound aspects as clearly as the images for some reason. I was a bit disappointed in the Criterion DVD, so my hopes are high...
Well, I gotta tell 'ya, the satisfying beginning of The Godfather is hard to beat. The dark shadows and mood were what I had hoped for with the restoration.
This film was probably at the top of my list for hi-def home theater.
I was honored to see this film in a 70mm print at the Inwood Theater in Dallas a very long time ago. It was one of the films that really put the lifelong film-nut bug in me.
It has always been on my short restoration/hi-def wish list.