A Clash of Kings

Sometimes people ask me why I hate on chick flicks and mushy literature so much; it's probably because my favorite things in the world are clever, powerful stories with clever, powerful characters (not often found in the aforementioned media).

Or maybe there's just so much garbage out there that finding someone who actually has the ability to craft both words and ideas into something really spectacular literally causes me to ripple in amazement. I'm a pretty easy film audience (in a year of doing proper reviews, I've given only two sub-par ratings that I remember) but books are harder. Writing is a hard thing, and you can tell every time if someone knows what they're doing or have been lucky enough to, well, get lucky. I'll go with skill over luck every time (BIG, BAD SPOILERS AHEAD. BEWARE):

Men were crawling from the river, men burned and bleeding, coughing up water, staggering, most dying. He led his troop among them, delivering quicker, cleaner deaths to those strong enough to stand. The war shrank to the size of his eye slit. Knights twice his size fled from him, or stood and died. They seemed little things, and fearful. "Lannister!" he shouted, slaying. His arm was red to the elbow, glistening in the light off the river. When his horse reared again, he shook his axe at the stars and heard them call out, "Halfman! Halfman!" Tyrion felt drunk.

The battle fever. He had never thought to experience it himself. Jaime had told him of it often enough. How time seemed to blur and slow and even stop, how the past and future vanished until there was nothing but the instant, how fear fled, and thought fled, and even your body. "You don't feel your wounds then, or the ache in your back from the weight of the armor, or the sweat running down into your eyes. You stop feeling, you stop thinking, you stop being you, there is only the next fight, the foe, this man and then the next, and the next, and the next, and you know they are afraid and tired, but you're not, you're alive and death is all around you but their swords move so slowly, you can dance through them laughing." Battle fever. I am half a man and drunk with slaughter, let them kill me if they can!



They tried.

See that? The guy that wrote it knows what he's doing.

Game of Thrones: House Lannister

House Lannister of Casterly Rock

Blazon: Lion
Words: Hear me roar!
Family: Lord Tywin, Warden of the West, and his children: Queen Cersei (wed to King Robert Baratheon), Ser Jaime, and Tyrion.















Tywin Lannister: Not given a lot of screen time or immediacy in the novel, but still not one to cross. We meet him disemboweling and skinning a large animal, berating his son Jaime, the Kingslayer, after a bit of nasty business with Ned Stark. Should you need another reason to be intimidated by this man, feel free to check out the particulars in the novel concerning the fall of the House Targaryen, specifically the children (!)





Queen Cersei: Quite a dish, but her coldness gives new meaning to the word "frigid," unless we're discussing her relationship with her brother Jaime, of course. Son Joffrey is being prepped to take the crown, but Ned Stark proves (again) to be a thorn in the Lannister Family's side when he announces to Cersei that he knows the truth about her children and plans to expose her to the king's wrath. Seemingly undeterred, she fires back, "And what of my wrath, Lord Stark? . . . When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground."

Pretty bad ass.

Ser Jaime Lannister: Killed the previous King of the Realm, Mad King Aerys (and is henceforth known as "The Kingslayer.") Attempted the life of Bran Stark after he witnessed something not meant for his eyes. Battled with Ned; taken by Robb. Probably the most physically beautiful man in existence.

DAMN.

Tyrion Lannister: Commonly called "The Imp." Clever, vulgar. As close to a hero as you can get in a corrupt family. My favorite character in the series. There are many moments of genius during Tyrion's scenes, but my favorite came during his abduction (at the hand of Catelyn Stark) in The Eyrie, and his eventual triumph over Lady Lysa Arryn and her ridiculous son:

"Can I make the little man fly now?"
Across the garden, Tyrion Lannister got to his feet. "Not this little man," he said. "This little man is going down in the turnip hoist, thank you very much."
"You presume--" Lysa began.
"I presume that House Arryn remembers its own words," the Imp said. "As High as Honor."

Ugh, and this guy: Joffrey Baratheon, Cersei's son. A Baratheon by name only-- clearly he belongs in this lineup. What a royal prick. I'm struck by a very strong resemblance to Isaac from Children of the Corn by this guy. . . voice similar also. Which is to say I really look forward to someone (hopefully a Stark) doing away with him. Soon.

Game of Thrones: House Stark

Obsessed, I am. Absolutely obsessed over this business. Maybe it's because I'm secretly power hungry and virtually every character in the story comes with his or her own variety of power and ability. Or that everyone is amazingly attractive and clever. Or that there are so many scowling, impatient fathers all around that remind me of my own . . . regardless, this story is one of my very, very favorite things, ever.
You should watch or read these (or watch and read them). I give them my highest recommendation.

The book (A Game of Thrones, by George R. R. Martin) comes equipped with an appendix at the end which explains the various houses and families, who inhabits which, and the histories of each---this is invaluable. The show's episodes do a great job explaining as much as they can without seeming overly expository, but the opening credits almost do it better with a map of the realm, emerging buildings sprouting up within it, and labels of the most important points of interest (but no family names). If you watch closely though, the first images shown on the golden sword-like metal surround that continually orbits what is presumably the sun inside it are those of the stag, the lion, the wolf, and the dragon (Houses Baratheon, Lannister, Stark, and Targaryen). Pretty sweet.

My favorite house is Stark of Winterfell.

Blazon: Direwolf
Words: Winter is Coming.
Family: Lord Eddard (Ned), Lady Catelyn, Robb, Sansa, Arya, Brandon, Rickon, and Jon Snow (Ned's bastard son).

1. Ned Stark. HOT. Respected. Friend of King Robert. Receives a promotion he doesn't want; things don't go well. Best moment: refusing to acknowledge the insolent Joffrey as King. That and just being generally kick-ass. I won't spoil anything if you haven't seen or read yet, but his story is one that made me gasp and cry, many times.

2. Catelyn Stark. Mother of five, tolerator of bastard son living among her own children. Must take things into her own hands once the shit starts hitting the proverbial fan, though her children are scattered throughout the realm. Best moment: "In the name of King Robert, I call upon you to seize him . . . " (taking Tyrion the Imp by surprise at the inn).

3. Robb Stark. Oldest child, rather ordinary and uninteresting until those last, "KING OF THE NORTH," exclamations. Best moment: kidnapping (the exceedingly gorgeous) Jaime Lannister.

4. Sansa Stark. Unfortunate betrothal to Joffrey Baratheon (later King Joffrey). Unfortunate situation with her wolf, "Lady." Unfortunate dealings involving her father's mercy before the new king. Best moment: fainting when she realizes what she's done?



5. Arya Stark. Poor at needlepoint, boyish, skilled at swordplay. Seems to have the best relationship with her father, Ned, but is impulsive and defiant to many of her elders. Best moment: thwacking Joffrey with a stick, throwing his sword into the river, and encouraging her direwolf, "Nymeria," to attack him.

6. Brandon Stark. Wall climber, seer of things both in life and in dreams. Unfortunate events befall him after failing to heed his mother's command "no more climbing." Best moment: Bran's direwolf, "Summer," is clearly the most awesome.

7. Rickon Stark. Unimportant thus far, but like Bran, seems to see things others do not. Direwolf named "Shaggydog."

8. Jon Snow. The Hot Bastard, finder of the pack of newborn direwolves later adopted by the family (his is "Ghost,"). Leaves Winterfell to become a protector of The Wall in the far north. Best moment: protecting the overweight cowardly Sam as he attempts to join the brotherhood; "I've never had a friend before." "We're not friends," Jon said. He put a hand on Sam's broad shoulder. "We're brothers."



Pay attention to the wolves, many of the events that come to pass seem to correlate with them.
(I want you and your wolf with us when we ride out beyond that wall tomorrow.)

Tales From The Crypt, Season Two: Till Death, 3s a Crowd, The Thing From The Grave

I really hate to be a negative Nancy, but these three (back-to-back) were really not great. This happens in The Twilight Zone occasionally also, where you have to suffer through a few groaners in order to get to the brilliant ones. I don't know where Top Billing rates in the chronology of this series, but damn, I hope it's soon.

Looking good, Maggie.

Till Death
Starring: D.W. Moffett

I'm just going to start writing my own synopsis-es now; IMDB's seem to be written by idiotic amateurs.
Gold Digger romances a (voodoo-practicing) native woman and breaks her heart. To get even, she cooks up a special love potion for his next victim to ensure she'll always be with him----till death AND BEYOND!

The transition from uptight "bitch on wheels" to um, well, hot-to-trot nymphomaniac was funny. As was her ridiculous falsetto-virbrato voice all the time, especially after her death. The rotting corpse just keeps getting more disgusting, which was nice, and the ending was clever (oh, so you're just going to kill yourself to escape her? I think not, say the Voodoo gal); it's entertaining. Definitely the best of the lineup of these three . . .

Three's a Crowd

Seriously, could he be any grosser?

starring: Gavan O'Herlihy, Paul Lieber, Ruth de Sosa

In an episode that makes absolutely no sense whatsoever, a horrible, drunken, bitter jackass of a man suspects his innocent, leagues-superior, and secretly pregnant wife of having an affair with his friend. Turns out they were just planning an anniversary party to announce the pregnancy, to which the jealous husband drags her dead corpse, shocking everyone.

UUUGGGGGHHHHHHH. This one literally makes me want to vomit. That dude (O'Herlihy) is (sorry), the grossest, foulest, most disgusting man in existence. I mean, I think there might have been a necrophile reference also, after he killed her ("let's go work on that kid some more?") Come on. I watched this and I wanted to physically harm the guy. If Bill Sadler embodied the physical attributes of my absolute worst creepy ex, then this jerk had his jealousy act down to perfection. DIE. If I ever see this one again my head just might explode. Yuck. NO CLIPS.

The Thing From The Grave
Starring: Miguel Ferrer, Teri Hatcher, Kyle Secor

This was so ridiculous I don't even know what happened, really. Teri Hatcher plays a model with an abusive boyfriend (Ferrer) and low self-esteem, what a shocker. Secor is, surprise, the photographer that offers her refuge from the creep; boyfriend finds out, kills the photographer, but he takes his promise so seriously that he returns (from the grave) to save her again. I think there may have been a date-rape scene between Ferrer and Hatcher which is obviously upsetting, but I think I was so bored that I was doing other things by then (I was probably returning videotapes). YAWN.

Tales From The Crypt, Season Two: The Switch; Cutting Cards

The Switch.
Starring: William Hickey, Roy Brocksmith, Kelly Preston, Rick Rossovich

"Kelly Preston is a sexy young woman looking for a handsome young stud or so she thinks." (IMDB).

Casting is the best thing about this one; Rossovich (Slider from Top Gun) donates his body and face to Hickey (Uncle Lewis from Christmas Vacation, no stogie this time) in order to impress Linda (Kelly Preston, with 1990's most enviable perm) under the guidance of Rotwang-inspired mad scientist Roy Brocksmith, a regular supporting actor in the show's first two seasons. Cameo in the intro by director, The Arnold Schwarzenegger. Other than that, this one is kinda lame. I mean, the (yet un-transplanted) faces floating in the aquarium were cool, and in my notes I wrote something about someone's maniacal laughter that obviously impressed me at the time, but damn if I can remember who did it . . .

Again with the gold-digging. Meh.

Cutting Cards
starring: Lance Henriksen, Kevin Tighe

"Reno and Sam are a pair of hardcore gamblers who don't play for fun, who challenge each other in a sample game of cards and the end result could be deadlier then they could've ever bargained for." (IMDB).

Hilarious. These guys were great. I think this was the first episode that dropped the "F" bomb, regularly; these two snarly old dudes cussing at each other? Perfect. Again the casting was nostalgic; Henriksen as Bishop from Alien, and Tighe as . . . wait for it . . . THE KIDNEY-STEALING, TOSS HIS SON OUT OF A FOUR STORY WINDOW CAUSE SAWYER'S PARENTS TO OFF THEMSELVES ANTHONY FUCKING COOPER FROM LOST!!! What a creep.

Is "Chop Poker" a common thing among gamblers with vendettas? It seemed to be used as such a casual reference that it almost seems like it might be. And the name Reno Crevis? I don't know who came up with it, but I like it; he almost seemed like a calmer, less sociopathic Bobby Peru with better orthodonture. When the time comes for the first "chop" to be made, Tighe yells out, "Careful! Only one!" Because the bragging rights for staying in town are worth that much to them? Wow. What a couple of stubborn old bastards. Ending is genius; check it out.

Tales From The Crypt, Season Two: Dead Right

Dead Right.
Starring: Demi Moore

"Cathy wants a rich and successful life, and fast. She visits a medium who tells her she will meet a man who will inherit a lot of money, and die in a violent way soon after. When she meets grossly overweight Charlie who informs her of his rich relatives, she promptly marries him. As it turns out, the medium is always right." (IMDB).

This episode is the best example (for me) of what Tales From The Crypt is all about. It's occasionally scary but is mostly disturbing and comical. The gross factor in this one wouldn't have been quite so bad if she hadn't always been talking about how bad the big guy smelled all the time, but because she did, I was squirming in discomfort every time he came on. Charlie Marno is what Adam Sandler's Fatty McGee grew up to be, and lucky him, he got to mess around with two of the most famous breast implants in the world before getting juiced in the electric chair . . . could be worse, I suppose.

Kathy? Is that you?
Yes it is, you fat, disgusting slob!

"I know I'm a little overweight,"
"Yeah, and Hitler's a little anti semitic."

There's a lot to love in this one, though. Her flailing, frantic run down the dark street to Madame Vorna's, horrified that Charlie Marno is the "large man" they had earlier spoken about, the man she would marry. Charlie Marno's CONSTANT table-slapping made me giggle just because it was so ridiculous, and most of all---those little dance vignettes thrown in between scenes of her (unsatisfying) married life? Jazz music, hopping around to "Dancing Cheek to Cheek." Seriously, it makes me laugh now just thinking about it.

This is a good one. I detect a running theme, applicable to both genders: DON'T BE A GOLD DIGGER.

Tales From The Crypt, Season One: Lover Come Hack to Me; Collection Completed

Lover Come Hack to Me.
Starring: Amanda Plummer, Stephen Shellen

"Peggy wants to make sure her honeymoon turns out perfect." (IMDB).

(treading lightly) So am I going to ruffle a bunch of feathers if I say that I really like this one, too? Like, a lot. As the newlyweds come inside the deserted old house, Peggy sees a giant axe over the fireplace and asks, "What's that?" The husband replies, "It's just a family portrait of someone's mother-in-law!" Isn't he just witty! Well, no, actually, he seems like an enormous dick the entire time; I can't honestly believe any new spouse, male or female, would be okay with such a shitty attitude (on a HONEYMOON!) But it's all part of the plan, isn't it!

1. When Peggy tells him she's scared (outside the house) he barks back at her, "YOU'RE ALWAYS SCARED, PEGGY!" Jeez.

2. He shows no joy in carrying Peggy across the threshold, and probably wouldn't have bothered had she not brought it up.

3. Peggy tells him, "You know, I'd do anything for you," and he replies, "Oh, and I'd do anything for you, too!" and then, under his breath, "and your bank account . . ."

4. As they, you know, do it (she's a virgin) his implied "entering" is done with an unnecessarily violent thrust. Come on. She just said she was a virgin, man! I'm not saying he deserved the axe in such a way, but I don't even think Tucker Max would do something like that . . . . this new husband (Charles) is a real icky guy.

I get severely annoyed watching this one, but I love it just the same. Amanda Plummer is a very unique looking (gap-toothed) actress, and although her voice really bothers me, I found her perfect for this role. I dug the oh-so-obvious pure-white transition to sin-black (in Peggy's wardrobe) and the orgasmic clock-defiling scream was nice, but the sex scene was uncomfortable enough to almost make me FF through it . . . I mean, Jesus Christ. Enough tongue action; it's not sexy and it just reminds me horribly of Andrew McCarthy (which is to say that it's gross). Cut that shit out. Nice kill scene, though.
(no clips this time; You Tube is being difficult).


Collection Completed
Starring: M. Emmet Walsh, Audra Lindley

"Jonas has been forced into mandatory retirement. He can't relax, though, because Anita's friends are driving him crazy." (IMDB).

Yes, that's Mrs. Roper as the crazy cat lady in the bathroom (whose husband is newly retired).

I kind of remember thinking this one was boring the first time I saw it (I was in eighth grade) but ha. Now that I'm married (and have been for a long time) I saw a lot of comedy in it this time around. Bonking heads over the sink, eye glasses flung into the toilet, grabbing the same towel, scalping the tree in anger---it's slapstick and silly but it's kind of cute, too. Clearly he's annoyed by his wife anyway, without all those damned animals all over the place---I giggled a lot each time he snapped, "GOD DAMMIT, ANITA," and this is mostly because Matt often utters the same thing to me, unrelated to stray animals but me doing things like letting the kids play with Easter grass or making something with too many onions for dinner.

This clearly could have worked as a silent, the actions are all very self-explanatory, and again, the slapstick humor probably could have carried it without any dialogue at all. Funny enough, this episode is also the most realistic of the entire season . . .

Anyway. Full speed ahead with season 2, and for October reading, it's Stephen King ALL MONTH, BABY!

Tales From The Crypt, Season One: Only Sin Deep

Only Sin Deep
Starring: Lea Thompson

"A hooker learns that beauty is only skin deep." (IMDB).


This one is definitely in my top ten. Granted, there are huge annoyances--- the gum chewing and that horribly gruff voice Thompson uses topping the list--- but it's fricking AMANDA JONES and she's playing a prostitute! Girls will probably like this one better, if at all, because she gets to have perfectly hot-rollered hair, a million little bottles and canisters of perfume and makeup, endless amounts of jewelry, and sexy black lace underwear. And check out all those turtleneck/suit dresses at the party, and that whip-synth music! It's very early 90s nostalgic. Oh, and let's not forget, GOODWIN FROM LOST (Brett Cullen) as her would-be boyfriend, awful and flat 80s hair on him here but still pretty hot.

So now that I've done a few of these and have considered exactly what's going on in terms of storytelling, I'll say that you really, really need to be able to be along for the ride if you're going to enjoy any of them. These stories are not grounded in reality and nothing is really ever explained. And actually, you can kind of consider it a series of stories about not-smart people who make terrible decisions (the evil men do). Don't second guess any mechanics---just embrace the ridiculousness. In this case, yes, it's completely outlandish that some creepy old pawn shop owner keeps his dead wife physically beautiful by stealing other women's beauty, but the details make the show worth watching. Once the first tiny wrinkle shows up on her face we know that things are going to get ugly fast. Sylvia's beauty was stolen. The pawn shop owner's voodoo works. In the end she comes after him with a stick looking very much like Pam from True Blood experiencing a similar facial effect (and clad in the very same beekeeper outfit). Nice!

Tales From The Crypt, Season One: All Through The House

Merry Christmas, you son of a bitch!

All Through The House
Starring: Mary Ellen Trainor, Larry Drake.

"A greedy woman makes the mistake of murdering her husband while an escaped mental patient dressed in a Santa Claus outfit is on the loose." (IMDB).

Killing a husband is a lot harder than you'd think: fireplace poker gets stuck in the cranium, blood stains the coffee table and carpet, he's heavy and difficult to haul, and so on. Logistics! Bad luck when a homicidal maniac in a santa suit comes around and decides to get in on the action.

This episode is pretty slapstick and ridiculous, but it's fun to watch. The way crazy-santa (Larry Drake of Doctor Giggles fame) scampers by the windows or makes little jingling noises off camera is priceless. And how about those teeth! We're talking about possibly putting Bobby Peru to shame with that mouth full of raisins! Yuck! As with The Twilight Zone, many of the episodes in this show focus on people as their own worst enemies, masterminding their own undoings (the evil men do) with a few supernatural helping hands here and there. It's actually pretty rare when there's a scary villain, a crazy, stalking killer, but this one has it and he's awful. Mary Ellen Trainor (sister Elaine from Romancing The Stone) is spot-on as the scheming (and later hysterical) MILF; all dolled up and parading around in that red nightgown, calling her lover on the phone after the deed is done ("we're free, darling, we're finally free!")---gets her come-uppance, though. Sigh. . . the ideological snares of offing a spouse.

Watch this one for the comedy.

Tales From The Crypt, Season One: The Man Who Was Death

The Man Who Was Death.
Starring: Bill Sadler

"After the death penalty is abolished, an executioner continues his former job through freelancing..." (IMDB).

This is a perfect first episode; good music, clever script, nice little twist at the end, and an actor who can carry it pretty much all on his own. Bill Sadler (you'll probably remember him from Shawshank Redemption a few years after this) was perfect as execution specialist Niles Talbot. The script mentions Oklahoma as Talbot's home state, but whatever southern accent he was going with was *perfect* for this sort of narrative and kept the character from becoming too stoney and sociopathic---he's just a good old boy, after all, right? He drops the early syllables on a lot of his words and damn if it wasn't (almost) sexy? Behind becomes 'hind, between, 'tween, and so on. I almost think listening to this as a radio program would work just because of his voice! "Treat whores like queens and queens like whores and they're on their backs quicker than you can say 'Son of Sam.'" Words of wisdom, Niles, words of wisdom. I first saw this episode back in 89 when it first hit HBO; I have never forgotten that statement.

The music was perfect, too. Those eerie, circus-y themes going on during the walks (both first and last) to the electric chair were damned creepy, almost too happy and manic for what was happening on screen, but they worked. As the biker Jimmy Flood is riding up to the fence (which Niles has of course electrified) the instrumental is a good one, Link Wray's Rumble (which Tarantino used during the uncomfortable silence segment inside Jack Rabbit Slim's).

The twist at the end is predictable, but a good one---not unlike the sort of turning of tables that goes down in The Obsolete Man in The Twilight Zone's second season. And should we talk a little bit about the introduction, also? Opening theme by Danny Elfman, of course, (who else) and John Kassir does the voice of The Crypt Keeper. Excellent character, although this introduction had him a bit more reserved than later ones, hardly any cackling at all and mostly throaty giggles and a lot of hand-rubbing. I prefer my Crypt Keeper obnoxious with high-pitched womanly laughter, thank you; the self-electrocution was a nice touch, though, I'll keep that.

I love this show. Check out Niles's final project below (spoilers):

The Sopranos, season 1, proper.

The Sopranos, Season One, 1999.
Created by David Chase.
Starring: James Gandolfini, Lorraine Braco, Edie Falco, Michael Imperioli, Dominic Chianese, Tony Sirico, Steve Van Zandt, Nancy Marchand, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Robert Iler.

I don't want to be unnecessarily dramatic here, but this series is hands down one of the best in the history of television. So much so that there really will not ever be anything else like it, Mafia-related or otherwise. If you haven't already, you really owe it to yourself to see it, even if you hate mob stories or violence, because there is more than meets the eye to Tony Soprano. He just might be more like you than you realize.


EVENTS: The Sopranos obviously has firm roots in Gangster culture, but before we get to that, let's be clear on a few other things first. The experience here is only partly focused on The Mafia; you know, the Italian-American based crime families of New York and New Jersey who make living from robbery, extortion, illegal gambling, illegal loans, bribery, and who solve problems with fists, feet, and fishes (as in putting their enemies to sleep with them). But that's only one side of the story.

Tony Soprano (Gandolfini), Captain of North Jersey, is having trouble with panic attacks and begins therapy with Dr. Jennifer Melfi (Braco). Along the way his wife develops an unnaturally close relationship with the priest, his daughter procures methamphetamine to cram for college testing, his son gets suspended from school and might have ADHD. And his mother Livia I-wish-the-Lord-would-take-me Soprano? Madon! It's not his job that's messing with him, it's his family life! (Anyone out there relate?) This series is very different from its mob-centered predecessors in that we see this angle, we're let in on a (powerful) gangster's less glamorous moments: Eating cereal. Driving his daughter to college visits. Meeting with a school psychologist. Placing his unwilling mother into a retirement community.

There's a wonderful scene early on where Tony is cleaning out his mother's house after she's moved out. He's putting framed photographs from a shelf into a box and pauses to study two of his mother holding him as a baby and seated next to him as an older child, smiling. Throughout the show it is affirmed and reaffirmed over and over that this woman is unpleasant, conniving, and mean-spirited, but there is no denying the fact that despite it all, Livia matters very much to Tony and he still loves her. It's emotional.

STYLE: Of course, it's not all melodrama, and there are some seriously wonderful bits of production happening here. The pilot episode gets the best of these moments, but the rest of the series ain't slacking either. Tony chases down a man who owes him money to the happy tune "Love You Like I Do," much in the vain of a Scorcese film. Gangster humor, "Whaddya cryin' for? Huh? HMO! You're covered! You prick!" When Chris (Imperioli) meets Czech rival Emil at Satriale's after hours to discuss sanitation strategies and things don't go well, a different black and white portrait (Martin, Bogart, Cagney) is cut in between the sound of each bullet spent together with Bo Diddley's "I'm a Man." Nice.

There's also a really great accompaniment to two separate scenes, just a synth and a drum machine, probably, but it's very effective stylization. The first moment happens at Tony's first session with Melfi; he narrates his feelings of having "come in at the end" (of the mob's golden age) as we see him walk down his enormous driveway to fetch his morning paper. Later the same music plays as he relocates his arsenal of cash and guns from a ceiling panel to the closet of his mother's retirement home. It's a small thing, but one of the many things that makes this series stand out.

NODS: We've heard for years, "it's not TV, it's HBO," and in this case, it's true. The Sopranos was one of the first major television shows that actually felt cinematic, like the world's longest film we could enjoy one Sunday night at a time. Profanity, nudity, violence all basically uncensored, and no commercial breaks, but probably best of all are the little homages paid to its ancestors---not other television shows but cinema: The Godfather Trilogy.

"You broke my heart!"

Silvio (Van Zandt) is called upon to quote Godfather (part three) on demand; Chris inaccurately quotes the first Godfather as he attempts to hurl Emil's body into a dumpster ("Louis Brazzi sleeps with the fishes!") Father Phil is well studied on Coppola's cinematographer, Gordon Lewis. When Tony's daughter Meadow's soccer coach takes a job at another school, stating "They made me an offer I couldn't refuse," Paulie (Sirico) says, "You haven't heard ours yet." Probably most memorable of all is the segment of the season one finale, where in the true spirit of Michael Corleone Tony touches his mother's cheek as she rolls by in a gurney and tells her, "I know it was you." (!!!)

There are production nods too, really skillful shots that together with the music, again, feel more like a film than a television show. The night shot of Silvio walking away from Vesuvio just before it ignites, the time and dedication given to Tony's constant scrutinizing Melfi's artwork, and the way power is portrayed, especially evident in Episode 12, "Isabella,"--- Paulie and Silvio's walk down the hospital corridor, the crew gathered around Tony's bar as they plot against Tony's Uncle Junior (Chianese), and the deadpan limo ride with Anthony Jr. and his date ("Can we have some of that whiskey?") There are goose-bump moments like these in almost every episode.

Bravo, Mr. Chase. Bravo. And that second clip made me frickin' bawl my eyes out over here.