Admin
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Post by Admin on Jan 10, 2019 5:49:09 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jan 10, 2019 13:40:14 GMT
20 years? Christ.
Yes I did watch it at the time, I have the box set. Completely unwatched after watching it through once - why do we keep hold of these things?
I love any good mob series and this was a great one. Humour in the situations (mob guy going to a shrink - yes it had been done before in Analyse This), the idea of what mob activity in New York/New Jersey is like in reality, the colourful characters but also the wonderful surreal touches. James Gandolfini was charismatic but flawed. The simplicity of some of the characters was almost clown-like but brutal. I'm trying to remember just why it was so good - the writing, of course. You could relate to the humanity of people like Carmela (Edie Falco draws you into her characters so well, like Nurse Jackie), invested in them and praying they weren't going to get knocked off. Was he going to shag the therapist? You wanted her rapist to get his comeuppance. It just pulled you [back] in.
There'll be better analysis of why it was so good all over the net.
Ace.
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Post by Half Machine Lipschitz on Jan 10, 2019 14:35:04 GMT
I watched it at the time, although via pirated dvds that a friend burned for us, and am currently rewatching the entire series, but I'm only halfway through season 1 so far. I have to admit, It really holds up well - far better than I expected it to. I just wish I had more time to binge a few episodes.
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Post by Inspector Norse on Jan 10, 2019 14:48:36 GMT
Strange - I was just thinking about this the other day, "I wonder when 'The Sopranos' started and if its 20-year anniversary is coming up".
I watched it, sometimes, at the time: it was difficult because - being younger than most of you - I was a teen at the time and it was a bit blue. And Channel 4 used to arse around with the schedules so one week it would be at 10:00 on a Tuesday, the next week 11:45, the next week 9:40 on a Thursday or something.
Later on I borrowed DVDs from a university friend and watched it through properly, before the fifth series, I think, and followed that and the final series as they aired. I then watched part of it through again with my girlfriend, who'd never seen it before, although I didn't watch all of it that time.
There can be no doubting the effect it had on TV. It wasn't the first serious drama of its sort, not even HBO's first - 'Oz' came first, I think? - but it was a major step up. There was much that was great about it: the unbelievably convincing little world it created, the potent mixture of feelings it elicited towards its characters, and the magnificent ensemble cast; Gandolfini was, of course, the star, and there's an argument that Tony is the single greatest TV role of all time, but so many of the supporting players contributed so much: Carmela, Christopher, Paulie, Livia, Junior, even the ones like Silvio who never really got their own plotlines but helped to make it what it was.
What, for me, stops it being amongst the very greatest is the sense that behind the brilliant episodes and overwhelming scenes, there wasn't a very well-constructed arc or overall plot. Once Tony's mum has gone it starts to stumble, with variations on one or two similar storylines: character from the past comes back from jail/hiding and causes trouble so Tony has to get rid of them (Richie, Ralphie, Tony B, Feech...), or Carmela and Tony's relationship starts to fray (the Furio thing, the divorce, etc etc).
Compared to other highly-rated modern shows and you can see the weakness here: 'Breaking Bad', of which I'm not an enormous fan, did have its inevitable ending looming all the way, and there was a convincing build and character development from series to series. 'The Wire' worked by changing the focus each series, and making each one self-contained.
But still, there's much about 'The Sopranos' that is great and iconic. The look and atmosphere of it, the real leap into more socially and psychologically complex drama, the aforementioned acting, and plenty of brilliant dialogue and memorable moments. With the current vogue for rehashing great shows, I wonder if they've ever considered some kind of spin-off?
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Post by Mr. FOLLARD on Jan 10, 2019 15:09:08 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jan 10, 2019 22:46:17 GMT
HBO was having some free promo so they showed the first three seasons this weekend. I have HBO and I guess I could always watch it on netflix, but have never gotten around to it.
My son and I loved it. I saw the last couple seasons and would catch it here and there, but never really saw the first seasons.
It's great how it meshes the mundanity of everyday family life and the lurid attraction and violence of being in the mafia.
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Post by Reactionary Rage on Jan 11, 2019 13:12:26 GMT
I never got round to watching the final episodes of season 6. The lass hasn't seen it so we've talked about watching it together so it would be nice to revisit it.
Whenever I see old clips I'm always struck by how funny it was. Fucking Paulie man.
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Post by Mr. FOLLARD on Jan 11, 2019 13:16:37 GMT
I never got round to watching the final episodes of season 6. The lass hasn't seen it so we've talked about watching it together so it would be nice to revisit it. So you haven't seen the very last episode? Fuck man, are you in for a treat! I wouldn't rush those last few, tho'. Incredible stuff. And I bet @madcyril1 STILL hasn't seen it...
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Post by Reactionary Rage on Jan 11, 2019 13:28:51 GMT
I never got round to watching the final episodes of season 6. The lass hasn't seen it so we've talked about watching it together so it would be nice to revisit it. So you haven't seen the very last episode? Fuck man, are you in for a treat! I wouldn't rush those last few, tho'. Incredible stuff. And I bet @madcyril1 STILL hasn't seen it...
Well they released the final season in 2 box sets didn't they? I just never got round to it and by the time I'd picked up the 2nd part (cheap, 2nd hand) so much time had gone by I could hardly remember what had happened prior to that so I never bothered to watch it.
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Post by Mr. FOLLARD on Jan 11, 2019 13:36:44 GMT
Ah, yeah. I've still got the boxes.
I think Sky Atlantic are repeating the whole lot.
Seriously - I'd watch that final season. It's the best drama I've seen on TV. The last two are very tense - I remember me and the lass gripping each other's hands tightly for the whole of each show. But fuck, does it leave you feeling something.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 11, 2019 13:38:54 GMT
The Funhouse episode is my favourite of all.
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Post by cha7ice on Jan 11, 2019 13:53:31 GMT
Ugh, growing up female in that world, I don't understand the allure. All the rules, double standards, hypocrisy, I couldn't run away fast enough The show, all the Scorsese crap, hate it hate it hate it
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 11, 2019 19:14:23 GMT
Ugh, growing up female in that world, I don't understand the allure. All the rules, double standards, hypocrisy, I couldn't run away fast enough The show, all the Scorsese crap, hate it hate it hate it I can see that. Season 3 had Tony's affair with Annabella Sciorra in it. Made you want to take a shower after.
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toomanyhatz
god
I've met him/her. He/she's great!!
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Post by toomanyhatz on Jan 12, 2019 8:54:27 GMT
Pillowz and I just binged it. Love it. Plays with the watcher's sympathies by making you like characters while simultaneously reminding you what sociopaths they are.
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Post by Mr. FOLLARD on Jan 12, 2019 10:19:11 GMT
Pillowz and I just binged it. Love it. what - the whole lot?!?
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