SOPRANOS SEASON 5 DVD TALK REVIEW

In a nutshell:� The penultimate season of everyone's favorite organized crime drama� makes its way to DVD.

The Show:

With the sixth and final season of The Sopranos having been postponed until 2006, fans of the show will have to be satisfied with watching the fifth season again on DVD.� This award winning show is one of the best programs ever to grace the small screen.� Each season of The Sopranos contains multiple plots and story lines that are woven together to show the professional and domestic pressures that affect Tony Soprano, the boss of the New Jersey mob.� The various stories intertwine to create a realistic feeling portrait of the life of a Mafia boss.
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Note: Though there aren't any spoilers for the fifth season in this review, there may be some for the previous seasons.

I assume that the vast majority of people reading this have at least a passing knowledge of the show.� If not, you may want to begin by reading the reviews of the previous seasons.

As this season begins, Tony has separated from his wife Carmilla.� He's managed to climb to the top of the heap professionally, but his married life still is giving him problems.� While he doesn't really want to get a divorce, his new found freedom has its advantages too.

A couple of people who have been in jail for a number of years are released, and they bring Tony both joy and grief.� Principle among them is his cousin Tony Blundetto, a childhood friend.� Tony B. was arrested while pulling a job that Tony Soprano was supposed to be involved in.� Tony S. never showed up though, having been jumped by a couple of guys and knocked out, or so he claims.� Tony feels a lot of guilt that Blundetto served jail time when he didn't, and the fact that he lied about why he wasn't there makes him feel even worse.� Soprano wants to help his cousin out and get him set up in the business again, but Tony B.� has decided that he wants to go straight, a decision that creates more mixed feelings in Tony.

Tony isn't the only one with mixed feelings though.� Adriana, Christopher's fianc�, has been turned by the FBI.� They are using her as an informant on the movements and dealings of the head members of the crime family.� Adriana would really like to take Christopher away from the life they are living, but she's not sure that he'd want to go.� If he's forced to, things might be different though.� She also feels horrible that she's betraying a trust, not just Christopher's, but everyone's.� A lot of her friends are wives and girlfriends of family members, and the fact that her information may put their spouses in jail is eating her up.

Things aren't so good in New York either.� The head of the New York family, Carmine Lupertazzi dies leaving a power vacuum.� His second in command, Johnny Sack had assumed that he'd take over, but when Carmine Jr, the late boss' son arrives from Florida and announces his intention of taking over things get a little messy.� Of course both sides want Tony's blessing.

This was another excellent season, even better than the previous year.� One of the great strengths that this show has is its ability to show both sides of a story and the grey areas in between.� The plot involving Adriana is a good example.� The FBI use her just the way Tony uses people to get ahead.� They tell her that they are the good guys, and they are, but they lie to her more than anyone in the mob ever has.�� They willingly put her life in danger without a thought for anything besides what they can get from her.

My favorite part of this season though was the relationship between Tony and his ex-con cousin.� When he went to jail, the two men were equals, but when he gets out years later, Tony S. is the boss who seemingly has everything.� The two Tony's are very similar in a lot of ways; both of them acting on impulse and not knowing when to keep their mouths shut.� The trouble that they get into and the steps that they have to take to get out of it are some of the best moments in this classic series.

One of the things that is so great about having this set on DVD is that you can watch it over again.� I paid so much attention to the plot the first time around that I missed some of the details.� This sow is scripted fairly tight, and some small details may be just that, small inconsequential parts that the writers threw in.� Others can later take on more significance in later episodes however.� Because of that this series has a lot of replay value.� It is great to be able to sit and watch it at your own pace, not having to wait a week between shows.

This show has a nice story arc going through each season, and running over the entire series.� It is fairly amazing to me that the show has managed to maintain the high standard of quality throughout it's entire run.� By the fifth season of most shows, the writers have run out of ideas and start recycling stories or padding the show out.� That hasn't happened with this program.� The fifth season is just as edgy and exciting as when the show first premiered.� A excellent instalment to a great series.

The DVD:

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The thirteen episodes that make up the fifth season of The Sopranos come on four single sided DVDs.� Matching the other seasons, the discs come in a fold out case, which is housed in a front loading slipcase with a lid and ribbon to help you remove the discs.

Audio:

These shows are presented with stereo soundtracks in English, French, and Spanish, as well as a 5.1 English mix.� I viewed the shows with the 5.1 soundtrack and I it sounded excellent.� Of course there wasn't any distortion or background noise, but you'd expect that from a recent show like this.� Though this is a dialog driven show, the subtle background noises are crisp and clear and they add a lot to the atmosphere.� You can hear people setting their glasses down on a bar and the crunch of gravel under foot.� The soundstage is used sparingly but effectively.� Overall a very nice sounding set.

Video:

The widescreen (1.78:1) anamorphic video looks stellar.� The colors are bright, the image is sharp, and the blacks are solid.� The cinematography in this show is excellent, much better than just about all the other shows on TV, and these discs showcase the strong images.� On the transfer side of things, HBO did a good job, with digital defects being non-existent.� An all around good looking set.

Extras:

The only extras on this set are five commentaries by various people involved with the show.� Director Rodrigo Garcia contributes a commentary to the episode All the Happy Families...� Sentimental Education has a commentary track by director Peter Bogdanovich, and In Camelot also has a director commentary by Steve Busemi (Tony Blundetto).� Mike Figgis talks about an episode he directed, Cold Cuts.� Finally actress Drea De Matteo (Adrinana) comments on Long Term Parking.

Final Thoughts:

The fifth season of The Sopranos doesn't let viewers down.� It is just as good as it has always been, and a bit better than the fourth season, which I thought was just a bit weak.� This series of episodes builds on what has come before with some significant developments in the life of Tony Soprano.� Aside from the excellent show, this set presents it the way it should be seen; with a stellar widescreen transfer and a solid 5.1 soundtrack.� If you enjoyed the previous seasons of this show, you won't be disappointed.� Despite the high retail price, this engrossing and all too addictive show deserves to be in many people's collections.� DVD Talk Collector's Series.

SOPRANOS SEASON 4 DVD TALK REVIEW

The Movie:

HBO Video brings to DVD the fourth season of the show that has become, in such a short period of time, almost a religious institution in North America, everyone's favorite crime family, The Sopranos.

Another massive set and a massive undertaking in its own right, The Sopranos has become a phenomena all its own, spawning all sorts of merchandise and winning oodles of awards.

Contained on Season 4, for your viewing pleasure, are the following thirteen episodes:

Disc One

For All Debts Public And Private

Junior has some trial problems coming up that mean not only problems for him, but for Tony as well, because he's fronting the bill for all of the nonsense that happened in their world in the last season. We're looking at a lot of money here to make it all happen and to keep Junior out of the clink. Something to the tune of $1,000,000.00 or so.

No-Show

Tony realizes that his plans to get Christopher more involved in the business aren't as rock solid as they seem, especially when Silvio lets Tony know that there may be problems that even he didn't anticipate.

Christopher

Junior has to go to court today, to face off against the mighty United States government. Because of the antics related to Christopher in the previous episode though, Tony and his men are more than just a little distracted.

Disc Two

The Weight

A more light hearted episode compared to the three on the first disc, this one concentrates more on how Tony deals with Ginny Sack's posterior.

Pie O My

Ralph hunkers down and buys a horse named, well, Pie O My. Tony figures he can make this work for both of them, as he seems to have a knack for betting on the ponies. The jockey doesn't see eye to eye with Tony on his ideas though, and things get more and more complicated.

Everybody Hurts

Tony makes a call to Christopher at home, while he's maxin' and relaxin' and doing his thing. That means he's only got a few minutes to put down his needle and sober up for his meeting with Tony. Unluckily for him, Tony is smarter than he realizes and is on to the fact that he's been sticking needles in his arms all day.

Watching Too Much Television

Paulie is sprung from the joint all legal like. Finally! It's been a long few months so Tony and the boys throw him a welcome home party. Cheap drinks and cheaper women are the order of the day as they do their best to make Paulie feel appreciated for what he went through.

Disc Three

Mergers & Aqquisitions

In this episode, Tony decides he's got to stick to his code. His mobster code, if you will. When he and Ralph's latest squeeze discover a mutual attraction, Tony's got to try and live by his code and do what he can to make sure that nothing comes of it. We find out by the end of this episode that Tony really has no will power.

Whoever Did This

Junior has a crappy day in court and an equally horrid drive home. A ronin boom microphone hits him on the head as he exits the courthouse and he ends up falling down the stairs because of it as the cameras roll. But his lawyer, being a lawyer, sees this as a prime opportunity to maybe get more than just a little bit of revenge for the young Soprano.

The Strong, Silent Type

Ralph is no where to be found. They thought he might be hanging at the local hospital, but nope, no dice, despite the fact that his son is admitted there and could kick off at any moment. All involved have to wonder what part Tony plays in Ralph's disappearance. And some of the crew aren't afraid to ask out loud the questions that they've been pondering all day.

Disc Four

Calling All Cars

Carmine, Johnny and Tony all have a talk. A secret talk in the back of the clud, where they let Tony know that they want in on a cut of his profits relating to the HUD scam he's been running. Tony tries to wheel and deal with them to less than stellar results.

Eloise

Furio leaves a message for the big man on his answering machine. All he states is that he's getting out of town and heading back to Italy where he belongs. He fails to admit why he's come up with this idea in the first place and what spawned this seed in his head.

Whitecaps

The season starts as it ends, with Junior, who finds the results of his trial a little more pleasant than he maybe at first thought that they'd turn out, thanks to the power of the almighty dollar and mre than just a little muscle.

More dialogue driven and character driven than the earlier seasons, a lot of fans felt that this was a more subdued season, with maybe less crime action or typical mobster elements than the earlier entries in the show, but I don't feel that way. I think it's a more mature, middle aged show that, instead of relying on the same old tricks, is maybe pointing in the direction it hopes to head in the future. Tony and co. are developing into a more adult soap opera but I mean that in the nicest possible way. The show sucked you in with the first few seasons and now that you're paying attention, it's setting you up with this season for the events to come. We all know it's going to end in the not too distant future and we know it'll end with something big. This is the season that seems to be setting it all up.

The DVD

Video:

Like the earlier sets in the series, Season 4 is presented in a 1.78.1 anamorphic widescreen format. Overall, this presentation suits the show very nicely. Colors are pretty solid and while there is some grain or video noise of some sort present more or less throughout, this is still, overall, a very nice presentation of a TV show that is a lot more cinema friendly than most.

Sound:

Dolby Digital 5.1 is the order of the day. Those not surround sound equipped will have to settle for their choice of an English Dolby Surround track or stereo tracks in French and Spanish. The English 5.1 track is obviously the way to go if you're equipped to do so. Of course, the show is more or less dialogue driven so you've got to keep that in mind as you listen to it, don't go in expecting the swirling sound effects like you'd hear in The Matrix and you'll be fine. The directional effects do exhibit some quality channel separation and fill out the track nicely when needed and overall, the clarity here is top notch.

Extras:

Four of the thirteen episodes on the set do contain commentary tracks from various people involved with the series. First up is Terence Winter, one of the writers on the show, who speaks over episode four, "The Weight." Michael Imperioli gives his thoughts overtop the presentation of episode six, "Everybody Hurts" while Robin Green and Michael Burgess, a pair of writers, talk overtop of episode nine, "Whoever Did This." Last but not least, David Chase, the series creator and one of the writers, gives his thoughts on episode thirteen, also known as "Whitecaps." Chase is the most interesting to listen to, but that's not to take away from the other participants. All four tracks are worth a look for fans of the series and are no chore at all to sit through.

Aide from the commentary tracks, HBO has provided recaps for the first three seasons to get you up to speed should you be a virgin to the series, or, like myself, maybe missed a few shows here and there. There are also text pieces on all of the key cast and crew members supplied that are accessible across the set. While not something that you're likely to go back to over and over, they're remotely interesting and worth at least one look for the trivia buff in your household. An index of all thirteen episodes as well as a piece on all the awards and nominations that the series has received rounds out the set's extra features.

Final Thoughts:

A lot of people thought that Season 4 was the weakest season yet. I disagree. I think it's maturing and that it's heading towards something big. I have no idea where Season 5 is going to take us, but the plot points and character developments setup in this set make me all the more eager to find out. A few more extra features would have been nice but this is still a great set of an underappreciated season of what is quite possibly the most compelling dramatic television series currently running.

SOPRANOS SEASON 3 DVD TALK REVIEW

The Movie:

Let's start with the credit sequence.

It's a relatively simple set of images. Yet it speaks volumes about the world of the show that the credits preface.

It's the world of Tony Soprano, and as A3's "Woke up This Morning" plays in the background we are with Tony in his SUV as he comes out of the Holland Tunnel and into New Jersey. The words "Woke up this morning" coincide with a "coming into the light," emerging from out of the tunnel with its fuzzy view of white tiles and ceiling lights into the industrial sprawl of the Garden State.

Tony is driving. The first bit of him we see is his cigar. He appears to be in the kind of mood that we often see him in during a season�irked about something. As he drives, Tony passes the Statue of Liberty. The Twin Towers appear in his read view mirror (will that image be retained in the fourth season's credits?). We see him pass through the Jersey Turnpike's tollbooth. Airplanes pass by. He sees bridges, churches, flat wetlands. He sees a lumberjack statue, a graveyard, and the meat shop that figures in the show (Satriale's). Then row houses, succeeded by more expensive houses with driveways, then woods through which no houses are visible, then finally his own driveway. Basically, we are offered a guided tour of Tony's whole life, from his early days in a poor neighborhood all the way up to suburban ease, from the depths to the heights.

Yes, let's start with the credit sequence because a lot of the genius that is the Sopranos starts with that credit sequence. It contains in brilliant summary the worlds that Tony has passed through to get where he is. And another thing about that sequence�it never gets boring.

Season Three suffered a little criticism from some for being a "come down" from the previous two seasons. In fact, Season Three was the best so far (for me, anyway; Season Two was the one that struck me as a bit of a come down, though I still watch it over and over again, too).

The third season began with the brilliant episode "Mr. Ruggerio's Neighborhood," in which the FBI makes several attempts to plant in bug in Tony's house. By throwing the weight of observation into the lap of the FBI, the episode opened itself to a strain of humor that was often gone from Season Two (in favor of bitter critique of society and the mob's place in it). What was also funny about the first episode is the fact that we can see how the FBI knows very little of what really goes on, not only in the Soprano family but in the real world. When at the end the FBI finally gets its bug installed, they are privy to the mundane aspects of Soprano life, like Tony complaining, "I've had a hair stuck in my teeth for two days."
With the second episode the producers had to write Tony's mother out of the series, but that was fine by me. Objectively speaking, Nancy Marchand was probably great in the role of Tony's manipulative mother, but for me she was a continual bore. To me, her lines and character were fundamentally repetitious and tedious. Once she was out of the picture, however, things perked up. Now, The Sopranos could concentrate on things that were changeable: Tony and his two families.

What's great about The Sopranos is what's great about series television at its best: multiple variations within a bedrock foundation. The brilliant changes in the third season include: Carmela joining Tony in session (when I opened the Sunday New York Times the day the paper previewed the third season and saw that huge photograph of Tony and Carmela sitting next to each other obviously in Dr. Melfi's office, I knew then that the third season would be great); Joe Pantoliano entering as this season's thorn, Ralphie; Meadow having her first sexual experiences; and A. J. showing signs of having the same anxieties as his dad; and Tony getting in deeper with the Russians.

The genius of The Sopranos can be summarized by analyzing a sample episode. Take as an example number five, titled "Another Toothpick." This is the one where Tony and Carmela have their first joint therapy session. It's also the one in which Vesuvio owner Artie is revealed to be in love with Christopher's girlfriend Adriana, Tony is pulled over by a hot-headed cop, and Meadow's relations with her dad are explored. The main thrust of the episode, however, is what to do about a crazy guy nicknamed Mustang Sally, who beats into a coma a friend of the Family for no reason at all. Tony decides to let Bobby Baccalieri, Sr. (Burt Young in an effective one-shot cameo), the dying father of the man babysitting Uncle Junior, to do the hit on Sally: he is Sally's godfather and can get close to him without suspicion. This, of course, upsets his already emotional son. One of the running themes of the third season is the idea of sticking with your own kind (as the theme of the second season was "old school" gangsterism versus new school"). That's Tony's advice to Meadow, who is dating a half-black fellow student. But this episode, like many others, shows just what happens in a mafia family if you stick with your own kind.

Death and change permeate this episode. The title comes from a saying of Tony's mom whenever she saw another cancer victim. Analyze the episode carefully and you can see how every plot point is not only carefully set up (Tony and wife in therapy argue, which makes him drive too fast going home, which means he is pulled over, which means�) but provides a set up for moments in later episodes (Uncle Junior reveals that he has stomach cancer). The series, unlike other shows, benefits greatly from being thought out as a whole. Not just from show to show, but from season to season.

Other great episodes in Season Three include "Employee of the Month" (the one where Melfi is raped, a very hard to take episode), "University" (the one where the stripper gets killed), "The Telltale Moozadell," and "Pine Barrens," arguably the best written episode in the season. The weakest episode is "'To Save Us All From Satan's Power'" which has a Christmas theme of memory and regret, but which just didn't work for me. It was confusing, and there just felt to be something off and coarse about it.

In many ways the show is textbook, traditional series television. As David Chase explains in the forward to the selection of published screenplays (The Sopranos: Selected Scripts from Three Seasons, Warner Books, $16.95, 323 pages, ISBN 0 446 67982 8), the basic template of the show is founded on threes. Each episode tackles a new crisis found in one of the three areas of Tony's life: his family, his Family, and therapy. It's the same formula that john Mortimer uses in his masterly series Rumpole of the Bailey and in that true sit-com, Seinfeld. The best episodes of The Sopranos, as with these other two series, integrate the three strands in a way that can only be called aesthetically pleasing, in the Nabokovian sense. The series also has roots in Jonathan Demme's Married to the Mob, which takes a similar look at the vulgarity of upwardly mobile middle class life, and the weird coincidence of the films Analyze This and National Lampoon's Mafia.

As I write this, Season Four is about a week away. There are certain things that we know about it already. First, we know that the first episode will begin with Tony walking down his driveway to get the New Jersey Star (just the way the first three seasons began). And we know that the show will climax with the next-to-last episode (4.12, or number 51), just as in the previous three seasons the real climax came with the penultimate show. The Ralphie story will continue to evolve, and perhaps resolve. Then there's Patsy Parisi, the guy who peed in Tony's pool and later is shown talking about wearing a wire to Tony's mom's funeral and whose blabbermouth twin brother Tony's associate Gigi killed in a previous season—what's he going to do next? (Though I may be mixing him up with another character named Raymond Curto.) And what about Carmela and her crisis of faith and her real estate interests? Who will be her romantic crush be this time around (rumor has it that it's the long haired Italian-import Furio)? And what about Meadow and her rebelliousness? What will become of the esplanade waterfront theme park that Tony and the NY mob are collaborating on? Then there's that decorated Russian hero out in the woods gunning for Christopher and Paulie. And the last time we saw Paulie, Johnny Sack was laying temptation before him to come to the New York side, something he had explicitly denied Ralphie (apparently, Paulie ends up in the slammer on contrived charges). What will Rosalie think when she learns that her boyfriend Ralphie ordered the hit on her own son? More speculation, and a complete three-season episode guide can be found in David Bishop's Bright Lights, Baked Ziti: An Unofficial and Unauthorized Guide to The Sopranos (Virgin Books, 285 pages, $9.95, ISBN 0 7535 0584 3).

I can't wait.


The DVD

VIDEO: On a technical, transfer level, the four single-sided, dual layered discs in this set offer a view of The Sopranos that is even better than the one you get on digital cable. Cinematographer Alik Sakarov's work continues to impress with its subtle shadings and precise framings. He is a master, and God knows he needs to work fast. The image is in widescreen (1.85:1), enhanced for widescreen televisions.

SOUND: The Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack is adequate to the needs of The Sopranos, but it also comes in DD 5.1, and in French and Spanish. Close captioning is also provided.

MENUS: The animated, musical menus offer a lot of nested screens to get to in order to access the shows. Each episode is divided into six chapters and comes with "Previously On" and "Next On" teasers.

PACKAGING: The four discs come in a foldout gold hued cardboard and plastic digi-pak festooned with studio shots of the Soprano gang. Each disc's label is illustrated with a shot of a lonely boardwalk, a recurrent and poignant destination for Tony.

EXTRAS: Given that this is a four-disc set, the supplements are surprisingly minimal. But that is consistent with the previous two seasons' s worth of discs. The first set had an interview with David Chase conducted on the set by Peter Bogdanovich, and the second set had two featurettes and three episode audio tracks. There's about the same here. Given that one of the tracks is by indie god Steve Buschemi you'd think that the features would be some good stuff, but Steve puts forward a rather dull and inconsistent yak track. Michael Imperioli, who wrote the episode 3.9, "The Telltale Moozadell," does much better, though when talking about the credits at the start, he has Tony driving to work instead of driving home. Mostly he talks about how he got his part and what David Chase brings to the series. His psychological analysis is also fairly obvious stuff. He tells us things we already know about the relationships among the characters. Nevertheless, he is an insider and not without insight, and he notes rightfully for example that Chase and his staff are experts at casting. The whole cast is fine, of course, but as the lead, James Gandolfini is a particularly good catch. He's a man who must have about 400 facial expressions in his repertoire, and can look like everything from a hardened and enraged killer to a little kid.

Finally there is an audio track from the Master himself, David Chase. In a calm, cool voice that belies the fact that he is the Godfather of one of the greatest shows ever put on television, Chase walks us through aspects of the show he likes. In talking about the writing process (as he does in the forward to the script book) Chase indirectly confirms one of my suspicions: that the obliqueness of the series, the subtlety with which way characters and certain plot points are introduced and come and go (note for example the way Jackie Aprile, Jr. was introduced in Season Two), may actually result from last minute cuts to shorten individual episodes. This approach may also explain why there are so many more unfleshed out tangents in Season Three (but then again, Chase is said to have plotted out seasons three and four together).

Other supplements include a four-minute on-location featurette made for HBO, which is slim but does let you hear what Furio actor Federico Castelluccio really sounds like. It also confirms that they shoot the show in 35mm. Plus, there are credits for 17 cast and crew members, a series index on each disc, and DVD-ROM web-link for Windows PC users. One little bit of supplementary material the disc could have included would be Fairuza Balk's two scenes as the FBI plant Deborah Cicerone. After the first airing of that episode, Balk was replaced by Lola Glaudini of NYPD Blue and these two scenes were re-shot with her. Glaudini's scenes are the ones you get on this set (so those of you who taped the series the first time around, hold on to that episode!).

SOPRANOS SEASON 2 DVD TALK REVIEW

The Movie:

If you flip around the dial on cable today, in my opinion, you probably won't find much. Today's sitcoms have a few bright spots (the new "Scrubs") and a decent drama or two ("X-Files", which is starting to go on beyond its borders), but there's really nothing that compares in the slightest to what David Chase has done with "The Sopranos", a remarkably well-crafted and marvelously acted series that has rightly walked away with awards when Emmy season comes around.

For those unfamiliar with the series, it stars James Gandolfini (previously seen in films like "Get Shorty" and currently seen in films like "The Last Castle") as Tony Soprano, the head of a New Jersey family and, at the same time, the head of a Mafia family. The show's greatness is due in fairly large part to Gandolfini's tremendously dynamic performance, but Chase has rounded up a large legion of fantastic supporting players, such as Edie Falco as Carmela, a strong, intelligent character who stands up for herself and detects when she's being lied to, but also cares about Tony and her family. Chase gives even the smallest of characters a defined personality and great character details, making every individual a piece of the larger puzzle and each character great depth. Chase also often does an amazing job moving between dark drama and dark comedy without being jarring. The tension that the directors, Chase and the cast are able to maintain is often remarkable; we know that something is major is going to happen and we sit on the edge of our seats just waiting for something to go down.

Chase's decision to also shoot on location gives the show a further feeling of reality and atmosphere, as well. Further adding to the experience is the selection of music, most notably the opening theme, "Woke Up This Morning", which really provides a superb introduction to the show. Above all of it, it's really impressive that Chase was really able to push the elements of the show and characters further in the second season. Where many shows and movies suffer from a "sophmore slump", "The Sopranos" really was able to move even further into greatness, continuing to be one of the strongest and most well-crafted programs that television has to offer.

And one note - the opening of "Commendatori" offers the scene about the "Godfather DVD" that was added as a hidden extra in the DVD set of the "Godfather" trilogy that was recently released by Paramount.

Season Two:
14.Guy Walks Into a Psychiatrist's Office
15.Do Not Resuscitate
16.Toodle-F***ing-oo
17.Commendatori
18.Big Girls Don't Cry
19.The Happy Wanderer
20.D-Girl
21.Full Leather Jacket
22.From Where to Eternity
23.Bust Out
24.House Arrest
25.Knight in White Satin Armor
26.Funhouse


The DVD

VIDEO: The series is presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen by HBO. I'm thankful that HBO has presented the shows in widescreen, because the original compositions are so terrific. Also, HBO's presentation of the first season did have some minor concerns - a little shimmering at times, a few slight instances of pixelation - which don't appear again here. Sharpness and detail throughout the episodes is excellent; the picture remained well-defined even in some dimly-lit moments. Again, flaws are kept to a bare minimum. I noticed no shimmering, edge enhancement or pixelation. All that I spotted was the occasional very slight instances of grain.

Colors remain natural and accurate - as the show is filmed on location, colors really depend on where the scene is at the moment. There's an episode that mostly takes place in Italy, for example, that offers brighter and more vibrant colors. Otherwise, the film's (I keep wanting to say "film", because that's what each episode feels like) color palette is mainly subdued. Overall, "The Sopranos" looks terrific and the few concerns that I had with the image quality of the original season DVDs don't re-appear here. Very nice, HBO.

SOUND: As with the first season, the shows are presented in Dolby Digital 5.1. The show's sound design isn't quite up to the level of films that are released in theaters today, but, at the same time, the surround mix is certainly better than expected for television material. The interior scenes are generally subdued, with the audio focused from the front. Exterior scenes open up slightly more and use the surrounds nicely for some minor ambient sounds. Audio quality remained excellent throughout, as the music sounded rich and strong, while dialogue and ambient sounds came through clearly and crisply. As with the video quality, very nice.

MENUS:: HBO has again delivered outstanding menus for this second season, which are generally the same as the menus that they provided for the first season. "Woke Up This Morning" plays in the background and there's some sleek animation with show-themed images and great transitions between menus. The menus for specific shows are excellent, as well, as they provide summary text and other details about that particular episode. The discs come in the same great fold-out case as they did with the first seasion; the fold-out case rests in a larger, sturdy case.

EXTRAS::

Commentaries: On the first disc, there is a commentary for "Commendatori", by director Tim Van Patten, who contributes an enjoyable and detailed discussion of what it took to produce the episode and what the show's production process is like in general. He opens the track in an enthusiastic and energetic manner and continues in that fashion throughout, with only a minimum of pauses.

On disc three, "From Where To Eternity" offers a commentary from director Henry Bronchtein and line producer Ilene Landress. The two offer a very good track, but they mainly discuss the show at hand and talk about the filming style of this particular episode. There are a few small comments about the process of making the show in general, but they mainly talk about the technical and story/character details of this particular episode.

Finally, on disc four there are two episodes with commentaries, "The Knight in White Satin Armor" features commentary from Director Allen Coulter, who is paired with Line Producer Ilene Landress and "Funhouse" comes with commentary by Director John Patterson. Both tracks provide an entertaining and informative experience, but Patterson's comes across as the more in-depth of the two.

Featurettes: "The Real Deal" is a short (4 min 50 sec) featurette with various reporters and law officers who discuss how realistic the show is. "A Sit-Down With the Sopranos" is a 13 min 36 sec featurette where the actors discuss what attracted them to their roles and their thoughts on the series.

Also: Nicely done cast/crew bios and awards text, up next/previously promos, DVD-ROM (weblink) and I even spotted an additional promo hidden at the bottom of the "Special Features" menu on the 4th DVD.

Final Thoughts: "The Sopranos: Season Two" continues the show's offering of remarkable writing, great performances and tense atmosphere wonderfully. HBO's DVD set also continues their terrific efforts, with informative and interesting commentary tracks and very good audio/video quality. Fans of the show should definitely seek out the set.

SOPRANOS SEASON 1 DVD TALK REVIEW

The Movie:

"The Sopranos" has been one of the shows that revitalized not only HBO, but cable television in general. Wildly popular and award-winning, the show stars James James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano, the father of a New Jersey family - and the head of a mob family. The opening epsiode establishes the characters as well as some pieces of the plot; Tony suffers a panic attack and then finds himself in a psychologist(Lorraine Bracco)'s office. Once there, he talks about his work as a "waste management consultant" and we then see what really happens in Tony's life.

The show boasts impressive writing. You have a wealth of characters in this show, and their entire history seems to have been constructed down to the most minor detail. These don't feel like "characters", but the uniformly great cast really makes their roles feel lived in. Yes, there is violence, there is nudity - but, with the subject matter, this is to be expected. The series has an undercurrent of dark humor running through it as there are often touches of jokes and comedy as well as some great references such as DVD (the second epsiode has the crew hijacking a truck full of players and discussing the positive aspects of the format). The series may not be for everyone, but I think it's easily one of the best shows in recent years - and that's particularly pleasing, since the last few years haven't offered too many other new bright spots in the television world, as it seems like sitcoms and other network shows are being cancelled left and right. HBO really has become a place where television talent can really have creative freedom; "The Sopranos" and other good shows from the network have really brought new life to cable.

On these discs are:
DVD 1:
The Sopranos (Pilot)
46 Long
Denial, Anger, Acceptance
Meadowlands
DVD 2:
College
Pax Soprano
Down Neck
The Legend of Tennessee Moltisanti
DVD 3:
Boca
A Hit is a Hit
Nobody Knows Anything
Isabella
DVD 4: I Dream of Jeannie Cusamano
Extra Features


The DVD

VIDEO: HBO released the first season of "Sex and the City", and many were not entirely pleased by how some of the episodes looked. HBO has thankfully presented "The Sopranos" in better fashion. These episodes are anamorphic, and presented at about 1.85:1. There are some problems that pop up, but the pilot episode is where they seem more evident. On the rest of the episodes, they pop up, but far less. More specifically, some light shimmering and minor grain.

Sharpness and detail vary a bit; some scenes look slightly soft, but at best, the picture quality is very pleasing, looking well-defined and crisp. The pilot episode has a bit of an edgy, digital look at times, but presentations seem to look smoother in later shows. Colors look great throughout, with colors looking rich and well-saturated with no instances of bleeding or other problems. Flesh tones are also accurate and natural. Again, aside from a few little problems now and then, HBO has done the series justice - and I was certainly happier with how these looked than how "Sex and the City" looked.

SOUND: Surprisingly, these episodes are presented in Dolby Digital 5.1. This simply opens up the audio for the show, and does a fairly effective job doing it. It doesn't use the surrounds that often, but they occasionally come into play to offer the great songs, score, or some light ambient sounds. On the "college" episode, there is a thunderstorm in the background that does a nice job presenting enveloping rainstorm sounds at times, for example. Bass occasionally is present, but not too strong. Dialogue is clear and easily understood, not edgy or harsh sounding.

MENUS:: HBO has done some fantastic menus for this disc, with great show-themed animation, as well as background music. The box that the disc comes in is also nicely done - the front cover flips up to reveal the box with the 4 discs. The 4 discs are in a fold-out package, sort of like the "X-Files" TV show discs come in.

EXTRAS: I have not been that excited over the extra features that Fox has released with their season box sets for the "X-Files". Although I was happy to see that there looks to be some newly done supplements(the commentary), there still really isn't that much for how much the set costs.

Commentary: This is a commentary from filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich and Sopranos creator David Chase. It's what I call a "question and answer" commentary, where Bogdanovich asks Chase about what inspired various elements of the show from the opening song to how certain scenes were filmed. The discussion doesn't really expand upon the show as a whole series, but keeps mostly focused to this particular episode and some early history of the show. On it's own terms, it's a good commentary that is informative and at times entertaining as Chase admits that he doesn't like a song that he included behind a certain scene in the pilot. Worth a listen. The commentary is only for the pilot episode - there are no other commentary tracks for other episodes.

Previews: The TV ad for each episode.

David Chase Interview: Like the commentary, this is between creator David Chase and filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich, who provides the questions for the interview. The nearly 80 minute interview does provide some informative bits from Chase, who gives us a great deal of information on the show's creation and ideas. I would have liked a bit more back-and-forth from Bogdanovich, though. He does provide good questions, but instead of expanding upon what Chase says, he mainly seems to agree with him. Chase talks about the characters and how the stories were going to be told as almost mini-movies on their own. The interview is a little slow at times, but it does provide an interesting look at the process of creating and continuing a television series. I did like the fact that this is just an interview - there's no "filler" - as some promotional documentaries like this might put in a lot of clips and other things in-between to give it additional length.

Featurettes: Two short featurettes, "Family Life" and "Meet Tony Soprano" last a few minutes each. They are strictly promotional featurettes, with interviews and clips. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Also: Text notes on awards, biographies and DVD-ROM web-link.

Final Thoughts: "Season One" is a little bit on the expensive side at $99.99 retail with not many extras, but if you're a fan of the show, it's great to have the entire season on disc. The audio/video quality is not perfect, but still pretty good. If you're a fan of the genre, it's also worth taking a look at because the show is simply so well-written and well-acted by the fine cast.

UNFORGIVEN 2006 DVD TALK REVIEW

This year's Unforgiven took place on September 17, 2006 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada at the Air Canada Centre. In addition to Umaga's first PPV appearance, we also see newly introduced tag team "the Highlanders" taking on the male cheerleaders for the championship belt. We're also subjected to (what will hopefully be the final) match between DX and Vince McMahon. However, the best (and saddest) match out of them all is Trish Stratus' final match.

Here's the card:

• Intercontinental Championship [Johnny Nitro vs. Jeff Hardy] - Johnny and Jeff put on a pretty good match with a lot of high-flying by Jeff and some good spots by Nitro. I'm not sure if it was me, but it seems as though Jeff was a bit more limber than Johnny, even thought they're roughly the same size. Oh yeah, Melina's up to her usual shrieking and shenanigans ringside.
  
  
• "the Marine" Feature
- A short featurette pimping John Cena's flick "the Marine".


• Matt Hardy & Jeff Hardy In the Hallway - As Jeff makes his way to the locker room, he bumps into his brother Matt. Oh, and Lita too.
  
  
• Kane vs. Umaga (w/ Armando Alejandro Estrada) - After five undefeated months on Raw, this is "Umaga"'s first PPV appearance. JR points out at the beginning of the match that this may not be the Bristol Club classic with arm drags and head locks, but it will resemble more of a battle between extreme monster trucks. He's right. This is basically a brawl that escalates with both men wrestling in the crowd until it just...ends.
  
  
• Mr. McMahon In His Office - An interlude where we see Vince watching a replay of his match against HHH on Raw, included on this disc, before taking a cheap shot at Canada.
  
  
• World Tag Team Championship [Spirit Squad vs. the Highlanders] - Unlike some of my contemporaries, I happen to like the Highlanders. However, I would agree with them if they said that it was way too soon for them to be in a championship match. Then again, I think it's ridiculous that a team made up of five male cheerleaders hold the belt - so what do I know?
  
  
• 2-On-3 Hell In A Cell Match [D-Generation X vs. the McMahons & Big Show] - There's a rumor going around that Show's on his way to retiring due to heath problems. While I hope that's not true (both, his retiring and his health is bad), I was paying particular attention to him during this match and he looked pretty winded. To be honest, I think Vince is overusing him. I mean, he's the ECW champ, he's been on SmackDown! god knows how many times and he's been on Raw even more. Give the guy a break!
  
  
• Women's Championship [Lita vs. Trish Stratus] - During the previous match, JR commented that the Cell match was the reason people would buy this PPV. Well, that would be wrong - it would be for this match right here. In fact, this is one of the reasons I wanted to review this particular PPV. You may not have noticed it, but i'm a fan of Trish. In fact, as i've mentioned before, Trish was the reason I started watching the WWE again. Vince must hold her in the same high regard since he lets her go out on top which, considering that Unforgiven takes place in her hometown and it's a title match, is pretty impressive. The match itself was great, as Lita (yes, Lita) helps Trish go out on top with a move that gets one of the biggest pops of the night (if not the biggest) - Bret Hart's "Sharpshooter". It's a damn shame she's retiring, but it was a helluva ride. Here's hoping Vince puts out another Stratusfaction DVD.
  
  
• Todd Grisham Interviews Randy Orton - Randy says some disparaging things Trish to enrage that guy that was her boyfriend for five minutes, Carlito.
  
  
• Carlito vs. Randy Orton - This wasn't that interesting of a match. I do like both wrestlers, but something about it just didn't click for me. Perhaps it was the emotions from the previous match. Nonetheless, both fellas pull off some good moves, the highlight of which was Carlito's "back cracker".
  
  
• TLC Match For the WWE Championship [Edge (w/Lita) vs. John Cena] - Well, I can't say I was surprised by the results of this match. It's a shame that this TLC only had one competitor familiar with how to wrestle using tables, ladders and chairs. Oh, how I long for the days when i'd hear "Bubba! Get the tables!" I also really wish they'd make Edge something other than a "transitional" champion. Maybe once Lita "retires"?
  

In addition to all of those matches, we're also treated to these extras from this year's WrestleMania:

• Unedited Footage Of DX - This is raw, unedited footage of DX vandalizing Vince's jet and WWE headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut that was shown on Raw's August 14th 21st, 2006 episode airing from the Arena At Harbor Yard in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
  
  
• Trish Stratus Farewell Interview (1:27) - A short interview with Trish as she takes her final walk to the locker room.
  
  
• DX Begins To Make Their Way to the Ring [Raw 9/11/06] (1:49) - As they make their way to the ring, Show, Shane, Cade and Murdoch hand DX their asses to make sure that Mr. McMahon has an advantage in his match against HHH.
  
  
• Triple H vs. Mr. McMahon [Raw 9/11/06] (10:50) - Vince "surprisingly" pull out a win, thanks to events in the previous segment.

Video: Surprisingly, Unforgiven's picture was probably one of the most disappointing i've seen recently. While the picture was colorful and vibrant, there was some terrible pixelation and compression issues - even where there weren't any pyro and graphic elements onscreen. As usual, it's presented in the WWE's standard full frame 1.33:1 ratio.

Audio: Though the picture might not be up to the WWE's usual standards, the audio track is. It's in a Dolby Digital 5.1 track that was crystal clear and enveloped my living room while I was watching it. Viewers are also given the option of watching the disc in Spanish.

Conclusion: I realize i'm biased, but there's one reason this is a Highly Recommended disc - Trish's last match. However, if I were to take that match away, I still think this is a pretty damn entertaining PPV. While I was disappointed by the normally reliable picture quality, the content on the disc upholds my earlier biased rating.

SUPERMAN THE MOVIE DVD TALK REVIEW

The Movie: "You'll believe a man can fly."

So said the ads in 1978. That was the year the world saw the release of Superman: The Movie, starring a fresh new face as Superman, Christopher Reeve. Now, even after the release of Bryan Singer's excellent Superman Returns, Reeve is still considered the definitive Superman. But back in 1978, no one even knew if a Superman franchise could stand on its own two feet.

The story should be familiar by now. Superman is Kal-El, the son of a Kryptonian named Jor-El (Marlon Brando), who sent Kal into space as Krypton was destroyed by its own sun. Little Kal lands in America's heartland, where he's raised to have decent values by Jonathan and Martha Kent (Glenn Ford and Phyliss Baxter). After Jonathan's death, Kal, now Clark, leaves to learn of his heritage, and through Kryptonian technology builds an ice fortress in the North Pole, where holograms of his real father teach him who he is. At the end of it, Kal-El is a full grown man (Christopher Reeve), who heads to the city of Metropolis to work as a reporter at the Daily Planet. There he meets headstrong reporter Lois Lane (Margot Kidder), and reveals himself to the world by saving her from a helicopter crash. Lois is immediately smitten with Superman, and he is also taken with her. Meanwhile, the villanious Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman) is planning a devious plot and he knows Superman stands in the way, so he schemes to take him out.

If that sounds like a lot, well, it is. But it's to director Richard Donner's credit that the film never feels overly long. This is due in part to an excellent script, assured direction, and fantastic performances. First among equals is Christopher Reeve. There are only a few breakout performances in film history that can equal Reeve in Superman. As the title character, Reeve is the embodiment of the straight and narrow, with shoulders back, chin high, and a haughty look (with just a hint of a smile), Reeve made Superman human. No actor before or since has laid claim to the role in the way Reeve did with this one. And as Clark Kent, Reeve did a complete 180, playing a gentle, naive farmboy who has just come to the big city. His entire physicality is different, as is his tone of voice. There's one scene in particular where he removes his glasses and stands tall, and you can see the transformation in front of your eyes. Later in life, Reeve would become a real life Superman after an accident left him paralyzed from the neck down. Never letting himself become a victim, Reeve continued to act in parts tailored for him, as well as champion programs that sought cures for paralysis and other debilitating conditions. Watching him in this film, it's easy to see how he had the fortitude it took to overcome his disability.

But Reeve wasn't carrying this film by himself. Marlon Brando lends a sense of gravitas to the film as Jor-El, Superman's father. In a role both majestic and tender, Brando overcomes some of the silliness of his lines ("I tell you, this planet will explode in 30 days!"), and delivers some wonderful moments as only he could. On the other end of the spectrum is Gene Hackman, who plays Lex Luthor mostly for humor. Granted, he is very funny, but his performance misses the real threat that Luthor poses, something Kevin Spacey would correct in Superman Returns. We also have Margot Kidder as Lois Lane. Now, Kidder might not be the prettiest girl on the block, but she has the diffident attitude that it takes to play Lois Lane successfully. One can see why Superman lusts after her. Like a wild buck that needs taming, she is headstrong, willfull, and has enough smarts to make it in a man's world. Kidder brings out all of that, and the film is better for it.

The interplay between the characters is also a vital part of the film. The script isn't above having a little fun with itself, and Reeve, Kidder, and Hackman all do a great job of balancing the humor and the drama. Take a look at the scene where Clark first meets Lois, and you'll find sly turns of phrase and subtle innuendos just about everywhere.

But what would a Superman movie be without big disasters and special effects? Not much, which is why this movie is jam-packed with them. The aforementioned sequence where Superman reveals himself to the world by saving Lois from a crashing helicopter is probably one of the most iconic moments in all of American cinema. And that's just the start. Earthquakes, breaking dams, heck, Superman even makes the world rotate backwards for a few moments. While some of the effects may seem dated, they don't detract from the overall experience.

And this is due to the fantastic direction of Richard Donner. Donner purposely conceived of the film as a little slice of Americana, and he gives the whole production a strong sense of direction. Everything feels like it has a purpose, even the seemingly non sequiter opening sequence where Jor-El condemns three criminals. Without Donner, the film would have fallen apart under its disparate elements. But he binds them together and makes the picture the classic it is, one of the true greats in modern American cinema.

The HD DVD:

The Image:
Warner Bros. presents Superman: The Movie in its original aspect ratio of 2.40:1, with a 1080p VC-1 encode. Donner shot a lot of Superman with diffusion, probably to keep the mythic feel of the story. The result is that most of the picture is soft. It doesn't help that a lot of 70's film stocks tended to err towards the softer, grainer side of the film spectrum. The end result is that most of the film looks like a very good upconverted DVD. Granted, I could see certain details I never could before, and there are some close-ups in Luthor's hideout that are clearly a cut above standard definition, but most of it will probably look disappointing to fans of HD. Now, let me say that it's clear that the look of the film is intended, and we should commend Warner for giving us a transfer that correctly brings that look to the screen. That being said, I predict many people will find this transfer to be subpar.

The Audio:
The version of Superman featured on this disc is the 2000 restored edition (aka the director's cut), which first surfaced on DVD in the original Superman box set. At the time, the audio on that release garnered some controversy over re-recorded sound effects that didn't sound like they were of a piece with the rest of the audio in the film. I had heard that the new editions of Superman: The Movie would not have such glaring aural contradictions. However, as far as I can tell, what we get on the HD DVD is simply a higher bitrate, Dolby Digital Plus version of the soundtrack from the previous release. So purists can pull out their torches and pitchforks again. For my part, I don't have too much trouble with the soundtrack. Actually, the sound effects didn't bug me as much as some apparent distortion in the dialogue in the early sequences, where syllabants came across too harshly. As a surround track, though, this one is a keeper, with the glorious John Williams score (the best of his career) filling every speaker, and the big effects sequences getting full justice.

The Extras:
To date, HD DVD fans have been able to hold their heads high and proclaim that HD DVDs have had all the special features of the DVD releases (movies released in special editions by Criterion notwithstanding). However, a few recent releases have tarnished this sterling reputation, as first King Kong (2005) and now Superman: The Movie fail to port over all of the DVD features. Let's take a look at what we do have:

First is a fantastic commentary with director Richard Donner and creative consultant Tom Mankiewicz. Richard and Tom keep the track lively, mixing facts with a decent amount of humor. This commentary is a port from the 2000 DVD, but is not only worth hearing for newcomers, but worth hearing again for people who haven't heard it since its original release. I know I enjoyed it just as much as I did the first time.

Next is a pair of documentaries, "Taking Flight: The Development of Superman" and "Making Superman: The Filming Of A Legend." Both are just over half an hour in length, and go into great depth over all the aspects of production, from before Donner was involved to his disputes with the Salkinds afterwards. Both are excellent, informative, and never boring.

We also get to see some rare screen tests, mostly of Christopher Reeve, but also of several woman trying out for Lois Lane. Similar screen test footage appears in Superman II: The Donner Cut.

A music-only track in DD+ highlights Williams' fantastic score for the movie. Watching it with only the score, it's interesting to see how well the action sequences work without any dialogue whatsoever.

Finally we have theatrical trailers and a TV spot. These trailers caused quite a stir when they were first shown, even though they seem embryonic now.

It's clear this HD DVD is a port of the original DVD release, not a port of the concurrent 4-disc release. Even so, this disc is missing a few features that were present on the previous release, including additional music cues, some text extras such as cast/crew bios, and the biggest ommission, a feature on the film's effects. It's a shame that such an important film as Superman would debut on HD DVD without even all of the extras of a 5-year old DVD release.

The Conclusion:
Superman: The Movie is a 70's classic, as much as Taxi Driver, The Godfather, or Rocky. It has a timeless appeal that only grows with repeated viewings. Christopher Reeve is Superman, and the rest of the cast shine in their respective roles. The HD DVD sadly cuts away some supplements found on the DVD releases, and features none of the new content from the 2006 4-disc release, including the theatrical cut of the film. Because of this, I can't give this film a Collector's Edition rating, but it is still a vital, must-see film. Because no matter how many years down the line, no matter how hokey the effects may become, when you watch Superman, you believe that a man can fly. Highly Recommended.