Posted on 09/13/2024 6:53:49 AM PDT by ChicagoConservative27
The new docuseries from HBO, Wise Guy, is out now. In it, David Chase, creator of The Sopranos, speaks about the creation of the show that changed television history. Wise Guy takes an interesting look at how Chase came up with the idea, as well as a look into the writer's room where so many classic episodes were created. The Sopranos was one of the best series of all-time, with brilliant writing, thrilling twists, and some memorable characters, but none of it would have mattered without James Gandolfini, the actor tasked with playing The Sopranos' lead, a tortured man filled with anger. Playing such a character won James Gandolfini a few Emmys, but it also took a heavy toll on him physically and emotionally.
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He actually had a pretty good career that started as a character actor in the late 1980s.
I thought he was really good in “Get Shorty” as Bear(1995). The stunt man/enforcer. Of course, Get Shorty was a great movie and book. Hey “look at me”.
My favorite episode was the one where Paulie and Christopher took the Russian out to the Pine Barrens to wack him and had to spend the night out there.
“You had a Tic Tac?”
Paulie was my favorite character.
“The Museum of Science and Trucking”.......everytime I think about that I laugh my ass off. 😁
He was very good in “Enough said” with Julia Drefuss, I really enjoyed the movie although I only watched it to make my wife happy. [Chick flic night].
That show was evil.
Enough Said (2013) - James Gandolfini, Julia Louis-Dreyfus. He should have been given an award for his part in this movie.
yes good movie
Yes it was. That opening music along with opening visuals really put me in the mood. They covered it somewhat in the documentary. BTW, the finale with Journey's "Don't Stop Believin" was perfect for the surprise ending.
Sidenote: What did you think of the ending? I thought it was perfect and showed the brilliance of David Chase.
In 2001, he had a major role in “The Last Castle”.
Of course, that was in the middle of his fame as Tony Soprano. But IMHO, it was a good movie and he did the role as a military prison warden well.
“He should have been given an award for his part in this movie.”
For his acting in the movie or because he had to star alongside Julia Louis-Dreyfus?
Vito or Michael would have rubbed out Tony in 2 seconds. Tony was not a Sicilian.
Please see: “Get Shorty” script by Scott Frank, really true to the classic Elmore Leonard book of the same name.
James Gandolfini introduced in this movie as a stuntman named “Bear” (with a great accent and a cute little girl, single dad) who gets thrown down stairs and beaten up by Chili Palmer (John Travolta) and aligns himself on the side of the good guys to get rid of a limo driver thug, pitching him down a hollywood ravine from the back terrace. Gandolfini well played and developed a likable regular guy who finds his backbone and does right. Fantastic
The humor and the lines in this movie— are really legendary. Others supporting roles: Gene Hackman- outstanding, Danny DeVito (playing the actual “shorty” who was, according to Leonard, Dustin Hoffman “when you can’t get anyone else get shorty”; Renee Russo, Dennis Farina, and Delroy Lindo, Harvey Keitel, Penny Marshall(!),Bette Midler playing who she has always been, and brilliant bit part by legendary Vito Scotti as the manager at Vesuivio’s. And great Miguel Sandoval as.. Pablo Escobar (later seen in Clear and Present Danger).
Line Quotes in history:
“Where’s Leo Devoe, where’s Chili Palmer, and where’s my (f-—) money?” and Hackman’s classic “Look at me....! which gets him a beat down. Other cult phrases all from Leonard’s writing: “What’ve you got there a Wop 9, the Fiat of guns always jamming!”.... “Eg., ie. f you!”..
The film will lighten your day (if one can follow the street lingo) if anything Elmore Leonard ever wrote would (Hombre, 3:10 to Yuma, Mr. Majestyk, Stick, and.. Jackie Brown among them).
I think his scenes in True Romance are the reason he got the Tony Soprano role. He was excellent in both.
That was my favorite episode. The missing shoe was hilarious.
Yes. I think he stole the spotlight from Robert Redford. His character WAS the movie. Not as impressed in his role as a gay hitman in "The Mexican". Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts showed why they are A list actors.
My favorite Sopranos scene was Tony sitting at the dinner table with Janice and saying “I wonder what’s French-Canadian for ‘I grew up without a mother’........’Oh sacrebleu, where is me mama!’, and then walks out triumphantly to The Kinks’ “I’m Not Like Everybody Else”.
He was forced to accept that “he never had the makings of a varsity athlete”.
I won a Trivia game because I knew the lyrics, and what series it went with.
Paulie : You’re not gonna believe this. He killed sixteen Czechoslovakians. The guy was an interior decorator.
Christopher Moltisanti : His house looked like ____.
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