The Little Guide To The Sopranos

"Buy land, 'cause God ain't making any more of it." When The Sopranos aired in 1999, it was at the forefront what is now known as the Golden Age of TV. Revolving around a suburban New Jersey gangster and his attempts to juggle work and home life, the show redefined the crime drama genre and, instead of stereotyped mobsters, gave us a sensitive portrayal of anti-heroes and deeply flawed characters we somehow find ourselves rooting for. Each episode looks like a movie, and the plots are dark and twisting, dealing with complex themes of depression, suicide, family strife and betrayal, and yet it never forgets to find the lighter moments in amongst it all, streaked through as it is with raucous humour and some truly unforgettable one-liners. This little book gives fans of the show a chance to relive the magic, to remember some of its most indelible moments and pithy exchanges, all while learning some lesser-known trivia along the way. If nothing else, it'll give them a break from wondering about what really happened at that diner in the final scene... "You don't shit where you eat. And you especially don't shit where I eat." Tony Soprano Creator David Chase only directed two episodes of the show: the first and the last.

The Godfather is a classic. Not just of Hollywood or America, but in worldwide cinema. Its legacy not only lives on in the 21st century, but it has also transcended its origins, today meaning more to so many than just a movie: it's a religion. Its cast of future Hollywood heartthrobs and acting icons – Brando! Pacino! De Niro! Caan! Duvall! Keaton! – was perfect. Its script, a masterpiece. Its score too. It became 1972's highest grossing movie and would remain the world's top grossing film for decades. And it received unprecedented critical acclaim. The Little Book of The Godfather is a celebration of this classic slice of cinema on its 50th birthday. It has everything a Godfather fanatic could want, and certainly could not refuse: from to killer stats to stunning facts, production notes to classic quotes, stories and tales from the set and the ongoing impact of the film's now legendary status. It's all here. Come and get it. 'Leave the gun. Take the cannoli.' Peter Clemenza 'You found paradise in America. You had a good trade, you made a good living. The police protected you and there were courts of law. So you didn't need a friend like me. Now you come and say ""Don Corleone, give me justice."" But you don't ask with respect. You don't offer friendship. You don't even think to call me ""Godfather"". You come into my house on the day my daughter is to be married and you ask me to do murder – for money.' Don Corleone"

The first in-depth look at a television phenomenon.

"Buy land, 'cause God ain't making any more of it." When The Sopranos aired in 1999, it was at the forefront what is now known as the Golden Age of TV. Revolving around a suburban New Jersey gangster and his attempts to juggle work and home life, the show redefined the crime drama genre and, instead of stereotyped mobsters, gave us a sensitive portrayal of anti-heroes and deeply flawed characters we somehow find ourselves rooting for. Each episode looks like a movie, and the plots are dark and twisting, dealing with complex themes of depression, suicide, family strife and betrayal, and yet it never forgets to find the lighter moments in amongst it all, streaked through as it is with raucous humour and some truly unforgettable one-liners. This little book gives fans of the show a chance to relive the magic, to remember some of its most indelible moments and pithy exchanges, all while learning some lesser-known trivia along the way. If nothing else, it'll give them a break from wondering about what really happened at that diner in the final scene... "You don't shit where you eat. And you especially don't shit where I eat." Tony Soprano Creator David Chase only directed two episodes of the show: the first and the last.

Fans of a certain multi-award-winning HBO dramatic series and lovers of fine eating everywhere will love the ultimate guide to making every event the perfect occasion, served up by the Garden State's most gracious hostess, Carmela Soprano. From graduation parties to holiday gatherings to poolside barbecues, Carmela gives you everything you need to keep your personal crew as happy as a clam in red sauce: over 75 delicious new Neapolitan-based recipes as well as scores of Soprano-approved tips on picking the ideal location, choosing tasteful decorations, whipping up the best drinks, and selecting the right music. Sweetening the festa are dozens of never-seen illustrations and insightful commentaries from Soprano relatives and intimates. You'll find "AJ" Soprano's confirmation invitation, advice on "party anxiety" from therapist Dr. Jennifer Melfi, a term paper by Meadow Soprano on "Why My Grandmother Can't Cook," advice from family friend Paulie Walnuts on throwing a surprise party, and much, much more. Unsure about wine? Follow the advice of Artie Bucco, proprietor of the renowned Nuovo Vesuvio restaurant in Newark, New Jersey: "If you have steak, a `big' meat dish, think of a `big' red wine like a California Burgundy. I guess you could match it with a big white wine, too, but I don't know of any big white wines." Want to surprise with a birthday gift? Model yours after what Carmela plans on giving her husband, waste management executive Tony Soprano, on his fiftieth: a Dean Martin impersonator, an outdoor screening of his favorite film, The Public Enemy, starring James Cagney, and a monogrammed putter. (But no ritzy watch. He has a dozen of them.) Planning a wedding? Find inspiration in the vision of Carmela's sister-in-law, Janice Soprano Baccilieri: "As guests enter a cathedral of pines, they would pass an ancient wishing well where they could deposit small presents or deep thoughts about life and love. Ideally, I would love for the whole ceremony to be done in the nude, but unfortunately, the time for that kind of pagan openness has long passed." Flustered by funerals? Heed the wise suggestions for his own wake from Tony's Uncle Corrado "Junior" Soprano: "A lot of food, no crap, a lot of homemade Bucassi vino, a nice speech from Bobby Bacala, since he was always the nicest to me of all those bums, and me singing like Caruso on the Victrola." In Carmela's words: "What's closer to a celebration of life than celebrations? Look for them, jump into them, charger plates and all, and have a ball."

“In its original run on HBO, The Sopranos mattered, and it matters still,” Dana Polan asserts early in this analysis of the hit show, in which he sets out to clarify the impact and importance of the series in both its cultural and media-industry contexts. A renowned film and TV scholar, Polan combines a close and extended reading of the show itself—and of select episodes and scenes—with broader attention to the social landscape with which it is in dialogue. For Polan, The Sopranos is a work of playful irony that complicates simplistic attempts to grasp its meanings and values. The show seductively beckons the viewer into an amoral universe, hinting at ways to make sense of its ethically complicated situations, only to challenge the viewer’s complacent grasp of things. It deftly exploits the interplay between art culture and popular culture by mixing elements of art cinema—meandering plots, narrative breaks, and an uncertain progression—with the allure of a soap opera, delving into its characters’ sex lives, mob rivalries, and parent–child conflicts. A show about corrupt figures who parasitically try to squeeze illicit profit from the system, The Sopranos itself seems a target of attempts to glom on to its fame as a successful TV series: attempts by media executives, marketers, critics and writers, and even presidential candidates. “Everyone wants a piece of Sopranos action,” says Polan, and he traces the marketing of the series across both official and unauthorized media platforms, including cookbooks, games, DVDs, and the kitschy Sopranos bus tour. Critiquing previous books on The Sopranos, Polan suggests that in their quest to find deep meaning, many of the authors missed the show’s ironic and comedic side.

In The Sopranos Sessions, renowned television critics—and New York Times bestselling authors—Matt Zoller Seitz and Alan Sepinwall celebrate the 20th anniversary of one of the greatest television series of all time. Foreword by Laura Lippmann On January 10, 1999, a mobster walked into a psychiatrist’s office and changed TV history. By shattering preconceptions about the kinds of stories the medium should tell, The Sopranos launched our current age of prestige television, paving the way for such giants as Mad Men, The Wire, Breaking Bad, and Game of Thrones. As TV critics for Tony Soprano’s hometown paper, New Jersey’s The Star-Ledger, Alan Sepinwall and Matt Zoller Seitz were among the first to write about the series before it became a cultural phenomenon. Sepinwall and Seitz have reunited to produce The Sopranos Sessions, a collection of recaps, conversations, and critical essays covering every episode. Featuring a series of long-form interviews with series creator David Chase, as well as selections from the authors’ archival writing on the series, The Sopranos Sessions explores the show’s artistry, themes, and legacy. “This amazing book by Alan Sepinwall and Matt Zoller Seitz has bigger twists than anything I could ever come up with.” —Sam Esmail, creator of Mr. Robot

Move over Miss Lonelyhearts . . . Steven R. Schirripa, author of the runaway bestseller A Goomba’s Guide to Life, is back with more life lessons from the neighborhood. Recalling stories of his own colorful journey from the streets of Bensonhurst to the bright lights of Las Vegas and stardom as Bobby “Bacala” Baccalieri in the HBO hit series The Sopranos, Schirripa observes the finer points of amore in all its forms—love for his mother and her Sunday sauce, his wife and kids, his friends, his goomar on the side, even for his car (and he better not catch you eating in it, if you know what’s good for you). Alternately touching, telling, and laugh-out-loud funny, The Goomba’s Book of Love proves that no one loves as fiercely (or as frequently) as a goomba.