Okay, I admit it...I love the Sopranos. I think this is one of the best shows on TV. A wonderful combination of character development, storylines, violence and nudity make this a multi-award winning TV series. Since HBO is a cable channel they aren't held to the same restrictions that the networks are and in my opinion, this makes for better television. Sopranos, Sex and the City, Oz, 6 Feet Under, The Wire...those are some of my favorite TV shows; all are from HBO.
With a huge gap between the third and fourth seasons of the show, HBO decided to push the DVD release of the third season up to August from the usual late-year release. This allowed people who had never seen the show to catch up before the fourth season premiere on September 15th (17th in Canada). Obviously it worked because the fourth season premiere posted the largest numbers the network had ever seen. Bravo HBO!!
Not only is this a great show, it's a great DVD release as well. The menus are beautiful, providing easy navigation and access to great features; episode recaps, next time on/previously on...it's all right there. These are features that every TV release should contain.
Video
Presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen, the video on this release makes the show seem more like a movie and less like a TV show. In Canada, Movie Central decided to broadcast the show in 1.33:1 format so I almost feel like I'm watching the show for the first time. Everything just looks better in widescreen. There's a bit of grain present in the picture, but nothing that's distracting. If you don't think this is a great looking picture, take it up with Furio.
Audio
Ahh...a nice audio track to go with the video. Although the show is dialog driven, the Dolby Digital 5.1 track rounds out the presentation. Your center channel will get most of the workout, but when the rears are used for ambient effects, or the main speakers contain the sound of traffic, it's as though you're being sucked into the show. I recently moved to downtown Edmonton and I'm still getting used to the traffic sound and sirens that the downtown brings. In one part of an episode I paused the DVD because I heard the sound of a siren approach and wanted to hear where it was going. I was rather shocked when I hit pause and the siren stopped. When a DVD has you fooled into thinking the audio is real life, you know someone is doing a great job.
Cast and Filmmakers
Still screens with text information about the cast and crew. The following are the people and the number of screens they have:
David Chase - 17
James Gandolfini - 7
Edie Falco - 6
Lorraine Braco - 6
Dominic Chianese - 6
Michael Imperioli - 8
Jamie-Lynn Sigler - 5
Robert Iler - 3
Tony Sirico - 4
Steven Van Zandt - 10
Drea de Matteo - 6
Aida Turturro - 6
Joe Pantoliano - 11
Steven R. Schirripa - 4
John Ventimigalia - 6
Frederico Castelluccio - 6
Katherine Narducci - 6
Series Index
Listing of all 13 episodes and which discs they are on. Nice little feature.
Audio Commentary
Episode 9, Michael Imperioli - Writer, Actor
Episode 11, Steve Buscemi - Director
Episode 12, David Chase - Series Creator
Awards & Nominations
These 19 screens list all the awards and nominations the show and the stars have received. Like I said, this is a great show, and I'm not the only one that thinks this.
Featurette
This featurette is far too quick (3:46). A look behind the scenes of the show and a chat with some of the cast members.
Summary
I'd have to say that season 2 was probably my favorite overall season, but season 3 sure has some highlights. "Pine Barrens" has to be my favorite episode of the series, so I was very happy to see that Steve Buscemi (the little, funny lookin' guy from Fargo) recorded a commentary track. HBO should be given a huge pat on the back for releasing the set early so fans can refresh their memories for season 4. To be honest, I'd rather they skipped the TV airings and just did a simultaneous DVD release. Anyone else agree? :)
