Pete Doherty: "The Big Moon-Faced Heroin Addict"

MTV2 of all people (UK maybe?) have an interview with Sam Riley, the lead in "Control," the Ian-Curtis/Joy Division biopic. In the clip, which gives a sneak peek at some other scenes in the movie, Riley gets in a little dig at professional rehabber and all-around mess, Pete Doherty that was reported a few weeks back.

That Pesky Ending: Tony Had No Clue Either; No Alternate Endings Confirmed?

Oh brother, just as we thought it was all said and done. You thought you and other viewers had no clue what was going on in the Sopranos finale? Well, cast members spoke to the Daily News today, including star, James Gandolfini and he said he had "no idea what happened to Tony," after the show cut to black for the last time.

"You have to ask ("The Sopranos" creator) David Chase that. Smarter minds than mine know the answer to that," Gandolfini said. "I thought it was a great ending. You decide."

Others in the cast echoed the sentiments of being, err... totally in the dark., but defended the ambiguous ending.

"I have no idea why I had so much trouble parallel parking at the end," said Jamie-Lynn Sigler, aka Meadow Soprano. "It was on the page, and like always, I played what was written. But I loved the ending. I can't think of a single better way to have ended this show."

Paulie Walnuts thought people were fucked for questioning how the episode ended. ""I thought the ending was outstanding. We got Phil Leotardo. We went back to our lives," he said. "What do people want? More blood? A whole family whacked? I like that David Chase let the viewers decide."

Aida Turturro on the other hand (Janice) speculated about the conversation that Tony and Bobby had earlier in the season about getting killed, how you never see it and how life quickly just goes to black.

"A conventional ending would have been a fraud," said Stevie Van Zandt (Silvio Dante). "Life doesn't have tidy little endings. Even some great songs just fade out like the last episode of 'The Sopranos.'

No Alternate Endings?
He also quashed the idea that multiple endings were shot (despite the FBI actor and stripper who claim otherwise). "It's also a lie that we shot three or four endings. David Chase, who wrote and directed the last episode, did one ending. He knew what he wanted, and it was great. Like the show."

Shut-up already Gandolfini said in the end. "The ending was exactly what it should have been," he said. "Don't look at me, I don't have an answer. All I know is that it's over."

More Sopranoisms
- Meanwhile, the rocket scientists over at Inside Edition are still treating that final scene like it's the Zapruder footage.
- Vulture has a cute, citrus-flavored, theory that eventually goes nowhere and ultimately just reminds us that Francis Ford Coppola liked oranges.
- And finally, the faction of online conspiracy theorists that believe Tony is dead have started a website, creatively called, "Tony Is Dead."

Little Dieter Needed To Fly: Rescue Dawn Clip

MTV has the exact clip from Werner Herzog's upcoming POW film, "Rescue Dawn" that he showed those who lucky enough to see him speak back in late May. In it, Steve Zahn asks Christian Bale when he first knew he wanted to fly and his response is almost verbatim what the original Dieter Dengler said in the Herzog-helmed documentary "Little Dieter Learns To Fly" in which "Rescue Dawn," is based upon.

Perhaps you'd have to have seen "Little Dieter" to appreciate this clip, but it's so damn meta-cannabalizing it boggles and blows the mind.

New Coen Brothers: "No Country For Old Men" Trailer

The trailer for the new Coen brothers film, "No Country For Old Men" is online. Click on the above image or or go to Variety to watch the clip.

The film, which is due in the fall stars Javier Bardem, Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, Kelly McDonald and Woody Harrelson and it looks like the darkest thing the Coen Brothers have done since, "Fargo." Bardem for one looks seriously creepy in it. Their trademark oddball humor will be present, surely, but don't expect any kind of farce. The IMBD synopsis is: Violence and mayhem ensue after a hunter stumbles upon some dead bodies, a stash of heroin and more than $2 million in cash near the Rio Grande.

Preparing To Say Goodbye To The Sopranos: Only For Real This Time

Yes, it's about that time, the show is over, the water cooler has cooled and the collective consciousness is moving on (and likely not to "John From Cincinnati" either). We've laughed, cried, been confused, thought our cable connection died, been frustrated; felt fear, denial and then finally a mix of hunger, sleepiness and finally, resignation.

The SOPRANOS ARE FUCKING OVER! So until those alternate scenes where the black guys and the members only jacket shoot Tony in front of his family inevitably leak online (ala the I Hate Huckabees clips) we're going to forgo daily updates on the Sopranos. That is unless more cast members come out and talk, the aforementioned clips leak or Silvio wakes from the coma (we're pulling for you Sil!), David Chase speaks again, more scenes that didn't make the final are discussed publicly, the movie is announced, the movie plans are cancelled and... well, you get it.

So here's a few of the last dying gasps of fans trying to keep the Sopranos discussion and theory positing, going on and on and on (don't stop believin', yo):
- Score the Sopranos finale with any mp3. You add the mp3 over the clip with no sound and voila, you have an incredibly rudimentary and weeny way to play your favorite ironic Weird Al song overtop the silent 3:20 minutes of the last scene. It's like being your own inept music supervisor star! [Stereogum]
- A final page of the original script, in which Meadow takes HER SEAT [omg] at the table before the episode fades to black, was scrapped, what??? (meanwhile HBO still cling to the "no alternative endings were shot" claim) [USA Today]
- Ford employees were aghast that their vehicle added the insult to Phil Leotardo's crushed melon death. [Auto Insiders]
- One of the creators of Lost thought the finale was "letter perfect." [NYTimes]
- However, there's no way on earth Lost would ever end their series in such a murky manner. [Yahoo]
- Sleuths and conspiracy theorists debate the larger and social implications of the onion ring on A.J's life and their impact on the very nature of human existence. [L.A. Times]
- Tony's body explodes into a pile of meat, the Kligons attack, the Paulie Walnuts spin-off series, watch all the goofy videos and alternate endings your heart desires. [YouTube]
- One last look at the music of the Sopranos via a very cool Rolling Stone feature where you can watch classic scenes and the music that underscored them. [Rolling Stone]
- The Greatest Music on Television? The Soprano's Steven Van Zandt wrote an excellent piece on the history of music in films and TV that we had posted back in April, but it's definitely worth a second look. [Reuters]
- Last but not least. You should have see it coming. David Chase told Vanity Fair back in March that the season would end in an unresolved manner, but this part is priceless: "There's a famous story about an actor who said to Chase what actors often say, 'My character wouldn't say this.' Chase responded, 'Who says it's your character?' " [Vanity Fair]

Download: A3 - “Woke Up This Morning (Chosen One Mix)” [aka the Sopranos Theme]
Download: Journey - "Don't Stop Believing"

The Inevitable Sopranos Alternative Ending Spoofs Begin; Meadow Pregnant?

With a whimper? "We've got your big bang, right here!" Tons more can be seen here.


Meanwhile, Rolling Stone of all people (hi!), have a very-good theory concerning the direction of Meadow Sopranos life after those notorious closing shots went to black: she's pregnant.

"Why did Chase bring back Hunter, Meadow’s childhood friend? We suspect Meadow has something life-changing to discuss with her — the reason why Meadow wasn’t sipping the pinot grig at Bobby’s funeral; why, as Carmela noted, she’s changing her birth control; why she looks harried in that final scene, returning from a doctor’s appointment."

They fail to add to their convincing argument that Meadow seemed to be planning a quickie wedding with Pat Parisi in the final.

Sunshine In July: Danny Boyle's Sci-Fi Film Finally Arrives

After many delays and much anticipation, Danny Boyle's (director of "Trainspotting" and "28 Days Later") new psychological sci-fi drama, "Sunshine," will finally hit North American shores on July 20 (add this to our summer anticipated list).

As we mentioned before, "Sunshine," has been complete for some time now and stars Cillian Murphy and Chris "it's getting fratty in here" Evans. For a few months, it was feared the film would live in limbo (despite having already been released in the UK). In spite of the producers not wanting to reveal details on the soundtrack, information has leaked. To quote ourselves:

Apparently Underworld (of "Born Slippy" fame) has helped score the film which also includes a song from the band, I Am Kloot. Incidentally, the "Sunshine" trailer utilizes the oft-recycled Clint Mansell theme from "Requiem For a Dream" (also used in LOTR II trailer).

Though to modify the above with further info, Underworld contributes one song ("Peggy Sussed") and the Kloot song is "Avenue Of Hope" (the latter of which can be heard in this version of the trailer).

"28 Days Later" composer John Murphy apparently scored much of "Sunshine" as well. A superfluous shit-ton of making-of interview with the cast and crew can be seen on the Sunshine website.
Watch: "Sunshine" trailer

Paint A Vulgar Picture: Estranged Smiths, Joyce And Rourke Tell Story On DVD

Hell will freeze over before the Smiths reunite. This is pure fact. Anyone who believes otherwise is naive and probably is still awaiting Santa Claus. Offer them millions to do Coachella and Morrissey and Johnny Marr and they will spit in your face (ok, Marr will politely tell you, "no thanks.")

However, a documentary with the two-lesser reptilian members of the Smiths, rhythm section, Mike Joyce and Andy Rourke is happening. Hilariously titled, "Inside the Smiths," the documentary due on DVD July 16 via Tib Street Films and of course the key members of the Smiths are naturally, completely absent from the film aside from archival footage.

Morrissey, who would rather eat glass and his own excrement live on global television than sit in the same room as Mike Joyce and Andy Rourke let alone reunite the Smiths, wrote in meticulous detail his hatred for Joyce and the lawsuit that cost him millions of dollars in an open letter last year.

The two ostracized, vampiric Smiths still have some decent friends though and the Fall's Mark E. Smith, New Order's Peter Hook*, the Buzzcocks' Pete Shelley, and members of the Kaiser Chiefs all appear in the documentary to sing the praises of the legendary British group (*Hook plays in the "supergroup" with Joyce called Freebass.)

The trailer looks absolutely dreadful.
Download: The Smiths - "Reel Around the Fountain (Peel Session)"
Watch: "Inside The Smiths"

Even Adriana Doesn't Buy Into Dumb Sopranos Theories

Though, she did at first. There's a million theories going out there, but two that need to die already are the Nikki Leotardo, members only jacket guy and the two black guys that once tried to kill Tony. We can't really be bothered to explain it all, but once and for all: the members only guy IS NOT Nikki Leotardo. This person does not exist and Tony killed one of the guys that Junior hired to kill him back in Season 2. We're not saying that the black men in the finale couldn't of been dangerous, but they weren't those same guys. Ugh. EW goes into more debunking detail. We can't waste our breath.

They did however talk to Adriana (aka Drea De Matteo) and she briefly bought into that nonsense as well, but then thought better of it. "I loved it. I thought it was an amazing way to end it. It was so David Chase. But I got the craziest e-mail [the one referred to above], saying he was dead, and I believed it. Especially the part about everything fading to black, and the Members Only jacket, all that symbolism. Now, I don't really think he died, but it doesn't matter. I know people are hating it, but I thought it was perfect." She added, "I'm gonna go on the Internet tonight and read all this s---."

No Trilogies or CGI: It's The Real Playlist Summer Movie Preview

Following our jackassed blockbuster McFranchise summer preview, we thought we'd look at the films made for less than $25 trillion dollars and no CGI that some people might want to see... or not. Some of these are out in select cities already, some are not. Behold, the real Playlist Summer Movie Preview (in no particular order), aka the summer movie guide for films that try not to insult your intelligence.

The Wendell Baker Story: Luke Wilson figures he must have learned something from appearing in Wes Anderson films. He wrote the story and his older brother Futureman (Andrew Wilson) directed the tale of a Texas con-man who gets a job in a retirement home. At the very least, his clout has scored him three superb '70s actor, Seymour Cassell, Kris Kristofferson and Harry Dean Stanton (who apparently hated him). [trailer]

Superbad: Everybody loves Judd Apatow, everybody loves Arrested Development's lovable dork Michael Cera (who played the wonderfully awkward George Michael Bluth) and everybody loves the writer, "Knocked-Up" schlub, Seth Rogen. While "Knocked-Up" had some ribald humor, "Superbad" looks to be downright deliciously vulgar. [trailer]

Sicko: Michael Moore finds a new axe to grind with this heath-care harangue. He's being investigated by the U.S. government as it is for making too many Pinko films. Dude, move to Canada already. You so know you want to. [trailer]

Smiley Face: Gregg Araki's stoner-comedy looks pretty retarded actually, but it is the first dope movie to star a female that we can think of so that has to be worth something, right? Anna Faris stars and a bunch of TV people and that annoying indie kid from "The O.C." are in too (PS, don't be surprised if the release date gets bumped). [trailer]

The Hottest State: Ethan Hawke adapts his Gen-X-y coming-of-age debut novel for his sophomore directorial effort and uses actor Mark Webber as a stand in for his 20-something self. The soundtrack features indie-rockers covering songs by Starbucks-friendly Grammy winners. [trailer]

You Kill Me: John Dahl ("Red Rock West," "The Last Seduction") attempts a crime noir comeback with a comedy twist. The film stars Ben Kingsley as an alcoholic hitman who has to sober up, Luke Wilson as his gay AA sponsor and Tea Leoni as the object of Kingsley's affection. The last decent (and notable) film Dahl did was the underappreciated, "Rounders," so maybe he's due. [trailer]

Fay Grim: Hal Hartley's triumphant return from up his ass stars Parker Posey as a housemom turned international spy in the decade-later sequel to his last great film, "Henry Fool." There's more oblique angles in this thing then we've ever possibly seen in one film, but 'Grim' finds Hartley back to form with his oblique and mannered deadpan comedy. [trailer]

28 Weeks Later - The sequel idea to the very-excellent, "28 Days Later," was heinous in concept, but Spanish director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo amps up the terror without betraying the raw terror of the original. Incidentally, another sequel, 28 Months Later is being planned. [trailer]

Paris Je T'aime: Practically every director and actor known to man stars in this thing. The film is 18 shorts representing 18 boroughs of Paris directed by auteurs like the Coen Brothers, Gus Van Sant and Alexander Payne and starring actors like Natalie Portman, Elijah Wood and Maggie Gyllenhaal just to name a small few. There's hits and misses, but generally it's incredibly charming and sweet. [trailer]

Angel-A: After a few years of silence before returning for a kids movie, French intelligent-action director Luc Besson refuses to return to his roots and tries his hand at at noir-looking romantic comedy starring a loser and a gorgeous amazonian angel on his shoulder. [trailer]

The Boss Of It All: Lars Von Trier takes a brief break from loathing humanity for an office comedy that has only marginal shades of contempt for stupid, shallow and banal people. He shot it with a computer camera called, "Automavision" and it looks super wry and dry. Think of it as the auteur wearing with his mischievous trademark smirk, but with 50% less misanthropy. [trailer]

Rescue Dawn: Werner Herzog cannibalizes his 1997 documentary, "Little Dieter Needs To Fly" and uses it as the true-story source material for a harrowing look of the experience of two POW friends captured during the Vietnam war. Leads Christian Bale and Steve Zahn lost shitloads of weight and slept in straw huts for the role. It's a Herzog film so it should be wonderfully loony. [trailer]

The Ten: It's like Kieslowski's Decalogue minus the existential pathos and made by smarmy, funny American comedians. Ten commandments, ten vignettes, man-crushable Paul Rudd, "The Daily Show's" Paul Corddry, the guys who behind "The State," and "Wet Hot American Summer," what more do you want? [trailer]

Away From Her: Sarah Polley's senility love story is surely not fun for the whole family, but it did coax '60s icon Julie Christie out of retirement and hey, it's cute little Sarah Polley; no one's going to really see this things and we're sure it's probably a solid little drama. Do the right thing and spend your money on this instead of fucking the Fantastic Snore sequel. [trailer]

Eagle Vs. Shark: Social and emotional retards fall in love. It stars one-half of that acutely annoying Kewie comedy duo Flight of the Conchords and it looks like the New Zealandish answer to "Napoleon Dynamite" only, inexplicably worse. [trailer]

Interview: Steve Buscemi is smarter than he looks and casts British tabloid-hottie Sienna Miller as his love interest in the "actor falls in love with the schleppy, washed-up journalist" romance. He's from the political milieu, she's from the soap opera world, oh my science. [trailer]

The Brothers Solomon: The comedy pedigree is high: Mr. Show's Bob Odenkirk directs and Gob (aka Will Arnett) from "Arrested Development" stars as one-half of socially inept loser brothers on a quest to put a baby in someone so their ailing father can have a granchild before he dies. That incredibly stupid premise had us sold at "socially inept." [trailer]

Sigur Rós Helps Nicole Kidman Retain Ice Queen Posture in 'Invasion' Trailer

"You can fool them," the dude in the trailer says to Nicole Kidman of the unfeeling aliens. "Don't show emotion." That shouldn't be difficult for her. The Sigur Rós song is expressively called, "Untitled" (track 8) from the equally expressively titled album, ().

Strokes Channel Kubrick For Re-Do Video

The boys in the Strokes make an alternate video/ short-film version of "You Only Live Once." Directed by Warren Fu the video looks to Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" for major inspiration (why the hell does this thing automatically play? fixed).

Sopranos: Even Peter Bogdanovich Was Shocked

Despite HBO insisting their was no alternate endings, many actors from the cast have at least admitted that other scenes were shot that didn't make the final cut. “I was shocked by the ending,” Peter Bogdanovich, the nerdy film historian told the New York Observer. Bodanovich, who played Dr. Elliot Kupferberg, Tony’s therapist’s therapist said he had shot another scene in which he was comforting an exhausted and bereaved Dr. Melfi (Lorraine Bracco).
The brainy director, oftentimes more well-known for curating a friendship with Orson Welles than making his own films, said that the climax was very Chase-ian. “David has been consistent by doing everything with a vengeance he was not allowed to do on network television, so he gave you a very ambiguous ending. Which is not what the American audience is used to.” Or the mooks at the New York Post who are complaining every two fucking seconds.

Vote For Moore:The "Sicko" Campaign Begins

Micheal Moore stormed through Sacremento with his part movie premiere part political rally for his new health-care screed, "Sicko."

"There is no room for the concept of profit when it comes to taking care of people who are sick," roared at his rally. A seemingly unusually place to set a movie premiere, the capitol's current focus on overhauling California's healthcare system made it the ideal locale. [L.A. Times]
Watch: "Sicko" trailer

Good Morning: Tool Get Surreal, Rob Thomas Is Raped By Music Industry

- Psychedelic art-metal band Tool are contemplating a "surreal" band movie. May we suggest shots simply of Maynard James Keenan in transvestite kabuki drag? [Billboard]
- Strangely enough, this reminds us of the Rob Thomas film that we forgot to post about when this blog first started. "My Secret Record or How I Learned To Stop Worrying & Love the Biz," was going to be your standard rock-doc, but a "story emerged" after Thomas realized he was Bob Dylan, a songwriter if you will trapped within the body of a cheesy, multi-platinum artist with an evil record contract. Thomas quickly snatched up the doc himself, paid for the rest of the film out of pocket (imagine!)and created a doc about the perils of the music industry when you're a super rich musician who has sold millions and millions of albums. This harrowing look at musical struggle had its Nashville debut in May. [Billboard]
- William Hurt has joined the cast of the Incredible Hulk 2.0, extra-mayo film. [AP]
- Rachel Weisz will star in the Peter Jackson film that is not the Hobbit. [Variety]
- A disgusting PG rating for softened "Fantastic Four" sequel prompts Silver Surfer spin-off movie. An entire movied devoted to this marginal character? Good luck. [L.A.Times]
- Seth Rogen and "Superbad" pals make fun of an imprisoned heiress. [DoubleViking]
- Al Pacino as Salvador Dali? Hey, it just might work. [MTV]
- Someone cares what the Strokes and Andrew Bird thought about the Sopranos finale. [Rolling Stone]
- Movie trailers get racier online? The era of age-appropriate Internet trailers is upon us. [NYTimes]
- John Cusak petitions for a role in "Watchmen" by grubbing to online fanzine called MTV.

Daft Punk Robots Movie, "Electroma" Coming This Summer

Vice media are expanding their media empire to include film (with TV and DVDs recently tackled it was obviously the next logical step) and their first release will be Daft Punk's new film, "Electroma"; an "odyssey of two robots (played by Peter Hurteau and Michael Reich) who journey across a mythic American landscape of haunting, surreal beauty on a quest to become human," according to label rep at Vice Records.

The silent feature – which isn't really new – had its debut at Cannes in 2006, but it will finally hit North America this summer. Don't expect a regular film either: the French robotic dance duo's film is more an abstract visual experience or an art exhibit than a regular narrative and sort of looks like a modern version of Michaelangelo Antonioni's '70s acid-failure, "Zabriskie Point," if it were scored by Battlestar Galatica musicians mixed with a bit of Stanley Kubrick hauntedness and the endless tracking shots of Vincent Gallo's "Brown Bunny."

There will be a handful of screenings in North America starting June 14 in Toronto with more dates in Montreal and Los Angeles and then the rest of us will have to wait for the DVD release by Vice in the fall. Strangely enough Daft Punk's music does not appear in the film, instead they have tastefully selected songs by Todd Rundgren, Brian Eno, Sebastien Tellier, Curtis Mayfield and '70s cult astral folkie Linda Perhacs among others.

Songs used in the film (according to Vice Records) include:
"International Feel" - Todd Rundgren
"In Dark Trees" - Brian Eno
"Billy Jack" - Curtis Mayfield
"Miserere" - A Sei Voci Ensemble (composed by Gergorio Allegri)
"Universe" - Sebastien Tellier & Matheiu Tonetti
"String Quartet E Flat Major Op.64 No.6" - Kodaly Quartet (composed by Franz Joseph Haydn)
"If You Were My Man" - Linda Perhacs
"No.4 in E Minor [24 Preludes, Op.28] - Fryderyk Chopin
"Dialogue" - Jackson C. Frank

A few scenes can be seen here (which features the Rundgren track) and the here (warning: this last one has major spoilers; it uses the Vincent Gallo-like Jackson C. Frank sad folk ballad) As you might expect, they are weird, hypnotic, but quite strangely beautiful. Expect this one to become part of the midnight madness stoner set. This is not the first time Daft Punk have branched out into the cinematic world. The duo have lensed a few of their own music videos ("Robot Rock" and "Technologic")and "Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem" was a Japanese animated musical film which acted as the visual realization of their album Discovery.
Download: Daft Punk - "Human After All"
Download: Jackson C. Frank - "Dialogue"
Download: Linda Perhacs - "Parallelograms"
Watch: Sebastien Tellier - "Universe"
Watch: "Electroma" teaser trailer

Cat Power and Bright Eyes "Hottest State" Clips Leak Stream

Those rascally tweens over at Pitchforkmedia have gotten their hands on two new songs from Ethan Hawke's new film, "The Hottest State." The soundtrack is written by Nora Jones collaborator Jesse Harris and the songs are performed by indie-friendly people who are more famous than he is: folks like Cat Power, Bright Eyes, Feist and Willie Nelson. The entire tracklisting is here. The 'fork score two songs by Ms. Power, Chan Marshall and Mr. Eyes, Conor Oberst. You can listen to them below thanks to the power of streaming embeded audio, the album is due August 7.


Hawke's film is conveniently based on his 1997 coming-of-age debut novel, "The Hottest State" (how about that? Does that qualify as sort-of-meta? Or is it ripping off your own source material a decade later?) and he does double-duty: directing and co-starring in the film alongside Mark Webber ("Broken Flowers"), Catalina Sandino Moreno ("Maria Full Of Grace"), Laura Linney, and Michelle Williams.

A horribly dubbed and unwatchable version of the trailer in Italian is here. If you can bare getting through 30 seconds of it (I can't believe we just watched this), you'll hear Feist's cover of Harris' "Somewhere Down the Road," from his 2006 album, Mineral.

Our Fave New Sopranos Finale Theory; Paulie Walnuts Killed In Alternate Ending?

Passed to us from a friend: It's on the NJ.com Sopranos forum from poster "yanks08." It's a very interesting theory:

"Tony falls asleep last week in a barren room. No sheets on bed, no alarm clock, nothing. When he apparently wakes up, there are sheets on bed, a mirror, an alarm clock with music going off. None of that was in the end of last week's show. Tony dreams the whole last episode. A.J getting settled, Phil going down and agent Harris cheering for him, Meadow becoming a lawyer and getting married. In the end, he sees himself sitting at the table. He is dreaming of having dinner with his family. Its ends when Tony wakes up from his great dream. When A.J. says during the episode, "you are all living in a dream", that is a clue. sheets on bed, A.J's comment, and tony seeing himself at the end are all clues that the show really ended last week. This weeks episode was all a dream."

It's probably too far-fetched and we'd have to take a closer look at the "barren room," but Tony watching himself in the restaurant in the final episode did give us pause for concern when we first watched it.
Every 2 Hours More Sopranos News Hits The Wires
- Incidentally, nearly 12 million people watched the finale. The AP is calling this a "near-historic feat" for cable television.
- Apparently after the finale, the HBO website crashed as it was pummeled by users and their servers could not handle the extraordinary demand.
- Think you'll get those alleged "alternate endings" on the DVD release? Good luck, HBO spokespeople are denying their existence despite cast members admitting to witnessing them in person. "We're planning to release [the finale on DVD] in October. There will be no alternative endings on the DVD, because there were none shot,"the rep told the Post. " Suuuuuuure there wasn't.
- A Scores stripper alleges that she saw a scene where Paulie Walnuts is murdered in the Bada Bing by an unknown shooter. The stripper claims she was "standing nearby in the scene with a group of girls when Paulie was shot and fell to the ground, bleeding, as 'everyone was screaming, 'Oh, my God!', " according to the same Post article.
- Who knew Journey were so crafty? Before Steve Perry would give his consent to liscense "Don't Stop Believing" for the final episode, he insisted that Chase show him how the music would be used in the episode or he wouldn't allow its use. "I was not excited about the Soprano family being whacked to 'Don't Stop Believin'.'I told them, 'Unless I know what happens — and I will swear to secrecy — I can't in good conscience feel good about its use," he told MTV. The producers would only agree if Perry was sworn to secrecy which he agreed and then they signed off. This sucks for Journey's keyboardist Jonathan Cain who told the AP that he didn't know how it would be used (though he did know the song would be used in the episode, as he had to sign off on it).
-According to Wikipedia, there are no onion rings served at the real Holsten's Brookdale Confectionery where the final scene was shot. Alert the media.

The Seemingly Daily Sopranos Fall-Out Post: David Chase Speaks

- David Chase speaks. The series creator has been vacationing in France because he wanted to get away from all the "Monday morning quarterbacking," but the Jersey-loyalist granted one interview to the Star Ledger of Newark. So will Chase explain himself? Not a chance. "I have no interest in explaining, defending, reinterpreting, or adding to what is there," the 61-year-old said. "People get the impression that you're trying to [mess] with them, and it's not true. You're trying to entertain them. Anybody who wants to watch it, it's all there."

And as for all that movie talk? Like we said, don't hold your breath. "I don't think about [a movie] much," he told the paper. "I never say never. An idea could pop into my head where I would go, 'Wow, that would make a great movie,' but I doubt it."

He reiterated that he's already accomplished everything he set out to do with the series. "I'm not being coy. If something appeared that really made a good 'Sopranos' movie and you could invest in it and everybody else wanted to do it, I would do it. But I think we've kind of said it and done it." [AP]

Update:- The same Star Ledger of Newark piece has a few more items of note. Despite Chase telling EW he had the finale worked out four years ago, this story says, the 21-month hiatus between Seasons Five and Six was when he took the time to conceive an ending. HBO chairman Chris Albrecht came to him after Season Five and suggested thinking up a conclusion to the series; Chase agreed, on the condition that he get 'a long break' to decide on an ending." The ending was supposed to occur last year, but then they were given more episodes and spread certain story elements out. "If this had been one season, the Vito storyline would not have been so important," Chase said. [Star Ledger]

- When Chase finished the final episode and left for France, he told HBO executives that he would not be taking any calls regarding the ending of the series. He also instructed his writers to turn down any requests for information about the decisions that had gone into shaping the show’s last chapter. [New York Times]
- The members of Journey were apparently "jumping up and down" with joy at the inclusion of their hit single in the Sopranos finale. Hell, think of all the residuals that will take them through retirement. [AP]

-Meanwhile, the members only jacket shady dude (Paolo Colandrea), admits he know more than he originally let on. Did he know whether his character was supposed to kill Tony or not? "I do have an idea, but I cannot really talk," Colandrea told the AP on Monday. "I have papers signed that I can't make any comments on that." [AP]

Morning Dailies: McKellar, Gael Garcia Bernal, Hostel II

- Does the failure of "Hostel II" at the box office mean the horror comeback is dying on the vine? [New York Times]
- Gael Garcia Bernal, Danny Glover and Alice Braga have signed on to join Fernando Meirelles' ("City of God," "The Constant Gardener") new feature "Blindness." Already onboard are Mark Ruffalo, Julianne Moore and writer Don McKellar of "Twitch City" fame. [Hollywood Reporter]
A new Spiritualized album is finally on its way, about friggin' time. [Tripwire]
The music-themed comedy "Rocker" will star Christina Applegate opposite "The Office"'s Rain Wilson. Also onboard are Jeff Garlin ("Curb Your Enthusiasm"), musician-actor Teddy Geiger, and Demetri Martin ("The Daily Show with Jon Stewart"). [Coming Soon]

End Of Day Excuse To Post: Van Sant, Fletch, Get Smart

Wow, this post has nothing to do with the Sopranos, thank god for that.
- Gus Van Sant will direct the adaptation of Tom Wolfe's '60s hallucinogenic classic "The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test." The story of a cross-country road trip that "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" author Ken Kesey orchestrated with his group, the Merry Pranksters, Van Sant has been a longtime fan: he cast Kesey in 1993's "Even Cowgirls Get The Blues," and dedicated 2002's "Gerry" to Kesey, who died the year before. [Variety]
- The kid from Dawson's Creek may take over the Fletch series? [IESB]
- Old News: the Joy Division sneakers were just an art project. End of story. [The Daily Swarm]
- Remember the "Get Smart" remake with Steve Carell? The series co-creators Mel Brooks and Buck Henry have given their blessing. [MTV]
- As Stereogum deftly notes, the Marilyn Manson vs. My Chemical Romance feud is much like this Onion article.

Tony Gets Shot: The Alternate Ending?

The Less Ambiguous Ending?
We mentioned that alternate endings had been allegedly shot and FBI Agent Dwight Harris (played by Matt Servitto) confirmed this by revealing a potentially less ambiguous ending according to Vulture reporters.

There was another ending. The last [Servitto] knew, the scene in Holsten's diner — which was shot in the real life Holsten’s out in Bloomfield, New Jersey — went on a little longer and featured one of the menacing figures in the diner dominating the camera. "The scene cut as the guy was advancing towards him, as if he was about to shoot Tony. It was, I think, less ambiguous that Tony was going to get shot."

Keep in mind this is still only Servitto's perspective, though it does point to what many people already believe.

Meanwhile, Perez-Hilton was on the Sopranos in 2001? This fluff is a nice distraction from all the Sopranos conjecture and speculation (No there is no Nikki Leotardo! This story discredits that theory.)

Transformers Soundtrack: The Music Equally Dunderhead-ish

Michael Bay is directing so we're not surprised the soundtrack (due July 3) is full of testosterone-heavy hard rock and metal.
01. Linkin Park - "What I've Done"
02. Smashing Pumpkins - "Doomsday Clock"
03. Disturbed - "This Moment"
04. Goo Goo Dolls - "Before It's Too Late (Sam And Mikaela's Theme)"
05. The Used - "Pretty Handsome Awkward"
06. H.I.M. - "Passion's Killing Floor"
07. Taking Back Sunday - "What It Feels Like To Be A Ghost?"
08. Styles Of Beyond - "Second To None"
09. Armor For Sleep - "End Of The World"
10. Idiot Pilot - "Retina And The Sky"
11. Julien-K - "Technical Difficulties"
12. Mutemath - "Transformers Theme"
Those that care can get a sneak of the new Goo Goo Dolls (oooh!) over at IGN.

The Playlist Greatest Hits: Of The Last Week Or So

- Kevin Drew goes solo in the Broken Social Scene series, we look back on (and post) unreleased BSS tracks.
- David Holmes get his due with a rewind of "Ocean's Eleven," 'Twelve,' 'Thirteen' and 'Out Of Sight.'
- Andre 3000 will play Sammy Davis Jr.
- Jim Jarmusch likens the White Stripes to a dogmatic filmmaking manifesto (and Jack joins the next Judd Apatow comedy)
- The Sopranos confound everyone. The cast talks one last time and our guess on the finale is mostly wrong (though we're right in saying Tony would live). We also look at the music of the final episode.
- The Transformers meets Boogie Nights.
- Our look at the Knocked-Up soundtrack and original score by Loudon Wainwright III.
- Our review of the new David Gordon Green film, "Snow Angels" and its excellent score.
- The Dylan movie poster, "I'm Not There" revealed.
- Wilco and the Volkswagen flap.
- The Kurt Cobain documentary soundtracks scores tracks by Bowie, Iggy Pop and R.E.M.

Sopranos Finale Pt. II: We Woke Up And Almost Got Ourselves A Gun

MEADOW: "What I said was, the state can crush the individual."
TONY: "New Jersey?"

And Then We Woke Up And Realized The Ending Was Actually Real
According to wikipedia, the final episode's title, "Made in America," "Made In Jersey"was the tentative title when Chase first pitched the show to Fox.
The Times review said, "the abrupt finale last night was almost like a prank, a mischievous dig at viewers who had agonized over how television’s most addictive series would come to a close. The suspense of the final scene in the diner was almost cruel."
During the final restaurant scene with the suspicious man (who incidentally blabbed about his appearance on the show before it aired, but couldn't give away details if he tried), Tony flipped through the jukebox before settling on Journey's "Don't Stop Believing." Could each of these songs have been one of the alleged multiple endings that was shot, each with a different meaning? It's almost like each potential pick is a tease or fate waiting to be selected.

The first one he spots (in close-up) was, "Who Will You Run To," and "Magic Man (live)" by Heart (those oldschool jukes offer a '45 b-side). There's a quick glimpse of "This Magic Moment," by Jay and the Americans (a song they used earlier this season) and the last song he sees before Journey is "I've Got To Be Me," and "A Lonely Place" by Tony Bennett (the b-side to the Journey song is "Anyone You Want It").

TONY: "I wouldn't kick her outta bed for purgin' cookies."
And how about A.J. almost getting cutty from the Lindsay Lohan lookalike to Dylan's, "It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleedin')."

Other songs used in the finale:
Tony wakes up; Dante drives Tony to his family; Phil fills up.
Vanilla Fudge "You Keep Me Hangin' On"
Tony and Paulie wait for Agent Harris at the airport.
Randy & The Rainbows "Denise"
Tony and Uncle Pat talk in backroom of The Bing.
Sonic Youth "I Dreamed, I Dream"
Paulie is spooked by a cat at Satriale's.
Curtis Lee "Pretty Little Angel Eyes"

Other songs included cuts by the Noisettes, Little Feat, Kid Creole & The Coconuts and CCR.
Download: Bob Dylan "It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleedin')"

Sopranos Finale: Don't Stop Believing That David Chase Will Leave You Unfulfilled

Onion rings, Journey and women who can't parallel park to save their lives: and with that Sopranos creator David Chase left us with the biggest set of blue balls in the history of television. Call it cinematic coitus interruptus.

The Sopranos ended...errr, went to black unexpectedly as Tony and his family were reconvening for a quaint family diner dinner. A suspicious looking fella with a members only jacket was clocking Tony and his family; if you want to be "racialist" about it, a bunch of black guys entered the dinner around the same time and a scary looking bunch of boy scouts surrounded the family. What would happen? Would Meadow redeem Jersey women and learn how to park? Would Tony need the Heimlich maneuver? Would A.J. get it in the back? Would Carlo narc everyone out to the Feds? Perhaps the Arabs blew up all of North Jersey just as Meadow entered the dinner?

David Chase Hates You and Your Family
We'll never fucking know. In a final scene full of potential dread, brimming tragedy and screaming-on-the-edge apprehension and terror...nothing fucking happened. David Chase jerked us off to the tipping point and cut to black before anything disastrous went down. There was that brief, "Oh my god, what the fuck happened to the TV signal!," before the those cockteases finally went to the credits in total deafening silence. Earlier in the episode Phil Retardo finally got his just desserts when he got whacked by one of Tony's guys, in the lamest plum track suit in the history of Jersey mob guys wearing track suits. To add insult to injury his stupid fuck got his melon pulverized when the car in neutral ran over his already-dead fontanelle.

And what the fuck was up with the creepy cat that kept praying to long-dead Christopher? We realize David Chase is known to defy expectations, but give us a kit-kat sized fucking break. TV audiences, who have never been so royally fucked over before, will never be the same.

To set the record straight: Despite this sadistic jerk-around from Chase, I still liked this episode and how it ended. It was characteristically ambiguous and without closure, as I assumed it would be. The ending was definitely in keeping with the show's overall tone.

Countdown To Sopranos: The Cast's Last Words

As you might expect, the wikipedia page for tonight's Sopranos 86th and final episode, "Made In America," has been locked until tonight at midnight due to vandalism.

Apparently leaked spoilers were posted, but it's not a huge surprise with such a hugely anticipated cultural event (at least for millions of TV audiences) that someone would try ruining it or mess with people, by posting fabricating fakes. Spoilerbuzz has noted some of what was taken down (but we're not reading it).

Incidentally, apparently some publicist ruined the finale for the gossip whores over at Gawker. If this is indeed true we feel a major sense of schadenfreude that warms our cockles.

Every media publication is obviously doing their obligatory goodbye piece, but the New York Times' final interviews with the cast is pretty notable.

Here's the best excerpts.
Edie Faclo, 43: Carmela Soprano
She admits to being in denial. “We’ve taken many breaks,” Ms. Falco said. “So I can still fool myself that this is just another break.”

Steven R. Schirripa, 49: Bobby Baccalieri
Apparently really tried to amp up the weight angle at first and made Baccalieri wear a fat suit that made him bigger. Bruce Springsteen really liked Tony and Bobby's fight. “[We] decided to make the fight as real as we could,” Schirripa told the Times. “It was sloppy...two fat guys having a sweaty, drunken fight. [Gandolfini] was choking me, pulling my hair. We didn’t use stuntmen until he crashed into the table. At a charity event Bruce Springsteen told me it was the best TV fight he’d ever seen.”

Michael Imperioli, 41: Christopher Moltisanti
A writer for the show, Imperioli knew about his death a year before it happened and had to feign knowledge of upcoming plot points to the rest of the cast. "People wanted to know about being killed. I kept pretending I didn’t know," he said.

Tony Sirico, 64: Paulie Gualtieri, a k a Paulie Walnuts
Sirico said a return of the infamous Russian was in the works, but in the end Chase decided not to shoot it. “We had a scene this [final] season when Chris and I are talking in the bar about whatever happened to that Russian guy. And in the script we were supposed to go outside and there he was standing on the corner. But when we went to shoot it, they took it out. I think David didn’t like it. He wanted the audience just to suffer.”

Steven Van Zandt, 56: Silvio Dante
Van Zandt thinks he was cast by Chase because he could see that his daytime role wasn't dissimilar from the characters. “I’d been playing consiglieri and best friend to Bruce, and this guy was the same thing to Tony Soprano. David could see that.”

Jamie-Lynn Sigler, 26: Meadow Soprano
The episode that resonated with her the most was from the first season when Tony drives her to college and whacks a turncoat he finds living in Maine. Gandolfini symbolically welcomed her by letting her sit in his chair. “He told me, ‘This is your episode.’ ”

Lorraine Bracco, 52: Dr. Jennifer Melfi
Bracco was pleased that her character never reenacted revenge on her rapist via Tony's potential reckoning noting the show would have been lost had the "moral through line of the series" gone astray. She chalked up working next to Gandolfini as sparing with one of the greats. “I got to play with Muhammad Ali. I really got James at his finest.”

James Gandolfini, 45: Tony Soprano
The only one without any sense of fear or regret seems to be Gandolfini. “Obviously this changed my life, but I’ve separated. I’m relieved.” Apparently after his notorious salary holdout, Gandolfini presented his colleagues with sizable checks and said, “Thanks for putting up with me.”