Michael Imperioli Movies
Before his starring role in The Sopranos made his name, character actor Michael Imperioli worked in numerous films during the 1990s with an impressive array of New York-based talent. Born in Mount Vernon, NY, Imperioli did not have to move far when he decided to study acting at New York City's Stella Adler Conservatory. Soon after his 1988 movie debut, Imperioli burnished his acting resumé with a small part as Spider, shot by Joe Pesci in Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas (1990). The following year, Imperioli earned his first role in a Spike Lee film, Jungle Fever (1991). Becoming a Lee regular, Imperioli also played small parts in Malcolm X (1992), Clockers (1995), and Girl 6 (1996), and garnered his first feature screenplay credit as co-writer and executive producer of Lee's Summer of Sam (1999). Imperioli added Italian-American authenticity to Nancy Savoca's quirky ethnic tale Household Saints (1993) and appeared with future Sopranos co-stars Dominic Chianese in The Night We Never Met (1993) and Edie Falco in Abel Ferrara's vampire allegory The Addiction (1995). Briefly "going Hollywood" with parts in the first Michael Bay extravaganza Bad Boys (1995), and Walter Hill's Last Man Standing (1996), Imperioli returned to his New York state of mind in the latter half of the 1990s. Working with The Addiction star Lili Taylor again, Imperioli was an arrogant Ondine to Taylor's disturbed Factory hanger-on Valerie Solanas in Mary Harron's I Shot Andy Warhol (1996). Audiences could finally attach a name to Imperioli's oft-seen face when he was cast as drug-addicted wannabe screenwriter/mobster Christopher Moltisanti in David Chase's Mafia series The Sopranos. A critical hit from its 1999 debut onward, The Sopranos' potent combination of black comedy, family drama, and violence allowed Imperioli to display the full range of his talents onscreen, particularly when Christopher dabbles in Method acting, and offscreen as one of the second season writers. Imperioli is married and has two children.~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide
- 1994
Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) comes to the rescue when a fellow cop dies -- and not in the line of duty -- in the apartment of Andy's prostitute friend Lois (Shannon Cochran). Lesniak (Justine Miceli) is harassed on the job by her former boyfriend -- also a cop. And in the midst of investigating the death of a baby in a drive-by, Kelly (David Caruso) is called on the carpet by the IAB's Cmdr. Haverill (James Handy) for past dereliction of duty. This highly rated episode represents the final NYPD Blue appearance of David Caruso. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Photographer Cindy Sherman, who often uses motifs from exploitation films in her work, pays witty tribute to slasher films in this satiric horror-comedy. Dorine Douglas (Carol Kane) has spent 16 years at the bottom of the totem pole as a copy editor for Constant Consumer magazine when, due to budget cuts, she's downsized into a contract employee and forced to work out of her home. Dorine isn't at all happy about this, and when she's called back into the office to help obnoxious writer Gary (David Thornton) fix a glitch in his computer, she's not at all upset when he's accidentally electrocuted. Dorine brings Gary's corpse home to join her in front of the TV. When pushy publisher Virginia (Barbara Sukowa) orders Dorine and overly ambitious Kim (Molly Ringwald) to salvage Gary's story from his notes, Dorine snaps, and soon Gary has some company in Dorine's increasingly crowded home office. Office Killer also stars Jeanne Tripplehorn and Michael Imperioli as more of Dorine's co-workers. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carol Kane, Molly Ringwald, (more)
An ordinary guy with a crooked friend discovers no good deed goes unpunished in the comedy On The Run. Albert (Michael Imperioli) is having a quiet evening at home when he gets a call from his old pal Louie (John Ventimigila), whom he hasn't heard from in years. There's a good reason for this -- Louie's been in prison. Ever since childhood, Louie has never been able to stay out of trouble, though whenever they're together, the blame for Louie's indiscretions always seems to fall on Albert's shoulders. Louie calls Albert to tell him he's just broken out of jail and would like Albert to meet him at the bus station. Albert calls the police to tell them a fugitive is due on the next bus, but he soon thinks better of it and makes a dash to the depot, hoping to warn Louie in time. Louie manages to evade the cops, but Albert soon finds himself stuck with Louie for the evening, as he's dragged along for a progressively more dangerous series of misadventures where he's always left holding the bag. Though directed by a Portuguese filmmaker and financed by French and Portuguese production companies, On the Run was filmed on location in New York City, with English dialogue and a primarily American cast. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Imperioli, John Ventimiglia, (more)
- 2007
- Add Oprah Winfrey Presents: Mitch Albom's For One More Day to QueueAdd Oprah Winfrey Presents: Mitch Albom's For One More Day to top of Queue
Emmy Award-winner Michael Imperioli and Academy Award-winner Ellen Burstyn headline this made for television adaptation of author and radio personality Mitch Albom's bestselling book about a suicidal ex-baseball player who finds redemption after being granted one more day with his dearly departed mother. Chick Benetto (Imperioli) is a former star athlete who has fallen on particularly hard times. His glory days are little more than a fading memory, and lately he's fallen into a dangerous alcoholic daze. One night, after returning to his old hometown to commit suicide, something truly remarkable happens to Chick. At the very moment he's about to take his own life, Chick's mother Posey (Burstyn) appears before him to spend one last day with her beloved son. During their brief reunion, Chick's mother illuminates the secrets of their lives, allowing her son one last chance for deliverance and an opportunity to turn his life around. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Imperioli, Ellen Burstyn, (more)
This avant garde film is based on two angry autobiographical books by David Wojnarowicz: Close to the Knives and Memories That Smell Like Gasoline. Wojnarowicz, a noted performance artist, died of AIDS . The film examines three sides of his life. The first looks at his suburban childhood and the abuse he suffered at his alcoholic father's violent hand. The second chronicles his experiences as an teen-age street hustler and criminal in New York, and the third section, which is highly abstract, follows the adult Dave as he wanders through a dangerous desert. Once these identities are established, chronology is scattered to the winds, and the three ages of David play up to and comment on each other. The work of Wojnarowicz is also represented in Knud Vesterkov's film, By The Dawn's Early Light. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Lyons, Michael Tighe, (more)
Richard Chamberlain plays a dying man trying to tie together the loose ends of his past in this melodrama. Thaddeus (Chamberlain) is in the last stages of AIDS, and he's determined to live out his final days in the company of old friends. First on the list is Allen (Michael Imperioli), an artist in Los Angeles who, much to Thaddeus' surprise, is now living with Eva (Ute Lemper). Thaddeus' arrival has forced the couple to come clean about Allen's past as a hustler; meanwhile, Thaddeus enlists Allen to help him track down Jamie (James Duval), a former trick who needs to be aware of Thaddeus' condition -- for his own sake. River Made to Drown In features Talia Shire in a cameo. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Chamberlain, Michael Imperioli, (more)
- 1994
The old man who owns a small suburban Queens apartment house wants to reserve it for Chinese tenants, but his grandson and his Latina girlfriend are more interested in breaking down such barriers rather than maintaining them. They seek out a desireable mix of people to share the place with them, beginning with a young black man who thinks he has just "perched" there pending his going to fill a job vacancy in Europe. Instead, he finds that he is the object of affection for a very clingy woman, and his home becomes a stopping place for several generations of his relatives. Meanwhile, the old man has rented part of his building to three kids fresh from Hong Kong. The tenants breeze in and out of one anothers lives just enough to create some comic agitation. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Ralph, David Chan, (more)
Oceanic wise guys meet up with a small fish who has a big attitude in this computer-animated comedy. Don Lino (voice of Robert De Niro) is the patriarch of a family of sharks who lord over a bustling aquatic community based along a massive underwater reef. Don Lino has two sons, Frankie (voice of Michael Imperioli) and Lenny (voice of Jack Black); Frankie is a carnivorous tough guy who takes after his father, but Lenny is, at heart, a kind soul who has earned the ire of his dad by becoming a vegetarian. One of Don Lino's cronies is Sykes (voice of Martin Scorsese), who runs a "whale wash" where Oscar (voice of Will Smith) scrubs aquatic mammals for a living. Oscar is a small but ambitious fish who dreams of making something of himself, and when a dropped anchor accidentally kills Frankie, Oscar is suddenly (if mistakenly) celebrated as "the shark killer." Oscar's overnight fame attracts the attentions of Lola (voice of Angelina Jolie), a slinky dragon fish who woos Oscar away from his steady date, Angie (voice of Renée Zellweger); however, Oscar strikes up a friendship with Lenny and has to decide what to do when Don Lino and Sykes decides it's time to "take care" of the "different" shark. Also popping up in Shark Tale's all-star voice cast are Peter Falk, Vincent Pastore, Ziggy Marley, and Katie Couric. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Will Smith, Robert De Niro, (more)
- TVMA
- Add Sopranos: Season Six - Part 1 [4 Discs] to QueueAdd Sopranos: Season Six - Part 1 [4 Discs] to top of Queue
HBO split the sixth and final season of its serial mafia drama The Sopranos into two halves, spaced 10 months apart: the first half (episodes 1-12) aired from mid-March through early June of 2006; a hiatus followed between episodes 12 and 13, before the series picked up again for its final nine episodes on April 8, 2007, purportedly thanks to overwhelming audience demand for an extension. As the season begins, Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) is plagued by problem after problem at home: though he has made peace with wife Carmela (Edie Falco), and daughter Meadow (Jamie-Lynn Sigler) is relatively well-adjusted and happy, attending college and living with fiancée Finn De Trolio (Will Janowitz), Tony's son, A.J. (Robert Iler) is a complete slacker and layabout who has just failed out of college and seems hesitant to accomplish anything of merit. Meanwhile, Tony finds himself saddled with a new captain, Phil Leotardo (Frank Vincent) who expresses more hesitation over "working" him than his incarcerated predecessor, Johnny Sacks (Vince Curatola). Complicating matters are two employees: Tony's soldier Eugene Pontecorvo (Robert Funaro), who attempts to buy his way out of the syndicate via an inheritance, and the homosexual captain Vito Spatafore (Joe Gannascoli) who comes out of the closet and ends up being spotted in a leather bar - then is knocked off by a member of the family, which leads to the death of a Lieutenant and sparks a tidal wave of mob violence. In another subplot, aspiring screenwriter Christopher (Michael Imperioli), Tony's cousin, devises an idea for a gangster picture which he describes as "The Godfather meets Saw," and heads off to Hollywood to pitch it to Ben Kingsley. The season cliffhanger, however, involves Uncle Junior (Dominic Chianese), an elderly man suffering from extreme senility who mistakenly draws a gun and plugs Tony in the stomach, sending him into a coma - leaving consigliere Silvio Dante (Steven Van Zandt of The E Street Band) to tend to family business. This, in turn, yields several sequences where Tony wanders around in a dream state, and contemplates his own mortality. The second half of the season has Christopher continuing his strenuous efforts to have his epic (which he entitled Cleaver) produced, the absence of Johnny Sack leaving an ongoing void of power in the syndicate, and Tony again coming to terms with aging and mortality, while he struggles (as ever) to balance personal and professional demands. Guest stars in the 2007 episodes include: Sydney Pollack, Tim Daly, Daniel Baldwin and Geraldo Rivera.
A small time crook improves his status with the help of a delusional old man in this comedy from Iceland. David (Petur Johann Sigfusson) is an aspiring poet whose work is informed by the tragic death of his brother when they were both children. However, like most poets David can't support himself just by writing and he makes ends meet as an errand boy for a small-time crime ring. David is looking for a way to get ahead in the mob, and when his eccentric landlord Harald (Eggert Thorleifsson) begins telling people that he's a underworld kingpin, he thinks he may have found a way to move a few steps up the ladder. David is able to persuade his partners in crime that Harald is both a close friend and a Mafia capo; he gains new power and influence, but his good fortune is dependent entirely on his landlord not coming to his senses. Stora Planio (aka The Higher Force) also features a brief appearance by Michael Imperioli, who also served as executive producer; the film received its American premiere at the 2008 AFI Los Angeles Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
In the summer of 1977, a serial killer who called himself Son of Sam (real name David Berkowitz) held New York City in terror as he went on a killing spree, periodically writing letters to New York's media in which he took full responsibility for the murders and made clear that he intended to kill again. Spike Lee's Summer of Sam deals in part with this crime spree, but it mostly looks back at the fearful impact of his crimes on New York's collective consciousness. Vinny and Dionna (John Leguizamo and Mira Sorvino) are an unhappy young married couple living in the Bronx; Vinny often cheats on Dionna but is wracked with guilt about it, while Dionna fears she lacks the looks or allure to hold onto a man. Ritchie (Adrien Brody) is a neighborhood kid turned punk rocker (complete with a fake British accent); he has a band and a girlfriend (Jennifer Esposito) but also makes money as an exotic dancer at a gay club. And Luigi (Ben Gazzara), a longtime leader of organized crime in the Bronx, is approached by the police, with whom he generally has a less cordial relationship, to help them find the killer, as the citizens of some neighborhoods barricade their streets in fear that he will strike there next. Meanwhile, a tortured psychopath named David Berkowitz (Michael Badalucco) seethes with rage in his gloomy apartment and receives messages from a demonic dog who commands him to kill and kill again. Spike Lee's first film without a primarily African-American cast (though bearing the unmistakable New York stamp that's one of his hallmarks), Summer of Sam was shown as part of the Directors Fortnight series at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Leguizamo, Adrien Brody, (more)
- 1995
- R
This unflinching and straightforward look at a middle-class man's descent into drug addiction was based on the diaries of an addict named Angel. Found in a Bronx apartment, the diaries were made into a film by screenwriter Lee Drysdale and director Gary Winick. Angel (Michael Imperioli) is a Wall Street functionary who lives modestly with his wife Monika (Mira Sorvino) and their young children. One day, an old friend from the Marines, Raymond (Paul Calderon), offers Angel a hit on a pipe of crack cocaine and a chance to get in on dealing drugs. Monika reluctantly agrees to the plan, and they set a limit of a couple of months in which they hope that Angel will make a quick killing and get out. The movie then flashes forward three years. Angel has become a hopeless crack addict, while Monika has become enamored of designer clothes. As Angel becomes more unreliable, Raymond kicks him out of the business. Monika achieves independence, gets a job, and finally kicks Angel out. Angel gets more desperate, even trying to sell his wife's jewelry, and finally hits bottom. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Imperioli, Mira Sorvino, (more)
- 1995
- NR
Director Abel Ferrara applies his eccentric vision to the vampire genre with this cerebral "Art" film about graduate philosophy student Kathleen Conklin (Lili Taylor), who is bitten by an aggressive female vampire (Annabella Sciorra) and soon spirals into a nightmarish world of blood addiction and existential angst. Driven by her merciless condition, she attacks several of her pretentious friends and classmates (even her professor) and mainlines their blood like heroin. Just as she becomes more bold in seeking prey on the streets of New York, she is waylaid by a potential victim -- actually a sophisticated vampire himself named Peina (Christopher Walken), who chooses to control his own blood addiction through fasting and meditation. Seeming to regain her self-control, she eventually completes her graduate thesis (helped by a bit of vampire nepotism) and holds a party to celebrate, inviting the entire faculty as well as members of her new "family" to join in the festivities. Although the parallels to heroin addiction are in plain view, this is also a study in the essential evil of humankind -- a theme evident in much of Ferrara's work. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lili Taylor, Christopher Walken, (more)
Very loosely based on the memoir of the same name, The Basketball Diaries transposes the late '60s adolescence of writer/artist Jim Carroll to some unspecified time period at least 15 years later, further confusing the timeframe with three decades of rock music, some by Carroll himself. Jim (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his Catholic school chums are on the hottest basketball team in New York, but their friend Bobby (Michael Imperioli) languishes in the hospital with leukemia. In-between typically boyish adventures, Jim scribbles in his notebook and experiments with sex and drugs. His group of friends begins to disintegrate after coach Swifty (Bruno Kirby) not only makes a pass at Jim, but also catches him and his pals using drugs on the court and kicks them off the team. Out of school and on the streets, Jim turns tricks, betrays friends, robs stores, and deals drugs to feed his heroin addiction. Not even the efforts of former addict Reggie (Ernie Hudson) can cure Jim. Mark Wahlberg appears as one of Jim's basketball and drug buddies, while Carroll himself makes a memorable cameo as an addict who describes the almost Catholic rituals of shooting heroin. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jimmy Papiris, Leonardo DiCaprio, (more)
In this comedy, a hard-luck gambler learns a new commandment: Honor Thy Mother's Lottery Winnings. Johnny Amico (Mike Starr) runs a delicatessen in New York City; regarded as a nice guy by his friends and regular customers, he has a weakness for gambling and is usually in debt. Johnny is constantly nagged by his well-meaning but domineering mother (Judith Malina), who gives him ten dollars to play the same number every week in the lottery. One week, her number turns up a winner, but this is bad news for Johnny: convinced that the number would never win, he's been using the money to place bets of his own. Now Mom expects Johnny to come up with the prize money for a winning ticket he never bought; Johnny hatches a scheme to raise the money, but, given his usual success as a gambler, no one is very optimistic that he can pull it off. The Deli features an impressive list of supporting names, including actors Michael Imperioli, Frank Vincent, and Debi Mazar; rappers Heavy D and Ice T; singer David Johansen; and model Iman. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 2004
- Add The Five People You Meet in Heaven to QueueAdd The Five People You Meet in Heaven to top of Queue
Mitch Albom wrote the screenplay for this made-for-television adaptation of his best-selling story, which offers a novel perspective on life, death, and the meaning of our existence. Eddie (Jon Voight) is an elderly maintenance man who has spent most of his life keeping the rides at an amusement park in good repair; Eddie has had a hard life, sustaining a serious injury during World War II and losing his wife, and he often wonders what the purpose behind it all is. One day, Eddie is killed while trying to save a young girl who has fallen from a ride, and in the afterlife, he's greeted by five people he knew during his lifetime, who explain to him what the key moments in his life were, and what was to be learned from them. The Five People You Meet in Heaven also features Steven Grayhm (who plays Eddie as a younger man), Ellen Burstyn, Jeff Daniels, Michael Imperioli, and Callum Keith Rennie. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jon Voight, Ellen Burstyn, (more)
- 2009
Sopranos star Michael Imperioli makes his feature directorial debut with this drama about a divorced couple (Steve Schirripa and Sharon Angela) that must work together to keep their troubled son off the streets. Meanwhile, a pair of ex-lovers (Nick Sandow and Aunjanue Ellis, cautiously navigate a volatile push-pull relationship. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
A successful American novelist who has retreated into the country following the publication of his most recent book meets a most mysterious muse in director/screenwriter Paul Auster's elliptic psychological drama. His latest novel an instant success, famous author Martin Frost (David Thewlis) decides to celebrate by spending some quality down time in a remote country home. Awakening his first morning in the house, Martin is shocked to find that he is sharing his bed with a stunningly beautiful woman. Over the course of the next few days, Martin becomes increasingly fascinated with the mysterious visitor's radiating beauty and acute intelligence - eventually falling deeply in love with her. Could this woman who possesses an uncanny knowledge of Martin's life and work perhaps be the muse who will inspire his greatest work? The closer Martin tries to get to the woman the further she seems to drift away, a disturbing development that eventually leads the author to suspect that she is a figment of his imagination or a ghost that has somehow gained access to his most intimate thoughts. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Thewlis, Irène Jacob, (more)
- 2009
- PG13
- Add The Lovely Bones to Queue
Visionary Heavenly Creatures director Peter Jackson teams with longtime collaborators Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens to adapt author Alice Sebold's best-selling novel concerning a murdered young girl who watches from heaven as her family attempts to cope with their devastating loss, and tracks her killer as he stealthily covers his tracks and prepares to claim his next victim. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, (more)
- 1993
- R
Two people fall in love without meeting -- and discover a wealth of complications when they try to get together -- in this romantic comedy. Even though he's about to be married, Brian McVeigh (Kevin Anderson) doesn't want to give up his old apartment, where he can swill beer, scarf pizza, and be as much of a slob as he wants. He decides to hold onto his flat as a weekend clubhouse, but he rents it out to other people during the week. Brian's new tenants, sharing the place on alternating days, are Sam (Matthew Broderick), an aspiring gourmet chef who's just been dumped by his spacey girlfriend Pastel (Jeanne Tripplehorn), and Ellen (Annabella Sciorra), who is stuck in an unhappy marriage and wants a place to work on her art. Ellen mistakenly assumes that Brian is the guy who leaves her gourmet snacks and admiring notes about how much he likes her paintings, and when she sets up a liaison with Brian, she wonders how the seemingly perfect man could be such a loser in person. The Night We Never Met also features Justine Bateman as Brian's fiancée and Christine Baranski as Ellen's best friend. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Matthew Broderick, Annabella Sciorra, (more)
The first season of The Sopranos finds lifelong "organization man" Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) taking over from Jackie Aprile Sr., terminally ill boss of the northern New Jersey branch of the DiMeo crime family. Tony's promotion is met with mixed reactions from his wife Carmela (Edie Falco), daughter Meadow (Jamie-Lyn DiScala) and son AJ (Robert Iler), but his loyal lieutenants Paulie Walnuts (Tony Sirico), Sil (Steve Van Zandt) and Big Pussy (Vincent Pastore) are effusive in their congratulations. Also pleased by Tony's ascent is his protégé and surrogate nephew Christopher Moltisanti (Michael Imperioli), who will soon come to enjoy the perks and publicity attending Mob "royalty" (if his growing dependence on crystal meth doesn't kill him first).
But uneasy lies the head that wears the crown, and soon Tony is suffering more than usual from anxiety attacks and weird nightmares. Thus he seeks out the counsel of analyst Dr. Jennifer Melfi (Lorraine DiBracco), who despite her fears that she'll be "whacked" once her usefulness comes to an end is fascinated by Tony and won't let him go. One of Tony's biggest headaches is his Uncle Junior (Dominic Chianese),who is p.o.'d that he was denied Jackie Aprile's job in favor of his nephew. Junior spends most of the season conspiring against Tony--and ironically, his chief co-conspirator is Tony's own mother Livia (Nancy Marchand). Also vexing Tony is the revelation that there's an FBI "mole" in his midst--and when that mole is revealed in Season Two, it's a real heartbreaker for the troubled Mr. Soprano. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Gandolfini, Lorraine Bracco, (more)
New Jersey Mafia boss Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) continues maintaining the facade of being a respectable suburban husband and father while operating a vast criminal organization from the confines of the Bada-Bing Club during Season Two of The Sopranos. Now that the treacherous Uncle Junior (Dominic Chianese) has been placed under arrest by the feds, and with his far-from-supportive mother Livia (Nancy Marchand, who died during this season) has been exiled to a nursing home, Tony thinks that his family problems are over. No such luck: Breezing in from Seattle is Tony's seriously disturbed, sexually promiscuous and thoroughly untrustworthy sister Janice (Aida Turturro), the closest thing that any mob family has had to a "black sheep". There's more trouble from the dangerously impulsive Richie Aprile (David Proval), older brother of Tony's predecessor Jackie Aprile Sr., who is resentful that a younger man has taken over the Aprile branch of the DeMeo crime organization. Richie also has a mad-on for Tony's trusted protégé Christopher (Michael Imperioli), whose own prestige within the mob continues to grow by leaps and bounds, especially after he engineers the family's elaborate "pump-and-dump" stock scam. Christopher himself has developed a close relationship with Adriana La Cerva (Drea de Matteo), and never mind that she is one of "Uncle" Tony's mistresses. Though the FBI agent within the family's ranks has been whacked, there is still someone feeding information to the feds. It breaks Tony's heart to discover that his trusted torpedo Big Pussy (Vincent Pastore) is the turncoat, but business is business, and Tony is obliged to stage-manage Big Pussy's demise during a now-famous boat trip. Nor is this the end of the intramural carnage: despite having become engaged to her former flame Richie Aprile, Tony's sister Janice settles a bitter argument with Richie in typical Soprano fashion. Result: No wedding, and no Richie. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Gandolfini, Lorraine Bracco, (more)
Being head of the Northern New Jersey branch of the DiMeo crime family is no bed of roses for Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) in Season Three of HBO's The Sopranos. Tony's headaches begin early on with the dangerously unstable, sexually deviant and recklessly profane Ralph Cifaretto (Joe Pantoliano) returns to the organization after a lengthy absence. Though there's no love lost between the two men, Tony arranges for Ralph to take over the illicit business operations of the late Richie Aprile, who'd been bumped off in a fit of rage by Tony's treacherous sister Janice (Aida Turturro) the previous season. Also causing trouble is another new arrival on the scene: Richie's nephew Jackie Aprile Jr. (Jason Carbone), nicknamed "Little Lord F**kpants" because of his pathetic inability to live up to the standards and expectations of his celebrated criminal family. Though Tony tolerates Jackie Jr. and somewhat admires the boy's efforts to live a clean life away from Uncle Richie's influence, things quickly go south when Jackie becomes involved with Tony's daughter Meadow (Jamie-Lyn Sigler)--and also tries to emulate his no-good uncle, turning into a pariah by planning--and bungling--a robbery on his own. Blood kin or no blood kin, Ralph has to "deal" with Jackie Jr., arranging with all-purpose henchman Vito Spatafore (Joseph R. Gannascoli) to handle the dirty details. Elsewhere, Tony's protégé Christopher (Michael Imperioli) has been fully embraced by the Family, despite his ongoing war of wills with veteran capo Paulie Walnuts (Tony Sirico); Tony's analyst Dr. Melfi (Lorraine Bracco) the identity of her rapist a secret from Tony, so that she won't have anyone's murder on her conscience; and the FBI comes a-cropper planting an electronic bug in the Soprano mansion. One of the Season Three story arcs was to involve Tony's spiteful mother Livia, who was to have testified against her son in a federal trial. The death of actress Nancy Marchand (Livia Soprano) put an end to these plans, but through the magic of CGI Livia makes one final "appearance" to make her son's life even more miserable than usual. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Gandolfini, Lorraine Bracco, (more)
Sixteen months after the end of The Sopranos' third season, Season Four gets under way. And if you think THIS is a long hiatus, "Fuggeddabouddit"--wait until we get to Season Six! New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano finally has an excuse to whack the troublesome Ralphie Cifaretto (Joe Pantoliano, who will win Emmy for his abbreviated recurring role), thereby allowing Ralphie's troubled lieutenant Vito (Joseph R. Gannascoli) to become Capo of the Aprile branch of the DiMeo crime organization. But though Ralphie is gone, he's far from forgotten, and will continue to haunt Tony in more ways than one. Adding to Tony's burdens, his marriage with Carmela (Edie Falco) completely disintegrates, due in no small part to his endless parade of mistresses, notably Adriana (Drea de Matteo), now the lover of Tony's protégé Christopher (Michael Imperioli). Elsewhere, Tony's unstable sister Janice (Aida Turturro) goes to great and gory lengths to gain control of her late mother's valuable record collection--which gets her in big trouble with, of all people, the Russian Mafia. And Tony's treacherous Uncle Junior (Dominic Chianese) is back in circulation thanks to a rigged jury, still plotting and planning to oust his nephew and take charge of the operation himself (if senility doesn't take charge of him first). In another development, Johnny Sack (Vincent Curatola) of the Lupertazzi crime family approaches Tony (by way of Paulie Walnuts [Tony Sirico]) with an offer he can't refuse: Bump off Johnny's boss Carmine Lupertazzi (Tony Lip), and Tony can write his own ticket. But the offer is refused, and the stage is set for the bloody turf war to follow in Season Five. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Gandolfini, Lorraine Bracco, (more)
To those viewers who thought that the surfeit of violence during the fourth season of HBO's The Sopranos would have expunged all mayhem from season five, we have but one thing to say: "Fuggetabouddit!" As usual, much of the trouble is sparked by the sort of domestic issues that in any other family but the Sopranos would be handled with calm and decorum. Now separated from wife Carmela (Edie Falco), suburbanite mob boss Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) has begun to warm up to Adriana La Cerva (Drea de Matteo), little suspecting that she may soon become a stoolie for the Feds. Meanwhile, Carmela becomes involved with the guidance counselor for her son A.J. (Robert Iler), who seems poised to challenge his dad for family supremacy (though it may take a few years). As for Tony's extended family, his newly paroled cousin, Tony Blundetto (Steve Buscemi), proves to be yet another thorn in the side for Tony's nephew Christopher (Michael Imperioli), who already has enough problems trying to wean himself off a dangerous drug habit. Another of Tony's cousins, Johnny Sack (Vincent Curatola), hopes to take advantage of the death of Mafia don Carmine Lupertazzi to increase his own power base -- an attempt that Lupertazzi's son Little Carmine (Ray Abruzzo) fully intends to torpedo (in every sense of the word!), leading to a bloody turf war. And Tony's chief henchman Paulie Walnuts (Tony Sirico) is plagued by a mob functionary who has a bad habit of overstepping his bounds. This season's crop of 13 episodes comes to an end -- bada bing! -- with an unpleasant surprise for Tony Soprano, one that may force him into permanent exile. And as for the hapless Adriana La Cerva...is there any viewer in the U.S. who has not seen her (literally) terminal Sopranos appearance? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Gandolfini, Lorraine Bracco, (more)
