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Re: Episode 4.11: Calling All Cars - Grades & General Review

2
I noticed another neat bit of foreshadowing in this episode regarding the fate of AJ. He is trying to spook poor Bobby Jr. and Sofia. He says" how about contacting the spirit world for real". Right on cue, the camera zooms from a wide angle shot right in close to him, very suggestively. Bobby asks why the spirits only seem to talk to him, AJ, and he replies " because I'm the oldest and closest to the afterlife". This foreshadows, almost word for word, how he is described in the "seven souls" monologue, "reaching bodily death at the point of adolescence is the most reliable guide in the afterlife". He is a member of Carmela's "family who will live in the spec house", ( I'm paraphrasing here ) she is showing Ade, who we know to be " in the afterlife". Or dead, whichever you prefer.

Re: Episode 4.11: Calling All Cars - Grades & General Review

4
This episode clearly shows Chase and Co. taking it to that David Lynch-ian next level with its clever use of meta information and series foreshadowing and back shadowing using symbols and "dreams" that are confused with reality. Various Twilight Zone homages as usual, but more importantly it shows a maturity for the film craft on par with his peers at the time this episode was made. Its like a bunch of filmmakers were on a similar learning curve. One of those peers being David Lynch whose film Mulholland Drive came out around the same time. There are definite parallels in this episode in story telling technique as a filmmaker, with the likes of Lynch, Spike Jonez, and Jim Jarmusch in all respects and imO (the O being either for "opinion" or for "observation"). Chase clearly is of that school in many regards albeit add a dash or two of Marty Scorcese. He applies the same method to the mafia narrative and does it brilliantly, practically unnoticeably by most, which is what makes it so brilliant. People know theres some deeper meaning, magic even, but they just can't quite figure it out. Its because Chase and Co all are students of the esoteric and sprinkle the meanings throughout. Even more brilliant, they create there own gnosis within the mythology of the show\genre itself, and the show has its own esoteric meanings within itself and the mafia film genre. This clearly to me, although I admit Im stating this in a deliberately clumsy manner, demonstrates a much deeper understanding of the symbols and signs around us in our daily world. Not in the way shows like "Lost" do in any way, in a much deeper richer way that only cable networks like HBO could afford to produce at the time without the constraints of weekly ratings driven TV. I mean Matthew Weiner for sure is also a member of this school I speak of. The show Mad Men, besides being about sex, is about the very subject I speak of. The power of symbols, and the power of gnosis, the esoteric understandings is kinda like "Hollywood Mythology making for Dummies" Anyway, Chase and Co if you ever read this, I love you and your "school". "I get it!" like Tony says later in "Heidi and Kennedy", I love exploring the esoteric universe you've created within the mafia\Italian experience. ITs rich, like the "gravy" in Italy, as Paulie might say. Salut!
You know, Vito called me “skip” the other day. Slip of the tongue, no doubt. But I noticed he didn’t correct himself.
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