Generally I do find dream sequences irritating and indulgent as in most cases, but this one does hold up for me. The other one that nails the sort metonymic dream logic is s4e22 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (“Restless”). Season 4 is a bit of mixed bag, but I thought this one of the better ones and as a show where the mythic and dreams play a major role, it actually consequences for the characters and relationships.
Herzog's story logic frequently has a dream-like quality, likewise Guy Maddin in films like Careful, and of course Michel Gondry does it well in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, but my favourite dream-narrative movies are Jan Švankmajer's; Něco z Alenky perfectly hits the balance between charm & wonder on the one hand and unease shading into real fear on the other. But mostly those are dreamlike throughout rather than featuring dream sequences in the midst of more-or-less realistic drama, which may be harder to pull off.
That's fascinating, all great examples and I think you're right. It's hard to sustains something that feels like that and is still engaging. Have you ever seen La casa lobo? It's one of the strangest films I've ever seen and feels like it's in the same league as Něco z Alenky. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wolf_House
I rewatched this episode only a couple of weeks ago in the course of rewatching the series. It works, and for me that was unusual because I'm usually not fond of dream-based episodes (though I generally prefer them to shows where the protagonist regularly speaks to a dead person). I think it works with Tony because he's so deeply flawed, has some conscious awareness of being deeply flawed, and has another layer of awareness that he'd really rather not talk about. Tony being stressed out is funny.
It also helps that Annette Benning is most unsettling when she looks well put together and is smiling like that. Gives me the shivers.
I completely agree with this, Joseph and very well put! Tony is surely one of the most fascinating characters in television history. And YES she's brilliantly strange in this, I was struck by that when I rewatched it for this article and thought I had to put in a picture of that smile...
I recommend The Evolution of Horror podcast on it The Detective and the Log Lady, they do madddd deep dives that are very fun. Ya know, just to add some extra hours to your Lynchian consumption.
Brilliant stuff! I haven't seen The Sopranos in ages, so I can't remember the details of the episode but I do remember the outline of it and how it feels so off and uncanny. The guy behind the door is now back in my mind, and yes, that was really unsettling!
The teeth falling out is a classic anxiety dream motif (mo-teef?). It was very well done. The Sopranos was a brilliant series and really showed the brutality of that kind of life, whilst portraying it in such an intriguing and engaging way. I think it was often saying, "yes, lots of us are fascinated by it, but it's vicious and nasty." Interesting how the first series came out around the same time as de Niro's "Analyse This". The Sopranos crammed into the length of one film. I'm sure many an undergraduate Film Studies essay has compared and contrasted the two.
Thanks Helen, I'm glad it's not just me who found that shot so creepy! I've had a few dreams where my teeth fall out so I found that really affecting too. I've never seen Analyse This (how weird that they both came out so close together!) but I think what allows The Sopranos to build so many layers into the dream, and therefore make it feel real, is the fact that the tv format has already given us so much time with Tony and we can spot the layered tensions and emotions that have built and built. I imagine that'd be tough to recreate in a film.
Oh, absolutely - I remember watching The Sopranos back when it came out and being blown away by the idea that someone could make a TV series which was filmic in its quality but could really go in deeper than a film because it just had so much airtime.
Love the Sopranos, but hadn't given much thought to the dream sequences. You've reminded me I need to re-watch it and this time I will pay more attention.
Haha, I do try to alternate - the one I did before opera was the mini series on Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared! Hope you enjoy the other articles, John, I’ve had so much fun researching them.
Not especially horror-related (other than all dreams deal with anxiety), my favourite movie-dream sequences are from Tom DeCillo’s LIVING IN OBLIVION. The whole film’s fantastic, and has an underlying theme of dreams/movies. Plus the brilliant in-joke (possibly at TWIN PEAKS’ expense) of Peter Dinklage ranting: “I don't even have dreams with dwarves in them. The only place I've seen dwarves in dreams is in stupid movies like this! ‘Oh, make it weird, put a dwarf in it!’ Everyone will go ‘WOAH!… This must be a fuckin’ dream, there's a fuckin’ dwarf in it!’”
And it's ALSO got Steve Buscemi in it! I love that, and it's a great example of how hard it is to make something that actually reads as a dream rather than the cliches of how a dream is 'done' on film.
Generally I do find dream sequences irritating and indulgent as in most cases, but this one does hold up for me. The other one that nails the sort metonymic dream logic is s4e22 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (“Restless”). Season 4 is a bit of mixed bag, but I thought this one of the better ones and as a show where the mythic and dreams play a major role, it actually consequences for the characters and relationships.
Buffy had some brilliant ideas, I haven’t seen that episode but I’ll check it out!
Herzog's story logic frequently has a dream-like quality, likewise Guy Maddin in films like Careful, and of course Michel Gondry does it well in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, but my favourite dream-narrative movies are Jan Švankmajer's; Něco z Alenky perfectly hits the balance between charm & wonder on the one hand and unease shading into real fear on the other. But mostly those are dreamlike throughout rather than featuring dream sequences in the midst of more-or-less realistic drama, which may be harder to pull off.
That's fascinating, all great examples and I think you're right. It's hard to sustains something that feels like that and is still engaging. Have you ever seen La casa lobo? It's one of the strangest films I've ever seen and feels like it's in the same league as Něco z Alenky. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wolf_House
Darn it, I just cancelled my Apple TV+ sub. Thanks for the steer, Rebekah. I'll be sure to watch it when I orbit back to Apple in a few months.
Thanks, Dave! I have that same problem all the time, the thing I want to watch is always on the streaming service I’ve just cancelled!
I rewatched this episode only a couple of weeks ago in the course of rewatching the series. It works, and for me that was unusual because I'm usually not fond of dream-based episodes (though I generally prefer them to shows where the protagonist regularly speaks to a dead person). I think it works with Tony because he's so deeply flawed, has some conscious awareness of being deeply flawed, and has another layer of awareness that he'd really rather not talk about. Tony being stressed out is funny.
It also helps that Annette Benning is most unsettling when she looks well put together and is smiling like that. Gives me the shivers.
I completely agree with this, Joseph and very well put! Tony is surely one of the most fascinating characters in television history. And YES she's brilliantly strange in this, I was struck by that when I rewatched it for this article and thought I had to put in a picture of that smile...
Such a great write up! I always loved David Lynch dream sequences.
Thanks Laura! I’m embarrassingly unfamiliar with Lynch, I need to sit down and finally watch Twin Peaks all the way through.
It takes forever Rebekah. Season 2 has like 18393 episodes.
My favourite of his work is Mulholland Drive.
Oh god, right well that’s my year’s viewing sorted out!
I recommend The Evolution of Horror podcast on it The Detective and the Log Lady, they do madddd deep dives that are very fun. Ya know, just to add some extra hours to your Lynchian consumption.
As if you don’t have enough to do 😂
I subscribe to their Patreon but have never listened to the Lynch stuff!!
Yay another EOH fan in the wild! It’s Mike with Stacey Ponder from Gaylords of Darkness, shes never watched Twin Peaks before but he has.
She has great takes on it and is hilarious so it’s an enjoyable listen.
Brilliant stuff! I haven't seen The Sopranos in ages, so I can't remember the details of the episode but I do remember the outline of it and how it feels so off and uncanny. The guy behind the door is now back in my mind, and yes, that was really unsettling!
The teeth falling out is a classic anxiety dream motif (mo-teef?). It was very well done. The Sopranos was a brilliant series and really showed the brutality of that kind of life, whilst portraying it in such an intriguing and engaging way. I think it was often saying, "yes, lots of us are fascinated by it, but it's vicious and nasty." Interesting how the first series came out around the same time as de Niro's "Analyse This". The Sopranos crammed into the length of one film. I'm sure many an undergraduate Film Studies essay has compared and contrasted the two.
Thanks Helen, I'm glad it's not just me who found that shot so creepy! I've had a few dreams where my teeth fall out so I found that really affecting too. I've never seen Analyse This (how weird that they both came out so close together!) but I think what allows The Sopranos to build so many layers into the dream, and therefore make it feel real, is the fact that the tv format has already given us so much time with Tony and we can spot the layered tensions and emotions that have built and built. I imagine that'd be tough to recreate in a film.
(Also, mo-teef lol)
Oh, absolutely - I remember watching The Sopranos back when it came out and being blown away by the idea that someone could make a TV series which was filmic in its quality but could really go in deeper than a film because it just had so much airtime.
Love the Sopranos, but hadn't given much thought to the dream sequences. You've reminded me I need to re-watch it and this time I will pay more attention.
Thanks Fran! They’re endlessly fascinating to me, I read a different layer each time I re-watch and I love reading fan theories.
Thank you for moving on from opera to a more lowbrow topic that I can relate to!
Haha, I do try to alternate - the one I did before opera was the mini series on Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared! Hope you enjoy the other articles, John, I’ve had so much fun researching them.
Not especially horror-related (other than all dreams deal with anxiety), my favourite movie-dream sequences are from Tom DeCillo’s LIVING IN OBLIVION. The whole film’s fantastic, and has an underlying theme of dreams/movies. Plus the brilliant in-joke (possibly at TWIN PEAKS’ expense) of Peter Dinklage ranting: “I don't even have dreams with dwarves in them. The only place I've seen dwarves in dreams is in stupid movies like this! ‘Oh, make it weird, put a dwarf in it!’ Everyone will go ‘WOAH!… This must be a fuckin’ dream, there's a fuckin’ dwarf in it!’”
(Whole scene here: https://youtu.be/ymgioN51IF4?si=NXQXEkMwt_3CIson)
And it's ALSO got Steve Buscemi in it! I love that, and it's a great example of how hard it is to make something that actually reads as a dream rather than the cliches of how a dream is 'done' on film.
Buscemi plus Katherine Keener, Peter Dinklage and James Le Gros, absolute banger.
Fantastic article. Love the sopranos
Thanks so much, Luke! I hope you enjoy these articles.