THIS SATURDAY, THE Independent presents the 50 Best Boxsets.
Boy oh boy, do I love box sets. No adverts, no waiting. Some shows, like The Shield and Oz, I've only ever known on DVD. It's the way to watch proper television.
And it doesn't come much more proper than
The Independent's No.1,
The Wire.
The Wire isn't television, it isn't art, it's beyond that. It's religion. If you want meaning, if you want truth, if you want television and cinema to make you
feel something, this is it.
A black, gay gangster everyone is afraid of - talk about exploding stereotypes. The moment Bodie shoots Wallace - still makes me wanna weep just to think about it. Oh and Stringer Bell. The slow, dying death of the docks. Hamsterdam. Kima Greggs, the best lesbian ever. Boys of Summer. Every scene with Bubbles. JD Williams murdered again. The old lady Bunny Colvin needs to get out of Hamsterdam. Spider. Dukie. The lady and her coupons. The ties. Boys, boys, boys. And men. And the most beautiful cinematography ever. Space and time, and thought.
The Wire feeds the ear, the mind, and the eye.
As it happens, I've just taken delivery of my complete series boxset (I sold my individual season sets on eBay to get this beauty). I didn't buy the sucky UK version (five regular DVD cases in a card case). I imported the sexy US set, and I've just embarked on Season Five. I know Omar gets killed (but I haven't got there yet) but I don't know anything else.
It'll all be over soon, but great novels can be reread again and again.
So - what's
your favourite Wire moment?
Elsewhere - The 50 Best Boxsets
Elsewhere - HBO.com/thewire
Boy oh boy, do I love box sets. No adverts, no waiting. Some shows, like The Shield and Oz, I've only ever known on DVD. It's the way to watch proper television.
And it doesn't come much more proper than The Independent's No.1, The Wire.
The Wire isn't television, it isn't art, it's beyond that. It's religion. If you want meaning, if you want truth, if you want television and cinema to make you feel something, this is it.
A black, gay gangster everyone is afraid of - talk about exploding stereotypes. The moment Bodie shoots Wallace - still makes me wanna weep just to think about it. Oh and Stringer Bell. The slow, dying death of the docks. Hamsterdam. Kima Greggs, the best lesbian ever. Boys of Summer. Every scene with Bubbles. JD Williams murdered again. The old lady Bunny Colvin needs to get out of Hamsterdam. Spider. Dukie. The lady and her coupons. The ties. Boys, boys, boys. And men. And the most beautiful cinematography ever. Space and time, and thought. The Wire feeds the ear, the mind, and the eye.
As it happens, I've just taken delivery of my complete series boxset (I sold my individual season sets on eBay to get this beauty). I didn't buy the sucky UK version (five regular DVD cases in a card case). I imported the sexy US set, and I've just embarked on Season Five. I know Omar gets killed (but I haven't got there yet) but I don't know anything else.
It'll all be over soon, but great novels can be reread again and again.
So - what's your favourite Wire moment?
Elsewhere - The 50 Best Boxsets
Elsewhere - HBO.com/thewire
Truth! Gospel! The Wire all the way!
ReplyDeleteI don't think I have "a" favorite moment, or season for that matter. But if I had to pick one it would have to be the moment I knew this show was something different. I'd heard there was this show with this black gay gangster who made drug dealers quiver, so I tuned in one day. It was early in the series and there was this wild and crazy dock worker named Ziggy who whipped out his dick in a bar for all to see 'cause it was so big.
I was hooked! An odd pervy moment I know, but that was like my first experience with the show, and his full frontal sorta got seared onto my brain. I expected to see more of him, but as you know the show evolved like a butterfly every season
Yes. Boxsets are the bomb. Another awesome one with the best series finale ever ever ever -- Six Feet Under.
I hear what you're saying, "a" favourite moment is impossible to pinpoint. I was thinking about this today and the one thing that came to mind was the scene in which Herc (the really dumb cop with no neck) called Spider (overly cute corner boy) over to the squad car and asked him where all the kids got the special caps with the brim on the side instead of the front. And Spider replies that they just buy regular caps and turn them on the side. Herc just nods like he's uncovered some big secret, and his partner Carver looks on in disgust.
ReplyDeletePoetry.
The Wire = Televisual Genius.
ReplyDeleteHBO be should be pumped out into children's brains from the point of learning to speak. Could you imagine how clever the next generation would be...
...did't obama say this was his favorite show? I think so. so based on your, obama's and those recommendation above.... I'm giving season 1 a go this evening.... this better be good.
ReplyDelete...just finished first season of "man men". it was okay, but kinda droned on...on..on..on
I saw bill maher's "religulous". its worth watch.