The Clever Apprentice

Is it possible to think about “Godfather” and not also think about Al Pacino?

In the role of Michael Corleone (Godfather Part II, 1975), the reluctant-hero of the mafia epic, Pacino has become a legend of movie history.

Born in South Bronx, New York on April 25, 1940, Pacino has given us such unforgettable performances as those in Dog Day Afternoon (1975), Serpico (1973), Scarface (1983), Sea of Love (1989), Frankie and Johnny (1991), Donnie Brasco (1997), The Merchant of Venice (2004) and Two For The Money (2005).

Nominated 8 times for the Academy Award, Pacino finally won it in 1993 for portraying a blind man who is in love with life in the Scent of a Woman (1992).

Did you know these trivia facts about Pacino?

1) In 1993, Pacino was nominated for not only one but TWO Oscars — Best Actor in a Leading Role for Scent of a Woman (1992) and the Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Glengarry Glen Ross (1992).

2) He used to smoke 2-packs a day until he stopped smoking altogether in 1994 in order not to lose his voice.

3) He adores opera and Shakespeare.

4) Of all colors, he loves black.

5) When offered to play the role of Michael Corleone in a Godfather videogame, he refused to do so.

6) He started his entertainment career as a stand-up comic.

Nominated for 1 Emmy and 1 Golden Globe in its first five seasons, Gilmore Girls has experienced much greater success among TV viewers than among industry critics. In fact, the show is the first script supported by the Family Friendly Forum’s script development fund to go on and become a regular television series. Part of an initiative between The WB Network - maker of such hits as Dawson’s Creek (1998), Felicity (1998), Angel (1999), and Smallville (2001) - and fellow industry executives, this push for more family-oriented programming resulted in a series showcasing a unique mother-daughter bond and the various people they encounter on their life voyage of discovery. Set in the fictional town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut, Gilmore Girls utilizes many of the same sets as the hit series The Dukes Of Hazzard (1979) - another successful Warner Brothers production from years past…

Gilmore Girls is set in a small idyllic community in Connecticut filled with a wide range of diverse characters and eccentric personalities. Against this backdrop, Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham) attempts to raise her daughter and best friend, Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel), to carve out a better life for herself. Having made a number of youthful mistakes, Lorelai made the decision to raise her daughter by herself at a young age (the same age as Rory when the series begins), and she’s bound and determined to make sure that Rory makes better decisions for herself. As Rory prepares to go off to college, she displays many of the same likes and dislikes as her mother - especially when it comes to the opposite sex, and that’s what worries Lorelai the most… A borderline soap opera, Gilmore Girls is more of a serial drama that focuses on the love, friendship, and shared growth of a mother and daughter as they live out their dreams in modern day America…

The Gilmore Girls (Season 4) DVD features a number of touching episodes including the season premiere “Ballrooms and Biscotti” in which Lorelai and Rory return from their European vacation to experience a whirlwind of activity. Taylor gets upset when Rory declines the offer to be the Stars Hollow Ice Cream Queen, while Rory herself is in a panic after realizing she wrote the wrong date for freshman orientation on her calendar. Now, she must fit a week’s worth of preparation into two days, and Emily isn’t very happy about it… Other notable episodes from Season 4 include “The Nanny and the Professor” in which Rory becomes concerned when Paris’s new boyfriend turns out to be one of her college professors, and “Luke Can See Her Face” in which a self-help tape and a long talk with Jess help Luke to envision a path to the relationship he’s been seeking all along…

Below is a list of episodes included on the Gilmore Girls (Season 4) DVD:

Episode 66 (Ballrooms and Biscotti) Air Date: 09-23-2003
Episode 67 (The Lorelai’s First Day at Yale) Air Date: 09-30-2003
Episode 68 (The Hobbit, the Sofa, and Digger Stiles) Air Date: 10-07-2003
Episode 69 (Chicken or Beef?) Air Date: 10-14-2003
Episode 70 (The Fundamental Things Apply) Air Date: 10-21-2003
Episode 71 (An Affair to Remember) Air Date: 10-28-2003
Episode 72 (The Festival of Living Art) Air Date: 11-04-2003
Episode 73 (Die, Jerk) Air Date: 11-11-2003
Episode 74 (Ted Koppel’s Big Night Out) Air Date: 11-18-2003
Episode 75 (The Nanny and the Professor) Air Date: 01-20-2004
Episode 76 (In the Clamor and the Clangor) Air Date: 01-27-2004
Episode 77 (A Family Matter) Air Date: 02-03-2004
Episode 78 (Nag Hammadi is Where They Found the Gnostic Gospels) Air Date: 02-10-2004
Episode 79 (The Incredible Shrinking Lorelais) Air Date: 02-17-2004
Episode 80 (Scene in a Mall) Air Date: 02-24-2004
Episode 81 (The Reigning Lorelai) Air Date: 03-02-2004
Episode 82 (Girls in Bikinis, Boys Doin’ the Twist) Air Date: 04-13-2004
Episode 83 (Tick, Tick, Tick, Boom!) Air Date: 04-20-2004
Episode 84 (Afterboom) Air Date: 04-27-2004
Episode 85 (Luke Can See Her Face) Air Date: 05-04-2004
Episode 86 (Last Week Fights, This Week Tights) Air Date: 05-11-2004
Episode 87 (Raincoats and Recipes) Air Date: 05-18-2004

About the Author Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a blog where you can find more reviews like this one of the Gilmore Girls (Season 4) DVD.