Mad Men -- "Lady Lazarus" -- 5/06/12
 

<img src="http://img703.imageshack.us/img703/8898/madmen2.jpg" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us"/><br/>By <a target="_new" href="http://profile.imageshack.us/user/djariya">djariya</a> at 2012-03-22

Synopsis:



Episode 8 of 13

Re: Mad Men -- "Lady Lazarus" -- 5/06/12
 

"Lady Lazarus" is the title of a Sylvia Plath poem--sounds like this episode is going to be a downer!!!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Lazarus

Re: Mad Men -- "Lady Lazarus" -- 5/06/12
 

I like Gilmore Girl.

Re: Mad Men -- "Lady Lazarus" -- 5/06/12
 

Is there any doubt whatsoever that someone is going to die falling down that elevator shaft?

I wonder how much they had to pay to use that Beatles song?

Re: Mad Men -- "Lady Lazarus" -- 5/06/12
 

Rory Gilmore and Mr. Belding. Plus Tomorrow Never Knows. :thumbsup:

Re: Mad Men -- "Lady Lazarus" -- 5/06/12
 

Elevator foreshadow was extremely non subtle.

Re: Mad Men -- "Lady Lazarus" -- 5/06/12
 

I thought the elevator shaft was a metaphor.

Re: Mad Men -- "Lady Lazarus" -- 5/06/12
 

That had to cost more than the rest of the episode in total. They've had to cut back on the cost of the show so much that major characters go episodes without an appearance (Lane hasn't been seen in weeks) and yet they buy out a Beatles song for perpetuity (syndication, DVD)? Not that I mind, one of my favorite songs off of my favorite Beatles album. If nothing else it was shocking that they really used one.


As I'm writing this, it occurs to me that they actually made an inside joke earlier in the episode -- telling that cologne company that they could never actually use a Beatles song. Those clever bastards!

Re: Mad Men -- "Lady Lazarus" -- 5/06/12
 

Let's see...when Conan used Lovely Rita for Tom Hanks's Tonight Show entrance that was about $400,000. Not sure what the pricing structure is for this as opposed to a walk on song though. Questlove of the roots had a detailed explanation, he talked about how the price can be negotiated if the artists themselves want to make a deal, as opposed to going through the reps. And that Chuck Berry charges the highest: around $1.8 million to use Johnny B. Goode for a walk on.

Re: Mad Men -- "Lady Lazarus" -- 5/06/12
 

Part of me is thinking I should save the recording on my DVR just in case the DVD and BluRay releases drop "Tomorrow Never Knows". I'm sure it costed them a fortune, but I thought it was a perfect fit for the episode.

Re: Mad Men -- "Lady Lazarus" -- 5/06/12
 

That Lovely Rita fee has been dismissed as incorrect: http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/20...us-meter-maid/

But in a telephone interview on Monday, Jimmy Asci, a representative for Sony/ATV, said that programs like “The Tonight Show” and “Saturday Night Live” have pre-negotiated “blanket licenses” with music publishers that cover their use of recorded and performed songs. “There just isn’t enough time to negotiate fees and for the clearance process to happen,” Mr. Asci said, so these shows pay a “nominal fee” when the songs are played on air. Mr. Asci declined to give an exact dollar figure, but said the fee was “not major money.”

When a Beatles song is used in a film, television commercial or scripted series, however, Mr. Asci said “it would command that price tag.”

However, given that this is a scripted series, I would imagine the fee was anything but trivial.

Re: Mad Men -- "Lady Lazarus" -- 5/06/12
 

"Times have changed in some ways, but the Fab Four's catalog still doesn't come cheap, and Matt Weiner made sure to let us know in advance what a big deal — and big budgetary sacrifice — it was for the show to bring us this moment. "

http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/whats-al...ow-never-knows

Re: Mad Men -- "Lady Lazarus" -- 5/06/12
 

This episode was a bit of a let down after the last few. It was ok, but the show has been so great recently that they've raised the bar.

Re: Mad Men -- "Lady Lazarus" -- 5/06/12
 

Given the cost squeeze Mad Men put on Breaking Bad and other shows, I would rather they figure out how to tell the story and make an emotional impact without going the easy way and shelling out a bunch of cash for a familiar song.

Re: Mad Men -- "Lady Lazarus" -- 5/06/12
 

Same. Don lived the fact that he worked with his wife and she had actual talent at what he loved. Now she's an actress, not long before that fails again and she's a stay at home mom like Betty. I liked how he said goodbye to her on the SCDP floor and not the lobby, despite the fact that he was going downstairs too.

Re: Mad Men -- "Lady Lazarus" -- 5/06/12
 

If I'm the executive producer of The Walking Dead I would be looking at the ratings and asking AMC brass why exactly my budget is being slashed at the expense of Mad Men?

Re: Mad Men -- "Lady Lazarus" -- 5/06/12
 

Pete and Harry sure brought some comic relief. Harry in Pete's office: "Is your wife pregnant again?" Then the exchange between those two when Pete was in the phone booth. :lol:

Not enough Roger in this episode and as already mentioned, no Lane for a while.

Re: Mad Men -- "Lady Lazarus" -- 5/06/12
 

Mad Men is a prestige show that people will remember in 50 years. The Walking Dead is trash that will be forgotten in 10.

Re: Mad Men -- "Lady Lazarus" -- 5/06/12
 

Yeah - I came in here to ask what people thought it was symbolizing.

But I couldn't help but think of Rosalind Shays on L.A. Law. :lol:

And Roger with the Lutherville, Maryland reference - my hometown. :thumbsup:

Re: Mad Men -- "Lady Lazarus" -- 5/06/12
 

Didn't say anything about the quality, just the reality of the situation from a budget/business standpoint.

Re: Mad Men -- "Lady Lazarus" -- 5/06/12
 

I've read that Matt Weiner had to do some serious budget-crunching to get the numbers to work for the rights to the Beatles' song.

Re: Mad Men -- "Lady Lazarus" -- 5/06/12
 

Ah thanks for that, good to know. But maybe that usage now explains Laine's absence (or minimal presence) for the last few episodes!

Re: Mad Men -- "Lady Lazarus" -- 5/06/12
 

Apples and oranges though. There's a world of difference between having your house band play a Beatles song (still expensive) and using an actual Beatles recording (almost unheard of). Remember, two Beatles tunes have appeared on the show so far - an instrumental version of "Do You Want To Know A Secret?" was played at the end of an episode a couple of seasons ago, and Don whistled "I Want To HOld Your Hand" while driving the car earlier this season. Neither was close to in impact or expense this actual recording though.

Re: Mad Men -- "Lady Lazarus" -- 5/06/12
 

Could Tomorrow Never Knows foreshadow Don following Roger down the rabbit hole?

Re: Mad Men -- "Lady Lazarus" -- 5/06/12
 

& Betty & Mr. Betty...Not that I'm complaining.