Boardwalk Empire: The Complete First Season [Blu-ray]

 

 

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I didn't know what to expect when I saw the previews. Steve Buscemi is an odd, but interesting actor, and I generally like most of the things that he has done. Well, from the opening chords and intro of the first episode, I knew that this would be something worth watching. With HBO, you know that you are going to probably get something that is pretty decent, but I have to see that this is one of the best series that I have ever seen, and I think the other reviews you'll see will give the show high praise.

I am surprised it has taken so long for the set to come out, nonetheless, a great gift even if it doesn't arrive in time for Christmas!

Atlantic City, 1920. The war has just ended, Prohibition has just started, and a new breed of criminal is on the rise.

Based on the true-life story of Enoch "Nucky" Johnson, this brilliant HBO series brutally kicks aside any romantic notions we might have had about the flappers'n'bathtub-gin era of American history. It's bloody, sexual, and full of cruel ruthless men who are saved from being TOTALLY despicable by little acts of kindness.

Enoch "Nucky" Thompson (Steve Buscemi) is the unofficial boss of Atlantic City. While officially only the state treasurer, he actually has his fingers in every business in the city -- and now that Prohibition has started, he's also the boss of the bootlegging biz in New Jersey. His creepy brother is the sheriff, so he basically controls the cops as well.

However, his "boardwalk empire" is constantly under threat. His protoge Jimmy (Michael Pitt) is involved in a whiskey robbery that ends up becoming a huge bloody mess, and soon fanatical Prohibition agent Van Allen (Michael Shannon) arrives to uncover what REALLY happened. So now Nucky must fend off the Feds, as well as dealing with a lynched black gangster, boardwalk thefts, the "Celtic Dinner," and weeks of pre-election politicking.

And while all this is going on, Nucky is forced to play hardball with Jimmy, who is now wanted by the New York mob. He also becomes acquainted with Margaret Schroeder (Kelly Macdonald), a lovely young Irish widow who appeals to Nucky in a way his sleazy showgirl mistress does not.

There are only twelve episodes of "Boardwalk Empire Season 1," and somehow that's never quite enough -- they're packed with so much blood, sex, politics, murder, booze and subterfuge that it's dizzying to watch. And there are at least a dozen intricate subplots, all of which are constantly changing from one episode to the next.

And the writers are unafraid to unleash some really graphic violence (head blown off, severed fingers, a shooting where the guy's BLOOD SPLATTERS ON THE CAMERA LENS), as well as exploring the ugly underbelly of this glamorized age. The dialogue is strong, quick and peppered with the F-word, and the characters are outlined carefully by the stories they often tell (such as Chalky informing a KKK jerk about how his dad died).

And how do they manage to make us actually LIKE these cruel, ruthless characters like Nucky, Jimmy and Luciano? Well, just when you're preparing to hate them... they suddenly reveal a soft spot for premature babies, or they tear up about their deaf child. Steve Buscemi is absolutely wonderful as Nucky -- he's a wise-cracking, politically savvy bootlegger, but you do NOT want to cross this guy.

And there are some great smaller performances by the pretty-faced Pitt, Macdonald, Shannon, Shea Wigham, Stephen Graham, and a lot of other solid actors. The one downside? Paz de la Huerta as Nucky's mistress Daisy -- she's basically there to lounge around naked in almost every scene, whining in a creepy little-girl voice about random topics.

"Boardwalk Empire Season 1" is a rich, amazingly-written slice of American history -- that is, the American history that is often glossed over because of its ugliness. A must see.

This series should be added to your mobsters' collection. Steve Buscemi is perfect as Nucky Thompson and the rest of the cast is simply captivating (Micheal Pitt's performance needs to be mentionned!). The clothes, decors and music really take you back to the 20's. If American History classes were half this interresting, kids would eat them up! Like most of HBO's series, you won't be disappointed.

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5.0 out of 5 stars HBO Works It's Magic - Again!
Purchased based on it being produced by HBO and it was everything we could hope for in a series, great story, great acting, great dialogue, truly HBO at its best!

Published 2 months ago by Devo77

5.0 out of 5 stars Big budget, movie television! Finally a "new" Sopranos!!
Well done as usual HBO! This one is as big as I've seen yet!! By the way, I mean big set, big costumes, big acting, etc. (I'm sure you get the point! Read more

Published 2 months ago by RIGGER1

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Entertainment
Excellent adult entertainment, Steve Buscemi is at his swarmy best and the look of series has Scorcse written all over it

Published 2 months ago by Walker

4.0 out of 5 stars BOARDWALK JUNGLE
THE ACTING AND STORY WERE WELL DONE.THE STORY HAD INTERESTING HISTORICAL FEATURES RELATED TO PROBITION AS IT EXISTED IN THE 1920'S.

Published 3 months ago by ALLEN

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome
Loved the story, the time period and the actors. I am looking forward to the next season. I loved seeing the Board walk. Would like to visit some day.

Published 3 months ago by kylrobb from Canada

5.0 out of 5 stars Boardwalk Empire: The Complete First Season
Boardwalk Empire is a well acted and written series that follows the lives of a group of people in the 1920's on New Jersey's Boardwalk. Read more

Published 3 months ago by Bill A. Macdonald

2.0 out of 5 stars Freezing problem with two new Sony players...
I have a SONY Blu Ray player that's less than a year old. Have to choose "watch all", otherwise the disc freezes up. I also can't load disc 3 at all. Read more

Published 3 months ago by Randolph Lalonde

4.0 out of 5 stars A great show, but...
$69.99 for 12 episodes is far too expensive. But, again, the show itself is great. Not sure why HBO series are so pricey.

Edit: I see Amazon dropped it to $49.97.

Published 4 months ago by Dave V

5.0 out of 5 stars BOARDWALK
WDL
Thank goodness there's an HBO - no one else would have incurred the
expense of recreating an era in such detail! Read more

Published 8 months ago by Doug Luelo

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