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Here's to Nookie and Skirting Prohibition!
-
Dec 7, 2010
- by MichaelN
- posted in Pass The Remote!
Rating:
HBO has another winner on its hands and as the first season of this epic series winds down it is time to grade the first season. Firstly it is hard to watch this film and not realize that the outdoor scenes do not occur on the actual historic Atlantic City Boardwalk but in a recreated set somewhere in Brooklyn.
+5
As the series began so did Prohibition. The main protaginist of the series (Nookie Thompson) sees this as a great opportunity as he can control the illegal alcohol business in Atlantic City and make a whole lot more now that it is illegal and scarce. Nookie controls the politics in Atlantic City, having been the Sheriff and now having his brother as the current Sheriff.
Nookie focuses on gaining the favor of Margaret Shroeder, a major voice in the League of Women Voters. With women's sufferage near passing, Nookie realizes that Margaret can be a major voice in keeping his hold on local politics. He finds out that her husband is abusing her and arranges to have him killed. Eventually, Nookie will gain the total confidence of Margaret and make her his "concubine."
Nookie is being in investigated by an agent (Nelson Van Alden) of the Internal Revenue Service (note: the FBI did not exist until the Dillinger days of the 1930's). Nelson believes Nookie to be responsible for the murder of four men that were transporting illegal "spirits."
The show is rife with historical figures from Lucky Lucciano, Al Capone, Charles Ponzi, Warren Harding, and Hardeen Houdini (brother of Harry) and history (World War I, the Black Sox Scandal, etc.)
As season one winds down Nookie is battling for the control of all the alcohol on the East Coast with Arnold Rothstein, who is partner with Lucky Lucciano and Meyer Lansky. Nookie uses his right hand man Jimmy, who has loyalties to Al Capone and Richard Harrow (a facially disfigured friend of Jimmy's. A major showdown is looming.
Meanwhile Agent Van Alden is a closet religious fanatic who harbors a fascination with self punishment and thoughts about Nookie's girlfriend Margaret. Van Alden goes totally "rogue" killing his partner and going against the Agency.
This is the best show on HBO since The Sopranos and it fills a void that had been looming on Sunday nights. The production and the directing are first-rate. If you watch a few episodes ot this series you will be hooked!
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woopak_the_thrill
December 14, 2010
this was a stellar season! Nice review, I am so looking forward to a 2nd helping!
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FM_ALEX
December 10, 2010
LOVE this show
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djevoke
December 07, 2010
I LOVE this show! It's the perfect sub for my True Blood addiction- especially since I have a fascination with Prohibition and the rise of gangsters. I hate to be "one of THOSE people" but, it's Nucky Thompson, short for Enuch (sp?) I like your name for him a lot better though since that's what he seems to do a lot of ;p I've been meaning to write a review on this, thanks for sharing!
MichaelN
December 07, 2010
Thanks. I tried using the phonetic. I hope you can re-read my review as you posted your comment to a small draft of the final review. The series has a lot going on and is sometimes a little hard to follow so I would welcome any discussion you might have.
djevoke
December 07, 2010
No problem, it sounds like Nookie- I just didn't want anyone to get confused and I'm anal with spelling and grammar LOL I read the revised review- great job! There is quite a bit that goes on- Mrs. Schroeder is an incredibly interesting character (victim or schemer?), the birth of all the major mobsters of our country's history (I actually had no idea that Luciano came up under Rothstein), the details to everything is done amazingly well and Nucky goes between being a compassionate hero to the poor to OKing murders and poisonings.
MichaelN
December 08, 2010
Luciano's death was covered in Public Enemies. It is interesting that at that time the mobs were run by Jewish men (Siegel, Lanzky, Rothstein, etc.) as well as the early Italian men that are depicted in the series. I like the way the Rabbi's influence changed Capone (you are a man, yet you wear the cap of a boy). Since that scene Capone has turned very serious.
djevoke
December 08, 2010
That's true about how interesting it is to see that the early mobs were started by Jewish men. I loved that Rabbi line because it was so true. I admire how the early gangsters ran things- with respect and a sense of order, not like the hoodlums in the ghettos of America today....
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“Boardwalk Empire” a new HBO series airing at 9 PM est has all the verve, violence and sex that made the “Sopranos” such a mega hit! This should not be surprising since it is created and produced by Terrence Winter who wrote and produced the “Sopranos.” In addition, this great show has the incomparable direction of Martin Scorsese whose artistic yet realistic interpretation of American crime and political corruption in past works is once again on … more
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About the reviewer
MichaelN
Ranked #5
Ranked #5
I first got on this blog to discuss my first passion which is books. Since I have gotten on I find that books are only a piece of this blog and I can discuss just about anything that comes to mind. It … more
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About this tv show
Boardwalk Empire is an upcoming American television series from premium cable network HBO, set in Atlantic City, New Jersey during the Prohibition era. Starring Steve Buscemi, the show is adapted from Nelson Johnson's book, Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times, and Corruption of Atlantic City by Emmy award-winning screenwriter and producer Terence Winter of The Sopranos.[1]
The first episode was directed by Martin Scorsese. On September 1, 2009, HBO picked up the series for an additional 11 episodes.[2] The series is scheduled to debut on September 19, 2010.[3]
Filming was done on a specially created set in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.[4]
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The first episode was directed by Martin Scorsese. On September 1, 2009, HBO picked up the series for an additional 11 episodes.[2] The series is scheduled to debut on September 19, 2010.[3]
Filming was done on a specially created set in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.[4]
Contents [hide]
- 1 Martin Scorsese's Contribution
- 2 Reception
- 3 International
- 4 Cast and characters
- 5 References
- 6 External links
[edit] Martin Scorsese's Contribution
Martin Scorsese was involved in the project even before creator Terence Winter. He directed the pilot and established the look of the show, which other directors later emulated to make the show feel seamless. He is also one of the executive producers of the show. Winter stated that Scorsese weighs on the casting decisions, watches all the cuts and dailies. Up until the shooting of the show's first season, Scorsese and Winter would meet every Sunday afternoon to review what went on during the week where Scorsese would have comments and suggestion. Martin Scorsese is expected to continue to be creatively involved in the ongoing production and if the series ...First to Review
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