Capone: First Trailer For The “Bonkers” Tom Hardy Gangster Flick

Vertical Entertainment has released the first trailer for the long-overdue Al Capone film from director Josh Trank.

Boardwalk Empire: 3.12 – “Margate Sands”

I think it is a testament to how good of a show Boardwalk Empire is, that even their episodes that aren’t so great in comparison to other episodes, still are incredible when compared to other shows. Last week was the best the show had ever been, and after tonight it still holds that title. That is not to say that ‘Margate Sands’ was not good, because it was, but it didn’t even compare to last week.

Biggest disappointment was right off the bat. The opening scene was great, cinematically speaking. Much like most scenes in Nucky’s office, it had the happy and jolly upbeat music playing right along with gunshots and people being mowed down en masse. I loved that juxtaposition along with its build up to the mayor proclaiming that Nucky doesn’t run the town, he does and of course the reporters laughing. Great scene. Could not have been better. However, that’s all we are going to see of the war that’s been building up for the entire season? You leave last week’s episode with Al Capone making a grand entrance and then he’s relegated to a few shots here and there? You’re killing me smalls.

I sort of love and hate what they did with Capone and Chalky the entire rest of the episode. I love it because it’s accurate (TV show level of accuracy at least) as we aren’t that far removed from the Chicago race riots of 1919 so it’s not hard to believe that Al Capone and his men are still a wee bit racist. By that I mean, really racist. They spend the entire episode, minus the two minutes they are killing Masseria and Rossetti’s men, fighting with each other. It was ridiculous. I do think that their coming to terms with each other at the end of the episode will lead into something more significant in the next season. If it doesn’t I’m just going to be irritated because there was so much time dedicated to their displeasure with each other. Time that could have been spent on the actual war between Gyp and Nucky.

There was other examples of factions being displeased with another. Team New York is at an impasse. An impasse that could have been avoided had Lucky and Meyer just listened to Rothstein in the first place. Damn minions, never know when to just shut up and stand in the background looking pretty. Rothstein ruled this episode. He’s like the Grandmaster of gangster chess (it’s a lot like wizard chess but you end up with a knife in your back) and even though he hasn’t had much screen time throughout the season as a whole, it all came to a head in the finale. So he’s taught his underlings not to f*ck with him so what’s next? He now owns essentially all of the Overholt distillery which will mean he’ll finally be able to finally get his delivery! Hopefully this will also lead to many more Rothstein talking to Mickey Doyle reaction shots. The look on his face every time he hears Mickey’s voice is priceless. Depending on when they pick the story back up, I wonder if we’ll see more of Benny/Bugsy Siegel. That would not be unwelcome.

Okay, I can’t stand Gillian but oh my lord she had a rough week. Tommy probably has no idea why he should really hate his grandmother but still his refusal of her company was a bit heartbreaking. You can just see Gillian’s desperation which of course leads to her ballsy attempt to kill Gyp. Even though it seems like a little bit of “turnabout is fair play”, I found myself actually feeling badly for Gillian with the heroin. I felt bad for Gillian. FOR GILLIAN! Damn you writers. If the “Gyp and Gillian try to kill each other” bit didn’t make me feel compassion for someone I previously hated, Gillian out in the hallway high as a kite sure did. Boardwalk Empire does a pretty good job at showing how shitty your life will become is you are forced into prostitution as a young child. When she was telling Nucky that she went upstairs to the bad man, I couldn’t help but just feel so sorry for her. Lesson learned writers- childhood prostitution is a bad idea.

If you are a Gillian fan however, do not despair for it seems that our resident incestual scumbag is going to live to ride again. Michael Ausiello of TVLine talked to Terrence Winter and asked straight out if Gillian lives. I’m torn on this one. Of course I’d like her to be gone because I can’t stand her, but she’s a good character as far as the show goes. Well here’s to another season of Gillian’s mental illness!

Someone else we get another season of, Richard Harrow!!!

I’ll admit that I really thought Richard was going to end up dead by the end of the finale. I would have placed money on that, and obviously I would have been poorer today. Not only did he survive, but he did a kick ass job in the “killing everyone you see” category. That scene was more Taxi Driver than Taxi Driver. That was the second time I’ve said that- wondering if Terrence Winter was feeling rather Martin Scorcese-esque this year.

One thing Boardwalk Empire is really good at is referring back to previous episodes. We’ve got the Taxi Driver style murderous rampage which was cool (bloody but cool) but what I really enjoyed was the “blood on the window” shot that tied together both the season premiere and the season finale.

In perhaps the most surprising turn of events in the entire series to date, Julia’s dad was not a complete asshole for once! I was rather stunned when Richard decided to take Tommy to Julia in the first place without getting himself cleaned up first. I was dumbfounded when it was Mr. Swagorski who was the voice of reason in the situation. Screw people killing and dying, that was the biggest surprise of them all! That scene always had the sweetest moment of the episode. Richard is standing there all bloody, hands off Tommy to Julia, and she grabs his hand. Come on Richard, you may want to protect her and Tommy from the full time gangster life you are returning to, but it appears as if she’s willing to stand by you. I don’t know how many other girls you are going to come across that will. Then again, I have no doubt that Richard and Julia will meet up again because Gillian is going to go on a rampage to find Tommy and get him back. That is not going to be pretty I fear. Oooohh, maybe that’s how she’ll finally die- Richard will shoot her as she tries to take Tommy back. Or maybe now that she’s had a good taste of heroin she’ll become an addict living on the streets of Atlantic City. Or maybe she’ll continue to just be a bitch that annoys me for another season. That’s the most likely scenario.

If we are talking about people who have futures up in the air, we can’t look past Margaret. Oh Margaret, you need to find a confidant. First we have you trying to confide in your sister-in-law who, wisely, changes the subject, and then you try to talk to the doctor’s wife. That and you’re going back to your maiden name and off getting abortions and sleeping in the same bed as your two children just like you were at the start of the show, shit’s come full circle Peggy and it isn’t pretty.  I will say, I damn near stood up and cheered when Margaret closed the door in Nucky’s face. What the hell did he think was going to happen when he went to “apologize”? That was both infuriating and expected.

Even with all Nucky has been through this season, he still is the cocky ass who thinks he can “forgive” Margaret and she’ll come crawling back. What an idiot. Of course I do hope they get their shit figured out because I want them to become the King and Queen of the Boardwalk.

Best part of the finale? Nucky and Eli, together again. Actually, Nucky and Eli together as closer to equals than they’ve probably been in a very long time. Even though Eli tried to have him killed, it looks like Nucky has realized that post-prison Eli is the closet he has to a trusted ally now. Sign you are a bad guy? Your most trusted ally once suggested you be killed. That’s rough. But it was nice to see the two brothers come together, talking about their past life as Pineys, fixing old cars (and referring to an old “Willys car” they had when they were younger), sharing cigarettes, and then “convincing” Tonino to take out Gyp Rosetti. The family that kills together, stays together. How sweet.

Which brings us to the most obvious part of the episode, time to pour one out for our ol’ pal Gyp Rosetti. Of course no one had any delusions that he would actually survive this finale (did they?), but it was still sad to see him go. Sad in a “who is going to fill our sadistic sociopath needs now?” kind of way. At first I was a little peeved that he ended up dying in such a quiet way. Standing on the beach, pissing (this entire episode was one pissing match after another), making fun of Nucky, and then literally being stabbed in the back. My initial reaction was that he should have gone down in a blaze of glory but somehow being stabbed by Tonino seems more fitting. After bashing his cousin’s head in with a shovel and proclaiming it as some big favor, I can’t imagine it took much convincing by Nucky to get Tonino to do the deed. Of course them finding him in a closet with dead guys filling the house and them carrying guns themselves didn’t hurt either.

So Gyp is no more, Eli and Nucky are on the same team, Margaret may or may not return, Arthur Rothstein is a badass, Gillian is riding out a possible heroin overdose, Richard is running off somewhere without Julia and Tommy, and Al Capone and Chalky White are bff’s. A lot of action for one episode and that’s not even including the whole Mellon/Rothstein/Randolph/Means thing that was slipped in there. Whose team is Means on? I have no idea. I think I’m going to stop trying to figure that dude out because as soon as I think I do, he goes and does something that just makes me sit back  with a “wtf” look on my face.

All we know is Nucky is no long half a gangster, and he certainly is no longer the glad-handing, shit grinned politician he was before this season. As for what the future holds, well we have a long time to sit back and wonder. I’m sure whatever (death of Pres. Harding) it is, it will be awesome.

Like I said up top, this episode was not nearly as good as the few episodes previous, but it was still good in it’s own right. As far as season finale’s go, it was great. It answered a lot of questions, wrapped up a lot of loose ends, but left enough questions that we are looking forward to the next season starting. That is exactly what a season finale is supposed to do so well done Boardwalk Empire.

I’m going to have to go with a four out of five. It was good, but it wasn’t great.

In closing, the song that Gyp was singing right before he shuffled off the mortal coil – “Barney Google”.

Until next year Boardwalk fans! It’s been fun, let’s do it again sometime.

Boardwalk Empire: 3.04 – “Blue Bell Boy”

Let’s get up to speed- last week we found Nucky alone a lot, frying bacon and dreaming of cherubic young men shot in the face. VanAlden is still a crappy salesman who gets picked on by his coworkers and then finds himself in the middle of a bar during a raid. Gillian Darmody still annoys me. Meyer Lansky and Lucky Luciano sent Benny Seigel out on his first drug run, which doesn’t end all that well with Masseria’s men. Somehow Mickey is still alive and Margaret brought down the war hammer on the annoying chauvinistic doctor by cornering him into opening a women’s clinic.

Now on to “Blue Bell Boy”.

I’m going to express my excitement now but save the rest for later… CHICAGO!!!! Whew, had to get that out- so exciting.

For now, let’s discuss Nucky’s warehouse. Somehow Mickey is still alive and Eli is moping around like a dog waiting for someone to pet him. Nucky comes in all bad ass trying to be the boss, even though he’s been hanging around Billie Kent’s apartment for lord only knows how long, and unsurprisingly, it doesn’t go well. Mickey turns to Owen for direction and I’m going to call it now- Owen is going to die.

Oh Owen, such a pretty face. I’m going to miss you when you are gone.

We all know that Nucky doesn’t take too kindly to not being treated like the top dog and if Mickey keeps going to Owen then I fear they are both on their way out. I take that back, Mickey will somehow find a way to stay alive. I don’t know how, but he will.

As if we needed more evidence of Nucky’s new found “don’t f–k with me or I will shoot you in the head” chutzpah, we are presented with Roland Smith, played by Nick Robinson of Melissa and Joey, a sitcom on ABC Family.

Roland is kid with a bright felonious future. He’s quick witted and when asked his name he rattled off:
–Lon Cheney, the “Man of a Thousand Faces” who dominated the horror genre in the silent film era. I don’t know if it was intentional but I found it interesting they chose to mention Lon Cheney, the child of two deaf and mute parents, in the same episode where Al Capone has a lot of storyline pertaining to his own deaf child.
–Norma Talmadge another star of silent films
–Baby Peggy, one of the original “child stars” who lives hit the crapper once the fame and glory go away. Or in Baby Peggy’s case, when your parents spend all the money you earned as a toddler and you then spend the rest of your life in poverty bouncing from one breakdown to another.

Nucky, Owen, and Roland spend a beautiful night together hiding out in a cellar as Roland’s house was seized by feds sent by none other than Waxey Gordon. I did have to wonder how many times in this episode Owen was going to mention something about keeping Nucky’s hands clean. Owen, have you been watching the show lately? Surely you had to see this coming. I mean come on, the kid lied about how old he was and about smoking and is a cheeky lad that might remind a certain someone about a certain someone else and hello…

Kid is dead. It’s a shame though, I sort of liked Roland. I loved the exchange between Owen and Nucky over Roland’s bleeding body. Nucky told him in not so many words, that he needed to watch his back.

Little word definition moment: When Nucky tells Owen to tell him something with out the “soft soap” he wasn’t referring to the hand soap. Actually the phrase “soft soap” can refer to saying something with flattery. The more you know… rainbow.

After last week’s masterful moves, Margaret had a boring but meaningful episode. She and the good doctor are working on their “Your Body and You” women’s health class and ran into a bit of trouble with a nun.

This nun had some issues with Margaret and the Doctor’s (I really need to go look up his name) neologism. Because we all know that words like menstruation, pregnant, and vagina are just made up and frivolous. I mean come on, gravid is a much more appropriate way to describe such a delicate situation. And for the love of all that is holy, don’t you dare display Kotex on the store shelves. Oh the depravity!

Even though I really did not like the whole aviatrix part of the storyline back in the season premiere, I did appreciate how they tied it back in with this episode. Margaret has these great plans for her Women’s Clinic and is out there on the boardwalk trying her damnedest and is just getting shut down wherever she turns. Then we find out towards the end of the episode that Carrie Duncan, the aviatrix Margaret looked to as a symbol of freedom, has indeed crashed her plane and died. I thought it was extremely well done, story telling wise.

In one of the “extras” on HBO Go during this episode, Vincent Piazza likened the relationship between Lansky, Luciano, and Seigel as exasperated parents and their troublesome child. I could not agree with him more. I can not express how much I loved the scene between the three of them. You can just see how badly Lucky wants to be done with Benny, but of course Meyer is going to stick up for him. Perhaps Lucky should have partaken in some of that Sal Hapatica that Meyer had Benny mixing up for Masseria’s men.

Even though Gyp wasn’t seen that much during this episode, I think his actions bring to a head the major conflict of the storyline this season. His ambush of Nucky’s trucks is going to really put the pressure on Mickey (seriously, HOW has he survived this long?) for his awful decision making as well as maybe bringing Eli and Nucky together again. Not to mention, Rothstein. He’s a ticking time bomb up there in New York. It’s only a matter of time before there’s a hair out of place on his head. His cool as a cucumber, smiling while threatening demeanor makes me nervous.

Chicago provided the most gut wrenching emotion of the episode, and perhaps even the season so far. Capone’s son has been bullied at school so he decides that he is going to teach him to fight. Of course the kid can’t understand this (seriously Capone, learn some sign language) and he just ends up crying. Al Capone can’t go around beating up small children for hitting his son, but you better believe that someone then makes fun of and beats up Guzik. It was sort of an anti-bullying PSA there for a minute when Gucik was standing there beaten to a pulp and what really bothered him was they made fun of the way he smelled.

But don’t worry, Capone takes care of it, in his own way of course.

Apparently the writers wanted everyone with a semblance of a heart to tear up and then hug a puppy, because they sent Capone home after he beat a man to death. Sent him home with a mandolin to sing a song to his son he earlier made cry. His son that can only tell he’s singing by putting his hand on his father’s throat.

That right there was a three kleenex moment.

Overall, fantastic episode. I don’t know that it ranks higher than last week’s because as great as the Chicago and New York story lines are, they are getting to the point they seem extraneous. I’m guessing that Rothstein is going to play more into the main storyline now that his liquor is gone but they really need to start making Capone and Lucky/Meyer blend in a bit more. Or just cut bait and give them each their own show. I’d watch it. All day long.

This week- four out of five. We have Mr. Capone to thank for that.

Next week’s promos included Chalky White and I can not wait!

To tide us over to the next episode… Birdwalk Empire

Boardwalk Empire: 3.01 – “Raise the Toddy”

This should be universally understood, but it needs to be said again: #1- This is a review of this week’s (Season 3 Episode 1) episode of Boardwalk Empire. If you have not seen this episode and wish to not learn of what happens in this episode, do not read this.

Should be universally understood, but needs to be said again #2- RICHARD HARROW, LET ME LOVE YOU!!!!! Whew, it feels good to let that out.

Where did we leave off? Well screw the whole “who shot JR” catchphrase because holy shit we know who shot Jimmy Darmody and now we get to see the aftermath. Not only that but we had a “pen is mightier than the sword” moment as we watched Margaret sign over the Land Deed to that annoying priest’s church.

We pick up at the end of 1922 – all our gangster friends are preparing to ring in 1923 in style. Oh and we’ve got a new gangster friend – Gyp Rosetti. He’s a little bit of a hot head and whatever you do, do not step on his toes. Especially if they are covered in 3-in-One.

One of my favorite things about this show is how they work in references to real people and events of the time. Right off the bat, as Gyp’s guys are working on a flat tire he mentions Walt Wallet of Gasoline Alley.

Enough of Gyp, what about Nucky?. How has he dealt with killing Jimmy? Is he as broken up about it as Jimmy said he would be? Did he blow a gasket about the Land Deed? Did he have Margaret offed for it? Where are the kids? I have so many questions!

As he is talking to someone, he seems in pretty good spirits. Eating breakfast, enjoying coffee, mentioning his children (so perhaps things are still good in the Thompson household), and then ordering Munya to shoot a thief in the head after toying with his emotions for a while. Oh Nucky, you seemed to have stepped in the “full gangster” shoes quite well.

As for Margaret, she’s busy putting the final touches on a New Year’s Eve party and telling lippy chauvinist servants named Phillip to shove it. Oh but wait – we find out where the land money went to! The “Enoch and Margaret Thompson Annex”, a pediatric wing to the hospital. Not only that, but she is also on the board of directors. A young doctor points that out when telling her that the woman Margaret witnessed actively miscarry her child in the hospital lobby could have been spared had their been proper prenatal care and education. I think we all know where this is going – welcome to a storyline for Mrs. Thompson.

Speaking of women having sex and getting pregnant (this wins for the award for worst segue ever), Gillian seems to have decided that she’s going to run a brothel.  Not only that, but she’s hired Richard Harrow (who, just as a reminder, I love) as Tommy’s caretaker. Seriously, if there continue to be scenes built around Richard and Gillian, my husband is going to be convinced that I’m bipolar as I was screaming at the TV last night alternating between “I hate you Gillian! I love you Richard! How dare you call yourself his mother Gillian! Richard I just want to hug you!” Just look at this picture and tell me it doesn’t make you want to punch that incestual creep of a woman in the face. And then take moonlit walks on the beach with that fabulous man.

The Van Alden’s have moved to Illinois and Agent Van Alden is now a door to door salesman. Oh wait – we also got caught up on what Johnny Torrio and Al Capone are doing nowadays. I’ll admit that the Chicago storyline has never done much to keep my attention, probably because like in this episode, it always seems like a “Oh yea we’ve got these characters over in Chicago and everyone knows Al Capone so we should probably throw them in this episode as well” kind of situation. Stephen Graham does such an incredible job as Al Capone that I feel badly about not really caring about them. Perhaps this is the season that Chicago will get the airtime it deserves.

That being said, Chicago can be summed up in these few words: turf war, deaf kid, Capone is pissed, Van Alden saves the Irish guy’s bacon and has a new baby with the nanny turned wife.

It’s party time! The Thompson’s have all their friends over for an Egyptian themed NYE bash and outside of Gyp Rosetti, everyone is having a great time. He wants rum and what the hell? Nucky has decided to sell only to Rothstein. Gyp is going to be a great character to watch if for no other reason than he has the best insults. He called Nucky a “breadstick with a bowtie”. I mean come on, that’s poetry right there.

It seems as if everything is right as rain with Nucky and Margaret, even when Margaret inadvertently insults the doctor. Of course he thinks she is barking up the wrong tree about the prenatal care and how dare she even suggest that it was the hospital’s fault and yea, this is her new hill to die on it appears. When the last guest leaves and the door closes, I fully expected a little rebuke perhaps, but a hug and kiss and let’s go to bed dear. Why did I expect this? Because I bought the setup hook, line, and sinker. I was drawn in to this “everything is okay between Nucky and Margaret, look they are having a party and everyone is laughing and singing and Nucky is dancing and Margaret is smiling” facade without even questioning it. That door closed and Nucky’s transformation took my breath away. We learned that things are not okay in the Thompson house. Things are far from okay. Nucky isn’t even living there! He’s back at his suite and surprise, surprise he’s shacking up with another brunette showgirl. Because that worked out so well for him last time.

My disappointment over the Nucky/Margaret situation (in my mind they walk off into the sunset hand in hand and live happily ever after), was quickly lifted as we saw Richard again. Well first we saw Manny and his wife having a nice moment, she bought him a new hat, how sweet. Then the door opens, there’s Richard. BOOM- Head Shot!

Richard FINALLY! takes revenge for Angela’s murder. Watching his face as he told Tommy of his mother (his real mother not that hobag that is trying to convince the poor boy otherwise) was just heartbreaking.

The episode closes out with the obvious “Margaret wants freedom” scene. She decides to go out and see the female pilot, Carrie Duncan pass by and her face is filled with that “I wish I could just fly away by myself” look.

Outside of that storyline, I thought the episode was fabulous. Especially the introduction of Gyp and how well they fooled the audience (me at least) on the whole Nucky and Margaret thing. It did present more questions though- will Van Alden join the dark side so he can buy his nanny/wife a house? Is Richard going to hook back up with a crew or just meander aimlessly taking care of Tommy and resisting the urge to smack Gillian on a regular basis? How is this whole “Nucky only sells to Rothstein” thing going to work out? What new insults is Gyp coming to come up with? How much are Teddy and Emily going to love their new dog? So much to look forward to!

4/5 Bears for this one.

HBO Review – Boardwalk Empire: Season 2 Episode 1 “21”

Boardwalk Empire Season 2 is back and everyone seems to be doing well. Jimmy and his half faced associate Richard Harrow are moving the liquor in and out of Atlantic City like clockwork. Eli is still healing from his wounds and the Commodore is…. looking fit and healthy with his trusty spear. Nucky is still living the life fantastic at night while still retaining Margaret Schroeder during the days. Agent Van Alden and his wife seem to be in good standing as she has now come to visit Atlantic City. The only one not doing so great is Chalky White, who as an African-American in the 1920’s can’t really get a fair shake in Atlantic City. And that’s an understatement.

After having his bootlegging warehouse turned into swiss cheese by some douche bag Klansmen, Chalky gets into some major hot water for shooting one of them. Doesn’t make too much sense but it’s a part of a scheme cooked up by Jimmy’s father, the Commodore. At the end of last season we got to see the triumvirate of Jimmy, his father and Eli Thompson plotting the downfall of Enoch Thompson whom each has experienced a betrayal (in their opinions) by the county treasurer. Nucky doesn’t seem to suspect much of anything other than Jimmy may be acting a little weird and holding something back. I’m excited to see how things shake out after Nucky does realize what’s really going on. My hope is that Jimmy will eventually see that he is in the wrong and maybe turn on Eli and his dear ol’ dad.

We were able to see the duplicitous Van Alden in action as he wines and dines his wife on one hand and then after she leaves Atlantic City he is looking after Lucy whom he has gotten preggers. I wonder if Agent Van Alden has considered what a whore Lucy is and that the kid may indeed not be his. Mr. Shannon has definitely created a rather brilliant character in Van Alden as he appears to have the most flat affect I’ve seen in a person. But once the law is in play and violence is necessary, Van Alden bursts to life in full fury. The scene in the restaurant in particular was awesome.

Another character we get to see a little more insight to is Richard Harrow. The disfigured veteran definitely tips the social awkwardness scale whenever he isn’t sniping people or planting a shotgun in their face. It was both intriguing and heart wrenching seeing how much he longs for a normal life with a wife and children. I think it’s safe to say he’s a tad bit envious of Jimmy and his life where he “has everything.” I can almost see Richard betraying Jimmy if it came to Nucky enticing him that life somehow.

Overall the episode seemed like it only lasted a half hour because I was so into it. Not a whole lot went down, but it was like the actors and actresses hadn’t even missed a beat between seasons and I love it. Things have picked up right where they left off and between the teasers and show creators promising many more new characters to come in the season. I’m giving this episode a solid four out of five grizzlies. Boardwalk is back and carrying on with the same prohibition-gangster drama that I fell in love with last year! Bring it on next week!

‘The Stand’ Movie Coming Soon?

I don’t know why they have to make a Stand movie at all when the old six-hour mini series is so blatantly awesome. My favorite scene is when a ‘super flu’ infected guy confronts Gary Sinise’s character in a stairwell and says “come down and eat chicken with me beautiful, it’s so dark!” I laughed exceptionally hard, but it wasn’t over because Gary Sinise proceeds to kick him in the face area with a scream of rage. Effin’ classic.