A Few Words About A few words about...™ Boardwalk Empire: The Fifth Season -- in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[Robert Harris]

I've been a fan of Boardwalk Empire, since it arrived in 2010, but even being aware of the quality of the first four seasons, I was unprepared for the final eight episodes.

While I don't wish to point any fingers, someone involved seems to have a highly advanced knowledge of cinema, as the multiple layers of storylines through different decades pull us along to an unexpected conclusion.

Shades of The Godfather, as well as The Godfather Part II, along with a pinch of Once Upon a Time in America, and a myriad of other works blend beautifully as the series comes to a close.

The show, as shot on 35/3, has continuously been reproduced with perfection on HBO's Blu-ray.

For those who have not experience the show, or have only seen it highly compressed on cable, the series awaits with availability on Amazon at under $100 in its entirety.

Image - 5

Audio - 5

4k Up-rez - 5

Pass / Fail - Pass

Highly Recommended

RAH

 

[TravisR]

Wonderful show. Hopefully your recommendation will get some people to purchase it.

 

[AshJW]

Yeah, I love this show too.
Haven't seen the final season yet.

 

[Race Bannon]

or have only seen it highly compressed on cable,
RAH

It looked pretty good to me in first run. Is the compression that bad?

 

[Robert Harris]

It looked pretty good to me in first run. Is the compression that bad?

It actually is. Easily noted in projection. On small panels, not so much.

It's all in the eye of the beholder.

 

[RJ992]

Having worked as an extra during the series, I can see myself better than ever! HBO cancelled this too soon IMHO.

 

[Dick]

Having worked as an extra during the series, I can see myself better than ever! HBO cancelled this too soon IMHO.

Get out while you're still on top, like Cary Grant and Johnny Carson, and unlike the X-Files.

 

[Robert Harris]

Having worked as an extra during the series, I can see myself better than ever! HBO cancelled this too soon IMHO.

And yet the series was totally pulled together for the finale, at least with the fictional Nucky.

The real gent survived it all, passing away in 1968, at the age of 85.

Could have been a very long series.

 

[RJ992]

I agree that they did a good job ending it (the production was given a choice...more episodes at a lower budget or fewer eps with a stronger budget...they opted for the latter) but I would have liked one more season prior. The time jump was jarring. All of a sudden, Rothstein (who we'd been following from the start) is just gone, having died earlier...only a line or two of dialogue conveying that info. And I would have liked to have seen more of Ness' Untouchables. But HBO was short-sighted and are now crying over the fact that some new series are under-performing. (They recently canned BE/SOPRANOS showrunner Terence Winter over VINYL) Still, what we did get was exemplary and I consider it a landmark series. (I personally prefer it over "Sopranos" easily.)

 

[TravisR]

I agree that they did a good job ending it (the production was given a choice...more episodes at a lower budget or fewer eps with a stronger budget...they opted for the latter) but I would have liked one more season prior. The time jump was jarring. All of a sudden, Rothstein (who we'd been following from the start) is just gone, having died earlier...only a line or two of dialogue conveying that info.

Yeah, it wasn't tough to see that they were basically forced to skip a season and get to the last season (a number of things laid down at the end of S4 were dropped and they had to immediately start the plots for the series' end game) but the writers certainly made lemonade out of lemons. Also, I give credit to HBO for letting the show finish since it was never a ratings powerhouse while also being enormously expensive.

I'd put this series in the top 4 or 5 HBO shows along with The Sopranos, The Wire and Deadwood.

 

[macdaddy]

I'd put this series in the top 4 or 5 HBO shows along with The Sopranos, The Wire and Deadwood.

AAAh Deadwood! One of the all time greats, also ended too soon.

 

[PMF]

And yet the series was totally pulled together for the finale, at least with the fictional Nucky.
The real gent survived it all, passing away in 1968, at the age of 85.

Gosh almighty Robert...the least you could've done is given me a Spoiler Alert.

NOTE to Myself:
Continue to read RAH's reviews on a regular basis;
BUT, do not read the ensuing Posts until after I've seen the film.

 

[Robert Harris]

Gosh almighty Robert...the least you could've done is given me a Spoiler Alert.

NOTE to Myself:
Continue to read RAH's reviews on a regular basis;
BUT, do not read the ensuing Posts until after I've seen the film.

And Rosebud still survives...

 

[PMF]

And Rosebud still survives...

...now that's really hitting below the belt.

 

[B-ROLL]

And Rosebud still survives...

Actually it was "Rosebud, Henri, with Mustard!"

 

[Oblivion138]

Just finished the series the other night. They brought everything together nicely at the end. As a fan, I was quite satisfied.