Magic City: The Complete First Season Blu-ray Review (1 Viewer)

Miami Beach in 1959 must have been an exotic locale full of action and intrigue not unlike Casablanca circa 1943. Castro was on the verge of revolution in Cuba just past the horizon, and the Cold War was at its height. Magic City is an hour-long drama airing on Starz that evokes the uncertainty and drama of that period in Miami Beach.

MAGIC CITY The Complete First Season

Blu-ray

Studio: Anchor Bay Entertainment

Year: 2012

Rated: Not Rated

Film Length: 6 hours, 59 minutes

Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1

Audio: English Dolby TrueHD 5.1, Spanish Mono

Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish

Release Date: October 2, 2012

The Series

Ike Evans(Jeffrey Dean Morgan) appears to be a man at the top of the world. Ike runs and operates the glamorous Miramar Playa Hotel in Miami Beach in 1959. Appearances can be deceptive because Ike’s empire is precariously built on moral compromise, as the financing for the hotel came from his silent partner Ben "the Butcher" Diamond(Danny Huston), the type of volatile gangster who would be played by Joe Pesci if this were a Scorsese film. Ike’s son Stevie(Steven Strait) is a womanizer who does not choose wisely, since he is having an affair with Ben’s trophy wife Lily(Jessica Marais). Ike’s wife Vera(Olga Kurylenko) almost certainly suspects that Ike’s position is tenuous, but she seems to turn a blind eye, not unlike Edie Falco’s Carmela Soprano on The Sopranos.

If you mix The Sopranos with Mad Men, the result must be something like Magic City. This is not all bad, since one could do worse than to combine the best of those two series, even if the result does not match up to the inspiration. Neither of the earlier series is known for being fast-moving, and Magic City follows suit, although the lugubrious pace is arguably apropos for the atmosphere and climate of Miami Beach. The cast of actors is first-rate, and the costume and set design deserve awards for the world created in Magic City. Frank Sinatra is booked for an appearance at the New Year’s Eve event at the Miramar Playa, and it is not hard to imagine Sinatra in this setting, especially for anyone who has seen Capra’s A Hole In The Head(1959), also filmed partly on location in this era in Miami Beach.

All 8 episodes from the first season are included on this 3 disc set. This first season aired on Starz in early 2012 and the second season is set to premiere in 2013. Although it is not rated, Magic City takes advantage of its premium channel location to include some nudity and bad language, and does not seem excessive for its subject matter, but be warned that this series may not be one for the whole family.

Video

Magic City appears on Blu-Ray in 1080p in its 1.78:1 aspect ratio as originally filmed and broadcast on Starz. The pastel colors of Miami Beach have been toned down for dramatic effect by the producers, which is most apparent with skin tones especially appearing on the cooler end of the color spectrum. Blacks are solid as they should be without any apparent black crush, and fine detail is excellent. These Blu-ray discs provide an excellent video presentation of the series that certainly surpasses its appearance on cable television, even in high definition.

Audio

The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 tracks do great service to match the excellent video presentation. Ambient sounds and music are used well and often to create the sonic atmosphere for Magic City. The sound mix has dialogue always appropriately audible over music and special effects.

Special Features

The special features, located on disc 3, include all of the following in high definition:

Starz Studios: Magic City(13:33): This featurette aired originally on Starz to promote the series.

The Cars of Magic City(1:32): Brief feature about the classic cars used in the series.

The Style of Magic City(4:02: Brief feature about creating the appearance of 1959 Miami.

Building An Empire(1:32): Highlights of the set construction.

The Golden Age of Music(7:42): Showcases the music selected to create mood for the series.

Miami Beach: The Real Magic City(3:29): This featurette illustrates the appearance of Miami Beach in 1959.

Conclusion

Magic City: The Complete First Season on Blu-ray is a nice collection of the series to date. Magic City has a great cast of characters in a beautiful and glamorous setting. It will be interesting to see how the series evolves in its second season, set to air in 2013. The video and audio presentation are excellent. The special features may not be extensive, consisting of approximately 30 minutes of short features, but the subject matter does not overstay its welcome either, as many special features are wont to do. Magic City Season One may be an ideal series for one to relax to, perhaps with a mojito or a pina colada in the hand, and sit back and enjoy.