Cock Of The Boardwalk

A Martin Scorsese-directed series about Prohibition-era Atlantic City written by Sopranos man Terence Winter and starring Steve Buscemi.
It sounds like some sort of televisual wet dream, but that’s exactly what 4.8 million HBO viewers were treated to on September 19 when Boardwalk Empire premiered in the States.
The New York Times verdict – “Lavish, exquisite and unswerving” – is typical of the praise that’s been heaped on the 12-parter, which also has the supreme good taste to have The Brian Jonestown Massacre’s ‘Straight Up & Down’ as its theme tune.
Despite some stiff competition from the likes of Edoardo Ballerini, Anna Katarina, Michael Pitt and Jack Hutton – you’ll recognise the faces if not the names – it’s Buscemi who comprehensively steals the honours as corrupt political boss Enoch “Nucky” Johnson who includes Al Capone among his bezzies.
There was controversy in Atlantic City last week when Councilman Dennis Mason suggested that a section of downtown be renamed ‘Nucky’s Way’ in honour of the real life Roaring 20s miscreant whose keeping the locals in booze and broads earned him $500,000 a week.
“It was just tax evasion,” Mason says of Thompson’s eventual imprisonment. “He didn’t actually kill anyone.”
Boardwalk Empire won’t screen here until the New Year, but you can get a sneak preview at www.hbo.com/boardwalk-empire.
CIN is also gagging to see Upside Down: The Story Of Creation, a suitably debauched documentary account of how Alan McGee re-wrote the record company rulebook.
“Being able to behave as badly as you possibly could and being applauded for it was kind of fun,” McGee reflects. “I was more often out of my mind than I was ever sober, but it didn’t seem to affect the artistic decisions I made.”
Those sentiments are echoed by Noel Gallagher who says: “It was all about the music and the clothes and the drugs and the football and going and having a great night out. Who wouldn’t want to be in the middle of all that?”
Watch the trailer at www.upsidedownthemovie.com.
From there it’s but a mere mouse-click to cockandbulltv.com, the online telly wing of the monthly club night that runs in D2’s Shebeen Chic. Wounds, Patrick Kelleher, Owen Pallett and We Cut Corners all feature in the first installment of their internet music show, which is co-presented by the very likable Katie Smyth and David who doesn’t appear to have a surname.
Which just leaves time for quick visits to www.highburysquare.com (the ultimate pied à terre for Arsenal fans); www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWhtcU4-xAM (ace video for Duck Sauce’s ‘Barbra Streisand’); justinbiebertoys.com (buy two for some saucy though thoroughly unnatural fun); and hipsterhitler.com (politically incorrect fashionista parody).