Looking at the new upcoming HBO series Boarwalk Empire it seems to have hit written all over it. Created by Terence Winter, one of the writers of The Sopranos, with a teriffic cast led by Steve Buscemi and Exec. Produced by none other than Martin Scorsese, this tale of gangsters and corruption in 1920′s Atlantic City has everything you could want in a show.

As an example, take a good look at this new trailer for it that aired just prior to last night’s season premiere of True Blood. It features all the main characters and sets up the story pretty well. It also looks terrific and very well directed and it should becuse Scorsese did it himself.

The show premieres in September and I, for one, can’t wait to see it. Until then, be sure to check out the trailer for Boardwalk Empire after the jump.

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On paper, Robin Hood appears to have it all: an amazing cast, beautiful costumes, spectacular set pieces, meticulously choreographed fight scenes, and a beloved protagonist. Yet somehow, I found the movie stultifying. It’s dull, complicated, and waaaaay too long.

Essentially, this serves as an origin story for Robin Hood. Russell Crowe stars as Robin Longstride, an archer fighting with King Richard (Danny Huston), who stumbles into a sequence of events that ultimately result in him being condemned and banished as an outlaw.

I was rooting for this Robin Hood retelling: after all, my last name is Hood, and I have had such a life-long affinity for the character that at my wedding reception my father made a toast about me finally meeting my Robin. I have been trying to pin down exactly why this movie just didn’t do it for me, and I offer you the following observations:

We all know the original story, but director Ridley Scott’s take is more of a historical drama. Admittedly, Scott has an astute eye for detail. That’s admirable, but most of us associate Robin Hood (the character) with swash-buckling heroics and swoon-worthy romance, not body odor and grimey fingernails. In the opening sequence, do we really need to see Robin playing parlor games? Of course not.

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