Friday, June 25, 2010

Is Hollywood Excess Still Relevant in a Recession?

The Entourage boys are back for a 7th season this Sunday. Tune in to HBO at 10:30pm eastern to see if their excessive but hilarious shenanigans will translate well during a time of double digit unemployment and a never ending ecological disaster in the gulf.

I, for one, miss the simplicity of the basic Entourage episode. They have trouble with girls. They have trouble with their careers. Ari (the uber agent) says "Hug it out Bitch" or yells really loud at his subordinates. And sometimes a bemused real Hollywood celebrity guest stars to lend a sort of zeitgeist authenticity to it all. It's like a Frankie and Annette movie....Beach Blanket Bingo on the streets of Beverly Hills.

All of the promos for this new season have been strangely subdued. There are no sneak peeks for upcoming celebrity guest stars. No cliff hangers to resolve. Last season Vinnie's career hung by a thread until Scorsese hired him as the lead in one of his pictures.

No matter what direction they take, there is one compelling reason to watch Entourage. Kevin Dillon (brother of Matt) plays Johnny Drama, the funniest loser on TV since Don Knotts in The Andy Griffith show. He is off the charts hilarious. Oh and I always keep my fingers crossed that executive producer Mark Wahlberg (xxxxoooo!) will make a guest appearance. Entourage is, after all, based on his colorful show biz life.

4 comments:

Lisa said...

Well, it certainly doesn't look like a comedy anymore. I always throught it was teetering on the edge of NOT being one, but it looks like they've taken the plunge. So much angst! And is Turtle a pimp or something? At least Johnny Drama is still there; I agree, he's the best!

Looking forward to watching the return!!

Lisa said...

Okay, I now know that Turtle isn't a pimp, he runs a limo service. Whew! Great episode last night. A little tired of Ari, frankly, though. I'm finally watching in HD and they all look great!

Jane said...

I was fascinated by Nick Cassavetes playing the over the top psycho director. I think Ari is (impossibly) lackluster this season. I couldn't picture Turtle as a pimp either. He is almost the Radar (heart) of the show. Ari is the brains, Vince is the beauty and our beloved Johnny Drama is, of course, the funny bone. But I think JD is deeper than that. I believe the pathos of his search for a new job in a show biz town that rejects him, is very sad and real. Also, I think I'm totally over-thinking Entourage, which is supposed to be fun!

Amy said...

I have to weigh in (albeit a little late) because I've resisted becoming a fan of this show and now I know why. I watched last season and the first episode of this season and the characters are so off-putting (especially Ari) that it's hard for me to get caught up in their dramas. There should be at least one character that appeals (although Ari's former Asian assistant who's now trying to make it as an agent is at the top of the list). These characters may very well be a spot on representation of the real obnoxious and arrogant movers and shakers and wannabes in Hollywood. Excellent acting aside, that doesn't make it any easier to watch the show, comedy or drama.