Entourage
Last week? (it all blurs together), Sarah and I netflixed the first disc of Entourage. For those who have not heard of it, it's an HBO series about an up and coming actor (Adrian Grenier) and his pals from home who now hang out with him in Hollywood. One of his buddies is his manager, one is his driver/general lacky, and the other member of the Entourage is his cousin -- a TV actor who is now scraping for work and living in Adrian's shadow(nicely played be Kevin Dillon, especially when the role has to hit close to home).
Basically, I was "meh" on the first disc. So "meh" I didn't bother to put any more in the queue. I am not really that interested in the lifestyles of the rich and famous (even the subtle mocking of the lifestyles that goes on in the show). I also find the whole idea of the "entourage" a little strange and subtly distasteful. I have to wonder, if a good friend (let's say John Harper, for the sake of argument) somehow made it in Hollywood, would I and Winston and Jimmy and the rest of the crowd now be living in some mansion cooking his breakfast, picking up his dry cleaning, and using the "Come and meet John Harper" line to get laid? I just don't see myself being very happy with that scenario and find it hard to understand those who do.
I realize that, like The Sopranos, the point of the show (well, the point of the show other than the cameos) is to contrast the normal (in this case the male friendship dynamic) with the surreal (the Hollywood lifestyle) and thus illustrate that friends are friends, even if the situation outside of the friendship is weird. The best part of the show is certainly that male friendship dynamic. The characters' banter is a very accurate portrayal of how guys talk to each other -- constantly making fun of one another in crude ways, repeatedly bringing up past embarrassments to taunt each other, and letting no good deed go unpunished. I just think something like The Sopranos does that normal/abnormal dynamic much better.
It's probably just East Coast bias. I prefer Virginia to Berkeley, the SEC to the PAC-10, the Atlantic to the Pacific, and mobsters to movie stars.
Basically, I was "meh" on the first disc. So "meh" I didn't bother to put any more in the queue. I am not really that interested in the lifestyles of the rich and famous (even the subtle mocking of the lifestyles that goes on in the show). I also find the whole idea of the "entourage" a little strange and subtly distasteful. I have to wonder, if a good friend (let's say John Harper, for the sake of argument) somehow made it in Hollywood, would I and Winston and Jimmy and the rest of the crowd now be living in some mansion cooking his breakfast, picking up his dry cleaning, and using the "Come and meet John Harper" line to get laid? I just don't see myself being very happy with that scenario and find it hard to understand those who do.
I realize that, like The Sopranos, the point of the show (well, the point of the show other than the cameos) is to contrast the normal (in this case the male friendship dynamic) with the surreal (the Hollywood lifestyle) and thus illustrate that friends are friends, even if the situation outside of the friendship is weird. The best part of the show is certainly that male friendship dynamic. The characters' banter is a very accurate portrayal of how guys talk to each other -- constantly making fun of one another in crude ways, repeatedly bringing up past embarrassments to taunt each other, and letting no good deed go unpunished. I just think something like The Sopranos does that normal/abnormal dynamic much better.
It's probably just East Coast bias. I prefer Virginia to Berkeley, the SEC to the PAC-10, the Atlantic to the Pacific, and mobsters to movie stars.
I've got dibs on cook/general lackey.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.imdb.com/name/nm1834343/
I knew Peterman was in Hollywood doing stuff, but I never thought he'd be a writer/producer. And I've even heard of his movie!
ReplyDeleteWhat I didn't know was he is older than I am. Wasn't he a year or two behind me?
Peterman was my year. For other Furman people in La-La Land (including my formal date Junior year):
ReplyDeletehttp://www.imdb.com/name/nm2069932/
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1363060/
and apparently this guy who was in Stargate for Nakia, and Party of Five for Winston:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0112871/
And to answer your question, Yes, I know I have too much free time. I'm just trying to sell my screenplay about a handsome two-bit political hack who runs afoul of a corrupt local sheriff and hijinks ensue. And he has superpowers. Did I mention that? Because that's important. I need to throw in a love interest. And a monkey.
This is gonna be a great movie.
I don't watch Stargate, but Farscape (the show that made Browder famous) was really good.
ReplyDeleteJimmy, make the love interest a ninja. Then you are golden.