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| Available at Amazon.com |
My prime time TV consumption has declined in recent years. I guess it’s because I just don’t have the time to devote to different shows that are spread across of gamut of channels; to sit down and immerse yourself in a program for thirty- to sixty-minute stretch. Digital Video Recording has improved viewing habits, but even then you have to make the time to get caught up on programs you have had saved for weeks, maybe months.
The above paragraph doesn’t correlate to my love for HBO’s Entourage in the slightest.
When I got the opportunity to review the first season of the hit HBO comedy I jumped at the chance. One, because I heard many great things about the single-camera shot series and two, because I don’t subscribe to HBO.
There’s just something about seeing a group of guys navigating through the Hollywood system. Maybe it’s because I’m a movie-centric guy and was instantly attracted to the show’s premise: a comedy about a rising Hollywood star who, along with his brother and two friends from back home, hobnobs with celebrities and works on make-believe movies with titles like Queen’s Boulevard and Aquaman: The Michael Phelps Story. (Okay, so that second title is only half right.) And his agent, I can’t forget about his profane, epithet-throwing agent. He’s as much a star, if not bigger, than the actor himself. Entourage is glossy and fun, much like that other HBO comedy Sex and the City, only without women in their forties, strapless dresses and Jimmy Choos.
Adrian Grenier plays the star on the rise Vincent Chase, and he shares a house in the hills with his brother Johnny “Drama” Chase (Kevin Dillon), a former TV star on the fictional series Viking Quest, and friends Eric (Kevin Connolly) and Turtle (Jerry Ferrara). Of the foursome, Vince is probably the weakest, which is funny; he’s the most visible of the four – in movies and on magazine covers – but as part of the ensemble he keeps a low profile, just going where the day takes him. As the third season ended, Vince had rekindled his relationship with his agent Ari Gold (the blistering funny Jeremy Piven) and became the proud owner of a hundred pages of paper: the script for Medellin – a biopic which attempts to humanize Pablo Escobar, the infamous Colombian drug lord.
At the onset of Season Four, Vince is nearing completion of the Escobar pic, under the direction of the volatile Billy Walsh (Rhys Coiro). Tempers run deep between Billy and Vince’s manager/best friend Eric – the first few episodes are ripe with shoving and F-bombs between the two. Coiro can be outlandish at times, like when he does a one-eighty after being commissioned to adapt a best-selling book; his interpretation is not what the studio had in mind.
There are times where too much Billy Walsh stops the show’s momentum. It’s as if he and Vince can’t be separated for extended periods of time. This was probably creator Doug Ellin’s diabolical plan – to mock other famous actor-director pairs (Depp and Burton, DiCaprio and Scorsese, et al.) But aside from Billy’s overbearing presence, Entourage continues to soak up the fame, glamour and riches of Hollywood.
Speaking of fame, Kevin Dillon really upped his performance as “Drama” in Season Three. His character was finally given a chance to act for TV again, in a crime series by Ed Burns. And away from the camera, hanging with the boys, he provided some of the best comedy. For a while there, he and Piven were neck-to-neck as the show’s comedic asset worth, which is why both were nominated for Golden Globes that year. In this season, however, Jeremy Piven returns to his mantle as the boisterous backbone of Entourage. All you have to do is see him and the measures he goes through to get his son accepted into a private school. Listen to what Ari mutters under his breath in “The Day F*ckers” episode.
Since that first episode back in July 2004, the comedy has gained a reputation for its style, and probably more so because of the numerous cameos by famed actors and musicians. And what better way to satirize the Hollywood lifestyle than to have recognizable faces drop in unexpectedly. The fourth season continues the trend with Anna Farris involved in a three-episode arc, Anthony Michael Hall whizzing off a balcony, Drama and Turtle encountering Snoop Dogg, and the return of Gary Busey.
Entourage pulls you in with the friendly foursome and its fifth wheel Ari Gold, but then you get the cameos and see all the riches that come with being a young star in La-la Land. Vinny Chase’s Hollywood Hills mansion comes at a premium price of thirty grand a month, and some of its luxuries include a pool and multiple big-screen plasma televisions. At the rate Vinny’s going, he better hope another blockbuster comes down the pike. I swear, the entourage goes through money like Mad Men goes through packs of cigarettes.
Still, while this season was heavy on the Medellin plotline, it will be interesting to see the direction the series takes for season five. The final episode had the boys attending the Cannes Film Festival to disastrous results. But failure breeds success, right? It better be, because Entourage without all the glitz and glamour wouldn’t be the same. Though maybe change is something that’s needed after fifty-four episodes in the can.
All twelve episodes of Season Four are presented in their original 16 x 9 aspect ratio. Like its presentation on HBO I’m sure, the picture is sharp. The biggest hiccup would be the smog highlighting the vistas of L.A. – some of the outdoor scenes aren’t as crisp as the interior sequences.
Each episode comes with three language tracks: English 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 2.0 and Spanish 2.0. This profanity-laced comedy isn’t a Jerry Bruckheimer production, so the majority of the audio flair comes from the music that is integrated into the twelve episodes. Jane’s Addiction “Superhero” sets the mood as the show’s theme song, but throughout the season we get samples from Berlin, Tom Tom Club, and Kanye West. The music doesn’t overpower the dialogue, which is always nice. Dynamic sound.
Inspecting the special features, this release just may offer the most content of any of the previous seasons. The three audio commentaries follow tradition (aside from the second season which contained no tracks) with the series creator / executive producer Doug Ellin at the helm. He is joined by the entourage in full: Kevin Connolly, Kevin Dillon, Jerry Ferrara and Adrian Grenier. The commentaries have a kicking-back-with-your-friends vibe, and the five share jokes all the while giving us insight to show’s production. It’s fun to hear Ellin during the “The Cannes Kids” episode pointing out the misstep by a French steady-cam operator in the opening minutes.
Besides the three commentaries, there’s the unrated Medellin trailer for a film that doesn’t really exist. It’s got the Don LaFontaine-esque narration, and is cut like its supposed to an actual theatrical release. But if you look closely – pay attention to the makeup – and you’ll see that no way this would ever make it to a mainstream cineplex. Adding to the fictional film’s mystique is a behind-the-scenes featurette. Some of this can be found in the first episode of the season, “Welcome to the Jungle.”
For Entourage fans who want to see the stars in a more down-to-earth setting, well you can with the US Comedy Arts Festival Panel – hosted by critic Elvis Mitchell. The panel discussion is a 47-minute Q-and-A session with Ellin, Grenier, Piven, Connolly and executive producer Stephen Levinson. Fun anecdotes with good laughs and ribbing are shared throughout.
Completing the special features are thirty-second “previously on Entourage” spots as a refresher, thirty-second previews for each episode and recaps for seasons one, two, three – Part 1, and three – Part 2.
Hollywood needs to be skewered once in a while, and Entourage is the show to do it. With its incendiary humor, thanks to a crack-writing staff, and Jeremy Piven as a talent agent that could make Jerry Maguire cry, the series is fun and hits all the right marks. While the Medellin story line dragged, it did provide some great behind-the-camera moments in the premiere and finale episodes. Fans of this HBO comedy, or movies like The Player and State and Main, need to pick up this set.
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HBO Home Video presents Entourage: The Complete Fourth Season. Series created by Doug Ellin. Starring Kevin Connolly, Kevin Dillon, Adrian Grenier, Jerry Ferrara and Jeremy Piven. Running time: 360 minutes. Rated TV-MA. Released on DVD: August 26, 2008. Available at Amazon.com.
About Travis Leamons
