Wednesday, June 14, 2006

Hug it out, bitch!


Entourage is back and we are all happy in la-la land. If you didn't know, this thoroughly entertaining HBO Comedy (ala Curb Your Enthusiasm - meaning it comes and goes mysteriously) opened back up on June 11 for its third season. I make enuthiastic mention of this because, not only it it drop dead funny, but many times, whether you have cable or not, you never know when these shows are on or even that they exist. I didn't catch up with these guys until the middle of the second season and was delighted to find their Hollywood antics just hilarious.

Based loosely on the similar experiences of Executive Producer's Mark Wahlburg's (Perfect Storm, Boogie Nights - and more importantly being Marky Mark) first foray into Hollywood, the show revolves around rising stud star Vincent Chase, his step brother Johnny Drama (affectionately know only as "Drama" and two other buddies, Eric ("E") and Turtle who he all "hires" to help him out in the 'Wood. Add Jeremy Piven's great turn as uber-agent Ari Gold and "you got gold baby". It shows you the business and entertainment side to LA that a only a few get a decent glimpse of working out here - but we know all of the sites and places - and have experienced a bit of it in a drive-by sort of way so, in our household, we can sort of relate. Having worked in the same building as HBO I dig the boyze meetings at the agent's decked-out office which I am pretty sure was shot on an empty floor right above me at one time. And everything is so topical - when U2 was in town, well they were in the show. And name dropping Drama's name on stage! Yo Drama.

That, and the classic dialogue between these long-time New Jersey buddies puts male bonding to it limits. Add the high- octane hubris of Agent Gold and you got quotation heaven. Stuff like the infamous "let's hug it out" to "E, bring your suntan lotion because we're going to hell".

And throw in Hollywood cameos and extras all over the place from Mandy Moore to James Woods to James Cameron and you got a party. And you'll never know who'll show up. And that's drama.

3 comments:

Rock said...

I have always been a fan. He had a show called something like "Chameleon" or something several years back which was a well recieved but went no where. You can obviously see him in many movies - and as i watch him in this I think of myself combined with someone else - i cannot put my finger on it - but it is very familiar. It is an identity known to many who close financings or any other deal.

Actually at the beginning of the year they played both of the first two seasons CONSTANTLY. So I'm not sure how you missed it - but that's what I'm saying - if you don't know what it is it can go by in a blink of an eye.

You don't need to go back - you can get a vibe with what is going on fairly quickly except Piven's character Ari was fired from his Century City agency at the end of last year so it will lose a little of that panache this year as he sets up in dreaded "West Hollywood".

You'll just get to have fun once this season is over because they will trot them out again. It was the same for me as I got into it in the second season and loved it anyway and got to back track later. Which was pure fun.

Brooke said...

Love the Piv and love Entourage. But I don't know how thrilled I am with this new Dom guy. Hmmm...

Rock said...

Dom sucks. I hated him immediately. In fact I hate the new tone of this year - it makes you fear for the sanctity of these four guys we have come to love and have such good natured bitching that they will always be able to overcome (much like a bunch of my own H-town buddies). But this Dom guys needs to go.