7.25.2010

See Spot Fix: Entourage

If I think back far enough, I can remember a time when I was fascinated with the HBO series "Entourage." I remember thinking it was some of the best and most original entertainment on television. I remember longing for the next chance to see the sex-and-drug-filled exploits of E, Drama, Turtle, and Vince (in that order). I remember not being able to wait to hear the newest hateful banter between Ari and Lloyd. I remember becoming filled with excitement as the opening credits rolled, beaming as I heard the iconic "Yeah, oh yeah" at the end of the intro music. Yes, there was indeed a time when "Entourage" was an unstoppable TV force to be reckoned with, sitting atop my list of must-watch programs. But that was long ago. Oh how the mighty have fallen.

It's no secret that the past few seasons of "Entourage" have been less than stellar. Sure, I still watch the show, but more so as a result of feelings of obligation to a social phenomenon than a true desire to catch up on the characters' newest happenings. And with the show signed on for one more season after the one airing now, I figured it might be time to try my hand at remedying some of the show's biggest stumbling blocks. So follow along as I try and pull "Entourage" from the ashes and turn it back into the entertainment powerhouse it once was.

  • Drama: No, I'm not talking about Johnny "Drama" Chase. I'm talking about actual, palpable drama. Yes, I understand this show is primarily a comedy, but as a serialized show with an ongoing storyline, there needs to be some underlying tension in order to keep the viewer interested. Last season's storyline with Andrew Klein came close, but preferred to err on the side of laughably ridiculous (like Andrew driving through the side of his house) rather than really and truly emotional. I'm not saying this show has to bring me to tears. And I'm not saying that it has to sacrifice it's sense of humor in the process. Look at "True Blood" for example. That show is a drama, through and through. However, I still find myself laughing out loud very often during an episode of that show, even more so than recent episodes of "Entourage." You know why? Because the characters have realistic emotions and struggle with believable problems that I can relate to, and I connect with them emotionally whether they are being funny, serious, melancholy, or furious. And that show is about vampires and werewolves, for crying out loud! The bottom line is these characters need to be in some serious trouble, and not just Ari-hunting-Lloyd-with-a-super-soaker trouble. Perhaps Turtle's upcoming trip to Mexico may harbor some ill-advised choices that land the money-strapped lad in a spicy situation. Maybe Vince's recent brush with death pushes him further and further towards a career-threatening nervous breakdown about his current lifestyle. Either of these would be preferable to the childish, guilt-free gallivanting these super rich man-children do from week to week. "Oh no, E's coworker is trying to steal Vince from him. Oh no, Drama doesn't have a job. Oh no, E is settling down." WHO THE HELL CARES!?

  • Maturity: I honestly cannot fathom how anyone over the age of 30 can watch this show without wanting to violently tear their hair out. Heck, I'm not that old and I even want to sometimes. The characters and conflicts on this show are just too damn immature. Maybe E and Turtle have done some growing up, but Vince and Drama (and Ari a lot of the time) literally act like high school students. And this new character Scott Lavin is the worst offender in the group. Maybe the draw of the earlier seasons of the show was watching these suddenly rich young idiots buy expensive things, party way too much, take cheap-shots at each other and fondle unbelievably gorgeous women. But in its seventh season, not only does this come off as old news and lazy writing, it leads me to believe that these characters, now in their mid thirties (Vince is 33 and  Drama is definitely over 40), are just sad immature douches. Sure, it is fine for someone in the spotlight to enjoy a Hollywood party from time to time, and it made sense for them to live lives of debauchery and excess seven years ago. But many 30-something actors in the real world (Ben Affleck, Josh Duhamel, Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg, Tobey Maguire, Jimmy Fallon, Orlando Bloom) are married and many have children. How much longer am I expected to beleive that this is how men of that age, even rich Hollywood men of that age, really want to carry out their lives? It's depressing, and as a result, I feel childish even watching it.
  • Talent: One of my favorite things about this show was getting to see clips of the fictional movies and TV shows the characters starred in. Scenes from Queens Boulevard, Aquaman, Medellin, and Smoke Jumpers were a lot of fun to watch. Not only was it cool to see how the writers and directors of the show framed these fake productions, but it was also interesting to see the characters of Vince and Drama perform on screen as actors. It validated what they were doing, made me beleive that they deserved to be where they were because they had real talent, and helped me overlook their otherwise childish exploits. So where are these fun snip-its? I don't remember seeing much of anything from Vince's extremely successful Gatsby film, and we also know nothing about the Ferrari film he went to shoot at the end of last season. Give me some more cool shots the Nick Cassavetes action flick Vince is currently in. And I'm not just talking about watching it being filmed from behind the scenes; I want to see it as it would appear on my TV if I was watching the actual film itself. And if we don't get to watch actual footage of the comedy show Drama is about to star in, I might cry. These are great little moments that are too few and far between for my taste.
  • Celebrities: My other favorite moments of seasons past have been watching real life celebrities play themselves on the show. But I'm not talking about the ho-hum cameos from Mark Wahlberg, Tom Brady, and David Shwimmer from last season, where they simply acted like they do in reality. I am talking about the actors who play absurd characterizations of themselves for the show, like Gary Busey, Jeffery Tambor, Seth Green, and, of course, Bob Saget. We saw Saget on last week's episode, and he was hilarious. Let's hope we see more worthwhile cameos of a similar flavor instead of boring walk-ons like the one we saw from Adrian Peterson last week. Sure, it's cool Vince got to talk to a famous football player. But did it really add any humor or narrative to the story? Me thinks not.

Unfortunately, my list of grievances goes on: the lack of any character development or growth, the lack of strong female characters (besides Mrs. Ari), the retreading of familiar plot points, the copious amounts of free time they guys seem to have, but I think you get the idea. The bottom line is "Entourage" has fallen quite far from its once high spot on the TV totem pole, but I think that with the proper plotting, it could get back on track. Here's hoping that before the series comes to a final close, the show can recapture some its old magic.

7.23.2010

5,000 Hits!

Big milestone. Thanks for reading everyone!

Extreme Blog Makeover!

As you can now plainly see, Poposaurus has gone through some changes, thanks to Blogger's new and improved template editor. But this is a mere test run, and I'd love to get some feedback. Comments? Likes? Dislikes? Suggestions? Leave them so I can try an alter accordingly. And as always, thanks for reading!

7.21.2010

Stupid Pop Culture News: the REAL "Weekend at Bernie's"

Ok, so these stories might be old news, but they are so ridiculous, hilarious and morbid at the same time that it simply must be shared. Apparently, last month, two British women tried to smuggle a dead relative onto a flight out of England. According to IGN.com, "the dynamic, death-ignoring duo plopped a 91-year-old man into a wheelchair, gave him a pair of shades and tried to push him aboard a plane," a la the 1989 comedy movie Weekend at Bernie's. Apparently, they ensured wary unlookers that he was simply asleep and not dead. The full report from Fox News goes as follows:

"The suspects pushed the 91-year-old man in a wheelchair and covered his face with sunglasses during a bid to board him on their flight to Berlin, sources said. The women, aged 41 and 66, were said to have protested that the deceased was merely asleep when probed by officials Saturday at Liverpool John Lennon Airport.It is believed the pair somehow managed to ferry the corpse in a taxi from their home in Oldham, northwestern England, to the terminal. But the alleged attempt to smuggle the body to Germany was foiled after airport staff started asking questions. 'Police at Liverpool John Lennon Airport were alerted to the death of a 91-year-old man in the terminal building,' a police spokesman said. 'Two women aged 41 and 66 were arrested on suspicion of failing to give notification of death. They have been released on bail until June 1, 2010. The coroner has been informed and police are continuing with their inquiries.'

You can check out the stories on both IGN and Fox News.


Stranger still, this has happened before in New York City back in 2009! Apparently, two 65-year old men rolled a dead man seated in an office chair through the streets of Manhattan and went into a money exchanging stores, where they allegedly tried to cash the deceased's social security check. You can find that whole story here.

Just goes to show you that even the stupidest and most far fetched movie premises can still be imitated...by idiots, of course. Let's just hope we don't get a story about two doofuses throwing a party and stringing up their dead boss like a marionette to make him dance around. Ugh, I just gave myself the willies.

7.16.2010

Summer Listening Assignments

Listen up, children, because class is officially in session. Now, originally we had a trip planned to the local public library so I could assign you all some summer reading. However, instead, I thought it would be more fun if we--Bobby stop screwing around back there! Ahem, sorry. As I was saying, it would be more fun if we took a trip to my iTunes library so I can assign you all some summer listening to do. If there is any time of year that is conducive to expanding your musical horizons, it is in the hot heat of the summer sun. Whether it be at the beach, by the pool, or what have you, there seems to be much more time to log some hours on the good ol' MP3 player. But instead of retreading old favorites--how many times can you actually listen to the Hall and Oates greatest hits album anyway (if you're me, A LOT)--I have chosen three albums from less-than-mainstream artists for you to download and soak up. Now, these albums are in no way new. In fact, they are all just about two years old. However, these are bands that everyone should be well briefed in, and I have tried to choose albums that works as the best introduction to their music and style. So lather on the sun tan lotion, place some cucumber slices over your eyes, shove in those ear-buds, and prepare for some good old fashioned learning. And be sure to take notes--this will ALL be on the exam.

The Raconteurs- Consolers of the Lonely (May 2008)
One of Jack White's many side projects, The Raconteurs were a recommendation from my musically-astute cousin. At first I was apprehensive; while some the White Stripes' songs turned me on, many were just a bit too dirty and "out there" for my taste. However, I found The Raconteurs too be a much more focused and palatable music experience. And their most recent album, Consolers of the Lonely, does a great job of showing off their many styles and influences. More than a few times, bands like Led Zeppelin, The Who and the Rolling Stones come to mind while perusing this albums varied terrain. And that is what I believe lends the band it's appeal: there really is something for everyone here, from the grungy "Consolers of the Lonely," to the folky "Old Enough," to the pump-up rock "Hold Up" and "Salute your Solution," to the extremely catchy and radio-worthy "Many Shades of Black." Sure, the album loses a bit of steam towards the end and begins to unravel a bit, but once you've made it that far, you should already be more than content with what Consolers of the Lonely has to offer.
Four-play: "Consolers of the Lonely"; "You Don't Understand Me"; "Top Yourself"; "Many Shades of Black"
Extra Credit: "Steady as She Goes," Broken Boy Soldiers


The Hold Steady- Stay Positive (July 2008)
It was a hard choice for me between this band's most recent two albums (Stay Positive and Heaven is Whenever), and while you really couldn't go wrong with either, I personally have found more of a personal connection with the former. For those of you unacquainted, The Hold Steady is a Brooklyn-based rock band known for their storytelling and lead signer Craig Finn's rough-and-tumble "singing" voice. They have steadily increased in popularity over the past few years, having toured with bands like the Rolling Stones, the Counting Crows, Kings of Leon, and the Dave Matthews Band. And while their style does borrow elements from each one of these bands (some more than others), I find The Hold Steady's sound to be quite unique. This band has the ability to paint vivid pictures in your mind and tell interesting stories with their music, with tracks on Stay Positive placing the listener at different times in a backwater Texas bar, a Midwestern college campus, and a hipster street in Williamsburg. And while it may be the interesting instrumentation (lots of piano and even a harpsichord) or catchy, sing-a-long choruses that first grab you, it will be the emotional stories Stay Positive tells that will keep you coming back for seconds.
Four-play: "Sequestered in Memphis"; "One for the Cutters"; "Yeah Sapphire"; "Joke About Jamaica"
Extra Credit: "The Smidge," Heaven is Whenever

Death Cab for Cutie- Narrow Stairs (May 2008)
This is one of the bands that I think some people are afraid to even listen to. Their name sounds like an emo-punk band (which they most assuredly are NOT), and many of their songs are disconnected journeys through some deep and disturbing emotions. However, I assure you, you will not regret taking the dive with Narrow Stairs. While I agree the band's previous efforts may have been a bit emotionally daunting (a few tracks off of Transatlanticism still tug at my heart strings more than I am willing to admit), their most recent album has struck a great balance for the more apprehensive listeners out there. The Onion AV Club put in nicely by calling the band's work on this album "indie-gone-mainstream," and I think it has enough remnants of both to please fans that fall in either category. Ben Gibbard's vocals are as beautiful and piercing as ever (for those of you who don't know, he is also the lead singer of The Postal Service), and the tracks do a great job of flickering between haunting melodies and true rock-and-roll jams. It is all done in a very smart manner, making Narrow Stairs without a doubt the most widely appealing of the band's many albums, and quite possibly their best work to date.
Four-play: "I Will Possess Your Heart"; "Cath..."; "Long Division"; "Pity and Fear"
Extra Credit: "The Sound of Settling," Transatlanticism