Product description
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Warner Home Video Entourage: The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
(18-Disc Set)
.com
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Cast and Crew The Emmy -winning hit comedy series created by
Doug Ellin, and based (at least in part) on the experiences of
his good friend, O nominated actor Mark Wahlberg (who’s among
the series’ executive producers). The series takes a
none-too-serious look at the day-to-day life of Vincent
Chase(Adrian Grenier), an incandescent young Hollywood actor, and
the three buddies he’s brought from their hometown in Queens, NY:
manager Eric (Kevin Connolly), half brother/actor Drama (Kevin
Dillon), and pal Turtle (Jerry Ferrara). Also starring Golden
Globe and three-time Emmy -winner Jeremy Piven as Ari Gold – now
heading an entertainment –agency behemoth–Entourage draws on the
experiences of industry insiders to illustrate the excesses of
today’s celebrity lifestyle, as well as the difficulty of
maintaining relationships and artistic fulfillment in the show
biz fast track.
Entourage: The Complete First Season-Entourage is everything
viewers have come to expect from an HBO series: smart, hilarious,
and highly addictive, especially when taken in full-season, DVD
form. As implied in the title, the show follows Vincent Chase
(Adrian Grenier), a rising Hollywood star with bedroom eyes and
an over-active libido, along with his three childhood
companions-turned-hangers-on. Kevin Dillon plays Johnny Drama,
Vincent's less-attractive, B-list actor of a brother (he is Matt
Dillon's less-attractive, B-list actor of a brother in real
life). Jerry Ferrara plays Turtle, the weasel, and Kevin Connolly
appears as Eric, the Everyman hero who hopes to parlay his
friendship with Vincent (plus two years of community college)
into a career in talent management. Along the way Eric contends
with the predictable self-doubt, romantic indecision, etc. The
cast is rounded out by Jeremy Piven (Doug Hughley from Singles)
as a foul-mouthed agent reminiscent of Jay Mohr's short-lived
Peter Dragon character. Finally, it's produced by Marky Mark
himself--and you've got to believe that guy knows something about
the star-entourage relationship. If possible, watch with a friend
so you'll have someone to quote lines back to later. --Leah
Weathersby
Entourage: The Complete Second Season-The most clever thing
producers did with the second season of Entourage, HBO's hip and
hilariously accurate depiction of Hollywood, was to take the boys
out of Hollywood. Sending star-on-the-rise Vincent Chase (Adrian
Grenier) and his boys from Queens (hence the title of the show)
into places like Sundance and ComiCon created a whole new
treasure trove of inside jokes, and for that we thank them. The
usual clutter of celeb cameos abound (Hugh Hefner, Pauly Shore,
Ralph Macchio,), but one main story arc takes up the entire
season: Vincent's casting in Aquaman, the big-budget movie he
didn't want to star in, and then had to vie against Leonardo
DiCaprio to get. Mandy Moore turns up as the only girl who ever
broke Vince's heart (on the set of A Walk to Remember, allegedly)
and now re-enters his life as his Aquagirl, while James Cameron
makes a few appearances as director of the superhero project. In
the meantime, Turtle (Jerry Ferrara) goes from moocher to music
manager, Eric (Kevin Connolly) gets courted to be a big-time
agent, and Johnny "Drama" (Kevin Dillon, ever the punchline)
ponders calf ims and gets fired from a Movie of the Week
with Brooke Shields. The biggest turn of events, however, happens
to Vince's slick agent Ari Gold (an Emmy-worthy Jeremy Piven),
who pulls a Jerry Maguire by the end of the season. Ari's ability
to switch sides on a dime -- that is, to choke up at his
daughter's bat mitzvah, then manipulate the family moment into a
publicity stunt to lure his client away from a rival, continues
to make Piven the firecracker of the bunch. Grenier is slightly
less vacuous than last season, but still has the least
interesting personality (which could be the point of the
show--that it takes a village to make any Joe Actor into a movie
star). --Ellen A. Kim
Entourage: The Complete Third Season Pt. 1-The third season of
HBO's inside-showbiz comedy kicks off with a familiar anxiety for
Tinseltown's best: your film's opening-weekend box office. In the
case of Vince (Adrian Grenier) and company, it's Aquaman, Vince's
big break that took up most of last season and elevated the group
to even bigger perks and tchotchkes. Luckily, the numbers are
good (creator Doug Ellin reveals in the commentary that the
episode was inspired by his friend who was with Tobey Maguire
when he first heard Spider-Man's opening numbers) and Vince uses
the leverage to chase his dream project, a biopic of Pablo
Escobar called Medellin. But first he has to schmooze the film's
eccentric producer who's strangely attached to his Shrek doll
(Bruno Kirby, in his last role before his death in 2006) and
juggle scheduling conflicts with the Aquaman sequel, which leads
to an ego war with Warner studio chief Allen Grey (Paul
Ben-Victor). Meanwhile, Turtle's (Jerry Ferrara) management of
upstart rapper Saigon takes some sharp turns; Eric (Kevin
Connolly) finds his relationship with Sloan (Emmanuelle Chiriqui)
on shaky ground; and Johnny "Drama" Chase (Kevin Dillon) gets to
audition for a television pilot directed by Ed Burns (playing
himself). But the overarching storyline for season 3 involves
Vince's agent Ari Gold (Emmy winner Jeremy Piven), who was canned
last season by his agency. Taking his flamboyant, hilarious
assistant Lloyd (Rex Lee) with him, Ari goes about setting up his
own firm, but not before drawing fire from the mafia of other
agents and threatening his relationship with star client Vince.
The only weak storyline involves an old childhood pal (Domenick
Lombardozzi), fresh out of prison, trying to nudge his way into
Vince's gang. But otherwise the show's inside look at the baptism
of the newly famous continues to tickle the funny . As usual,
Entourage sprinkles in cameos, including C director Paul
Haggis hilariously playing himself as a wound-up neurotic ("If I
let contracts run my life, I'd still be doing The Facts of Life
rather than hanging with my boys," he says as he points to his
Os). James Woods filches Aquaman premiere tickets for his
friends, and Seth Green gets in a rumble with Eric in the episode
"Ve Baby Ve." Extras are still scant: just three
commentaries and a featurette on their Ve-location episode.
--Ellen A. Kim
Entourage: The Complete Third Season Pt. 2-HBO's decision to
release Entourage's third season in two parts makes watching the
already brief season on DVD feel even more abrupt; compared to
part one's 12 episodes, part two is just eight--and just as the
plot feels like it's finally moving, it's over. Also over, at
least as part two opens, is the working relationship between
movie star Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier) and agent Ari Gold
(Jeremy Piven). Playing much like a real breakup, the two circle
each other in various spots in Hollywood--avoiding, making small
talk, attempting the just-friends hangout. But deep down, the two
know they're meant for each other, and when Ari dangles the
rights to Vincent's dream project--the Pablo Escobar biopic
Medellín--Vincent is only too happy to meet, against the wishes
of his new agent (Carla Gugino). The pursuit of the Medellín
project is the focus of part two, from trying to close the deal
on Yom Kippur (not the easiest when the studio execs are
observing the holy day), to mulling an indecent proposal from a
prince and his wife in exchange for financing the flick.
Meanwhile, Johnny Drama (Kevin Dillon, who finally scored an Emmy
nomination for this season) enjoys success on an Edward
Burns-produced network drama called Five Towns. Turtle and Eric
don't get as much storyline in this installment, and while
there's plenty of Piven scenery to chew there's not enough of his
scene-stealing assistant, Lloyd (Rex Lee). Bonus features remain
minimal: commentary, a behind-the-scenes featurette. Perhaps
that's the running theme of part two: There's just not enough.
--Ellen A. Kim
Entourage: The Complete Fourth Season-The fourth season of
Entourage follows Vincent Chase's quest for legitimacy (and
O) through his dream project, the Pablo Escobar biopic
Medellin, whose development deal was the focus of season three.
As expected, the production is riddled with troubles: Vincent
(Adrian Grenier) and Eric (Kevin Connolly) clash over the ability
of the film's director, Billy Walsh (Rhys Coiro), to handle the
grand scale of a film. Eric even flies in O-winning
screenwriter Stephen Gaghan (playing himself) to the shoot in
Colombia at Billy's request in order to rescue the script, only
to send him home when Billy comes up with the ending himself.
("I've never had anyone pay me not to work before," says Gaghan
in a hilarious cameo. "It was nice.") But as the pet project puts
strains on their friendship, Eric finally takes a step off of
Vince's coattails to become a manager in his own right; his first
step is snagging actress Anna Faris (as herself) as a client (in
true Hollywood form, after she hits him with her car). As buzz on
Medellin ebbs and flows, Eric and Vince's agent, Ari Gold (Emmy
winner Jeremy Piven) wheel and deal to lock in distribution and
spin the behind-the-scenes drama to their advantage. Key to the
negotiations is a swaggering, hotheaded studio magnate named
Harvey Weinhald--the caricature is obvious--who threatens the
life of any agent who double-crosses him. And that's right where
our boys land, but is it a gamble that will pay off? The fourth
season, as always, is rife with celebrity cameos (Dennis Hopper,
the late Sydney Pollack, Kanye West), but the Medellin plot
pushes out any chance for other Entourage cast members to get a
storyline (Johnny Drama gets a condo! Buys a hat!), which
ultimately becomes a detriment considering that Medellin, as the
big finale at Cannes attests, may not have been worth all the
hype. Bonus features include commentary by the cast and creators,
a panel discussion, and the Medellin trailer, which with its
slo-mo, self-important music and bad makeup, is a gem. --Ellen A.
Kim
Entourage: The Complete Fifth Season-Entourage's fifth season
leaves our movie star in a pickle: his big O , Medellin,
is a dismal failure, and Vincent (Adrian Grenier) has burrowed
away to Mexico to drown his sorrows in booze and women. How does
a once-promising actor get his confidence, legitimacy, and
bankability back? That's the key premise this time around, and
like some of its previous seasons, is always more interesting
when Vince is struggling than when he's on top. Once his
crew--manager Eric (Kevin Connolly), big brother Johnny Drama
(Kevin Dillon), agent Ari (Jeremy Piven), and driver Turtle
(Jerry Ferrara)--convince Vince to get back in the game, he finds
many once-welcoming doors closed. He eagerly takes a meeting with
Shawshank Redemption director Frank Darabont (playing himself),
only to feel insulted when he finds it's for a TV pilot. (His
subsequent options? Appearing at a Sweet Sixteen party and doing
a Benji movie.) Once a promising script about firefighters
(called Smokejumpers) piques Vince's interest, ensuing episodes
become a complex chess game of job-hopping, backdoor-dealing, and
back-scratching, which is always Entourage's strength. As Vince
watches his star fade, Grenier gets a chance to let his sunny
optimism crack, even sitting in Ari's office and begging to be
told he's a good actor. The celebrity guest stars are plentiful
and more integral this season. Jason Patric--playing
himself--lampoons his difficult on-set reputation brilliantly as
Vince's co-star in Smokejumpers. (The onetime Speed 2 star brags
about being offered the lead in Aquaman 2, but turned it down:
"Sequels, water: they're not for me.") Stellan Skarsgard (Good
Will Hunting) plays a famous German director who clashes with
Vince; Jamie-Lynn Sigler (The Sopranos) cameos as a new love
interest for Turtle; Leighton Meester (Gossip Girl) reprises her
Season One role as an aspiring singer, and Eric Roberts plays
himself (who happens to deal 'shrooms on the side) in a wacky
episode involving the guys' drug-fueled night of reflection at
Joshua Tree. Even Mark Wahlberg, the show's producer and
inspiration, plays himself in a golf scene with former agent Ari
(priceless line: "What about when you told me you liked The Truth
About Charlie?"). The only unwelcome cameo is in "Seth Green
Day," in which the actor turns up for no other reason than to
re-surface his war with Eric and annoy everyone to death. Extras
include cast commentaries and a behind-the-scenes featurette.
--Ellen A. Kim
Entourage: The Complete Sixth Season-The sixth season of
Entourage focuses on the title members rather than Vince (Adrian
Grenier), the movie star they follow, which would have been a
smart move had they been given more interesting story lines.
Instead, Eric (Kevin Connolly) struggles with his startup agency
and moons over his just-friends status with Sloan (Emmanuelle
Chiriqui) while consoling himself with his needling neighbor
Ashley (Alexis Dziena); Ari (Jeremy Piven) is gleefully hazing
his assistant Lloyd (Rex Lee) for 100 days with the promise to
make him a full agent should he survive; Turtle (Jerry Ferrara)
enjoys a serious relationship with Jamie-Lynn Sigler (as herself)
but tires of being seen as a hanger-on and decides to enroll in
business school; Johnny Drama (Kevin Dillon), is, as usual,
sabotaging a good thing (a starring role in Ed Burns's NBC
drama). For Vince, however, the biggest thing to happen to him
the entire season is… his house gets robbed. Without a film for
Vince to work on (after doing The Great Gatsby for Martin
Scorsese, Vince's next film is delayed) and no deals to
negotiate, the show gets away from its most interesting setting,
rendering it weaker as a result. The celebrity guest stars,
however, punctuate the season with great self-effacing cameos,
notably David Schwimmer, who curses his way through a pitch
meeting in which every project has a bumbling role for him; Tom
Brady, who paints a picture-perfect domestic life with supermodel
wife Gisele ("Just come over to the house. She cooks."); and Matt
Damon, who angrily haggles Vince to donate to a charity
fundraiser in the season finale. A sleazebag Bob Saget makes
another appearance as himself, as do Bono, Steve Nash, LeBron
James, and Jay Leno. Two so-so behind-the-scenes features and
audio commentaries by the cast and crew round out the special
features. --Ellen A. Kim
Entourage: The Complete Seventh Season-Season seven of Entourage
is the darkest chapter in the show's history to date, and while
even long-running series may have one or two Very Special
Episodes, an entire season filled with drugs, rejection, and
breakups is too heavy for a comedy. After hemming and hawing over
doing a stunt himself, Vince (Adrian Grenier) gets into a slight
accident that leaves him shaken but craving adrenaline, kicking
off a self-destructive spiral that lasts all season. He begins a
drug-and-alcohol-fueled relationship with porn star Sasha Grey
(as herself), which further diminishes his reputation (especially
when he brings her to a business meeting with Stan Lee and he
tries to recall where he's seen her before). It doesn't help that
Vince is the new face of an imported tequila that Turtle (Jerry
Ferrara) is attempting to market. Meanwhile, Ari (Jeremy Piven)
reveals a particularly nasty side when he overreacts to the
departure of a junior agent he mistreated and believes has
aligned with his rival (Carla Gugino). This puts him on even
shakier ground with the long-suffering Mrs. Ari (Perrey Reeves),
who gives him an ultimatum on their marriage. And while Eric
(Kevin Connolly) is newly engaged to Sloane (Emmanuelle Chriqui)
and a rising agent in his own right, he faces stiff competition
from his ber, more charismatic associate (Scott Caan).
Finally, Johnny (Kevin Dillon) develops a buddy sitcom with John
Stamos--but must play Ping-Pong against him to woo him into the
taking the part. When Bob Saget steals it from him, Johnny is
offered what could be the greatest career move of his life, but
he's too offended to consider it: a starring voice-over role (as
a gorilla) in his own animated series called "Johnny's Bananas."
This story line was the only spark in Entourage's downer of a
season, which is commendable for going a different direction but
never found the right balance of the elements that made it such a
hit series. Even when Grenier and Piven are going through their
struggles, they come off more annoying than sympathetic. As the
series wraps up next season, here's hoping it finds its spark
before the party ends. --Ellen A. Kim
Entourage: The Complete EighthSeason-HBO presents the final
Season of Entourage, the Emmy® Award-winning hit comedy series.
Vince, Eric, Drama, and Turtle have been through a lot over the
years, chasing dreams, women, and good times. Through the highs
and lows their friendship has kept them together. This season,
find out if the guys can compete on their own in the fast lane of
high-stakes Hollywood. It's time to fasten your seat belts!