Kevin Dillon

TV Review: Clichés Dominate CBS’s Stupid ‘How to Be a Gentleman’

BrianTT — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 09:32:00 -0400

CHICAGO – It’s funny how one tweak of the formula can lead to something tasty while another can lead to something rancid. On paper, CBS’s “2 Broke Girls,” one of the breakout hits of the season both critically and commercially, is not that dissimilar from “How to Be a Gentleman,” which premieres tonight on CBS in the cush post-“The Big Bang Theory” timeslot. They’re both oil-and-water, “Odd Couple”-esque shows but while the first one feels (at least mostly) fresh, the second one is just stale in every way. PLEASE don’t choose this over the amazing “Parks and Recreation,” airing in the same timeslot on NBC.

Television Rating: 1.5/5.0

I’ll admit that some of my negative energy around “How to Be a Gentleman” is flavored by the horrendous final season of “Entourage” as this show is the new vehicle for Kevin Dillon aka Johnny Drama. It’s in no small part because of the fact that “Gentleman” plays not unlike a misguided choice that Drama would have made on the HBO comedy hit. If only there was a real-life Ari and a real-life Vince to talk him out of it. Wait, where was Matt Dillon when his brother announced this project?

How to Be a Gentleman
Photo credit: CBS

Inspired by a book of the same name, “How to Be a Gentleman” stars Dillon as a personal trainer named Bert Lansing, who crosses paths with the kid he bullied in high school, a grown dweeb named Andrew Carlson (David Hornsby). Carlson is working on an etiquette column when he’s told that the men’s magazine he works for needs to be edgier and appeal more to the average guy. The writer seeks out Lansing in hopes that this alpha male will teach him what he needs to know about the mind of the average dude. Cue a nauseating amount of jokes about “stuck-up guys” vs. “normal dudes.” Seriously, in a season with a number of poorly-written sitcom pilots (“Free Agents,” “I Hate My Teenage Daughter,” ” Man Up!,” “Suburgatory”), this one could be the worst. That might be its greatest accomplishment.

The reason it’s not the worst new sitcom overall (that’s either “Agents” or “Suburgatory”) is that the cast is too talented to let it sink completely into the quicksand of cliches presented to them in their pilot script. Most notably, the very-funny Rhys Darby of “Flight of the Conchords” does his absolutely best to pull this out of a tailspin. Seeing the great Dave Foley in yet-another failed vehicle is just depressing but he is a better supporting cast member than other options. And, to be fair, Dillon is not a bad actor. I’ve loved his work back in the great days of “Entourage.” Perhaps I just needed a break from Drama.

Where does “How to Be a Gentleman” go from here? I really hope thaht audiences turn on the show not unlike they did with William Shatner’s horrendous sitcom in this time slot last year. The increasing success of “The Big Bang Theory” makes it likely that audiences will sample the premiere but I hope they don’t like what they get that first time around. Critics have been literally screaming for more viewers to watch the great “Parks and Rec” and it might kill us if something this generic, something this safe, something this predictable beats it week after week. You don’t want to kill a critic, do you?

“How to Be a Gentleman” stars Kevin Dillon, David Hornsby, Dave Foley, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Nancy Lenehan, and Rhys Darby. It premieres on CBS on Thursday, September 29th, 2011 at 7:30pm CST.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

TV Review: HBO’s ‘Entourage’ Starts Final Season on Down Note

BrianTT — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 14:12:26 -0400

CHICAGO – I remember when “Entourage” first took off back in 2004 wondering how Doug Ellin and his talented cast could possibly keep this concept fresh for the length of a series. Wouldn’t we get tired of watching Vinnie Chase (Adrian Grenier) try to make it big? Or worse, would these guys turn into the preening celebrities that the show at least somewhat skewered at the start? Could they keep it fresh? Even the most diehard fans of the HBO hit would admit they’ve struggled to do so but things were looking up regarding a solid final arc after last season, one that actually injected a bit of edge into the program by allowing Vince to deal with addiction. The show still wasn’t up to the standard of the first 3-4 seasons but it wasn’t as bad as season six.

TV Rating: 2.0/5.0

So, where does that leave us? Does “Entourage” go out on an inspired, daring note? It sure doesn’t seem like it. The season premiere is a whiny mess with little understanding of what worked about the program in the first place. Remember the time when you wanted Vinnie Chase’s life? Or wanted to be one of his loyal friends? I understand taking a character through ups and downs but Vincent Chase isn’t a guy I’d really want to hang out with now much less be. And that’s the biggest problem with late “Entourage.” In its prime, these four (five if you count Ari) guys were like friends you got to see once a week. That sense of fun, playful friendship is gone.

Entourage: Season Eight
Photo credit: Claudette Barius/HBO

“Sober is sexy.” As Vince leaves rehab with his sobriety intact the writers are faced with the challenge of turning the notorious party boy (many of the most memorable scenes in the history of the show have taken place at parties) into something else. Instead of embracing that challenge, they really don’t change Vince much at all. He’s a bit more even-keeled and supportive but he still demands a party and goes through the motions with his friends. More interestingly, Johnny Drama (a series-best Kevin Dillon) looks like he’ll finally be on the verge of the stardom that has so long eluded him with his animated series (co-starring Andrew Dice Clay in a fantastic supporting arc for a few episodes) and Turtle (Jerry Ferrara) wrestles with a model girlfriend who seems to be ignoring him.

Entourage: Season Eight
Photo credit: Claudette Barius/HBO

Worst of all, Eric (Kevin Connolly) deals with his break-up with Sloane (Emmanuelle Chriqui). While I’m happy to see the Yoko Ono of “Entourage” on her way out (no offense to the lovely Chriqui but did anyone EVER care about this whiny couple?), it still takes up way too much time. Similarly, while Piven continues to do good work, I’ve just grown tired of Ari, even if his struggle to keep his marriage together (to the always-underrated Perrey Reeves) gives the actors more diverse opportunities.

The writing on the season premiere of “Entourage” is just weak with Piven spouting lines like “Don’t go crazier on us Drama or we’ll leave YOU here for treatment” with all the believability of an Ari Gold impersonator. And his verbal barbs with Lloyd (Rex Lee) grew tired years ago. It’s as if the writers can’t come up with anything new or genuine for these people to say. They just don’t feel real.

It’s interesting that the supporting players — Rex Lee, Scott Caan, Andrew Dice Clay — have become far more entertaining and enjoyable than Vince and Eric, the dynamic duo that used to drive this once-great program. In the premiere, Vince is off on another project that we know will probably not work out and Eric is whining over the loss of his friend (who still holds a grudge against him) and his girl. There’s little reason to care. On the other hand, Lee, Caan, and even Clay display the energy that’s too often missing from the main actors, a group that seem bored with their own show. It’s hard to blame them.

If you want to know how we got here, the seventh (and not as bad as this season premiere) season of “Entourage” was recently released on Blu-ray and DVD from HBO Home Video. The set is pretty impressive with typical HBO quality HD (above average) and a nice selection of bonus material. Often, a show in its seventh season has started to run out of people willing doing commentaries and have lost interest in special features. This is a pretty cool collection with “Inside the Hollywood Highlife,” “The Shades of Sasha Grey,” and 3 audio commentaries with Ellin, Executive Producer Ally Musika, Piven, Connolly, Ferrara, and Grenier.

“Entourage” returns with its eighth-season premiere on HBO on Sunday, July 24th, 2011 at 9pm CST. The seventh season was released on Blu-ray and DVD on July 12th, 2011. Both star Adrian Grenier, Kevin Connolly, Kevin Dillon, Jerry Ferrara, Jeremy Piven, Perrey Reeves, Rex Lee, and Scott Caan.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

TV Review: HBO’s ‘Entourage’ Returns With Renewed Energy

BrianTT — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 10:06:32 -0400

CHICAGO – How does one of the trendiest shows on television stay hot in its seventh season? It’s a question that the writers of “Entourage” must answer as cable’s beloved bad boys return tonight for another season of celebrity cameos and insider drama. The first two episodes are strong, indicating that perhaps a few of the last few season’s wrinkles have been ironed out, but only time will tell.

TV Rating: 3.5/5.0

After years of critics and fans asking for a bit more time for the characters of “Entourage” not named Vinny (Adrian Grenier) or Ari (Jeremy Piven), most of us regretted what we had asked for as last season was easily the worst of the series to date. The writers pulled back from the saga of a celebrity and focused more on Drama (Kevin Dillon), Eric (Kevin Connolly), and Turtle (Jerry Ferrara) and the result was a snooze. Even Gary Cole looked bored.

Entourage: Season Seven
Photo credit: Claudette Barius/HBO

The balance seems restored in the strong first episode of the new season with a very funny guest turn from director Nick Cassavetes (“She’s So Lovely,” “The Notebook”). Cassavetes is aggressivly helming an action movie with Vince and is pressuring the star to do his own dangerous stunt on the final day of shooting (a showdown between Ari and Nick is one of the series’ funniest in some time). The result of the alpha male pressure on Vince looks like it will ripple through the whole season but not in the way that you’d probably expect.

Entourage: Season Seven
Photo credit: Michael Muller/HBO

Meanwhile, Johnny Drama is trying to get a TV show out of his holding deal and realizing that he’s the only member of the group not on easy street, Turtle is handling being a boss by hitting on his annoying but hot employee (Dania Ramirez), Ari is trying to sell the TV rights for the NFL, and Eric is planning his wedding to Sloane (Emmanuelle Chriqui). I know every show has different plotlines that fall flat for different viewers but sitting through the remarkably dull Eric & Sloane’s wedding sounds like the first episode of “Entourage” that I might have to watch partially on fast-forward.

The second episode of the seventh season of “Entourage” is the show’s eightieth, a remarkable feat for a series that one would assume couldn’t stay “hip” for that long. As Chris Rock once said in one of his routines, “No one wants to be the old guy at the bar.” Creator Doug Ellin has wisely avoided that trap by tweaking his formula every year with some focusing on a certain project (“Aquaman,” “Medellin”) while others tracked Vince on his way up or down the fame ladder. This year’s arc could be the most interesting in some time. Without giving anything away, the writers have crafted a very clever plotline for a show about a star who may be losing his edge. The fact that the show seemed to be doing the same over the last few seasons adds an intriguing layer to the action.

Of course, the biggest problem with the last couple seasons of “Entourage” has been the fact that the show too often felt like it was spinning its wheels, something that can’t be determined after two episodes. The best seasons had a pacing and drive that made it one of the most entertaining shows on television but the writing and performances were simply lazier the last few years. I’m happy to say that the first two episodes of the seventh season feel more like the prime of the show than the recent decline, but it’s impossible to say where the season is going or, more importantly, if the writers can maintain this tight pacing on the way there without dragging their feet again.

I’ll admit to being a bit harder on “Entourage” than other shows because I’ve seen how good it can be. I show the series the same tough love that Ari shows his favorite client because the prime of this series was some of the best written comedy on television with great performances by the entire cast (not just the most-lauded Jeremy Piven). After a good-not-great fifth season, I was honestly depressed watching the string of ineffective episodes that made up the lackluster sixth outing of “Entourage”. So, I’m very happy to report that the first two episodes of this season are better than anything from the last two. Keep it up boys. It’s nice to have you back. Now stay there.

“Entourage” stars Adrian Grenier, Kevin Connolly, Kevin Dillon, Jerry Ferrara, and Jeremy Piven. The seventh season premieres on HBO on Sunday, June 27th, 2010 at 9:30pm CST.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

TV News: Hang Out With ‘Entourage’ Star Kevin Dillon at Chicago Event

BrianTT — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:46:29 -0400

CHICAGO – We were recently sent a flyer for a cool, entertainment-based Chicago event featuring one of the stars of HBO’s beloved “Entourage”. Enclave presents “Who’s your Entourage” event that’s hosted by Johnny Drama himself, Kevin Dillon. On November 6, Chicago fans can meet the “Entourage” star for free before 11pm. To RSVP for the event, go to Enclave Chicago’s website.

Kevin Dillon is an actor best known for his role as Johnny ‘Drama’ Chase on HBO’s hit original series “Entourage”. Dillon has also appeared in “24”, “NYPD Blue” and “Hotel for Dogs”. Dillon is the younger brother of actor Matt Dillon.

(Note: We know there’s a typo in the flyer image below, but we didn’t design it.)

By ANGIE RENTMEESTER
Staff Writer
HollywoodChicago.com

DVD Review: Fifth Season of HBO’s ‘Entourage’ Entertains, But Shows Age

BrianTT — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 17:34:59 -0400

CHICAGO – How does a show about the “next big thing” in Hollywood age? Do we really want to see the boys of “Entourage” grow up? The first two seasons of Creator Doug Ellin’s incredibly clever show crackled with wit rarely seen on television and stood with the best comedies. But season five, now on DVD, shows a series with a slight identity crisis, a comedy that is still entertaining but missing the spark that once defined it.

DVD Rating: 3.5/5.0

If there was a “jump the shark” moment for “Entourage” it was, ironically, the same disastrous event in the fictional career of Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier) - the fictional epic “Medellin”. The writers and producers spent so much time on the project that they lost a lot of the creative energy from the first two seasons in the story of an ambitious film gone disastrously wrong.

Entourage: The Complete Fifth Season was released on DVD on June 30th, 2009.
Photo credit: HBO Home Video

Season five of the show features both a show and its characters in the middle of a crisis. Just as Vince can’t figure out what to do next with his career and his boys struggle with their own identities a bit, the season fluctuates wildly in quality. Some episodes and arcs are hilarious, including great guest turns by Jason Patric, Seth Green, and Jamie-Lynn Sigler, but the season is wildly hit-and-miss and never quite as funny as it used to be.

Entourage: The Complete Fifth Season was released on DVD on June 30th, 2009.
Photo credit: HBO Home Video

The fifth season of “Entourage” opens after the scathing Cannes Film Festival response to what Vinny thought would be his shot at Oscar glory, “Medellin”. With no one willing to hire his best friend and client, Eric (Kevin Connolly) really goes to work in season five, finding new clients, including a pair of writers (Giovanni Ribisi & Lukas Haas) who may have the right vehicle for Mr. Chase. Meanwhile, Johnny “Drama” (Kevin Dillon) struggles with love and “Turtle” (Jerry Ferrara) starts a romance with Jamie-Lynn Sigler (playing herself and returning for ten episodes in season six).

This season of “Entourage” could have been subtitled “the boys against the world”. Each episode seemed to be about one of the four boys or Jeremy Piven’s uber-agent Ari Gold battling someone new. Whether it was Paul Ben-Victor’s lunatic studio head or the great Stellan Skarsgard as a director giving Vincent’s lines away, someone was always trying to keep this entourage from digging themselves out of the “Medellin” hole.

It may not be as pitch-perfect or fresh as it was the first few years, but there is still enough to like about “Entourage” to warrant a look on DVD. For every scene or episode that feels a bit off or isn’t quite funny enough, there’s a laugh-out-loud moment or insightful Hollywood arc that balances it out. Like Vinny Chase himself, don’t count out “Entourage” rising to the top again.

Aren’t most people watching HBO in HD nowadays? So, why isn’t the network releasing all of their shows on Blu-Ray? There’s no excuse for a show that’s so much about beautiful people in beautiful locations to not be in beautiful 1080P. And the standard definition picture is below average for HBO Home Video with some noticeable visual inconsistencies.

As for special features, HBO usually delivers good ones but not a large amount of them and that standard holds true for the fifth season release of “Entourage,” which includes three commentary tracks with Ellin, Connolly, Ferrara, Grenier, and producer Ally Musika, and a featurette called “The Celebrity Factor”.

Finally, after you’ve caught up with the boys of “Entourage” with season five, you should know that season six is currently airing on HBO. The season premiere aired on Sunday, July 12th, 2009.

‘Entourage: The Complete Fifth Season’ was released by HBO Home Video and stars Adrian Grenier, Kevin Connolly, Kevin Dillon, Jerry Ferrara, Rex Lee, Perrey Reeves, and Jeremy Piven. It was created by Doug Ellin. The show was released on June 30th, 2009. It is not rated.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

Blu-Ray Review: Surprisingly Cute, Sweet ‘Hotel For Dogs’ With Emma Roberts

BrianTT — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 00:04:43 -0400

Blu-Ray Rating: 3.5/5.0

CHICAGO – This serious dog lover was swayed by the family-friendly charms of “Hotel For Dogs,” now available on Blu-Ray and DVD. I’ll admit that the film has some pretty serious flaws and we’ll get to those, but if you’re a kid movie aficionado with a soft spot for man’s best friend, you could do a lot worse than the Blu-Ray of “Hotel For Dogs”. It’s a shaggy one, but a lovable movie pooch.

“Hotel For Dogs” should have been better. It’s predictable, a little dull, too slapsticky, and not as clever as one would hope, but this is essentially popcorn fare for kids. Judged on that level, “Hotel For Dogs” is cute, charming, well-acted, and sweet. Yes, there are WAY too many goofy dog montages like bulldogs on treadmills (easier than walking them) but the young cast is effective and the entire film is much cuter than a lot of its canine brethren.

Hotel For Dogs was released on Blu-Ray on April 28th, 2009.
Photo credit: Paramount

Call me a sucker but the themes of “Hotel For Dogs” - looking out for the strays both human and canine and not abandoning those in need - totally worked for me. Does it over-simplify foster family problems and animal control? Of course. It’s a kid’s movie. But this one really reminded me of the Disney films I grew up watching and I’d much rather be stuck with a kid watching this one on repeat than the far-more-loathsome “Beverly Hills Chihuahua”.

Hotel For Dogs was released on Blu-Ray on April 28th, 2009.
Photo credit: Paramount

The plot for “Hotel For Dogs” is pretty easy to predict. It’s all there in the title. No one can say they were surprised by a movie called “Hotel For Dogs”.

The charming Emma Roberts stars as Andi, a resourceful young lady living with her brother Bruce (Jake T. Austin) and a couple of foster parents (Lisa Kudrow & Kevin Dillon) who barely notice the two kids are around, much less fed or loved. The children have a stray named Friday who they look after and a government worker (Don Cheadle) who looks after them. When they have nowhere else to take Friday, the transform an abandoned hotel into the titular establishment, a place for all the strays to find true happiness.

Paramount’s Blu-Ray release for “Hotel For Dogs” is an above-average family HD title with special features that could appeal to any demographic in the household. The video is very good with a crystal clear, vibrant HD transfer with barely any noticeable visual flaws (except perhaps for a few dimly lit scenes in the abandoned hotel). The audio is presented in English 5.1 Dolby True HD and is neither remarkable nor distracting.

Special features assembled for “Hotel For Dogs” include a commentary by director Thor Freudenthal, producer Ewan Leslie, and stars Emma Roberts and Bruce T. Austin, “A Home For Everyone: The Making of Hotel For Dogs,” “That’s the Coolest Thing I’ve Ever Seen!,” “K-9 Casting,” “Bark On Cue!,” “Howl-arious Deleted Scenes,” “The Pedigree Adoption Drive,” and more.

“Hotel For Dogs” is not quite as funny or clever as it could have been, but the fact is that most kid’s movies don’t have supporting casts as talented as Cheadle, Kudrow, or Dillon, and Roberts is a very charming lead. And did I mention dozens of cute dogs? That’s the best word for “Hotel For Dogs” - cute. If your threshold for such things is low, check in somewhere else, but I expect all dog lovers will enjoy their stay.

Before you go rent or buy “Hotel For Dogs,” check out the behind-the-scenes clip below:

‘Hotel For Dogs’ is released by Paramount Home Video and stars Emma Roberts, Bruce T. Austin, Lisa Kudrow, Kevin Dillon, and Don Cheadle. It was written by Jeff Lowell and Bob Schooley & Mark McKorkle and directed by Thor Freudenthal. “Hotel For Dogs” was released on April 28th, 2009. It is rated PG.

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com