Here we go again...

In the interest of full disclosure I have to admit that it has been a long time (at least a season and a half) since I have found Entourage to be genuinely funny. That isn't to say that the show sucks or isn't entertaining because it is. However, it is entertaining in the way an episode of Cribs is entertaining. Sure, it's fun to see all the big mansions, sweet rides and hot chicks; I just wish the show made me laugh the way it did for the first couple of seasons. At times last season it got to the point where I started to wish that the show would drop Vince and the guys completely and reboot with Ari representing a new up-and-coming star (although it would be nice if they figured out a way to keep Drama involved somehow). An even better idea would be a buddy-cop show with Ari and Lloyd as partners on a very socially progressive police force (maybe Sawyer and Miles from Lost could co-star).

Unfortunately, the first episode of season seven is not any funnier than seasons five and six were. While watching the episode I kept a running tab of the number of times I smiled, chuckled or laughed. The score card reads as such: Three smiles, one chuckle, ZERO LAUGHS. The lone chuckle came, of course, during a scene with Drama and Lloyd (two of the show's saving graces). Drama visits Lloyd (who is now a full blown agent) for career help, explaining to him, "This is my livelihood, Lloyd. And my dream." Lloyd responds sweetly, "You think I don't know that?" and tenderly grabs Drama's hand. Drama wrenches his hand away with a look of pure disgust on his face. Chuckle-worthy, right? But if this is the funniest scene in an episode of a show that is supposed to be a comedy, there is a problem.

Recapping the plot of the episode is almost an exercise in redundancy. If you are at all familiar with the show, than you already know what happens. Vince has a problem with the director of his current movie so he calls E for help. E can't get the job done so he calls Ari. Ari berates a couple of underlings. Drama is out of work so he goes to Ari for help, but Ari is too busy with running an agency to help. Turtle drives around a lot and embarrassingly strikes out with a chick. Vince has a close call on set, but ends up fine and everyone is happy by the time the ending credits roll. However, the episode did end on a high note with one of my all-time favorite songs, Gangstarr and Inspectah Deck's "Above the Clouds" playing as Mark Wahlberg's name flashed onto the screen.

Am I totally off base for not liking this episode more? What did everyone else think?

Review of HBO's new series How To Make It In America

Last month HBO quietly premiered a new show called How To Make It In America. I have hesitated to write about it over the last couple of weeks mainly because there isn't exactly a whole lot to be said about the show. That said, please continue reading the following handful of paragraphs...

...Still with me? Ok, cool.

The show is based around the lives of two twenty-something Brooklyn pseudo-hipsters, Ben and Cam, played by Bryan Greenberg and Victor Rasuk, who have to "hustle" to survive. And by "hustle" I mean, they have to sell home-made skateboard decks, work at Barney's, attend fashionable parties and rail hot chicks. Sounds pretty tough right?

Ben and Cam's real goal in life is to strike it rich in the denim jeans game. Yes you read that sentence correctly. HBO's new show is about two dudes whose dream is to become the next Levi Strauss (I know, I know. Levi and Strauss might be two different people, but the fact that I'm not really sure and don't care proves my point that no one cares about two dudes that make jeans).

There is a secondary and, for my money, more interesting plot about Cam's cousin Rene, played by Luis Guzman, who has been recently released from prison and is embarking on a (possibly legitimate?) business venture involving an energy drink called Rasta Monsta.

Beyond the inherent problem with a show about wanna-be denim manufacturers is the fact that it doesn't seem to be sure about what kind of show it wants to be. I have read comparisons between HTMIA and Entourage, but I don't really see it. Entourage, for all its faults, is a comedy. Is HTMIA a comedy? If so, where are the jokes? Is it a drama? If so, why is it only a half-hour? HBO has had a lot of success with hour-long dramas. Speaking of the show being on HBO, where is the cursing? Where are the titties?

The performances in the show are relatively solid. Bryan Greenberg is pretty good, I think I might be the only person who liked Unscripted, but I wonder if he has enough personality to be a truly reliable leading man. I find the Cam character to be a bit annoying, but I guess Victor Rasuk does a decent job. Luis Guzman continues his run as a world-class scene stealer and I am most interested to see where the show takes his Rene character. Kid Cudi was advertised as having a major role in the series, but so far he has only appeared in a couple of scenes (which doesn't bother me that much. Lonely Stoner sucked and you will never convince me otherwise), although I have heard that his on-screen time increases later in the season.

To be honest, one of the most enjoyable parts of the show through three episodes is the into. The opening credits feature still shots of Brooklynites and other New York themed items and places while a pretty damn good song by a guy named Aloe Blacc called "I Need a Dollar" plays in the background.