Entourage: The Complete Series Blu-ray delivers great video and audio in this excellent Blu-ray release
A Hollywood upstart and his three closest friends try to make it big.
For more about Entourage: The Complete Series and the Entourage: The Complete Series Blu-ray release, see the Entourage: The Complete Series Blu-ray Review published by Kenneth Brown on October 22, 2012 where this Blu-ray release scored 4.0 out of 5.
At some point the American Dream was revised to include "being seen and adored by as many people as possible." Celebrity isn't a new marker in the sociological evolution of the species, of course, nor is it unique to modern Western culture. For as long as there have been ordinary men and women, there have been icons, moguls, artists, philosophers and legends; towering titans idolized and immortalized by the masses. But the delusion that anyone can be a celebrity -- given the right viral video, podcast or hot, new online sensation, however inconsequential or ridiculous -- is very much a recent development. And a frightening one at that, born from the insatiable desire to be recognized, praised and worshiped, regardless of whether such adulation is warranted or deserved. So say what you will about the Entourage boys. Take whatever shots you'd like at the divisive HBO series, even with eight successful seasons in the bank and a long-rumored movie on the horizon. At least Vince and his friends have put in ninety-six episodes of blood, sweat and tears to get where they are; each one, star and dreamer alike, having forged a success story all his own.
Loosely based on executive producer Mark Wahlberg's misadventures as a rising Hollywood star, Entourage traces the career of breakout leading man Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier), best friend and business manager Eric Murphy (Kevin Connolly), older brother and struggling actor Johnny "Drama" Chase (Kevin Dillon) and gopher-turned-entrepreneur Turtle (Jerry Ferrara) as they grapple with fame and fortune in the film industry. Lighting the Vinnie Chase fuse is Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven): pathologically devoted agent, hell-raising power player and spittle-flinging rage-oholic. There are others, of course. Ari's sensitive protégé Lloyd (Rex Lee), the irreplaceable Mrs. Ari (a fiery Perrey Reeves), Vince's publicist Shauna (Debi Mazar), hot-headed director Billy Walsh (Rhys Coiro), Warner Bros. VP Dana Gordon (Constance Zimmer), Ari's partner Babs (Beverly D'Angelo), E's on-again/off-again love Sloan (Emmanuelle Chriqui), new agent Scott Lavin (Scott Caan), Ari's former partner Terrance McQuewick (Malcolm McDowell) and too many more to list. But you know all that. Entourage: The Complete Series is a big, bad box set aimed at true believers; those who've followed Vince to hell and back, through highs, lows, unhealthy relationships, cheap flings, dire financial straits, addiction, borderline career suicide and, eventually, something akin to industry enlightenment. And it's those true believers -- those who've followed the show from its humble beginnings -- who will come to see how well it all comes together.
For eight seasons, series creator/executive producer/writer/director/man-of-all-hats Doug Ellin and his producers, writers and directors have gone out of their way to show just how tough and ruthless a town Hollywood can be. Vince, E and the boys, and even Ari have been beaten, crushed, humiliated and broken; chewed up, spit out and chewed up again by a machine built on the backs of fallen stars and fueled by box-office millions. But that's exactly what makes the Chase crew so appealing. The harder Hollywood hits, the harder Vince and his crew hit back. The more aggressive rival agents get, the more aggressive Eric becomes. The faster projects fall apart, the faster Drama pulls himself back together. The trickier the cards that are dealt, the trickier the hands Turtle plays. The more demanding the business grows, the more mountains Ari topples. For all their flaws and mistakes, for all their base instincts and misdeeds, for all their wounded pride, crippled egos, bad luck and failed endeavors -- and especially through their more hit-or-miss episodes -- Vince and his entourage have refused to give up. They retreat, regroup and relaunch their ever-fledgling brand, navigating personal issues and public scrutiny, sometimes by the skin of their teeth, but always living to fight another day.
And Vince comes a long, long way, from breakout star to troubled celebrity to well-adjusted professional. Eric, Drama and Turtle, meanwhile, do everything they can to step out of Vince's shadow. Living large on their friend's dime doesn't sit well with any of them, and it's in that seemingly small but crucial shared trait that E, Drama and Turtle emerge as more essential characters than they might have been had Entourage simply gone the way of a boys-will-be-boys romp. Instead, the series slowly evolves -- season by season -- into an arresting ensemble drama. Don't get me wrong, the comedy is never in short supply. The excess is still excessive. The pride still runneth over. But the series reinvents itself again and again, staying true to its girls-n-glory mantra while digging deeper, going darker, and testing Vince and his entourage's mettle, all without pulling (too many) punches. No, it isn't a perfect ride, and no, there isn't a perfect season to be had. Not its opening eight-episode volley, its fan-favorite second and third seasons, its rickety seventh go-round or its satisfying eighth season eight-episode conclusion. But it has proven itself a far better show than most expected, soared where many thought it would crash and burn, and taken its leading men places few people saw coming. I, for one, am happy I stuck with Entourage to the end. It wasn't always easy, it wasn't always a sure thing, but it's been well worth the time.
Entourage: The Complete Series Season Breakdown
Season One - 8 Episodes
This Season: Vince tries to land his next big movie, E tries to earn respect as Vince's manager (which doesn't sit well with Ari), Drama tries to be noticed in an industry that has forgotten him, Turtle makes new friends and enemies, and Ari works to bring in Vince's next script while fending off his former assistant, now a competing agent gunning for Chase's loyalty.
Standout Episodes: "Talk Show," "The Script and the Sherpa," "Busey and the Beach" and "The Scene"
My Take: Minor growing pains abound but little else becomes bothersome. The actors sink their teeth in and set the tone, Val Kilmer and Gary Busey kick off an eight-season lineup of scene-stealing cameos and guest stars, and Connolly and Piven make the comedy and drama spinning around Vince a blast to watch unfold.
Guest Stars: Jessica Alba, Gary Busey, Larry David, David Faustino, Sara Foster, Scarlett Johansson, Val Kilmer, Jimmy Kimmel, Ali Larter, Lennox Lewis, Leighton Meester, Sarah Silverman, Nadine Velazquez, Mark Wahlberg, Luke Wilson and others
Season Two - 14 Episodes
This Season: Ari works every angle to get Vince signed on to the next big comicbook-to-film adaptation (James Cameron's Aquaman) to little avail, Vince scores a lucrative project after getting himself in financial trouble, Eric tries to prove himself and begins dating the daughter of Ari's old partner, Drama doubles down and Turtle attempts to step out on his own.
Standout Episodes: "Aquamansion," "Neighbors," "The Sundance Kids," "I Love You Too," "The Bat Mitzvah" and "Exodus"
My Take: Easily one of the series' most quintessential seasons. Love it or loathe it, this is the fourteen episode arc that made or broke many an Entourage fan. To cut right to it, there isn't much to complain about either. Other than Mandy Moore, that is, who's entirely forgettable as Vince's ex-flame and would-be Aquaman co-star.
Guest Stars: Anthony Anderson, Gary Busey, Timothy Busfield, James Cameron, Peter Dinklage, Hugh Hefner, Ralph Macchio, Mandy Moore, Danny Masterson, Amanda Peet, Chris Penn, Jamie Pressly, Bob Saget, Richard Schiff, Brooke Shields, Pauly Shore, U2, Rainn Wilson and others
Season Three, Part 1 - 12 Episodes
This Season: With Aquaman having brought in big box office numbers and with it an upgrade in status, Vince has to decide between the prospect of sequel stardom and the freedom of taking on pet projects, E continues to claw his way to the top, Drama vies for a role on a promising TV series, Turtle tries to make it big in hip hop as a manager, and Ari struggles to start from scratch and hold on to Vince.
Standout Episodes: "One Day in the Valley," "Three's Company," "Strange Days," "I Wanna Be Sedated," "Vegas Baby, Vegas!" and "Sorry, Ari"
My Take: Another excellent season. Vince and the boys ride the Aquaman wave all the way to Medellin without pitching overboard, some of the series' best episodes are in full force, and the cast settles in for the long haul brilliantly. The only downside? Turtle, relegated to dead-end subplots, takes a back seat to his friends.
Guest Stars: Malin Åkerman, Edward Burns, James Cameron, Seth Green, Paul Haggis, Ken Jeong, Martin Landau, Three 6 Mafia, Penny Marshall, David Paymer, Amanda Righetti, Mercedes Ruehl, Lindsay Sloane, James Woods and others
Season Three, Part 2 - 8 Episodes
This Season: Vince desperately wants to play the title role in Pablo Escobar biopic Medellin, Ari promises to deliver even with Chase in another agent's care, E steps in and helps Vince and Ari pull off the impossible, Billy Walsh returns, Drama contends with the hard realities of starring in a lucrative network series, and Turtle meets a new girl and shifts his entrepreneurial focus.
Standout Episodes: "Return of the King" and "The Resurrection"
My Take: More Medellin wheelings and dealings, more all around goodness. Part 2 starts to show a few cracks, though. Killer episodes are few and far between, Entourage can do better than the likes of Pauley Shore, and "Adios Amigos" is one of the series' weaker season finales.
Guest Stars: Leslie Bibb, Bruce Buffer, Edward Burns, Adam Goldberg, Bobby Knight, Artie Lange, Michael Lerner, Chuck Liddell, Marisa Miller, Brett Ratner, Will Sasso, Pauley Shore, Joel Silver and others
Season Four - 12 Episodes
This Season: With Medellin in the can, Vince and E find themselves at odds with a very secretive and uncooperative director, arguments over the cut of the film erupt, Drama and Turtle fail at just about everything they lay their hands on, E works to sign additional clients, and Ari finds it more difficult than ever to balance his personal life, career and clients, and Medellin's Cannes debut looms.
Standout Episodes: "Welcome to the Jungle," "Sorry, Harvey," "The Weho Ho," "The Day F*ckers," "No Cannes Do" and "The Cannes Kids"
My Take: Season Four opens strong but soon grows wildly uneven. Walsh is woefully mishandled, Vince irritates, Drama and Turtle save one too many episodes, and Ari is the only consistent source of pure, unadulterated Entourage joy.
Guest Stars: Mini Anden, Bob Balaban, Mary J. Blige, Gary Busey, Dan Castellaneta, Snoop Dogg, Anna Faris, William Forsythe, Brian Grazer, Dennis Hopper, Anthony Michael Hall, Peter Jackson, Marisa Miller, Sophie Monk, Sydney Pollack, Lisa Rinna, M. Night Shyamalan, Sofia Vergara, Stephen Tobolowsky, Kanye West and others
Season Five - 12 Episodes
This Season: Vince's latest film bombs and he quickly discovers how tenuous his A-list status really is, E has a tough time juggling his working relationship with Vince with his friendship, Drama is torn between two worlds himself, Turtle strikes up a relationship with an actress (to everyone's surprise, including his own), and Ari has to decide between a coveted studio position and making a play for his client, all while trying to help out an old friend (Gary Cole).
Standout Episodes: "Fantasy Island," "The All Out Fall Out," "Fire Sale," "Tree Trippers," "Seth Green Day," "Pie" and "Play'n with Fire"
My Take: Season Five rebounds, especially when it comes to Vince, and terrific cameos litter just about every episode. (Eric Roberts as L.A.'s preeminent shrooms dealer. the return of Seth Green. Stellan Skarsgard as an unpleasable director. Darabont, Berg, Van Sant, Scorsese!). Still, a handful of issues crop up, chief among them the rather contrived nature of Vince and E's falling out.
Guest Stars: Tony Bennett, Peter Berg, Frank Darabont, Fran Drescher, Whoopi Goldberg, Seth Green, Jason Isaacs, Leighton Meester, Phil Mickelson, Jason Patric, Michael Phelps, Kevin Pollak, Whitney Port, Giovanni Ribisi, Eric Roberts, Richard Roeper, Gus Van Sant, Martin Scorsese, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Ben Silverman, Stellan Skarsgard, Jeffrey Tambor, Mark Wahlberg, Bow Wow and others
Season Six - 12 Episodes
This Season: Vince realizes he isn't the center of his friends' universes anymore, Eric fails to get his company off the ground and finds new opportunities elsewhere, Drama's temper threatens his role on Five Towns and puts him in a network exec's crosshairs, Turtle claims his life as his own and heads off to college, Ari takes on his personal demons one by one while closing in on a dream deal, and Lloyd finally shows some backbone.
Standout Episodes: "Fore!," "No More Drama," "Berried Alive," "Scared Straight" and "Give a Little Bit"
My Take: I enjoy Season Six more than most, but Bow Wow, Turtle's stint at college, Drama's self-destruction, Vince's off days, and the fact that the last six episodes are much stronger than the first six bring this season down a slight notch. Pretty good all around, mind you, just not second and third season great.
Guest Stars: 50 Cent, Bono, Tom Brady, Edward Burns, Dean Cain, Melinda Clarke, Matt Damon, Frank Darabont, Jim Edmonds, Zac Efron, David Faustino, William Fichtner, William Forsythe, LeBron James, Jay Leno, Steve Nash, Bob Saget, David Schwimmer, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Aaron Sorkin, Peter Stormare, Jeffrey Tambor, Mark Wahlberg and others
Season Seven - 10 Episodes
This Season: Vince, reeling from a near-death experience on the set of a Nick Cassavetes action film, comes unhinged and begins dating porn star Sasha Grey, all to the dismay of his close friends. Eric finds success as an agent at a high-dollar firm, Drama bides his time on network retainer, Turtle hops from one business venture to the next, and Ari finally acquires everything he's ever worked for only to watch it all come under fire when a firebrand employee gains the upper hand.
Standout Episodes: "Tequilla Sunrise," "Bottom's Up" and "Lose Yourself"
My Take: The series hits rock bottom right along with Vince. The worst of the worst? Vince's abrupt and melodramatic turn to the dark side, Turtle's entrepreneurial endeavors, Heroes' Dania Ramirez, Jerry Jones and the NFL, and Sasha Grey, whose shallow, one-dimensional arc is afforded far too much screentime.
Guest Stars: Christina Aguilera, Peter Berg, Richard Branson, Nick Cassavetes, John Cleese, Sean Combs, Mark Cuban, Eminem, Carrie Fisher, William Fichtner, Jeff Garlin, Sasha Grey, John Heard, Jerry Jones, Lenny Kravitz, Queen Latifah, Stan Lee, Shawn Merriman, Bob Odenkirk, Bob Saget, Jessica Simpson, Tom Sizemore, Aaron Sorkin, John Stamos, Ethan Suplee, Jeffrey Tambor, Mike Tyson, Brian Urlacher, Mark Wahlberg, Randall Wallace and others
Season Eight - 8 Episodes
This Season: Vince sobers up in rehab and gets himself and his career back on track, E loses Sloan yet again before earning one last shot at happiness, Drama's new show is threatened by the unreasonable demands of his co-star, Turtle finds himself a new business partner, and Ari races to pick up the pieces of his marriage and personal life after a devastating blow.
Standout Episodes: "One Last Shot," "Whiz Kid," "Second to Last" and "The End"
My Take: A fitting, almost fantastic final hurrah. I could have done without Eric and Sloan's childish tit for tat, Ari's kids, Andrew Dice Clay's never-ending subplot, and Vince's left-field Vanity Fair romance, but everything else unfolded and wrapped up wonderfully.
Guest Stars: Melinda Clarke, Andrew Dice Clay, Kim Coates, Mark Cuban, Mike Ditka, William Fichtner, Bobby Flay, Johnny Galecki, Jamie Kennedy, Alex Rodriguez, Christian Slater, David Spade, Michael Strahan, Mark Teixeira, Il Volo, Rachel Zoe and others
The first thing that struck me as I worked my way through Entourage: The Complete Series was just how young Grenier, Connolly, Piven and their co-stars looked eight years ago. The second thing that struck me -- and, more importantly, never waned -- was just how proficient and primed to please HBO's eight season, ninety-six episode 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation is, not to mention how worthwhile each season's high definition upgrade proves to be. In other words, bid those DVD seasons a none-too-fond farewell. Even so, there are a few inconsistencies of note; inconsistencies that aren't necessarily apparent over the course of a single season but become apparent when watching Entourage from beginning to end. Thankfully, most, if not all of these non-issues are inherent to the show's source, be it the cameras used, the stylistic intent of each season's photography, Ellin's revolving door of DPs, the series' ever-fluctuating budget and other factors that really shouldn't enter in to an evaluation of an encode's technical quality. Season One, in many ways, looks different than Season Eight. Colors are cooler, soft shots are more common and overall clarity is a touch less refined (although no less revealing). So what holds the presentation back from perfection? A bit of artifacting here, a bit of banding there, slight crush and mild edge halos throughout. None of it even approaches a serious concern, though, and very few anomalies are glaring or downright distracting. Those that are vanish as quickly as they appear.
Regardless of which season you cue up, rest assured HBO has honored Ellin's intentions. The series' palette varies from season to season, sometimes storyline to storyline, but colors are steadfast and satisfying, skintones are natural and well-saturated, black levels are deep, and contrast, though hot on occasion (more so in some seasons than others, Five and Eight being prime examples), is dialed in as it should be. And yet detail is what emerges as the highlight of each season's presentation. Fine textures steal each episode's encode, whether being showcased in the mano e mano closeups of E and Ari in the pilot or brought to light as Vince and his world-weary entourage prepare to board a plane for Paris in "The End." Edges are crisp and exacting as well (with only a hint of intermittent ringing), delineation is rarely problematic, grain is preserved (heavy as it sometimes is, again I'm staring at you Season Five), and only a few select scenes stand out as eyesores. Moreover, the encode doesn't disappoint and each BD-50 disc houses, at most, seven 20-25 minute episodes and a handful of extras. Macroblocking, significant stair-stepping, shimmering and other unsightly nuisances are nowhere to be found and every episode sinks or swims on its own merit. HBO knows how to treat a series, and Entourage is yet another excellent HBO Blu-ray release with another strong HBO AV presentation.
HBO's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track is never more alive, never more aggressive than it is when Ellin dials back the show's lightning-quick industry banter, carves out a nook beside the series' barbed dialogue and razor-sharp pop culture riffs, and gives a beat-blasting hip hop beatdown, hard-hitting anthem or indispensable rock-n-roll classic run of the soundfield. Jay Z's "99 Problems," The Allman Brothers' "South Bound," Slim Thug's "Incredible Feeling," Big Boi's "Shutterbug," Aretha Franklin's "Baby I Love You," Kanye West's "Goodlife," N.W.A.'s "Straight Outta Compton," Gnarls Barkley's "Gone Daddy Gone," Citizen Cope's "Let the Drummer Kick," Rage Against the Machine's "Guerrilla Radio," T.I.'s "Bring Em Out," Dead Prez's "Hip Hop," Funkadelic's "Hit It and Quit It"... Vince's Hollywood hijacking often offers up more in a song than it does in an entire episode of womanizing, power playing or soul searching. Fortunately, the LFE channel packs tremendous punch and presence, the rear speakers grab hold of the soundtrack, and near-perfect prioritization ensures that voices and other key elements never drown in the mix. Dialogue is clean and clear too, even though the soundscape doesn't do away with ambient noise, airy interior acoustics or the drone of crowds, busy offices or packed parties.
If anything, the rear speakers aren't always as engaging as the experience. Directional effects are easy on the ears, cross-channel pans go down smooth and overall dynamics are solid. But many a scene features front-heavy sonics and little more. Chalk it up to the endless conversations or the fact that if Vince and the boys aren't talking, music is rushing in to the fill the void. I'm talking about consistency. Ari's offices always look busy but don't always sound the same. Traffic sometimes surrounds the listener, other times not so much. Film festivals and club visits take advantage of the soundfield every now and then, but not reliably enough to declare Entourage's sound design wholly immersive. That's not to say it's never enveloping -- it often is -- only that a more animated soundfield would only bolster everything Ellin sets out to accomplish. Nitpicking aside, though, Entourage sounds great; and that includes Season One's humblest episodes (if there is such a thing) all the way through the eighth season's series finale. HBO earns high marks once again.
Entourage: The Complete Series comes packaged in a sturdy black box (7½ h x 6 w x 2½ d) with a heavy outer sleeve that houses a nine-page book-style case. (One page is devoted to each season; the third season being the only one split across two.) Each page folds outward, revealing two BD-50 discs that slide into circular slots/sleeves on the face of the page itself. Unfortunately, removing the discs is a bit cumbersome and risks bending the page itself and/or tearing the page seam near the book's binding. It's not flimsy or poorly constructed, mind you, but I would exercise reasonable caution so as not to put undue wear and tear on the book or its pages. It's also not a deal-breaker, even though it doesn't take much imagination to envision an interior book-style case that's as sturdy as its outer sleeve.
There also aren't nearly as many special features as you might expect from an 18-disc, eight-season Complete Series release. Twenty-one commentaries and four hours of additional extras may sound like a lot, but when dealing with a show that clocks in at ninety-six episodes, it's merely adequate, particularly when some seasons offer far more content than others.
Discs 1 & 2: Season One
Audio Commentaries: Three showrunners' commentaries accompany Entourage's first season, all of which feature creator/executive producer Doug Ellin and executive producer/sometimes co-writer Larry Charles. In addition to the series' pilot, the chummy, always candid duo tackle "Busey and the Beach" and "New York," joking, jabbing and dissecting their way through each episode with enough swagger to entertain and enough production tidbits to make each commentary a welcome addition. More would have been appreciated, of course, but this is Ellin in his infancy, meaning his focus is on the here and now circa 2005, not the future of the show (which, at the time the commentaries were recorded, was quite uncertain).
Behind the Scenes of Entourage (HD, 10 minutes): Executive producer Mark Wahlberg and actors Adrian Grenier, Kevin Connolly, Kevin Dillon, Jerry Ferrara and Jeremy Piven discuss Vince, the boys, Ari and the series as a whole. Unfortunately, this Making Of featurette is little more than an HBO extended promo, making Season One's supplemental package one of the slimmer of the bunch and hoisting the brunt of the burden on Ellin and Charles' commentaries.
Discs 3 & 4: Season Two
The Mark Wahlberg Sessions (HD, 23 minutes): The slimmest supplemental package, though, belongs to Season Two. (The eighth season's solitary extra being a close second.) Without any commentaries on tap, the second season's hopes rest on "The Mark Wahlberg Sessions," which begin with Wahlberg, Ellin and executive producer Stephen Levinson outlining the genesis of the series and the show's casting, and soon moves into other areas, chief among them the evolution of the characters. Along the way, Wahlberg sits down with Grenier, Dillon, Ferrara, Connolly and Piven separately and fills in the gaps. The real guys who inspired some of the characters make special guest appearances as well, making this a fun, surprisingly informative extra that's well worth twenty-three minutes of an Entourage fan's life. A broader selection of special features would have been more ideal, but the "Sessions" cover a fair bit of ground.
Discs 5 & 6: Season Three, Part 1
Audio Commentaries: Ellin returns, this time with Kevin Dillon and Jerry Ferrara on "One Day in the Valley," "Vegas Baby, Vegas!" and "Sorry, Ari." Ellin is at his best when paired with members of the cast, and his commentaries with Dillon and Ferrara are among the 18-disc set's strongest. The laid back nature of each conversation leads to a few stretches of silence, not to mention complete, thankfully brief tangents, but the enthusiastic trio bounces between production overviews, excitable shout outs, character and storyline breakdowns, and amusing industry anecdotes, making for a memorable batch of commentaries.
Vegas Baby, Vegas! (HD, 12 minutes): "We always knew that this was an inevitable episode. We always knew that at some point the entourage was going to hit Las Vegas!" The cast and crew move the production to Vegas. Piven unleashes his inner rage, Ferrara walks away with pockets full of cash, the producers struggle to cast fifteen strippers, Seth Green and his entourage crash the party, and the crew faces the challenge of shooting an episode in a crowded casino.
Discs 7 & 8: Season Three, Part 2
Audio Commentaries: Ellin, Dillon and Ferrara reunite for "Manic Monday," "The Resurrection" and "Adios Amigos," the third of which also ropes in Kevin Connolly. ("I decided that E does not smoke weed, otherwise the whole thing would fall apart!") Connolly ups the entertainment value further but, for whatever reason, pushes the "Adios" commentary into stories-heaped-on-stories territory. More observational and from the hip, the third track serves up more jokes and laughs but fewer production and character insights. Series addicts will eat up every second; more studious commentary connoisseurs will come away disappointed.
Museum of Television & Radio Panel (HD, 51 minutes): Thankfully, Part 2's lengthy Museum of Radio & Television Q&A more than makes up for any commentary shortcomings. Ellin, Grenier, Connolly, Dillon, Ferrara, Piven, actress Debi Mazar and co-executive producer Julian Farino spend forty-four minutes digging into every aspect of the series, dishing dirt and discussing everything from the balance between the show's semi-improvisational material and its more carefully scripted moments to character quirks, plotting, scripting, dialogue, performances, shooting styles and more. The nature of the event keeps the cast and showrunners focused, thoughtful and forthcoming, without sacrificing the cross-panel shots, insults and good-natured ribbing you'd expect from the Entourage crew. This is one of -- if not the -- best special feature in the 18-disc Complete Series set. If you don't have time for much else, this is a terrific place to start.
Anatomy of Entourage (HD, 12 minutes): A quality behind-the-scenes featurette that takes a scalpel to "Adios Amigos," the Season Three finale. Individual shots are unraveled, scenes are run-through, scheduling conflicts are detailed, and the unique challenges of shooting on real porn sets (with porn stars), in and around public locations, and in local houses, most of which are flanked by angry neighbors who are nonplussed with the series' presence in their neighborhood.
Discs 9 & 10: Season Four
Audio Commentaries: Another season of Entourage, another three commentaries. This time, though, with Ellin, Dillon, Ferrara, Connolly and Grenier, making each track a near-complete main cast commentary. (No Piven sadly.) Ellin and his leading men plow through "Welcome to the Jungle," "The Day F*ckers" and "The Cannes Kids," covering enough ground to make Season Four's chats the most engrossing of the Complete Series tracks. The boys spend most of their time discussing the thrills and challenges of shooting a film within a series, the fourth season's ups and downs (Ferrara hated "The Cannes Kids" early on), the ongoing development of Ari and the boys' individual relationships, the various location shoots, incorporating personal experiences into the episodes, and more.
US Comedy Arts Festival Panel (HD, 48 minutes): Ellin, Levinson, Grenier, Connolly and Piven keep the Comedy Arts Festival audience laughing but still find time to hit on the show's origins and (then) four-season run, the development of Vince and his entourage, the ever-growing fury and ferocity of Ari Gold, and enough tales from the set to satisfy any hungry Entourage junkie. Pair this one with the Museum of Television & Radio Panel from Season Three and you have a satisfying two-part series junket the likes of which future-season supplemental packages can't quite match.
The Making of Medellin (HD, 7 minutes): Not the in-character faux-featurette I was hoping for, but welcome all the same, this "into the jungle" quickie looks at the Hearts of Darkness overtones of the fourth season's opening episode, its mockumentary stylings, making a modestly budgeted episode appear as if it were from a $100 million film, and Grenier's makeup.
Medellin Trailer (HD, 2 minutes): From Billy Walsh, the critically acclaimed director of Queens Boulevard, comes this fantastic red band theatrical trailer for Medillin.
Meet the Newest Member of Entourage! (HD, 2 minutes): Little actor Lucas Ellin gets an extra all his own. See kids? It pays to have a dad in high places, especially in Hollywood.
Discs 11 & 12: Season Five
Audio Commentaries: Surprise! Or not. Three commentaries are included -- "Tree Trippers," "Play'n with Fire" and "Return to Queens Blvd" (the latter two of which Ellin calls "the best episodes we've ever done") -- with Ellin, Grenier, Connolly, Ferrara and producer Ally Musika, who brings some much needed feminine wiles to the boys' commentary club, quiet as she sometimes can be. If it hasn't become clear by now, Ellin and his cast and fellow producers have a blast working together, to the point that the latest tracks are more stream of consciousness than anything more substantial. Even so, Ellin and company don't waste a lot of time patting each other on the back, making their honest, rapidfire dialogue, however inconsequential on occasion, reasonably rewarding.
The Celebrity Factor (HD, 10 minutes): Season Five's celebrity guests and cameos are some of the series' most diverse. Martin Scorsese, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Frank Darabont, Gus Van Sant, Giovanni Ribisi, Seth Green, Stellan Skarsgard, Eric Roberts, Bow Wow, Lukas Haas, Phil Mickelson, The View hosts... the list goes on and on. "Factor" is a little on the short side, though, and not every celebrity guest from Season Five pops up.
Discs 13 & 14: Season Six
Audio Commentaries: Three more cast and crew commentaries, this time with a host of participants including Ellin, Musika, Grenier, Connolly, Piven, Dillon, Ferrara and special guest Bob Saget. While Saget ducks out and Dillon steps in for the set's third track, the rest of the group is on hand for three episodes -- "No More Drama," "Scared Straight" and "Give a Little Bit" -- expounding on the development of Season Six, the ins and outs of Vince and the boys' latest round of drama, and blowing off some steam along the way. Distractions abound -- revealing production insight isn't on the menu -- but the group chemistry makes for a decent lineup of commentaries.
Life on Top (HD, 15 minutes): This solid featurette avoids every EPK pitfall, diving into the various character arcs and life changes that grace the latest season of Entourage. Just beware: a few serious spoilers are dropped in the process.
A Day at the Speedway (HD, 3 minutes): Next up is "A Day at the Speedway," which focuses on a single episode -- "One Car, Two Car, Red Car, Blue Car" -- and delivers a short overview of the creative process. If only every episode featured a similar mini-featurette.
ONEXONE PSA (HD, 2 minutes): A fantastic in-character laugh riot with Vince, Ari, and the commercial's director, Matt Damon (as himself). Damon brings the goods, an on-set argument erupts, hilarity ensues, and Piven kills with a devastating Good Will Hunting reference. I watched it twice.
Discs 15 & 16: Season Seven
Audio Commentaries: Three more commentaries for your Entourage perusal -- "Hair," "Porn Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" and "Lose Yourself" -- with Ellin, Musika, Grenier, Connolly, Piven and Ferrara. Fans of the series will enjoy each, even though everyone but Ellin tends to drift off target and spend too much time cracking jokes and trading jabs. At one point, Ellin even says, "come on, we gotta come up with something good to talk about." They don't, but there are enough anecdotes, tidbits and laugh-out-loud quips to keep diehards listening.
Inside the Hollywood Highlife (HD, 14 minutes): Key members of the cast and crew discuss the increased stakes of Season Seven in this clip-heavy HBO extended promo. It's amusing but light on details.
The Shades of Sasha Grey (HD, 6 minutes): Grey chats about her life and career in the adult film industry.
Discs 17 & 18: Season Eight
Hollywood Sunset: A Farewell to Entourage (HD, 29 minutes): "If you can't cast it, there is no show!" Ellin sits down with Musika, Grenier, Connolly, Dillon and Ferrara for a look back at the series' genesis, casting, eight-season production, rocky roads, high times and full run. Along the way, Wahlberg and the real-life inspirations for the members of Vince's entourage offer their thoughts on the show, Piven and actor Rex Lee chime in, original audition reels and other behind-the-scenes footage bubble to the surface, and other surprises await. It's an excellent highlight to an otherwise barebones eighth season supplemental package and it almost, almost makes up for the complete lack of audio commentaries and other compelling extras.
It came. It saw. It conquered. Entourage split audiences, drove off portions of its own fanbase and roped in newcomers, season in and season out, right up until the very end. Through it all, Ellin and his cast and crew never lost sight of what made Vince and his entourage so compelling, what made Ari and his inner circle so hilariously endearing and, above all, what made the series the memorable HBO stable it was for eight years. No, Entourage isn't for everyone. It never was and it never will be. But for those who feel some strange kinship with Vince, E, Drama, Turtle and Ari, or just enough of an unshakable curiosity to care, the journey and destination have been well worth the time and money involved. Now all that's left is a movie or two... and a Complete Series box set like this. Exclusive extras and new retrospectives would have made the cost of admission easier to swallow, sure, but HBO's 18-disc, 8-season, 96-episode, 21-commentary box set will be exactly what most Entourage fans are looking for. Terrific video presentation? Check. Strong DTS-HD lossless audio? Check. Every episode, better than they've looked or sounded before? Check and check. It is a chunk of change, I know. But Entourage: The Complete Series will make many an HBO junkie's day this holiday season.
This week begins with Blu-rays from cult horror favorite John Carpenter: 1974's Dark Star, and 1988's They Live. Viewed together, the two pictures depict the progression of the genre auteur's movie-making gifts; Dark Star is an expansion of Carpenter's USC student ...
In November, HBO Home Entertainment will bring Entourage: The Complete Series to Blu-ray. This box set bundles together eight seasons of the popular HBO comedy series which centers on the misadventures of a fledgling movie star (Adrian Grenier, The Devil Wears ...
Entourage: The Complete Series Blu-ray, Forum Discussions
