By David Poland poland@moviecitynews.com
HBO-ing
For some reason, I am finding myself more and more drawn into HBO lately than ever. Yes, some of the great shows of the past remain the best of the network’s history. But there is some really excellent new work being done. Perhaps agism and narrow thinking in the film business is responsible, but so be it.
The July premieres on the network – True Blood, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and now, Entourage – have been interesting from the review perspective. They sent out the 3-4-5 episodes of Curb, 3-4-5 of True Blood and the first 3 of the 8 show Entourage series-closing season.
Curb was the most interesting because with all the hype about NYC, Larry doesn’t get there until episode 5. That’s the episode that’s been reviewed a lot… the Bill Buckner episode. Which is pretty great. 3 (which airs this weekend) and 4 are in LA… and personally, I thought episodes 1 & 2 this season were a touch better than either.
What really stands out about his season of Curb, for me, is that Larry has really relaxed into his role as an actor. He still mugs at times, but those mug shots are what they sell the show with. Apparently, people love them. It’s like his Jack Benny signature.
But back to the comfort zone… If you ever told me 10 years ago that I would see Larry David doing a sex scene, grunting around under a sexy woman in a way that wasn’t meant to be ironic, I would have laughed in your face. He put his wealth out there on the opening episode. He’s still copping to racist undercurrents that few under 40 can really claim to have sublimated completely, no matter how fully we have embraced equality. Lots of self-hating Jew in this season. It;s like Seinfeld was the surface version and now we are really getting into the dark, weird places with Larry… not just the funny ones… even though the darker he goes, the funnier it is.
Meanwhile, I have the next 3 weeks off of having to watch True Blood on Sunday nights… and still, will probably watch all these episodes again on Sunday nights.
True Blood is having what feels almost like a reboot season. I guess Charlaine Harris readers knew what was coming and what is coming, but I didn’t and don’t. All the relationships, aside from the two committed relationships (Lafayette & Jesus and Arlene & Terry), are flipped in all kinds of ways. And they’re just getting started. Fiona Shaw is a great addition to the cast and is just getting rolling now. The baby doll. Male rape. Vampires in trouble. Weird romance that’s both carnal, intentionally unthinking, and going against the most powerful advice possible. More deaths of major characters from past seasons. It’s crazy.
The only frustrating thing is that I am going to have to go a month now without progressing any further in the story. I’m hungry for a little more V and I’m not going to have to wait.
My look at Entourage to come shortly…
Yeah, their bench is pretty deep again. Boardwalk Empire, Game of Thrones, and Treme are fabulous. Big Love ended strong. Mildred Pierce was a masterpiece, and Cinema Verite very good.
Except for Curb, though, they need to work on their comedies. I’m psyched for Lena Dunham’s Girls and the Julia Louis-Dreyfus Veep project from the In the Loop guys.
You make Larry David sound like R. Crumb.
Curb has been strong. One of my all-time faves so I’m partial, but the Girl Scout sequence was classic. J.B. Smoove is invaluable at this point, too.
The time jump for True Blood has done the characters and story in general a great favor. The comedic situation that Eric and Sookie have found themselves in is one of the best things the show has ever done.