Story by John Grafman
The Entourage movie and the Cadillac Ciel concept car have something in common, the suspension of disbelief. Riding on the thin, razor’s edge between reality and fiction gives both a sense that anything is possible. If the penduellum swings too far in one direction or the other, the whole thing collapses like a house of cards. Too believable is boring, and too extreme is simply hokey. Can either the movie or the Caddy pull it off?
So many questions, and so little time. Is Entourage the movie true to the entertaining series we’ve come to know and love? Has it been too long since the Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven), Vince Chase (Adrian Grenier), Eric Murphy (Kevin Connolly), Johnny “Drama” Chase (Kevin Dillon), and Turtle (Jerry Ferrar) last visited our homes? Is there anything left that hasn’t been done already? And of course the most important question of all, so what are the boys cruising around in now?
Yes, the big screen version is an amped up version of the small screen’s look at the wild, screwball, Hollywood lifestyle of actors and agents. The real life actors and actresses in all the key roles haven’t lost a beat. What a relief to once again gaze upon Sloan (Emmanuelle Chriqui), hear the quips of Lloyd (Rex Lee), watch the ongoing damage control of Shauna (Debi Mazar), the struggles of Ari’s wife (Perrey Reeves), and the taunting of Billy Walsh (Rhys Coiro). In addition, Billy Bob Thornton plays the part of film financier Larsen McCredle.
Through the years the TV show covered vast amounts of ground. Over the top characters and scenarios came and went, too many to even count. The writers (Doug Ellin and Rob Weiss), producers (Mark Wahlberg, Stephen Levinson, Doug Ellin, Wayne Carmona, Steven Mnuchin, Rob Weiss, and Ally Musika), and director (Doug Ellin) were left with one option, go big or go home!
Caption: (L-r) ADRIAN GRENIER as Vince, KEVIN CONNOLLY as Eric, JERRY FERRARA as Turtle, KEVIN DILLON as Johnny Drama and JEREMY PIVEN as Ari Gold in Warner Bros. Pictures,’ Home Box Office’s and RatPac-Dune Entertainment’s comedy “ENTOURAGE,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
Copyright: © 2015 WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT INC., RATPAC-DUNE ENTERTAINMENT LLC, ENTOURAGE HOLDINGS LLC, AND HOME BOX OFFICE, INC.
Photo Credit: Claudette Barius
Spoiler Alert!
In a typical episode there’s one plot, and main storyline, in the movie there’s several sub plots, filling in the expanded timeframe. Oddly, some major aspects of the storyline, right from the start of the film, get little more than lip service.
In addition, the story has some sizable plot holes large enough to drive a Hummer through. When the basis of the major plot upheaval is dismantled late in the film (if you actually follow the plot), it’s more than just a bit disturbing. But, as long as you overlook some of those unexplainable moments, this is just what the fan base is looking for.
What aren’t missing are cameo rolls. It’s hard to recall a movie that has more celebrities making a momentary appearance on the silver screen. It actually becomes a distraction. At some point the line becomes fuzzy, are we a part of the audience or paparazzi?
Just a few of the notables playing themselves include Piers Morgan, Mark Cuban, David Arquette, Gary Busey, Bob Saget, Jon Favreau, Andrew Dice Clay, Liam Neeson, Ed O’Neill, Kelsey Grammer, Mark Wahlberg, David Spade, Jessica Alba, David Faustino, George Takei. Perhaps it goes a bridge too far when Warren Buffett makes a brief cameo for no apparent reason. At that point the suspension of disbelief is tested considerably.
(L-r) ADRIAN GRENIER as Vince, KEVIN CONNOLLY as Eric, JERRY FERRARA as Turtle and KEVIN DILLON as Johnny Drama in Warner Bros. Pictures,’ Home Box Office’s and RatPac-Dune Entertainment’s comedy “ENTOURAGE,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
Photo by Claudette Barius
Only second to the celebrities are the plethora of General Motors’ products. Stylish machines are commonplace in this flick, just like L.A., with a wide range of Cadillacs and Chevys running rampant. There are a few other OEMs that get some screen time, such as Ari’s Mercedes Benz or Travis McCredle (Haley Joel Osment) vibrant Lamborghini.
The cars of Entourage range from the ballistic Corvette to the rare extended range Cadillac ELR. Be it the Suburban or the Escalade, commonplace doesn’t mean ordinary.
Of course, the shining star is the magnificent Cadillac Ciel. Those familiar with the television series are well aware of the show’s classic Lincoln Continental Convertible. The ride of Johnny Chase (Kevin Dillon) takes a back seat to the Caddy. The Ciel, a four door, four seat, convertible concept car, is exactly what you’d expect a ficticious movie star to roam L.A. in.
This really is a local story to, as the Ciel was developed at GM Design’s North Hollywood Design Center. Frank Saucedo, Director Advanced Design, manages the studio. Niki Smart was the lead exterior designer, while Buzyn was leading interior development.
The Cadillac Ciel concept is an elegant, open-air grand-touring car inspired by the natural beauty of the California coast as an exploration into range-topping luxury. (08/22/2011)
This wasn’t the case of some obvious product placement, but rather the director falling in love with this convertible several years ago, even before the movie was given a green light.
This glamorous ride makes several onscreen appearances throughout the city. This graceful machine captures the imagination of every Angeleno. This is the one car we all want to be seen in!
The Cadillac Ciel is long, low, and most of all, sexy. The name comes for the French word for sky, which is obviously appropriate.
Power comes from a 3.6L V-6 with twin turbochargers; DOHC, continuously variable valve timing and direct injection. This is an all-wheel drive, hybrid drive system, with low speed, all electric drive. And, unlike many a show car, this gem actually does drive!
Caption: (L-r) KEVIN CONNOLLY as Eric, JERRY FERRARA as Turtle, ADRIAN GRENIER as Vince and KEVIN DILLON as Johnny Drama in Warner Bros. Pictures,’ Home Box Office’s and RatPac-Dune Entertainment’s comedy “ENTOURAGE,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
Copyright: © 2015 WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT INC., RATPAC-DUNE ENTERTAINMENT LLC, ENTOURAGE HOLDINGS LLC, AND HOME BOX OFFICE, INC.
Photo Credit: CLAUDETTE BARIUS
The styling is both new, and at the same time very Cadillac-like in proportion and design elements. We only get a glimpse of some the details in the movie, such as the 22” nickel plated wheels and bright work, or the prominent polished aluminum windshield frame, rear-hinged rear doors, Italian Olive wood interior pieces, as well as a celebrity requisite cigar humidor.
“There is authentic craftsmanship in the way the exterior and interior elements meld, much like a vintage wooden boat,” said Gael Buzyn, interior design manager. “It is romantic, not only in its form, but the materials – nothing smells as good as real wood and leather. It blends together for a rewarding feeling of uncompromising luxury.”
A few of the touches that the audience might not catch in the theater are about as Southern California (or Lake Como, Italy) as it gets. Certainly the door storage areas, inspired by premium fashion accessories that open with high-quality zippers, are perfect for hiding away, um, unmentionables.
For those cool evenings or intimate encounters the boys in Entourage will no doubt appreciate the pull-out blankets, which are available for all three passengers and retract automatically.
Completing the ensemble, all the seats have heating and cooling features, plus a drawer containing sun lotion, sunglasses and towels. And, if that wasn’t enough, aromatherapy is available and controlled from the rear armrest.
With all of these wiz-bang features, a Ciel could make anyone look like a celebrity, but for now this will just remain a dream.
Nearly four years ago, Clay Dean, Global Design Director for Cadillac states, “Authentic luxury is driven by experiences, not just products, and Ciel is about the experience of the journey.”
And maybe, just maybe, we could say the same about Entourage. Buckle up, enjoy the ride, and believe!
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