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Jeremy Piven Movies

Classically trained character actor Jeremy Piven shot to stardom as Ellen DeGeneres' unforgettable, sharp-witted cousin Spence on the ABC sitcom Ellen. Born in New York City on July 26, 1965, Piven is the son of actors Byrne and Joyce Piven. He grew up in Evanston, IL, where his parents founded the Piven Theater Workshop. He studied theater at his parents' school alongside Lili Taylor, Rosanna Arquette, and pal John Cusack. The longtime friends, who began by performing Chekhov at age eight, have collaborated on several films -- including One Crazy Summer (1986), Say Anything (1989), The Grifters (1990), Floundering (1994), Grosse Pointe Blank (1997), and Serendipity (2001). They also co-founded the New Criminals Theater Company in 1989, which is now New Crime Productions, the company behind Grosse Pointe Blank and the Cusack vehicle High Fidelity (2002).

A former member of the Second City National Touring Company, Piven made his small-screen debut on Carol Burnett's short-lived variety show Carol and Company in 1990. He went on to play a writer on HBO's The Larry Sanders Show and to appear on Seinfeld before starring as an unemployed father on the short-lived series Pride & Joy. Disney, who produced Pride & Joy, then created a role for him on Ellen. After the sitcom's cancellation in April 1998, Piven landed his own show, the offbeat ABC comedy-drama Cupid. Also starring Piven's real-life neighbor Paula Marshall, Cupid followed the infamous matchmaker after he had been thrown out of heaven for bad behavior and attempted to earn his reentry by uniting 100 couples in true love without using his otherworldly powers. The series won critical acclaim and earned Piven quite a following. Yet, as with many of the network's more innovative shows, ABC mishandled Cupid, shuffling it in and out of prime time until its inevitable cancellation. Undaunted, Piven returned to television a year later to guest star on Will & Grace.

While Piven's film career has suffered the same ups and downs as his time on television, it is marked by numerous scene-stealing supporting performances. After making his feature-film debut in Lucas (1986), the actor appeared in Robert Altman's The Player (1992), Cameron Crowe's Singles (1992), and Tim Robbins' Bob Roberts (1992). He fell into a slump with failures like Judgment Night (1993) and Car 54, Where are You? (1994), but became a cult favorite for his portrayal of a campus misfit in P.C.U. (1994). Standout roles opposite Sarah Jessica Parker in Miami Rhapsody (1995), Robert De Niro in Heat (1995), Bill Murray in Larger Than Life (1996), and Morgan Freeman in Kiss the Girls (1997) quickly followed. He then proved to be the only good thing in Peter Berg's Very Bad Things (1998), before playing Nicolas Cage's best friend in The Family Man (2000). Piven took a respectable dramatic turn as a doomed helicopter pilot in Ridley Scott's award-winning Black Hawk Down, but returned to comedy for Old School (2003), a film by the makers of Road Trip (2000).

Piven continued his work in entourage and took a starring role in Chappelle's Show director Neal Brennan's farcical comedy The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard in 2009. 2011 found the actor playing the dreaded Timekeeper in Spy Kids: All the Time in the World, he would portray another villain, this time in a voice role, for the children's adventure The Pirates! Band of Misfits in 2012.

Then, in 2005, Piven scored the iconic role of Ari Gold on the HBO series Entourage. The show turned out to be a massive success, and Piven's profile was raised considerably, making him more of a household name, and helping him to score more interesting roles outside the show, like washed-out magician Buddy Isreal in the 2006 over-the-top action blow-out Smokin' Aces, and Damon Schmidt in the 2007 political thriller The Kingdom. In 2008, he joined the cast of the Guy Ritchie London crime movie RocknRolla. ~ Aubry Anne D'Arminio, Rovi
1993  
PG13  
Add 12:01 to Queue Add 12:01 to top of Queue  
Based on a story by Richard Lupoff (a short filmization of the same story earned an Oscar nomination for 1990), 12:01 centers on a member of the personnel department in a science lab, who discovers that the world has become somehow trapped in a strange time warp that causes the same 24-hour period to repeat itself. During the course of that endlessly repeated day, Barry Thomas, the only one who seems to be aware of what's happening, must somehow figure out how to put time back on its normal course and solve the murder of a physicist, Lisa Fredricks (Helen Slater) with whom he is infatuated. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

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2011  
R  
Add Angels Crest to Queue Add Angels Crest to top of Queue  
The residents of a small town feel different varieties of grief in the wake of a shocking death in this independent drama from director Gaby Dellal. Angels Crest is a community at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, where local news is rarely interesting and nearly everyone knows one another. Ethan (Thomas Dekker) is a young man in his early twenties who was once involved with Cindy (Lynn Collins); it's common knowledge that Cindy has a serious drinking problem, and the responsibility of looking after their three-year-old son usually falls to Ethan. While out on a fishing trip on a snowy day, Ethan leaves the boy alone in his car for a few minutes; when Ethan returns, his son has somehow gotten away, and days later the boy's frozen remains are found in the woods. Ethan is shattered by this turn of events, and many in Angels Crest feel sorry for him, but Cindy isn't one of them. Meanwhile, a local prosecutor assigned to the case (Jeremy Piven) must come to terms with his own demons as he prepares to charge Ethan with negligent homicide. Featuring a distinguished supporting cast including Mira Sorvino, Elizabeth McGovern, and Kate Walsh, Angels Crest received its world premiere at the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Starring:
Jeremy PivenThomas Dekker, (more)
 
2001  
R  
Add Black Hawk Down to Queue Add Black Hawk Down to top of Queue  
A quickly forgotten chapter in United States military history is relived in this harrowing war drama from director Ridley Scott, based on a series of Philadelphia Inquirer articles and subsequent book by reporter Mark Bowden. On October 3rd, 1993, an elite team of more than 100 Delta Force soldiers and Army Rangers, part of a larger United Nations peacekeeping force, are dropped into civil war-torn Mogadishu, Somalia, in an effort to kidnap two of local crime lord Mohamed Farah Aidid's top lieutenants. Among the team: Staff Sgt. Matt Eversmann (Josh Hartnett), Ranger Lt. Col. Danny McKnight (Tom Sizemore), the resourceful Delta Sgt. First Class Jeff Sanderson (William Fichtner), and Ranger Spec. Grimes (Ewan McGregor), a desk-bound clerk getting his first taste of live combat. When two of the mission's Black Hawk helicopters are shot down by enemy forces, the Americans -- committed to recovering every man, dead or alive -- stay in the area too long and are quickly surrounded. The ensuing firefight is a merciless 15-hour ordeal and the longest ground battle involving American soldiers since the Vietnam War. In the end, 70 soldiers are injured and 18 are dead, along with hundreds of Somalians. Black Hawk Down was voted one of the top ten films of the year by the National Board of Review prior to its limited Oscar-qualifying release. On the basis of his work in this film, co-star Eric Bana, a relatively unknown Australian actor playing Delta Sgt. First Class "Hoot" Gibson, won the lead in director Ang Lee's version of The Hulk (2003). ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

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Starring:
Josh HartnettEwan McGregor, (more)
 
1992  
R  
Add Bob Roberts to Queue Add Bob Roberts to top of Queue  
In the tradition of This Is Spinal Tap, producer/ director/ star Tim Robbins' Bob Roberts is a satire disguised as a documentary. Robbins plays the titular Roberts, a wealthy, well-connected young man running for a senatorial seat in Pennsylvania. On the surface, Roberts is an ingratiating glad-hander, a sincere believer in the restoration of such intangibles as national pride, family values, etc. But the longer Roberts is followed about by documentary filmmaker Brian Murray, the more we become aware that the candidate is a textbook case of cynicism and contempt. Only Giancarlo Esposito, a reporter for an underground newspaper, is willing to dig beneath Roberts' veneer--a habit that leads to the film's ironic conclusion. Several well-known actors make cameo appearances as TV commentators, notably Tim Robbins' longtime partner Susan Sarandon. Bob Roberts started out as a Tim Robbins-directed short subject for the TV series Saturday Night Live, then was expanded into a $4 million feature. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Starring:
Tim RobbinsGiancarlo Esposito, (more)
 
1991  
R  
The second entry in the Body Chemistry film series, Voice of a Stranger stars Lisa Pescia as a talk-radio sex counselor (a recurring character in the films). Ex-cop Gregory Harrison costars as a troubled victim of child abuse who is currently into "rough sex." Harrison places a call to Pescia, who gives him erotically-tinged advice. He takes her all too much to heart-and it could mean murder. Real-life radio personality Morton Downey Jr. costars as Big Chuck. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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1994  
PG13  
Add Car 54, Where Are You? to Queue Add Car 54, Where Are You? to top of Queue  
In this campy, nostalgic comedy based on a popular TV series from the early '60s, the two bungling cops Toody and Muldoon are assigned to guard a key witness who is planning to testify against a crime lord. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

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Starring:
David JohansenJohn C. McGinley, (more)
 
2006  
G  
Add Cars to Queue Add Cars to top of Queue  
A pedal-to-the-metal race car determined to prove his worth on the tracks discovers that life isn't always about crossing the finish line first in Toy Story director John Lasseter's mechanically minded tale of friendship and loyalty. Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) may be just a rookie, but he's convinced that he can realize his dream of zooming by the checkered flag if he can only make it to California in time to compete in the upcoming Piston Cup Championship. When Lightning takes a detour into the slow-moving, Route 66 town of Radiator Springs, however, it begins to appear as if his shot at the big time has effectively stalled out. Of course, Lightning's exciting cross-country trek wasn't all for naught, and after befriending such quirky Radiator Springs residents as Sally the Porsche (voice of Bonnie Hunt), Doc Hudson (voice of Paul Newman), and Mater the Tow Truck (voice of Larry the Cable Guy), the eager young racer learns that sometimes life is more about the voyage than the outcome of the race. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Starring:
Owen WilsonPaul Newman, (more)
 
2008  
 
Add Cats: The Movie! to Queue Add Cats: The Movie! to top of Queue  
Michelle Rodrigues, Jeremy Sisto, Jeremy Piven, and Dominique Swain lend their distinctive voices to this animated tale of an indoor cat named Marcello who longs to experience life from the other side of the window. Marcello (voice of Golden Globe-winner Troy Garrity) is a domesticated cat who spends most of his days wandering around his owner's sizable house and wondering what it would be like to explore the outside world with Jujube (voice of Rodrigues) - the pretty, outdoor-dwelling feline who lives next door. When his owner (voice of Swain) ventures away for a weekend trip and accidentally leaves a window cracked, curiosity gets the best of Marcello and he slips outside for the adventure of a lifetime. Along the way, Marcello befriends a skittish squirrel or two, has his fair share of mishaps, narrowly averts disaster, and even shares a romantic moment or two with his lovely neighbor Jujube. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Starring:
Michelle Rodriguez
 
2004  
PG13  
Add Chasing Liberty to Queue Add Chasing Liberty to top of Queue  
Television director Andy Cadiff turns toward feature films to direct the romantic comedy Chasing Liberty, which appears to be loosely based on the 1953 Audrey Hepburn classic Roman Holiday. Mandy Moore stars as Anna Foster, the 18-year-old daughter of President of the United States James Foster (Mark Harmon). Anna has led quite a privileged life, but she has grown to resist the constant presence of Secret Service agents getting in the way of her independence. While on a family trip to Europe, Anna manages to get away from security for a brief time. She inevitably falls into the romantic arms of British boy Ben Calder (Matthew Goode), with whom she enjoys a fresh and clean European vacation. Not wanting to ruin her fun, she doesn't tell him about her upper-class social status. But, alas, Ben surprises her with a secret identity of his own. Jeremy Piven and Annabella Sciorra play two Secret Service agents. Caroline Goodall plays the wise, conventional First Lady. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi

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Starring:
Mandy MooreMatthew Goode, (more)
 
2008  
 
Add Comic Relief: The Greatest... and the Latest to Queue Add Comic Relief: The Greatest... and the Latest to top of Queue  
Comic Relief: The Greatest... and the Latest features a number of performances by some of the most talented comics of their day performing for a charity that collects money for the homeless. Among the performers who appear on this release are Sarah Silverman, Lewis Black, Jon Stewart, and David Cross. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

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Starring:
Billy CrystalWhoopi Goldberg, (more)
 
1998  
 
In this TV sitcom, Cupid (Jeremy Piven) has lost his touch and is banished from Mount Olympus. To reclaim his position there, he must go to Earth and assume the role of mortal Trevor Hale. Once he brings 100 couples together without the benefit of magic, he can return to Olympus. Naturally, this tale gets him institutionalized. In the course of Hale's extensive therapy, his shrink, Dr. Claire Allen (Paula Marshall), remains skeptical of Hale's bizarre Cupid concept, but even so, she invites him into a singles group, an ideal arena for Hale to begin his difficult assignment. Filmed in Vancouver, this series premiered September 26, 1998 on ABC. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

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Starring:
Jeremy PivenPaula Marshall, (more)
 
1997  
R  
Add Don King: Only In America to Queue Add Don King: Only In America to top of Queue  
This biographical drama about boxing impresario Don King (Ving Rhames) pulls no punches as it uses flashback sequences to trace King's rise from 1954 Cleveland to the present day. Adapted from Jack Newfield's book on King, this film first aired November 15, 1997 on HBO. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

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Starring:
Ving RhamesVondie Curtis-Hall, (more)
 
1995  
PG13  
Add Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde to Queue Add Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde to top of Queue  
Robert Louis Stevenson's classic tale of a man whose scientific meddling has unexpected results gets a cross-gender update in this comedy. Richard Jacks (Tim Daly) is a research scientist trying to work his way up the ladder at a major perfume company when he inherits the notebooks of his great-grandfather, Dr. Henry Jekyll. Fascinated by Jekyll's ideas about the duality of man, Jacks starts performing experiments to refine his potion that would isolate man's good and evil natures. However, Richard's version has a very different result than the old Jekyll formula, instead of turning him into a snarling beast, the drug transforms him into Helen Hyde (Sean Young), a beautiful and powerfully sexy woman with a slight case of nymphomania. Jacks figures that a good looking woman willing to sleep with nearly anyone should have no trouble rising to a position of power within the company, so his alter-ego Helen may be his ticket to a room at the top. But this plan may require a bit of explaining to Jacks' girlfriend, Sarah (Lysette Anthony). The supporting cast includes Polly Bergen, Jeremy Piven, and Harvey Fierstein, who is so awestruck by Helen Hyde's allure that he's rendered heterosexual by the experience. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Starring:
Sean YoungTim Daly, (more)
 
1996  
 
This British romantic drama skewers ivory tower dwellers. It centers on Paul, an American researcher who comes to Oxford with his wife Claire to further their careers. Paul is determined to solve the puzzle of wave particle duality that obsessed Einstein. Claire busily researches her anthropology doctoral thesis. She tries to get Paul to take interest in her and her work, but he is obsessed with his own work and neglects Claire resulting in constant marital turmoil. Things get worse for Paul when the newly appointed department chairman curtails his research funding. To find comfort, he turns to his lovely young assistant, Lucy, who just happens the new department head's daughter. Not long afterward, Paul learns that his research grant is to be canceled and so rallies with an inspirational speech. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

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1994  
 
Comedian Ellen DeGeneres made the jump from standup to television stardom with this hit situation comedy. Ellen (which debuted in 1994 under the short-lived title These Friends of Mine, which lasted for the first 11 episodes) starred DeGeneres as Ellen Morgan, an employee at a book store who each week deals with the misadventures of her oddball friends, including sweet but brassy Paige (Joely Fisher), squeaky-voiced busybody Audrey (Clea Lewis), large-egoed barista Joe (David Anthony Higgins), neurotic photographer Adam (Arye Gross), and her sharp-witted cousin Spence (Jeremy Piven, who joined the cast in the third season). (Two other regulars -- Anita, played by Maggie Wheeler, and Holly, played by Holly Fluger -- vanished without explanation after the first season, doubtless banished to the same dimension where Richie Cunningham's brother Chuck now resides.) In the show's second season, Ellen's parents, Lois (Alice Hirson) and Harold (Steven Gilborn), began dropping by occasionally, and a year later, Ellen went from working at the bookstore to owning Buy the Book. But the show's biggest and most controversial change came later, in season four, when in a special one-hour episode Ellen (like DeGeneres in real life) decided to come out of the closet as a lesbian. After the show's brave fifth season, with Ellen's sexual preference dealt with to some extent in most episodes, Ellen was canceled in 1998 due to declining ratings, though DeGeneres would bounce back with her successful talk show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, in 2003. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Starring:
Ellen DeGeneresJoely Fisher, (more)
 
2004  
 
Like Larry David's Curb Your Enthusiasm, the HBO series Entourage offers a knowing and quasi-satirical inside look at the world of show business within a faux "documentary" format. Premiering July 18, 2004, the series (initially titled "Sundance Kids") top-billed Adrian Grenier as Vincent Chase, a young, wealthy, and very "hot" movie star. As Vincent's hard-working agent, Ari Gold (a character based on real-life agent Ari Emmanuel and here played by Jeremy Piven), tried to keep both his client and his client's career on the right track, Vincent tended to ignore Ari and pay more attention to three buddies from his old Queens neighborhood, who formed the "entourage" of the title. Vincent's stepbrother Johnny (Kevin Dillon), aka "Drama," made no secret of his intention to use Vincent's success to further his own acting career, while his pal Turtle (Jerry Ferrara) was content to parasitically luxuriate in Vincent's lavish lifestyle. Only his friend Eric (Kevin Connolly) seemed to like Vince for himself and not for what he could mooch off him -- and not surprisingly, Eric's advice and remonstrations were frequently ignored in favor of the sycophancy of Vince's other pals. Entourage was co-created and executive-produced by actor Mark Wahlberg, who was one of several A-list celebrities appearing as themselves in the course of the series. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Starring:
Adrian GrenierKevin Dillon, (more)
 
2004  
 
Add Entourage: Season 01 to Queue Add Entourage: Season 01 to top of Queue  
The perks and pressures of sudden stardom weigh heavily upon hot young actor Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier) as the quasi-reality show Entourage begins its first season on HBO. Having skyrocketed to fame with his new picture "Head On," Vince would be well advised to put his future in the hands of his harried, hardworking agent Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven). Instead, Vince tends to let himself be swayed by the self-serving opinions of two of his pals from his old Queens neighborhood: his half-brother "Drama" (Kevin Dillon), who clearly hopes to coast to his own acting career on Vincent's coattails, and his lifelong chum Turtle (Jerry Ferrara), who enjoys luxuriating in Vincent's sumptuous lifestyle without having to do any of the heavy lifting himself. Conversely, Vincent's friend Eric (Kevin Connolly) is not impressed by the trappings of celebrity, and is interested only in making sure that his friend doesn't screw up or ruin his life. In the course of season one's eight episodes, Ari expresses resentment that Vincent listens more to his pals than to him, though he must also curry favor with his client's entourage if he wants to keep his job; Vincent agonizes over his reviews, even the good ones; our hero has a wild time on a talk show hosted by his onetime nemesis Jimmy Kimmel; the boys of the entourage are given a jolt of reality when they meet a onetime popular actor who is now working as a caterer; Vince and company have hissy fits over script revisions that are unsuitable to his "image" (whatever that is); and in a crossover of sorts with another faux "reality" show, Vincent has a meeting with Larry David, the star/creator of Curb Your Enthusiasm. In addition to the aforementioned Jimmy Kimmel and Larry David, a number of "big names" appear in cameo roles during Entourage's first season, beginning with the series' executive producer/co-creator Mark Wahlberg, and continuing with Jessica Alba, David Faustino, Luke Wilson, Gary Busey, and Scarlett Johansson. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Starring:
Adrian Grenier
 
2005  
 
Add Entourage: Season 02 to Queue Add Entourage: Season 02 to top of Queue  
Season Two of Entourage begins just after rising movie star Vince (Adrian Grenier) has returned to Hollywood from New York, where he has starred in "Queen's Boulevard",an independent project dreamed up by his best friend and manager Eric (Kevin Connolly). Quite full of himself at this point, Eric demands that he be given an "official title", which as it turns out has no official duties. Meanwhile, Vince's other best bud Turtle (Jerry Ferrara) continues to be a thorn in everyone's side, and Vince's actor brother Drama (Kevin Dillon) has started getting weird ideas about his body, going so far as to schedule himself for calf transplants. Back in Tinseltown, Vince's agent Ari (Jerry Piven) is trying to land his client the starring gig in an upcoming big-budget blockbuster, "Aquaman", to be directed by James Cameron (playing himself). In anticipation of this plum role, Vince begins spending money like a sailor again, but the deal may be queered when Billy Walsh (Rhys Coiro), temperamental director of "Queen's Boulevard", refuses to allow a pre-release screening of the film for Cameron's benefit. Inevitably, the cash flow is reduced to a trickle, forcing Vince to accept a foreign TV commercial and prompting Turtle to seek out a few quick bucks as an X-boxer. Ultimately, Cameron does cast Vince in "Aquaman"; now our hero must not only win over the millions of comic-book fans who are eagerly awaiting this epic, but must also charm his way into the heart of leading lady Mandy Moore--with whom he ends up falling hopelessly in love. Alas, Ari's chicanery at the talent agency causes him to lose his job. . .and where does that leave Vince? In addition to James Cameron and Mandy Moore, Season 2 also features celebrity cameos by Hugh Hefner, Jaime Pressly, Pauly Shore, Danny Masterson, Ralph Macchio and Brooke Shields. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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2006  
 
Up-and-coming movie star Vince (Adrian Grenier) has good reason to celebrate as Entoruage begins its third season: He has landed the title role in "Aquaman", a megabucks epic directed by Titanic's own James Cameron. Likewise luxuriating in Vince's good fortune are his pals Eric (Kevin Connolly and Turtle (Jerry Ferrara) and his actor brother Drama (Kevin Dillon). The only one not in a celebratory mood is Vince's agent Ari (Jerry Piven), who has been booted from his job at a powerful Hollywood talent agency and is now living a hand-to-mouth existence and working out of an office no bigger than a broom closet. For a while, it looks like Vince will also suffer from a stroke of bad luck when the LA opening of "Aquaman" is repeatedly interrupted by rolling power blackouts. This is the season that Vince adopts a new member of his entourage, an ex-convict named Dom (Domenick Lombardozzi), who promptly comes up with a plan to land Vince the role of a lifetime in the upcoming film "Medelin"--which, alas, would screw our hero out of starring in "Aquaman 2". Meanwhile, Turtle is managing pop singer Saigon and, as usual, is having trouble handling success. Drama is given a shot at TV stardom in his own series, "Five Towns". And after two years of delays, Vince and Eric's independent project "Queen's Boulevard" may finally see the light of day. Unfortunately, once again poor Ari is unable to capitalize on Vince's success, having managed to mess up a proposed film project for The Ramones and subsequently being replaced by new agent Amanda (Carla Gugino)--whose first assignment for Vince is a period drama based on the works of Edith Wharton, not exactly a brilliant career move for the star of "Aquaman." Ultimately, Ari resurfaces out of nowhere with financing for the temporarily-shelved "Medelin", but Vince isn't prepared for the sacrifice he must make to get this job. And while all this is going on, Turtle's fondness for limited-edition sneakers may completely alter the course of his life. Among the celebrities appearing as themselves this season are James Woods, Seth Green, Eric Burns and Pauly Shore. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Starring:
Adrian GrenierKevin Dillon, (more)
 
2007  
 
Add Entourage: Season 04 to Queue Add Entourage: Season 04 to top of Queue  
Sure it would be great to have it all, but at what price? For Vince, Eric, Drama and Turtle, life in Hollywoods fast lane can be an intoxicating ride. In Season Four, in fact, Eric and Vince have taken on new roles as producers. Will their film be hailed as a critical masterpiece, or will it end up on the trash heap of broken Tinseltown dreams?

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Starring:
Adrian GrenierKevin Dillon, (more)
 
2008  
 
Add Entourage: Season 05 to Queue Add Entourage: Season 05 to top of Queue  
The fifth season of the Hollywood satire finds the guys trying to help Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier) pull out of a career free fall after the flop of his film "Medellin." As the season opens, Vince and Turtle (Jerry Ferrara) lay low in tropical paradise, while back in L.A., manager Eric Murphy (Kevin Connolly) and agent Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven) do damage control. Upon his return to Hollywood, Vince sees his situation go from bad to worse as his accountant advises him to file for bankruptcy. Though Vinnie seems to have lost his mojo, things are looking up for Eric, who shops around a promising script written by two rednecks (Giovanni Ribisi, Lukas Haas). But negotiations become tense when the better offer comes from a studio that doesn't want Vince in the film. Meanwhile, Ari takes a big gamble, literally, to help Vince while playing golf with a big-time studio head. And later the cocksure agent contemplates a dramatic career move. Speaking of Drama, Johnny (Kevin Dillon) continues his long-distance romance with Cannes fling Jacqueline (Julia Levy-Boeken), makes a memorable appearance on The View and hires Turtle as his personal assistant. Despite that professional low point, Turtle's personal life improves considerably when he lucks into a seat next to Jamie-Lynn Sigler on a flight back home to Queens, where the boys head to regroup. The season-ending trip reveals whether Vince's star rises again, and discloses one of the series' best-kept secrets: Turtle's real name. Among the celebrities making cameos in Season 5 are Tony Bennett, Phil Mickelson, Whoopi Goldberg, Jeffrey Tambor, Eric Roberts, Peter Berg, and executive producer Mark Wahlberg. ~ Kathy LeSage, Rovi

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Starring:
Adrian GrenierKevin Dillon, (more)
 
 
TVMA  
Add Entourage: Season Three Part 1 [3 Discs] to Queue Add Entourage: Season Three Part 1 [3 Discs] to top of Queue  
Up-and-coming movie star Vince (Adrian Grenier) has good reason to celebrate as Entoruage begins its third season: He has landed the title role in "Aquaman", a megabucks epic directed by Titanic's own James Cameron. Likewise luxuriating in Vince's good fortune are his pals Eric (Kevin Connolly and Turtle (Jerry Ferrara) and his actor brother Drama (Kevin Dillon). The only one not in a celebratory mood is Vince's agent Ari (Jerry Piven), who has been booted from his job at a powerful Hollywood talent agency and is now living a hand-to-mouth existence and working out of an office no bigger than a broom closet. For a while, it looks like Vince will also suffer from a stroke of bad luck when the LA opening of "Aquaman" is repeatedly interrupted by rolling power blackouts. This is the season that Vince adopts a new member of his entourage, an ex-convict named Dom (Domenick Lombardozzi), who promptly comes up with a plan to land Vince the role of a lifetime in the upcoming film "Medelin"--which, alas, would screw our hero out of starring in "Aquaman 2". Meanwhile, Turtle is managing pop singer Saigon and, as usual, is having trouble handling success. Drama is given a shot at TV stardom in his own series, "Five Towns". And after two years of delays, Vince and Eric's independent project "Queen's Boulevard" may finally see the light of day. Unfortunately, once again poor Ari is unable to capitalize on Vince's success, having managed to mess up a proposed film project for The Ramones and subsequently being replaced by new agent Amanda (Carla Gugino)--whose first assignment for Vince is a period drama based on the works of Edith Wharton, not exactly a brilliant career move for the star of "Aquaman." Ultimately, Ari resurfaces out of nowhere with financing for the temporarily-shelved "Medelin", but Vince isn't prepared for the sacrifice he must make to get this job. And while all this is going on, Turtle's fondness for limited-edition sneakers may completely alter the course of his life. Among the celebrities appearing as themselves this season are James Woods, Seth Green, Eric Burns and Pauly Shore. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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1994  
R  
Noted independent film producer Peter McCarthy made his writing and directing debut (Angie Brown served as co-director) with this surreal comedy. John Boyz (James LeGros) is an aimless sad sack who is wandering Los Angeles in the wake of the 1992 riots. John is in an unclear state of mind; he can't find a job (and doesn't really want one), the IRS has confiscated his money, his girlfriend Jessica (Lisa Zane) is sleeping around, he can't figure out what the beautiful but mysterious Elle (Marzita Rivera) wants from him, his drug-addicted brother Jimmy (Ethan Hawke) needs 3,000 dollars for a detox program, and police chief Merryl Fence (Nelson Lyon) is encouraging the citizens of L.A. to kill themselves. A stellar roster of actors and musicians appear in cameo roles, including John Cusack, Steve Buscemi, Billy Bob Thornton, Viggo Mortensen, Jeremy Piven, Dave Navarro, Dave Alvin, and Exene Cervenka. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Starring:
James LeGrosJohn Cusack, (more)