Chimpomatic

How To Make It In America

Season 1

HBO

With Entourage winding down after an epic 7 (soon to be 8th and final) seasons, HBO have started to line up it's successor. While the no-money, Lower East Side vibe of aspiring fashion entrepreneurs Ben Epstein and Cam Calderon might seem like a million miles from the valet parking of Vincent Chase's Hollywood, there are many parallels with this East Coast cousin - following the same dreams of success and the high life, just jumping on board at an earlier stage.

Despite the opposing fortunes, lifestyle envy also plays a big part here and while the reality of always being a dollar short might not quite hold the everlasting appeal of having a dollar too much, always knowing the hippest parties and being on first-name terms with every door man in town is something many of us would have loved 15 years ago. Slow motion mixes with flash frame photography and well chosen music to beautifully capture the gritty, exciting world of opportunity of both the Lower East Side and the just-graduated student mentality.

How To Make It In America has that quick-fix vibe that gets you high in 25 minutes and leaves you wanting more. Well-rounded episodes that fly by, but the season arc stays strong and is filled out well with multiple story strands (including a career-best performance from Luis Guzman and Rasta Monsta) all staying as strong as each other, while still building the bigger picture of the show's overall themes and agenda.

Great stuff. Should be back for season 2 later on in 2011.

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1st Jun 2011 - Add Comment - Tweet

X-men: First Class

Not quite 1st class but not 2nd rate. Fassbender & Macavoy have fun w brain powers; Betty Draper: real ice queen.

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31st May 2011

My Morning Jacket

Circuital

A lot more even than Evil Urges, but the title track is the only real stand-out here.

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31st May 2011

The Proposition

Keep forgetting I've seen this dry Australian western from Nick Cave ...which can't be a good sign.

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30th May 2011

Toy Story 3

A final homage as our favorite toys tug the sentimental heartstrings for one last time. Brilliant.

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29th May 2011

Robin Hood

Second, dad-supervised viewing. Some good bits, but both overambitious and under-developed.

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27th May 2011

Eddie Vedder

Ukulele Songs

Fun, one-dimensional album as Eddie jogs through old and new, adding Hawaiian vibes.

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26th May 2011

Iron Man 2

Stupid, lazy, rushed, shapeless, underdeveloped sequel - sacrificing style for pure volume.

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26th May 2011

The Bounty Hunter

Gerard Butler has to get ex-wife/bail jumper Jen Aniston back in custody. Midnight Run it is not.

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20th May 2011

Kurt Vile at Rough Trade East

A little shambolic, while the heavy sound didn't bring the best from Vile's DIY vibe.

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19th May 2011

Blitz

Valiant, star-studded mainstream Brit cop thriller. Well managed, but hampered by cliched, clunky characters.

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17th May 2011

The Way Back

The stellar director and all-star cast can't save this dull wartime road movie, lacking in jeopardy.

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15th May 2011

The Spy Who Came In From The Cold

Compelling Le Carré. R Burton total class. George Smiley cameo: just like Marvel universe .

Halliwell says: The old undercover yarn with all the trimmings of such sixties malaises as death wish, anti-establlishmentism and racial problems. As a yarn, quite gripping till it gets too downbeat, but very harshly photographed.**

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15th May 2011

The Bounty Hunter

Aniston on the run. Gerard Butler as Mel Gibson. V 80s inflight trash .

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15th May 2011

Girls

Broken Dreams Club

Had this for ages but cant stop listening to it. Carolina is endlessly appealing. Perfect

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12th May 2011