Anyone catch the premiere of Dirt last night on FX? It didn’t suck nearly as much as the NYT’s review led me to fear. Though the “schizophrenia” of the photographer I suspect is badly written and misleading (any schizophrenics or friends-of care to weigh in?). And the OD’d actress and car crash didn’t upset me neatrly as much as the cat dying.
Courtney “Skeletor” Cox was pretty good, as was most of the supporting cast, and the design and cinematography were nicely expensive and just on the verge of hilariously overwrought. Anyway, enough to keep me watching for a few episodes.
I caught this during a bout with insomnia at 1 am this morning. I was pleasantly surprised, too.
I like that they will not only follow the lives of the magazine employees, but also the celebrities and the love/hate relationship they have with the tabloids. Courtney Cox was able to wrestle herself away from the Monica Gellar character to be able to play a Heather-Locklear-on-Melrose-Place role.
A little more surprising was the sex scene with the implied strap-on. There was more nudity than I expected–even for cable.
I didn’t see it all, but I thought they’re making a mistake with Cox’s character. From what I saw, they’re trying to make her ruthless in the office (previewing the girlfriend’s home video) and a little fluffy teddy bear outside of it (when the photog showed up at the end.) If they keep to this, I think her character will be separated from reality before the end of the first season.
I’m sorry, but I thought it was pretty bad. And when I say pretty bad I mean cheesy enough to turn in next week for the ick factor. Yeah, I’m pathetic.
And what does it say about me when the only character I felt sympathy for is the poor cancer ridden kitty cat?
I don’t think Cox’s character and reality are all that well acquainted to begin with. Nice subtle last name she’s got there: “Spiller.”
I’m of two minds about the show. On the one hand, the moral lessons it’s trying to drum into our heads via the actor are about as nuanced as a fire alarm, but I do like how his act of betrayal is leading to horrible consequences for everyone around him but he’s walking away without a (physical) scratch.
If the musician that she’s boning sticks around I hope she makes him cut that godawful hair.
The pappanutzo (I made that up) has potential but a very little of his schtick goes a very long way. I was highly amused by the musical pill bottles though.
It was a male in the doggy-style position receiving the strap-on from a female that was paid by the magazine to have sex with him so they could get pictures. It was shades of Frank Gifford and the National Enquirer.
I don’t know about you, but I’m trying to figure out who the characters are loosely based on and I see this guy as Ryan Phillippe and his girlfriend as Reese Witherspoon. She’s the star and his career has crapped out.
Oops, I should have been more fortcoming in the previous post. Here goes.
The idiot movie star who had what , six or seven duds in a row? Hello? Try TV. Soap operas are a good breeding ground for talent. Someone will pick up on it if you have it. Selling out friends and aquantainces is never a good idea. Sex videos, however, can be parlayed into a mondo career boost.
Chick who got preggers by a big star? This was hard to follow. Was he a big star?
Even so, have the baby if you want it, catholic guilt not withstanding. What a big booming media busting hooplah you would have then. Sheesh, think about the money , bitch. You could raise your child as if she were Madonna’s. But, yeah why do that when you can coke yourself into oblivion.
The last act, that basketball star, seemed odd. I don’t know who that actor was, but he looked like a white guy in black face. I’m sure no one in TV network land would do that but it sure seemed that way. I hope I’m wrong about this.
Oh, and the big denouement: has been goes crazy and tries to drive him and his wife off the road. Yeah, big guy, you’re sleazy, real sleazy. Please explain why you wanted to kill your wife when she has done nothing but love and support you? Hero? no, thanks.
Yeah, but he was described as being a good actor in a series of poorly received films. If he’s supposed to pastiche a good actor, it ain’t Ryan Phillipe.
For whatever reason he didn’t want to do the TV he was offered (“Dancing with the Stars”). The sex video wasn’t him. It was his woman (not sure if they’re married or not) and the leading man from her last film (who we saw at the premiere).
He was an independent film director (they hooked up after a retrospective of his work). I got the impression that she was profoundly embarrassed at the idea of having had sex with him at all, which was coloring her preceptions quite a bit. Plus she was slated to start that film and a pregnancy could have caused problems with that.
Oh, but that was just the best part! As I said, I just love the notion that this guy is doing all these enormously self-destructive things and coming out of them completely unscathed. It would be hilarious if they continued that to just an absurd degree. Actor boy slashes his wrists and the rescue worker slips in the blood and actor boy saves him. Actor boy tries to hang himself from a tree and accidentally saves a kitten trapped up it. Every ridiculous self-destructive thing he does boomerangs and he becomes a huger and huger star because of all the publicity.
Courtney Cox’s character is loosely based on infamous editor Bonnie Fuller. I’ve written for her, and she really is unbearable. No one who works for her can utter her name without involuntarily rolling their eyes.
I figure the diddling sports star was supposed to be a Kobe Bryant character, and oddly, the pregnant Catholic a throwback to poor Lupe Velez, who died under the same circumstances.
I hope everyone gets more and more horrible and hateful, I love that kind of show. And yes, bartender boy really needs a haircut, badly.
Yeah, this would be uber cool if it was played as satire. Sadly , I don’t think they mean to do this. It seems the creators want us to buy this as an unabashed drama and I refuse to give it such credence. This is ham handed cheese on a good day, and tripe if you’re not of like mind. I cannot recommend the pilot but I will reserve further comments until the next episode.
I watched it and I can’t get past Courtney Cox in that role. She simply isn’t believable, and she struck me as the worst element of the show. Plus I’m having trouble following her emotional cues, since the botox has rendered her facial expressions nonexistent.
Did anyone else notice right away that the cat was animatronic? C’mon, at least use a real cat. I had trouble getting attached to Toonces.
And the funniest part of the show for me was that she drives a Pontiac Solstice. Uh-huh.
Late to the party - finally watched most of the pilot last night during an insomnia spell, and it cleared it right up! I ended up being pushed into boredom by the overwhelming edginess of it all. I made it through about 45 minutes, and I’ll finish it up tonight.
I just have one question - did the pregnant chick (who is way too Catholic for abortion yet is fine with ingesting every chemical known to man while pregnant) actually say she was sorry she “threw a bang” at the director? I could have sworn I heard her say that. Is that some new slang I’m not aware of, or a ridiculously out of touch writer trying to cram in more edginess? If so, that writer needs to give up and start working on Quaker Oats commercials.
