Likewise, characters are constantly drinking, smoking and popping pills in almost every scene. One sequence stands out in particular where Jonas gives Devon a compass with a verbose inscription that Devon reads aloud for paragraphs on end, each passing line adding to the silliness. Not a scene goes by without one big gag to offset the melodrama. Maguire, Robbins and Wiig fully commit to the absurdity of their parts too. Hazy, distorted montages and black-and-white news reels are also used to progress the story. A timely musical score heightens the pastiche with sweeping orchestral cues and kitschy interludes. The sets are also flat and overly produced, enhancing the overall facetious effect. Exteriors are established with miniatures and tiny vehicles pulled along by strings off-camera. In the first two episodes - airing back-to-back Thursday - Spoils makes its mark almost immediately with an intentionally low-budget style that should feel familiar to aficionados of old event serials and movies. Soon, Devon develops an affection for Jonas' daughter Cynthia (Kristen Wiig) and endures a torrid romance with his "sister" over the next half century. The story begins in Denton, Texas in 1931 when a young orphan Devon (Tobey Maguire) is taken in by an impoverished oilman Jonas Morehouse (Tim Robbins). "The end result is nothing less than a masterpiece," comments Jonrosh. Here he explains his arduous journey in creating and financing his long-dormant passion project The Spoils of Babylon, and offers little tidbits about the cast and production. Executive produced by Will Ferrell and his Anchorman cohort Adam McKay, this is a star-studded comedy that's presented under the guise of a never-before-seen six-part epic authored and introduced by Eric Jonrosh, a smug, Orson Welles-type entrepreneur played by Ferrell.įerrell, as Jonrosh, opens and closes each episode, sitting cozy in an empty dining hall surrounded by film paraphernalia and no less than three glasses of wine at a time. Debuting Thursday night, IFC's The Spoils of Babylon is a spoof of the grand-scale miniseries that were prevalent in the 1970s and '80s - QB VII, North and South, The Thorn Birds and Rich Man, Poor Man, to name a few.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |