As the congenial host of this popular Independent Film Channel talk show series about the behind-the-scenes of the entertainment industry, writer-director-actor Jon Favreau (Swingers, Made, Elf) achieves easy credibility with his diverse quartets of dinner guests, all of whom bring their own spice to the table. Of course, a certain degree of self-censorship and diplomacy is to be expected, but Favreau encourages candor and free-flowing dialogue as his celebrity guests enjoy fine dining in trendy Los Angeles and New York City restaurants (all of which are detailed in a bonus feature). The series' ignore-the-camera concept allows guests to loosen up and reveal the inner workings of their craft, primarily (but not exclusively) from the perspective of acting, and this often results in anecdotes you won't hear anywhere else. Ranging from 22 to 40 minutes in length, each of these 10 first-season (2001-02) episodes offers memorable highlights, with guests including Famke Janssen, Peter Falk, Vince Vaughn, Marilyn Manson (parental alert!), the late Rod Steiger, and Garry Shandling. The entire series has an irresistible fly-on-the-wall allure, dispensing with the regimented phoniness of publicity-driven interviews, and capturing revealing, non-verbal exchanges between the guests (who may or may not know or like one another, and whose expressions speak volumes about themselves and those around them). These are real people with real quirks and foibles, and that makes them all the more endearing. DVD extras include the option to view onscreen text commentary, deleted segments, and outtakes. Recommended. (J. Shannon)
Dinner for Five: The Complete First Season
Wellspring, 2 discs, 314 min., not rated, DVD: $29.98 Volume 20, Issue 1
Dinner for Five: The Complete First Season
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