99 Words About … The epic silliness of ‘The Spoils of Babylon’
Imagine producing a sprawling “The Thorn Birds”-style miniseries for roughly $197 and you have a good idea of the spirit of IFC’s “The Spoils of Babylon.”
Presented as the masterpiece of self-described author-producer-actor-writer-director-raconteur-bon vivant-legend-fabulist Eric Jonrosh (Will Ferrell), the only thing epic about the decades-long love affair between Cynthia Morehouse (Kristen Wiig) and her adopted brother, Devon (Tobey Maguire), is its silliness.
Filmed in 93mm Breath-Take-O-Scope from 1976-79*, complete with a Steve Lawrence theme**, its effects are ludicrously chintzy. There’s an undersea steakhouse. For no discernible reason, one character is portrayed by a mannequin.
See all six parts starting at 7:30 p.m. Thursday.
*Not really.
** Yes, really.
— CHRISTOPHER LAWRENCE