All posts by Amanda Broyles

Amanda is amazing. Amanda is spectacular. Amanda is humble. Amanda is also a full time college student so take pity on her and don't complain when her TV reviews aren't up immediately following an episode.

Then They Came For Me or How Jon Stewart is Spending His Summer Vacation…

There’s just something about Jon Stewart. Women love him and men want to be him. Outside of a few MTV projects early in his career, it seems as if everything Stewart has touched has turned to gold. He’s taken the idea of “comedic news” and made for himself an empire; an empire that has millions of rabidly loyal followers. When it was announced earlier this year that he would be taking a longer than usual hiatus from The Daily Show this summer you’d have thought he had simultaneously maimed a thousand puppies. Of course once people read beyond the headline, his star shined even brighter.

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In 2009, Maziar Bahari, an Iranian-Canadian reporter, gave an interview with Daily Show correspondent Jason Jones. In that interview Jones took on a persona of an American spy, albeit the worst American spy in history. In June of 2009, Bahari was arrested in Iran for espionage. A key bit of evidence against him? The Daily Show interview. Bahari went on to write a book, Then They Came For Me, based on his imprisonment in Iran. Jon Stewart optioned the book and is making it a movie, writing the screenplay and directing it which is why he is taking the summer off from The Daily Show. 

Just when you think he can’t get any more amazing, he goes on and does just that.

So what would it take to get Jon Stewart to handle all our diplomatic relations? Well spoken, gracious, funny, introspective… does he at least have spinach in his teeth or something? Probably not. Talking with Bassem Youssef, a man described as “the Jon Stewart of Egypt” he made a point to comment on the role of satire and comedy in a democracy. Youssef was arrested earlier this year for allegedly insulting Islam and the Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi. It was likely that situation which Stewart was referring to when he said:

JON-STEWART-BASSEM-YOUSSEF
“If your regime is not strong enough to handle a joke, then you don’t have a regime.”

Jon Stewart will return to The Daily Show in August.

Copper – The Best Show You Aren’t Watching – Returns Tonight

If you haven’t watched season 1 of BBC America’s Copper, then you have truly been missing out. Following the story of Kevin Corcoran, an Irish immigrant who is a detective in the New York neighborhood of Five Points, Copper is a lot like Law and Order if Law and Order was set in the 1860’s with more bloody violence and a lot more sex. Actually Law and Order looks like a PBS Kids show compared to Copper which is not a bad thing.

While Tom Weston-Jones as Kevin Corcoran, aka ‘Corky’, is the main character, he is surrounded by a host of differing personalities that each bring their own version of dysfunction to the party. Kyle Schmidt (who took at turn on Arrow as a member of The Royal Flush Gang) is Robert Morehouse, the well-to-do son of an industrialist who happened to be an officer in the Union Army who served as Corky’s superior.  My favorite character, Matthew Freeman, who served with Corky under Morehouse, is played by the talented Ato Essandoh. Anastasia Griffith and Franka Potente (Run Lola Run) play two characters that couldn’t be more different and yet more alike if they tried; the former being the wife of Morehouse and the latter a very business savy brothel madam.

That pretty much sums up season one. It ends up with Corky, in a dark dark place. He’s been looking for his wife all this time, only to find out some not so great news on that end, not to mention his job really sucks. If I dealt with dead almost baby prostitutes right off the bat at the beginning of my TV show I’d probably turn to something mind-altering as well. The second season picks up four months later and brings in some new friends, most notably, Donal Logue as General Brandon Donovan.

If little trailers of season two just aren’t enough for you and you can’t possibly wait a couple of hours to get a look at the season premiere, then you are in luck because BBC America has released the first three minutes of tonight’s show. If it’s any indication of the coming season, we are in for a wild ride.

Copper returns tonight at 10/9 central on BBC America.

It’s a Birdman movie! No, not that Birdman.

Michael Keaton has been a little quiet in recent years but that’s all about to change with not only the Robocop but also a dark comedy called Birdman. Now I say it isn’t the Birdman of Hanna-Barbara fame, but no one really knows. All we have to go off if the logline so far…

[quote]A washed up actor who once played an iconic superhero must overcome his ego and family trouble as he prepares to mount a Broadway play in a bid to reclaim past glory.[/quote]

Could the “iconic superhero” be the Birdman? Could he even be Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law? Unlikely, but how awesome would that be? What we do know is Michael Keaton plays the lead role of Riggan Thomson, washed up actor. Surrounding him is a host of talented actors including Edward Norton (who also took a turn as a superhero back in the day), Naomi Watts, Zach Galifinakis, and Emma Stone. While the casting is impressive, the man behind the camera ain’t too shabby himself.

Birdman

Alejandro González Iñárritu has a resume that speaks for itself. His 2006 film, Babel, which he wrote and directed, same as Birdman, was nominated for two Oscars as well as winning a host of various festival and awards show prizes, not the least of which was a Best Picture Golden Globe. While he himself wasn’t nominated for an Oscar for 2003’s 21 Grams, two of the actors (Naomi Watts and Benicio Del Toro) were so he’s no stranger to winning.

Could Birdman be the Academy Award winning vehicle that has alluded Michael Keaton for so many years? Granted he hasn’t made a career out of “Oscar worthy” films but there have been plenty of times he could have been given a nod, Batman or Beetlejuice come to mind. Given Iñárritu’s proclivity for directing award winners, there’s a good chance we might see Mr. Mom up on stage come awards season.

Even though Birdman is listed as in post-production, there hasn’t been a lot seen of this movie. As a matter of fact there is just a few pictures of filming that have only been published in the last few weeks. Hopefully as they move further along the production process we’ll get a better glimpse of Birdman and find out just exactly who we’re dealing with.

Birdman does not yet have a firm release date, but is expected sometime in 2014.

TV News Roundup: Arrested Development, Kenny Powers, and James Gandolfini

Howdy, howdy! It’s about that time again, time for a TV News Roundup! We’ll find all the news that’s fit for print out in the world of television today and bring it to you in one nice neat package. Without further adieu, let’s get to it!

Continue reading TV News Roundup: Arrested Development, Kenny Powers, and James Gandolfini

Don’t Brick Yourself – The Lego Movie Trailer Is Here

I am a huge fan of Lego. It doesn’t matter what form – the bricks themselves, Lego board games, Lego video games, Lego keychain flashlight, Lego thumbdrive… I’m a fan of it all. So it should come as no surprise that when the Lego Movie was announced, I was beside myself with excitement. Now? Well now I’m so giddy I can barely type because The Lego Movie has a trailer and it is awesome!

If a Lego movie itself wasn’t awesome enough, the voices behind the characters are certainly a group that demands attention. Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman, Nick Offerman, Elizabeth Banks, Will Ferrell, Allison Brie, Will Arnett, and a man who is having a pretty good run here lately, Chris Pratt as the main character Emmett.

My first reaction was “love the inclusion of the DC Comics characters” because unlike some people (pretty much every other GB staffer – I am alone on my Lego love island), I adore the Lego games especially the Batman versions. After watching the trailer a couple of times, the best part of this movie is the stop motion type of animation they’ve used that is, I’d imagine, an homage to the thousands of fan made videos through the years using stop motion. They could have easily gone with a “smoother” looking animation but it’s nice to see a nod to the Lego fans like that.

Sadly, we have awhile to wait as the movie isn’t set for release until 2014, but I’m sure there will be plenty more trailers and images put out before then and you best believe I’ll be at the ready waiting to bring them to you!

Will Arnett as Batman The Lego Movie

Chris Pratt as Emmett The Lego Movie

Wonder Woman The Lego Movie

The Lego Movie poster

Netflix Goes To Prison With ‘Orange is the New Black

In 2004, Piper Kerman went to prison. In 2011, she wrote a book about it. Now, in 2013, Netflix is bringing that book to life with a new series called Orange is the New Black. It’s still a few weeks out, premiering on July 11th, but a trailer has been released.

Continue reading Netflix Goes To Prison With ‘Orange is the New Black