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In the Media: The Blogs Must Be Crazy

Fremde Frau

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Fremde Frau

Fremde Frau

TDS gets a lot of press, so I hope it is all right to start this topic, for general articles that are unrelated to specific episodes.

 

"Why Jon Stewart is more important to conservatives than Bill O'Reilly," by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the Los Angeles Register.

Conservatives are in trouble. They’re losing members faster than I lost my hair in the ’80s.

 

Among baby boomers (born 1946-64) and Gen Xers (born 1965-1980), the difference in numbers between Democrats and Republicans was a few percentage points. Among Millennials (born after 1981), however, the gap is much larger: 55 percent are Democrats and 36 percent are Republicans – 19 percentage points. And that gap is growing wider.

 

While liberals may think that’s good news, I don’t. Our country is better off having intelligent, compassionate and articulate people who disagree in order to keep each other in check and force us to come up with better ideas.

 

The problem conservatives face is that they have no adequate champion to ride out and joust with their liberal opponent, Jon Stewart. Instead, they’ve been hoisting Bill O’Reilly into the saddle, duct-taping a lance under his arm, and slapping the butt of his noble steed, sending him galloping into battle.

 

...

 

How is it then that Jon Stewart, with a million fewer viewers, is more important to conservatives than Bill O’Reilly?

 

The short answer is that Jon Stewart is a convincing and energetic recruiter for his political agenda while Bill O’Reilly is more like Stuart Smalley, Al Franken’s character on “Saturday Night Live,” assuring his audience that their political agenda “is good enough, smart enough, and doggone it, people like it.”

 

Stewart converts; O’Reilly placates.

 

...

 

Stewart has proven that news and political agendas can be delivered in a clever, entertaining, intelligent and informative package that neither panders nor is condescending to its audience.

 

Conservatives, take note.

 

Among other things, I'm guessing this is why Fox gave Megyn Kelly her own show during prime time, why she doesn't respond to Daily Show criticism directly (like last December with the Santa story), and why she tries to put forth that Jon respects her above most other journalists. Sadly, it seems to be working for Fox. [Kelly's ratings, for reference.]

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ABay
ABay

Wait...is this story implying that Jon Stewart is actually...human? Well, I for one am shocked. Shocked and stunned.

Soobs
Soobs

To me this dust up really points out the problem with the lack of diversity in a lot of writer's rooms. No one should be made to feel like they have to speak up for their gender, race or sexuality bec

Fremde Frau
Fremde Frau

So, this is something that happened today:  

Fremde Frau

Fremde Frau

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maculae, yes, it's him. Here is his twitter. It's his topmost tweet at the moment.

 

I think he rather misses the big picture by focusing on Jon as the "opponent," but I realize that's not anything new. Well, it's relatively new to me, a new viewer since last October, but I guess you guys have been watching TDS and seeing this stuff for many years. When I first started reading reactions online, it took me aback that pundits and other voices on the right would frame Jon as a hired hitman for the left. It's still unbelievable to me when some rightwing blog posts one of his criticisms of Obama as though it's never happened before, or they'll say, "And tomorrow, he'll go back to defending Obama," as though he's supposed to harp on the same thing for months or years, like Fox. I suppose he's too easy a scapegoat to ignore.

 

Too bad for them that the problem is an internal one. Republican policies and ideology are alienating younger generations, not some blowhard on television and his TV husband and weekend squash partner, Jon Stewart. I know one thing: my own life here in Georgia would have been 100x better if only I'd known of this show and Colbert back in the Bush years. I felt completely alienated and isolated, and it wasn't the result of some comedian's political agenda.

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Fremde Frau

Fremde Frau

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I can't edit my post above, so I am adding this here.

 

The 2015 Awards Race: Best Picture contenders

 

7. Rosewater – Jon Stewart’s directorial debut would seem like a frontrunner if it weren’t for the comic newsman being the one at the helm. If his lead actor Gael Garcia Bernal starts receiving some big notices, that would be a big boon to this film’s hopes. More than anything else though, it just comes down to how good of a writer/director Stewart is. I have a hunch that he’s more than up to the task.

 

The film itself and Gael Garcia Bernal seem to be getting good buzz. Bernal also had an interview not far back that included some questions about Rosewater.

 

There’s so much attention on that project. It must have been really interesting to back away from all that during the production.

 

Yeah, man—and, also, Jon is a great guy, a lovely guy, really intelligent.

 

Was there anything that was surprising to you about working with him giving that you had a different relationship to him as a TV personality?

 

It’s very surprising that he holds the character of Jon Stewart really well. It’s him, but he holds it all the time. It’s the tiredness and everything. He keeps on pulling it around on set. He’s hilarious and sensitive and makes everyone feel really comfortable. He’s really thankful as well. He feels very lucky. I don’t how he managed because he went from finishing to it straight into the TV program and editing it. That was insane.

Edited by Fremde Frau
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eejm

eejm

(edited)

Bill O'Reilly and Howard Kurtz think Jon and Stephen's days are numbered. (forgetting to note that Stephen will be leaving his show at the end of the year)

 

I hope they make fun of them just before the two week break.

 

Oh Bill.  Bill Bill Bill.  As long as people like you continue your condescending, grumpy old man of a show, Jon will continue to flourish.  And even if you aren't there, he still has Hannity, Jim Cramer, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Tucker Carlson, Joe Scarborough, etc., etc., etc., to bounce off of.  And even if Fox News magically goes away tomorrow, I STILL think TDS is strong enough in its segments that have nothing to do with Fox News that will keep it going.  It's been going for fifteen years rather strong, and I even know a few well-educated, not batshit-crazy conservatives who appreciate Jon's take on world affairs.  He and TDS have become an institution, pure and simple.  They don't die easily.

 

Bill secretly loves Jon.  He knows it.  We can all see it when they appear on each other's shows.  Bill just doesn't want to love Jon.  

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Julia

Julia

(edited)

For some perspective, after Newt Gingrich left his last wife for his current wife, Howard Kurtz announced that everyone in Washington knew Newt was taking advantage of the friendliness of a long series of young ladies, some of whom (like his current wife) owed their jobs to him, but they chose not to talk about it because it wasn't relevant to his job - during the impeachment hearings. Being on Bill O'Reilly is actually intellectual upward mobility for Howard Kurtz. 

 

As for Bill, the only way he gets viewers who aren't eligible for AARP is two guys on Comedy Central mocking his stupidity. That's gotta sting a bit.

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Fremde Frau

Fremde Frau

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I stumbled across this today, in Star News Online: "Film industry leaders fire back against McCrory's claims of 'abuse' of incentive program."

 

Speaking to the StarNews editorial board last week, [North Carolina Governor] McCrory said the state paid Comedy Central $400,000 to cover the convention as part of its satirical "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" news program.

 

But an analysis of audit records shows the production received $190,211 from the incentive after spending $760,846.

 

Though McCrory didn't mention it, "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" that same year spent $467,954 and got back $116,989.

 

...

 

But on the heels of McCrory's visit to Wilmington last week, EUE/Screen Gems Studios Executive Vice President Bill Vassar said in a statement: "There has been no abuse of the film incentive."

 

There is more from the film industry, but I didn't want to quote it all. (Here is some more information on McCrory working with the film industry in NC. I believe the formal invitation that Vasser sent him at the end of that article is the one that he declined, which prompted this story on his criticism of TDS.) It seems like, whether or not the overall issue with incentives is coming from a genuine place, he's trying to discredit TDS for political reasons. I don't want to automatically assume that a Republican is being a partisan liar and that TDS couldn't have done anything wrong just because I like the show and hate the GOP, but the information doesn't seem to back his claims. The fact that he mentions The Daily Show and not Late Night (which would theoretically be a bigger, weightier, more visible name to throw out there) seems to be motivated by politics rather than the issue itself.

 

In other news: J. R. Havlan, the writer who just retired after 18 years at TDS, had a brief Q&A with The Hollywood Reporter. I loved the picture of all of the writers, and it was nice to hear another perspective on how Jon handled the transition after taking over for Kilborn, since there are mixed (and largely anonymous) reports on that. (I'd never seen that photograph of Bush with Misty May-Treanor. How awkward was that?)

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Fremde Frau

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The Daily Beast: How Jon Stewart Made It Okay to Care About Palestinian Suffering, by Dean Obeidallah

 

When I interviewed The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart two years ago for a documentary I co-directed, The Muslims Are Coming! one of the questions I posed to the talk show host was: Do you think your show has had an impact on issues? 

 

Surprisingly, Stewart responded “no.”  At first, my co-director, Negin Farsad, and I thought Stewart was being unduly modest.  But he was actually being sincere. Stewart went on to list issues he had railed against for years—such as media sensationalism—and noted that nothing tangible had changed despite his best efforts.

 

But if that question were put to Stewart today, honesty would compel him to answer that his efforts have changed the way many who follow him now view one issue: The Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Specifically, Stewart has raised awareness about the human toll that this conflict has inflicted upon Palestinian civilians.

...

And I’ve personally seen Stewart’s impact on the young people I meet at colleges when performing the comedy show “Stand up for Peace” with my friend Scott Blakeman, who is Jewish. Time and time again I hear from students that “The Daily Show” has informed them about political issues, including the Middle East.

...

The seeds Stewart has planted over the years have taken root and are starting to blossom. And here’s why that’s a good thing for all. Stewart’s message is truly one of empathy—something often missing in discussions of this conflict. Too often, people view this contest as a zero sum game where even the slightest acknowledgment that the other side is suffering is an attack upon their own side.

 

I've been wondering what approach Jon will take with Gaza and Israel this week, seeing as it will be nearly impossible to avoid talking about it. So many people, not only in the media but regular people who are sympathetic with Gaza or sympathetic with Israel or sympathetic with the whole situation, are waiting to see what he says.

 

EDIT: I stumbled across a link to this 2009 interview (extended part 1, part 2) with Anna Baltzer and Mustafa Barghouti. I was so impressed by how Jon handled that interview, not only his respect for both interviewees and for the subject matter itself but also for the audience member who called out. He didn't dismiss the moment as a joke or ignore it but saw it as an articulation of the emotions involved in the conflict. That was really beautifully done.

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solotrek

solotrek

(edited)

I don't know why saying that you're "for" the Palestianian people is often taken as being "for" a group like Hamas.  Were people this close minded when people were talking about supporting the Iraqi or Afghani people?  People seemed to be able to make a distinction between civilians and non-civilians there, why not in this conflict?  Do people seriously look at pictures of children being killed in Gaza and think, "good"? That's what it kind of looks like - that Israeli civilian lives are somehow worth more than Palestinian ones.  I don't get it. Why are the civilians here being grouped in with the radicals in this conflict, especially by the media?

 

From the article that @FremdeFrau posted - Does a person simply agreeing that civilians=/=radicals and we should feel bad for the innocent civilians mean that Selena Gomez should get TMZ bullying and Jon Stewart is a self-loathing Jew?  They say it's knee-jerk to feel bad for the Palestinian people, but isn't it more knee jerk to automatically back your Allies killing innocent civilians?

 

Can someone just explain this to me like I'm 5 in a PM so we don't clog this board up?

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ABay

ABay

Ford should get a trademark on that phrase. It could fund his habit and the inevitable mega-meltdown followed by an extravagantly tasteless funeral.

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Fremde Frau

Fremde Frau

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Oh, sweet! I had missed that. His work is so beautiful; I can't wait to hear what he composed for Maziar Bahari's story.
 
(How had I also missed that Jon was the sole screenwriter? Now I'm caught between being excited about the music and nervous for Jon. Argh!)
 
EDIT: First look by Entertainment Weekly.

“It may not be what people expect from me; it’s not a comedy,” the host says of the film, which stars Gael García Bernal as Bahari and Shohreh Aghdashloo as his mother. “I hope people view it for what it is—a love letter to expression and the importance of it. It’s everything.”

 
EDIT 2: Harry Knowles (of Ain't It Cool News) likes the script:

First Images from Jon Stewart's Directorial Debut ROSEWATER! http://www.aintitcool.com/node/68237  Script on this is AMAZING! I believe in Jon Stewart!


(Do we need a separate thread for Rosewater news?)

 

Meanwhile:

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Fremde Frau

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Here is a short EW interview with Jon on Rosewater. (It includes a rather nice image of him that I hadn't seen before.) Below are some quotes that I enjoyed.

 

When did you first meet Maziar Bahari?
It was after he got out [of prison] and came on the show. We became friendly and started having breakfast whenever he was in town. He told me he was writing this book. Unfortunately, in this line of work you read more than your fair share of I’ve-been-imprisoned-in-another-country-for-merely-reporting autobiographies. But this was incredible. Maziar is an incredibly warm, intelligent, and sort of sparkly fella who has an ability to maintain his sense of humor. He was able to stand back and observe his own situation and feel the absurdity of it, and that allowed him to not lose his mind.
 
I hear you asked J.J. Abrams and Ron Howard for their opinions of your screenplay.
Yes, I did. They were both awfully gracious. Basically, I would ask anybody who came on the show who is in the business, “While you’re sitting here, would you mind…” [Laughs] I was that dick in a coffee shop with a script.

Why did you cast Gael García Bernal as Bahari?
Knowing Maziar made casting him more difficult. He’s got an elfin quality of mischief that Gael, when he read for the role, really captured. It’s difficult to retain a sense of that while in solitary confinement. I asked Maziar, “How would you feel about Gael playing you?” [Imitates Bahari] “I do not know if he’s handsome enough to play me.”
 
Last December, an Iranian TV show called you a CIA Zionist spy.
Apparently that is the case. [Laughs] Look, I don’t ever forget how fortunate I am. To be able to express displeasure or discomfort with the powers that be is a luxury not afforded to people in other countries. In some ways, this movie is a love letter to being able to express yourself.

Do you want to keep directing films?
It depends on who else I can get arrested.


ETA: This link has an additional image of Gael García Bernal in the role.

 

In other news: the Mets accepted their ALS ice bucket challenge from the Jets and, in turn, challenged the Mets broadcast team and Jon.

Edited by Fremde Frau
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alexvillage

alexvillage

I read that Jon's movie will be shown in Telluride first, then Toronto

 

"On the flip side, Jean-Marc Vallée’s “Wild,” which stars Reese Witherspoon on a lonely hike on the Pacific Crest Trail and is to be released in December by Fox Searchlight, appears likely to grace Telluride, as does Jon Stewart’s “Rosewater,” about the trials of an imprisoned Iranian-Canadian journalist, set for release later this year by Open Road Films. Neither is called a “world premiere” on the Toronto schedule, signaling that each film will have played elsewhere — most likely Telluride — before showing up in Canada."

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Fremde Frau

Fremde Frau

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For @Victor the Crab and anyone else in the Toronto area: here is some more information on Jon's appearance at the Toronto International Film Festival. Apparently, he will have a "Mavericks" conversation onstage at 3:15pm on Sunday, September 7th.

 

(I wish everyone who can attend a wonderful time!)

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The Luvly Junkie

The Luvly Junkie

Ooohh, sweet, Fremde! This ALS Bucket Challenge has been going on too long, it was completely off my radar Jonny-bun Stewart hasn't been called out until NOW! I'm just hoping he can respond, heck he could even do the Ice Bucket Challenge when they go back on air Tuesday (OR BETTER YET, @ THE EMMYs (if he's gonna show up))

IDK, if he wants to nominate someone, I'm hoping he can bring the rest of his correspondents and writers to complete the challenge. Well everyone but Jason Jones, maybe. 

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solotrek

solotrek

(edited)

Not going to lie, I think TDS has done a really great job recently rectifying the M:F guest ratio situation in recent years. They've had all male weeks, but they've also had all female weeks. So using the past 45 guests as an example doesn't quite work because of aberrations like that. The writer should use a year or twos worth of data to make a point. If we were to assume that it normalizes to something like 60:40, that's actually a pretty expected ratio to see in the professional world as well. When the writer was mentioning people of color, they were upset about the lack of African Americans. But TDS seems to have a significantly higher number of Arabs/Middle Easterners on the show than any other show of it's ilk, there's no mention of that.  It seems like a weird picking random data points that they use to fit their argument. I'm sure you could take the same data and say how both shows are ageist as well because I noticed that there is a real lack of under 30's guests. Or you could complain about the ratio of Christian guests vs. Jewish guests. Heck, as a Chinese-American female, I could complain about the lack of those on both shows.

 

Also about the correspondents on the show - they may have added only 1 female in the past 4 years (which isn't true because Sarah Vowell was oddly a correspondent for an episode, don't know why). But if you consider the full time group - those who aren't on leave working on another project, it's 3:2 (Jason Jones, Jordan Klepper, Michael Che - Samantha Bee, Jessica Williams), that's also the diversity ratio of the show as well. Once you factor in the contributors and the people who are on leave (Kristen Shaal, Al Madrigal, Aasif Mandvi, John Hodgeman, Larry Wilmore, Lewis Black) - the M;F ratio does look grim, 8:3. But the diversity of the show skyrockets. Clearly they need to add an Asian female. Which they did at one point, and it pissed people off because she was "hot". I mean she was terrible as well, but so was Josh Gad. But when you hire a woman who sucked, she was hired because of her looks, if you hire a guy who sucked it's because it wasn't the right place for him. I think Jessica Williams is pretty attractive, but because she's good, no one is after her hiring. It's all just strange to me.

 

My point is, I may have raised an eyebrow back in the day about TDS guests. But TBH, I think they've really changed course and done a much better job.  I also think especially since all the things that have happened with Bassem Yousef and Maziar Bahari, Jon's taken a real interest in the Middle East/Arab world and we're seeing that with the guests who have been on the show.

Edited by maculae
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alexvillage

alexvillage

I agree with some of your points. About the correspondents, I don't think it is the show's "fault". It could be a mix of availability, talent, or a number of other factors. But I don't excuse the show too much because, as it is true for every other show out there, it is a white boy's club, and the woman, the arab, the asian, that latino, the back (using "the" on purpose) are token participants. I have a feeling that Jon actively goes after middle eastern people, maybe because he is interested in middle eastern affairs, or in how to "educate" people about the culture, if you will, or because he is very smart in marketing himself.

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trow125

trow125

Not going to lie, I think TDS has done a really great job recently rectifying the M:F guest ratio situation in recent years.

 

 

Agreed - next week's guests are 2/3 female (Ramita Navai & Rory Kennedy). And I think the correspondent thing is irrelevant today, because to say they "only" have two female correspondents, well, as maculae pointed out, there are only five "active" correspondents at this point. I wouldn't really count the folks like Hodgman, Lewis Black, etc. since they only show up occasionally. The guest situation is much more dire on "Colbert."

 

I have a feeling that Jon actively goes after middle eastern people, maybe because he is interested in middle eastern affairs

 

 

That would be my theory -- kind of like Bill Maher frequently has guests on to talk about environmental issues, 'cause he's interested in that personally. It's one of the pluses of having your own TV show. And it's hard to argue that the Middle East is not newsworthy.

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maraleia

maraleia

I do think that Colbert has more of a problem in this area. I was just posting the article in both media threads because the writer mentioned both shows. Does anyone know the ratio of male/female writers on the show?

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Fremde Frau

Fremde Frau

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Of their 14 writers, four are female. I think two of the writers are new additions since the last Emmys. Anyway, that's the highest percentage in late night, it seems, at 29%.
 
(Source: Slate had an article on the diversity of the writing staffs for Last Week Tonight and Late Night with Seth Meyers. Daniel Radosh, one of the DS writers, corrected their numbers, and in the same Twitter thread, Steve Bodow (EP) pointed out that TDS has been doing blind writer submissions since 2008. The point being that it's more accurate to say that DS is not trailing behind new, diverse shows but has been improving itself quietly throughout the years and is actually leading the pack in some regards. I wish someone would write an article about that, instead of just adding a correction like Slate did. Instead, they're often just being thrown up as the old guard that is put to shame by new shows and could use serious remodeling in order to stay relevant. TDS is hardly perfect--for example, I wish they would listen to criticisms of their transphobic jokes and be more precise in the direction of their punchlines in the future--but I wish the writers of recent articles would at least be fact-based in their criticism. So many negative articles now--and I don't mean the ones by rightwing nuts, which go without saying--rely on such a lazy, incomplete portrayal of TDS (and TCR) to make their point. It's really bugging me.)
 
EDIT: The first detailed reviews of Rosewater are out! (Do we need a separate thread for all Rosewater-related news?)

Variety:

The punishing ordeal of Iranian journalist Maziar Bahari — imprisoned for 118 days on charges of espionage — is brought to the screen with impressive tact and intelligence by writer-director Jon Stewart in “Rosewater,” an alternately somber and darkly funny drama that may occupy the same geographic terrain as “Argo” (to which it will inevitably be compared), but in most other respects could hardly be more different. Largely a two-hander between Bahari (played by Gael Garcia Bernal) and the interrogator who puts him through a gauntlet of soul-crushing mindgames, Stewart’s confident, superbly acted debut feature works as both a stirring account of human endurance and a topical reminder of the risks faced by journalists in pursuit of the truth, minus the caper antics and flag waving of Ben Affleck’s populist Oscar winner. Strong reviews and smart, targeted marketing should help this Nov. 7 Open Road release find its niche with politically savvy adult moviegoers, and perhaps a dark-horse position in the awards-season derby.


The Wrap:

Jon Stewart fans, here's the bottom line: Stewart's debut as a movie director, “Rosewater,” has little in common with his Emmy-winning day job as host of “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart.”

That's good in some ways, and not so good in others.

“Rosewater,” which is expected to premiere at the Telluride Film Festival this week before screening at the Toronto International Film Festival on Monday, is a solid, quietly involving work about political turmoil in the Middle East, and the toll it takes on a free press. Like much of Stewart's work, it's smart and it points fingers in directions in which they need to be pointed.

But the film understandably sets aside Stewart's trademark barbed humor in a story that needs to be told without mockery or laughs, and it's also more earnest than Stewart's TV fans might expect. And for much of its running time the film is not quite as sharp or energetic as you'd hope, possibly because Stewart the director is hardly the master the way Stewart the TV host is.


The Hollywood Reporter:

An emotionally accessible but very modest tale of one man's temporary misfortune at the hands of the Iranian government.

It's never the wrong time to protest tyranny, unjust imprisonment, torture and totalitarian tactics. Late-night talk show star Jon Stewart's debut as a feature film director is motivated above all to do just that and does it in a capable, straightforward manner. But while the issues of political oppression Rosewater deals with remain relevant in places all over the world, the jailing, rough interrogation and release after four months of a young Iranian journalist at the time of the 2009 presidential elections just doesn't seem that timely or urgent given the hailstorm of insidious outrages that have taken place in the Middle East since that time. This Open Road release, which opens on November 7 after debuting on the festival circuit, will get loads of attention based on the celebrity of it writer-director. But if this very same film had been made by an unknown director, it would pass in the night with only scant notice.


Another review from Indiewire. I'll stop quoting because this post is too long already, but the general consensus seems to be that it's a good enough, sincere film but not a great, award-winning film.

Edited by Fremde Frau
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Fremde Frau

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Thank you, @stacey!
 
@maculae, that article by THR was like chicken soup to me. I loved so much all of the comments by others who know him, as well as all of the insight from Jon himself on the film and on some of the issues whirling around him lately. I just love him, that's all. I just love the whole DS team and their sense of family. Reading Stephen and John's comments on Jon just made my heart smile. (Except for that part about how much certain stories have a noticeable, draining effect on Jon.)
 
EDIT: I particularly loved this quote from Jon, regarding the reaction to his coverage of Gaza and Israel.

"Look, there's a lot of reasons why I hate myself — being Jewish isn't one of them," Stewart says. "So when someone starts throwing that around, or throwing around you're pro-terrorist, it's more just disappointing than anything else. I've made a living for 16 years criticizing certain policies that I think are not good for America. That doesn't make me anti-American. And if I do the same with Israel, that doesn't make me anti-Israel. You cannot outsmart dogma, no matter what you do. If there is something constructive in what they're saying, hopefully I'm still open enough … to take it in and let it further inform my position. But I'm pretty impermeable to yelling. As soon as they go to, 'Your real name is Leibowitz!' that's when I change the channel.

"Ultimately, what is it?" he says, searching for that indelible Martin Luther King Jr. quote, " 'The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.' That possibility continues to push us in the direction of something positive, not negative. That doesn't mean there are not ridiculous and horrendous tragedies. But I think this is a good time to be alive. I have hope for this country. I don't lose that."

 
And this, which made me think of John Oliver's comment about his favorite Louie episode:

"That's when I started to feel like, 'I'm going to do this. It may take me a long time to figure out how to make something nice. But at least I know how to do this now,' " he says. "The feeling of competence, of Outward Bound, I'm in the woods, I've got a Clark bar and a pocket knife, but I know I can make it and survive. Because it was about survival, it was never about will I make it make it? It's, 'Can I do this and still eat?'

"People ask me, 'What are you most proud of?' " continues Stewart. "I think I'm most proud of the fact that I moved here. I tried it. Nothing happens unless you set the wheels in motion. So to me, that was everything — whether those wheels squeaked a lot or didn't move sometimes didn't matter. I could walk home from a comedy club at three in the morning, no money, after I bombed in front of four Dutch sailors and was like, 'Yes!' I loved … every … minute … of it."


Oh, fuck it. I loved the whole thing. I'll just stop now.

That poster is nice, too. (I'm struck by nerves on his behalf, though, and can't watch the trailer. Argh.)

Edited by Fremde Frau
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solotrek

solotrek

That poster is nice, too. (I'm struck by nerves on his behalf, though, and can't watch the trailer. Argh.)

 

The reviews make it sound like they were expecting more of a TDS pointed political commentary movie whereas it's more a character drama/hope drama. So while the reviews are a bit down, it looks like a solid good movie just not necessarily awards worthy. Definitely check out the trailer Fremde Frau. I think a "solid" movie is all that really was expected (from me) for a first time screen writer and director. I always thought the awards talk for it was weird. Maybe for Gael as an actor I guess.  But I can't think of any first time director/screen writer get any sort of major award for a movie.

 

It's supposed to premier on the Monday at the Princess of Wales theater at 6:30PM Eastern, so I can't imagine Jon will be around for it.

 

He's doing a Mavericks talk Sun, Sep 7 @ 3:15pm in the Princess of Wales for TIFF. It would be weird for him not to be at the TIFF premiere. Any idea what the schedule for the week of September 8th will be like trow125? Jon will be at Telluride this weekend with Gael Garcia Bernal and Maziar Bahari.

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trow125

trow125

maculae, my guess is that Jon's presentations at Telluride & TIFF were scheduled around his TDS duties. Thanks to Labor Day, he has an extra day to spend in Colorado, but Toronto is only a little over an hour's flight from NY, so my guess is that he'll fly home after his Mavericks talk and be back in the host chair on the 8th. Plus, the guy makes $25 million a year (according to the Hollywood Reporter article), I'm sure he doesn't have to fly commercial!

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Fremde Frau

Fremde Frau

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(edited)

That's great to hear, @ABay! It's nice to see that Maziar Bahari is there with Jon, since this is his story. I had no idea until I read the Q&A's and the article by THR and watched the DS interviews of Bahari that they had become friends and were in such close contact during the process of writing the book and then writing/planning the film. It seems to have been a collaborative process between two people whose perspectives and senses of humor just clicked.

If anyone is interested, here are the two DS interviews of Maziar Bahari: 12/1/2009 and 6/6/2011 (an extended interview).
 
@maculae, thank you. I finally watched the trailer, and it was quite good. Some of the criticism mentions that the film doesn't break any new ground, stylistically or thematically, but that seems to be hardly the point, anyway. I got so caught up being nervous for him because of the inevitable politicized criticism and because of the awards expectations being projected onto the film, that I ended up projecting a bit of that myself.
 
Here are some more reviews and/or brief mentions of it: Complex, FirstShowing, HitFix, LATimes (includes quotes from Jon, Bahari, and Gael García Bernal), NY Times, RogerEbert.com, and a second review by IndieWire. They are generally positive. AwardsDaily, on the other hand, is positively effusive in its praise and has a rather nice write-up on Jon and Steve Carell, too.
 

It occurred to me while watching Steve Carell and Jon Stewart at the Patron’s Brunch here in Telluride how far they’ve come since the early days of the Daily Show. Since then, Carell has made feature films and became known for The Office. Jon Stewart has added his vital voice to American politics, media and culture. This year, both of them have stepped way outside their comfort zones, risking failure at best, ridicule and loss of reputation at worst. It sounds like a joke they’d make because the last thing either of them wants to do is take credit for being serious artists.

I don’t have an interview with them to present, I simply have a few photos taken at a brunch where the two stood side by side with that look on their faces like “can you believe we are here?” And they probably can’t. It was quite a sight, to be sure.


(The two photographs are of them smiling at each other. Carell looks as great as ever.)

Edited by Fremde Frau
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