TV Link for Feb. 1-7, 2015

Featured Stories

“The Blacklist” “Allegiance” “Fresh Off the Boat”

Profiled athlete

Rajon Rondo

CELEBRITY SPOTLIGHTS

Rainn Wilson Lucy Biggers Timothy Omundson Colton Haynes Alison Victoria

WHAT'S FOR DINNER Duff Goldman

JAY Bobbin's movies to watch

The story

Super Bowl XLIX New England Patriots Quarterback Tom Brady (left) and Seattle Seahawks Quarterback Russell Wilson

folio And so much more!

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Courtesy of Gracenote February 1 - 7, 2015

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CONTENTS

What’s Hot This Week Click to jump to these featured sections!

Super Bowl XLIX

Al Michaels (left) and Cris Collinsworth call the action for Super Bowl XLIX Sunday on NBC story on pg 3

“Fresh Off the Boat”

The AsianAmerican-family sitcom premieres Wednesday on ABC. Story on pg 11

“The Blacklist” Megan Boone stars in “The Blacklist,” which resumes its second season Sunday on NBC. Story on pg 12-13

“Allegiance”

Hope Davis stars in new drama series “Allegiance” premiering Thursday on NBC. Story on pg 14-15

Rajon Rondo The move to Dallas is a big adjustment for Rondo.

Story on pg 16-17

Rainn Wilson’s

take on “Backstrom” interview on pg 4

Lucy Biggers’

thoughts on “Breaking Greenville” interview on pg 5

Timothy Omundson

of “Galavant”

interview on pg 6

Colton Haynes

between shows interview on pg 8

Duff Goldman takes cake decorating after hours

interview on pg 7 Page 2 YOUR TV LINK Courtesy of Gracenote February 1 - 7, 2015

STORY

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Sunday, Feb. 1, he joins analyst Cris Collinsworth to call his ninth NFL title game and third for NBC when the Seattle Seahawks seek to make it two championships in a row against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.

Al Michaels gives the play-by-play call for Super Bowl XLIX Sunday on NBC.

As for past Super Bowl thrills, Michaels indicates his biggest came in 2009, when the Pittsburgh Steelers came from behind after blowing a big lead late in the game to defeat the Arizona Cardinals, 27-23, in Super Bowl XLIII at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. It was the franchise’s record sixth Vince Lombardi Trophy. “(It was) a back-and-forth game that featured two of the greatest plays in Super Bowl history,” he says.

“James Harrison’s 100-yard interception return for a touchdown as the half expired, and Santonio Holmes’ phenomenal catch in the corner of the end zone to cap a 93-yard, game-winning drive in the final minute.”

NBC’s Michaels

looks back at Super Bowls and a career

By George Dickie in broadcasting Sunday marks something of a milestone for Al Michaels.

It was 30 years ago that the veteran of Olympics, Monday Night Football telecasts, NFL, NBA and MLB postseasons and many other high-profile sporting events took part in his first Super Bowl, doing studio duties for ABC for its coverage of Super Bowl XIX, won by Joe Montana and the San Francisco 49ers, who defeated Dan Marino’s Miami Dolphins, 38-16, at Stanford Stadium in Northern California.

Since, he’s gone on to call play-by-play on six more NFL title games with various booth partners at ABC, and been “traded” in 2006 for Oswald the Lucky Rabbit to NBC, where he’s done two more.

He’s also seen the game go from championship game to major TV event to cultural phenomenon. Or, as he puts it, “They might as well declare it an official national holiday.”

While many broadcasters fondly remember their first Super Bowl, Michaels was underwhelmed by his first as a main play-by-play man for ABC in 1988, when the Washington Redskins blew out the Denver Broncos, 42-10, in Super Bowl XXII at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego.

“The great thing was the nerves were gone once the game started,” he says. “It could have been much more fun, except Washington led Denver 35-10 at the half.”

In addition to big games, the 70-year-old native of Brooklyn, N.Y., has worked with his share of largerthan-life personalities over the years, probably none more so than the man who was the face of ABC Sports in the 1970s and ’80s, Howard Cosell. He recounts many of his career memories in his new book, “You Can’t Make This Up: Miracles, Memories, and the Perfect Marriage of Sports and Television,” in which Cosell is a featured player.

“Let’s put it this way,” Michaels says, “it’s worth 1518 pages in my new book. He ran the gamut from charming to cantankerous.”

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CELEBRITY Jay Bobbin’s Q&A

RainnWilson

of ‘Backstrom’ on Fox

Are you a fan of detective shows such as “Backstrom”?

I always loved them growing up. I never missed a “Rockford Files” or a “Columbo,” and I think “Backstrom” is kind of the most messed-up version of “Columbo.” We solve a crime every week, but it really is about how the character responds, and the quirkiness of the whole ensemble.

I love Dennis Haysbert, and he’s become such a key part of the show; as Det. Sgt. Almond, he’s kind of Backstrom’s conscience and sounding board.

He struggles with Backstrom’s irascibility and rulebreaking, but he knows the greater good is being done because Backstrom is solving these crimes.

What do you think sets Backstrom apart from your “Office” alter ego Dwight?

This is not Dwight as a police detective. This is a very tortured human being with a deep internal life, and he actively breaks the rules where Dwight was all about the rules.

Do you see any creative similarities to working on “Backstrom” and “The Office”?

I’ve been very lucky to work with Greg Daniels on “The Office” and Hart Hanson on “Backstrom,” because the job of a showrunner – as they call them – is one of the most difficult on the planet in terms of responsibility. You have to manage a budget and hundreds of people, and you have to be creative and have a vision for the show, and you have to be able to work with actors and writers, and be collaborative with both the studio and the network and keep things on schedule.

Most of all, you have to be a great storyteller, and that’s what Hart Hanson is ... a great, great storyteller.

folio Page 4 YOUR TV LINK Courtesy of Gracenote February 1 - 7, 2015

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CELEBRITY Jay Bobbin’s Q&A

LucyBiggers

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of ‘Breaking Greenville’ on truTV What was your first thought when you were told “Breaking Greenville” was going to showcase the Mississippi television newsroom where you worked at the time?

I think there were mixed feelings. I would go between being excited and sort of concerned. “Reality TV” is kind of a hot-button phrase that has a lot of associations. Some of my friends were like, “Don’t let them turn you into a Kardashian!” Others asked me, “Are you going to be fighting, like a Real Housewife?”

I don’t do those things in real life, so I didn’t see why that would happen. From the beginning, talking to the production group, I just trusted them. We always had a great dialogue, and I realized that they needed us to be on their side. If they broke that level of trust, I could just sit with my arms crossed and say, “No.” How do you feel about having left the station before “Breaking Greenville’s” telecasts?

I’m back in Connecticut, where I grew up, so to be able to watch it from here rather than going into work there every day ... I’m sure that would be really fierce. It would be like a hall-of-mirrors-type of thing.

Will you use “Breaking Greenville” on your resume to seek another job in news?

There are two types of TV, news and reality, so it’s kind of confusing. It’s a very weird space to be in, so I’m just going to let it be what it’s going to be and go from there. If “Breaking Greenville” ends up being an asset, I’ll definitely use it, but I don’t think I’ll necessarily lead with that.

You can’t really plan for something like this to happen to you. It’s like a lottery situation. Of all the stations in the country they decided to film this at, it happened to be mine.

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CELEBRITY George Dickie’s Q&A

TimothyOmundson

on ABC and ‘Supernatural’ on The CW Other cast members have said they had trouble keeping a straight face while filming “Galavant.” Did you?

Yeah, I did. We had so much bloody fun on the show. I blame Darren Evans. He was the first guy.

I was on a show before where I was notorious for being the first one to crack – you’d just look at me and I’d crack. I was so good and so professional on this one until I met Darren, who plays our chef, and he’s just one of the most innately funny human beings I’ve ever come across. He was the first one to break me – truly was, and I’ll never forgive him for it. Because after that, the horse had left the barn and we were stuck.

So did you and your cast mates try to break each other up?

No, we are much more professional than that.

However, I dare say that – once Josh (Sasse) starts on the giggle train there’s no getting him off the giggle train. I think the best way to deal with it is for Vinnie (Jones) to literally just smack him in the face as hard as he could. Not that he ever did that but I think we were about to go there one day.

You just have to take him out of the tic. But I will say there’s nothing funnier than watching Josh try not to laugh.

With all the singing and dancing on the show, this must have allowed you to stretch some muscles you ordinarily wouldn’t get the chance to, correct?

First of all, you get to do an accent on TV. I mean, Americans never get to play Brits. It’s just such a rare thing. All my American actor friends – we can never get hired for that. So my friends are very proud of me, if nothing else for that alone, that I get to be an American playing a Brit on TV.

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FOOD George Dickie’s What's for Dinner

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DuffGoldman

Goldman takes cake decorating after hours on ‘Duff Till Dawn’ Take two professional bakers and their assistants, caffeinate them, keep them up well past midnight, turn them loose in a kitchen and see what results. That’s the formula of Duff Goldman’s new Food Network series “Duff Till Dawn,” airing Thursdays.

The series, which premiered last week, takes place after business hours at Goldman’s Los Angeles bakery, Duff’s Cakemix, in which cake decorators do their thing after the sun goes down, with Goldman acting as host and adviser. The rules are few and emphasis is on creativity as the competition goes on overnight.

“We wanted this to feel very authentic, very, very real and like these are real cake decorators going at it head to head,” Goldman explains. “We’re literally stripping away all the rules because cake decorating is so much different than cooking. Even cake decorating is very different from most baking competitions, too. And I think with cake decorating competitions, you really have to do them right, and one of the things you have to do is you’ve got to remove a lot of those guidelines from people to allow them to do what they do because cake decorators are different from bakers and pastry chefs and cooks because they really are truly visual artists and you want to let them be able to do what they do.”

And the competition ends as the sun comes up – literally.

“We look at like weather.com and it tells you sunrise is at 6:13 a.m.,” Goldman says, “so at 6:13 a.m. hands off your cakes. It’s different every night.”

What book are you currently reading?

“I am reading ‘The War of Don Emmanuel’s Nether Parts’ by Louis de Bernieres.

It’s part of a trilogy. ... And basically it’s kind of magical realism ... .”

What did you have for dinner last night?

“I’m eating raw right now, just because between filming shows I eat so much cake and stuff I try to stay healthy. So last night I had a watermelon, a green apple, celery, half of an avocado and carrots and I cheated with a little bit of peanut butter.”

What is your next project?

“I’m actually writing a book right now that should be out October 2015, and it’s called ‘Duck Bakes.’ ... We stripped away the stuff that people don’t need to know and explained in very accessible terms like, ‘This is why a good scone is good and this is why a bad scone is bad. This is why some pie dough is flaky and this is why some pie dough is mealy.’ ”

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CELEBRITY John Crook's Celebrity ScooP

ColtonHaynes

When Colton Haynes signed on to play Roy Harper on The CW

Wednesday hit “Arrow” in its first season, the show’s creators still weren’t sure where they were going with the character. After a punishing yet rewarding story arc, however, Haynes is now a series regular as the title hero’s (Stephen Amell) principal sidekick, Arsenal.

“I’m actually very relieved they chose this route, because I got to wear an amazing costume that isn’t too revealing, so I’m not freezing my butt off,” he says, laughing. “It’s cool because Roy is a very emotional character, someone who didn’t want to let anyone in but then he met Thea (Willa Holland) in a very interesting way. That relationship blossomed, which only makes it more difficult for him to continue working with Oliver, which means keeping it a secret from Thea.”

It’s only logical Haynes would appreciate Arsenal’s costume, because prior to “Arrow,” he spent a couple of seasons on the MTV horror comedy “Teen Wolf,” a beefcake-friendly series where he often did, in fact, freeze his aforementioned butt off.

“We basically did only night shoots. It was in Atlanta, which believe it or not, it actually got really cold,” the actor says. “We’d have to go running into 30-degree water with – I’m not kidding – ice in it and then run around half-naked and wet. I’m so glad we don’t have to do that on ‘Arrow.’ ” Haynes knew he wanted to become an actor when he was 7, and he toured in summer stock through his teen years, while he also was modeling. After graduating from high school in Texas, he headed to Los Angeles to try his luck and never has looked back. He keeps a “Wall of Positivity” in his home, where he puts affirmative messages on Post-Its and scraps of paper.

Born: July 13, 1988, in Wichita, Kan. Family ties: His parents were “awesome hippies” who encouraged their children to do whatever they wished. He’s the youngest of seven siblings.

A model career: Haynes credits his time as a model for Abercrombie & Fitch, J.C. Penney, Ralph Lauren and other

clients with teaching him to feel at ease in front of a camera.

First stage: His theater roles include Chip in “Beauty and the Beast” and Tony in “West Side Story.”

Trick or treat: Showing off his big goofy streak, last Halloween he dressed up as Princess Fiona from “Shrek,” complete with facial prostheses and green makeup.

Click here for more on Colton!

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CELEBRITY Celebrities profiled

Alis on V ictoria

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On DIY Network’s “Kitchen Crashers,” Alison hunts in stores across America for weekend warriors who could definitely use some help bringing style, beauty and simplicity together to create harmony in their kitchens.

• Homeowners hand over the keys, and what started as a simple shopping trip turns into the coolest kitchen on the block, when Alison and her crew make a total transformation from so-so to showstopper.

• Alison began designing at the age of 10 when she tackled the basement in their new house.

• Alison started her professional career as the youngest designer working for Christopher Homes in Las Vegas.

• Alison launched her own full-service interior design firm, Alison Victoria Interiors, Inc., in Chicago and Las Vegas, where she brings design and personality together at boutiques, resorts and private residences.

• She also created her own line of modern luxury furniture that defines sleek and chic.

• Alison also serves as creative director for the Silverton Casino Hotel in Las Vegas.

• Her passion for interior architecture has taken her from the Windy City of Chicago, where she designed a unit in Trump tower, to the Entertainment Capital of the World, where she completed a pavilion for a Las Vegas hotel.

• When Alison isn’t designing a fabulous room for a client, she is traveling the world to explore and to find eclectic pieces for her own home collection.

• In 2011, Alison received the Rising Stars of Business award by the Las Vegas Business Press.

• With home bases in two cities, Alison is still actively involved in donating her time to community non-profit organizations such as Nevada Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Nevada SPCA), PAWS Chicago and a board member for Chicago Children’s Charities.

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CELEBRITY Celebs’ favorite shows

Toby Stephens

Timothy Omundson

Rob Lowe

Debbie Reynolds

Set the DVR

Toby Stephens of “Black Sails” on Starz

“I’m really enjoying ‘House of Cards.’ I’ve just been watching the second season of that; I remember watching the original British series, and it’s just a fantastic new spin on it. And I also really enjoy ‘American Horror Story.’ It’s quite nice to watch something completely different from what I’m doing at the time.”

Timothy Omundson of “Galavant” on ABC

Rob Lowe of “Beautiful & Twisted” on Lifetime “ ‘Football Night in America’ is my favorite thing to watch, ever, although the games have been horrible. I mean, horrible! But I like the way NBC does it. It’s like an occasion, the way ‘Monday Night Football’ used to be, and I’m a fan of (Cris) Collinsworth. And I still watch way too much news, though I’m obsessed with ‘CBS This Morning.’ It’s everything I love – and it’s actually news.”

“ ‘Game of Thrones’ is going to be on there. ‘Mad Men’ is on there. ‘Masterchef Junior’ is on there because my Debbie Reynolds of the 21st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on TBS and family is crazy about that. ‘Supernatural’ is on there TNT just because I work on that and I have a bunch of friends on that. Of course, ‘Psych’ is queued up and “I do go back to Turner Classic Movies and watch the ready to go. ‘House of Cards.’ ” old movies there ... and live in the past.”

Page 10 YOUR TV LINK Courtesy of Gracenote February 1 - 7, 2015

STORY

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Newly relocated family is

‘Fresh Off the Boat’

premiering Wednesday on ABC

By Jay Bobbin

Eddie Huang knows the ins and outs of a culture clash.

The chef and television food-show personality’s AsianAmerican family lived one in the 1990s, when they relocated from Washington, D.C., to Orlando – each member dealing with the transition differently, as Huang recounted in his 2013 memoir. The book becomes a same-named ABC sitcom when “Fresh Off the Boat” premieres with two episodes Wednesday, Feb. 4, then settles into its regular slot the following Tuesday.

Hudson Yang plays the young Huang, whose brothers are portrayed by Ian Chen and Forrest Wheeler. Their American-dream-pursuing, steakhouse-running father and cook-at-home mother (Randall Park, Constance Wu) have differing views of making the move to a new locale ... but they won’t hesitate to put up a united front, threatening to sue the school if one of their sons is expelled after being taunted by a new classmate.

Yang auditioned on tape to play Huang, and the young actor says, “It’s been a lot of fun. It’s my first big thing, and it’s been a great time hanging out with Eddie and everybody who’s been in the show.” Huang considers his on-screen counterpart “awesome. This was the toughest role to cast. What I liked about Hudson is how real he

was. He’s very raw, and he hasn’t been consumed by this whole process.”

Noting “this is not an easy show to make,” Huang wrote a recent article in which he deemed the series “pasteurized network television” while allowing that it still reflects that “the feeling of being different is universal.” ABC Entertainment president Paul Lee responds, “We love Eddie. He’s a firebrand. It’s a comedy, and the show is not a documentary of his book.”

Huang maintains, “I care the most about the conversation that’s going to happen because of this show. It’s important for me that the show stays responsible to the book and the Asian community, and to people of color in general. And I believe the show is doing that.”

Clearly, Huang’s parents are barometers of that, but he says, “My mom never read the book. She could care less.

She just wants the checks. My dad was really proud of me.

I showed him the pilot, and he understood what the show was doing. And I think the show is strategic and smart in how it’s easing the viewer into that.”

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February 1 - 7, 2015 YOUR TV LINK Courtesy of Gracenote Page 11

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STORY

“The Blacklist”

resumes

its second season Sunday on NBC. Story on next page

JamesSpader Page 12 YOUR TV LINK Courtesy of Gracenote February 1 - 7, 2015

MeganBoone

STORY

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‘The Blacklist’ makes a Super (Bowl) return

By Jay Bobbin

Raymond “Red” Reddington isn’t someone who ordinarily needs much help, but he’s getting a major boost anyway.

“The Blacklist” resumes its second NBC season Sunday, Feb. 1, as the show chosen to follow one of the biggest events of any television year: the Super Bowl. The special telecast also serves to promote the suspense drama’s move to a different night, since the episode will lead directly into the series’ debut in its new slot the following Thursday.

“With the sort of landscape for programming nowadays, we’ve been very lucky in that right from the jump, we established a fairly faithful audience,” says James Spader, alias ever-enigmatic informant Reddington. “The network and the studio, obviously, are always looking for a way to grow that if they can ... and trying to find ways to do that today is difficult. I think the Super Bowl is a platform that stands alone, and you just hope the game is good enough that they don’t turn their TVs off.”

That doesn’t appear likely for the devotees who helped make “The Blacklist” last season’s top-rated new series. Megan Boone, who also stars as FBI agent Liz Keen – Reddington’s main interest in supplying information on the list of elusive criminals and terrorists – promises “more substantial feelings of friendship and care for Reddington, who has proven to protect her at all costs, and in a way that no one ever has before. She steps up to try to protect him when we come back.”

Spader vows many more mysteries about Reddington remain to be uncovered, particularly about his link to Liz – which prompted him to warn her deceptive and dangerous ex, Tom (Ryan Eggold), to stay away from her in the closing moments of the series’ November fall finale.

“I remember when I first read the pilot,” Spader reflects, “which seems like a decade ago, but was actually only two years ago. At that time, I remember thinking that one of the things I responded to was that possible paths the show could take were limitless.

“You at least had the framework for switched paths and alternate routes ... and you could find your way back again. Something that just seems sort of neat at the time can turn into something much more significant than that later on.”

On a similar track, Boone is looking forward to continuing to advance Liz, reasoning the character has “become more autonomous in her decisionmaking and her actions. Certainly last year, she was more reactionary because so much that was happening was overwhelming to her, I think.

“The minute she made the decision to lie to Red about (capturing and hiding) Tom, rather than him being dead, everything changed,” adds Boone. “She became a little nefarious, like some of the Blacklisters.

And like Red himself.”

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STORY

Torn ‘Allegiance’ A pair of former Russian spies are forced to make an impossible choice between their family and their cruel KGB overlords in “Allegiance,” a taut espionage drama premiering Thursday, Feb. 5, on NBC. Story on next page

Page 14 YOUR TV LINK Courtesy of Gracenote February 1 - 7, 2015

STORY

By John Crook Adapted from a hit Israeli program called “The Gordin Cell,” the new series stars Hope Davis (“The Newsroom”) and Scott Cohen (“Necessary Roughness”) as Katya and Mark O’Connor, who have spent the past 25 years or so living quietly in New York and raising their three children after leaving her native Russia.

Of those children, only the eldest, Natalie (Margarita Levieva, “Revenge”), knows the truth about her parents: Katya, the daughter of a KGB general, and Mark, a businessman, have done covert work for the Russian intelligence agency. Natalie, in fact, has also done her share of spying, much against her parents’ wishes.

The other two O’Connor children – including middle child Alex (newcomer Gavin Stenhouse), who is just starting a career as an analyst for the CIA – have no idea about their parents’ secret past, however. That changes dramatically in the series premiere, as Mark and Katya’s KGB handler, Victor (Morgan Spector), unexpectedly resurfaces with a startling demand: The KGB wants Alex turned to become an asset for them.

“Alex is new to the CIA, a ‘baby analyst,’ as Katya calls him,” Davis explains. “I don’t know whether the KGB was tracking him previously, but I think when he is called in for a special assignment, that is what really puts him on the KGB radar.”

Alex, we quickly learn, falls somewhere on the spectrum for autism, which makes it challenging for him to perform some mundane tasks yet also enables

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Hope Davis

him to notice patterns “normal” colleagues don’t see.

He also is blessed with eidetic memory, which plays a key role in the first episode.

“Gavin has done a tremendous amount of research on the subject (of autism) and was very diligent about sending us all sorts of things long before we started shooting,” Davis says. “There is so much written about this in the press now, about children with Asperger’s. But in the years when Alex was a child, that was back before the word ‘spectrum’ (in this context) was even part of our national language.

It was a much trickier thing 25 years ago. Now there are so many more resources for parents. I think Katya and Mark were very much in the dark about what was going on with Alex.”

As the story unfolds, it becomes apparent that the show’s title has multiple levels of meaning.

“For awhile, we had the title ‘Coercion,’ and we were casting about for a title we felt was more able to convey some of the complexity of the show,” says executive producer George Nolfi. “The great thing about ‘Allegiance’ is that, obviously, it has all of the national connotations, but there’s also allegiance to your job and to your family. At its core, this show is about the dilemma among these people in terms of their allegiance to their family versus their country.”

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SPORTS

Rajon Rondo

Story on next page

Full Name: Rajon Pierre Rondo Born: Feb. 22, 1986 (age 28) Height/Weight: 6 feet 1 inch/188 pounds Hometown: Louisville, Ky. Position: Point guard Number: 9 College: Kentucky (2004-06)

Drafted: 2006, Round 1, 21st pick by Phoenix Awards and Achievements: NBA champion, 2008, Boston Celtics; NBA All-Star, 2010–2013; NBA assists leader, 2012, 2013; NBA steals leader, 2010; NBA AllRookie Second Team, 2007

Page 16 YOUR TV LINK Courtesy of Gracenote February 1 - 7, 2015

SPORTS

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By Dan Ladd

Rajon Rondo

When the Boston Celtics began the rebuilding process one player left behind was point guard Rajon Rondo. That was, until Dec. 18, 2014, when Rondo was traded to the Dallas Mavericks. Rondo went from being the lone remnant of Boston’s most recent glory days to a role player on a team poised to make a solid playoff run in the Western Conference. Rondo and the Mavs head west to take on the Golden State Warriors Wednesday, Feb. 4, on ESPN. Although it’s not new terrain on the basketball court, the move to Dallas is a big adjustment for Rondo, who is being asked to again focus on defense and getting the ball to Dirk Nowitzki and Monta Ellis. However, a month-and-ahalf after the trade things appear to be settling in for Rondo and company. The Mavs remain among the best in the competitive Western conference and while their NBA leading offense has tapered off slightly, their defense has improved, which will be paramount down the stretch and into the postseason.

Another challenge for Rondo will be to stay healthy. A torn ACL in early 2013 cost him a year off and that was followed up with an offcourt injury just prior to this season.

With those injuries now behind him, the more time he spends on the court, the more Mavs’ coach Doug Carlisle can decide where best to put Rondo’s assists and ball stealing skills to use, making the Mavs a tough out in the postseason.

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MOVIES JAY BOBBIN's Theatrical movie review

review

“Unbroken” A man’s spirit proves ‘Unbroken’ in Jolie’s true drama

It’s a shame Louis Zamperini didn’t live long enough to see “Unbroken.”

Surely, the saga of the many fascinating chapters of his life gets a certain amount of “Hollywood treatment” from director Angelina Jolie ... but her second dramatic effort at calling the shots still is an assured and compelling portrait of Olympic runner, prisoner of war and later inspirational speaker Zamperini, who died last summer (shortly after he was named Grand Marshal of the 2015 Tournament of Roses Parade).

Based on the book by Laura Hillenbrand, “Unbroken” – and Jolie – get a real boost from star Jack O’Connell, who does a masterful job of maintaining the spirit and dignity of Zamperini as he survives not one, but two aerial disasters as a World War II military man.

For those who admire such sequences, Jolie stages a pair of nailbiters on a par with the king of such depictions, Robert Zemeckis (“Cast Away,” “Flight”). As much as those scenes dazzle with their technical expertise and visceral thrills, though, it’s really the human story that’s at the heart of “Unbroken.”

Zamperini and two colleagues (Domhnall Gleeson, Finn Wittrock) survive their plane’s in-flight destruction, and after they endure a grueling time at sea, an intensely challenging internment in a Japanese camp lies ahead.

The scenes of Zamperini as an athlete unfold as flashbacks, with his wartime experiences framing the screenplay. The device works well, and frankly, it would be a surprise if it didn’t given the picture’s all-star team of screenwriters: Joel and Ethan Coen, Richard LaGravenese (“Behind the Candelabra”) and William Nicholson (“Shadowlands”). Throughout, the film also benefits from the eye of veteran cinematographer Roger Deakins (“Skyfall”).

For all others involved, though – even including Jolie – the principal casting of a story such as “Unbroken” has to be right for the movie to work. In O’Connell, the director certainly has that actor, and he commendably does much to fuse its parts. Jolie’s name still carries bountiful star power, for sure, but O’Connell truly holds “Unbroken” together.

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MOVIES JAY BOBBIN's movie review movies to watch

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“JOHN WICK” If it seemed Keanu Reeves merely had been marking time with many of his movies in recent years, he came back with a vengeance – in every sense – with this gripping, stunningly staged melodrama made by two stunt men, Chad Stahelski and David Leitch. Reeves’ title character is a recent widower and former hitman who becomes a target of Russian gang members. Big mistake, guys: Wick uses the tricks of his trade again on a personal revenge mission, though one of his new enemies (Alfie Allen) is the son of Wick’s ex-boss (Michael Nyqvist). The noteworthy cast also includes Bridget Moynahan (“Blue Bloods”), Dean Winters (“Oz”), Adrianne Palicki, Ian McShane, John Leguizamo and Willem Dafoe. ››› (R: AS, P, GV) (Also on Blu-ray and On Demand)

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Jennifer Garner and Steve Carell

“ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY” (Feb. 10): As he turns 12, Alexander (Ed Oxenbould) makes a wish that causes trouble for his whole family; Steve Carell and Jennifer Garner also star. (PG: AS, P) “NIGHTCRAWLER” (Feb. 10): Jake Gyllenhaal plays a videographer who provides graphic crime footage to an eager TVnews producer (Rene Russo). (R: AS, P, GV) “DUMB AND DUMBER TO” (Feb. 17): Lloyd and Harry (Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels) reunite to find the daughter Harry didn’t know he had. (PG-13: AS, N, P) “THE HOMESMAN” (Feb. 17): A drifter (Tommy Lee Jones, also the director here) is recruited by a frontierswoman (Hilary Swank) to help transport several troubled people. (R: AS, N, P, V) “LIFE ITSELF” (Feb. 17): The life of movie critic Roger Ebert is recalled, in his own words and those of others including filmmakers Martin Scorsese and Werner Herzog. (R: AS, P) “SONS OF ANARCHY: SEASON SEVEN” (Feb. 24): The saga concludes as Jax (Charlie Hunnam) realizes how close to home the source of a personal tragedy is – and weighs his need for vengeance. (Not rated: AS, N, P, V) February 1 - 7, 2015 YOUR TV LINK Courtesy of Gracenote Page 19

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FAVORITE SHOWS

“Kitten Bowl II”

Briga Heelan stars in “Ground Floor”

SUNDAY 12 p.m., 3 p.m., 6 p.m. on HALLMARK Kitten Bowl II North Shore Animal League America spokesperson Beth Stern returns to host the championship “game” in this popular counter-programming stunt for viewers who don’t give a hoot about the Super Bowl. New York Yankees radio veteran John Sterling will provide color commentary on plays by the 90plus “cat-thletes” participating, all of which will be adopted out immediately following the game. New 9 p.m. on SYFY Movie: Abraham Lincoln vs.

Zombies While the Civil War rages, President Abraham Lincoln (Bill Oberst Jr.)

Casey Wilson stars in “Marry Me”

undertakes an even tougher task: destroying the Confederate walking dead, in this 2012 B-movie knockoff (or “homage,” if you’re feeling generous) of the bigger-budgeted “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.” The latter film, oddly enough, also had tanked at the box office despite having Tim Burton among the producers. Jason Vail and Don McGraw also star. Premiere MONDAY 9:59 p.m. on CBS NCIS: Los Angeles In hopes of identifying the source of an anthrax poisoning before terrorists can turn it into a biological weapon, Sam and Callen (LL Cool J, Chris O’Donnell) go under cover as food truck owners in Mexico in the new episode “Black Wind.” Angelique Cabral

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Chris O’Donnell stars in “NCIS: Los Angeles”

and Enrique Castillo guest star; Linda Hunt, Daniela Ruah, Eric Christian Olsen and Barrett Foa also star. New TUESDAY 9 p.m. on NBC Marry Me Although Gil (John Gemberling) vows to throw best pal Jake (Ken Marino) a definitively awesome bachelor party, things do not go as smoothly as he had hoped (yes, we know, we’re shocked, too). Meanwhile, Dennah and Annie (Sarah Wright Olson, Casey Wilson) take steps to get a reluctant Myrna (Jobeth Williams) back in the dating game, despite Jake’s trepidations. Tim Meadows and Dan Bucatinsky also star in the new episode “Date Me.” New continued on next page

FAVORITE SHOWS 10 p.m. on TBS Ground Floor Brody (Skylar Astin) gets yet another reminder that he is falling behind in his life plan by the return of his old flame Heather (guest star Anna Camp, “Pitch Perfect”), now a full-fledged company partner.

Meanwhile, Mansfield (John C. McGinley) is forced to relocate his daughter’s wedding after his preferred venue, a tropical island, sinks in the new episode “The Proposal: Part 1.” Briga Heelan and Rory Scovel also star. New

FRIDAY 8 p.m. on NBC Constantine A phrase from Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” — “Angels and Ministers of Grace” — serves as the title of this new episode, in which John (Matt Ryan) heads to a hospital to investigate a mysterious attack, with the unwitting assistance of Manny (Harold Perrineau). Back on the homefront, a personal health scare leads Zed (Angelica Celaya) to wonder where her visions really come from. Charles Halford also stars. New

WEDNESDAY 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings) Earth: A New Wild Dr. M. Sanjayan, a leading conservation scientist, hosts this landmark five-part limited series that explores how humans are intimately connected with the wild animals and places of Earth. The series opener, “Home,” underscores how humans pose a grave threat to many of the planet’s animals and, especially, their habitats, but also provides powerful, poignant examples of how humans and wildlife are able to thrive side by side. Series Premiere New THURSDAY 8 p.m. on FOX American Idol The culling of the herd continues in the new episode “Hollywood Week No. 2,” as the young hopefuls who arrived in California with visions of future stardom see their numbers sharply reduced. Judges Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and Harry Connick Jr. cast a critical eye over the contestants to decide which of the rookies have the right stuff to move on in the competition. Ryan Seacrest hosts. New

Matt Ryan stars in “Constantine”

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SATURDAY 8 p.m. on FOX Red Band Society This poignant but low-rated hospital drama, which always has struggled in the ratings, has what Fox is still calling a two-hour season (not series) finale with the new double episode “We’ll Always Have Paris/Waiting for a Superman.” As the core group of characters tries to cope with the loss of one of its members, another among them finds new hope. Dr. Naday and Nurse Jackson (Adrian Lester, Octavia Spencer) take things to the next level, but Dash’s (Brian Bradley) new love object could prove fatal. Season Finale New

“Red Band Society”

Harry Connick Jr. is a judge in “American Idol”

February 1 - 7, 2015 YOUR TV LINK Courtesy of Gracenote Page 21