Amanda Bynes sets the record straight

For the record, Amanda Bynes has NOT retired and has no regrets for publicity she's received over her Twitter account.



She told People Magazine at the MTV Movie Awards:

"You say what you feel because you felt it at the moment."

"It's sort of like what I would tell a reporter if I were doing an interview," Bynes says. "You kind of have to let people know a little bit about you. And once you've been in the business for a long time, people kind of know stuff about your life."

Amanda also clarified her decision to take a break from Hollywood.

"I really just needed some time off. I've been acting since I was seven, and I'm 25 now. So, it's not retiring so much. It's just taking some time off."

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A comeback (sort of)

Amanda Bynes has returned...to Twitter.



You can now follow the actress once again. She's been back on Twitter as MsAmandaBynes_ since yesterday and shared a bunch of photos and answered a few questions with fans.

I'm lovin' that she's back online, now hopefully next a movie set? What do you say, Amanda? We're ready and waiting.

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Nikki Blonsky still in touch with Amanda

In an interview with Broadway.com, Nikki Blonsky, currently making her New York debut on Broadway in Love Loss and What I Wore, mentioned that she is still in touch with her Hairspray costars, including Amanda.

Were you upset that plans for a Hairspray sequel were scrapped?

I love Hairspray so much. It’s just magical to me. I would just die to work with John Travolta again. We’re very close, and I still speak to him all the time. Same with Amanda Bynes and Zac Efron, which I know girls will like to hear. It was such a fun, life-changing experience for all of us.

Maybe she can convince Amanda to make a comeback?!

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Critics: Easy A is Amanda's 'best work'

As if you need another reason to watch Easy A, critics in their year end DVD/movie reviews are citing Amanda's role in Easy A as some of her best work of her career.

"Amanda Bynes gives one of her best performances as the leader of the school's unofficial God squad."

- Huffington Post

[Lisa Kudrow appears] as the guidance counselor who's having an affair with boyfriend of an uptight born again type played by Amanda Bynes [possibly her best work, too]

- TV.com

Just leave it to Amanda to steal the show!

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Easy A gets top Blu-Ray Review

Easy A got a rare 5 star review from Blu-Ray.com. Check it out here! Below is a screencap from their website.




Meanwhile, critics continue to praise Amanda's work in the movie:

"...one of the years best...[featuring] the thank-goodness-she-unretired Amanda Bynes as a passionate religious instigator." -SheKnows.com

"Tucci and Clarkson aren't the only nice surprise though, there are excellent performances from Thomas Hayden Church [and] Amanda Bynes." -Daily Dischord

Here's hoping she headlines a project in the new year.

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A is Golden

Just a quick update to congratulate Emma Stone on her first ever Golden Globe nomination as Best Actress in a Comedy/Musical for Easy A! She's up against some stiff competition, but being recognized and nominated is already a win, and dare I say it, an Easy A.

Cheesy jokes aside, don't forget that Easy A is hitting stores on Blu-Ray and DVD Tuesday! This is a chance to have Amanda under your Christmas tree.

Here's a rundown of the features for the DVD and Blu-ray:




Additional Material:

Commentary with Director Will Gluck and Emma Stone
Emma Stone's Webcam Audition Footage
Gag Reel

Blu-Ray Exclusives:

Extra Credit: Pop-Up Trivia Track (BD-exclusive)
The Making of Easy A (BD-exclusive)
The School of Pop Culture: Movies of the Eighties (BD-exclusive)
Vocabulary of Hilarity (BD-exclusive)

Maybe another present would be for Amanda to announce another project and come out of retirement for real!

Thanks for sticking by as always, for reading, leaving comments, and continuing to support Amanda and this blog. Hopefully 2011 will bring more of Amanda. Entertainment needs her, don't you think?

All the best and happy holidays! See you next year.

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Amanda after Easy A

Entertainment Weekly's Popwatch blog posted a fantastic article in which they hope Amanda chooses to not retire. Amid the great reviews she's gotten from Easy A, (nearly all of them are positive), the blog author hopes Amanda sticks around because she shows more promise than other performers her age.

I hope [deleting her Twitter] doesn’t mean that she’s un-un-retired. I think that would be a shame.

Especially in this weekend of Yet Another Disappointing Headline Concerning Lindsay Lohan, I find myself respecting the way Bynes has conducted her transition from child star to young adult: no scandals, no arrests, no embarrassing boyfriend drama, just the one Maxim cover (on which she’s practically swaddled in fabric) and a very select smattering of well-played parts. I’m fairly certain she still lives with her parents, which I find adorable. And while it is her right to decide what to do with her own future — especially after nearly two decades of the Hollywood grind life on screen [better, readers? - WP] — I wish she wouldn’t give up on making people laugh. We’ve got waaaaay too many generic ingenues around here already.

Check out the rest of the article here, and don't forget to see Easy A in theaters!

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Easy A likely to top weekend box office

Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider press has released its box office predictions for this weekend and places Easy A at the top of the pack estimating the movie to score in $18 million range:

Teen girls haven’t had something to sink their teeth into since Twilight. And while I’m not even considering comparing Easy A to the vampire juggernaut, I do think this PG-13-rated teen flick does have the ability to spark with its intended demographic. How high it gets is going to be predicated based on how many teenage girls are available for movie-going this weekend. If they love it, which I predict they will, then word-of-mouth could give the Screen Gems flick a hefty opening frame. It would also mean the Sony subsidiary scores its third No. 1 film in three weeks, after Resident Evil and Takers.

The Associated Press predicts the movie to open even higher, in the $30 million range.

Easy A is generating tons of positive reviews and praise for not only Emma Stone, but the entire cast. Will the positive press and a high outcome in receipt totals convince Amanda to come back to acting full time? What do you think?

See if Amanda lives up to the hype in theaters Friday!

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More comments from Easy A director Will Gluck on Amanda's retirement

Easy A director Will Gluck did an interview with Comingsoon.net about the movie and Amanda's retirement.

CS: I don't know if you've been asked this already, but what on earth did you do to Amanda Bynes to make her want to retire?
Gluck: (Laughs) Well, here's my answer to this. I don't think that she's retiring yet.

CS: No, I didn't think so either.
Gluck: Here's the story. The story is that three years ago she woulda said it to a friend and that woulda been it. Nowadays, because of the Twitter and the social networks she said it, and 10 million people know what you're doing. So it's beyond just an impulsive thought and now it gets broadcast to everyone. You can't take it back. It's very much like this movie, that rumors now travel at the speed of light. If three years ago, something happened, it would take three weeks for it to get around and by then it could've been repudiated or whatever. Now, it's instant. I mean, literally there's a shot I did when she looked and it goes through all her school and comes all the way back. That was in real time, six seconds, everyone knows about it. That's the kind of thing with the Amanda Bynes Twitter thing. That's the story there I think.

Read more of the interview here.

We're only ONE WEEK away from seeing Amanda on the big screen! Who is excited?

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Reviews for Easy A

Here is will I post significant reviews of Easy A! We're only a week away everyone!

Blogcritics:

This movie rocks...Whether you’re 17 or 85, guy or girl, Easy A is for you. This is one of those films that transcends barriers and will keep audiences laughing for years to come.

- The Collegian:

A strong cast of actors such as Bynes, Lisa Kudrow and Thomas Haden Church portray the witty dialogue of a well-written script by Bert V. Royal in this Will Gluck film....“Easy A” is a must-see movie.

- Variety:

Marianne [is] played with butt-clenching perfection by Amanda Bynes...

- Hitflix:

Gluck was really fortunate that this cast came together, because they're all so relaxed with each other, all so funny, and they all know exactly what tone to use to play this material. And with the young cast, everyone seems on their game. Speaking of Bynes...she was pitch perfect in "Hairspray," and she pins down a very different character here, making her Marianne a nice example of curdled Christianity.

Film School Rejects

The most fascinating stand out is now-retired actress Amanda Bynes who, as the school’s know-it-all evangelical Christian, can manage a serious crying scene and then go right back into the walking stereotype that she’s created. It’s the sort of foot stomping, face clenching performance she’s delivered before, but this time it includes a few sober acting moments that fit easily into the tone of the rest of the film.

Get more reviews from Rotten Tomatoes.

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Easy A's first review

Easy A is a special presentation at the Toronto International Film Festival next week, and the website already posted a small review. It was given three and a half stars out of four and billed as "the freshest, funniest teen comedy in many a semester."

The article says that Emma Stone is surrounded by great actors and mentions Amanda!

When will you see Easy A? Vote in the poll!

You can check out more information on the TIFF here.

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Easy A director on Amanda's retirement

Easy A director Will Gluck spoke to Movieline about the film and offered his insight on Amanda'a retirement.

Easy A is the last film Amanda Bynes made before her retirement announcement. Did that surprise you?

The stock answer I’m giving on that is…well, you know that she’s unretired, right? It actually speaks to the movie a little bit, that there’s all this text messaging and one thing you say can get out instantly. I think it wouldn’t have been a story two years ago when no one tweeted about anything, but now that everything’s broadcast, stuff that shouldn’t really become a story does become a story. I don’t think she’s going to retire. That’s the thing about this: I tried to make a John Hughes movie — and with all due respect, I know I didn’t come close to making one of his movies — and then you add in the internet, the social networking, the “every thought we have is broadcast” society that we live in, and every decision that you make now is much more magnified.

He also stated that the movie was toned down from an origianl R rating to a more audience appealing PG-13 and about how he feels that the internet can be a poisonous place. You can read the interview here.

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Hairspray co-star supports Amanda

Hairspray co-star Nikki Blonsky supports Amanda's descision to leave Hollywood. She told DVR Playground:

Amanda is one of my dearest friends and I completely support whatever decisions she make. I’m happy for her, proud that she stood up and did what she wanted to do, and didn’t care what anybody thought! Go on girl! Enjoy retirement.

Nikki Blonsky is now starring in Huge on ABC Family. Check out the rest of the article here!

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Baseball team holds tribute to Amanda

Huh? Who would've thought some of Amanda's biggest fans were football players? The Baysox will hold a tribute to Amanda at their game tonight. The party announcment:

Baysox Director of Promotions Lauren Phillips was shocked by [Amanda's retirement] announcement. "I can not believe she's retiring at 24," Phillips said. "She had such a long and incredible career in front of her. I've been a huge fan for years, there will be no replacing Amanda Bynes in pop culture."

The team promises that attendees will get free cake and can sign a retirement card to the now-former actress, can make Amanda Bynes tribute t-shirts, take part in a Bynes look-alike contest, and view career retrospective video clips.

More information on the team and game can be found here. Sounds like fun! Amanda has been invited but has not yet issued a response, according to the press release.

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TV.com's Career Advice

Website TV.com and subsequent Amanda Bynes fan, posted an article in which they discuss things they'd like to see Amanda do to rescue her career from an early (and undeserving) grave. They would like to see Amanda flourish on TV, and top suggesstions are Glee, Desparate Housewives, and How I Met Your Mother.

Read the article here.

What's your suggestion?

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Publicist: "Amanda never discussed retirement, sounded great"

The New York Daily News posted an article in which her reps discussed Amanda's surprise retirement. According to her publicist, Amanda did discuss taking a break, but "sounded great" last week while doing press for Easy A.

Her publicist tells the Daily News that Bynes "sounded great" as late as last Thursday when she was doing press for her upcoming movie, "Easy A."

Melissa Raubvogel claims Bynes had said she wanted to "take some down time" but never mentioned retiring.

As for the Daily Beast's report that Bynes was fired from the Farrelly brothers film "Hall Pass," the actress' rep fervently denied it, saying her client left over a "scheduling conflict."

The author hopes Easy A will prove successful so Amanda will return to movies. Check out the rest of the article here.

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Amanda not fired from "Hall Pass"

E! Online posted an article stating that Amanda was not actually fired from Hall Pass and no intervention was staged to get Amanda back on track and cure "bad behavior" as was previously reported, accoring to Amanda's reps. The article is availible here.



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Am I the only one who thinks it's about time her reps spoke up for her? I hope they're not getting paid much for doing a horrible job. Expect a statement from them next year on Amanda's retirement.

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Entertainment Weekly's Popwatch: Retirement "unfortunate"

EntertainemntWeekly.com's Popwatch section posted an article in which they tag Amanda's retirement as an "unfortunate event" and are happy they have her films She's the Man and What a Girl Wants to look back on. They suggest she write her own part and look back on possible reasons her career derailed.

Check out the article here.

If you have a Twitter account, add the tag #comebackamandabynes to the end of your tweets so we can trend it!

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On the set of Easy A: Interview

Comingsoon.net has posted an interview with Amanda from the set of Easy A. It's a great read, although it does look like part of a previous interview was reused. Nonetheless, it's great to read something from Amanda in more than 140 characters. :)

Q: Is Marianne the role you originally went out for?

Bynes: I never tried out, so they gave me this role.

Q: Do you identify with anything about the character?

Bynes: Not really. I'm not judgmental. I live and let live. I don't judge others and I don't want others to judge me so I figure it's good karma not to judge others. Actually, I don't really relate to her at all but I've met girls who are evil and try to cut you down so I can draw from experience for sure. But what's funny is she is a virgin and yet she wears these sort of vampy clothes that are trying to be conservative but are still sort of pushing the envelope. I do know girls that are so virginal yet dress like... big tramps [we laugh]. It's been really fun so far. The cast is amazing...It's been a great experience.

Read the rest of the interview here, and check out the Easy A trailer if you haven't yet!

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Amanda is single again

If you've been following Amanda on Twitter lately, you've probably noticed that she's spent a lot of her time tweeting about a mystery guy she's been unofficially dating. Rumors say it's been rapper Kid Cudi, but now there are reports the two have broken up.



From Hollywood Life:

Just days after gushing and tweeting non-stop about her rumored relationship with sexy “chocolate” man,Kid Cudi,
Amanda Bynes has revealed they are o-v-e-r. Already? Yes, already.

“If something doesn’t work out with the guy I like, then I guess it just wasn’t meant to be! You can’t FORCE relationships/love. If it’s meant to be, it will be!” she wrote Feb. 11 in a series of posts on her Twitter page.

She added, “Oh well! It was fun while it lasted. I’m over it. It’s a good thing I never said his name so I can pretend like it never happened! I will just block him out of my memory!”

Amanda, 23, had been dropping hints about her blossoming relationship with the 26-year-old rapper via Twitter, but refused to confirm his true identity.

Read the entire story here.

The last time Amanda appeared in a movie was 2008's Lifetime made for television event Living Proof. Since then she has filmed Easy A but has done nothing else. With her constant tweeting and appearances out and about at clubs now, are you bored with her? Vote in the new poll on the right sidebar!

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