Category: News

The best things come to those who wait — or in the case of Stranger Things fans, maybe it’s the most things. It’s true, it’s been ages since the third season; indeed, it dropped almost a year before there even was a pandemic. But when the fourth season and its new, scarier villain arrives starting next week, creators Matt and Ross Duffer will atone by giving plenty more than expected.

In a new interview with The Wrap, the Duffers revealed that some of the nine forthcoming episodes are going to be longer than usual — much, much longer. “Seven and nine in particular are movies,” Matt told them. “And nine is a long movie.”

How long are talking here? As per Ross, “We’re still refining it but we will say that it is over two hours. It’s a big one.”

Netflix, of course, has never had to worry about things like time slots and commercial breaks (at least for now). As such, even sitcoms, like the dearly departed reboot of One Day at a Time, could run well over the traditional half-hour-including-commercials running time. Episodes could run a full hour. They could also run some strange, modern in-between length, like 39 minutes.

And yet the Duffers still felt like they needed permission to go potentially Marvel movie long. “The more we were writing, the more we realized we need more time in order for these reveals to land, in order for these storylines to work,” Matt explained. “Partway through we knew we needed to ask Netflix for nine episodes instead of eight and as we started shooting we realized, Oh these are mega-long episodes.”

One reason they’re so long: Matt points out they had “characters spread out in three locations and we had a lot more plot. It must be quadruple the plot we had in Season 3.” They also needed to build towards Season 5, slated to be their fifth, so they needed to set things up so they could end things big.

Does this sound like a lot to binge-watch, even over a holiday weekend? Well, don’t worry, because they split the season into two volumes, the first dropping on May 27, the second one over a month later, on July 1. All of this sounds like good news for a streamer that could sure use some.

(Via The Wrap)

Like Jeremy Clarkson and Xzibit before him, Robert Downey Jr. is getting into the classic car game with a view to changing the planet. Instead of retrofitting classic rides with a minibar and an airbrushed mural of The Vision, Downey’s Dream Cars will upgrade the cars in the actor’s garage to make them better for the environment.

“My goal is to showcase that it’s possible to keep the integrity of classic cars while leveraging new tech and innovation to make them more eco-friendly,” Downey Jr. said.

His collection includes a 1967 Corvette Stingray Convertible, a Bentley Continental GT, several Audis, a Ferrari, and a luxury vehicle that already comes with green bonafides: the Fisker Karma, which pioneered pricey plug-ins before going out of business when their battery manufacturer tanked. Maybe Downey’s Dream Cars will find a way to bring it back to life.

With major car makers pledging to go mostly or all-electric within the next decade, a dad-bait show about classic cars and saving the planet feels like the last step in the process of making electric vehicles cool. Maybe Downey Jr. can invite Sydney Sweeney on to show him how it’s done and let him borrow the pink gloves.

(Via The Hollywood Reporter)

Pan’s Labyrinth got a 22-minute standing ovation, The French Dispatch earned 9 full minutes, but Top Gun: Maverick‘s 6-minute standing O at Cannes is nothing to chomp your teeth at. The Tom Cruise-starring legacyquel has scored tons of excellent reviews (including from our own Mike Ryan), but unless Maverick says, “I feel the need, the need for poetic dialogue and internal torment set to a xylophone-only score,” it isn’t exactly the type of movie Cannes usually vibes with. Granted, they’ve dipped their toes into the populist water a few times (shout out to Shrek), but the hullabaloo surrounding Top Gun: Maverick goes above and beyond. That’s because the standing ovation happened before the movie even played.

The mania of the event started with an 8-fighter-jet flyover at the red carpet, continued with a video tribute covering Cruise’s entire career, and ended with a surprise Palme d’Or bestowed upon the actor, who started to cry as the audience climbed to its feet again for another round of applause before watching the film. Cruise also took the opportunity to drop the mic on the question of why he does his own life-threatening stunts, stating, “No one asked Gene Kelly, ‘Why do you dance? Why do you do your own dancing?’” instead of the more honest answer that he’s trying to die while at work to double the insurance money.

Top Gun: Maverick, which also stars Jennifer Connelly, Miles Teller, Jon Hamm, hits theaters May 24th.

ID and Discovery+ are going hard on 1990s nostalgia with their latest slate of true crime shows. That includes August specials on Biggie and Tupac, the Menendez Brothers, Mary Kay Letourneau, and Louise Woodward. Who Killed Biggie and Tupac? (a working title) will try to answer the mystery with a new round of interviews; Menendez Brothers: Misjudged? will consider the brothers convicted of killing their parents as potential abuse victims; Mary Kay Letourneau: Notes on a Scandal seeks to dive back into the story of the teacher who raped her 12-year-old student, Vili Fualauu, and later married him; and The Killer Nanny will reopen the evidence in the case against Louise Woodward for killing the 8-month-old child she was hired as an au pair for.

It’s all grisly business, dredging up the past, but the streaming network isn’t fully trapped in the decade of scrunchies and JNCO jeans. The most potentially explosive of their new specials, House of Hammer (another working title), stays achingly recent in its examination of Armie Hammer, whose fall from movie stardom and grace in 2021 involved affairs, drugs, and accusations of cannibalism. The show grounds that scandal in a century of Hammer family scandals, tracing the family with “a trove of archive and interviews from survivors and family members” to display “a dysfunctional dynasty with its male characters exhibiting all the devastating consequences of privilege gone wild.”

In October, they’ll launch another special aimed at another high profile, topical murder case with Gabby Petito: An ID Murder Mystery. These are the gruesome crown jewels in a true crime-heavy slate that promises tons of charming con artists, twisty tales of terrible acts, and shocking missing persons cases. Discovery+ is banking on viewers finishing the million hours of true crime podcasts they already have downloaded in order to tune in for more.

(Via Variety)

“The time to worry about crossing lines was a lot of lines ago.”

By now we’re all familiar with the Trolley Problem (thanks, The Good Place!) where we have to decide whether to actively change the trajectory of a trolley on a train track so that it will kill only one person instead of ten. But what if you weren’t just driving the trolley, but built it, put it on the track, and set it in motion with the desire to kill people? Don’t sweat it too much. It’s for the greater good. George Saunders’ short story “Escape From Spiderhead” attacks that question head-on by placing us in a prison research facility where a shadowy corporation tests profoundly invasive drugs on inmates to push the boundaries of how acutely drugs can control behavior. It looks like Netflix’s movie version starring Chris Hemsworth, Miles Teller, and Jurnee Smollett is expanding on the brief window we get into the world of Spiderhead to push those limits further.

Hemsworth plays Abnesti, a brilliant visionary not bound by ethics of any kind, while Teller and Smollett play inmates who dance to experimental doses loaded into a cartridge surgically attached to their backs. Spiderhead was written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (who do not get enough credit for their stellar run from Zombieland through Deadpool) and directed by Joseph Kosinski, who also has Top Gun: Maverick hitting theaters in late May. Spiderhead will scramble brains on Netflix June 17th.

Mindy Kaling’s upcoming project VELMA will feature a much more adult approach to the Scooby gang, which famously caused some backlash when it was announced last year.

At the Warner Bros Discover Upfront presentation this week, Kaling gave a first look at her new series, which is heading to HBO Max this year. “Hopefully you noticed my Velma is South Asian,” Kaling said. “If people freak out about that, I don’t care.” Kaling added that if a dog can solve crimes, then her Velma can be brown. Besides, the pup won’t be in the show anyway.

Kaling also unveiled a first look at the show, which is intended to be for more mature audiences. In the first look there is a pretty graphic still of the series featuring a woman with her skull cut open, and another woman (Daphne?) seemingly naked. Seems like this show will be a wild ride. Kaling will also voice the titular character, in addition to executive producing.

The series is one of a handful of adult animation shows coming to HBO Max this year: Clone High will also be rebooted with the original creators Phil Lord, Chris Miller, and Bill Lawrence, along with a new Pete Davidson-led series Fired On Mars, in addition to the very popular Harley Quinn series.

The Denver Nuggets have produced some of the most well respected front office executives in the league over the last decade, headlined by Masai Ujiri, but also including Bulls vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas.

Tim Connelly, their current president, also fits in that category and it appears he might be joining Ujiri and Karnisovas in exploring a new opportunity outside of Denver this offseason, as Shams Charania and Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic report the Minnesota Timberwolves are in “serious talks” with Connelly to take over their vacant president of basketball operations post.

The Timberwolves are in serious talks with Denver Nuggets president Tim Connelly about the franchise’s vacant President of Basketball Operations role, sources tell The Athletic. The Timberwolves recently requested permission from the Nuggets to speak with Connelly, and the sides have moved beyond exploratory conversations, sources said.

There have been no agreements reached yet, and nothing appears imminent, sources said.

The Timberwolves are looking to add Connelly into the vacancy left by Gersson Rosas after he was fired prior to the season amid a scandal involving him having an affair with a staffer and allegations of a toxic workplace culture. Per Charania and Krawczynski, Sachin Gupta, who was elevated to the top spot in the Minnesota front office when Rosas was fired, would be expected to remain in his position as a major decision-maker but would answer to Connelly.

For Denver, it would mean starting over now that Karnisovas (formerly the GM below Connelly) is in Chicago, and would be the second time that their lead basketball executive left for a better offer. Minnesota’s new ownership is clearly looking to spend to build on what they did this year in making the playoffs for the first time since 2018, and adding Connelly would give them another respected voice as they look to continue upgrading the roster.

It was just a little over a week ago that the music world was shocked by the news of RICO charges against Young Thug, Gunna, and 26 other members of the former’s YSL rap collective. The RICO case levied a total of 56 charges against the members which included conspiring to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, murder, armed robbery, and participation in criminal street gang activity. Thug himself was hit with seven more felony charges after a search warrant was executed at his Georgia home. More details about YSL’s alleged crimes have arrived since their arrest, including a recent accusation from Georgia prosecutors.

According to Complex, following an emergency motion filed by YFN Lucci, who was allegedly “stabbed with a shank, repeatedly, inside the Fulton County Jail” by a YSL member, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis shared more details about YSL’s alleged crime. “And what myself and any law enforcement member can tell you as a result of that [is] the back-and-forth gun violence and murders that have occurred, have probably been in excess of 50 since 2015—triggered by that in the back-and-forth between that [YSL] gang and other gangs.”

Willis was speaking about the 2015 murder of Donovan Thomas, which she said was “extremely significant” in connecting YSL to other alleged crimes that are listed in the case. In the 2015 incident, the 26-year-old YFN affiliate was murdered outside of a barbershop, and Thug is accused of renting the Infiniti Q50 sedan used in the crime.

YFN Lucci’s team filed the emergency motion on the basis of him being a victim in the YSL case. Lucci’s legal team is reportedly asking that the rapper be released on “reasonable conditions” and an “emergency bond hearing.” According to Complex, they add that “despite being a named victim in a sprawling and high-profile criminal case, the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office, nor any Victim’s Advocate from their office has reached out to Mr. [Rayshawn] Bennett or his counsel.”

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Toto’s “Africa” is one of the most beloved pop songs of all time. In fact, it’s been touted by at least one neural scientist and by countless music fans as the No. 1 song ever written.

For a song released in the early 1980s, it has stood the test of time consistently, never feeling dated or constrained by its decade. “Africa” is practically in a genre of its own, which is probably why it’s been covered so many times in so many styles by so many artists.

One rendition that’s getting viral attention—not for the first time—may be unlike any you’ve ever seen.

Peter Bence is a Hungarian pianist and composer who performs “Africa” as a solo piece on the piano—only it’s not a piano solo piece in the traditional sense, as he uses the piano in totally different ways than what we’re used to seeing.

Bence first shared a video of his live “Africa” performance on YouTube in 2018 and it’s been viewed 15 million times since then. A share of the video on his Facebook page from May 15 already has 5.3 million views and more than 9,000 comments.

The video begins with a barefoot Bence creating a sound with the strings of the piano, which becomes looped. Then he adds percussion with his hands on the surface of the piano, which also get looped. Then he finally sits down to play the piano, and from there we’re taken on a blessed, rainy ride above the Serengeti.

The energy Bence brings to the performance is as entertaining as his musicality, as one wonders what creative way he’s going to use the piano next. From plucking piano strings to opening and closing the lid to the keyboard, Bence makes and loops sounds to help build out the track. While we wouldn’t expect a solo piano version of “Africa” to sound just like the original, part of what makes the song great is how rich and full it feels, and Bence manages to keep some of that with his piano plucking, scratching and pounding.

Watch:

A sampling of comments reflect the general sentiment in how the video has been received:

“I’m so glad to watch and see a fellow musician, that enjoys the music deep down. Excellent playing man!”

“So fluid. The piano is an extension of your whole body. Amazing.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone has so much fun playing the piano. You’re not just terrifically talented, I love the creativity.”

“Brilliant! Loved it. It made me think what would J S Bach have done with looping on a piano/harpsichord?”

“Mesmerizing! He became the music and the music became him.”

In short, it’s gonna take a lot to drag us away from this video.

Peter Bence is touring in 2022. Check out his website for more info.

Taylor Swift is only 32 years old, but as someone who’s been on the world’s stage for half her life, she’s a lot wiser than her years would suggest. The “Shake it Off” singer received an honorary doctorate from New York University as part of the school’s 2022 graduating class on May 18 at Yankee Stadium and followed it up with a speech for her fellow graduates.

In the speech, she discussed choosing what to let go of in life and the importance of eagerness. But the most important advice she shared was how to overcome mistakes. She explained how she deals with missteps to help her fellow graduates navigate the inevitable stumbles they’ll take in their post-collegiate life.

She noted that being a pop star who was known as “America’s Sweetheart” gave her the extra burden of being a perfect role model. But living up to those expectations was impossible.

“I became a young adult while being fed the message that if I didn’t make any mistakes, all the children of America would grow up to be perfect angels,” she admitted. “However, if I did slip up, the entire Earth would fall off its axis and it would be entirely my fault and I would go to pop star jail forever and ever. It was all centered around the idea that mistakes equal failure and ultimately, the loss of any chance at a happy or rewarding life.”

However, Swift believes that all the mistakes she’s made have “led to the best things in my life.”

“Having the world treat my love life like a spectator sport in which I lose every single game was not a great way to date in my teens and 20s, but it taught me to protect my private life fiercely,” she shared.

“Being publicly humiliated over and over again at a young age was excruciatingly painful but it forced me to devalue the ridiculous notion of minute-by-minute, ever-fluctuating social relevance and likability. Getting canceled on the internet and nearly losing my career gave me an excellent knowledge of all the types of wine,” she joked, in what appeared to be an allusion to her feud with Kanye West.

Swift also encouraged students to embrace their embarrassing moments and to “live alongside cringe” as “cringe is unavoidable over a lifetime.” She also made the scary but true point that we will all make big mistakes throughout our lives.

“In your life, you will inevitably misspeak, trust the wrong people, underreact, overreact, hurt the people who didn’t deserve it, overthink, not think at all, self-sabotage, create a reality where only your experience exists, ruin perfectly good moments for yourself and others, deny any wrongdoing, not take the steps to make it right, feel very guilty, let the guilt eat at you, hit rock bottom, finally address the pain you caused, try to do better next time, rinse, repeat,” she continued. “And I’m not gonna lie, these mistakes will cause you to lose things.”

But the important thing is how we recover.

“Anyway, hard things will happen to us. We will recover. We will learn from it. We will grow more resilient because of it. As long as we are fortunate enough to be breathing, we will breathe in, breathe through, breathe deep, breathe out. And I’m a doctor now, so I know how breathing works,” she joked.

Swift sent the graduates off to their new lives where they will most likely work with a new cast of characters, including bosses, business partners, spouses, community leaders and children. But her advice was important because it taught them to make peace with the hardest critic they’ll ever have to please in their next chapters: themselves.