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The Los Angeles Lakers stood pat at the NBA trade deadline, as they failed to make any moves with an eye on improving their 26-30 record. Instead, their apparent hope is that they’ll be able to find someone(s) on the buyout market who can bolster their chances of making a run during the second half of the season, which both Richard Jefferson and Kendrick Perkins find very funny.

The inherent issue with turning to the buyout market is twofold: One, it’s exceedingly rare that players who can legitimately help a team win games get bought out, and two, you’re banking on other teams to make decisions that are outside of your control. But despite that, L.A. is getting its ducks in a row, and according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, one player who they hope to target is current Houston Rockets guard Dennis Schröder.

The Lakers explored the possibility of trading for Schröder at the trade deadline, as The Athletic’s Bill Oram reported. While there remains some division internally among the Lakers’ decision-makers regarding Schröder after his uncomfortable departure last summer, there is interest in bringing him back as a backup point guard, according to league sources.

Schröder was moved just before the deadline in the trade that saw Daniel Theis return to the Boston Celtics. Of course, Schröder joined the Celtics as a free agent this past summer after spending the previous year in L.A., where he may or may not have turned down an $84 million extension. As for whether or not he’ll become available, that is a different story.

Regardless, Schröder could help the Lakers as a backcourt option who knows the team’s system and has played with guys like LeBron James and Anthony Davis in the past. Time will tell, though, if a reunion comes to fruition.

With Valentine’s Day falling on a Monday this year, this weekend is probably the prime spot to get it on with your significant other. That means you’re going to need a good, sexy, and easy cocktail locked and loaded. One of the best cocktails for that vibe is the sidecar variation — Between The Sheets.

This cocktail goes back to Paris in the 1920s, when Harry’s Bar was helping invent modern and classic cocktail culture. It’s a mix of cognac and light rum with plenty of citruses to help it go down very easily. It’s light, refreshing, and incredibly sultry.

Between The Sheets is also very easy to make. We’re talking about a standard shaker with ingredients you’ll be able to source at any liquor store. There are no tricks, no bespoke spirits, and no five-minute shakes. You can make these in 30 seconds if your cocktail shaking game is tight.

Between The Sheets

Ingredients:

(Double ingredients to make two at a time in one shaker)

• 1 oz. cognac
• 1 oz. light rum
• 1 oz. triple sec
• 0.25 oz. fresh lemon juice
• Ice
• Orange peel

As I mentioned above, these are all standard ingredients that you’ll be able to find pretty much anywhere liquor is sold. I’m using Hennessy, Diplomatico Planas, and Le Favori Triple Sec. I’d definitely push towards the nicer end of the cognacs with VS (very special) or better. I’d also pick a light rum that’s been aged and turned back into a white rum. Generally, aged rums like Diplomatico Planas are aged in barrels for years before the color is filtered out, which leaves smooth edges and deep aged flavor in the rum without the dark hues.

What You’ll Need:

• Coupe (pre-chilled)
• Cocktail shaker
• Cocktail strainer
• Pairing knife
• Jigger

Method:

• Pre-chill the glass in the freezer.
• Add the cognac, rum, triple sec, and lemon to a shaker. Fill about 1/2 way with ice. Shake vigorously until well chilled (15 to 20 seconds).
• Strain the cocktail into the pre-chilled glass.
• Slice a thin peel from the orange and express the oils over the cocktail and rub the peel around the rim and stem of the glass.
• Discard peel and serve.

Bottom Line:

This is super refreshing and light. The citrus really shines through with big orange notes driving the palate with the rum and cognac providing a light boozy base with a little bit of woody spice, orchard fruit, and sweetness. The lemon provides a nice and acidic counterpoint to the whole affair and really helps this cocktail shine.

Perhaps most importantly, this is super easy to make. It takes less than a minute to shake one of these up and serve it (if you’re rushing). That means you can easily make more as the night winds on without much effort. Save that energy for romance.

Mid-2022 is going to be the peak of the year for Jack White fans, as the rocker has a pair of albums dropping in the coming months: Fear Of The Dawn is set for release on April 8, then Entering Heaven Alive is scheduled to be unveiled on July 22. White has been teasing the first LP in recent months and he did more of that today with a brief-but-energetic new video for the rocking “Fear Of The Dawn.”

The self-directed clip is a single stationary shot of White and his band playing the song, stylized in black and white save for the blue accents, which include White’s hair. There’s also some visually noisy and chaotic overlays to give the whole video a grungier feel.

Meanwhile, around the release of Fear Of The Dawn is also when White is set to begin his “The Supply Chain Issues Tour.” The trek will see White travel all around the world between April and August, including multi-night stays in places like Detroit, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Paris, and London.

Watch the “Fear Of The Dawn” video above.

Fear Of The Dawn is out 4/8 via Third Man Records. Pre-order it here.

Entering Heaven Alive is out 7/22 via Third Man Records. Pre-order it here.

Spoilers for The Power of the Dog will be found below.

The ending of Netflix’s The Power of the Dog was a powerful one, although it was an understated one for sure. It may have taken a rewind to capture the full gravity of what happened when Phil fell ill and surprisingly died. Heck, even Phil’s brother, George, seemed shocked that his brother had almost certainly (as confirmed by the doctor) fallen ill and died from anthrax poisoning, so let’s talk out how and why this happened.

Also, there’s one major question that we need to consider: Did Peter kill Phil?

Yep, it sure seems like he did. This is heavily implied and, in retrospect, makes plenty of sense while reflecting upon some hefty foreshadowing. That includes Peter’s care in wearing gloves while approaching a dead animal in the field. That wasn’t the only moment when he was spotted studying a dead animal over the course of the movie, and we also know — from the way that Peter broke a rabbit’s neck with ease when prompted by Phil — that Peter was capable of killing a living being. Sure, the jump to killing Phil might seem a little large, but Peter knew the depths of Phil’s cruelty and taunting of his mother. And he had determined to protect her at all costs.

That cost included Peter’s budding relationship with Phil, who had seemingly dropped his contempt for the young man and opened up to him about his own past. The film’s a scathing examination of toxic masculinity, and boy, all of those Oscar nominations are well deserved ones, but let’s get back to that ending with Phil and Peter.

Peter observed Phil’s open wound and how his guard was down, so he determined to slip him some contaminated rawhide. And his hunch was correct. Phil didn’t suspect a thing, even though (as noted by George after his brother’s death) Phil was generally very careful while dealing with animals and the possibility of infection. Peter knew that Rose remained in danger and made his decision, and that turned out to be the end of Phil. It’s a stunning development, and arguably a necessary one, and it’s certainly commentary upon the state of Phil’s psyche and how it reflects upon conversations about sexuality and identity. And now, those conversations head to the Oscars.

The Power of the Dog is currently streaming on Netflix.

Since popping up on the scene in 2019 with his rowdy party singles “Yeh” and “Crunk Ain’t Dead,” Memphis-bred Quality Control Music rapper Duke Deuce has long held a reputation for his energetic performances and raucous, unabashed livewire personality. So it’s only natural that for his first single of 2022, Duke teamed up with another rapper with a similar penchant for cutting loose, Maryland punk-rap rebel Rico Nasty, on “Falling Off.”

Over a fitting metal guitar riff that evokes the wild energy of the glam-rock ’80s, the two rappers boast of their inexhaustible energy, scream-rapping, “It ain’t no fallin’ off.” The song’s video, which takes place during a club performance with grimy lighting, opens with a warning for viewers and finds Duke and Rico embracing a pseudo-horror-themed aesthetic, with Duke rocking a Freddy Krueger sweater and a bubble jacket-clad Rico going cutesy-goth, with makeup taken straight out of a Kiss video and utilizing her raspy-voiced “Smack A Bitch” flow to set off her aggressive rhymes.

“Falling Off” is reportedly set to appear on Duke Deuce’s upcoming album, Crunkstar. Stay tuned.

Watch Duke Deuce’s “Falling Off” video featuring Rico Nasty above.

Rico Nasty is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Infernax is a retro homage to classic NES games Zelda II: The Adventure of Link and Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest. We’ve had an opportunity to play it before its release on Monday and can wholeheartedly say that this game nails what it is going for perfectly. Not only that, but it’s added plenty of unique elements to help it stand on its own and feel like a very modern game despite its classic look.

Of course, it’s one thing to just look retro. A good homage needs to create that feeling classic NES games created. Infernax does a really great job of this with a fair challenge, but it also has one more really important detail for a retro game, especially one that has so clearly taken inspiration from the Castlevania series: the Konami code. The most famous cheat code in all of gaming, many games have taken inspiration from the code and used it for their own purposes. Infernax was no different, but the way the devs have implemented it is really cool.

After inputting the famous cheat code at the title screen, the player is taken to the beginning of the game and they’ll see it has become a full on Contra clone with music changes and everything. Contra is, of course, the game that made the Konami code so popular in the first place.

Once the code has gone through, the player is given 30 lives and a machine gun to beat the entire game. As far as Easter Eggs go, this is easily one of the best we’ve seen. Not only is it yet another great homage, but it gives Infernax a lot of replay value.

The 94th Academy Awards have a date (March 27), a venue (the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles), and the nominations are out. Hm, yes, everything seems to be in order…

[extremely Catherine O’Hara yelling “KEVIN” in Home Alone voice]

A HOST.

After three ceremonies without one, the Oscars will have a host for the first time since Jimmy Kimmel in 2018, when The Shape of Water won Best Picture. Actually, the Oscars won’t just have a host — it will have multiple hosts. “This year’s Oscars will be a three-act show with each one-hour act emceed by a different host, according to two sources with knowledge of the telecast planning,” according to the Hollywood Reporter.

The multi-host strategy helps address the biggest deterrents for potential emcees — the time commitment of preparing for the lengthy show and the often unflattering glare of the spotlight that the high-pressure gig can shine on entertainers. The plan also gives the Academy an opportunity to hire hosts who can attract different demographics to the flagging ABC telecast.

The most obvious hire might be the best: let Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez host the dang thing. They have chemistry, so the transitions between hosts would be smooth, and they’re two Oscar veterans and she’s in with The Cool Youths.

An alternate idea:

With a special musical performance from Baby Billy. Highest ratings in years.

(Via the Hollywood Reporter)

It’s safe to say that HBO Max’s Peacemaker is a hit. The Suicide Squad spinoff show has become one of HBO’s favorites, with the lovable antihero played by the just as lovable John Cena.

First there is the obvious lead, the Peacemaker (real name Christopher Smith), played by Cena. A continuation of his Suicide Squad character, the Peacemaker picks up where the movie leads off, as the anti-hero joins a black ops squad, titled Project Butterfly, to eradicate extra-terrestrial beings on Earth. Director James Gunn originally described Cena’s character as “a piece of sh*t,” but the show explores his complex relationship with himself and how other view him. Using his pro-wrestling moves, and even some dance moves, the character instantly draws you in.

The Peacemaker is joined by Emilia Harcourt, played by Jennifer Holland, a sarcastic A.R.G.U.S agent assigned to work with The Peacemaker, much to her dismay. Leota Adebayo, played by Danielle Brooks, is another member of Project Butterfly, who takes a while to loosen up to The Peacemaker’s antics.

Then there is The Vigilante, aka Adrien Chase, played by Freddie Stroma. The Vigilante looks up the Cena’s character as an older brother figure, and also has a pretty merciless killer side, but has been shown to be just a silly dude. Chukwudi Iwuji plays Clemson Murn, the leader of Project Butterfly. Oh, he’s also secretly a butterfly, just to tie things together. Also in the cast is Steve Agee as John Economics, and Robert Patrick as The Peacemaker’s racist dad, The White Dragon.

The cast of misfits come together to investigate all types of evil in the show, which is hypothetically going to be renewed for a second season.

Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift have been two of the music industry’s best besties over the past decade. In fact, it’s been just about exactly a decade, as the two first met and worked together in 2012. Today, Swift hopped on a new version of Sheeran’s “The Joker And The Queen,” and the song and video have both pop stars reflecting on their ten-year friendship.

Sheeran shared the video and wrote about Swift, as well as about how the stars of the new video also portrayed Swift and Sheeran in Swift’s “Everything Has Changed” visual back in the day. He wrote, “Me and Taylor first met and wrote + recorded our first song together in 2012, ten years ago now, I’m so so honoured to have her on this song. Not only is she the best singer/songwriter in the world but she’s also a very close friend, I’m very lucky to have her in my life. For the music video we got the kids from our song Everything Has Changed, all grown up and off to college now ! Hope you love the song, and the video, and have a great week x.”

Swift also shared the video on her Instagram Story and wrote, “This video makes me think of our friendship all these years. also can’t believe Jack & Ava from the Everything Has Changed video came back and did this!! Nostalgic heaven !”

In case you haven’t seen the “The Joker And The Queen” video yet, check that out here.

Ed Sheeran is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Do you ever think of how different gaming looks now than how it did when a lot of us were kids? The graphics have obviously changed and so have the plastic boxes we play these games on, but the way that we buy games and the kinds of games we all have access to has probably changed the most. Gaming, a hobby that’s typically had some huge barriers to overcome, is now more open for exploration than ever and is only trending further in that direction. It’s a hell of a thing to see unfold.

On the latest episode of Uproxx Recon, our hosts Noah Grossman and Noelle Miller explore every corner of that evolution.

That means we’re talking about the absolutely overwhelming amount of games that are available any given day and how broad those kinds of games can be on PC and elsewhere. We’re also digging into the growing free-to-play market, subscription models we can sign up for that allow us to sample more games than we’ve ever had before, and how connected gaming communities are these days compared to how isolated they used to feel thanks to innovations in tech and even spaces like Twitch. Finally, we’ll take some time to shout out how accessibility has blossomed as a movement in gaming that’s only picking up steam. There’s a lot of ground to cover, so go ahead and press play!