Keeping up with music news and resources like Spotify’s giant and regularly updated New Music Friday playlist are great ways to keep your listening habits from getting stale. Sometimes, though, you need a deeper dive. That’s where Uproxx’s Baylee Lefton comes in as she routinely offers quick-hit lists of songs you need to add into your rotation this week.
She delivered a fresh set today (December 1), and the vibe is tunes for fans of Kaytranada.
As Baylee put it, her picks fall in the realm of Kaytranada’s “electronic, R&B, funk, groovy house.” The mix starts with “Bet You Didn’t Need,” from Daniel Allan, Arlo, and fkblnde. The single is a fresh one, as it just dropped this past summer, and it definitely catches that Kaytra vibe.
Next is Jackson Homer and ROZZZQWEEN’s 2022 collaboration “Idea Of Us,” which brings a perfect blend and soul, the latter coming courtesy of ROZZZQWEEN’s big-time vocals. Rounding out the mix are Wntr, Nakeyo, and Lawrence Mace’s “Dunes (Remix)”; and F3miii’s “From Your Eyes.” “Oh, I used to be obsessed with that track,” Baylee reminisces about the latter.
Check out the video above and to listen to the full songs yourself, hit up the link in Lefton’s Instagram bio.
True longevity in hip-hop is rare, and in recent years, Nas has been showing the culture how it’s done. When the world shut down at the start of this decade, he opened up. COVID and pandemic be damned, the Queensbridge heavyweight embarked on a celebrated six-album run. That’s right, in an era where legacy artists rarely rewrite their own stories, Nas did — three times over.
At the center of this unprecedented 2020s renaissance stood Hit-Boy, the masterful producer who helped spark a new golden run with the King’s Disease and Magic trilogies. Together, the dynamic duo won a Grammy, and reshaped how hip-hop measures consistency.
I hit up Hit-Boy and even on Turkey Day, the California champ found time to send me a list of his 20 favorite Nas songs from their historic era. In no particular order, these picks are his blueprint: the records that defined their chemistry, elevated the craft and ascended the art of beats and rhymes.
Before Nas links back up with DJ Premier, pay respect — Hit brought one of hip-hop’s undisputed all-time greats into a whole new prime. Aging forward.
Nas — “Thun” (King’s Disease III, 2022)
The QB soldier reminisces and even playfully acknowledges his former conflict with Jay-Z.
Nas — “Speechless” (Magic, 2021)
When you started from the bottom, it’s hard to explain how you reached the top. “My winning streak is divine.”
Nas — “Michael & Quincy” (King’s Disease III, 2022)
Gifted vocalist meets gifted producer. Nasir and Chauncey mirror the preeminence of MJ and Q—aiming for that same gold standard.
Nas — “Reminisce” (King’s Disease III, 2022)
With just a touch of MJB in the backdrop, Nas honors his exceptional past while embracing the blessings of his present.
Nas — “Wave Gods” feat. ASAP Rocky & DJ Premier (Magic, 2021)
Esco and Flacko glide on this bouncy bop that aged so well. Freedom called Max B’s name—and Biggaveli’s home.
Nas — “Ugly” (Magic, 2021)
A dark aura surrounds this one. Nasty Nas ain’t dismayed by the darkest days. Can you stand his reign?
Nas — “Car #85” feat. Charlie Wilson (King’s Disease, 2020)
With Gap Band legend Uncle Charlie as co-pilot, Nas cruises through NYC summer nights. Smoke and ride. Repeat.
Nas — “Store Run” (King’s Disease II, 2021)
“Shifting the culture/ Mention me with Mick Jagger and Bono like you’re ‘posed to/ I’m standing next to rookies/ Somehow they lookin’ older.” Longevity is handsome.
Nas — “Ultra Black” feat. Hit-Boy (King’s Disease, 2020)
A celebration of African American history and a toast to a formidable future. Throw your fist in the air.
Nas — “I Love This Feeling” (Magic 3, 2023)
Nas drops gems on navigating life’s hardships. Find your support system.
Nas — “1-800-Nas-&-Hit” (Magic 3, 2023)
Nas salutes the entire six-album run and encourages his elder peers to get active. Seed planted. Legend has it.
Nas — “Legit” (King’s Disease III, 2022)
With respect to Nas’ flow, Hit-Boy’s high-powered Five Heartbeats sample steals the show. Encore.
Nas — “Once A Man, Twice A Child” (King’s Disease III, 2022)
Nas shares his dignified perspective on this merry-go-round called life. “Live while you got the strength to.”
Nas — “Slow It Down” (Magic 2, 2023)
Nas is so far ahead of his time—don’t make him start another life.
Nas — “Replace Me” feat. Big Sean & Don Toliver (King’s Disease, 2020)
Alongside Detroit’s Sean Don, Mr. Jones opens up about relationship woes. You know how it goes.
FKA Twigs has long been a stellar performer, and next year, fans will get to see it on stage: Today (December 1), Twigs announced the Body High Tour, which runs from next March to June.
“BODY HIGH. a live show. by myself, by us. created in the throes of EUSEXUA and the highs of AFTERGLOW.
the whole of my life has been dedicated to movement and the mercurial nature of the body. throughout EUSEXUA my dancers and i have been allocating time before rehearsals to exploring movement, to discover something new.
i have wanted to share this with you for so long!”
Tickets go on sale starting with an artist pre-sale on December 2. The general on-sale kicks off December 5 at 10 a.m. local time. More information can be found here.
Check out the tour dates below.
FKA Twigs’ 2026 Tour Dates: Body High Tour
03/14/2026 — Miami, FL @ Factory Town
03/16/2026 — Atlanta, GA @ Coca-Cola Roxy
03/18/2026 — Washington, DC @ The Anthem
03/21/2026 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
03/22/2026 — Boston, MA @ MGM Music Hall at Fenway
03/24/2026 — Toronto, ON @ Coca-Cola Coliseum
03/26/2026 — Chicago, IL @ Wintrust Arena
03/27/2026 — Minneapolis, MN @ The Armory
03/30/2026 — Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium
04/02/2026 — Seattle, WA @ WAMU Theater
04/03/2026 — Vancouver, BC @ Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre
04/04/2026 — Portland, OR @ Theater of the Clouds
04/07/2026 — San Francisco, CA @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
04/12/2026 — Indio, CA @ Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival
04/19/2026 — Indio, CA @ Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival
04/23/2026 — Mexico City, MX @ Pepsi Center WTC
06/04/2026 — Copenhagen, DK @ Royal Arena
06/06/2026 — Amsterdam, NL @ Ziggo Dome
06/08/2026 — Paris, FR @ Adidas Arena
06/10/2026 — London, UK @ O2 Arena
06/12/2026 — Berlin, DE @ Velodrom
Mannequin Pussy have had an excellent past couple years. In 2023, they managed to buy back their masters and re-release their sophomore album, Romantic, on Romantic Records, their own imprint through Epitaph. At the time, they had love for their former label, Tiny Engines, and thanked their new one “for being among our first supporters and for their early belief in our music and secondly for giving us this opportunity.” The prosperity has only continued from there. Their latest album is 2024’s I Got Heaven, which was one of the year’s best-received albums: It was one of the top-ranking projects in that year’s Uproxx Music Critics Poll.
In a new video, Uproxx’s Joypocalypse explains why she considers Mannequin Pussy “essential listening in the realm of contemporary indie rock and punk.”
She says:
“Mannequin Pussy has a very healthy dose of that ferocity and melody in their sound, but where they really shine for me is lyrically. Lyrically, this band can get very cathartic, focusing on themes of rage, grief, heartbreak, insecurities. a healthy dose. They’re vulnerable while maintaining grit.”
She concludes by calling them “a sick band, definitely worth exploring if you’re unfamiliar with their discography.”
Welcome to SNX DLX, your weekly roundup of the best sneakers to hit the internet. With Black Friday Weekend comes the weakest list of sneakers we’ve had all year. We couldn’t even round up five noteworthy pairs, so this is going to be a pretty truncated list.
Luckily, what’s here is pretty interesting, whether you like classics like the Air Max 95 OG and classic black and white and the legendary Black Cat Jordan 4, or more contemporary looking styles like the Air Max 95000 and the New Balance 204L. Nothing this week is going to blow you away, but get use to it — as we said last week, we’re essentially at the end of the line for dope sneaker releases. At this point, the big brands are scrapping the bottom of the barrel.
Nike’s 30 year anniversary celebration of the Air Max 95 comes to an end with this final release of the year. The OG White and Black AM-95 features a synthetic leather upper with mesh detailing, an embroidered swoosh, big bubble air bag, and a pristine white upper with teal, black, and silver accents.
Highlights include the vintage lowercase air max branding and the bright teal tongue, which contrasts nicely with the mostly colorless design.
The Nike Air Max 95 OG White and Black is out now for a retail price of $190. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.
Stealthy, sleek, and luxurious, the Black Cat Jordan 4 sports an all-black nubuck leather upper with matte black paneling, and graphite branding. It’s a monochromatic masterpiece!
It’s the sort of sneaker you could wear to a wedding (don’t be that person though, just wear some hard shoes!). It’s sneaker luxury at its finest. A legendary pair that anyone would be lucky to own.
The Nike Air Jordan 4 Black Cat is out now for a retail price of $220. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.
What better way to cap off the 30th anniversary of the Air Max than by imaging what the next 30 years of sneaker design might look like. That’s what the Air Max 95000 attempts to do. The sneaker sports a 3D printed upper, a big bubble air bag, and a special outsole made of what Nike is calling Project Nectar technology, which is formatted to grip the ground while providing enhanced stability.
We’ll have to wear a pair to comment on the tech, but we’d be lying if we said we weren’t fascinated by what Nike is doing here. The brand is really taking a chance here and we’re eager to see if it pays off.
The Nike Air Max 95000 Black and Volt is out now for a retail price of $250. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.
The New Balance takes the 2000s design aesthetic and infuses it with a bit of ‘70s style for a sneaker that feels equal parts retro and contemporary. The sneaker sports a lightweight synthetic upper over an EVA outsole with Suede detailing, embossed overlays, and an eye-catching silver, blue, white and black colorway.
The New Balance 204L Silver Metallic with Still Water is out now for a retail price of $119.99. Pick up a pair at New Balance.
Anybody who thought the vinyl resurgence was just a fad was mistaken: The industry has experienced a legitimate revival. As a result, music fans are interested in physical media in ways they may not have if the decades-old medium hasn’t made a comeback. That doesn’t mean everybody is listening to just their parents’ old music, though. That’s part of it, sure, thanks to rereleases that present classic albums in new ways. A vital part of the renewed vinyl wave, though, is new projects being released as records, of which there are plenty.
Whatever you might be into, each month brings a new slew of vinyl releases that has something for everybody. Some stand out above the rest, naturally, so check out some of our favorite vinyl releases of November below.
The Beatles — Anthology Collection (2025 Edition)
The Beatles
Uproxx’s Steven Hyden recently said of The Beatles Anthology, “For all the times The Beatles story has been told and retold, this remains the single most entertaining iteration, mostly because it comes from the guys themselves.” Part of that whole package is the accompanying albums of rarities, which was just expanded to add 13 new songs to the party.
Pioneering New Zealand rockers Split Enz released their debut album, Mental Notes, half a century ago now. In celebration, the band is releasing a new box set (available in a 5-CD box set or one with three LPs and a Blu-Ray disc) that comprehensively catalog’s the band’s formative years. Included are goodies like rough mixes and live recordings.
The vinyl lovers at Third Man Records have brought The Jesus And Mary Chain into the fold with a reissue of Psychocandy, marking the project’s 40th anniversary. It comes in standard black vinyl for purists but is also available in a lovely “hot honey” vinyl for those wanting some pizzazz.
Neil Young — Harvest Moon (Reissue), Unplugged (Reissue), Sleeps With Angels (Reissue), and Mirror Ball (Reissue)
Warner
Young is well into his Official Release Series at this point and the latest additions get into the ’90s. Each numbered box set is a limited edition and features each album, complete with historically accurate artwork, on a double LP. Whether its his work with Pearl Jam as his collaborators or some of his best-known songs on Harvest Moon, this is one of Young’s best periods and is an essential own for record collectors.
Speaking of long-running series: We’re onto the fifth Slow Xmas release now, which was preceded by volumes of takes on Christmas classics by alternative artists. This is the first time the project is getting released on vinyl and it’s a good year to start, as the 2025 compilation features Death Valley Girls, Meridian Brothers and Shannon Lay, Zach Cooper of Coheed And Cambria, Eric Slick of Dr. Dog, and Dave Hartley of The War On Drugs.
The Tangerine Master Series is bringing some of Ray Charles’ best work to the forefront. The collection continues with No One Does It Like… Ray Charles!, featuring a group of mid-1960s singles, B-sides, and non-LP tracks presented in this configuration for the first time.
Paul McCartney did pretty well for himself post-Beatles thanks to the success of Wings. This self-titled collection compiles the best the band has to offer, per McCartney himself, who oversaw the project. Formats include the beautiful 3-LP limited edition color vinyl collection. All physical editions come with a booklet featuring an introduction from McCartney.
Neil Young — Tonight’s The Night (50th Anniversary Edition)
Neil Young
Neil makes the list twice this time! He’s also celebrating 50 years of Tonight’s The Night with an anniversary edition. Most notably, it comes with reimagined cover art (more colorful this time around) and six bonus tracks, the first time they’ve been available on vinyl.
Black And Blue will be 50 years old in 2026, but The Rolling Stones are celebrating early with a reissue. The Super Deluxe Box Set is a keeper, containing 5 LPs, a Blu-Ray disc, a replica tour poster, and a 100-page hardback book. A limited 1-LP zoetrope vinyl can also be had separately.
Bieber had one of the year’s biggest surprise albums with Swag. The all-black 2-LP vinyl release looks clean but bold, a real timeless release. Also on offer is a 7-inch vinyl of “Daisies,” limited to 5,000 units and featuring the instrumental version.
The NFL made a big deal of the halftime shows for its Thanksgiving games this year: Post Malone played at the Dallas Cowboys-Kansas City Chiefs game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas; Lil Jon did the Baltimore Ravens-Cincinnati Bengals game at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore; and Jack White performed at the Detroit Lions-Green Bay Packers contest at Ford Field in Detroit. It turned out White wasn’t alone, even beyond his band: As he performed his White Stripes song “Hello Operator,” fellow Detroit icon Eminem made a surprise appearance, turning the song into a mash-up with “‘Till I Collapse.” Beyond that, White opened with his solo song “That’s How I’m Feeling” and closed with the all-time classic “Seven Nation Army.”
The NFL has the full performance up on YouTube (it can’t be embedded here, so give it a watch here. The two artists, though, have teamed up to give the performance an audio-only release on streaming platforms, with the three-track release being titled Live At Ford Field.
Meanwhile, Uproxx’s Joypocalypse recently observed, “The 2000s garage rock revival was a return to stripped-down rock music. It was a reaction to the more polished, radio-friendly rock music that was popular at the time. The White Stripes had that stripped-down sound and also production-wise, especially on that first album because of the tiny budget, they’re using older gear. It also is coming through in their recordings and their production. Jack White is not shy when it comes to fuzz use, leading to that very raw, fuzzed-out garage rock sound.”
Not all gifts are created equal. Some are boring, some are confusing, and some are the kind that immediately end up in a drawer. But not the ones on this list. We went hunting for tech that actually wows — stuff that’s stylish, functional, and just impressive enough to earn you some bragging rights. From electric bikes to cutting-edge wearables, noise cancelling headphones, handheld gaming systems, and more, these gifts are worth their price tags. They’re the kind of “products” that eventually turn into investments, gear that actually earns its spot in the daily routine of whoever’s tree they end up sitting under. (And yes, that can include your own.)
Here are our picks for the coolest tech gifts this holiday season. All prices accurate at time of publication. We definitely urge you to hunt for Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and other seasonal sales to get the best deal.
I admit it. I want someone – anyone – to tell me the optimal way to live my life. I doubt I’d do something as extreme as joining a cult or the military to achieve that, but I can’t say I haven’t been tempted. (The threat of sleep deprivation is what normally holds me back.) Ultimately, I just want someone or something to take one piece of adulting off my plate everyday, and the Oura Ring 4? It does that. Most wearables I’ve tried feel like a tiny ankle monitor for your wrist but this sleek, circular little gadget is so chic, so seamless, I often forget I’m wearing it. That’s because the latest edition is lighter, thinner, and now hides its sensors inside the band instead of bulging against your finger, making it a 24/7 wearable that genuinely disappears until you open the app and wonder, “How did it track all of that?”
And what’s the “all that?” My heart rate, my oxygen saturation, my REM sleep, my stress level, my cycle, my cardiovascular age, my chronotype, and more. This piece of jewelry knows more about me than most of my immediate family members. And it distills all that info via the app’s Oura Advisor, an AI companion that makes your health data legible without lecturing you. With a battery that lasts up to eight days and Smart Sensing tech that can be paired with lab readings to get an even more in-depth snapshot of your health, the Oura Ring takes most of the mystery out of reading your body’s signals, which is a big win if, like me, you’ve had WebMD bookmarked for too long on your phone. Right now, the 4th gen is at it’s lowest price (a whopping 30% off) and it’s totally reimbursable with your HSA.
These 2nd gen Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra Headphones look premium out of the box with metal accented sliders, plush cushions, and an overall sleek design that incorporates touch volume control. While they’re lighter than you’d expect, they don’t feel cheap or vulnerable to minor drops. I’m not throwing them against a wall to try that out, though.
The sound on these is the true selling point, with crystal clarity. I was especially impressed by the “Quiet” mode where active noise cancelling near-completely shuts out the world. Like, I couldn’t even hear my own voice. Which is a warning for those prone to breaking into song when their self awareness fades. Joggers and urban explorers take heed, there is an “Awareness” mode that lets the world back in. There’s also an easy to navigate app that allows for custom settings.
NBA2K fills a late summer gap every year before NBA Premiere Week, but more often than not, I find myself wrapped up in the little worlds I’m creating in MyTeam and MyNBA modes, forgoing real world games for a shot at developing a winner in the game. Part of that may be because I’m a Bulls fan, but the game is also just that much fun, aided by the franchises’ continuing commitment to realism and customization on and off the court. There are definite pick up and play options for more casual fans, but the deeper the fandom, the richer the experience.
I like bikes for fun, not for punishment, okay? I’m here to cruise, not pedal like I’m training for a Tour de France stage. But somehow, despite my lifelong disdain for overexertion, I’ve never thought to try an ebike… until now. Here’s what the Ride1Up Portola has going for it: a suspension that actually smooths out potholes, a 750W motor, hydraulic brakes, lights, fenders, a rear rack that can hold an oversized gym bag or small child (whichever you happen to have on hand). It folds down so I can easily stash it in my tiny back patio, it can outrun an African Elephant at a top speed of 28mph, it can travel 40 miles in one trip, and, best of all, you don’t have to justify dipping into your savings to own it. It’s kind of the perfect gift, especially for the person on your list who wants adventure without the sweat… or just a really cool way to escape holiday get-togethers this year.
If your attitude toward the Borderlands franchise is at all colored by the abysmal 2024 film or influenced by exhaustion 16 years from the release of the first title, let us assure you that this latest entry is taking chances. There’s a new planet (Kairos), new Valult Hunters, and a new big bad (the Timekeeper) filling in the story of this open world looter shooter, though the action is still as abundant, chaotic, and satisfying as ever.
Nothing Headphones have a distinct visual ID that recalls sci-fi futurism by way of the ‘80s (complimentary). They also offer unique productivity tools such as voice note recording and ChatGPT integration (setup through their app). That would be enough if you wanted to multi-task or and invite asks as to where you got your interesting gear, but the sound also kicks, delivering amp adjacent oomph that feels truly immersive. Adaptive noise cancelling, limited bleed, and expansive battery life (80 hours) round out the package.
Home printers have received an influx of use thanks to the current work-from-home climate in America, with more and more people needing the supplies they might get at work in their own home. Add to that the wealth of non-business uses for a home printer, like supporting photo hobbies or crafting or just about anything else that exists on a piece of paper, and you have a surefire gift that’s as fun as it is useful.
We’re fans of the HP Smart Tank 5101 All-in-One Printer for all these uses and more. Printing? Check. Copying? Yup. Scanning? Of course. All in a wireless, compact package that doesn’t take a ton of space? We wouldn’t have it any other way. Plus, the package comes with 2-3 years worth of ink (depending on your usage/needs) and delivers a satisfying and quiet print every time to ensure great looking representations of whatever photo, document, pattern, or miscellaneous project you give it. And at 30% off at the time of writing this, this is a deal that can provide a longterm printing solution for you or a loved one.
The pursuit of an Xbox handheld that can take advantage of my Game Pass and Cloud Gaming has led me to accessories that attach a controller to my cell phone, asking it to serve as the console’s sidekick. The effect has been middling from a graphics and experience standpoint. It’s now sitting in a drawer collecting dust, a brilliant idea and design that just didn’t give me what I need, as I recall playing MLB The Show while squinting, trying to time the delay between when a pitch starts and when my command to swing is honored.
The ROG XBOX ALLY is something different. Too big to sit in a drawer or cause you to squint, the dedicated handheld from Microsoft and Asus is a nice upgrade on that experience. Not exactly an Xbox you can throw in your backpack, it’s more a platform allowing you to take your adventures on the road through Cloud gaming, mobile-optimized Xbox titles, Xbox Play Anywhere, and PC games through Battle.net and other digital storefronts. The gameplay experience is far better than any other handheld I’ve played, thanks to a 1080p-capable 7” touchscreen, Xbox-inspired controls, and less laggy play with Cloud Gaming.
The ROG XBOX ALLY is more elevated than an entry-level device, requiring a little customization out of the box to maximize the experience. But once you make it your own, it qualifies as a unique and fun addition to any savvy gamer’s toolkit.
Fred Again.. continued his ongoing USB series of song drops today (November 28) with not one, but two new songs: “Icey” and “Feisty,” both of which feature BIA.
On Instagram, Fred offered a cool one-minute behind-the-scenes video of the making of “Icey.” Specifically, the video focuses on the percussion and how Fred made them simply. He begins by using his hands and wrists to bang out a rhythm on the table. He then adds sounds like a marker clinking against a glass and rubbing two markerboard erasers together.
In a recent post, Fred discussed how his recent output has often been more than one song per week, writing, “i know we’re on more than 1 song a week right now and i absolutely dont care. in fact i do care, very much. i actually am loving the way this is feeling. It feels alive. And things are happening naturally and feeling good so im going wit them. Kaythankubye.”
He also posted recently about dealing with fame, saying, “yes 1 hundreedddd percent theres a lot of super weird pressures that sometimes come with it that im really very new to navigating really and can get super overhwhelmed by. and id hate to accidentally be one of those ppl whos presenting things as more shiny than they are ykno. cos sometimes i really dont feel shiny at aaaall! i think part of it is obviusly jus like if im sad or feeling whatever else, those are often not the moments where im like ‘oh sick i should film this! that would go hard.’”
Most people probably don’t remember this, but from 1992-2002, the MTV Movie Awards gave out an honor for Best New Filmmaker. For a show whose awards ranged from Best Kiss to Best Fight, this particular category remains surprisingly sophisticated and has aged incredibly well. The initial trophy went to the late, great John Singleton for his instant classic Boyz N The Hood and subsequent years included names that would become box office juggernauts (Christopher Nolan for Memento, Guy Ritchie for Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels, Doug Liman for Swingers) and some of the great artists of their generation (Spike Jonze for Being John Malkovich, Sophia Coppola for The Virgin Suicides, Steve James for Hoop Dreams). Even the ones that feel a bit less prescient are still pretty dang cool in hindsight, like Carl Franklin winning for One False Move and Steven Zaillian for Searching For Bobby Fischer.
This was how I first discovered Wes Anderson in 1996, as a teen tuning in to see Ben Stiller and Janeane Garofalo host, Seven win best movie, and Adam Sandler perform a song about Mel Gibson (back when that didn’t have any baggage). Seeing Wes Anderson accept this award for a scrappy little Texan crime caper called Bottle Rocket, my Pulp Fiction-obsessed friends and I went to the video store, checked out a VHS copy, and were won over by the hilarious writing, playful needle drops, and inventive storytelling. It reflected the post-Tarantino cinema world in a way, but substituted any hard edge with lovable characters and heart. Needless to say, this was the last Wes Anderson movie I didn’t see in a movie theater.
Flash forward 30 years, and Wes Anderson is still making inventive, often hilarious original films with a ton of heart. It would be hard to say that Bottle Rocket foretold exactly where he’d head in his career, but many of the bones were there from the beginning. He’s become a signifier for a style all his own, so much so that whole books are written about his aesthetic. And, for the first time ever, his first ten films have been restored in 4K for a new Criterion box set that plays with the Wes Anderson style.
The box set is surely on the top of holiday wishlists for any reasonable cinephile, and the movies contained within are about 80% of the reason. But first, let’s talk about that other 20%. The experience begins with the outer burlap casing, that first look at his trademark Futura font, and the experience of opening the collection to reveal a library aesthetic. For anyone who has ever been criticized for having a collection of plastic in their home, this set instantly dispels that notion, as each individual movie can be displayed as a book on a shelf.
Digging a little deeper, and the content of each film’s casing lives up to the aesthetic. There are essays from legends like Martin Scorsese, Richard Brody, and Bilge Ebiri, behind-the-scenes images and storyboards, and 25 hours of supplemental features on each disc. There’s even notes from Wes himself, whose inrto to the set comes in typical self-deprecating fashion, referring to the movies as “varying in quality.”
And then you have the films themselves. You gets both 4K and Blu-Ray discs of each, covering the shaggy debut Bottle Rocket all the way to the underseen, Covid-era release The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun. Of course, since Anderson is so prolific, he’s already released a pair of movies that are not included here, Asteroid City and The Phoenician Scheme, as well as a series of short films for Netflix that earned him an Academy Award. Hopefully, Criterion will be giving them their own releases soon.
But watching the movies of Anderson’s past, what strikes me most is how his vision progresses and changes over time. Many take the position that he has a thing and at some point exhausted his ideas. Talk to ten different people and they’ll give you different answers to when Wes Anderson fell off, and cite him as someone they’ve grown out of to some extent. But I simply don’t see it this way. Sure, I have lesser favorites — Moonrise Kingdom has always been the one that didn’t quite work for me — but strolling through Anderson’s career finds an artist always evolving and growing.
The initial three films — Bottle Rocket, Rushmore, and The Royal Tenenbaums — most trace an initial growth and find the director honing his voice. And I think this progression was so evident and clear that people largely disengaged from how his later films made more subtle evolutions of style. Thus, we had people react divisively to The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, which is now baffling upon rewatch, where his recurring theme of difficult relationships between fathers and their children is never more underscored. Other movies with vocal detractors — The Darjeeling Limited, Isle Of Dogs, and The French Dispatch — all have aged wonderfully and look great in the set, while The Fantastic Mr. Fox and The Grand Budapest Hotel easily earn their standing as later masterpieces.
While Anderson’s films are unmistakably his own, tied together by symmetry, detailed art design, moments of straightforward sincerity, and jokes that don’t wait for the audience to catch up, it’s also very easy to note what makes each film special. This goes beyond subject matter or genre — a camp movie, a spiritual quest, a revenge picture — and more speaks to how Anderson learns from his previous work and applies it going forward. Recently, when watching The Phoenician Scheme, I was taken by how Anderson’s punchlines were given more air to breathe, how there was more room for laughter. It’s the kind of evolution that would probably go unnoticed in passing, but highlights how Wes’ films can give back how much the audience puts into them. It’s for that reason that this Criterion set is such a gift to fans, and is in turn an ideal gift to give to a fan. They’re carefully made, deeply felt, and richly entertaining. And now they’ll look great in your home, too.
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