Month: July 2020

It was once the hottest ticket not only on Broadway but in any town in which it toured — then theaters shut down due to a pandemic that won’t go away anytime soon. But at least the minds behind Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s beloved historical show, had the foresight to prepare a Plan B: On Friday, and after much bated breath, a filmed version of the stage show is hitting Disney+ (along with a documentary). And if that weren’t enough of a far-better-than-nothing type of deal, Miranda’s also throwing a star-studded watch party.

The news came from the official Hamilton account, which revealed that on Friday, at 7pm EST/4pm PST, Miranda will take to Twitter for a tweet-along that could also, sort of, be a sing-along. He won’t be alone; the notice promises “the cast of the show.” As per Rolling Stone, that includes Leslie Odom Jr. (Aaron Burr), Anthony Ramos (John Laurens/Philip Hamilton), Renee Elise Goldsberry (Angelica Schuyler), Javier Muńoz (Miranda’s alternate as Hamilton), and Christopher Jackson (George Washington).

Though the show starts at 7pm/4pm, there will be a bit of pre-gaming at 6:30/3:30, when everyone will prepare to settle in for the three-hour spectacular. You’re probably not going anywhere anyway, right? Even though Friday night is the beginning of the July 4 weekend, the pandemic our country can’t quite seem to get a handle is currently spiking across the country, and even places, like New York State, that have partly mastered it aren’t taking precautions. What better way to salute the country that’s arguably in the worst state it’s been in since the Great Depression — if not earlier! — than watching a diverse cast reimagine the Founding Fathers?

The Hamilton watch party will begin at 7pm EST/4pm PST, with a pre-show a half hour prior. The Hamilton film, meanwhile, starts streaming on Disney+ on Friday.

(Via Rolling Stone)

Comic book culture was very, very different in the ’90s. The only successful superhero movies were Batman movies, some of them made by the late Joel Schumacher. And Superman — whose own film franchise had flamed out in the late ’80s — was regulated to TV. Over four seasons, the Man of Steel was seen on ABC’s Lois & Clark: The New Adventure of Superman, on which he embodied by Dean Cain. Cain is not as beloved among comic movies fans as, say, former Bruce Wayne Michael Keaton, partly because he turned out to be an outspoken conservative and Trump supporter prone to eye-rolling pronouncements.

The latest came Thursday, when he made a Zoom appearance on Fox News’ Fox & Friends, there to talk about a recent Time Magazine article calling for a cultural reckoning of superheroes. Cain spent most of his appearance criticizing the Black Lives Matters protests concerning police brutality. But when he was asked about his own former superhero, he had some thoughts.

“I promise you that Superman — I wouldn’t today be allowed to say: ‘truth, justice, and the American way,’” Cain responded.

The pushback online was fierce, with few giving him a pass as an erstwhile comic book hero. In fact, some pointed out that the staunchly conservative Cain was perhaps not, shall we say, typecast as Kal-El from the planet Krypton.

“Superman is an immigrant adopted by a working class family whose archnemesis is a greedy tech billionaire, written by two Jewish Americans in direct response to the global rise of fascism,” one person wrote. “So no, Dean Cain should probably not play Superman today.”

Others had similar thoughts.

Some pointed out that the word “America” featured pretty prominently in the highest grossing film of all time, released only last year.

Some did some general dunks on Cain.

And some said Cain was definitely not their Man of Steel.

First aired in 1993, Lois & Clark spent most of its not time not watching Cain’s Kal-El fighting crime and baddies but being engaged in a Cheers-style will-they-or-won’t-they with Teri Hatcher’s Lois Lane.

When Jonathan Irons was 16, he was put on trial for burglary and assault with a weapon. According to CBS Sports, Irons was tried as adult, and an all-white jury found him guilty—despite there being no witnesses, no fingerprints, no footprints, and no DNA proving his guilt.

Irons began his 50-year sentence in a Missouri state prison in 1998. Now, 22 years later, he’s a free man, largely thanks to the tireless efforts of a WNBA superstar.

Maya Moore is arguably the most decorated professional women’s basketball player in the U.S. A first-round draft pick in 2011, she’s played for the Minnesota Lynx, where she became a six-time WNBA All-Star, a five-time All-WNBA First Team player, a four-time WNBA champion, and the WNBA Most Valuable Player in 2014.

But before the 2019 season, in the peak of her career, Moore decided to take the year off for a different kind of court battle—one that had wrongfully convicted a young man and doomed him to spend most of his life behind bars. Her decision rocked her sport, and there was no guarantee that sacrificing an entire season to fight for criminal justice reform would bear any fruit.

Moore’s family met Irons through a prison ministry program. According to The Undefeated, Irons wouldn’t have been eligible for parole for another 20 years, but in March a Missouri judge overturned his conviction. A string of appeals were rejected, the Supreme Court refused to take the case, and the lead prosecutor declined to retry Irons.

That meant he was free.

Moore was at the prison to meet Irons when he walked out, falling to her knees in the emotional moment.

“I feel like I can live life now,” Irons said in a video from outside the prison. “I’m free, I’m blessed, I just want to live my life worthy of God’s help and influence… I thank everybody that supported me, Maya and her family… To have somewhere to be home, I’m so grateful.”

Moore told Good Morning America after Irons’ release, “In that moment, I really felt like I could rest. I’d been standing, and we’d been standing, for so long; and it was an unplanned moment where I just felt relief. It was kind of a worshipful moment, just dropping to my knees and just being so thankful that we made it.”

Since she hasn’t had any time to truly rest in the past year of working toward this goal, Moore will continue her hiatus from basketball through the 2020 season.

Minnesota Lynx coach and general manager Cheryl Reeve expressed some understandably mixed feelings in a statement that beautifully encapsulates the power of the moment and also the problem that it highlights:

“Maya Moore got to celebrate another championship yesterday and none of us who have been blessed to have Maya in our lives are surprised. I cannot imagine, however, what this one must feel like. I was overwhelmed seeing Maya watch Jonathan Irons walk out of the Jefferson City Correctional Center a free man. For the last few years we watched as she gracefully committed herself to Jonathan’s case, and as she has done so often on the basketball court, put the Irons team on her back. I am overcome with joy that Maya and all involved were able to reach their goal of Jonathan’s exoneration.

I also can’t help but feel a great deal of anger. Maya Moore should never have had to leave her profession to engage in the fight against the two-tiered criminal justice system that over polices, wrongfully convicts, and over sentences black and brown communities. The criminal justice system in America is so far from fair and equal and it angers me that Maya has had to sacrifice so much to overcome this racially disparate system.

On behalf of the Lynx organization, we are so proud of Maya for earning the biggest win of her career. I am sure that she was voted MVP of this championship, too. This time there is no hardware to take home to the trophy case, just a wrongfully convicted black man walking free.”

The senior citizens living at 14 Victorian Senior Care centers in North Carolina have been on lockdown since Friday, March 13, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The good news is the center hasn’t had a single case of the virus.

Nearly 26% of all COVID-19 deaths have occurred in retirement homes or assisted living facilities.

Three-and-a-half months of lockdown have put a psychological strain on the residents because they haven’t been able to receive any visits from friends or family.

“It has been mentally straining on them not to see family members and loved ones,” Meredith Seals, the chief operating officer of Victorian Senior Care, told CNN. “When you are used to having family there every day and then you can’t, it’s very lonely for them.”

So to make the residents’ days a little brighter, Victorian Senior Care reached out for help on social media. On June 24, the company put out a post featuring eight residents holding up signs that read, “Will you be my pen pal?” The post quickly went viral with over 32,000 people sharing it on Facebook.

Since the first post went viral, VSC has put up dozens of photos of seniors holding whiteboards with their names and interests. On each post, the VSC has the address to reach each pen pal.

Judy shares that she likes to watch home improvement shows on television, baking, and reading magazines.

via Victorian Senior Care

Amos is a veteran who likes action/adventure movies.

via Victorian Senior Care

Pauline loves to listen to rock ‘n roll and watch scary movies.

Since social media posts went up, letters and gifts have been pouring in from all over the world. “They are overcome with joy when they see the mail,” Seals said. “It’s good to bring people together as much as we can.

Seals says that residents love receiving photos of people and pets and they are going to add a pen pal board to each facility so the residents can share their photos.

Every piece of mail that comes in is sanitized according to CDC guidelines before being distributed to the residents.

“We posted a world map in each facility and they are tracking where they are getting letters from,” she said.

If you would like to have a pen pal but can’t decide on which one of these lovely residents to reach out to, Seals will distribute your letter for you. Just be sure to write the theme of your letter (i.e. sports, veteran, dog, or crafts) on the envelope.

Those can be mailed to:

4270 Heath Dairy Road

Randleman, NC 27317

Attn: VSCPenPals

Since the pandemic began, millions of parents have found themselves juggling work life with home life at the exact same time—to varying degrees of success. Working from home always presents certain challenges, but when kids are home with you and you can’t hire a babysitter or kid-swap with a friend due to social distancing, you do what you can and hope for the best.

A recent interview on BBC showcased the work/home life blend as Dr. Clare Wenham, Assistant Professor of Global Health Policy at the London School of Economics, spoke with host Christian Fraser about the lockdowns in the U.K. The clip begins with Wenham putting her daughter, Scarlett, down. As Wenham talked to Fraser, Scarlett worked in the background, clearly trying to decide which shelf she wanted her unicorn picture to be displayed on.

Fraser got a kick out of watching Scarlett’s deliberations, so he asked her name and offered her his opinion on where the picture should go. After that, Scarlett was in the conversation. “What’s his name? What’s his name, Mummy?” she asked, until Fraser introduced himself. Then Scarlett explained her dilemma and asked her mom’s opinion on which shelf she should use.

The whole interchange was just so wholesome and sweet, with the innocent little girl clearly having no concept of the importance of a BBC interview or any of the global pandemic details her mom and Fraser were talking about. She was laser focused on getting the right shelf for her unicorn picture, which is a perfectly appropriate thing for a child her age to be concerned with.

And aside from a few cranky grinches, people on Twitter loved it.

The scene was a bit reminiscent of the famous Dr. Kelly interview several years back, when his two young kids came into the room during his interview, followed by their mom flying in to drag them out. It became an instant classic, spawning a deluge of jokes and parodies. Even the little girl’s yellow sweater and confident swagger became iconic GIFs and memes.

Children interrupt BBC News interview – BBC News

www.youtube.com

Anyone who has worked from home with kids knows that you can make it work most of the time, but there are going to be moments, hours or days when the wheels just fall off the cart. Sometimes it’s maddening, but more often it’s just a humanizing reminder that life happens and kids are delightfully unpredictable.

Scarlett did finally decide on a perfect place for her unicorn, by the way. And Dr. Wenham offered people her thanks “for kind words normalising the work-parent balance that so many are juggling amid #covid19 chaos.”

Late last year, Kumail Nanjiani shocked and amazed the internet by dropping two photos of the new version of himself. Best known for comedies like Silicon Valley and The Big Sick, he’d been cast as a Marvel superhero for Marvel’s forthcoming The Eternals, and he really leaned into it, working out, eating healthy, and, in turn, getting super, surreally ripped. Photos of him shirtless, exposing a respectable six-pack, instantly went viral. But one person who’s not so impressed these days? The Kumail Nanjiani of about six months later.

During a round-up for The Hollywood Reporter featuring him and other comedy actors (in a bit teased out by ComicBook.com), Nanjiani talked about how his feelings about the photos, which he himself made available on his Instagram page, have evolved.

“Listen, it got so much bigger than I thought it was going to get,” Nanjiani admitted. “If I had known it was going to be like that, I probably wouldn’t have done it because, I’ll tell you, I have come to hate that picture.”

Nanjiani says his growing discomfort with the two ripped photos that became social media sensations was about more than just the mega-exposure. “I don’t want to get into it, but you get a weird body dysmorphia when the whole world is concentrating on how you look,” Nanjiani said. He continued:

“And listen, I am very, very grateful and I put those pictures out for a reason, right? I did that because I wanted that reaction, obviously. But then when you get that reaction, it’s a little weird. You’re like, ‘People are really judging little bits of your physical being.’ And I know a lot of people have it a lot worse than me, but it makes you feel naked and I became shallow. I got obsessed with how I look and then all I would see are what I perceive as flaws.”

He was proud that the pics were embraced by certain fans, though: “My aunts saying that they were really proud of me. I did not expect that.” Speaking of which, he was flattered that his shirtless images got the attention of a certain MCU colleague: Chris Evans.

Nanjiani’s six-pack was the result of a year of hard work, which is to say also eating right. Back in January, about a month after his viral photos, he went on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, where he was treated to his first pizza in a year — video of which you can enjoy below.

(Via THR and ComicBook.com)

If you’re a fan of whiskey, you probably really dig seeing the words “single malt” on the label of a bottle. This means the bottle is a malt whiskey (or whisky) that comes from a single distillery. The Macallan, Glenfiddich, Glenlivet — single malt expressions from those brands have long inspired a very particular pleasure in drinkers.

You might not naturally be as keen about seeing the words “blended whiskey” (or “blended whisky”) on a label, but if you enjoy mixed drinks, it’s time to rethink that. A blended whiskey is made from different styles of whiskey (usually grain and malt) blended together. It can also contain neutral grain spirits, coloring, and flavoring — which is why some people shudder at the phrase. But some of the most well-known and well-respected brands (including Johnnie Walker, Dewar’s, and Hibiki) are blends and the style is perfect for mixing into cocktails. It’s rarely rough and often typified by a balanced flavor profile.

To find some blends you should invest it, we tapped some of our favorite bartenders. Here are their favorite blended whiskies for mixing drinks.

Kilbeggan Single Grain Irish

Jason Turon, beverage director / partner at Millburn Standard in Millburn, New Jersey

When summer hits, and it’s a beach day or vacation time, I really enjoy starting my day (or afternoon) with an Iced Irish Coffee. Through the years of experimenting with different whiskeys, I find that the Kilbeggan Single Grain Irish Whiskey is my number one choice. We currently feature the Kilbeggan Single Grain Iced Irish Coffee on our new cocktail-to-go menu at the Millburn Standard, and it’s a hot item! The Kilbeggan has such full body and flavor, with a perfect subtle bite that brings the whole drink together. You can taste the whiskey, but it doesn’t intimidate the drink. For a warm summer day, it’s a perfect way to wake up.

Added bonus: you can build it, shake it and drink it in a regular thermos. (and it really helps take the edge off from the night before).

Suntory Toki

Sondre Kasin, principal bartender at Cote in New York City

For a great blended whisky that is great for cocktail mixing, I would get the Suntory Toki. Nothing fancy but an overall great Japanese whisky for mixing cocktails or as an highball. This is a blend of the three distilleries that are owned by Suntory. On the palate, you’ll find notes as apples, almonds, grapefruit, and herbs. When making whisky cocktails you want a well-balanced whisky that is not too smoky or strong. This is an elegant and easy-to-drink whisky that works great in most summer cocktails.

Fistful of Bourbon

Jennifer Jackson-Keating, co-owner of Island Culture Tiki Bar in Pensacola, Florida

Fistful of Bourbon — a new value-driven blend of five straight bourbons that’s complex enough to drink alone but is easily mixable in your favorite cocktail. It’s also created by William Grant & Sons who have been blending whiskey for over 100 years. Our summer go-to recipe: “Sunset Lemonade” 1.5 oz bourbon, .5 oz strawberry puree, 4oz lemonade. Shake and serve over ice.

Jameson Irish Whiskey

Eva Al-Gharaballi, bartender for the Datz Restaurant Group in Tampa, Florida

Jameson blended Irish whiskey is a bartender’s best friend. Sipped on with ginger ale or showcased in a strawberry mint smash Jameson has no limits to the crisp flavor it adds to any summer cocktail.

Crown Royal

Dean Powers, restaurant and bar manager at Shore Lodge in McCall, Idaho

Summertime is when the living is easy, kind of like what’s in my glass. Crown Royal is a super light Canadian blended whisky that goes great with ginger ale or ginger beer.

The Famous Grouse

Hayden Miller, head bartender at Bodega Taqueria y Tequila in Miami

Famous Grouse is a budget bottle that can definitely star in some warm day Scotch and sodas. They’ll go down refreshingly smooth. And isn’t that what summer is all about?

Kilbeggan Small Batch Rye

Robert Sickler, bartender at Finn’s Manor in Denver

I’m a big fan of the Kilbeggan Small Batch Rye, as its wonderfully approachable yet complex and well suited for a vast array of cocktails as well over ice or as a refreshing, clean shot with friends.

Writer’s Picks:

Chivas Regal 12

Like Dewar’s and Johnnie Walker, Chivas is in the blended whisky business. If you’re going to buy a bottle of this iconic brand to mix with, you can’t go wrong with Chivas Regal 12. The name might sound too fancy to use in cocktails. But this rich, smooth whisky is full of honey, green apple, and caramel flavors and stands up well in mixed drinks.

Dewar’s White Label

When talking about blended whiskies to mix with, you have to mention Dewar’s White Label. Made from 40 different malt and grain whiskies, it’s sweet, fruity, and perfect for drinks like The godfather and penicillin.

Ballentine’s Finest

You may have heard of Ballentine’s (or you might not have) in the past and never really gave it a chance. Well, now you should. Like Dewar’s White Label, this whisky is made up of 40 different malt and grain whiskies that come from four different regions. It’s well-balanced, unique, full of honey sweetness, and subtly smoky.

Back in January, Henry Cavill made it very clear to Men’s Health that he’s “not given up on the role” of Superman despite reports claiming that Warner Bros. is moving on from his portrayal of the iconic character following Ben Affleck’s decision to exit the role of Batman. So you’d just assume that the latest reports that Cavill might be returning as Superman would make the actor pretty happy. Not so much.

In a new interview to promote The Witcher season two resuming production in August, Cavill revealed that he’s actually frustrated by the latest batch of rumors surrounding his alleged return as the Man of Steel. However, in staying true to the character, he’s trying to take the excitement in stride and focus on the positive. Via Variety:

They get wilder and wilder by the day. The amount of speculation, the stuff I read on the Internet, is extraordinary and sometimes frustrating. It’s when you see people stating stuff as fact. Like, “No, that’s not the case. That hasn’t happened, and that conversation isn’t happening.” But the important thing is that people are excited about it, and I think it’s important to be excited about a character like Superman. Superman is a fantastic character. If people are chatting about it, and even if they’re making stuff up, it’s okay, because that means they want to see the character again.

In Cavill’s defense, the reports of his supposed return were convoluted from the start and only got messier as time went on. Initially, reports claimed that he’d be only be doing cameos and not a sequel of Man of Steel 2, and then there was talk of a possible deal where J.J. Abrams might be rebooting the character. Then there were reports that Cavill isn’t in negotiation to come back at all. As for where the situation really stands, the actor is playing things close to his sculpted chest.

“Me saying something isn’t going to make a difference,” Cavill cryptically told Variety. “One day, people will know the truth, and if they don’t know it now, it’s okay.”

(Via Variety)

Gunna has low-key been everywhere this year, popping up in almost enough of his contemporaries’ songs and videos in 2020 to drop an hour-long tape of just guest verses. One of those songs, Lil Durk’s “Gucci Gucci” from Just Cause Y’all Waited 2 receives a surreal video today which finds the two rappers doing some boutique shopping and drag racing as they brush off their haters and show off their luxury goods.

The “surreal” part comes into play in the shop, where the mannequins come to life to dance alongside them, scarves float in mid-air, and various visual effect dazzle across the screen during their performances. In the drag race sequence, the rappers and a cadre of fans break into the local speedway to conduct the race in the rain for the appreciation of the onlooking fans.

“Gucci Gucci,” aside from being Gunna’s latest cameo appearance in a truly impressive streak of them, is also Lil Durk’s latest video from his new album, the deluxe version of which just released last Friday. Other visuals from the project include “3 Headed Goat,” “Street Prayer,” and “Doin Too Much.”

Watch Lil Durk’s “Gucci Gucci” video featuring Gunna above.

Just Cause Y’all Waited 2 is out now via Alamo/Geffen Records. Get it here.

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

The best new hip-hop albums coming out this week include projects from Chevy Woods, Gucci Mane, Pop Smoke, and Westside Gunn. After a week packed with releases from both veteran artists and newcomers, this week is relatively slow, but brings one of the more anticipated releases of the year in Pop Smoke’s posthumous debut album. The project arrives after an extended rollout that wasn’t without its hiccups — but maybe the bumps in the road will make the destination that much sweeter. Meanwhile, veteran rappers Woods, Gucci, and Gunn contribute to their already voluminous catalogs with full-length releases that highlight their respective work ethics and longevity.

Here are all the best new hip-hop albums coming out this week.

Chevy Woods — Since Birth

As one of the flagship members of Wiz Khalifa’s Taylor Gang crew and label, Woods has enjoyed a long, steady career in the rap game, debuting way back in the “Blog Era” boom and flying just under the radar since. The unique position he occupies in hip-hop gives him a far-sighted but clear-eyed view of the game and plenty of stories about it to boot. Not having to support his own ecosystem of superstardom allows him to take a down-to-earth, honest approach to his music and his years of consistency have made him a fan favorite in his own right, well worth giving a listen this New Music Friday.

Gucci Mane — So Icey Summer

While Pop Smoke’s album cover drama drew a lot of attention this release week, Gucci’s own label flap generated plenty of buzz of its own. After calling Atlantic Records — or someone who works there — “polite racist” and threatening to back out of his contract, Guwop allowed cooler heads to prevail, renewing his deal and apologizing for his wayward Twitter fingers. It’s a good thing too, as his latest offers a showcase for his 1017 artists alongside big names like 21 Savage, Future, and Lil Baby and his focus should be starting them off on the right foot.

Pop Smoke — Shoot For The Stars, Aim For The Moon

It seems like it happened in 2010 at this point, but it wasn’t a full six months ago that Pop Smoke was killed during a break-in at the Los Angeles mansion where was staying before everything else went to hell this year. His death sent shockwaves through hip-hop and set off a voracious appetite among both fans and artists for posthumous material. Thanks to his summer 2019 single “Welcome To The Party,” Pop was being hailed as a potential superstar and while it may be hard to judge from the debut album, which was reportedly executive-produced by 50 Cent, one thing is for sure — it will be part of The Discourse all weekend and beyond.

Westside Gunn — Flygod Is An Awesome God 2

If Griselda Records and Gunn keep up his blistering release pace, we may just have to reserve a section of these weekly previews for new Griselda projects under their own header. Gunn is still hot off the release of Pray For Paris, which has been tabbed by several publications — including Uproxx — as one of the best hip-hop albums of the year, just months after the Griselda collective released their group debut on Shady, WWCD. For Gunn, that means it’s the perfect time for a follow-up, especially one highlighting affiliates like Rome Streetz, Stove God Cooks, and new signee Armani Caesar.

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