When a global pandemic is raging and your country is doing a particularly abysmal job of managing it, you have to find ways to keep your spirits up. That’s where the ever-popular parody comes in.
We’ve seen a lot of coronavirus-themed parodies in the past several months, from Hamilton’s “The Zoom Where it Happens” to Bare Naked Ladies’ “One Week” to Tones and I’s “Dance Monkey.” And now, an Alabama high school principal, Dr. Quentin J. Lee, has taken MC Hammer’s “U Can’t Touch This” and reworked it into a back-to-school coronavirus theme song.
“Stop! SANITIZE.” Ha! The parody video has garnered nearly 4.3 million views on YouTube as Dr. Lee’s moves and lyrics tickled the funny bone of multiple generations.
Commenters on YouTube shared their delight:
“Where the hell was THIS principal during my high school years?? What a fun, crazy, & safe way to bring awareness to such a SERIOUS issue called COVID-19!!”
“Omg! I’m from the generation of Hammer. This is so funny & on point!”
“We need a lot more Dr. Lee’s. It’s hard to smile lately, this did just that.”
The ‘Oh Snap’ written on the chalkboard, I’m done. This was the best parody, from keeping with the classic Hammer moves to informing with CDC guidelines. Highly entertaining!
“My favorite part is him mimicking MC Hammer dancing while he’s got the tape measure. ‘SIX FEET!'”
“I hope the students at this school realize how lucky they are. I’d have loved to have had a principal like this when I was in school. Loved the video!”
Thank you, Dr. Lee for bringing some much-needed levity to the very serious situation we find ourselves in as states and school districts struggle to figure out how to educate kids safely during the pandemic.
The 2020 presidential election is less than 100 days away and the COVID-19 pandemic is showing no signs of slowing. So more Americans are saying that they’re going to vote by mail this election to avoid the lines.
(It’s also a great way to avoid voter suppression.)
A recent poll found that 35% of voters say they will be voting by mail in he upcoming election, a significant increase from the 24% who voted by mail in 2016.
Democrats are at least 30% more likely to say they will be voting by mail than Republicans, a trend that has led to President Trump to cast doubt over the legitimacy of mail-in-ballots by claiming, “Mail ballots, they cheat.”
While Trump tries to suppress the vote, Barack Obama is reminding people throughout the country to “Request your ballot early, send it back early,” on Twitter. His tweet also came with a graphic displaying the deadlines for requesting a mail-in ballot by state.
He also shared a link where people can request one by entering their address.
It’s National Vote By Mail Day. Voting by mail is easy and safe. Take a few minutes to request your vote-by-mail ba… https://t.co/UhTTlT3Rdc
Actress, singer, and women’s rights advocate Lynda Carter turned 69 years old on Friday, July 24, and celebrated it by praising New York Democratic representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Cater has become a feminist icon for her portrayal of Wonder Woman on television in the mid- to late-’70s.
Carter tweeted a photo of AOC sitting next to a Wonder Woman poster in her Capitol Hill office. The actress and AOC both share a Latino background, Carter’s mother was Mexican and Ocasio-Cortez’ family is Puerto Rican.
“Never stop being fierce and brave,” the actress said, adding that seeing Ocasio-Cortez’s poster tribute “made my birthday that much sweeter.”
The tweet received a like form Ocasio-Cortez who thanked Carter for “being a shining example of a woman’s strength.”
@RealLyndaCarter Thank you for being a shining example of a woman’s strength! Happy birthday ✨
The interaction comes on the heels of Ocasio-Cortez’s historic speech on the House floor after she was accosted by Republican Representative
who allegedly called her a “fucking bitch.”
“I do not care what your views are,” she said. “It does not matter how much I disagree or how much it incenses me or how much I feel that people are dehumanizing others.
“I will not do that myself. I will not allow people to change and create hatred in our hearts.”
“And so, what I believe is that having a daughter does not make a man decent. Having a wife does not make a decent man. Treating people with dignity and respect makes a decent man.”
“And when a decent man messes up, as we all are bound to do, he tries his best and does apologize. Not to save face, not to win a vote. He apologizes genuinely to repair and acknowledge the harm done so that we can all move on,” Ocasio-Cortez said.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) Responds to Rep. Ted Yoho (R-FL)
Carter’s respect for Ocasio-Cortez shouldn’t surprise anyone who has followed her career. Since the late ’80s she has been an advocate for women’s rights, including the Pro-Choice moment.
She is happy to be known as a feminist icon, although, she was just doing what came naturally. “At the time, you’re really not aware of it. But when you look back, there is an inspiration there that you are part of. It’s really nice,” she told the Sun-Sentinel.
She has also advocated for LGBT rights and was named the Grand Marshal for the 2011 New York City Gay Pride Parade.
A victory for LGBTQ rights is a victory for us all. Happy Pride! 🏳️🌈 https://t.co/c5IFBmWSe9
As someone with a Latino background, she has also been an outspoken supporter of DACA.
“Even if you see the illegal immigrants as criminals, as many do, you cannot put that criminal action on top of children. They did not do anything criminal. They did not have choices. They came over with their families. It’s not like they say anyone can come over,” she said.
“These are people who haven’t committed any crimes,” she added. “They are going through the process of going to school and registering and there are promises that our government made to them and now those promises are broken,” she said.
It must be wonderful for Carter to see that her work on screen and behind the scenes has inspired a younger generation of women such as Ocasio-Cortez, to channel their own inner Wonder Woman. And there’s no doubt that Ocasio-Cortez’s strength has already inspired another generation of younger women to do the same.
Earlier this week, Travis Scott celebrated the two-year anniversary of his widely-celebrated album Astroworld, which he celebrated by sharing a handwritten letter to fans on Twitter. The letter ended with him writing, “To every one that bumps and rages to that soundtrack, I love you. Let’s keep the ride going. See you in Utopia.” After that, rumors began to swirl that he used the letter to reveal that his fourth album had a name: “Utopia.” But just days, Chase B, who serves as Scott’s DJ, clarified his comments in a recent interview.
Sitting down with Hip Hop N More, Chase B revealed that Travis was not hinting at anything related to the
did not aim to hint at the upcoming album with the handwritten-letter, saying, “Oh nah, it’s not,” when asked about the project. “I think that’s just him being Trav. Just feeling good, in the moment,” he added. While Travis’ next album may not be titled “Utopia,” Chase B confirmed that Travis is indeed working on his fourth album, though he denied that he and Travis have a collaboration in the works. “We just have a lot of music we’re working on together. As far as a project, we don’t have any type of plans regarding that in the near future. Travis is working on his album, I’m working on mine.”
You can read Chase B’s complete interview with Hip Hop N Morehere.
FBI agents searched the home of YouTube celebrity Jake Paul, seizing multiple firearms scattered around his Calabasas, California property. The raid was said to be in response to Paul’s alleged involvement in a riot at an Arizona shopping mall back in late May, which he later denied.
As per ABC7, the raid happened early Wednesday, with federal agents serving him a search warrant and ultimately confiscating weapons, including a “long gun propped up against a hot tub in the backyard.”
The inciting incident occurred during the infancy of the Black Lives Matter protests that continue to this day, when Paul and his videographer Andrew Blue posted footage of looters at a mall in Scottsdale, Arizona. Paul denied that he and Blue were partaking in the looting themselves, claiming they were simply documenting it. In early June, Paul was charged with criminal trespassing and unlawful assembly. Those charges were later dismissed.
The FBI raid comes two weeks after Paul was blasted for hosting a raucous party at his mansion, videos of which revealed revelers without masks and not social distancing. The event went viral, and it enraged residents as well as Calabasas mayor Alice Weintraub, who took umbrage with the celebrity for doing so as COVID-19 cases were spiking in the state.
Trippie Redd has spent much of 2020 working on his upcoming third album, Pegasus, which will serve as a follow-up to last year’s Billboard chart topper, A Love Letter To You 4. (A deluxe version was released at the beginning of the year.) Back in June he released one of its singles, “Dreamer,” which dropped on his 21st birthday. And now we have a video to go along with it.
Channeling his inner rockstar, Trippie begins the video laying in the bathtub, relaxing with a smoke. We then see him taking the stage, guitar in hand, ready to rock out. Backed by an all-female dance crew, Trippie Redd then picks up a mic and sings his way through the rest of the video, only to wind up back in the comfort and solitude of his bathtub.
The video arrives after Redd ventured out to sea with PartyNextDoor for their collaboration “Excitement.” The video begins with Redd lost a sea aboard a ship with PartyNextDoor. Eventually he decides to jump ship with a woman as they paddle away in a much smaller boat, hoping to find his way home.”
You can watch the “Dreamer” video above.
PartyNextDoor is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Dominant culture in much of the U.S. has long romanticized grand, antebellum-era plantations as a throwback to a bygone era, conjuring up images of Gone With the Wind romanticism while glossing over the heinous slavery that took place on them.
Plantations, with their mansions, tree-lined driveways and well-kept grounds might make a visually stunning backdrop for an event, but the whole slavery reality gives “stunning” a whole new meaning. Ignoring that reality—which people have done for decades—produces pretty pictures, but when you fully acknowledge the horrible history of the ground you’re standing on, it’s hard to feel okay about using a plantation as a party venue.
When Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively held their wedding at Boone Farm, a South Carolina plantation, in 2012, they were likely looking through a fairly typical white American (or in Reynolds’ case, white Canadian) lens. But in an interview with Fast Company, Reynolds expressed profound regret for their wedding location choice.
“It’s something we’ll always be deeply and unreservedly sorry for. It’s impossible to reconcile. What we saw at the time was a wedding venue on Pinterest. What we saw after was a place built upon devastating tragedy. Years ago we got married again at home—but shame works in weird ways. A giant fucking mistake like that can either cause you to shut down or it can reframe things and move you into action. It doesn’t mean you won’t fuck up again. But repatterning and challenging lifelong social conditioning is a job that doesn’t end.”
Ryan Reynolds revealed he and Blake Lively regret holding their 2012 wedding on a former slave plantation in South… https://t.co/Q2ukjMU3OX
Reynolds’ acknowledgment could be viewed as lip service if it ended there. But it doesn’t.
On the financial front, Reynolds and Lively made two $1 million donations to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and the Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights last year. They also donated an additional $200,000 to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund this May following the killing of George Floyd.
Though Fast Company says Reynold’s is reluctant to talk about racism too much, for fear of being just another white celebrity drowning out voices of people of color, the star has used his social media platform to draw attention to social justice issues and encourage civic action through electing leaders that will make needed reforms in the justice system.
Regarding justice in the workplace, the actor, producer and entrepreneur also told Fast Company, “Representation and diversity need to be completely immersive. Like, it needs to be embedded at the root of storytelling, and that’s in both marketing and Hollywood. When you add perspective and insight that isn’t your own, you grow. And you grow your company, too.”
Reynolds is backing that statement up with action as well. In an Instagram video last week, he announced the Group Effort Initiative, in which he will be using a portion of his salary on an upcoming film to bring in people from marginalized communities to work on the film, get paid for training, and gain valuable skills in the filmmaking industry.
It’s one thing to recognize that you’ve done something insensitive or harmful. It’s another to acknowledge it, learn from it, and make amends through real action. While we can’t undo the past, we can all strive to build a more equitable and just future.
Comedies can be difficult to compare. Sometimes you’re in the mood for something cerebral, and other times you just want to watch people get punched in the nuts. While there are definitely some gems in Netflix’s movie sections, you have to dig through a lot of straight-to-DVD sequels and bad indie flicks to find the best comedies to watch. While people have cracked the code for finding the best comedies on Netflix right now, we’ve put together a list of some of the funniest movies as a starting point in your quest for the perfect Friday night in.
Bill Murray has some great comedies living on his resumé, but none are as iconic, or at least, well-loved as Groundhog Day. That’s because watching Murray play a surly weather-man forced to relive the same day over and over again is basically a comedy goldmine of a plot. At first, Phil (Murray) enjoys the time loop, binge-drinking, filming some half-hearted news segments in a hick town in Pennsylvania, having one-night stands, etc, but eventually, he realizes that in order to escape his never-ending bed-and-breakfast hell, he’s got to better himself, not an easy task.
Even if you’ve never seen any of the Monty Python films, you most certainly know of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. It’s been quoted, memed, gif-ed, and idolized by comedy fans for generations. At its core, it’s a parody of the legends of King Arthur and his knights. It’s stocked with an impressive cast — John Cleese, Graham Chapman, Terry Gilliam, etc — and its full of eccentric characters, bizarre adventures, and gut-bustingly funny jokes. Think failed Trojan Rabbits, modern-day murder investigations, animated monsters, and musical numbers. Intellectual midgets everywhere will love it.
Comedian John Mulaney delivers another brilliantly off-kilter comedy special for Netflix, this time paying tribute to children’s programming of the past with Mulaney and some friends palling around with kids for most of the 70-minute runtime. Jake Gyllenhaal gets deliciously weird as Mr. Music, and there’s a tween talk show with Richard Kind, but it’s Mulaney — who foregoes a script in favor of honest, insightful, darkly comedic convos with these kids — who really shines here.
This disaster parody starring Robert Hays and Julie Hagerty has become a sort of cult classic over the years, mainly thanks to its slapstick comedy and verbal puns and gags, of which there are plenty. Hays plays an ex fighter pilot (with a serious fear of flying), who must take over when the pilot of a commercial flight he’s on becomes ill.
Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg make a surprisingly perfect comedic duo and the two draw on their Grumpy Old Men-like chemistry for this buddy cop action flick about two mismatched NYPD officers who uncover a plot by a multinational corporation to steal millions from the city’s police retirement fund. Wahlberg plays the brawns, a quick-tempered detective forced to babysit Ferrell’s mild-mannered accountant after he accidentally shot Derek Jeter during the World Series. That right there should tell you all you need to know about this film.
Colin Farrell and Rachel Weisz star in this dark, absurdist comedy about a man searching for love under some very strange circumstances. Farrell plays David, a man whose wife recently left him. David is sent to a hotel where he’s told he must find a mate within 45 days or be turned into an animal. While there, David witnesses strange rituals and must follow strict rules in order to find love, but it’s not until he ventures into the woods, where the “loners” live, that he pairs up with a woman (Weisz) who may be his soulmate. It’s weird, eccentric, and the perfect Farrell-starring vehicle.
Eddie Murphy stages a bit of a comeback in this biopic about famed comedian, actor, showman Rudy Ray Moore, better known as Dolemite to fans of his raunchy comedy albums, stand-up tours, and blaxploitation films. Murphy plays Moore at the beginning of his career when he was just a record store clerk looking to break out in the business. He’s joined by a cast that includes Keegan-Michael Key, Ron Cephas Jones, Tituss Burgess, and others, but it’s Murphy who shines here, giving possibly the best performance of his career as a man who will stop at nothing to pursue his dream.
Mel Brooks’ hilarious space odyssey has become something of a cult classic over the decades. It’s a parody of George Lucas’ Star Wars trilogy, so it follows the same plot: a rogue pilot and his sidekick must rescue a princess and save the galaxy, but instead of Startroopers, the bad guys are known as Space Balls, and everyone is hopelessly out of their depth playing hero (and villain).
Edgar Wright’s 2010 action comedy about a hapless boy who must defeat evil ex-boyfriends in order to win the hand of the girl he loves is a fast-paced ride that bombards the senses. Michael Cera plays a loveable goof in the titular hero, a young man enamored with a woman named Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). In order to be with his lady love, Scott must fight her evil exes, six guys, one girl, who challenge him to truly strange contests. The film is a cinematic mash-up of Japanese anime and gamer culture, intended for the crowd who grew up on Nintendo and comic books, but it brings plenty of laughs all the same.
Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence star in this drama that’s equal parts rom-com and a harrowing look at mental illness. Cooper plays Pat Solitano, a former high school teacher who recently completed a stint at a mental institution. Things aren’t going well for Pat. He’s moved back in with his overbearing parents (a wickedly-funny Robert De Niro and Jacki Weaver), his now ex-wife cheated on him, he doesn’t get along with his therapist, and he’s operating under the delusion that if he gets fit and gets his sh*t together, he can get his wife back. Lawrence plays Tiffany, a young woman with problems of her own. She’s depressed after the death of her husband and prefers sex with strangers to drown the pain. The two strike up a friendship that pushes both to their mental and emotional limits. It’s a messy, complicated love story, which makes for a nice change of pace if sappy-sweet rom-coms just aren’t doing it for you.
You’ve probably never heard of this rom-com starring Anna Kendrick and Sam Rockwell, which is a damn shame because the two have great chemistry on screen and the plot’s just quirky enough to feel refreshingly different from anything else on this list. Kendrick plays Martha, a woman reeling from a bad break-up and searching for direction in her life who meets Rockwell’s Francis, a hitman who targets his own employers and is on the run from a nasty government agent (and excellent Tim Roth). It’s weird, but in a fun way, ya know?
The early aughts action-comedy borrows elements from famous Kung Fu films of the ’70s and pairs them with a completely ridiculous plot and some impressive cartoon-style fight sequences to produce a wholly original flick that we guarantee will make you marvel. The film follows the exploits of two friends, Sing and Bone, who impersonate gang members in the hopes of joining a gang themselves, but they inadvertently strike up a gang war that nearly destroys the slums of the city. Of course, the real draw here is the absurdist, over-the-top comedy that takes place during some of the film’s biggest action sequences. It’s laugh-out-loud funny, but only if you check your brain at the door.
The Coen brothers are back with a slick new Western romp, one that serves as an ode to all of the tropes present in Hollywood’s best Wild West adaptations. Split into six parts, each story is loosely connected although thematically and tonally different. Tim Blake Nelson stars as the titular hero, a sharpshooting songster who takes part in the film’s opening musical portion. From there, we get stories of outlaws getting their due, prospectors mining for gold, ghostly hauntings, and wagon trails. Forget trying to follow the thread and simply enjoy the ride with this one.
Will Smith and Martin Lawrence star in this foul-mouthed buddy comedy film as two detectives tasked with protecting a witness while investigating a case of stolen heroin from their own precinct’s evidence storage facility. Marcus (Lawrence) and Mike (Smith) have been friends since childhood and are now working the beat together in Miami. When $100 million of heroin goes missing from their unit’s storage facility, they’re sent to track down who might have taken it before Internal Affairs intercedes. Smith and Lawrence have an easy, lived-in chemistry that really sells this thing, and the action’s not too bad either.
This indie comedy has quickly become a cult classic, turning familiar scary movie tropes on their heads in bloody and hilarious ways. Alan Tudyk and Tyler Labine star as two bumbling-yet-well-meaning hillbillies who get pulled into a nightmare scenario when a group of horny coeds think they’re trying to kill them. In a series of events that escalates in violence, Tucker and Dale try to do the right thing while managing to stay alive in the process. As one of the best horror comedies, it’s a hidden gem waiting to be discovered by those looking for off-the-beaten-path hilarity.
Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams take on the planet’s most-watched singing competition with this campy comedy about an Icelandic duo named Fire Saga, who are set on achieving glory on the world’s biggest stage. Ferrell and McAdams play Lars Erickssong and Sigrit Ericksdottir, artists chosen to represent their nation in the Eurovision Song Contest, a real competition that features musicians from all over the world, who are often performing in wild get-ups. Dan Stevens almost steals the show while Pierce Brosnan and Demi Lovato make appearances. We’re calling it now: “Volcano Man” is going to be a bop for the ages.
Few teen comedies have found a permanent place in the cultural lexicon like this 90s flick from director Amy Heckerling. Inspired by a Jane Austen plot and modernized with a Beverly Hills setting, the story follows a shallow, rich Queen-bee named Cher Horowitz (Alicia Silverstone) who begins matchmaking fellow students and teachers at her school only to be confronted with her own shortcomings in the romance department. The fashion, the catchphrases, and Silverstone’s magnetic performance — they’re all standouts here.
If you like your wanderlust just a bit on the weird side, may we recommend this adventure comedy starring Paul Dano and Daniel Radcliffe. Dano plays Hank, a man marooned on an island, ready to commit suicide, before a corpse washes ashore. Radcliffe plays the dead man, whom Hank soon befriends and discovers he can manipulate like a Swiss Army Knife. As Hank treks through the wilderness in search of civilization, he uses the corpse, which slowly comes to life, goes by the name Manny, and, at one point, is used as a jet-ski powered by uncontrollable flatulence, to reconnect with the world around him. It’s strange, there’s lots of farting, but there’s also some great Survivor Man-type of adventuring going on.
Goon proves that a movie about hockey can not only be hilariously profane, but it can also be kind of sweet. Doug Glatt (Sean Williams Scott) is so dumb, but so incredibly nice that it’s impossible to root against him. When it becomes clear that he has a real affinity for punching the hell out of people, he gets recruited onto a semi-pro hockey team as an enforcer. Tired of being labeled the family loser, Doug just wants to find his thing, and it turns out, hockey is definitely that thing. Even those rolled their eyes at Scott’s Stifler shtick in the American Pie movies will be pleasantly surprised at what he brings to the table in this film, an extremely funny twist on the traditional underdog sports tale.
Jim Carrey is the king of creating iconic, over-the-top comedy characters, but he really outdoes himself with this ’90s flick about a detective who specializes in cases involving animals. Ventura is hired to solve the case of the Miami Dolphin’s missing mascot after a pair of kidnappers hold the dolphin hostage. He’s pretty terrible at the job, but that’s where all the laughs come from.
Greta Gerwig’s love letter to her hometown of Sacramento, California follows Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf as they navigate the often-frustrating relationship between mother and daughter. Ronan plays “Ladybird,” a young woman attending Catholic school who longs for the culture and change of scenery that New York City promises. Her mother, Metcalf, is overbearing and overprotective, and the family’s lack of money and social standing contributes to a rift between the two. Some hard truths are explored in this film, but watching Ronan manage teenage angst, first love, and everything in between will give you all kinds of nostalgia.
Andy Samberg and his Lonely Island crew have given us plenty of comedy gems over the years, but this may be one of their more inventive shorts. The group spoofs notorious baseball stars Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire in this visual rap album that imagines the brothers in their heyday. Think Beyonce’s Lemonade but, you know, sports.
A timeless Tom Hanks comedy classic, The Money Pit is a cautionary tale for every couple who is considering buying a fixer-upper and turning it into the home of their dreams. It’s more likely to become a nightmare, but Hanks and Shelly Long at least make a seriously funny and occasionally sweet nightmare. It also contains the best laugh scene in the history of comedy. Ahh, home crap home!
Gina Rodriguez, Brittany Snow, and DeWanda Wise team up for this romantic comedy about a young woman’s final hurrah before leaving NYC. Rodriguez plays a journalist named Jenny who must pack up her life, leave her friends, and travel to the West Coast for an exciting job opportunity. Unfortunately for her, her boyfriend of nearly 10 years decides to call it quits, which leaves Jenny on the party warpath, determined to have one final night of fun before her big trip. Lakeith Stanfield also stars in this, and with Netflix’s pretty stellar rom-com track record lately, bet on this being a fun watch.
The Coen brothers give fans another ridiculous romp supported by a mind-blowing cast of A-listers — think George Clooney, Josh Brolin, Scarlett Johansson, Tilda Swinton… really, we could go on. The film follows Brolin’s Eddie Mannix, a Hollywood fixer in the 1950s trying to uncover what happened to a major star who disappeared while filming an upcoming studio blockbuster. Hijinks ensue when nosy reporters and paranoid movie execs get involved.
Anyone who caught Jessica Williams during her tenure on The Daily Show knows that she’s destined for greatness. Despite being so young, she had a confidence, a voice, and a commanding presence that you just can’t fake. The Incredible Jessica James is her first starring vehicle since her time as a correspondent, and it is a true testament to where she’s headed. In a clever look at the life of a struggling playwright who is getting over a breakup, The Incredible Jessica James allows Williams to unleash her fire in the most charming way possible, and she and Chris O’Dowd have an easy chemistry that makes you root for them to make it despite not having a thing in common. Having just come out last year, The Incredible Jessica James is still one of the best comedy movies Netflix has delivered.
Dustin Hoffman stars in this wildly funny ’80s romp, playing a difficult-to-work-with actor who disguises himself as a woman to win a role. Hoffman’s Michael is a perfectionist and has earned a nasty reputation around town, which is why he’s forced to dress as a woman and audition for a small role on a soap opera to fund his next play. His time on the show ends up being a success however, forcing Michael to keep up his charade and risk his relationships in the process.
Before Greta Gerwig was directing Oscar-nominated, coming-of-age dramas, she was writing and starring in this black-and-white dramedy about a young woman also trying to find her way in the professional dance world of New York City. Gerwig is magnetic in the titular role of Frances, a dancer dissatisfied with her career prospects and forced to contemplate a move to Tribeca on the whim of her best friend and roommate. That trek across Manhattan serves as a jumping off point for Frances, who travels home, then to France, before settling in Washington Heights on her journey to self-discovery.
Tarsem Singh’s silly take on a storybook classic often gets a bad rap. Yes, it’s ridiculous and over-the-top, but it’s got a handful of great performances from Julia Roberts, Lily Collins, and Armie Hammer. And it’s gorgeous to look at. The story’s what you’d expect: Roberts’ evil queen takes over the kingdom, Collins’ Snow White fights to get it back. Hammer plays the bumbling love interest. There’s a gang of dwarves, who are equal parts badass-and-completely-incompetent. It doesn’t take much to find the funny in this retelling. Not every childhood fable adaptation has to be serious, guys.
Ali Wong and Randall Park star in the latest rom-com from Netflix. This time around, the plot follows two childhood sweethearts who’ve spent the last 15 years apart and try to reconnect when one moves back home. Wong plays a successful chef opening a new restaurant in San Francisco while Park plays her former best friend still living at home and working for his dad. Both have some growing up to do, but the film eschews classic romcom tropes for bits that are funnier and more poignant than your average lighthearted fare.
It’s been over 25 years since Tom Hanks won his second Oscar, which he did for Forrest Gump, the once-widely beloved, decades-spanning weepie that now has its fair share of detractors. Another person who nabbed an Academy Award: its director, Robert Zemeckis. The two have reunited every now and then, for Cast Away and the all-CGI The Polar Express. And the boys may get back together yet again, as Deadline is reporting Hanks is in early talks to assume the role of Geppetto, the kindly creator of a living wooden boy in Zemeckis’ take on Pinocchio.
The film, made with Disney, will reportedly be a live-action (that is, presumably, with plenty of CGI) version of the oft-filmed Italian children’s story, about a puppet granted life. The most famous adaptation is the Disney animated version, from 1941, which features untold traumatic moments, from our young hero being locked in a cage to almost being turned into a donkey after too much juvenile boozing.
But the warmest parts involve Geppetto, his creator and father, which Hanks should have zero problem handling. Granted, nothing’s final. In fact, it’s still very larval. All that’s happened, according to a source, is Hanks reached out to Zemeckis after reading the script, “to let him know he wants to do the film.” Sounds like a no-brainer, though.
Carlo Collodi’s novel has been filmed so many times that there have been two separate ones with Roberto Benigni. He directed and starred in one, from 2002, that was, well not well-received. But last year came another Italian version in which he played Geppetto, to warm reviews. Guillermo del Toro is also doing his own, darker version of the tale, with Ewan McGregor as the voice of Jiminy Cricket — a character invented for the Disney toon — and Tilda as the fairy that grants our hero life. Anyway, hope we’re all ready for multiple films that will scar us all.
The summer months are full of holidays. Some are important (Memorial Day) and others… not so much (National Filet Mignon Day). While it doesn’t carry the weight of Independence Day or Labor Day, the first Thursday of August is one we eagerly await every summer.
The IPA, also known as the India Pale Ale, is still the most popular craft beer style in America. You’d be hard-pressed to find a single brewery that doesn’t produce at least one IPA. This means that there are a lot of IPAs on the market. With that comes variety. West Coast IPAs can be bitter hop bombs; juicy, tropical-flavored New England-style IPAs are anything but.
The fact is, the IPA’s popularity is at least in part the result it being so complex. Which is plenty of cause to celebrate it. To get the most out of National IPA Day, we decided to ask some of our favorite bartenders what they’ll be drinking for the occasion. Check out their answers below.
Funky Buddha Hop Gun
Marta De La Cruz Marrero, food and beverage supervisor at Burlock Coast in Fort Lauderdale
Funky Buddha Hop Gun IPA. It’s locally sourced and I like supporting local breweries. Additionally, it’s a well-balanced IPA. Not too strong but very refreshing for a hot summer day and it’s easy to drink. It pairs great with seafood.
Yazoo Hop Perfect
Franck Savoy, corporate director of food and beverage at Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica, California
Definitely Yazoo IPA from one of my favorite cities: Nashville, Tennessee. An easy-drinking India Pale Ale, made with Citra and Mosaic hops that lend a citrus and grapefruit aroma to an already well-balanced, lighter-bodied beer.
Goose Island IPA
Reniel Garcia, bar director of Havana 1957 in Miami
Goose Island IPA. Fruity hops are lively and playful, making for an interesting take on American IPA. A fun beer to drink. The flavors work well together, and the beer is not overly bitter. An overall great hoppy beer with a touch of malt that is well balanced with the hops flavor and moderate bitterness.
Lagunitas Daytime is great for summer and it’s light enough to drink a few in the sun. It’s 4 percent ABV and only 98 calories, but full of citrus flavor.
Santa Monica Brew Works Inclined IPA. Summers in LA, what better than something local and crafty that embodies that spirit in a can?
I think a lot of people expect a heavy bitter IPA when they have this and realize its nothing like that. You are still going to get hints of bitterness but it’s so incredibly smooth — pairing perfectly with the wonderful warm weather in Los Angeles. It’s so refreshing for an IPA we actually carry it as our main staple draft IPA at our rooftop pool.
Southern Prohibition Crowd Control
Adrienne Miller, bartender at Satterfield’s in Birmingham, Alabama
Southern Prohibition’s Crowd Control. The grapefruit and citrus notes are perfect in the summer heat plus it makes a great play on a paloma.
Harpoon IPA
Chris Amirault, bartender at mixology teacher at CocuSocial in New York City
I’m not the biggest IPA guy, but I have to go with the hometown hero in a good old fashioned Harpoon IPA from Boston. It’s fresh, hoppy, and perfect for summer.
Lawson’s Sip of Sunshine
Drew Reid, restaurant manager at W Aspen in Aspen, Colorado
Easy. Lawson’s Sip of Sunshine. This beer is incredibly complex and fits the mold of the top IPAs in the country. Unlike some of the other bigger/high ABV IPAs, I can drink Lawson’s all day in the summer sun.
All Day IPA from Founders Brewing. I love the fact that it has a lower ABV but still has a full and complex flavor. Living in the mountains of Colorado, outdoor activities are a way of life, and I appreciate that this beer can accompany me on all my adventures.
Ballast Point Sculpin
Jim Lunchick, master mixologist at Merriman’s in Hawaii
In this summer’s world of only one IPA, I’m going with Ballast Point’s Sculpin. It’s lighter bodied than most (so you can drink more of it) and absolutely brimming with hoppy complexity. It’s hot out there; time for lighter, more refreshing choices.
Rahr & Sons Dadgum IPA
Nancy Conaway, bartender at Cassidy’s in Fort Worth, Texas
Rahr & Sons Dadgum IPA would be my choice. It’s a great IPA made with Citra and Lemon Drop hops. That’s right—lemon drop hops. It’s ‘Dadgum’ good.
Cigar City Jai Alai
Erin Gowdy, bartender at Paul’s Landing in St. Petersburg, Florida
On National IPA Day I’ll be drinking Cigar City Jai Alai. There’s a reason it’s one of the most loved IPAs on the market. It’s a great IPA for summer days by the pool.
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