Month: November 2020

Tommy Heinsohn, whose career in basketball has been defined by his unwavering loyalty to the Boston Celtics, has died, according to multiple reports. A Basketball Hall of Fame inductee as a player and a coach who served as a longtime broadcaster for Celtics games, Heinsohn passed away at the age of 86.

Heinsohn was born and raised in New Jersey, but his time in the city of Boston began via his collegiate career at Holy Cross. From there, Heinsohn became synonymous with the Celtics — the team selected him in the 1956 NBA Draft, at which point he began a highly-successful career with the team. Heinsohn played 10 seasons with the Celtics, winning eight championships, earning six All-Star nods, and being named the NBA’s Rookie of the Year. For his contributions as a player, Heinsohn’s No. 15 was retired by the franchise.

He eventually became Boston’s head coach, winning a pair of championships during the 1973-74 and 1975-76 campaigns. In his career as a player, Heinsohn averaged 19.8 points and 9.2 rebounds per game, and as a coach, he accrued a 427-263 record. Eventually, Heinsohn moved into the broadcast booth, and while he was never shy to let it be known that he loved his Celtics with every bone in his body, he and Mike Gorman became stalwarts on calls whenever Boston would play.

With A Teacher (which is available to stream via FX On Hulu), creator Hannah Fidell is revisiting the central focus of her 2013 indie film of the same name, portraying the power dynamics of a wildly inappropriate sexual relationship between a female teacher and her teen male student. But while pop culture (and porn culture) often romanticize (or fetishize) the fantasy of that specific type of relationship, the show is careful to follow things all the way to their end with something to say about the impact on the people involved.

As the teacher, Kate Mara is tasked with playing a literal monster and predator with a vulnerability that tries to not justify her actions but which make you understand the ways the character is broken. It’s a complex undertaking, to be sure, but one that drove Mara’s interest in the role. That and a willingness to play characters that you may wind up not liking. In the forthcoming interview, we spoke with her about that, the show’s use of fantasy sequences, and her relationship to one of her favorite roles in House Of Cards years after revelations about series star Kevin Spacey tainted the show’s legacy.

There’s a lot of space to tell this story in that it’s not, specifically, just about the relationship, but it’s also about the aftermath. Was that part of the appeal to jumping into this?

Kate Mara: It was very important to me. I wanted to make sure that everything about the show was about the consequences as well. So that was a huge selling point for me when Hannah was telling me what her idea for the season was. And I think it’s so important to show the lasting consequences of such a predatory relationship, which happens much more frequently than I think anyone would expect it to.

How much research did you wind up doing on how frequently relationships like this occur? Because obviously, we see things like this pop up in the press from time to time, but I’m sure it’s more frequent than we’re aware of on the surface.

Once you’re actually looking for it, it is not hard to find. It happens so often in America and so it was, very sadly, quite easy to find real-world cases to read about. Hannah and I just constantly texted each other back and forth sending different articles that we would find on a weekly basis. Because my character is a fictional character, she’s not based on anyone specific, a lot of her characteristics and backstory was just made to fit by Hannah. And some of it was from our conversations together and trying to figure out where someone would come to this place in their lives.

Do you reach out and talk to somebody who’s been on this side of this or to get a sense of their psychology, or is it mostly through media reports and trying to just work off the script?

I just didn’t ever have the thought to reach out to someone…a predator or the abuser in a relationship…but Hannah and our writers talked to lawyers who had represented both the survivors of cases like these and the abusers. So I felt like the writer knew a lot about sort of what would happen in these cases based on conversations with people like that and also with therapists and people like that.

When you’re looking at any role, but specifically with this one, do you make a value judgment about the character? Is this character a straight-up villain in your eyes?

I guess I don’t really necessarily characterize roles specifically as like villain or savior or anything like that. But I am specifically more interested in playing characters that are multi-dimensional, who have complicated lives, and make very complicated choices. Obviously, Claire has some moral issues and, when I think something might be challenging to figure out or create, the more I want to do it. And so, for this, I think that was one of my driving forces. I think I was empowered by the complexity of this character.

Empowered just in the choices that you’re able to make with it?

Yeah, just as an actor, I feel much more fulfilled when I’m playing characters who people maybe don’t like so much. [Laughs] A lot of times, I’ll hear, “Oh God, I hated your character in this or that.” And I don’t really take that as an offense. I think if you’re not playing a likable character… Not everybody’s likable in the world. And I’m not saying Claire is not likable. I think there are things about her that are or that should be, but at the end of the day, she is the predator of this relationship and manipulates this boy and has to live with the consequences of that, as she should.

Was there any concern about the use of dream sequences and leaning too far into the fantasy, because obviously, it’s in our culture. There are elements of [this kind of relationship] that meet certain people’s fantasies.

No. I didn’t have any concerns about that. Again, we’re making a show that has to have different elements to it to keep people interested. There are fantasy sequences in all kinds of different shows. I’m sure there are some fantasy sequences in The Sopranos, for example, and the show’s about, basically, murder. That definitely didn’t scare me away. I think those types of things are interesting and keep the story moving. And there’s a reason it’s certain people’s fantasy. And I think to explore that is important.

No, I agree. I think, it also speaks to the psychology of the characters here as well.

Yeah.

Obviously, to speak to Claire’s dissatisfaction with her husband, you can’t just do that with words. I think it did make sense, specifically. So, obviously, this was a film before. How much conversation was there with Hannah about things she wanted to do differently?

When she brought it to me, she said she definitely wanted this to stand alone. And while it deals with the same subject matter, we definitely wanted it to feel different, to look different, and for the character to have a different journey in a lot of ways. In most ways. So, that was definitely important. And obviously, we have a lot of time to explore these characters. I don’t know for her, if she just scrapped the movie altogether when she was writing this. I don’t think she did, but for me as an actor, the character was a very separate character, from her in the movie.

You’ve had a long career. You’ve had other scenes where you’ve been in romantic relationships on screen. How is it different in terms of establishing chemistry and even choreographing any intimacy with Nick (Robinson) on this, since the power dynamic is so different from anything else you’ve done?

That’s a good question. I always felt like Nick and I were a team, from the very beginning. Everything always felt very comfortable with Nick. And he understood what we were trying to make. The three of us had a lot of discussions about all of the intimate scenes. We wanted it to feel almost like it was improvised or like it was just happening off the cuff, but none of it ever was. It was all very specific and that was important and that really did help. It helps the awkwardness of those scenes… They can feel awkward, sure. And if they’re supposed to be awkward and that’s exactly how you should feel while making them, but I never felt unsafe, I guess, is a good word to use. I always felt we knew exactly what we were doing and what the goal was. So I really loved working with Nick and so, it was all around a good experience and we would connect before a scene and just go, “Wow, can you believe this scene?” Or we’d try and laugh about it after or laugh about it during to try and stay sane and connected.

Going back to what you said before about playing characters that people don’t like. Obviously, Zoe Barnes from House Of Cards fits that description. That character in that world at that time…it’s obviously a very different time right now and there were complicating factors attached to the show, but would it be interesting to you to face this world with that character ?

Well, the amazing thing about that show is obviously it’s still… My God, it’s still so relevant today and I love that. I love the character, Zoe Barnes. That was one of the top two favorite characters I’ve ever played. Yeah, in a dream scenario, to explore what she would be doing today in this climate, I’d be curious to see. And, like I said, that was such a fun role to play. And complicated.

Everything that happened there and everything that happened with Kevin Spacey, how does that influence your view of what the work was? Because there was an impact, obviously. It’s not going to be on top ten lists and people aren’t going to think about it, only because of its association.

That is a very sad reality. That’s a sad reality because I do think that the show is so great and specifically, that first season because Fincher was obviously the mastermind behind that and there’s just nobody like him. That is a very bad thing, that people don’t really want to give it that kind of credit now because of all that’s happened since then. But for me, my experience was my experience and I’ve said it before, David Fincher totally changed my… he is one of the all-time greats and it was definitely the greatest work experience I’ve had. And so, it’s very bittersweet, I have been to say.

When something like that happens, when there’s an artist, who’s tainted and then it taints the whole project… In general, just as a consumer of art, where do you stand on separating the art from the artist?

Oh, that’s a good question. I don’t know how to answer that. [Laughs] That’s my honest answer. I really don’t have something for that. I actually don’t know. I have to think about that.

I don’t have a set answer either, honestly. I don’t blame you for not having an answer. It’s probably an unfair thing to ask.

So you think you’d probably go, “I don’t know, actually.”

Yeah!

Well, that makes me feel better.

I was really looking for you to answer for me.

It is a good question though. And I’m going to spend some time thinking about it and exploring that. [Laughs]

The first three episodes of ‘A Teacher’ are available to stream now on FX On Hulu with more episodes dropping every Tuesday.

Naming conventions be damned, Tuesday officially brought two new Xbox consoles to the market with the Xbox Series X and Series S hitting shelves across the country. Both Microsoft and Sony have decided the next console war will be fought on two fronts, both with an optical drive-equipped device and a download-only console available at a slightly smaller price tag.

The plethora of new options can make it difficult to decide which console to buy, and whether it’s worth even diving into the next generation of games at any cost or with any console. And while time and experience (and scarcity) may help sharpen these choices into clearer focus for some, sometimes it’s best to dive in and see what you can for yourself. Which is why Microsoft provided an Xbox Series X to Uproxx Gaming to put through the paces, and after a fortnight with the console I can report that the early returns are, indeed, very good.

Buying any new console is a unique purchase for everyone, and it’s impossible to weigh every factor and option. Microsoft is attempting to capture a wider swath of the gaming market with the Series S, but its larger, black box of a sibling is the flagship product on launch day. And the cube certainly brings a lot to the table in an industry that’s more crowded than ever. That shape, though, is one of the first things you’ll notice about the console. Though it’s not as big as the PS5, it takes up considerable space in a way unlike other Xboxes.

With its vents on the smallest rectangle of the cube, it’s meant to stand upright and to the uninitiated might look like a large, nondescript router or hard drive. It’s a uniquely-shaped console to say the least, and in my fairly squat entertainment center it simply has nowhere to go but standing slightly taller than the Yamaha receivers next to my record player. If you’re looking to buy a new Xbox simply based on the likelihood you won’t have to rearrange your consoles, buy a Series S and expect to invest in a hard drive eventually. Otherwise, you’re in for some logistical experimentation after you’re done unboxing.

If this is a purchase decision made mostly on what games are currently available: wait. There’s no need to torture yourself based on new console FOMO. Games may be optimized, but if you’re feeling the pressure of potentially getting shut out on a title in these early months that simply won’t happen with the new Xboxes. The consoles have zero true exclusive titles on launch day, and even some of the few “exclusives” of the next-gen enhanced titles are available on your current Xbox.

Sure, those enhanced games play better. NFL Madden 21 is a more polished, better-looking football sim on the Series X. NBA 2K21 looks and feels better on the console, too. A more thorough recap of the next-gen titles on the Xbox is on the way soon, but the same can be said for every game optimized for the Series X. Load times on last-gen titles are so quick you might never read the text on loading screens, frame rates were considerably better and automatic HDR brought new life and color to some games in need of a boost. The new Yakuza game looks better, and racing games like Dirt 5 and the remastered Forza all take advantage of the console’s new tech to make driving crisp and beautiful. But if we’re being honest with ourselves the system lacks a true killer app that’s worth the upgrade price right away. Halo Infinite is delayed until next year along with many of the other teased titles coming to fulfill the many promises of a next-gen console.

We’ll have more on the Series S and how it performs in the coming days, but both the Series S and Series X will play the same next-gen titles, unless you buy those games on physical discs. Only the Series X has a disc drive, and therefore also can play 4K ultra HD Blu Rays after quickly downloading an app. The picture is, as expected, great and the console can download games and do other tasks while you watch the only Blu Ray you have in your apartment, which may or may not have been a previously unopened copy of the LEGO Batman Movie.

Much like buying a new cellphone these days, what you get immediately with the Series X is not a giant leap forward but incremental changes that, overall, feel like they justify the cost of living in the near-future. Games load much faster and play considerably cleaner. The actual Xbox experience with the Series X intentionally replicates what you’ve had with prior systems. It makes the same noise when you turn it on, accesses your cloud-saved data from previous games and feels like a cleaned up Xbox experience from the start. But it’s definitely a better Xbox experience in basically every way.

The console is so obviously built to play games well, which sounds like an obvious statement but wasn’t always the case with the peripheral-filled, entertainment hub launch of the Xbox 360 and its voice commands and cable television hopes and dreams. The games really are the focus here, and though a Series X is also a great vehicle for watching Disney+ or Netflix or streaming sports, it took me a long while to get to that part of the review process. That’s just not what most people will be buying it for, though those entertainment options are absolutely there.

Microsoft is betting big on games, buying Bethesda and appearing poised to make Game Pass one of the smartest investments in gaming with EA Play and other exclusives coming down the road. It’s a huge amount of money that makes deals like that happen, but after playing games on the console those deals were made for it’s easy to see why Microsoft is making that wager. Computer gaming is huge and a considerable part of Microsoft’s gaming equation, sure. But the Series X proves that consoles are far from dead, and even with a steeper price point the Series X offers a lot of advantages in simplicity and cost that PC gaming simply can’t match for the consumers who just want a gaming box they never need to open.

Perhaps the most immediate upgrade is the next-gen Xbox controller, which looks extremely similar to its predecessor but is notably better. It feels sturdier, and the material is satisfyingly sleek. It somehow feels warmer to the touch than the Xbox One controller, even when it’s turned off, and there’s a subtle texturing on the underside where your fingers go that makes the grip feel slightly more stable. It both looks and feels more premium than the controller that shipped with the last Xbox, and there was basically no adjustment period necessary to grab it and dive into a game.

Another fairly obvious but extremely useful upgrade to the Series X controller is the dedicated share button. It’s an essential tool for modern gaming (and an absolute necessity for a game reviewer like myself) and it’s a huge upgrade over the screenshot system on the last Xbox. Press the middle button on the controller, and the screenshot is automatically saved and uploaded for access on the Xbox app as well. In the past, I had admittedly favored reviewing games on the Nintendo Switch when possible, if only for the ease of easy screenshotting and sharing (and, of course, a curiosity about how the system would handle certain games). Right now, it’s difficult to imagine picking the Switch over the Series X for either of those reasons anymore.

Missing from this specific equation, of course, is a true showdown with the PS5. That console, coming later this week, has arguably the most anticipated launch day title in Spider-Man: Miles Morales and its own impressive list of upgrades from the PS4. But if you’re already in the Xbox ecosystem and plan to take advantage of Xbox Game Pass, buying in on the Series X will have some impressive upside in the coming months. On launch day, the potential for a new black box on your entertainment stand can truly feel limitless. I can say with certainty that, as you search for those limits with the Series X, you’ll find a lot of good things about what you play, even if it’s a title you’ve already spent some time with on your old console.

In the days leading up to the election, Lil Wayne posed for a photo with Donald Trump and showed some support for the president, which many in the music community didn’t take well. It appeared his girlfriend, model Denise Bidot, wasn’t the biggest fan either, as there were rumors the two had broken up over it.

They unfollowed each other on Instagram and Bidot de-activated her account after writing, “Sometimes love just isn’t enough…” with some broken heart emojis. Bidot denied the rumors, tweeting, “I did NOT! This is absolutely false.” She later noted that Wayne actually ended things because she supported Joe Biden. Whatever did or did not happen, there is a development in the situation: Wayne has now re-followed Bidot on Instagram, as The Shade Room points out. Bidot is currently the only account Wayne follows on the platform.

After the rumored break-up, Wayne also shared a message in which he wrote, “I live the way I love and love the way I live. I’m a lover not a lighter bekuz they burn out. I am an eternal fire and burning love, either leave with a tan, a 3rd degree burn, or stay and die in love. You’re sweating. Sincerely, the fireman.”

The Masters will begin on Thursday, as golf’s most famous stateside major shifts to November from it’s typical April spot as golf finishes off a strange, fanless 2020 season at Augusta National.

The best golfers in the world are on the grounds at Augusta National currently for practice rounds as they prepare for the tournament this weekend, and even without patrons on the course, they’re still enjoying some of the traditions of The Masters. For instance, the famous 16th hole at Augusta features a pond between the tee box and the green that, during practice rounds, players will skip the ball across to try and hold the green to the delight of those in attendance.

Even without patrons, that’s still going on and on Tuesday we saw that tradition produce one of the most incredible golf shots you’ll ever see, courtesy of Jon Rahm, one of the co-favorites to win the tournament and the No. 2 ranked player in the world, who skipped the ball across the pond for a hole in one.

It’s a truly ridiculous shot and there’s obviously luck involved, but still, to have the control to skip it across the water and have it have the perfect pace to ride the slope around the green and into the hole — which is in the traditional Sunday pin position — is honestly spectacular. Making things even crazier is that it’s the second hole in one in as many days for Rahm at Augusta, as he aced the fourth hole on Monday in a practice round. He’s grown to truly love Augusta — as he told Uproxx in an interview that will run tomorrow — and it seems Augusta National loves him right back.

At this point, Jaden may as well throw his name in the hat to play Miles Morales in any inevitable live-action adaptations because he’s already got the character’s voice locked down musically. After landing “Way Up” on the Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse soundtrack in 2018, he once again channels the Brooklyn wall-crawler in his next high-profile outing, the upcoming Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales video game with “I’m Ready.” The new song follows in the same vein as its predecessor with a rolling, hypnotic beat and lyrics expressing the young superhero’s inner thoughts.

Sony announced the sequel to its runaway hit open-world game earlier this summer, revealing that Miles would be taking over defending New York City from his mentor Peter Parker — with the action moved mostly to Harlem to allow easier access to the skyscrapers from which he’ll be swinging — then showed the gameplay footage in September. The herky-jerky animation style closely mirrors that of the award-winning animated film, while the game introduces some new elements to the now-familiar story of the junior Spider-hero such as Spider-Cat.

Meanwhile, Jaden is fresh off the release of his Cool Tape Vol. 3, which had him reuniting with Justin Bieber and singing surf-rock pop bops like “Cabin Fever.”

Listen to “I’m Ready” above.

On Tuesday, the biggest news in gaming was the release of the Xbox Series X and Series S to the masses, but not too far behind that in some circles was excitement for Harmonix new DJ video game, Fuser, which launched on Tuesday as well for all major consoles and PC.

The game features over 100 tracks — with an additional list of songs on the VIP edition — you can mix together and layer vocals and instrumentals to create your own DJ set. For some people, this will result in some really excellent and very cool mixes that actually sound good. For others, this is an opportunity to mash up songs that make absolutely no sense together but are very, very funny.

The magic of Fuser is the ability to have fun with these tracks and make ridiculous remixes. One particular track on the set list that’s available to everyone is Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up,” which means, yes, Rick Rolling is back and this time comes with a new beat.

He wasn’t alone in recognizing the power of Fuser to make truly absurd mixes featuring “Never Gonna Give You Up,” and you can expect plenty of these videos (and others) to find their way to your social media timelines in the coming days and weeks.

I think the funniest part of all of this is seeing awful Rick Astley and Smashmouth mixes has, arguably, made the game much more enticing to some people — including me — who now recognize the sheer power of this game and the ability to do some remarkably ridiculous stuff with it.

When it comes to the being one of Hollywood’s most hunkiest, muscle-bound badasses, Jason Momoa easily sits near the top of the list thanks to his hulking presence in Game of Thrones and Aquaman. So, it was quite a surprise when Momoa greeted InStyle writer Christopher Bagley while decked out in pink French linen pants and wearing pink scrunchies in his hair and on his wrist. When asked about the interesting fashion choice, Momoa didn’t mince words.

“Pink is just a beautiful color,” Momoa said. “And I’m pretty secure in my masculinity. I don’t really give a shit what anyone thinks.”

Anyone want to argue with that? Didn’t think so. But it’s exactly that kind of energy that Momoa brought to the lengthy interview where the actor effortlessly swings from performative machismo to revealing his recent therapeutic journey to explore “male vulnerability.” Via InStyle:

“I’m amping myself up all day long, and then my nervous system doesn’t know that I’m not lopping people’s heads off,” he says. “For me to relax and sit still is next to impossible.” On a deeper level, Momoa is exploring what it meant for him to grow up without a father at home and how that affects his relationship with his 12-year-old son, Wolf. “I didn’t know what it takes to be a dad,” he says. “And I don’t want to just tell my son, ‘Because I said so.’ I really want to connect, and I want him to be vulnerable and open.”

This isn’t the first time that Momoa has shown a vulnerable side. While promoting his upcoming role in Dune, he opened up about how filming the movie was an eye-opening experience that set a standard for the rest of his career. “I don’t ever want to go back to not being treated that [way],” Momoa told Variety. “I felt beautiful in this film. It’s a very hard thing to say, but I felt very beautiful.”

(Via InStyle)

Halsey has worked with many big names in music over the past year. The singer has collaborated with musicians like BTS, Juice WRLD, and even Alanis Morissette. But there are still a few artists that the singer dreams of joining in the studio.

Halsey recently sat down for a profile in Vogue to speak about her record Manic as well as her poetry book I Would Leave Me If I Could, which was released Tuesday. During the conversation, Halsey revealed that there are two popular artists that she really hopes to collaborate with in the future:

“I really want to work with Grimes, because I love her, and I have always loved her. I’m also everyone’s biggest fan. I’m such a fangirl. I want to work with Harry Styles. I loved his last record. I’m so proud of him just as a fan and as a peer. He’s a real one. I think we could make something really cool together.”

Elsewhere in the interview, the singer offered an explanation as to why she chose to release the poetry collection this month. “Honestly, there’s two reasons,” she said. “The first is because I had it. The second reason is because I reached a point in my career where I don’t want there to be any sort of debate on whether or not I write. A lot of people just generally assume I don’t write my own music, even though I’ve said till I’m blue in the face that I do. Also, there’s stuff you can say in a book that you can’t say in an album. When I sing, the writing is tainted by whatever I look like at that time, whoever people think I’m dating at that time, and whatever they’ve read about me in the press most recently. They build a composite of who they think I am, and then that’s how they interpret the work. But a book is faceless.”

Halsey’s poetry book I Would Leave Me If I Could is out now. Get it here.

We are 315 days into 2020 (only 51 days to go!), and I don’t know about you, but this feels like the longest 315 days of my life. It’s enough to make a person want to scream, or maybe mutter curse words on live television. To each their own.

On Tuesday morning, NBC News correspondent Ken Dilanian appeared on MSNBC to discuss Donald Trump and company’s refusal to work on the presidential transition with Joe Biden’s team. “What you have learned, sir?” anchor Craig Melvin asked him. But Dilanian didn’t hear the question. He also didn’t know that he was on the air, because he could be heard whispering to himself, “Oh, sh*t. F*ck.” The camera then cut back to a stone-faced Melvin, who delivered a perfectly-timed, “…OK.” The technical issue was eventually resolved, with Dilanian explaining, “Hey, Craig. First, I want to sincerely apologize to viewers who may have heard me use profanity at the top of the last hit.”

He also discussed the incident on Twitter. “So sorry for the profanity I used on air last hour. I was experiencing some technical difficulties and mistakenly hung up on the control room, though my mic still was on. Perils of playing producer, cameraman, and tech support all at the same time from home. #2020,” he tweeted, adding an upside-down face emoji. There is nothing to apologize for. You summed up the year perfectly.