Month: February 2021

The Kansas City Chiefs efforts to run it back came to a screeching halt in the Super Bowl as the Buccaneers played a masterful game on both sides of the ball, exploiting the Chiefs’ weaknesses and rolling to a 31-9 win and a second title in franchise history.

To not allow a touchdown to this Chiefs offense is an immense accomplishment, but one that doesn’t happen without a little help. Tampa schemed up a terrific gameplan to attack Kansas City’s shorthanded offensive line and put pressure on Patrick Mahomes all night. However, as Brian Baldinger of NFL Network showed on his latest terrific #BaldyBreakdowns on Twitter, the game may have looked different if the Chiefs’ playmakers had helped Mahomes out and made plays that they so often do.

It’s a really interesting look at some incompletions that were moments of that Mahomes Magic that has become his trademark as he makes plays after the pocket breaks down, they just didn’t get the ending they deserved as receivers had drops in key spots. The three that really stood out were the Hill drop in traffic at the goal line, the Kelce drop on 3rd-and-8 deep in their own end, and, of course, the unbelievable diving throw Mahomes made that hit Darrel Williams in the face. All of them were contested, difficult plays, but in the Super Bowl against an elite defense, those are the plays you have to make — and they’re the plays Kansas City has been making for the last two years. This time, they didn’t just drop a few but seemingly all of the big plays they needed, and coupled with a sensational effort from Tampa, that yielded the lopsided final score.

Despite the fact that it might feel like you see a Promoted Post every time you log onto Twitter, Donald Trump’s former social media platform of choice is actually not doing too hot when it comes to targeted ad buys. In fact, Twitter only brings in less than one percent of the global digital advertisement market, which is why the company is turning to a new revenue strategy: Subscription pricing. The company is reportedly considering various revenue plans to get users to pay a price for either premium content or more advanced features coming down the line. Via Bloomberg:

A number of Twitter teams are researching subscription offerings, including one using the code name “Rogue One,” according to people familiar with the effort. At least one idea being considered is related to “tipping,” or the ability for users to pay the people they follow for exclusive content, said the people, who asked not to be named because the discussions are internal. Other possible ways to generate recurring revenue include charging for the use of services like Tweetdeck or advanced user features like “undo send” or profile-customization options.

This isn’t the first time that Twitter has mulled charging for TweetDeck, which is a favorite for power users of the social media platform. Back in 2017, the company surveyed TweetDeck users to see what features they’d be willing to pay for, but nothing ever came of the initiative after fielding the responses. It’s unclear whether Twitter will move ahead with that plan again, or whether it will pursue other options like charging for an ad-free experience or the ability to upload higher quality video.

Bloomberg also reports that the company is considering charging for Verified accounts, which could quickly become a hot button issue if you’ve ever seen one of the numerous daily fights over “Blue Checks” weighing in on a topic.

(Via Bloomberg)

At this point, there’s no stopping Olivia Rodrigo and “Drivers License.” The biggest song in the country is everywhere, from countless TikTok videos to The Tonight Show to the Grammy Museum. The tune has fared well on the charts and its run of success isn’t coming to an end yet: On the Billboard Hot 100 chart dated February 13, “Drivers License” is once again No. 1 for the fourth week.

The longer the song stays on the charts, the more history it makes, as not a lot of songs that debut at No. 1 stay there for a long time. Rodrigo is making it happen, though: Of the 48 songs to ever debut at No. 1, “Drivers License” is just the 12th ever to remain in that spot for at least its first four weeks.

Rodrigo previously said of the song, “When I came up with ‘Drivers License,’ I was going through a heartbreak that was so confusing to me, so multifaceted. Putting all those feelings into a song made everything seem so much simpler and clearer — and at the end of the day, I think that’s really the whole purpose of songwriting. There’s nothing like sitting at the piano in my bedroom and writing a really sad song. It’s truly my favorite thing in the world.”

Evan Rachel Wood came forward last week to name ex-partner Marilyn Manson as her alleged abuser and groomer (after years of her advocacy and testimony in front of lawmakers to help pass survivor-geared laws). In the immediate aftermath of Wood’s statement, four other women lodged allegations of abuse agains Manson. Phoebe Bridgers then followed with a sickening story while former Manson collaborator Trent Reznor issued his own statement of condemnation. and Wood has made more revelations about threats that she received (apparently from parties associated with Manson) that prompted her to come forward.

Now, 1980s teen idol Corey Feldman is giving his own account in an Instagram post, in which he accuses Manson of emotionally abusing him for decades. Feldman’s claims include grooming and being kissed without consent, and he makes reference to passages that Manson wrote about him in his 1998 memoir, Long Road Out Of Hell as evidence that Manson is “obsessed” with Feldman.

“Manson has been obsessed w me 4 over 2 decades!” wrote Feldman in part. “Dont #BELIEVE me? Just LOOK @ THE PUBLISHED FACTS! He 1st wrote several passages about me in his book #LONGROADOUTOFHELL as we had met a few months prior 2 that @ a Premier 4 #HOWARDSTERNSPRIVATEPARTS IN NY where the #GROOMING process began. He grabbed my face in front of the crowd and kissed me w his Black Lip Stick that I couldn’t rub off all night. He proceeded 2 gush over me telling me what a ‘Huge fan’ of mine he was.wrote Feldman in part.”

While speaking in 1999 to the Dallas Observer of Feldman, Manson stated that he feels “genuinely excited” about meeting former child stars that he’s “always genuinely respected and admired,” but “I think Corey Feldman got a little bitter because of my sense of humor. If you can’t laugh at yourself, who are you gonna laugh at? Especially when you’re Corey Feldman. You’ve got nothing else to do but laugh at yourself.”

The allegations against Manson made by Wood have, thus far, led his his agency (CAA) and his record label (Loma Vista Recordings) to drop him from their rosters. Two TV shows (AMC’s Creepshow anthology series and Starz’s ongoing American Gods) that filmed appearances by Manson also followed suit, and a California State Senator has asked the FBI to investigate the “alleged cases” against the singer.

For his part, Manson followed Wood’s initial statement with a statement of his own to deny any wrongdoing. “Obviously, my art and my life have long been magnets for controversy, but these recent claims about me are horrible distortions of reality,” he wrote. “My intimate relationships have always been entirely consensual with like-minded partners. Regardless of how — and why — others are now choosing to misrepresent the past, that is the truth.”

The day we’re able to pack up our cars or *gasp* jump on a plane and go somewhere for fun without fear of catching COVID-19 is approaching. Don’t get us wrong, it’s not rapidly approaching. But we’re still beyond psyched to even start thinking of far-flung adventures again.

When that day does finally come, we’ll definitely be doing things differently. Traveling smarter, more sustainably, and with a heightened sense of mindfulness about the magic that is wandering the globe. That includes a deeper appreciation for wild spaces, BLM land, and national parks — both here and abroad.

To help us get excited for a full-on return to the great wide open, we reached out to some of our favorite professional travelers for suggestions on which national parks worldwide are worth the trek and where to stay once you’re there. Check each pick below and get ready to beef up that post-pandemic travel wish list!

Lake Bohinj, Triglavski National Park, Slovenia — Zach Johnston

Why This Place:

Slovenia is well-known to European travelers for its jaw-dropping Julian Alps. To the average U.S. traveler, it’s more of an enigma. The heart of the small country lies in those Alps and Triglavski National Park. It’s one of those places that feels straight out of a postcard where the mountains jut into the sky, the lakes and rivers are ethereal in their clarity, and the culture is a charming mix of Germanic, Slavic, and Italian. That last bit makes for an amazing culinary tradition married to a true wild food culture.

But it’s really the untouched nature that draws so many to this part of Europe. The best play is to either camp out or rent a stand-alone cabin on the shores of Lake Bohinj, in the heart of the park. You can spend your days breathing in mountain fresh air, swimming in an impossibly beautiful Alpine lake, hiking or skiing those mountains, or just lounging in a wildflower field and watching the cows munch on grass.

One Special Thing To Do In The Park:

A great way to get an introduction to the park is to hike up to the Savica Waterfall. It’s about a 20-minute hike up a well-trodden path. But it’s 100 percent worth it for a view of a gorgeous waterfall.

Likewise, you can take longer hikes higher into the mountains to the grazing meadows of the high country. There are small huts where a handful of herders and cheesemakers still live in the summer with their herds. You’ll get a nice plate of cheese and cured meats, a beer or two, and a view of the mountains that’ll take your breath away (if the hike up hasn’t done that already).

Where To Stay:

The best play is to rent a stand-alone Alpine cabin at the far end of Lake Bohinj. This will give you plenty of space, the ability to cook for yourself, and the best access to the quieter end of the lake, where you can fish!

You can walk out your door and have your line in a river or the lake in less than five minutes. There’s a big fly fishing community in the area. So finding gear and licenses are very easy. If you get lucky, you can take your catch back to your Alpine cabin for a great dinner washed down with some equally great Slovenian wine.

Best Time Of Year To Go:

This really is a year-round sort of place. It thrives especially in the ski season and the summer season. Though it is high enough that fishing will be out of the question in the winter. No worries — you’ll be too busy skiing and then apres skiing to notice.

Whichever season you choose, you’ll be in for a delightful time in a truly unique corner of the Alps.

Virunga National Park, Democratic Republic of the Congo — Nathan Fluellen

Why This Place:

Virunga is the oldest national park in Africa and has the most biologically diverse protected area on the continent. Located inside the park is the Nyiragongo volcano, which has the world’s largest lava lake. There are only five lava lakes in the world.

I filmed an episode here for my TV show, World Wide Nate: African Adventures and fell in love.

One Special Thing To Do In The Park:

I started at 6,510 feet elevation and, during a five-hour hike, summited to 11,385 feet, which is almost five miles straight up. I had dinner at the top and watched the chunks of lava crash into each other while creating fiery explosions. I spent the night in the permanent tents, had breakfast, and returned to the base in the morning.

One Special Thing To Do Nearby:

You can visit Senkwekwe, the world’s only mountain gorillas orphanage. They care for gorillas who lost their parents in the Congo wars.

Best Time Of Year To Go:

The best time to visit is between June to October and December, considered the dry months. However, during my hike in September, three hours into the five-hour hike, I was caught in a downpour, and the only option was to keep moving until I reached my tent at the top of the volcano.

Thingvellir National Park (Þingvellir), Iceland — Kinga Philipps

Why This Place:

A UNESCO World Heritage site, an incredible geological wonder, and, for those who are into that sort of thing, a Game of Thrones filming location (yay).

One Special Thing To Do In The Park:

Dive Silfra.

Silfra is the only place in the world where you can dive between two tectonic plates…the North American and Eurasian. It’s reputed to be the clearest water in the world with visibility up to 100 meters (over 300 feet!), and it’s so pure you can drink it. The only downside…it’s about 37 degrees Fahrenheit year-round.

You can snorkel, scuba, or free dive — truly one of the most unique dives I’ve ever done.

Where To Stay:

Iceland is very expensive and lodging and food are two of the biggest culprits for making it less than affordable on a budget. We rented a camper van and spent nine days traveling the country. Designated camping locations are abundant and the vans come with a stove so you can grocery shop and make your own meals. It’s also a pretty wonderful way to experience the country.

There are two campgrounds in Thingvellir.

Best Time Of Year To Go:

April. It’s just after the thaw but before the crowds. You still get icebergs and dustings of snow but with spring starting to peek through and off-season prices combined with significantly fewer tourists. We felt like we had the park to ourselves.

Tikal National Park, Guatemala — Jamie Ditaranto

instagram.com/p/BbMn3PVnlSy/

Why This Place:

In the jungles that sprawl across Central America, you won’t find a Mayan city bigger than Tikal. Although it’s been thousands of years since its heyday, you can still walk among the ruins and climb the steps of its six towering temples.

One of the easiest ways to visit Tikal is to start your journey in Belize. The town of San Ignacio, Belize is just a two-hour drive away on the other side of the border and the San Ignacio Resort is a fabulous locally-owned hotel with its own iguana sanctuary.

One Special Thing To Do Nearby:

You may spot the resort’s resident iguana sunbathing in a palm tree above the pool, but if not you can take a walk to the on-site iguana sanctuary. Here you can learn about the project’s efforts to rehabilitate the iguanas, while you strike a pose with these lovable lizards.

Best Time Of Year To Go:

Tikal is in the jungle so it will be hot and sticky no matter what time of year you go, however, if you want to avoid the crowds, you should plan your trip towards the end of the year. It is typically less busy between September and December.

Banff National Park / Fairmont Château Lake Louise — Andrew Gunadie

Why This Place:

You might not expect to find a luxury getaway in a national park, but Fairmont Château Lake Louise in Banff National Park offers you a premium experience at a beautiful historic property with everything you’d need to celebrate a special occasion. It looks right out onto Lake Louise, one of Canada’s most stunning natural landmarks, thanks to its brilliant shades of turquoise-blue water.

One Special Thing To Do In The Park:

The Banff Gondola is a scenic 8-minute journey up to the top of Sulphur Mountain, 2,292 feet up! You’ll find restaurants, observation decks, interpretive boardwalks, and hiking trails — all offering breathtaking panoramic views of the surrounding park and mountains.

One Special Thing To Do Nearby:

Take a half-day hike from the hotel up to the Lake Agnes Tea House, a family-run business that offers a variety of tea and snacks. Or if you aren’t into hiking, you can enjoy afternoon tea at the hotel with prime views of Lake Louise and the Victoria Glacier.

Best Time Of Year To Go And Why:

Visit in late September during larch season when the trees turn a stunning shade of yellow. It’s a popular time for hikes especially around Lake Louise & nearby Moraine Lake, so make sure to plan accordingly!

Turpin Meadow Ranch, Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming (Jackson Hole) — Benjamin Liong Setiawan

Why This Place:

I love Turpin Meadow Ranch because it’s a dude ranch, but a luxe version of one. Plus the private cabins remind me of tiny houses and I’m mildly obsessed with tiny houses. Turpin has a relaxed vibe different from the champagne yurt you’ll find at the Four Seasons in Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (which I don’t mind either).

One Special Thing To Do In The Park:

There are tons of cross country trails for Nordic skiing. The setting is gorgeous because you have amazing views of the Tetons all around.

One Special Thing To Do Nearby:

After a day in the snow, it’s nice to take a breather at the bar for a cocktail or two while you warm up by the fireplace. While the ranch is casual, be prepared for gourmet meals. I never worry about what I’m eating at Turpin because I know we’ll always be well fed.

Best Time Of Year To Go And Why:

I prefer the winter because I’ve started to appreciate mixing cross country skiing into my winter repertoire. And the ranch is so cozy and magical that time of the year.

Stein Eriksen Residences, Wasatch Range Utah (Deer Valley) — Benjamin Liong Setiawan

Why This Place:

If you’re going to Deer Valley to ski the Wasatch Range, sometimes you want more space than what a hotel can provide. Whether it’s a pod of friends or a family trip, Stein Eriksen Residences has great ski-in/ski-out options for larger groups without sacrificing the amenities and services of a luxury hotel.

One Special Thing To Do In The Park:

I will admit that typically I ride a snowboard during the winter months, but I will temporarily put on skis to enjoy Deer Valley. There are only three resorts in the U.S. that only allow skiing. The skiing at Deer Valley is so pleasant that I don’t mind giving my board a break.

One Special Thing To Do At The Place/resort/camp:

I have a thing for infinity pools especially when they have a great view. The infinity pool at Stein Eriksen Residences did not disappoint. Also a good soak in the hot tub does wonders for tired or sore muscles after a day on the slopes.

Best Time Of Year To Go And Why:

I love going to Stein Eriksen Residences in the winter to take advantage of the snow at Deer Valley. For those wanting more, you can also book a snowcat to do some backcountry skiing and riding with Park City Powder Cats.

Spicers Sangoma Retreat (Blue Mountains, Australia) — Steve Bramucci

Why This Place:

It’s funny… I think it’s a lot harder to appreciate luxury in the city. If you’re splurging on someplace special, you want to be able to really savor the joys of being catered to. Bask in it. Without feeling like you’re swapping remoteness for amenities.

Spicers does a great job of building retreats that hit this slow-travel-meets-luxe sweet spot. Their property in the Blue Mountains, Spicers Sangoma, is literally swallowed by endless ecalyptus trees, while remaining sleek and cool (a little like the place in the movie Ex Machina). The views are astounding, the food is both local and organic, the bathtubs are extra deep, and the beds are custom made.

The result? Sangoma makes the perfect place to balance serious adventure with plenty of quiet time to decompress. Bring a lover and a good book.

One Special Thing To Do In The Park:

I’ve written about Claustral Canyon before. It is, quite simply, one of the wildest places I’ve ever seen — where ferns the size of small cars cling to the mossy canyon walls and crystalline water plunges down cascading falls. Magical and only 30 minutes from Spicers.

It’s also a serious adventure — accessed through multiple rappells down to the canyon floor. You have to really be up for it to enjoy the experience. (Most Blue Mountain canyoning outfitters will take you to Claustral — made famous on the cover of National Geographic — but be warned: You may have to convince them that you’ve got the salt to make it through.)

One Special Thing To Do At The Property:

You’re going to feel fully battered after coming out the other side of Clasutral Canyon. At which point, you’ll want to race back to Spicers and dive in that tub while watching the sunset across the Blue Mountains. Or better yet, hit the spa for a massage while the sounds of the bushland engulf you.

Best Time Of Year To Go And Why:

I love spring in New South Wales — October-November — but the Claustral experience is so special that it’s wise to fully plan around that. By winter, the Blue Mountains is too cold for canyoning, so keep that in mind.

Lil Yachty has apparently become quite enamored with Detroit’s burgeoning underground rap scene. After teasing a new mixtape with the Sada Baby-featuring video for “Not Regular” a few weeks ago, the Atlanta rapper popped in the video for an “all-star” cypher of sorts titled “Royal Rumble” and featuring a slew of fresh-faced Detroit rhymers for him to trade bars with.

Included in the “Royal Rumble” are emerging talents like Babyface Ray, who recently tapped Moneybagg Yo to appear in his “If You Know You Know” video, DC2Trill, Krispylife Kid, who previously worked with Yachty on their September 2020 song “KrispyBoat,” Icewear Vezzo, who is the first Detroit native rapper signed to Motown Records, Rio Da Yung OG, who was unfortunately sentenced to five years in prison for a 2019 gun charge, and RMC Mike, a favorite collaborator of Rio’s who appeared with him in numerous recent low-fi music videos.

These six rappers represent an emerging sound in the Motor City and surrounding Michigan area that eschews the smoother sounds of the smooth J Dilla/Slum Village era for a more grungy, almost drill-inspired sound. Other newer rappers embracing the loose aesthetic and slippery flow include 42 Dugg, who has been blowing up thanks to his collaborations with Lil Baby, and Sada Baby, who secured a Nicki Minaj verse on his techno-sampling viral hit, “Whole Lotta Choppas.” Meanwhile, the Detroit cypher format was also recently used to highlight more local talent on Big Sean’s Detroit 2 cut “Friday Night Cypher.”

Watch the “Royal Rumble” video above.

Being chosen to perform at halftime of the Super Bowl is one of the biggest achievements in all of music, as only a select few artists have ever gotten that invite. The Weeknd was the latest addition to that club last night, and now that he’s a night of sleep removed from the performance, he has taken a moment to reflect on it.

Sharing a post on social media today, The Weeknd wrote, “still buzzing from last night. i couldn’t stop smiling the whole performance. thank you [Pepsi, the NFL, and Roc Nation] for believing in me to bring a fresh new take on the halftime show. XO we did it !”

Ahead of the performance, he broke down his expectations for the show, saying, “I will still incorporate some of the storyline. It’s a very cohesive story I’ve been telling throughout this era and throughout this year. So the story will continue, but definitely we’ll keep it PG for the families. I’ll try my best. […] Hopefully, [the audience] can come up with some of their own theories and conclusions for what the show is saying and the story I’m telling with the performance.”

Check out our breakdown of The Weeknd’s ever-evolving look from the After Hours era here.

Most of the music-loving public has been made aware that the country artist who currently has the No. 1 album on the Billboard charts – and has for the last four weeks — is facing serious repercussions after footage of him using a racial slur was leaked. While Wallen’s record label suspended his contract and many of his more progressive peers in the genre disavowed him for using racist language, one collaborator doesn’t seem to have any problem continuing to play Wallen’s music.

Headlining a Super Bowl party this weekend prior to the big game on Sunday, the Godfrey Waterfront Hotel’s venue WTR Tampa Pool hosted back-to-back shows from Steve Aoki and Diplo on Friday and Saturday nights, respectively. In video footage of Diplo’s set obtained by TMZ, masks were nowhere to be found at this 2,000 person show, but Morgan Wallen’s song with Diplo was on the setlist.

If the crowds of people not following guidelines to protect themselves and each other from COVID-19 doesn’t get to you, then perhaps the decision to play Wallen’s song despite his recent racist outburst will. It seems like his decision to play Wallen’s music is a purposeful one, you can check it out in the clip above. Guess this is par for the course when it comes to the DJ/producer’s lockdown behavior.

We’ve already heard how wild the last few weeks of Trump’s presidency actually were, but now someone on the inside is talking and they’re painting an even more disturbing picture of how Trump’s inner circle operates.

Patrick Byrne, the CEO of Overstock — who also fancies himself a journalist as evidence by his “investigative blog” — was one of the handful of disruptors mentioned in an Axios article that chronicled a meeting between former Trump legal aide Sidney Powell, Michael Flynn, the president, and Trump henchman Rudy Giuliani. The meeting took place shortly after the election, as Powell tried to convince the president to give her special clearance — and the armed support of the National Guard — to investigate her theory that agents working on behalf of the Venezuelan government and the late Hugo Chavez had tampered with Dominion voting machines. Byrne, of course, was part of Powell’s team, someone who also believed the president had ground to invoke his executive powers to overturn the election. Now, Byrne is cashing in on his 15 minutes, re-telling the build-up to and aftermath of that meeting on his blog and boy is he spilling some tea … or, in Giuliani’s case, an exorbitant amount of whiskey. Byrne relayed the events of that confrontation in the Oval while making some bold claims about Trump’s inner circle. Byrne wrote, via The Daily Beast:

“Over the next month and a half, a number of my colleagues interacted with Rudy from time to time, afternoons and evenings, and weekends. Nearly all mentioned two things: the inordinate amount of attention he was paying to his daily podcast, and his drinking. Something was clear to all who were around him: almost every evening, and many early afternoons, Rudy was shit-faced. That, and his podcasts, were the only guarantees in Rudy’s life.”

He also manages to confirm how easily swayed Trump was by members of his inner circle even while sympathizing with the former businessman’s plight, writing how he believed multiple times they were on the brink of proving their foreign tampering theory before a White House staffer would call and tell them Trump had been persuaded not to pursue Powell’s theory of voter fraud. The whole thing is worth a read, if only to understand how chaotic and dangerously unorganized the former administration was — at one point Byrne, Powell, and Flynn literally bluff their way into the White House — but, as with every story coming out now that Trump’s gone, take it with a grain of salt. If you had once advocated to literally sabotage our democratic system, you’d want to make everyone else look bad too.

(Via The Daily Beast)

Talking with some directors, they seem practiced and thoroughly confident in all their responses, as if they’ve said the same thing already 20 times before. Mike Cahill is not like that. He stumbles, he doubles back, he elaborates, and when he’s done he seems to evaluate your reactions to him to determine if he’s gotten through. This, in a way, makes me trust him, like a reverse Dunning-Kruger effect. Anyone who seems to say exactly what they want to must be full of shit.

For me, the best kind of director is the kind who lets their ideas drive them a little mad, whose movies feel more like an attempt to answer a question rather than a point they wish to get across. Which may be why I interpret Cahill’s lack of certainty as a positive quality. His movies — Another Earth, I Origins, and this week’s Bliss, for Amazon — are tricky, sci-fi in a way the doesn’t immediately read sci-fi.

Basically, the entire tension of Bliss, in fact, which stars Owen Wilson and Salma Hayek as dimension-crossed lovers, is based on whether what we’re watching is a sci-fi movie set in the future or… not. The film, which seems to riff on every Elon Musk-esque idea about the nature of reality and the possibility of the future, is brilliant at messing with your sense of reality while blurring its own. In the end, its truth may be simpler than we thought. Or… not. Cahill seems to defy the simple read.

I spoke to him this week about just what he was on about, and about what he saw in the odd combination of Owen Wilson and Salma Hayek that made him want to stick them together.

—

When did you wrap shooting for this, and how much did COVID affect it?

We wrapped before the pandemic happened. We shot it in the summer of 2019, so basically a year and a half ago. And then we were working through post-production, and post-production halted because of COVID, and then we went remote and finished it that way.

Was the timeline longer for this than your other projects, or is that pretty standard?

I’ll tell you, it was crazy. I’m so fortunate. It depends on whether one likes the movie or not, but I appreciate where we’ve landed in the edit. Where I started, it wasn’t working for me. COVID gave us a hiatus basically in post-production, and I didn’t watch the movie for two months. It was this weird blessing in disguise because when I came back to it, I realized there was all this intentionality that I wanted to infuse in each scene that I was falling short of. Self-critically I thought, “This could be better.” That time away gave me the space to see that, and then we changed a lot of the edit remotely and wrapped it up that way.

There’s that old adage that you write something and it’s brilliant, and then you stick it in your desk drawer, and then by the next morning it turns into dog shit. Was having time away—

By the way, I should say, I love your work. I love your writing and everything. I think you have a great sense of humor.

Thank you. [For any of you conspiracy-minded readers, I assure you I wrote my review before the director complimented my work.]

No, but my stuff turns into dog shit all the time. I’m trying to love dog shit. That’s my problem now.

I just mean, did having that distance from it allow you to sort of find your angle that you wanted all along?

Yeah, it did. I was able to see what was essential and what was inessential. There were certain scenes that I’d cut out, but I put back in. The whole purpose is so that final moment of the film resonates when [SPOILER REDACTED AND PLACED AT THE END OF THE ARTICLE] The dominoes had to fall to make that land emotionally for me. It wasn’t until after that two-month break. I wish I could make that part of the schedule moving forward on every project. You have to sit on your hands for two months and not look at it before everyone else watches it.

The parallel universe aspect in Bliss, it feels like it draws on a lot of ideas about life in the future that come out of Silicon Valley. Did you have a specific set of things that you were playing with there?

I should say this. All that stuff fascinates me on an intellectual level, but the origin of the idea really came from an emotional place. For me, I wanted to tell a story that looked at the fragility of the human mind with empathy. Our brains are fragile, and there may be people in your life that you love deeply, but you see the world completely different from them. It can be for any number of reasons. It could be political, it could be that their brain is deteriorating, it could be addiction. Just whatever it may be, perhaps there’s something not right with their mind, but they see the world so vastly different than you that there’s almost no common ground. Reaching out and connecting with them is hard to do. In that context, I thought, “Well, I really want to tell a story about someone.” In this case, it’s Emily, the daughter who despite the fact that it’s very hard and she doesn’t see the world that he sees, that rich detailed, strange landscape that’s all infused with his emotions, even though she doesn’t see it, she doesn’t give up on him and it makes a difference. That’s a story that you could tell with none of the Silicon Valley simulation theory stuff. It would be like an indie drama story that might be a little bit sad and heavy, but I thought, well, that’s the core idea. If I can do it through science fiction, but where I can turn two different viewpoints into two literal worlds. Science fiction turns metaphors into literal places or things.

So to answer your short question in a long way, yes. I’ve always been interested in simulation theory, that 2003 Nick Bostrom paper, Are We Living in a Simulation, an awesome read because you get to the end of it and you’re like, “Okay. We are.” Someone made a pretty reasoned logical argument for it. I also love where science and spirituality meet. Simulation theory is a way for nerds to talk about theology, basically. For me, those feel like two different worlds that there’s a tiny microscopic overlap, and that’s what I wanted to explore.

Right. You mentioned addiction. Were you attempting to delve into that experience at all?

How do I answer this? I wanted to create a framework. If you as the audience arrive in a movie and addiction is something relevant to your personal life, obviously you’re going to project that upon the movie. If the issue is a political thing, the climate change deniers or whatever it may be, or if it’s mental health, Alzheimer’s, it’s whatever that thing that separates you from someone else’s worldview. The movie creates a framework to allow you to understand those emotions without all the contextual clues. Yes, we have Safe Harbor in the movie and it’s a rehab place. Yes, we have these crystals, those methods, those are the things that are less important than the emotions behind it, I guess. That’s a long-winded way to say, “kind of.”

The metaphor is more important than the thing it’s a metaphor for. Would that be fair to say?

Yeah. Metaphors don’t exist without the human. If I said, “Hey, man, in my backyard I got this old tree next to my swimming pool, and old tree’s roots are busting into my swimming pool.” You’re going to say, “Wow. That’s a metaphor for X.” I don’t know what’s a metaphor. It’s a three-way process. It just creates a framework to understand a bridge between two different worlds. That’s the idea.

Right. In the movie, Owen Wilson’s coworkers at the technical difficulties, which I loved, they seem kind of mean and a little predatory. Was that a conscious thing that you were going for there?

I love how you say, “Right.” I feel like I talk too long, and then you just answer with, “…Right.”

Hey, there’s only so much follow-up you can do in 15 minutes.

No. It’s totally fair, it just makes me feel embarrassed for my answers. What was the question?

His coworkers. They’re a little bit predatory.

Before I write a script, I write a long outline. For me, first-person emotional narrative is key. I want to understand what the main dude is feeling all the way through. I’ll write basically what doesn’t look like a script. It’s just like a scrawl of, “I feel the noise at the office. I feel the tension. I feel like everybody’s looking at me in this weird way.” I’ll walk through the emotionality of what the story is first so that I can feel him. Then when you write the script, you utilize all the things that can help convey that emotion that the first-person protagonist is feeling. It’s hard to do and I might’ve failed miserably, but it heightens the tone in a strange way. …If you say, “Right,” man, I swear.

Right is just my filler word, where I try to buy time to think of something smart to say. No, but I get it. I feel like the tension in your work, in this one and some of the other ones, is us trying to figure out whether it’s sci-fi or not as we’re watching it. Other filmmakers, they set you in it and you’re like, “Okay. We’re in the future now,” but you seem that you’re deliberately blurring that line.

Yeah. I don’t want to trick you into saying, “Is this sci-fi? It’s not sci-fi. It is a little bit.” I just like one variable change from our reality. Another Earth: there’s another earth literally in the sky. It’s a duplicate earth, and we use that as a way to look at forgiveness. That’s the whole point of the movie is one change. In I Origins, I make the eyes the fingerprint to the soul so that reincarnation is true. I use that one change in reality to say don’t be so afraid of death, and grief doesn’t have to be so massive. There’s an emotional catharsis there.

Here, I use simulation theory, one change, although there’s a lot more ramifications. That is one way to say, “Here are two different worlds. Can you reach across those two different worlds and connect to a loved one who you lose?” That’s my jam. Some people dig it, some people don’t, but I realized even in my new script I’m doing the same thing again. I like that. For me, that feels like a rich territory where you don’t lose the relatability factor.

I liked it a lot. So what did you see in your two leads? What made you want them to be the ones to be in the story?

It’s going to sound a little esoteric, but fuck it. First of all, they’re among the finest actors that we have, but that’s obvious. The qualities that they have though are very specific in addition to this range and ability. The esoteric part is there’s an art form or an art movement, this word called “the sublime.” It’s from English painting in the 19th century. The idea is it’d be a man standing on a mountain against the Alps and the dauntingness of the Alps, against this backdrop, or a small boat in a storm that’s huge. Something about that life raft in that crazy storm creates the sublime because you put yourself in the point of view of the boat. There’s something powerful about that. It’s like when you witness the universe for the first time or you conceive of how big it is. It produces fear and beauty simultaneously.

In a weird way, I felt like Salma was the storm. She had that power and that raw, that energy of the storm, and Owen to me felt like the boat, the life raft that we could hold on to. Our vocabulary is deficient to be able to even talk about acting very well, but that quality that he has, it gives me the feeling of the sublime. When you put those two together, they’ve never been together in a film, and it felt like that combustion would be spectacular. I adore their performances.
‘Bliss’ is currently streaming via Amazon Prime. Vince Mancini is on Twitter. You can access his archive of reviews here.

[THE SPOILER — read at your own risk]

…where you feel like it’s a choice to be here when he says, “This woman says she’s my daughter, and I believe her.” He’s not saying, “This world is real.” He’s saying, “I’m choosing to be here,” and then he says, “Sorry, I’m late,” and she says, “You’re not late. You’re here.” For that to land, there are things that had to be in place.