Month: April 2021

Whoever said summer was blockbuster season clearly never lived through a pandemic because the spring movie line-up is here, and whether you’re streaming these films from your couch or braving a trip to the theater — as long as it’s safe to do so — it doesn’t really matter. That’s because the movie gods have taken pity on us mere mortals and decided to unleash a heavy-hitting roster of dramas and monster flicks and Disney-fied villain origin stories to keep up entertained.

Here’s what’s worth watching, and where you can catch it. (Err bad choice of words there but you get our drift.)

Godzilla vs. Kong (streaming on HBO Max March 31st)

Do you like Godzilla? Do you like King Kong? Well, they are both in this movie and they fight. And they fight quite a few times, with the first fight happening around the 45-minute mark. I’m not sure what else you need to know honestly. If you want to see Godzilla and Kong fight, you will get your money’s worth (or your HBO Max subscription’s worth). If you wish these two titans would settle their differences peacefully, or if you’re looking for a character drama that really explores how humans would realistically react to such events, you will most likely be disappointed. — Mike Ryan

Concrete Cowboy (streaming on Netflix April 2nd)

Based in part on the book Ghetto Cowboy by Greg Neri, Cole (Caleb Washington) is headed down a bleak path after one too many run-ins with trouble and the police. His mother, at her wits’ end, decides Cole should spend the summer in Philadelphia with his father, Harp (Idris Elba). Harp is part of a local group, the Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club, which owns and tends horses in Philadelphia. Director Rusty Staub uses actual members of the Fletcher Street Riding Club in the film, and the film also serves as a pretty good history lesson explaining why there are Black cowboys on horses in the middle of large cities. — Mike Ryan

Thunder Force (streaming on Netflix April 9th)

Don’t expect this movie to win any awards because that’s not the point. Instead, prepare for the silliest of moments from Melissa McCarthy and Octavia Spencer as two inept superheroes who fight crime, long after their childhood best-friend days, and together, they learn what it’s like when two ordinary people are suddenly tasked with stopping supervillains. In other words, sit back and embrace the chaos because there’s plenty of it coming your way. The supporting cast includes Bobby Cannavale, Pom Klementieff, and Melissa Leo. Plus, Jason Bateman is onboard, which instantly makes any movie or TV show better. — Kimberly Ricci

Mortal Kombat (streaming on HBO Max April 23rd)

I’ll be up front here, the main reason I’m itching to stream this movie from the comfort of my own couch (thank you HBO Max) is because its first official trailer baited me with a perfectly-timed “Finish Him!” call-back to its video game predecessor. Dammit, 90s nostalgia! You’ve won again. Aside from the cheesy, over-the-top fight commentary, the film also promises a ton of action, following a group of skilled warriors who enter a tournament in the hopes of saving Earth. I could care less who wins. I’m just here for the sound effects. — Jessica Toomer

Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse (streaming on Amazon Prime Video April 30th)

Tom Clancy is a name you’d probably find on your grandpa’s bookshelf but you gotta respect Michael B. Jordan for taking a property as old and tired as this series — it’s literally the Boomer of spy novels — and giving it a modern makeover. The plot is mostly what you’d expect. Elite soldier’s wife is killed so he goes on a killing spree to find the men responsible and ends up uncovering a bigger conspiracy. But Jordan’s watchable in pretty much anything and the action looks top-notch. — Jessica Toomer

Things Heard And Seen (streaming on Netflix April 30th)

I don’t know if Amanda Seyfried will win an Oscar for acting in a movie that asked the audience to believe she was the same age as Gary Oldman, but if she doesn’t, the next best thing is having another hit on a streaming platform. This horror adaptation sees her playing a wife who moves to a house in upstate New York and quickly discovers its dilapidated, haunting interior is as rotted as her own marriage. Not in the mood for horror, you say? Well too bad. Amanda needs this. — Jessica Toomer

Stowaway (streaming on Netflix May 6th)

For All Mankind arguably sets the bar too high for every other space travel-focused streaming offering out there, but listen up because the cast is the real treat. Anna Kendrick, Daniel Dae Kim, Shamier Anderson, and Toni Collette are a dream-team when it comes to delivering the drama. As you may have guessed from the title, there’s an (inadvertent) stowaway aboard a three-person mission to Mars, and that’s going to affect the oxygen supply in a crucial way. It’s not the most original space crisis you’ll ever see, but with a cast like this, the freak-out performances (and the solving of the dilemma within mere hours) are guaranteed to be worth the click. — Kimberly Ricci

Wrath of Man (premiering in theaters May 7th)

While it was Guy Ritchie who made Jason Statham indie famous in Snatch and Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, he didn’t become the Jason Statham we all know and love until The Transporter established him as the Cockney Clint Eastwood. Now Jason Statham is back with Guy Ritchie for a proper Statham vehicle in Wrath Of Man. Which is actually a remake of an even-better-named French film called “Cash Truck.” The Stath plays an armored truck driver with a particular set of skills in a film that promises to give us all the fit birds, flash sazz wagons, and proper thrashins we expect from a Jason Statham movie, plus all the sassy Chav dialogue we expect from a Guy Ritchie movie, now don’t we, Tommy? Hits theaters May 7th. — Vince Mancini

The Woman in the Window (streaming on Netflix May 14th)

This Joe Wright-directed thriller was originally scheduled to hit theaters in October of 2019 but by some divine hand of providence, it’s dropping now. Perhaps the streaming gods knew that watching Amy Adams play an agoraphobic woman who struggles to do the right thing — i.e. leave her apartment and get help — when a neighbor goes missing would just hit different after a year spent on lockdown. The pandemic has changed us all enough that Adams might just come out the hero of this whole thing instead of a weirdo who sits inside all day in her pajamas and avoid human contact at all costs. We can totally relate. — Jessica Toomer

Spiral: From the Book of Saw (premiering in theaters May 14th)

When Saw came out in 2004, Chris Rock had just starred in the presidential comedy Head of State and Samuel L. Jackson’s Mace Windu was a year away from getting Force lightning’d to death in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. Seventeen years later, Rock and Jackson are in the ninth Saw movie, the wonderfully-titled Spiral: From the Book of Saw, as a detective and his retired cop father who are searching for the elusive Jigsaw Killer. I hope he’s not found until Saw 18, coming out in 2038. Jackson, at 99 years old, will somehow still have more energy than his much-younger co-stars. — Josh Kurp

Those Who Wish Me Dead (streaming on HBO Max May 14th)

Taylor Sheridan has a gift for crafting edge-of-your-seat Westerns for these modern times — we’re thinking of Hell or High Water specifically — so it’s pretty much a given this adaptation about a teenager trying to escape a pair of twin assassins in the middle of a Montana forest fire was always going to be good. But then you add names like Angelina Jolie and Jon Bernthal and Nicholas Hoult and … well, do we need to do any more convincing? — Jessica Toomer

Army of the Dead (streaming on Netflix May 21st)

Sure, I love a good zombie flick (and Zack Snyder’s previously delivered with his Dawn of the Dead remake), and only a monster would turn away from a heist story, but a lot of the appeal here also has to do with runtime. That is to say, Snyder has never been known for brevity, and with this zombie heist story, he’s giving us a 90-minute movie. After his far-too-long Justice League cut, I welcome the literal change in pace. Not only that, but the story’s zombie plague migrated from Area 51 to Las Vegas, which is where a group of mercenaries are attempting to heist, which is all deliciously bonkers. Dave Bautista stars, and the disgraced Chris D’Elia got the boot in favor of Tig Notaro, so it’s damn near impossible to pass on this film, especially with a franchise in the works. — Kimberly Ricci

A Quiet Place Part II (premiering in theaters May 28th)

It’s pretty remarkable that A Quiet Place did what it did. Here’s a movie about aliens who can only hunt by detecting sound, a movie that has very little dialogue, that cost next to nothing (as far as studio movies cost anyway), and grossed $340 million worldwide. It’s the kind of thing that just rarely happens anymore for movies not part of some sort of pre-existing franchise. On one hand it’s still surprising that there’s another one now, because the first one felt like such a complete story. Yet this sequel delivers without betraying what made the first movie so special. And, yes, I saw this movie over a year ago – literally the last film I saw in a theater – and it is still sticking with me. Though, it does make sense why watching a movie in March of 2020 about impending doom would stick with a person. — Mike Ryan

Cruella (streaming on Disney+ May 28th)

I have no idea if Cruella will be “good,” but I can’t wait to find out. The usual origin story template is to give a villain a tragic backstory, allowing viewers to sympathize with them. But I’m not sure that’s possible with Cruella de Vil, an animal-killing, chain-smoking monster in 101 Dalmations. You can’t “misunderstood anti-hero” your way out of murdering puppies. It’s an unusually risky bet for Disney, but one that could pay off if Cruella lets Cruella just be, well, evil. Either way, at least Emma Stone looks like she’s having fun. — Josh Kurp

In the Heights (streaming on HBO Max June 17th)

Hamilton was the biggest musical of the 2010s, a Pulitzer Prize-winning sensation that turned Lin-Manuel Miranda into a household name. He also got to play a Resistance trooper in Star Wars, the greatest honor of all. But it was not his first Broadway sensation — or even his first Best Musical winner at the Tonys. Miranda wrote the music and lyrics for In the Heights, a steamy musical set in New York City’s Washington Heights that has been adapted into a movie by Crazy Rich Asians director Jon M. Chu. The tagline in the trailer reads, “This summer, we’ll be back to dancing in the street together.” After a year spent indoors, we deserve this. — Josh Kurp

Earlier this week, hit TV series The Voice surprised fans by announcing that a big-name star would be joining their roster. Ariana Grande is officially replacing Nick Jonas as a judge for the series’ 21st season this fall. But that’s not the only celebrity they’ve recruited. The Voice announced that Snoop Dogg will also be joining their team to coach contestants and share his advice on how to make it in the music industry.

The rapper broke the news about his new guest role Thursday. He’ll be joining Blake Shelton, John Legend, Kelly Clarkson, and Nick Jonas as a “Mega Mentor,” or someone who offers contestants advice ahead of the Battle Rounds, the segment where two contestants go head-to-head to deliver a rendition of the same song.

In a statement, The Voice shared their excitement about Snoop joining the show, saying: “Drawing from his unique experience in navigating the music and entertainment industry as a renowned rapper, producer, and performer, Snoop Dogg will impart a new and fresh perspective to help the artists craft their performances. Coaches alone choose the winner to advance from their team. Each coach has one steal in the Knockouts.”

Snoop’s official The Voice appearance will take place on 4/19 and airs at 8 p.m. EST. Tune in here.

The Milwaukee Bucks cruised to a 112-97 win over the Lakers on Wednesday night in L.A., as they simply had too much firepower for the shorthanded Lakers — who saw their new starting center, Andre Drummond, leave after his toenail got ripped off. The Lakers hung around but the game never felt much in doubt, and down the stretch it became more a family reunion than anything, as the three Antetokounmpo brothers all shared the court for the first time in their careers, with Kostas getting some run for the Lakers and Thanasis and Giannis playing for the Bucks.

It was just the second time in NBA history three brothers have shared the court in the same game, as Giannis now shares that honor with teammate Jrue Holiday and his brothers Justin and Aaron. After the game, Giannis was asked about that and seeing Thanasis splash a stepback three in Kostas’ face, joking that it was “ruthless” of Thanasis to do that to his little brother, but reflected on an “amazing” night and the journey the family has taken to get there.

Giannis seems most proud of how he and his brothers represent the family with a smile and carry on their father’s legacy as best they can. Seeing how happy he was with getting to share the court with his two brothers was very cool, and the trio shared an embrace and a moment on the floor after the game, with Giannis seemingly imparting a little brotherly wisdom as they got to do something extremely rare for an NBA family.

Kudos to Ryan Reynolds for both being a master of promoting his various ventures on social media and resisting doing so while pointing toward the bigger picture. That would be the outpouring of hope that the United States is daring to feel while the masses get vaccinated against COVID-19. Los Angeles County is going into overdrive with many thousands of vaccinations daily (in a quest to reach herd immunity by summer), and Reynolds joined in the good times this week. Naturally, the Deadpool and Free Guy star captured the moment for posterity. Alongside a photo that showed him getting the jab, he added this caption: “Finally got 5G.”

Reynolds is, of course, referring to the much-mutated conspiracy theory that aims to convince people that 5G is somehow responsible for the pandemic. The obviously false claims blame 5G for either directly infecting people with the COVID-19 virus or even weakening people’s immunity. Some people even tried to argue that the crisis was manufactured (according to Snopes) “in order to keep people at home while 5G engineers install the technology everywhere.” All of that stuff is wild and right at home with the QAnon crowd, but Reynolds has the 5G, man, and he’s excited about it. Props to him for not promoting his wireless company in the process.

Reynolds’ wife, Blake Lively, got her shot, too. “Find you someone who looks at you like I look at the heroic nurse vaccinating me,” she wrote on Instagram. Yeah, I did that (to a pharmacist), too.

The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.

The right voice can make even the most generic boasts sound not just convincing but compelling. That’s the lasting impression left by Rod Wave’s third studio album SoulFly after a few listens. Content-wise, the project leaves a lot to the imagination; Rod doesn’t reveal much about himself, his circumstances, or his worldview… but he sounds absolutely great singing his ghetto blues.

There’s oddly little biographical information out there about the trapsoul crooner from St. Petersburg, Florida, which would seem to run counter to the intense fervor he apparently inspires in fans. He doesn’t do interviews and he maintains a relatively low-key social media profile, mostly tweeting the sort of one-line platitudes you’d read on an office poster with a photo of a chimp in a suit.

Yet, his last album, Pray 4 Love, debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with relatively little promotion from either Rod or his label. SoulFly is reportedly on track to exceed that accomplishment, even though the rollout started with Rod goading his label, threatening to withhold the project unless some kind of dispute involving his pay was sorted out. It apparently was; the rest of the rollout proceeded without a hitch, with Rod dropping two singles, “Street Runner” and “Tombstone,” before dropping the album itself.

Even the music is atypical of most chart-toppers today; aside from one feature from Polo G on the new album, Rod seemingly avoids collaborating with bigger names to expand his fanbase. To date, his highest-profile collaborators appear to be Lil Durk, Lil Baby, and Yo Gotti, the latter duo only being added to the deluxe re-release of Pray 4 Love four months later. He’s an iconoclast in a music landscape where iconoclasts — especially commercially successful ones — are quickly becoming an endangered species.

So what gives? How does a rapper who barely promotes his work, who doesn’t work with other artists, and who doesn’t dazzle with pyrotechnic displays of lyrical wizardry end up fronting the XXL Freshman cover and topping the Billboard charts? After playing back SoulFly multiple times and wrenching my critical brain for something that explains it, there’s only one possibility: That damn voice.

It’s the sort of voice honed in a Baptist pulpit, mellowed by handles of whiskey, and put through its paces by the demands of turning dry missives like “I play the game that was taught to me / I fry the beef that was brought to me” into soulful, blues-inspired croons. It’s a warm, inviting tenor, shot through with just enough vibrato to suggest emotional turmoil, along with a sprinkling of grit, like a pinch of pepper flakes in a salt shaker.

It allows him to convincingly sell hustler narratives and their resulting trauma without getting into the authentic details that you usually need to make them work. To his credit, there are enough true-life tales that undergird the framework of those narratives to hold them up, even when you scratch the surface. On “Pillz And Billz,” he details watching “my cousin smoke crack his whole fuckin’ life,” lamenting, “Fentanyl hit the street and he OD’d the same night.” There are enough truthful moments underlying the boasts that the boasts feel earned.

If these attributes don’t necessarily make Rod Wave a singular artist — his sole guest on SoulFly, Polo G, convincingly uses similar methods in his own work — Rod has the fortuitous timing to exist at a time when he can just be the artist he is, without bothering with courting the algorithms or resorting to attention-grabbing social media shenanigans.

It’s impressive that there are still artists who can do it with just a voice. While there’s not a tremendous amount of true introspection or innovation on SoulFly, there is, however, a supreme level of self-assurance and technical craftsmanship. What Rod lacks in wit he makes up in emotion, and where his stories lack detail, he imbues them with a powerful sincerity that makes them read just as truthfully, resonating as deeply as an impressionist portrait. Maybe at a time when cryptocurrency is the future and math runs just about every aspect of our day-to-day lives, what people really want — really need — is music with some soul

SoulFly is out now on Alamo Records. Get it here.

Over the past year, we’ve seen a surplus of prominent figures — across a wide swath of industries — advocating for racial, social, and gender justice and equality. Between all the viral hashtags and company statements, it seems as though the call for diversity and inclusion has become all the rage. Which is, generally speaking, a good thing.

But behind the scenes, many industries still haven’t made the internal structural changes that could result in a real and equitable impact. Especially in the U.S. wine industry — where Bloomberg estimates that just 1% of brand owners and winemakers are black.

Now here’s the good news. There are people finding innovative new ways to diversify the vino game. Like the ladies of LiftCollective, a non-profit organization founded by Rania Zayyat, a sommelier and Wine Director at Austin restaurant Bufalina — who has used her experiences coming up in the male-dominated wine industry to educate and advocate for gender equality and greater transparency.

So what’s the juice on LiftCollective?

The organization is at the epicenter of the march for change within the wine world. Through scholarship programs and mentorships, they’re quite literally giving the keys to aspiring wine professionals (and those who are already working the vines) from all backgrounds and identities, providing them with resources to successfully immerse themselves in the industry and giving folks a safe space to openly discuss ways to combat problems of inequality, discrimination and harassment faced by women, BIPOC and LGBTQI+ people.

To mark Women’s History Month, the group hosted their second Virtual Conference — partnering with experts and thought leaders throughout the wine and spirits industries for a two-day event of discussions emphasizing entrepreneurship, health and wellness, equity, and inclusion. In April, LiftCollective will collaborate with Be the Change Initiative to host a job fair specifically aimed at helping people from marginalized communities secure job opportunities across wine, beer, and spirits.

To mark these initiatives, I chatted with both Zayyat and LiftCollective’s Board Vice President and advanced sommelier, Cara Bertone. Our discussion touched on the work they do with the organization and how they’re making a long-lasting impact. Check our conversation below.

Was it fate for you ladies to work together on LiftCollective?

Rania Zayyat: It was like two years ago. Cara started Roots Up, bringing some of the leading women in wine in Austin together. That was shortly after I started Wonder Women of Wine, and Cara talked about wanting to do more work regarding diversity and inclusion. From there I was just like “Yeah, Cara should definitely be on the board of directors.”

So, I think it was fate.

Cara Bertone: Our meeting was definitely fate, and as for working together, it’s just what happened. Your passions come out at some point, and if your passions align you’re lucky. I feel really fortunate that the women I work with within the industry are all aligned, value-wise.

How did you end working in the wine industry?

CB: Working in the wine industry was secondary for me. I loved Red Bull and vodka, and I would have done anything to keep that preference in college because it was a great motivator to stay awake and hang out with friends. I ended up working at a restaurant in Dallas, Texas, and that was the start of my love for wine. The wine list had like 2,000 labels on it, and it was a sushi, Vietnamese restaurant. I had a glass of Harlan [Estate] ‘94, and that was all she wrote.

It’s a much longer story… I drooled the wine all over myself… but it was one of those ah-ha moments. I often tell people that most of us don’t go out searching to be in the wine industry—something happens. You’re having a great time with friends and the wine hits you in a way that all of a sudden you taste the subtle nuances and you feel like you’re a part of the vineyard.

Once I had that one wine, my head was stuck in a book for the next 15 years—never really came out of the book, to be honest. I went to school for finance, so I had a boring life ahead of me until wine hit me.

RZ: I started working in restaurants 17 years ago. I took my first hosting job when I was 17, and I always thought that I would work in restaurants as a temporary means to make money while I was in college. I switched my major halfway through from journalism, and then really started getting excited about cultural anthropology. I always had an interest in archeology and culture when I was young, and I knew that I wanted to travel for work. I was on a seven-year college program — because I was going half-time and working to support myself — and about four years in, I started working at a steakhouse in Houston that had a really robust wine program.

I was finishing up my last few years of school and I was thinking about wine and how I had kind of fallen in love with it at that point. Serving it for so many years, wine was something that I just chose to study because I felt like as a server, you pride yourself on product knowledge. It was really important to me to be comfortable talking about wine tableside. Working at that steakhouse was the first time I worked with a team of sommeliers, and there was baller wine going out every single night to the richest people in Houston, big oil money — very flashy spending. But it was a really cool place to study wine. It really opened my eyes up to the possibility of making this a career, and I realized I could travel for work and talk about culture through wine. That’s really when I decided to become a sommelier and start taking wine more seriously and studying more.

From there I got offered trips, took exams, and just moved my way around different wine programs.

How did the idea for LiftCollective come about?

RZ: LiftCollective is actually a rebrand of an organization called Wonder Women of Wine. We started Wonder Women of Wine in late 2018 as we were planning for our very first annual conference here in Austin, Texas. We did a lot of great work with Wonder Women of Wine and, in a way, I definitely feel like it’s the still same organization. But we’ve really broadened our mission to be more inclusive of all marginalized identities in the wine industry. We still do an annual conference. We do weekly interviews on Instagram that were formerly called Femme Friday where we’d feature different women in wine every week. Now it’s opened up to just inspiring people with inspiring stories in the industry. But our focus really with the rebrand, which took place in January of this year, was just to make sure that everyone feels like they have a seat at this table, and we’re really using our platform to advocate for change for everyone who’s ever felt marginalized in some way.

I think that represents a lot of us—not just women. It’s the intersectionality of so many different identities.

Why was it important for you to use your voice and platform to advocate for more inclusivity and diversity in the wine industry?

RZ: Looking back on when I was working at that steakhouse when I was younger and deciding I wanted to do this and pronouncing it to my co-workers and the wine team at that restaurant—what I went through to get to where I am today, to be able to be a wine director and educate people, it was definitely an uphill battle. I always felt like I wasn’t taken seriously. I was busting my ass to work wine shifts, to learn, to study. And I was passed over three times while I was doing that hard work for some white male to come in and take the job that I was going after. There were never any clear guidelines, like, “Well you need to achieve this to get this position.” But whenever they’d hire other people, they’d be like, “Oh, well these people have an advanced pin. And that’s important to us.” And it was like, okay, that was never communicated to me, and I’ve been putting in all this time and work. A lot of my experiences were shaped by being in this cult that was the Master Court of Sommeliers and feeling like women were looked at like a piece of ass to all these older men that we’re supposed to get in good with so that we can move up. I could have really used some strong women to lean on at that time. I really could have used some people who looked like me or didn’t look like white men to help guide me and make me feel welcomed. I wanted to start an organization that really did that for other people getting started but also create a space where we could talk about these things safely, and celebrate each other successes because we’ve all been through so much.

CB: A lot of what Rania said holds true no matter what marginalized community you are a part of. I have this weird dynamic with men specifically in the industry. You drink wine and you get into these boozy situations. I’m lesbian. I’m married to a woman, and so as soon as men find this out, all they’d do is talk about women and they’d treat me as if I was one of the guys. Hearing these men talk [about women] like pieces of meat? Absolutely. That’s all they would speak about. But what irks me and really digs at the core of me is the simple fact that no matter what, if you’re not in the group or at the table, your voice is never heard. Period. It doesn’t matter how much experience you have. It doesn’t matter how many relationships you have within the industry. If you are seen as someone who doesn’t hold power because you don’t have an executive role, you don’t have a voice. And we can’t be better as an industry if we don’t elevate all voices. It’s not just our industry, it’s multiple industries. I don’t know what industry wouldn’t benefit from being more inclusive. I am a little atypical because I will go out and ask for a lot and push my way into bigger and better roles, but I’ve never been seen as an equal to my peers.

I’ve been in the industry for almost 25 years, but if I compare myself to a white man that’s been in the industry for as long as I have, I guarantee he will have a CEO position within the industry. And that, to me, is infuriating. I’m not saying I’m smarter than them. All I’m saying is that I should have had just as much opportunity at that table as they do, and I’m clearly quite a few years behind being able to get that seat. Think about all marginalized people. I’m loud, but there are a lot of people who aren’t loud like me. I want to advocate for them. We should be lifting everybody up because just me rising up is not enough. It’s not that it doesn’t mean anything—it’s great—but if I can use my voice to help bring other people up — hell yeah.

It’s just sort of a no-brainer for me.

Do you feel like there has been more of an increase in visibility for women in wine?

CB: I do believe that we’re seeing more women come into the industry, but what I want to be more specific about is that there is more coverage of women in the wine industry now than five years ago. Even as of 12 months ago, I would often take pictures of the front cover of Wine Enthusiast, Wine Spectator, Tasting Panel — any of the industry mags — and I would shoot it over to groups of people and just be like, “Why can’t they get their heads out of their asses?” I would actually count the articles [written] within those publications, males versus females, something that simple. Women mentions? Less than 10 percent. Women pictures? Less than 10 percent. And if it was a woman pictured, it was a pretty girl, arm candy with the cocktail off to the side with the bro dude holding a bottle. And I’d just be sitting there going, “You’ve got to be kidding me. This is how they see us.”

So I don’t want to take away from the fact that I do think women are coming into the industry a bit more, but I do believe that we’re getting people to listen.

RZ: I’ve seen a lot more journalism by women. We’re the ones who are actually telling the stories now. So we get to decide who we’re going to include. So many of these people have always been here. But as our network grows, as we get to celebrate each other more publicly in articles, in the news. The exposure has really been key, and I think it’s made a big difference, especially financially, for so many people. Just being able to have these platforms and be visible, women have gotten so many job opportunities. We’re being elevated by being able to make more money too, and that’s such an empowering thing.

What is the goal of LiftCollective’s 2021 Virtual Conference?

RZ: The overall goal is to have actionable and solution-oriented conversations where we can provide everyone that’s attending some sort of actionable items or resources to spark change—so they feel like when they walk away from our event, there is something they can do to start creating more change. That goes not only for professionals but also for consumers. We’re educating consumers on how they can spend their money differently, what types of questions they should be asking when they’re shopping for wine so they can support more diverse winemakers.

It’s really just about preparing people for what happens after this event, what are the next steps, and building upon that.

What specific changes for women and marginalized groups are you working on right now that will have an impact in the next year or so?

CB: Be the Change job fair. That’s something that we are also a part of, and we are bringing in a huge pool of candidates. We do not discriminate against the candidates, but we have a huge outreach for marginalized communities. We just teamed up with Thurgood Marshall College Fund to work with their campus coordinators to bring their December and June graduates on board and get them into the industry. We’re working in tandem with distributors and suppliers for spirits, wine, and beer to work directly with companies who value diversity, equality, and inclusion. We’re working to try to find people jobs.

The idea is the more people of marginalized communities we can bring into the space, the more they can grow together, the more they can make change. That’s the hope.

What’s your quick, water-cooler-pitch advice for people of all communities and backgrounds that are considering breaking into the wine industry?

RZ: If certifications and testing are important to you, I encourage people to consider the reasons for going down that path and making sure you’re doing it because that’s something you want to do for yourself as a measure of success. Make sure you’re not doing it to conform to someone else’s expectations of you as a winemaker. That’s something I really wish I would have thought about before I got started. Also, adhere to your values. Try to find people you can work with and for that want to lift you up and see you grow.

There are times when people mask animosity towards others by saying they’re just being tough on them. I think it’s so important to work for people who are nurturing and really invested in your growth in a caring way rather than a negatively challenging way. I’ve worked for some toxic people and in those times I was like, “Oh this is good for me, I’m learning. This is just how it goes. You have to put in your time.” But looking back, those were really toxic and harmful relationships. I just wish I would have known that I didn’t have to go through that to become a better professional. So surround yourself with people who really care about you and your growth and your success.

First of all, yes, Wyatt Russell has seen your memes about him. Well, at least he admits to seeing one meme, the version that compares his version of Captain America to Carl Fredricksen, better known as “the guy from Up.” And Russell thinks the person who made that meme should get some sort of trophy.

Due to secrecy, Russsell had no idea exactly who the character was he was even auditioning for. And when he learned it was Captain America, he literally told Marvel they had the wrong guy and they’d “lose a lot of money.” (This response is hilarious since I have to imagine it’s probably the worst thing you can tell a movie studio after you get a job.)

Ahead, Russell dives into explaining his interpretation of John Walker (he says the story-line of the comics just confuses him) and why he still took the job even though he was convinced Marvel “would lose a lot of money.” But, first, anytime I talk to Russell I have to mention the fake name he gave himself back when he played hockey in Germany to avoid the whole “that’s Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn’s son” thing.

Hey, it’s Namco Steinhoff.

[Laughs] Namco Steinhoff! I was just telling that story the other day.

I went back and read some of that interview, and I think in the intro I said something like, oh yeah, he’s at an interesting part in his career where in three or four years he’s going to be famous. And here you are, you’re Captain America. Anyway, I was right.

Oh, god, look, you knew way better than me. I was sure that wasn’t going to happen.

I have to admit, I never looked at your character Willoughby in Everybody Wants Some!! and thought, you know, someday that’s Captain America.

I feel like, “No way. You’re wrong.”

Though it would be great if, now, you’re just as cocky as your character in interviews.

Oh yeah, all of a sudden I change. Like, “fuck everybody!” That would be a fun way to live your life.

Or people who ask what’s it like replacing Chris Evans as Captain America. And you say, look, Chris? He was great while he was around, but look, I’m here now and we’re going to do it my way.

[Laughs] Yeah, I’m glad you’re hitting the character on the head, because I think that’s what he would say. Or, no, I guess that’s not what he would say. What he would say is he was trying to be respectful of the old Captain America and trying to set the record straight. I think that’s part of what’s fun about playing the character. What I like about him is that he’s one way on the surface, but is he that way, really? You think he would be cocky and you think he’s saying those things, but I think in private, you kind of see, oh, maybe he’s not that guy that he’s presenting to us.

It sounds like it wasn’t that hard to relate with playing this character. In that you have to tell people, “Hey, I’m Captain America now,” and going out there and trying to convince people that this is the case.

Yeah, it’s true. Nothing as it seems in life and I think that’s what I like about this character. That’s kind of one of the things that we’re watching, is that nothing is as it seems and he is a good example of that, hopefully. You find out things about him and things he’s been through that have affected his personality, affected his persona, the way he’s lived in his life. You start to understand more when you peel back the layers of the onion and you start to understand why he is the way he is a little bit more.

Well, were you actually anxious taking this over? Because this sounds like a really fun character to play. It’s not like you’re replacing Chris Evans as Steve Rogers. John Walker seems really fun to play because there’s a lot going on and you can be kind of a jerk, but also a good guy. It’s the best of both worlds.

I think so, and I think that’s why I ended up doing it. When they first were like, all right, you got it! I’m like, okay, well, what is it? They were like, oh, it’s Captain America. I was like, oh god. No, I don’t think I’m your guy. I think you got the wrong person. I think you’re going to lose a lot of money. I’m not the pick you want. Then they were like, “No, no, here’s what we’re thinking.” And I was like, okay, that’s very interesting. They pulled the curtain back for you a little bit, to a degree. And once that happened, I saw the potential.

Look, you’ve been very successful in your career, and maybe it’s not my place to point anything out like this, but when someone offers you a role and you say back, “you’re going to lose a lot of money,” that’s probably the worst thing you can say, right? That’s probably the last thing they want to hear?

[Laughs] Absolutely. Of course, man, at least I wanted to tell them the truth. You’re better off telling the truth than you are faking it, because someone’s eventually going to find you out. Someone’s going to eventually go, wait a second, every movie you’ve been in has not made money, and therefore … but this one did great, so I was wrong.

Did you go back and look at John Walker’s history? Your version of this character seems to have more bona fides. He actually saw action, wherein the comics it was the ’80s and there wasn’t really a war, and so he seemed mad he never got to fight in a war.

Yeah, I tried to Wikipedia John Walker, and it makes you more confused when you start reading stuff. It was like, what the hell? There are nine million storylines. I stopped reading about five minutes into trying to figure out what he was in the comics. So this one was different from certain iterations of it. And I think they always do a good job of finding what I believe is the most interesting through-line for these people. But I didn’t do a lot of reading, because once you start reading, literally, it’ll make you more confused.

Right.

It doesn’t help.

Are you enjoying the memes?

I’ve only seen one meme. And the meme that I saw, whoever, overlord of the internet, should give this person an award for realizing that that picture of me, that screengrab of me in that helmet, looks exactly like the man from Up. It’s like, fucking classic. It’s the best. It’s the best one. It looks so funny. I don’t know, there’s something about that, it cracked me up.

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To put it lightly, it has been quite a year for Olivia Rodrigo so far. She released her single “Drivers License” at the top of the year and the song absolutely took off. It shot up to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, where it remained for an impressive eight-week run. The song is still at No. 4 on the latest chart, but Rodrigo is ready to start her post-“Drivers License” career, and she did so today with a new single, “Deja Vu.”

In a message shared earlier this week with her email newsletter subscribers, Rodrigo said of “Deja Vu,” “I wrote this song with my friend Dan Nigro last fall and I’m so stoked to finally share it with you all. It’s a lot different than ‘drivers license’ lyrically, musically, and melodically, which is super exciting to me.” She toughed on similar points in a recent interview, saying, “I sort of had this single picked out in September [2020]. […] It sort of took the pressure off for me of following up ‘Drivers License’ since we planned this so far in advance. But it’s definitely not like ‘Drivers License’ at all, which I’m really happy about. I didn’t want to pigeonhole myself into this category of ‘sad ballad girl’ thing. It’s definitely a little different and sort of weird. I really hope that people like it, and even if they don’t, that’s cool, too, though, because I loved making it.”

As Rodrigo noted, she co-wrote the song with Nigro, who also produced and co-wrote “Drivers License.” He is the former lead singer and guitarist for As Tall As Lions, and in more recent years, he has also collaborated with artists like Carly Rae Jepsen, Lewis Capaldi, Finneas, Empress Of, and Caroline Polachek.

Watch the “Deja Vu” video above.

The college basketball coaching carousel never fails to produce a few eyebrow-raising moments, and on Thursday morning, one such moment occurred when the University of Texas hired its replacement for Shaka Smart. The Longhorns didn’t just turn to another Big 12 school for its next coach, they stayed within the Lone Star State and convinced Texas Tech’s Chris Beard to pack his bags and head to Austin.

The news was broken by Jeff Goodman of Stadium before getting confirmed by a number of other college hoops insiders.

According to Matt Norlander of CBS Sports, Beard has been the guy that Texas decision-makers have wanted from the beginning.

A longtime assistant under Bobby Knight at Texas Tech, Beard has quickly become one of the most highly-regarded coaches in college basketball. He bounced around the semi-pro and lower-level college ranks before taking over at Little Rock in 2015. Following one year in which he led the Trojans to 30 wins and an NCAA Tournament berth, Beard took over in Lubbock, where he’s turned the Red Raiders into a consistently very good program. The team made the Elite 8 in 2018, and one year later, they were mere moments away from winning a national championship before getting upended in overtime by the Virginia Cavaliers.

Beard has accrued a 208-84 record in his collegiate coaching career. The Texas job opened up last month when Smart left to take over Marquette.

The last time popular investing app Robinhood was in the news, it was because a handful of Reddit users had banned together to successfully driving up the value of GameStop stocks on their platform. Now, Robinhood finds themselves in hot water over a photo they used of Ice Cube.

In a recent newsletter, Robinhood inserted a photo of the rapper along with the caption, “Correct yourself, before you wreck yourself,” an obvious play on words from his “Check Yo Self” track. According to TMZ, Ice Cube sought to sue the company because he claims the photo wasn’t authorized by him or his team.

Furthermore, someone from the rapper’s team claims that Ice Cube would “never endorse Robinhood.” In a statement given to TMZ, Ice Cube’s team made it clear that he doesn’t want anything to do with the app. In fact, Ice Cube thinks Robinhood is “antithesis of everything that [he] stands for” and even named the app “horrible.”

However, Robinhood has responded to news of Ice Cube’s lawsuit, saying that they were completely within their rights to use the photo in question. “No, we didn’t use his image without permission. The image was licensed and used for non-commercial, editorial purposes in connection with a blog article.”

Check out the photo in question above.