Month: April 2021

The Handmaid’s Tale is back for its fourth season and Gilead, along with all of her subjects, is in trouble. That’s mostly thanks to Elisabeth Moss’s scrappy heroine June, who managed to send 84 children and a handful of Marthas across the border to Canada at the end of season three. June’s victory was a major blow to devout Gilead followers, chief among them, Aunt Lydia, the maternally-inclined overseer of the Handmaids, and when the show returns — the first three episodes are already streaming on Hulu — a reckoning amongst those in power will be had.

For Ann Dowd, who’s spent the past few years playing an abusive tyrant, the chance to peel back some of Aunt Lydia’s layers was enough reason to return to Margaret Atwood’s particular dystopia. The author’s latest book, The Testaments, imagines Gilead years into the future as Aunt Lydia, now firmly in opposition to the world she helped build, tries to take down the theocracy from the inside. It’s a major shift for the character, one that made all the clawing and social-climbing she’s forced to do this season to reclaim her status even more interesting for Dowd.

We chatted with her about this season’s cat-and-mouse game between Aunt Lydia and June, future spin-off possibilities, and yes, her thoughts on being compared to character actress Margo Martindale.

Aunt Lydia is in a very bad way when we meet her this season. What’s her mindset?

Well, it’s certainly a humbling position she’s in. I think she is very tough on herself regarding the fact that this happened on her watch, so to speak. She is personally in favor of taking ownership of one’s mistakes so she has a long road there, just to forgive herself, but then on top of that of course, are the commanders. It’s their job to punish her and have her tortured.

They’re putting the blame on her.

That’s enraging to her, I’m sure. She has the good sense to push a little but not too far, to fight for her job and her position. I think it’s a tremendous period of personal adjustment and I would say personal growth in terms of her relationship with Gilead.

There are some heavy scenes this season, especially between you and Elisabeth Moss. Do you have room for downtime? Do you get to have a little laugh in between these torturous scenes?

That’s the built into the day, hun. That has to be present, or madness happens. [laughs] Yeah, we’re very comfortable with one another. There’s a great deal of laughter going on. We know each other well. We trust one another and we take the time we need just before we do our scenes, but other than that it’s a lot of laughter or chatting or just checking in with one another. It’s a terrific environment.

Why is it that Aunt Lydia can’t actually watch June be tortured by Gilead after her capture in episode three?

I would say because it’s unbearable.

She actually cares about her, still?

There’s tremendous love for her and despite the anger she feels, the rage she feels, that’s her girl. She doesn’t want to watch her suffer.

The Testaments, Margaret Atwood’s sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale, came out last year and it basically charts Aunt Lydia’s crusade against Gilead years into the future. Is some of the groundwork for that – and maybe for a spin-off series – being laid this season?

I think what makes a lot of sense is — as in life — change happens slowly in a human being and I think the experiences of this season deeply affect her. I think they will gradually bring her to the place where she begins The Testaments. She doesn’t miss a thing, Lydia. Do you know what I mean? She takes it all in. I think she believes in that motto, ‘What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.’ She’s endured a lot. She’s provoked a lot; she’s caused a lot of pain in people’s lives but she also loves them. Who is that person?

This new power struggle she has with Commander Lawrence – does that also play into her future rebellion? Who’s in control of this relationship right now?

She’s risking a tremendous amount because at the end of the day women do not have power. She hopes, of course, that what she has on him will push power in her direction, which is pretty thrilling. , There is information that could sink him. She’s got something. The question is, will he fold?

Lawrence seems disillusioned with Gilead’s belief system. Does Aunt Lydia really believe in Gilead or is she also just playing a part?

I think that’s a conflict for her. I do think she’s attached to the ideology. I do think she’s attached deeply to her belief in God and how she thinks one should live one’s life. On the other hand, it’s about survival as well. You either do as we say or you die. She’s very aware of the imbalance of power.

Freaks and Geeks just came to Hulu. People are re-watching The Leftovers. There’s a lot of Ann Dowd on social media right now. Looking back on your career, which roles are you happy to be recognized for?

This is so boring, my answer here, hun, but so many of them, you know? Because I loved them. When people say they watched Law and Order — that’s just the birthplace for actors. That’s the christening. You’re an actor, man. But I’m just grateful for every single one. As I’ve said before, celebrating the small victories — I mean every single job. I don’t believe I ever took a role I didn’t want to take. There are probably some I enjoyed more than others, but just the fact that someone said ‘Yes.’ It just all means so much.

Are you just trying one-up character actress Margo Martindale at this point?

[laughs] She’s a doll. I adore her. We had an interview together sort of about that. We laugh because, first of all, I think she’s phenomenal, and there’s nobody like her. We laughed at each other like, ‘How are we alike? Someone help me out here.’We had a good laugh about that and a great time. We also did a Zoom film, which is to say we did it on Zoom, but also the story takes place on Zoom in large part. It was a fantastic experience and just getting to work with her, I just love her. We have a very nice relationship.

This week’s episode of Indiecast kicks off with Steve and Ian recounting their worst and toughest interview experiences with artists. There’s a difference between a good bad interview, like a conversation with Liam Gallagher, and a plain bad interview, like an inaudible conference call with Migos. The main topic of this week’s episode is a conversation about new albums from Manchester Orchestra and the revival of the long-dormant collaborative project of Bonnie “Prince” Billy and Matt Sweeney.

Manchester Orchestra has been one of the staples of the emo universe for the better part of the last two decades and their latest effort, The Million Masks Of God, is their grandest work to date. Meanwhile, the last time Bonnie “Prince” Billy and Matt Sweeney worked together was before Manchester Orchestra even released their debut album, with 2005’s Superwolf. Now, 16 years after their last collaboration, the duo is back for an album fittingly entitled Superwolves. After two decades apart, how does the collaborative spirit between the two artists hold up?

In this week’s Recommendation Corner, Steve can’t with for the forthcoming EP from Mannequin Pussy, while Ian is enjoying the latest from Porter Robinson.

New episodes of Indiecast drop every Friday. Listen to Episode 37 on Apple Podcasts and Spotify below, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts here. Stay up to date and follow us on Instagram and Twitter. We also recently launched a visualizer for our favorite Indiecast moments. Check those out here.

Vin Diesel wasn’t exactly an unknown before he was known worldwide as Dominic Toretto. He had been in Saving Private Ryan and Pitch Black and he voiced the title character in The Iron Giant, a masterpiece. But he wasn’t as famous as his co-star Paul Walker, who was a teen idol for his performances in She’s All That (where he delivers the immortal line, “Check out the bobos on super freak”), Varsity Blues, and Pleasantville. He also played one of the Deedles in Meet the Deedles, but that is neither here nor there.

The point is, Walker spoke with experience when he gave Diesel a piece of advice about dealing with fame that the F9 star remembers to this day.

“We went to Mexico for MTV Spring Break, and on our way home, we just wanted to go back commercial, Paul and I,” Diesel said during the first episode of Entertainment Weekly‘s BINGE: The Fast Saga podcast about promoting The Fast and the Furious in 2001. “And I’ll never forget this: We’re sitting on the floor of this airport, bags to the side, legs stretched out, thousands of people walking by, walking over us.” He continued:

“Now he had already had some films out, so he was a little more familiar with what was to come, and he said, ‘Vin, take all of this in. Take in the fact that all these people are just walking by us.’ I said, ‘Why,’ and he said, ‘Because when this movie comes out, our anonymity will be gone.’ It was so telling, and it was so surreal, how he knew.”

Unfortunately, the footage of Diesel and Walker, who tragically died in 2013, does not exist online. But here is Adam Sandler and Winona Ryder presenting the duo with Best On Screen Team at the 2002 MTV Movie Awards. Almost as good.

You can listen to the podcast here.

(Via EW)

The indie music genre has no doubt grown and shifted immensely since it had a peak in the ’90s. Thanks to the upcoming Apple Music series I Miss ’90s Indie, listeners will now be able to uncover some nostalgic ’90s music and learn how artists like Sleater-Kinney and Beck continue to shape the music landscape today.

Over six episodes, I Miss ’90s Indie will take a deep dive into the world of ’90s indie and explore the ethos of the distinct sound. Host Strombo will cover the importance of the indie music genre by featuring insights direct from ’90s indie originators such as Beck, Liz Phair, Carrie Brownstein of Sleater-Kinney, Bob Nastanovich of Pavement and Silver Jews, Britt Daniel of Spoon, Bonnie “Prince” Billy, and Stephin Merrit of The Magnetic Fields. The series will then contrast veteran indie rockers with commentary from contemporary artists like Kurt Vile, Soccer Mommy, and Perfume Genius, who will speak about how ’90s indie informed their current sound.

In an upcoming installment of I Miss ’90s Indie, Brownstein details her experience on what was important in the 90s Indie scene at the time:

“There was a time when Indie was about having the ideological and literal freedom to operate outside of corporate culture. There was definitely a time when it felt like there were a lot of artistic compromises that might come with signing to a major label. There were also benefits of course, and most of those were financial and broader exposure. But there was a real push to be Indie at a certain time. That it symbolized an ethos that a lot of people really believed in, that there was kind of a purity or an authenticity married to this notion of Indie.”

Along with speaking to artists directly, I Miss ’90s Indie will focus on the culture of indie music. It will explore how the ’90s indie scene was shaped by music venues and the proliferation of zines, the act of discovering music at a record store, and how the advent of the internet changed the genre forever.

I Miss ’90s Indie is the latest installation of Apple Music’s I Miss… series. It follows hit shows that similarly unpacked niche genres of music like I Miss Britpop, I Miss Golden Age Hip-Hop, I Miss ’90s Country, and I Miss Emo.

I Miss ’90s Indie premieres 5/2 at 10 am PT. Tune in here.

Olivia Rodrigo has what is easily the year’s biggest breakout hit with “Drivers License,” a heartbreaking tune that is rumored to have been inspired by the end of Rodrigo’s supposed relationship with her High School Musical: The Musical: The Series co-star Joshua Bassett. Despite whatever tensions may or may not exist between the two, though, they are still co-workers on the show, the second season of which is set to premiere on Disney+ in a couple weeks. Ahead of then, a new song from the season has been shared, a duet between Rodrigo and Bassett called “Even When/The Best Part.”

Billboard notes the song was recorded before “Drivers License” became a hit, and that it appears in the “Valentine’s Day” episode, which is scheduled to air on May 28. The publication summarizes the plot of the season and the episode:

“Nini (Rodrigo) and Ricky (Bassett) navigate their long-distance relationship after she heads off to the Denver-based Youth Actors Conservatory, leaving Ricky, the East High Wildcats and their spring musical production behind in Salt Lake City, Utah. The ‘Valentine’s Day’ episode spotlights Nini and Ricky struggling to physically spend the holiday together, after Ricky takes a bus to Denver to surprise Nini with the new love song he wrote for her titled ‘Even When’ — only for Nini to surprise Ricky outside his (old) house in Salt Lake City and sing her own romantic ballad ‘The Best Part.’

Toward the end of the episode, the high school sweethearts simultaneously perform their songs while leaving voicemails for each other shortly before the clock strikes midnight and signals the end of Valentine’s Day. The result is ‘Even When/The Best Part,’ a swoon-worthy ‘accidental duet’ featuring Bassett on guitar and Rodrigo on ukulele that strategically synthesizes their individual songs together like two pieces of a puzzle.”

Bassett also told Billboard of the track, “‘Even When/The Best Part’ is a truly special duet. I played guitar when we filmed it, and sang along to Olivia’s vocals in my ear while she shot her side separately! I’m stoked to see how it all came together and really think people are gonna love it! Hands down: one of my favorites this season!”

Watch Rodrigo and Bassett perform “Even When/The Best Part” above.

Of the many, many ill-advised things Ted Cruz has done throughout his life and career, deciding to pick a fight on Twitter with Trevor Noah ranks among the top of them. Especially if he thought he had a chance of coming out on top. Cruz, of course, has never been known for making the wisest decisions, just as he’s never been praised for his rapier wit. But even after being blindsided by Jon Stewart entering (or some might say ending) the argument, the Trevor vs. Ted debacle had one more twist no one saw coming: The Daily Show host actually agreeing with Cruz on something. Namely, that Cruz wasn’t wrong to doze off during Joe Biden’s Wednesday night policy speech.

During the hour-long sermon, Biden laid out a lot of big plans for his next four years, including raising the minimum wage to $15, lowering insurance deductibles for working families, reducing prescription drug costs, offering four years of free college to every person in America, making childcare affordable for working parents, building trust between police and the public, banning assault weapons, ending racism, and curing cancer.

These, of course, are all admirable goals. But as Noah noted, it’s a big ask—even without the plans for eradicating both cancer and racism. “I half-expected him to go: ‘You know what, f*#k it, we’re going to Mars right now. Get in the rocket everyone—there’s a rocket outside,’” Noah said, describing Biden’s plan as “hella progressive.”

But all commendable intentions aside, the moment in the speech that struck the strongest personal chord with Noah was when the camera panned to a sleepy Cruz trying his best not to nod off.

“Ted Cruz was so bored at that speech that he fell asleep,” Noah said, getting in one more subtle dig at the senator. “I know what you’re thinking right now. You think I’m going to say something like, ‘Oh that’s weird. I thought lizards slept with their eyes open.’ But I’m not going to say that. Because honestly, that was the most relatable thing that Ted Cruz has ever done. Because that speech was boring. And when you consider that almost none of Biden’s goals are actually going to get past Congress… we basically just listened to an old man talk for about an hour about his dreams.”

But Noah did have an idea for how Biden could spice things up in the future: Get himself a hype man/emcee to shout things like “You down with GDP? Yeah, you know me” each time the president makes a particularly salient point.

On the other hand, with the exception of the past four years—where any presidential address felt a bit like watching a David Lynch movie, where you’re just waiting for something bizarre and seemingly non-germane to the plot to happen—having a president be boring sort of feels like politics as usual.

You can watch the full clip above.

Cardi B was a surprise last-minute addition to DJ Khaled’s already guest-heavy new album Khaled Khaled, and her new track is making waves.

Cardi spends a lot of time on Twitter addressing her haters and she does more of that on this song’s hook, rapping, “I get big paper, so I deal with big haters.” She goes on to address how her detractors constantly discussing her is actually good for business: “Cardi this, Cardi that, make me more famous.”

Meanwhile, at the end of her first verse, Cardi gets braggadocios and lets people know that she’s prosperous even outside of music, rapping, “Platinum plaques hang on every wall in my palace / Clips still push, to anybody speakin’ malice / Fashion icon, couple million for my stylist / Five number ones, you got five number nones / Sleepin’ on Cardi, all that nappin’ sh*t done / Off with your hat, all that cappin’ sh*t done / And I got Hollywood waitin’ when this rappin’ sh*t done.”

Cardi became a trending topic on Twitter after the album dropped, so she offered up thanks for her fans, tweeting, “Thank you guys on the support for BIG PAPER .Make sure ya check out @djkhaled album.I just finish listening and I love all the good vibes on the album .Different type of songs with different type of moods.”

Listen to “Big Paper” above.

Khaled Khaled is out now via Epic Records. Get it here.

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

Netflix is ready to close out the month of April and get moving into the future like the rest of us. Obviously, entertainment is still the name of their game, as is the importance of reexamining and honoring historical figures who got the shaft. And sleep is important, too, which is something that a lot of us (myself included) don’t take seriously enough. With that said, this week nurtures both the meditational vibes in life and encourages us to get a little uncomfortable by watching a few thrillers. Also, there’s a wonderfully introspective movie about a lifelong artist who’s turning inward to pull out greater creativity and perhaps learn much more about who he really is in the process. As usual, you’ll never be able to watch everything on this list over the weekend, yet we’re here to give you the highlights and let you make the final call.

Here’s everything else coming to (and leaving) the streaming platform this week.

Yasuke (Netflix series streaming 4/29)

Netflix will up its anime game with this dazzling series from Japanese animation studio MAPPA (Attack on Titan: The Final Season), and the project arrives with quite a pedigree, given that LaKeith Stanfield executive produces on lead voice work. Stanfield voices a character who’s based upon the real-life first African samurai, who struggles to shed his past life of violence while striving to keep a peaceful existence. However, he must reluctantly pick up his sword again when a war-torn, feudal Japanese village becomes ground central for warring daimyo. The score will arrive courtesy of Flying Lotus, who also produces, and creator/director/producer LeSean Thomas will build upon his proven track record (The Boondocks, Cannon Buster, and Black Dynamite) of interweaving anime and Black culture.

Things Heard & Seen (Netflix film streaming 4/29)

Amanda Seyfried stars as a couple that realizes that a sinister darkness plagues their marriage and fits right in with their new home’s past. The story’s based upon Elizabeth Brundage’s novel, and it takes place in the Hudson Valley. Seyfried’s better at the spooky-eyed look than most of her contemporaries, and her displaced Manhattanite character benefits from that vibe.

Headspace Guide to Sleep (Netflix series streaming 4/27)

Most of us could use more sleep, no matter how much we currently get and especially during all of the ongoing pandemic stress. This series is a joint project between Headspace and Vox Media Studios, and it aims to help you lay the foundation for more healthy habits. Subjects explore will include insomnia, stress, our phones, and sleeping pills, and stick around for a guided meditation to help get you on the road to more blissful nights.

Fatma (Netflix film streaming 4/26)

So, an ordinary-seeming cleaning lady goes searching for her missing husband and inadvertently ends up murdering someone. Subsequently, she becomes a killer while no one is the wiser. Yessir, it’s always the quiet ones.

The Disciple (Netflix film streaming 4/30)

This story about an Indian classical music vocalist is a study in devotion and the importance of following one’s own way, and how, sometimes, a disciple knows much better about what will make him happy than his gurus and family do. Turning inward ain’t easy (following directions is easier in some ways), in other words, but it’s often worth the process.

Here’s a full list of what’s been added in the last week:

Avail. 4/19
Miss Sloane
PJ Masks: Season 3

Avail. 4/20
Izzy’s Koala World: Season 2

Avail. 4/21
Zero

Avail. 4/22
Life in Color with David Attenborough
Stowaway

Avail. 4/23
Heroes: Silence and Rock & Roll
Shadow and Bone
Tell Me When

Avail. 4/27
August: Osage County
Battle of Los Angeles
Fatma
Go! Go! Cory Carson: Season 4

Avail. 4/28
Sexify
Headspace Guide to Sleep

Avail. 4/29
Things Heard & Seen
Yasuke

Avail. 4/30
The Innocent
The Mitchells vs. The Machines
Pet Stars
The Unremarkable Juanquini: Season 2

And here’s what’s leaving next week, so it’s your last chance:

Here’s the full list of titles leaving Netflix in May:

Leaving 5/1
Hoarders: Season 10

Leaving 5/3
War Horse

Leaving 5/5
Hangman

Leaving 5/6
City of God: 10 Years Later
Lockout

Leaving 5/7
The Chosen Ones
House at the End of the Street

Now that Mike Lindell has appeared on his show, Jimmy Kimmel can go back to doing what he does best: taunting Ted Cruz. It’s replaced baseball as America’s national pastime. Over the past few months, he’s called the Texas senator a “lyin’ little bitch,” “scumbag,” and a “snake on a plane” (he didn’t come up with Fat Wolverine, though). During Thursday’s Jimmy Kimmel Live, Kimmel added a new nickname to the collection.

“Joe Biden gave his first address before a joint session of Congress [on Wednesday]. It was a hopeful speech in which he spoke about turning peril into prosperity. He said, ‘Life can knock us down, but in America, we never stay down. In America, we always get up.’ Except for Ted Cruz, who was sound asleep during a lot of this,” Kimmel said. “Look at him. Dreaming of Cancun no doubt. Lyin’ Ted just turned into Snoozin’ Cruz.” That’ll do.

Over on The Late Show, host Stephen Colbert also took a shot at Cruz. “Republicans enjoyed the speech a little less. Take Texas senator and divorced Porky Pig, Ted Cruz,” he said (also a good nickname), adding, “Cruz was roundly mocked online and Bernie Sanders drew a penis on his forehead. To explain his behavior, Cruz tweeted the video of him falling asleep with the hashtag #BoringButRadical. So he admits he’s witnessing radical historic change, but that makes him sleepy?” To be fair, Colbert can relate to Cruz. “Now that Joe Biden’s president, I find it much easier to sleep too,” he said.

You can watch the Kimmel monologue above, and the Colbert clip below.

File this one under: Things We Already Know But Are Happy to Hear Repeated In the First Person. On Thursday’s episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast, host Joe Rogan attempted to clarify some of the controversial comments he recently made about COVID-19 vaccinations on his April 23 episode—namely, that young, healthy people do not need to be vaccinated because they’re not at risk for getting COVID (which is not true). And that parents wanting to get their children vaccinated “is crazy to me,” even though both of his own children contracted the virus, which he called “no big deal.”

While anyone who is listening to the comedian/UFC fight commentator’s podcast for medical advice should probably make an immediate appointment with a real doctor for a full-body workup, Rogan’s podcast is one of the world’s most popular, and his commentary—medical or otherwise—is being listened to by about 200 million people per month. It’s a large enough audience that Dr. Fauci, after a year of being discredited at every turn by Donald Trump, was actually asked to weigh in on the medical opinions of a self-confessed steroid user while appearing on the Today show on Wednesday.

The good doctor called Rogan’s statements “incorrect,” explaining that the former Fear Factor host—who once sat idly by while contestants were forced to consume donkey semen—was looking at vaccinations from a totally selfish position. “If you want to worry about yourself, and not society, then that’s OK,” Fauci said. “But if you say to yourself even if I get infected, I could do damage to somebody else… That’s the reason why you’ve got to be careful and get vaccinated.”

Rogan seemed somewhat tickled that the White House and Fauci had even heard about his statements. And while he didn’t quite backtrack on his previous comments, he did admit that “There’s some legitimate science to this” (wow, really?) and that the idea that getting vaccinated helps other people “makes more sense.”

Rogan then went onto explain his editorial/filtering process, which basically boils down to: drink, get high, and spend several hours saying dumb sh*t that even he’d probably disagree with when the sober light of the next day creeps in.

“I’m not a doctor; I’m a f*#king moron,” Rogan explained. “I’m a cagefighting commentator who’s a dirty standup comedian who [is] drunk most of the time. And I do testosterone and I smoke a lot of weed. But I’m not a respected source of information—even for me.”

Spoken like a true f*#king moron.

(Via CNN, Deadline)