Month: April 2021

Injury issues have ravaged the Brooklyn Nets this season, particularly since they acquired James Harden with the hopes of putting together a superstar trio of the former league MVP, Kevin Durant, and Kyrie Irving. Harden is on the shelf right now with a hamstring issue, and in an update released on Tuesday, the team announced that his return is getting pushed back.

According to the Nets, Harden, who has not played since April 5, has suffered a setback while going through a rehab session that has caused him to undergo an MRI. As a result, Harden will be on ice indefinitely, during which time the team will continue to monitor his hamstring.

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN added some context, reporting that Brooklyn (as has been their approach whenever a star has been injured this season) plans to take this slow and that Harden’s return may be close to when the NBA playoffs are slated to begin next month.

Head coach Steve Nash confirmed during his pregame press conference that the team is going to let Harden recover at his own pace, and if he does not suit up until after the start of the playoffs, the Nets are willing to be patient.

Harden has been magnificent since joining the Nets, averaging 25.4 points, 11 assists, and 8.7 rebounds per game.

As more and more states legalize the use of recreational marijuana, there’s more and more reason to celebrate everyone’s favorite unofficial holiday: 4/20. The best way to do that? Well, aside from the obvious, we recommend checking out one of the many stoner comedies our favorite streaming services have available today. From Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back to Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, these are the best stoner comedies to enjoy with your best “bud.” Sit back, relax, and blaze it.

1. Superbad (Netflix)

If it’s been awhile since you’ve last watched one of 2007’s most quotable movies, there’s no better day than today. Join McLovin’ and friends as they attempt to send off their high school career with a bang, literally. With an all-star cast of Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Bill Hader, Seth Rogen, Dave Franco, and Emma Stone, Superbad is fun trip back to the beginning of some of our favorite actor’s careers.

2. Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny (Netflix)

A fictional film about a real-life band undertaking a journey to steal Satan’s guitar pick and become the greatest rock musicians of all time? If you’re not high while watching it, you’ll certainly feel it. Despite the film not doing so hot upon release, Jack Black and Kyle Gass’ zany performances and sheer enthusiasm have cemented this film as a cult classic.

3. Dazed and Confused (Amazon Prime)

Speaking of cult classics, Amazon Prime is currently home to one of the best of the best with 1993’s Dazed and Confused. This coming-of-age comedy features an ensemble cast filled of future stars, such as Ben Affleck, Milla Jovovich, Joey Lauren Adams, Parker Posey, and, of course, Matthew McConaughey.

4. Animal House (Amazon Prime)

Animal House is a problematic classic but a classic nevertheless. This entry in the National Lampoons’ series is all about the worst — but most entertaining — fraternity at Faber College and their quest to stick it to the man, man. Starring the late, great John Belushi, this one is a must-watch for fans of the comedian.

5. Dude, Where’s My Car? (Hulu)

After a night of hijinks and heavy drinking, best friends Jesse (Ashton Kutcher) and Chester (Seann William Scott) must ask themselves a question we’ve all been faced with before: where is my car? As they attempt to remember the night before and locate their clunker, the situation and stakes escalate to unreal and epic proportions. While the film was panned by critics, it’s regarded as a classic stoner comedy, making it the perfect 4/20 flick.

6. How High (Hulu)

How High follows friends and cannabis enthusiasts Silas (Method Man) and Jamal (Redman) on their journey from underachievers to Harvard grads after smoking the ashes of their former friend and gaining supernatural insight in the form of his ghostly guidance. Yes, you read that correctly. Another bizarre fun fact? This ridiculous romp is directed by Bob Dylan’s son, Jesse Dylan. This 2001 film is an experience, and one best enjoyed under the influence.

7. Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (Hulu)

Let’s be real, this list wouldn’t be complete with Jay and his best buddy Silent Bob. Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back follows the pair after they receive a restraining order from Randal Graves of Kevin Smiths’ Clerks (yes, there is an entire Kevin Smith universe) and set off on their own adventure. One of the more successful films on this list, this movie features appearances by Ben Affleck, Eliza Dushku, Shannon Elizabeth, Will Ferrell, Ali Later, and Chris Rock.

8. Super Troopers (Hulu)

With their livelihood at stake, a motley crew of Vermont state troopers decide to prove their worth in this classic comedy revolving around a drug bust and police corruption. With some of the most iconic lines in comedy and hilarious performances, this one is sure to get some giggles. And, if just can’t get enough of the Spurbury highway patrol, the film recently got a sequel that ain’t too shabby.

9. Wet Hot American Summer (Hulu)

When it comes to ensemble casts, Wet Hot American Summer might just have all the previously mentioned films beat. Starring Janeane Garofalo, David Hyde Pierce, Molly Shannon, Paul Rudd, Christopher Meloni, Michael Showalter, Michael Ian Black, Amy Poehler, Bradley Cooper, Elizabeth Banks, and more, if you can believe it. This criminally underrated movie is a must-see for comedy fans.

10. Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure (Hulu & HBO Max)

Not only is Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure a great stoner movie, it’s a great movie, period. With endearing performances from both Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter, it’s no wonder this film is beloved enough to merit a new entry in the series all the way in 2020. Join Bill and Ted as they create the history report of a lifetime and save Ted from his father’s wrath and a buzzcut.

On Tuesday, nearly a year after killing George Floyd while cameras rolled, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty on all three counts with which he was charged. It was, for many, a huge relief; the American legal system has a long history of acquitting violent behavior by police officers, and there was fear this would be no different. Even a certain Fox News host was grateful, though not for the same reason.

That host was Greg Gutfeld, the network’s longtime middle-of-the-night cutup, who was recently given his own regular late-night show, which is allegedly supposed to be a comedy program — their attempt at their very own The Daily Show. He appeared on a panel shortly after the verdict was read, and he decided to offer his own hot take on the news.

“Now I’m just going to get really selfish,” Gutfeld began. “I’m glad that he was found guilty on all charges,” he said — but there was a catch: “even if might not be guilty of all charges. I am glad that he is guilty of all charges because I want a verdict that keeps this country from going up in flames.”

Gutfeld’s words quickly rankled his colleagues, among them Judge Jeanine Pirro, who could be heard loudly groaning and muttering as he spoke. Gutfeld pressed her on what she found so offensive, saying, “I’m at least being honest. My neighborhood was looted. I don’t ever want to go through that again.”

But Pirro tried to be the voice of reason — well, not really. “We do not sacrifice individuals for the sake of how people feel,” she explained.

Granted, there’s no real hero in this situation — no voice that will appeal to those currently celebrating a rare case in which a violent cop was actually put behind bars. But it may be a harbinger of what’s to come for the Republican party: a chaotic next few days in which they try to process their messy feelings, turning on each other instead of everyone else.

On Tuesday afternoon, the jury in Derek Chauvin’s murder trial handed down a verdict of guilty on all three counts — second degree murder, third degree murder, and second degree manslaughter — after the former Minneapolis police officer killed George Floyd last summer by kneeling on his neck. The murder was captured on video and sparked a summer of protests against police brutality, racist policing practices, and the continued killing of Black people by excessive police force.

Among those that took up the call for systemic changes were NBA stars, who led and participated in marches nationwide and used their time in the Orlando Bubble and beyond to speak out and put these problems the Black community faces every day into the spotlight. As word that the verdict had been reached spread and we awaited official word, Karl-Anthony Towns, who has been a leading voice in Minneapolis and beyond during protests after George Floyd’s murder, offered a brief thought on how ridiculous it was that the collective feeling leading up to the verdict’s announcement was fear and concern for a murder we all saw happen on camera.

Once the verdict was announced, the NBA community, like millions elsewhere, let out a collective sigh. Some called it justice, while others pointed to it being simply accountability and a bit of progress, as justice would involve Floyd still being with us — others still had some suggestions for where Chauvin should be kept. In any case, the response was rather muted as the verdict does not bring Floyd back. But still, it was a brief win in the fight for, at minimum, accountability for police killing Black civilians and players expressed relief that for once, the incredibly broken system delivered a correct response.

https://twitter.com/goodysav/status/1384616284466257922

The Timberwolves, WNBA and NBA also released statements following the verdict, promising to continue pushing for change and promoting action, noting the verdict is a positive step but is simply accountability for a wrong perpetrated and not a fix for the system that continues to perpetrate them.

“Last summer, Yellow Springs [Ohio] was what Hollywood is supposed to be,” says Talib Kweli about the much mythologized “Chappelle Summer Camp” of 2020, which has now given birth to Dave Chappelle’s first podcast. “What we realized is that Hollywood and all that stuff is fake. The real dopeness is where the people are. If someone like Chappelle says, ‘Well, I’m in Yellow Springs.’ Then that’s where the people are going to be.”

The show, co-hosted by Kweli and Yasiin Bey and called The Midnight Miracle, will air on the subscription podcast network Luminary, will reveal the inner workings of Chappelle’s covid rapid tested events (along with the even more legendary after-parties), held in Ohio through the summer and deep into the fall. The first episodes are set to drop “in the coming weeks” and will feature wide-ranging conversations as well as sketches, archival clips, and impersonations from Chappelle, along with a roster of his incredibly famous friends.

“The constant isn’t fame,” Kweli says, “it’s contributions to the culture. Chappelle, one of his many talents, is curating great rooms, so what people will hear on the podcast is essentially what they would hear if they were in the room with us. It’s very organic, very free-flowing, it’s non-linear… we just happen to associate ourselves with greatness.”

“The Midnight Miracle” was recorded in a retrofitted mechanic’s garage turned clubhouse, and the trio has already banked over 100 hours of content recorded with a jaw-dropping list of guests from Common and Tiffany Haddish to Questlove and Chris Rock (plus a soundtrack that includes Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonius Monk, and D’Angelo).

As for where the seed of the show first blossomed, Kweli credits his longtime Black Star partner in rhyme, Yasiin Bey. The trio’s friendship has endured since the Chappelle’s Show days.

“We speak often and the last few years we’ve spoken more, as we’ve gotten older,” Kweli tells us. “It was actually Yasiin’s idea to do this type of podcast, when he and Dave first heard people talking about my show, The People’s Party. [People’s Party is produced by Uproxx] Yasiin said to Dave, ‘you should be doing a podcast, too’ and Dave said ‘well the only way I’m doing it is if I do it with ya’ll,’ It was just that simple.”

“Making a podcast isn’t the obvious next move for me, but it’s the right one,” Chappelle said in a press release announcing the show. “The Midnight Miracle gives you a look into how me and my friends process the world around us, and I think it will change the way listeners think of what a podcast can be.”

Look for The Midnight Miracle to drop on Luminary in the weeks to come.

Akashic Books’ LyricPop series, launched in 2020, is turning hit songs into children’s picture books, including fan favorites like “Good Vibrations,” “These Boots Are Made for Walkin,” and “We’re Not Gonna Take It.” Today, the publisher announced the next round of classics it will turn into illustrated page-turners for kids, starting with Otis Redding’s 1968 soul classic “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay,” and including Lori McKenna’s “Humble And Kind,” Paul Simon’s “The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy),” and Coldplay’s “Strawberry Swing.”

The books aim to include a wide range of musical genres — including rhythm and blues, rock, pop, punk, hip hop, and country — to create books that appeal to a diverse array of children and families,” according to Akashic Books publisher Johnny Temple. In a press release, Temple explained, “The idea of giving parents, grandparents, teachers, and caregivers a way to connect kids with music early on through picture books is exciting. And when adults sing the lyrics as they read the books, it becomes a multimedia experience, introducing books and music at the same time.” The illustrations imagine the lyrics alongside cartoon cats, cooperative families, and other, kid-friendly fare, making them as fascinating to look at as they are to read — and sing — aloud.

He’s not exaggerating about that wide range of genres, either. Among the first round of releases are examples from reggae (Peter Tosh’ “African”) and hip-hop (Eric. B and Rakim’s “Move the Crowd”), while June’s slate of releases will also include disco (Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive”) and alt-rock (The Pixies’ “Where Is My Mind?”).

You can see Akashic’s full list of LyricPop books here.

Florida congresswoman Val Demings was not having Jim Jordan‘s rhetoric on Tuesday. During a House hearing on the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, which would address the troubling increase in anti-Asian hate crimes since the start of the pandemic thanks to Donald Trump and other Republicans calling it the “Chinese virus,” Jordan attempted to derail the conversation by accusing Democrats of stirring up civil unrest towards the police in the midst of the Derek Chauvin trial. As Jordan quickly learned, this was the wrong move to make in front of Demings who’s a former Orlando police chief.

Demings clearly remembered Jordan’s silence about blue lives during the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol building, and she tore into the Ohio senator for his “completely irrelevant” remarks.

Via Mediaite:

“It’s interesting to see my colleagues on the other side of the aisle support the police when it is politically convenient to do so,” Demings said. As she continued to say law enforcement officers “deserve better” than that, Jordan moved to interject, which prompted her to exclaim “I have the floor, Mr. Jordan!”

“Did I strike a nerve!?” Demings shouted. “Law enforcement officers deserve better than to be utilized as pawns! And you and your colleagues should be ashamed of yourselves!”

Democratic congressman Jerry Nadler attempted to restore order between the two, but Demings wasn’t letting Jordan get away with his remarks. “I have watched officers live and die,” Demings pointedly told Jordan. “You know nothing about that.”

(Via Harry Litman on Twitter)

Sasquatch (Hulu series) — So officially, this is a documentary series, although the Duplass Brothers are behind the project, so you gotta know that the show’s approach will be anything but straightforward. The series promises to dig into a gruesome triple homicide that was allegedly carried out by Bigfoot back in the 1990s. Investigative journalist David Holthouse promises to tell the craziest story that he’s ever heard, even after his undercover dives into Nazi groups and violent gangs. He heads back to the Redwoods (and the infamous Emerald Triangle) in search of the truth about those homicides, and somehow, there’s a bunch of cannabis involved, and that could directly be tied to the murders? This title arrives on April 20, so that (and the tone of the trailer, with distorted voices and a purposefully over-dramatic approach) probably tells us a lot.

Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates Jr. (PBS, 8:00pm) — Henry Louis Gates, Jr. digs in with Gretchen Carlson and Don Lemon about their family tree and how they overcame career biases while learning from relatives who faced similar challenges.

Philly D.A. (PBS, 9:00pm) — The newest Philly District Attorney isn’t having the easiest introduction on the job. He’s trying to make the case fo police misconduct, so get ready for a twisty ride.

Cruel Summer (Freeform, 9:00pm) — This new series launches with a double dose. The story goes down in the 1990s and follows the aftermath of a popular teen going missing. When a seemingly unrelated shy student suddenly becomes massively popular, well, things look pretty strange.

Prodigal Son (FOX 9:00pm) — Bright’s on a new case about an escalating killer that’s caught the attention of an online vigilante group who’s attempting to halt the mayhem.

Black-ish (ABC 9:00pm) — Bow and Dre host Junior and Olivia for dinner, but things are not going too well in the new apartment. Uh-oh.

Mixed-ish (ABC 9:30pm) — Rainbow helps her best friend plan a birthday party, and of course, this needs to be an extra-cool party with all the stops, as Paul and Alicia are doing battle elsewhere.

Supergirl (CW, 9:00pm) — Lena’s on a mission with the Super Friends, but she’s not entirely into it, and Supergirl might have a shot to escape that Phantom Zone, but there’s a catch.

Mayans M.C. (FX, 10:00pm) — This biker drama’s in a darker third gear with the club all wrestling with various personal and professional demons. This week, Bishop recruits another chapter to go up against Ramos.

Chad (TBS, 10:30pm) — This comedy takes a similar approach to Hulu’s PEN15 with SNL veteran Nasim Pedrad taking on the title role, that of a 14-year-old boy, and this week, Chad’s missing a father figure after his mom ends her relationship, and Chad’s not at all happy about it.

The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon — Jane Fonda, Robin Thede

Late Night With Seth Meyers — Hank Azaria, Brandi Carlile, Dulcé Sloan, Emmanuelle Caplette

It’s the strangest thing of all: the lack of Stranger Things in our lives.

Season Three of the Emmy-winning Netflix series premiered in July 2019, but it feels longer than only two years ago. Maybe it’s because time ceased to exist in 2020 — or, more likely, it’s because season four isn’t expected to premiere until next year.

During a video call with a Stranger Things fan, Finn Wolfhard, who plays Mike Wheeler on the science-fiction horror show, was asked when people can expect the next season. “Season four?” he replied. “It should be out sometime next year, hopefully.” Netflix hasn’t confirmed the premiere date, er, year, but considering David Harbour was recently on set threatening to spoil plot details, a 2022 debut sounds right.

Producer Shawn Levy thinks the long break between seasons could be a positive, though. “I’ll just say the pandemic definitely massively delayed shooting and therefore the launch of our current season four,” he told Collider last November. “But it impacted very positively by allowing the Duffer brothers, for the first time ever, to write the entire season before we shoot it and to have time to rewrite in a way that they rarely had before so the quality of these screenplays are exceptional, maybe better than ever.”

It will all be worth for more Steve, Robin, and Dustin hijinks.

(Via Games Radar)

It has been nearly two years since the release of Cordae’s debut album The Lost Boy, and the 23-year-old Maryland native’s fans are getting antsy for a follow-up. They’ve had a few singles to old them over recently, including the Roddy Ricch-featuring “Gifted,” which made Cordae’s name change official, and “The Parables,” which put his songwriting prowess on display, but Wednesday night/Thursday morning, Cordae’s giving the world a few more appetizers ahead of his nearly-completed sophomore album.

Today, he announced the upcoming release of Just Until…, a four-song EP releasing at midnight “tomorrow” featuring guest appearances from two disparate entities that highlight the young rapper’s cross-generational appeal. On “More Life,” he’ll team up with Q-Tip, who represents the ’90s Golden Era that clearly influences much of Cordae’s work, while on “Wassup,” he’s recruited Young Thug, one of the top representatives of the modern generation of genre-bending rappers to which Cordae himself belongs.

While that tension has helped to make Cordae a favorite of both older rap fans and younger ones, as seen in his ability to convincingly collaborate with the jazzy Dinner Party crew on “Freeze Tag” and Stevie Wonder and Busta Rhymes on “Can’t Put It In The Hands Of Fate,” it’s also generated some behind-the-scenes friction. Royce Da 5’9″ recently told a podcast that Atlantic actually blocked Cordae from appearing on his Grammy-nominated The Allegory because higher-ups at the label allegedly “want to keep him young.”

However, the tracklist for Just Until… seems to suggest that the wise-beyond-his-years Cordae doesn’t care about all that — he just wants to work with the best of the best. Look out for that release on 4/21 at midnight and his full album later this year.

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