Month: May 2021

After nearly 20 years — and by the power of Grayskull, of course — He-Man is back in an original Netflix series, and we now have a first look at it. Announced by none other than Kevin Smith (Clerks, Dogma, Chasing Amy) back 2019, fans of “The Most Powerful Man in the Universe” were not sure what to expect from the show following the success Netflix’s She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, which takes on a drastically different tone than previous incarnations of the Princess of Power. However, our first look at Kevin Smith’s Masters of the Universe: Revelations reveal the show is embracing tradition, with a look heavily inspired by the original 80s cartoon series and a plot the picks up right where it left off.

“Narratively our show is set up as the next episode in the legacy ‘80s animated series that aired from 1983-1985. This is a continuation of that story. We’re playing with the original mythology and characters, and revisiting and digging deeper into some of the unresolved storylines,” Smith said of the show. “Visually we also made the conscious decision to lean into the Master of the Universe line of toys for inspiration as well.”

Behind the show’s new look is Powerhouse Animation, which has worked with Netflix on its popular Castlevania and Blood of Zeus series, as well as with Smith himself on Clerks: The Lost Scene. In addition to Powerhouse and Smith, the upcoming show boasts an incredible line-up, with Chris Wood as Prince Adam/He-Man, Sarah Michelle Gellar as Teela, Lena Headey as Evil-Lyn, Alicia Silverstone as Queen Marlena, Steven Root as Battle Cat, Griffin Newman as Orko, and the legendary Mark Hamill voicing He-Man’s main villain Skeletor.

The show is something of a passion project for Smith, who notes that “I watched all of the TV series growing up, it was everywhere in the ‘80s. These characters started off as toys and ended up becoming part of the global pop culture fabric.” He went on to add that “so much of this show has been possible because of the love and affection for this world at every level of production and the fandom surrounding this franchise. A big reason we got such top-tier voice talent is because people genuinely want to be a part of this world. So many of us were touched by these stories and these characters early in our lives and were so happy to come back to Eternia.”

Masters of the Universe: Revelations will premiere July 23 on Netflix. For a first look at the show, check out the images below:

The pre-episode bumps for Saturday Night Live usually contain some quick jokes with the show’s host and musical guest, but apparently Keegan-Michael Key swung for the fences this week.

The preview released on Thursday night has Kate McKinnon explaining that the actor promised the “best show” in its history on Saturday night, though Keegan tried his best to backtrack to humorous effect in the segment, which also featured musical guest Olivia Rodrigo.

“You gotta watch because Keegan promised this will be the best show in 46 years,” Kate McKinnon said.

Key tried to correct her, saying that he only said “it would be nice” but the long-time SNL cast member wasn’t having it.

“You said it. You promised. It’s out there,” she said. “Good luck.”

It’s a good bit to hype the episode up with, especially considering the lackluster Musk-led episode that came before it. And there’s certainly a lot of hype around Key hosting, as he has plenty of experience with sketch comedy in his Key And Peele on Comedy Central.

The wide net of roles he’s played in various shows and movies certainly lends to the kind of range that can make him a top notch host, if the rest of the cast is up for it. And with McKinnon helping make this promise, well, there’s a lot of people eager to watch an episode that isn’t tied to the fate of a joke cryptocurrency.

In the other bumps, there’s a funny bit where McKinnon asked if any “old characters” would come back for the episode. Key said he wanted to focus on new stuff, while McKinnon interrupted him to say she was talking to Rodrigo, who first found fame on the Nickelodeon show Bizzardvark.

“Yeah,” Rodrigo responded. “If the mood strikes me.”

Last week’s musical guest, Miley Cyrus, also showed up in a digital short, so it would be no surprise if Rodrigo did the same. All three bits were pretty solid, and the trio certainly looked more prepared for the camera than any billionaires who have appeared on the show. Which is a pretty good sign for Saturday night in general.

On Thursday night, the Miami Heat dominated the Philadelphia 76ers from the jump, running away to a 106-94 win that looked closer than it actually was. The Heat took a 16-point lead into the second quarter, with their final bucket coming from the most improbable of sources: Udonis Haslem.

The 18-year veteran, all of which have been spent with the Heat, made his season debut on Thursday, playing just over two minutes and tallying four points, one rebound, two technicals, and an ejection in an incredible sequence. Haslem got tossed after he tried to fight Dwight Howard, poking the Sixers reserve big man in the face, and his night, and very likely his season, were over just like that. Whether Haslem comes back for a 19th season remains unknown, as he’s yet to make a decision on retiring or not, but it’s possible that his final act in a Heat uniform on the court will be this.

As many pointed out on social media, that would be a damn near perfect sendoff for the Heat legend who has embodied the organization’s toughness and culture for his entire career — it’s the whole reason he remains on the roster. After the game, Haslem himself couldn’t help but note that this would indeed be a perfect sendoff.

Erik Spoelstra likewise loved what he saw from his longtime player, with an obvious big grin under his mask as he was asked about the ejection and what it said about Haslem.

We won’t know Haslem’s future plans for some time, but if this was the end, it was quite the final note to hit. Haslem might not be the first name to pop into mind nationally when you think of the Heat, but for those in Miami it’s pretty much he and Dwyane Wade at the top of the list.

Jimmy Fallon’s return to the studio still had guests appearing remotely, but picking Dave Chappelle to get things started was certainly a good move. The stand-up appeared on the Tonight Show on Wednesday and detailed what brought him back to the stage over the summer with his surprise Netflix special 8:46.

Chappelle spoke to Fallon about a number of different projects, including a new podcast he’s actually pressing on vinyl. He also brought his own audience to the show, sitting behind him while he talked to Fallon. But his most insightful comments came when he detailed the “gut-wrenching” process of recording 8:46 amid a summer of racial protests and, as Chappelle put it, “the George Floyd of it all.”

His comments came about 50 seconds into the video above, where Chappelle detailed why he put on outdoor shows and used that footage to make 8:46, named for the length of time Derek Chauvin kneeled on George Floyd’s neck before he later died.

“A lot of it started when the protests started, the George Floyd of it all,” Chappelle said. “And boy, I really miss having a microphone in my hand when something like that tragic happens.”

Chappelle explained that the first night of his 15 weeks of shows was the footage used in 8:46. But while the reaction it got online was enormous, getting everything together was described as a “gut-wrenching” process.

“It was a weird process,” Chappelle said. “I didn’t expect that I would put anything out, but it became a thing where I wouldn’t feel right telling jokes until I addressed that because people listen to me different,” he said. “That was one of those moments where I understood that and we let it rip. It was gut-wrenching putting it out, to be honest. I was real nervous about it, but I’m glad that I did.”

The result of those shows and that video has become a lightning rod of discussion in the latest wave of the Civil Rights movement in America. So while Chappelle may not have been certain the special would resonate, it certainly struck a nerve with many.

Juan Toscano-Anderson is one of the most fun, heartwarming stories in the NBA this year. The 28-year-old Bay Area native made it to the NBA this year on a two-way deal after grinding for years in the G League. Ultimately, after becoming a rotation piece for his hometown Golden State Warriors, he agreed to a two-year deal with the team this week to become a full-time member of the squad.

On Thursday, Toscano-Anderson signed his deal with the Warriors. As he did it, he called his mom at the podium to share the moment with her. It was an emotional moment for both, and afterwards he had one thing in mind: going to see her and getting a home cooked meal.

“I just wanted to tell you that I’m so proud of you son,” she said. “I’m so glad that you never gave up. I’m just so happy that God had given you the desires of your heart. I’ve been praying for this for you for what just makes you happy. And everything that you have so hard worked for.”

Toscano-Anderson also said he plans to buy his brother a car with some of the money from his new deal.

“I’m just super excited to be able to help my littler brother,” he told reporters. “He just got his license a week ago and …. It might be a small gesture to me, but I wasn’t able to have car at 18. I wasn’t even able to get my first car until I was 26 years old. Little things like that, man. I’ll be able to help my little brother get a car. That’s going to change his life. He’ll be able to get a job, he’ll be able to be mobile. He’s going to be able to be a young man, a young adult and not have to depend on mom. It’s the little things like that that I think about.”

“Obviously, I’m super excited for myself to be on the team and continue to play basketball,” he continued, “but it’s just a life-changing contract. It’s a life-changing signature. And there’s more work to be done. I get kind of paranoid in situations like this because I am happy, but the real work starts now. I don’t want to say I feel pressure because I don’t feel pressure, but there’s more that I need to do.”

It is a reminder of just how much making it can mean to not just a player but he and his family. Toscano-Anderson getting to share that moment with his mother and explaining how he’s going to be able to change the lives of his family now is tremendous.

Approximately one week ago, Andrew Marchand of the New York Post reported that Chris Webber’s future as an NBA analyst with TNT was uncertain. Webber’s contract was reportedly set to end at the conclusion of the 2020-21 season and Marchand noted that Webber “has yet to fully connect with the audience,” also adding a nugget that “the feeling that Webber may not return has been building for a while.”

Fast-forward to Thursday, May 13, and Webber was not present during the final broadcast of the regular season, with Marv Albert accompanied by Reggie Miller, who typically works with Kevin Harlan on the late broadcasts. From there, Marchand provided new reporting indicating that Webber and TNT “have agreed to part ways” just before the 2021 NBA Playoffs begin.

Marchand reports that, as of last week, “there was a feeling that TNT did not want (Webber) back and maybe he didn’t want to return.” Still, this is a bit of an odd exit, particularly with Webber still under contract and TNT owning prime real estate with wall-to-wall postseason coverage beginning next week.

It will be very interesting to see how TNT handles the transition, both in the immediate with playoff coverage and for the long term. There is plenty of buzz that Albert will not return as the No. 1 play-by-play voice, with the option to utilize Kevin Harlan, Ian Eagle or Brian Anderson in a more prominent venue. The choice of Miller to pair with Albert on Thursday could be revealing, but TNT has also placed Jim Jackson in more prominent positions recently.

Regardless, all signs point to the Webber era being over at Turner. His old job, along with his own broadcasting future, are now up in the air.

Udonis Haslem is the elder statesman of the Miami Heat, an 18-year veteran who has spent his entire career with the organization and is the physical embodiment of their beloved Heat Culture.

Haslem doesn’t play much anymore, having played just four games in 2019-20 and entering Thursday night’s action against the Sixers had yet to step foot on the court this season, but no one around the Heat will stand for anything but giving the utmost respect to Haslem for what he brings them in the locker room at 40 years old. However, on Thursday, Haslem finally got his first minutes of the season and made the absolute most of them.

The Heat legend checked in for the final minute of the first quarter, getting a fastbreak bucket to close out a sensational first period for Miami.

From there, he added another bucket to start the second and then got into it with Dwight Howard, earning a quick two technicals for pointing and poking a finger in Howard’s face and getting himself tossed.

For those counting at home, that was two minutes, four points, one rebound two technicals, and an ejection for the Heat lifer. No one enjoyed the Haslem experience more than Pat Riley who was beaming from his perch in the arena as the entire situation unfolded.

Haslem hasn’t decided if he’ll come back next year or not, but if this is the end it is a perfect way to finish off his career.

Jay-Z’s 2021 has been filled with business moves from all corners of the world. The billionaire rapper has bought his way into new ventures and sold his way out of others. The various deals involved his champagne company Ace Of Spades, his streaming service Tidal, Los Angeles-based fitness company LIT Method, and NFT marketplace Bitski. Through it all, some hoped the rapper would also be working on a new album, one that would be the follow-up to his 2017 solo effort, 4:44. According to Conway The Machine, however, who says he recently spoke to Jay about the possibility of new music from him, that is not the case.

“I was asking him, I’m like, ‘Yo, you gonna record more? You been cooking up, what you doing?’” Conway said during an interview with Nadeska on Apple Music. “He actually was like, ‘nah man, I ain’t, I ain’t’ and he was saying the way he records is kinda like how I do it. It’s gotta be a vibe. Like, I gotta hear something, they gotta take me there, I gotta be experiencing something, I gotta do something.

“I’m just sitting there soaking up jewels, you know what I’m saying,” he added. “But that’s what it was like with Hov. I’m a listener, so, I’ma sit back and collect all the jewelry as I, as much as I can.”

You can listen to Conway The Machine’s interview on Apple Music here.

Elon Musk’s SNL appearance had far less controversy than many expected, though the days after he showed up and declared Dogecoin a “hustle” apparently haven’t been very kind to his net worth. Musk’s chance to host the show had cryptocurrency enthusiasts excited about the potential to send the coin “to the moon” in value, but while he said it on the show that hasn’t exactly worked out for anyone.

Despite mentioning crypto and quite literally explaining what Dogecoin was on Weekend Update, the price of the coin crashed throughout show and has continued to stay lower than it was in the lead-up to his appearance. Musk has encouraged people to invest in Dogecoin and other cryptocurrencies, and his Tesla had previously accepted Bitcoin to buy cars in the past.

But as Forbes pointed out, Tesla and some other of Musk’s investments saw drops as well in the wake of his SNL appearance and other decisions announced this week, to the tune of about a $20 billion loss in his net worth.

Shares of Tesla have fallen 15% so far this week, lowering Musk’s net worth by $20.5 billion—to $145.5 billion as of market close on Thursday—according to Forbes’ estimates. He remains the third-richest person on the planet, just slightly ahead of Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates, whose fortune stands at an estimated $127.6 billion.

It’s extremely unlikely the drops were entirely related to SNL, regardless of how well or not he did on the show. But the drops are related, in part, to cryptocurrency. This week Tesla abruptly said it would stop accepting Bitcoin as payment for vehicles, causing both the value of the crypto and Tesla itself to fall. Musk announced the move on Twitter, citing the currency’s mining uses a huge amount of energy and is not viable when it comes to climate change.

As Forbes’ Sergei Klebnikov pointed out, Bitcoin dropped by about 17 percent in the wake of that announcement, and another Tesla announcement about a factory further saw its stock dip. There are a number of different ripple effects that happened, and it’s all very interesting to see what impacts other things in the market. But it’s clear that Musk’s appearance on the show did not give crypto fans the boost they wanted. Since then, in fact, the news has pushed everything a bit further away from the moon.

[via Forbes]

Some of the best uniforms in the NBA are going away. According to Aaron Dodson of The Undefeated, the Miami Heat will retire their iconic Vice uniforms, which have existed in some form or fashion as the club’s City Edition threads since the 2017-18 season and have consistently been among Nike’s top sellers.

Miami’s last home game of the regular season Thursday against the Philadelphia 76ers marks the end of this storied uniform era. The Heat will suit up in Vice jerseys for what may be the final time as the team prepares to head in a different direction with its uniforms in this year’s playoffs and next season.

The Heat decided to use their Twitter account to celebrate the unis in the lead-up to Thursday night’s game.

Miami’s done four versions of these kits — the first were a sleek black look, followed by fuchsia, blue, and then the gradient look that has become a staple this season. It’s unclear if they will come back at any time in the future, or if the team will ever try to sell Vice-inspired merch going forward, but according to chief marketing officer Michael McCullough, the team is open to anything, even making it the team’s permanent colors if the situation is absolutely correct.

“A ton of people keep asking us, ‘Why don’t you just make Vice the Heat’s permanent colors?’ ” McCullough told The Undefeated. “And I’m not gonna say we don’t have those conversations internally, because we do. And will we continue to have those conversations? Absolutely. … But that’s a big decision, right? You’re talking about the total identity of a brand. There’s an over 30-year history with this team and there’s a lot of equity in red, black and white. We won our first championship in red. That red uniform here has a lore. That’s a long-term decision that we have to make, and you don’t want to make it just because you’ve had a lot of success with this run of uniforms. Having said that, it’s not out of the question though.”