Month: May 2021

Now that the world is eagerly rushing a return to normalcy after over a year of shutdowns, cancellations, and rigid social distancing rules, the need for music to keep everyone’s spirits up is more integral than ever.

Since music serves as a snapshot of our life experiences, the Song Of The Summer plays a huge role in remembering and cherishing those moments. (I’ll never forget the summer before eighth grade thanks to Rihanna’s “Pon De Replay.”) If 2021 is as massive in real life as it is in theory, this year’s summer hit could be etched in our memories forever.

While we have the power to christen our own Song Of The Summer, there is often one song that the mainstream unofficially dictates as “the one.” This song is inescapable, often catchy, gives you the feeling of being carefree, and sometimes, it’s incredibly danceable. What better way to kick things off than with a prediction of what that coveted track will be?

Here’s a list of 10 potential “songs of the summer.”

Justin Bieber – “Peaches” Feat. Daniel Caesar and Giveon

The sweet and tangy vibe of the Billboard chart-topper basically oozes fun in the sun, so this pick should be a given. Its continent-trotting chorus — where Biebs mentions hitting up Georgia, California, and his Canadian home up-north — also provides inspiration for listeners’ safe, CDC-regulated summer travel plans.

Dua Lipa – “Levitating” Feat. DaBaby

Lockdown didn’t allow Dua Lipa to have the summer anthem she deserved in 2020 after releasing the Grammy-winning album Future Nostalgia last spring. However, the rap remix to her hit “Levitating” continues to sit pretty on the 2021 charts, so there’s a chance her reign will finally hit. (Better late than never!) The song’s disco-heavy energy also capitalizes on the country’s collective yearning for better, simpler times.

Doja Cat – “Kiss Me More” Feat. SZA

Doja Cat owned summer last year with her ‘70s inspired “Say So,” so another hit for the singer/rapper during the sunny season would be most apropos. As with “Levitating,” “Kiss Me More” has old-school club vibes (with an interpolation of Olivia Newton-John’s “Physical”) that brings throwback themes to the forefront, while Doja’s slick-tongued rap and SZA’s laid back swagger modernize the tune.

Kali Uchis – “Talepatía”

In a sea of chart-topping anthems, this is somewhat a dark horse in the competition. However, given the song’s theme about a long-distance lover, it works perfectly given our socially-distanced circumstances. The TikTok-favorite found on Uchis’ sophomore album, “Talepatía” also comes equipped with production befitting of her Colombian heritage, which provides a different sound for those cross-country, top-down road trips.

Olivia Rodrigo – “Good 4 U”

Unlike other Song Of The Summer selections which utilize the disco/R&B sound, the pop-punk style is strong with “Good 4 U.” With Hayley Williams-levels of enthusiastic aggression overlaying the entire track, Rodrigo shows her range as a performer. Plus, if she rules the summer, it’s proof that the *future* Grammys Best New Artist nominee is a singer for all seasons. (Remember, she had winter on lock with “Drivers License.”)

Silk Sonic – “Leave The Door Open”

The soulful, smooth, and silky song evokes vintage vibes (do we see a pattern here?), which is perfect for ditching our collective present-day COVID-19 nerves for a few minutes. The inviting, sensual lyrics could provide listeners with the courage to begin a potential summer fling, or to have a chill evening with that special someone…

“Twerkulator,” City Girls

…but if you’re trying to live out #VaxxedGirlSummer or #ShotGirlSummer to the fullest, look no further than “Twerkulator.” Thanks to long-awaited sample clearance (it uses Afrika Bambaataa and Soulsonic Force’s “Planet Rock”), the Miami rap mainstays released their highly-anticipated song just in time for Memorial Day Weekend. It certainly may be time for the twerkulator, so shake what ya mama gave ya.

Nicki Minaj – “Itty Bitty Piggy”

If you’re looking to be on your boss b*tch tip this summer, allow Nicki Minaj to give you the anthem. Now that the streets are opening back up, Onika’s enduring hit from her now-streamable mixtape Beam Me Up Scotty is a perfect contender for the coveted Song Of The Summer honor, especially since it continues to “go awf” 12 years after its initial release. The Queen of Rap could still be on top.

BTS – “Butter”

With synthy, ‘80s-drenched production, the Bangtan Boys’ latest dance-pop anthem (released May 21) hit DSPs just in time for the change in temperature, and is sure to keep things “hot like summer” for both their diehard fans and casual listeners.

Natasha Bedingfield – “Unwritten”

Though it was released in 2004, the English singer’s euphoric pop track was given new life thanks to a trap-friendly TikTok remix (“Like Yhop” by Esco featuring Shawn P). The original musical breath of fresh air has been heavily praised since the dance challenge popped off. Many hope that Summer 2021 is a reintroduction to freedom, and we’re ready to (safely) “feel the rain on [our] skin” again.

Honorable Mention: Whatever Drake Drops

Drake had the summer season in his clutches at least two times in the past. 2016 was the year of “One Dance,” and 2018 gave us “In My Feelings.” Given what he teased fans with his March EP Scary Hours 2, we don’t have any doubts that Certified Lover Boy will provide some sort of summer anthem whenever it drops. Kudos to you, Drake, for keeping us on our toes.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Compass Box Glasgow Blend just won a double gold medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. That’s no easy task. That means every judge awarded it a gold medal and was unanimous in their praise for the dram. It’s an exceedingly rare honor. An honor that motivated us to break open our own bottle of the blended whisky to see what’s up.

Compass Box is one of the most interesting blenders working in the game today. The London-based whisky blendery sources barrels from all over Scotland and brings them together for some of the most unique (and delicious) blends on the market. Many of the brand’s whiskies are in a pretty high price bracket — in the U.S. it’s easy to see them priced over $100. Glasgow Blend, on the other hand, is a very affordable bottle of blended scotch. You can snag a bottle for $40 and it’s fairly widely available.

That makes this an even more intriguing prospect. Okay, let’s get into how this one tastes.

Compass Box Glasgow Blend Scotch Whisky

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $40

The Whisky:

This expression is a marrying of whiskies from all over Scotland. 65 percent of the juice comes from single malts from a “distillery near the town of Aberlour,” Laphroaig, and Clynelish. The rest is part Highland malt blend (from the Glen Moray, Tomatin, and Balmenach distilleries) and a grain whisky from Cameronbridge distillery. Those whiskies were barreled in sherry and bourbon casks with a French oak barrel thrown in too.

Tasting Notes:

The nose draws you in with this subtle peaty malt that feels more kissed by a hint of smoke than drowned in it in a malting room. There’s also a light stewed stone fruit vibe in play — kind of like a prune sitting next to a nutmeg bulb. Going back to the nose, a very faint cherry arrives.

The first sip is “malty scotch!” That then leads to dry straw, very mild plum, the memory of opening up a bag of charcoal, and almond shells. The taste really leans into the malts. But again, you don’t feel much smoke. Instead, you’re left with a slightly sweet straw and a buzzing maltiness that is more reminiscent of a cleaned-out fireplace than “smoke.”

The Bottle:

The bottle really isn’t anything to write home about. It’s a standard bottle. The label has the iconic bit of Glaswegian art and humor with the Wellington Statue centered. That makes the label more the talking point than the standard, clear bottle, but it’s nothing much.

Bottom Line:

This is a damn fine blended scotch. It works really nicely as a sipper without a rock. I’d also wager this is going to be a hell of a cocktail base too. If you’re looking for a solid blended whisky from outside the big ten (Johnnie, Chivas, Cutty, Grouse, etc.), then this is definitely a great choice.

Rating:

88/100. This is a really solid whisky. It’s not going to blow your socks off, but it’s refined and very drinkable with a very approachable smoke factor.

Following up other big local LA announcements about live music like the 2021 Hollywood Bowl schedule, today the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association has announced the full details of The Ford 2021 Summer Season, which runs from July 30 – October 31, 2021. The 1200-seat outdoor amphitheater might not have the size or cache as other well-known LA venues like the The Greek Theater or the Bowl, but this year’s packed lineup more than makes up for the smaller size. This is the theater’s first season in conjunction with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, and the quality of artists definitely reflects that.

Beginning with two free weeks of concerts featuring all LA artists starting July 30, the LA Phil and Father John Misty will also perform two free concerts on September 22 and 23. , Syrian American singer-songwriter and composer Bedouine will perform on August 6, and on September 3 rock icon Patti Smith will appear with Jackson Smith and Tony
Shanahan for a night of both music and poetry. Electronic artists Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith and Julianna Barwick will both perform on September 25 and Mexican acoustic guitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriela are slated for two shows, on September 17 & 18. The season closes out with a performance from Moses Sumney, and a mid-October set from Niia is another highlight.

Check out the full schedule for the year below and check out The Ford’s site for updates here.

07/30 — The Marias with YOLA (Youth Orchestra Los Angeles)
07/31 — The Improvised Shakespeare Company
08/01 — Taikoproject
08/03 —Chamber Music with the LA Phil
08/06 — Bedouine, Steady Holiday
08/08 – LA Soundscapes, Le Ballet Dembaya
08/14 — Pierrot Lunaire/Voices from the Killing Jar
08/15 — Pierrot Lunaire/Voices from the Killing Jar
08/21 — Boleros for the Soul, Gaby Moreno, Tres Souls
08/22 — LA Soundscapes, Fiestas de mi Tierra
08/27 — Cinderella, Pacific Opera Project
08/29 — A night of “Pinoy”tainment
09/03 — Patti Smith with Jackson Smith and Tony Shanahan
09/04 — FlyPoet Summer Classic
09/16 — Vintage Trouble
09/17 — Rodrigo y Gabriela
09/18 — Rodrigo y Gabriela
09/19 — LA Soundscapes, Extra Ancestral
09/22 — Father John Misty and the LA Phil
09/23 — Father John Misty and the LA Phil
09/24 — Cecile McLorin Salvant
09/25 — Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, Julianna Barwick
10/01 — Versa-Style Dance Company, Freemind Freestyle
10/09 — Viva La Tradition! Mexico De Noche
10/10 — Element Band
10/14 — Angel City Jazz:: Billy Childs
10/15 — Pan-American Hoy!/iLe/Lido Pimienta
10/21 — Niia
10/22 — Rodrigo Amarante
10/23 — The Muppet Movie
10/24 — Film at The Ford Under the Stars
10/30 — Moses Sumney

For each of the last few years, The Match has served as an opportunity for golf fans to watch some of the sport’s biggest names hit the links with athletes for other sports. It was announced on Wednesday morning that the latest edition of the event will take place next month, with two PGA tour pros teaming up with two of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.

In one corner, PGA Championship winner Phil Mickelson will join forces with reigning Super Bowl champion Tom Brady to go up against U.S. Open champ Bryson DeChambeau and NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers.

It is not the first time that Mickelson and Brady have participated in The Match alongside one another, as the two took on Tiger Woods and Peyton Manning in May of 2020. The pair narrowly lost, and following the announcement of next month’s event, Mickelson took to Twitter to say that they have some unfinished business to take care of.

Brady also talked a little trash on Twitter.

As for DeChambeau and Rodgers, this is the first time that either have played in The Match. Rodgers has not talked any trash on social media in the lead-up, while DeChambeau promised to put on a show.

The latest version of The Match will take place at Moonlight Basin in Big Sky, Montana, with money raised going to Feeding America.

Sleater-Kinney made a big comeback with their 2019 album The Center Won’t Hold and they’re already gearing up for yet another release. The band, comprised of members Carrie Brownstein and Corin Tucker, recently announced their upcoming LP Path Of Wellness. Now, they’ve returned to share another look at the effort’s buzzing sound with the discordant track “High In The Grass.”

The grainy and saturated video that arrived with the single further explores the theme of a cathartic release. After holding onto pent-up energy for over a year, Sleater-Kinney sing of coming alive alongside the blooming spring. “The spring night came alive and we lost our minds / And danced to no music like fools / We cannot hear the chimes when it rings midnight / We can’t imagine what we will lose,” they sing.

Upon announcing their Path Of Wellness LP, Sleater-Kinney said:

“We wrote it last spring and summer, holed up in Portland, and recorded it in late summer and early fall. This is the first S-K record we’ve produced ourselves. The entire process relied upon taking stock of who and what was nearby, upon generosity of time, spirit, and input, but mostly upon a mutual love, need, and gratitude for making music.”

Watch Sleater-Kinney’s “High In The Grass” video above.

Path Of Wellness is out 6/11 via Mom+Pop. Pre-order it here.

Welcome to SNX DLX, our weekly sneaker roundup of the best shoes to drop on the market. Before we get into this week’s offerings, we’d like to mention that the highly anticipated Alien Blue YEEZY BOOST 380 is rumored to drop over Memorial Day weekend, though a release date has yet to be officially confirmed. Since things aren’t quite official yet, we’re going to go ahead and leave this one off this week’s list, but keep an eye on the Yeezy Brand website on May 31st for a possible morning drop.

This week we’ve got new Dunks, Jordans, a six sneaker BAPE collection, a dope Reebok Instapump Fury collaboration, and a KITH and Vans linkup, so let’s dive in and get a closer look at this week’s best kicks. After you hit the sneakers, be sure to check out our list of the outdoor adventure brands you need on your radar to find that perfect summer road trip fit.

Air Jordan 1 Low Panda

The aptly named Jordan 1 Panda features a colorway of contrasting black and whites to resemble… well, a panda! Is adorable the wrong word to use for a pair of Jordan 1s? Because these are adorable. Featuring a premium leather upper with a pure black base and clean white paneling, the Panda is the second dope low-top Jordan colorway Nike has dropped this month. Hopefully, that leads to a resurgence of appreciation for the low top AJ-1. This pair is dropped as a WMNS size exclusive, so if you have a dream of dressing your giant feet like a Panda, it’s not going to happen just yet.

The Air Jordan 1 Low Panda is out now for a retail price of $90. Pick up a pair via aftermarket sites like StockX.




Vans x KITH OG Classic Slip-On LX

KITH is celebrating its 10 year anniversary as a label this year and in celebration, label head Ronnie Fieg has teamed up with Vans Vault to deliver 10 different pairs of OG Classic Slip-on LXs. The 10 designs all feature Vans’ usual canvas upper with KITH branding and all sorts of different prints, from more nature-inspired landscape designs, to floral offerings, and a set of Paisley bandana designs.

It’s nice to see Vans doing something a little more fun with its silhouettes, each shoebox comes decorated with the same print as the pair inside. The collection feels more like a celebration of Vans than it does KITH but hey, we’re not complaining if it looks this good.

The Vans x KITH OG Classic Slip-On LX is out now for a retail price of $90. Pick up a pair at KITH.

Dunk High Court Purple

If you’re a massive Dunk head but despise the Lakers, brace yourself, this one is going to hurt. Dubbed the Court Purple, this high-top Dunk is a complete celebration of the Los Angeles Lakers, with its purple and gold upper and Lakers-inspired Nike branding at the heel.

Featuring a black embroidered base with royal purple leather paneling, and a yellow-gold wrap-around swoosh, it’s almost impossible to separate this design from the team that inspired it. We’re not going to say you can’t rock this pair if you’re not into the Lakers but… why would you?

The Nike Dunk High Court Purple is set to drop on May 28th for a retail price of $110. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.




WMNS Air Jordan 3 Rust Pink

Truly a work of art, the Air Jordan 3 Rust Pink is definitely worthy of inclusion on our best Jordan 3s of all time list. Featuring an exposed foam tongue with a warm bubblegum pink leather upper and pink on white elephant print on the mudguard, the Jordan 3 Rust Pink is simply one of the best colorways to ever grace the Jordan 3. How did it take Jordan Brand this long to produce a pink Jordan 3? Sometimes Nike makes weird decisions that force us to question whether they like money or not (spoiler: they obviously do).

Like the Panda, this Jordan is a WMNS-size exclusive. On one hand, that’s frustrating, Nike would be better served to drop this one in a full-size run (again, don’t ya’ll like money?) but on the other hand, it’s cool to see Nike making up for all the times they’ve dropped their best colorways sized to those of us with bigger feet.

The WMNS exclusive Air Jordan 3 Rust Pink is set to drop on May 28th for a retail price of $190. Pick up a pair at Flight Club.

Clot x Dr. Martens 1461

Every time we talk about Dr. Martens it seems the brand is celebrating some sort of anniversary, this time the brand has linked with Chinese label CLOT for a new iteration of the classic 1461 herby shoe. Featuring an all-black upper with a glowing red undertone, the 1461 features red detailing on the eye stays and stitching and sits atop a blood-red midsole.

It’s dark, moody, and a little gritty. If the boys of Peaky Blinders lived in the modern age, they’d be rocking these.

The CLOT x Dr. Martens 1461 is set to drop on May 29th for a retail price of $150. Pick up a pair via the Dr. Martens webstore.




BAPE Color Camo BAPE STA

It’s been a while since BAPE has appeared on SNX DLX, but that all changes this week thanks to this six-colorway drop of the Japanese label’s iconic BAPE STA sneaker silhouette. Featuring an upper of glossy patent leather, the colorways include bubblegum pink, a moody grey and black pair, blue and black, a David Bowie-esque purple on maroon, forest green on lime, and crimson on red, with BAPE ape branding on the lateral heel and a chunky white matching midsole.

They’re loud and a bit cartoonish, but a whole lot of fun. The sneakers are dropping as part of BAPE’s Color Camo BAPE STA collection, which includes matching apparel and is definitely worth checking out.

BAPE’s six sneaker Color Camo BAPE STA is set to drop On May 29th for a retail price of $279. Pick up a pair via the BAPE webstore.

FTMD. X Reebok Instapump Fury Unknown Territory Dawn/Dusk

Originally dropping as an Atmos exclusive, this take on Reebok’s Instapump Fury by FTMD. is inspired by hiking culture, with deep tread on the sole, a fuzzy suede upper, and premium rugged construction designed to take a bit of a beating. Dropping in two colorways dubbed Dawn and Dusk, the former is lighter in color, mixing off-white tan and yellow, with the Dusk sporting rich purple tones on blue suede with white detailing.

We don’t love the gimmicky nature of the Instapump, but when they look this good it’s easy to look past the gimmick.

The FTMD. x Reebok Instapump Fury Unknown Territory collection is set to drop on May 29th for a retail price of $145. Pick up a pair exclusively at FTMD.




Adidas Yeezy Foam RNNR Mineral Blue/Sand

The Yeezy Foam RNNR is a divisive shoe amongst sneakerheads, even more divisive than those equally alien-looking Yeezy Slides but let’s face it, you’re going to see your fair share of these walking around this summer. At the end of the day, sneakerheads are just a small niche community — whereas the general public loves these things! The debut Sand colorway was incredibly popular, selling out instantly once it went live, which is why it’s making a return here, but we’re much more excited for the new Mineral Blue colorway.

Featuring a midnight blue shade, the Mineral Blue is just a bit more exciting than the Sand, but if you already hate the Foam RNNR we seriously doubt a new colorway is going to win you over. The Adidas YEEZY Foam RNNR Mineral Blue and Sand are set to drop on May 29th for a retail price of $80. Pick up a pair at GOAT or Flight Club.

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Disclaimer: While all of the products recommended here were chosen independently by our editorial staff, Uproxx may receive payment to direct readers to certain retail vendors who are offering these products for purchase.

In the past week or so, Meghan McCain and Joy Behar have had three contentious back-and-forths on The View that all ended in McCain screaming while Whoopi Goldberg moved to commercial. The latest shouting match on Monday morning got so bad that Goldberg finally snapped and exploded on McCain, who kept yelling, “Why are you cutting me off?” when the segment had clearly ran out of time.

According to a new TMZ report, Kim Godwin, the new president of ABC News, wants to deal with the escalating situation and called an emergency meeting with The View producers and co-hosts after reportedly getting “flooded” with viewers demanding that McCain be fired from the show. Via TMZ:

Our sources say Godwin — who just took the helm at ABC earlier this month — told everyone things are getting too personal on TV lately, not with the issues they’re debating … but with the attacks between co-hosts.

Godwin told everyone it’s coming off as toxic to the audience, and it’s not the direction she wants for the show.

While Godwn’s request, if true, seems reasonable, it reportedly did not go over well with McCain. According to TMZ’s sources, the conservative co-host “stormed out of the meeting” before it was over and claimed that she was being “attacked.” However, both McCain and Behar were on the air on Wednesday morning, and so far, there has been little sign of fireworks or fallout from the meeting. For now.

(Via TMZ)

SZA did some damage control on Twitter after her earlier comment about “hating” her label apparently led to fans lashing out at Top Dawg Entertainment and its president Punch, the most active member on social media. “Punch is my manager (not a machine or a label) lol,” she clarified. “also been like my stage dad the last 10 yrs. be nice to him pls. he really fights for me. Not angry w him. Or anybody really. Jus my own choices.”

She also made the self-aware observation that her words were being taken out of context because they were stated on a public forum. “I be in the comments of my supporters pages thinking I’m talking freely to 4 ppl lmao,” she noted. “I’m not. Woops lol.”

It’s not the first time that one of SZA’s outbursts have led to a stir on social media — and unsurprisingly, also involved Punch. In August of last year, she tweeted, “At this point y’all gotta ask punch. I’ve done all I can do.” However, after fans took her tweet more seriously than she intended (always a danger on Twitter, where concepts like “sarcasm” and “inside jokes” are practically held in contempt if they’re acknowledged at all), she elaborated, “Don’t nobody need to free me. I’m not held hostage n neither is my music!! me n punch be disagreeing ..hes never steered me wrong and I trust Gods timing.”

Incidentally, she might be right; in 2017, after the runaway success of SZA’s debut album CTRL, she told The Guardian that her TDE cohorts had to physically take her hard drive away from her to keep her from tinkering and ensure its release.

As I mention to Craig Gillespie ahead, my interest in Cruella, an origin story of the villain from 101 Dalmatians, didn’t quite gran my attention until he became attached. My interest piques because Gillespie was just coming off I, Tonya, and if a movie about a young Cruella (played by Emma Stone) could have the same kind of energy that I, Tonya did, well that was certainly interesting.

And the weirdest thing about Cruella is that it does, and even Gillespie is pretty shocked Disney let him make this version. A version that Gillespie refers to as “dark and gritty.” When I mention a phrase like “dark and gritty” can also produce eye-rolls, Gillespie counters that, yes, that’s true, but “dark and gritty” works when a movie is also entertaining. And there are some strategies he uses to achieve that. And let’s not forget, this is a character whose mission in life will be to skin puppies, so how do you get someone like that on the audience’s side? Ahead, Gillespie explains.

When I first heard they were going to do this movie, I was like, “Oh, okay, sure.” But my interest piqued when I heard you were attached, because I really liked I, Tonya.

Similar to me, I got sent it, it was [president of production at Disney] Sean Bailey called me. And this was after I, Tonya obviously. He said, “What do you think about doing Cruella with Emma Stone and punk rock London with The Clash, a whole bunch of punk music?” And the fact that he was calling after I, Tonya, I felt like I could really sort of almost kind of do the PG-13 version of that. I just felt like that’s what they were looking for, and it ended up being the case, I think, and they were really supportive.

Well, you said you think that’s what they’re looking for. How far were you on the think scale? Because that could have gone poorly?

Literally, it’s like everybody would come in, all my production heads, and they start, in some cases, even presenting some stuff and I stopped them. I was like, okay, I just want to set the record straight. And this is no offense to Disney, but we’re not making a Disney movie. We’re making a 1970s punk English coming of age story. Just think of it that way. It was going to be gritty. It’s going to be dark and messy. I brought my DP with me from I, Tonya, Nicolas Karakatsanis. And so I just went for it. And I have to admit, at times I was kind of surprised I didn’t hear from Disney.

Even in a pitch where you hear, “Oh, I want to make a dark and gritty Cruella,” that on its own could get eye-rolls from people.

Well, the first thing was it had to be entertaining. The dark and gritty, you can do on the side. But the first thing I had to figure out is the script. And I’ve sort of learned over the years and say I’ve got to lean into what I’m really comfortable with: and oddly that’s this high wire act of this dance between humor and comedy and drama. But I need the writing to be there for that. And that was Tony McNamara, who I was actually working with on a script at the time. And he had just done The Favourite with Emma Stone and he agreed to dive into it. And then that’s when, for me, it really came alive. And then it was like once we had that to run with, it got really excited for me.

Like a lot of people, my parents took me to see the animated 101 Dalmatians. So I guess Cruella has been a part of my life that I haven’t thought much about for a long time until now.

I mean, that’s fair.

But once I did, right before watching this movie, if you really think about what this character does, it’s really fucked up. Skinning dogs…

Puppies.

Puppies, right. There’s no real way around that. This is screwed-up stuff.

It’s kind of mind-boggling the lack of backstory there is about Cruella that she’s become so iconic. And I sort of just went back to the animated series. And it’s just that introduction of her in the animated series and she comes bursting into the room and she’s got that green smoke trailing her. And she’s so abrasive, but funny. I mean, I think that’s where the world fell in love with her. It’s just literally that three minutes scene and that was kind of my touchstone for this.

So you’ve kind of done this two movies in a row – and obviously one involves a real person, Tonya Harding – but you’ve taken people and/or characters that the audience is kind of starting out going “I’m not sure I like this person.” And you have to make us sympathize with them, and you’ve done it twice now. Which one was more difficult to do to? And what’s the trick to that?

I don’t know which one was… It’s funny. For me, I feel like everybody in life, there’s a set of circumstances that gets them to make the choices that they’re doing. But when you track that, that’s where you get the empathy because you see what their journey has been, why they’re emotionally where they are, or damaged the way that they are damaged. And I think it’s hard not to have empathy for any individual in that case. And there’s still the old adage of good people can do bad things. But even villains, when they’re doing their evil things, they always feel justified for any set of circumstances. So I’d always hope that with I, Tonya, we would get to that place. I always had that moment in time where she does the skating at the Olympics – that I designed it around landing there. And that was the thing I was most concerned about in that film, that we would land there. But through the performance and just the stripping away of other characters, we got to that sort of beautiful moment with her, the mirror. With this one, I think it’s a different dynamic. Although, I guess you could say it was a similar parallel to Allison Janney: the worst we made the Baroness, the easier it was to empathize with anything that Cruella did.

Okay, there’s the answer. I don’t want to call it “a trick,” but that’s how you do it.

Yeah because the Baroness does some heinous things, obviously. So it’s like, yeah, get her. It’s like maybe you’re not going to actually go out and commit crimes like Cruella does, but you kind of root for her to bring her down and use any of her facilities to do that.

Your last three movies, on the surface all three could have been pretty easily not great. Like with The Finest Hours with Chris Pine…

I think we always start with character for better or worse. And sometimes it can be scary. Like on that one with Chris Pine, it’s like we could’ve just done a conventional action film…

Yes, conventional, you’re wording that question better than I did.

I was like, you know what? Let’s make him like Rocky. And just trying to put Rocky into action situation where it’s just kind of this sweet guy that’s just trying to get by and maybe not up to speed on all the angles here, but he knows his craft really well. It just gave a whole character to Chris Pine that gave me a little trepidation leaning into it, but it just made it more interesting to me.

Even though you said that Cruella wasn’t your style of movie, then you made it your style.

I think, well, the interesting thing with that one, if we are going to gut that, it was my wife. Because I had trepidation, trying to figure out: All right, how do I crack this? And my wife was like, “It’s Emma Stone playing Cruella. Figure it out.”

You have an Oscar winner.

Yeah. I mean, she’s just such a versatile amazing actor and she really is. I said if I knew we would crack the story, she should be amazing in it. And that was the excitement. It was the constant – I wouldn’t say challenge – but it’s like I did more wrangling on this, of the script, and getting it ready literally to the day of shooting. Every morning, I’d be in a nice 45-minute drive to the set and I’d be sitting there reworking things and changing, adding stuff and looking for opportunities every day with every scene that we were doing.

You had a lot of needle drops in I, Tonya and you obviously have a lot of needle drops in this. And you mentioned punk, but not every song in this movie… actually the overwhelming majority of the songs in this movie are not punk. You’ve got Tina Turner’s cover of “Come Together” in this, which is not a punk song.

No, truly I was surprised when I went back and really listened to the punk music from the 70s. It’s not that aggressive, outside of the Sex Pistols. Who, for lyric reasons, was the one thing Disney wouldn’t let us use. But if you listen to The Jam or some of the other English punk, The Kinks, it’s not as aggressive as the speed metal and stuff that came along after that, surprisingly. So it sort of works in some ways, but then there’s something the rock music to me of that era had such a duality to it. It was something that was so full-on or poignant with so many melodies and so many songs, but it was still optimistic or had the strength to it. And I throw music on the day we shot that first scene with the Baroness, and I wasn’t expecting The Doors. But just the way she’s getting out of the car and the power that she has, and just the fear within the stores, everybody’s running around, but it should have The Doors track on. And I thought, Oh, that’s it. And it never changed.

‘Cruella’ opens this weekend in theaters and will also stream via Disney+. You can contact Mike Ryan directly on Twitter.

Channing Tatum hasn’t appeared in a movie since 2017’s Kingsman: The Golden Circle (you only hear his voice in Smallfoot and The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part), but he’s making up for the lost time with two excellent-sounding projects.

There’s Dog, a road-trip comedy (and his directorial debut) starring Tatum and A Very Good Boy, and The Lost City of D, in which the Magic Mike actor portrays a hunky book cover model who goes on an adventure with a romance novelist, played by Sandra Bullock. The Romancing the Stone-sounding action comedy also stars Brad Pitt, Patti Harrison, Daniel Radcliffe, and Da’Vine Joy Randolph, and I would like to see it ASAP. Unfortunately, The Lost City of D doesn’t come out until 2022; fortunately, he’s already promoting the film by showing off his d. (My liberal arts degree is finally paying off!)

The Magic Mike star, 41, posed totally nude save for a monkey emoji over his man parts on his Instagram Story Tuesday, joking that his six-pack abs were the result of “flexing so hard” he “got a cramp.”

What a powerful collection of words.

“You know when you in the make-up trailer a**hole naked holding a towel over your junk you about to do some sh*t on set that you gonna have to prepare ya mama for before she see the movie,” he wrote, along with the “smiling face with horns” emoji and the #lostcityofd hashtag. I do not know what that’s like, Channing Tatum. You can see the photo for yourself here, but be warned, it shows more of Tatum than even Magic Mike.

If The Lost City of D doesn’t make a billion dollars, it should be considered a dud.

(Via Page Six)