Month: September 2021

Daniel Craig recently revealed that he did something truly heinous: He punched Dave Bautista in the nose. It was an accident, a misfire that happened while they were shooting a knock-down, drag-out fight scene in the previous Bond outing, Spectre. Craig claimed he did what all of us would do if we accidentally punched a former wrestler in the snout: He ran away. But Bautista himself is not so sure he agrees 100 percent with his police work.

“He did not run!!!” Bautista claimed on Twitter a day after the story went viral. “He started screaming ‘F*ck I broke his nose!! And he did.” But instead of the now ex-007 making a break for it, Bautista says he hugged him, apologized, and they laughed. “I changed clothes, shoved TP up my nose and we continued to make one of the best fight scenes ever.”

Craig made the claim during a recent appearance on The Graham Norton Show, where he told the story slightly differently, perhaps to make himself seem worse, as per IndieWire:

“I threw a punch and hit him on the nose,” Craig said. “I heard this crack and I was like ‘Oh God no’ and ran away. I thought he was going to come after me, but he was so sweet.”

Craig said that Bautista set his nose back in place and production continued, adding, “He’s a lot tougher than I am. I’ll give him that.”

So the lesson: If you accidentally break Dave Bautista’s nose while shooting a fake fight for a blockbuster movie, don’t run. Instead, give him a hug. Although maybe that only applies to Daniel Craig.

In the meantime, the long-delayed No Time to Die — Craig’s swan song as 007 — will finally hit theaters on October 8.

ICYMI: Last week’s “Ted Lasso” episode used the iconic song “Never Gonna Give You Up” in a whole new way. It was so moving that Rick Astley himself had to give his heartfelt praise.

In Season 2, Episode 10 of the critically acclaimed series, the show once again pushed the envelope of blending tragedy and comedy with its unique, irreverent and sweet-and-salty depiction of grief. At her father’s funeral, Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham) struggles to find the words to give a proper eulogy. So instead, she delivers a soft spoken, almost whisper-like performance of the classic Astley tune, until the whole crowd joins her.

The show managed to take this famous pop song—normally seen as a silly gag—and transformed it into the episode’s most provocative emotional moment in a way that only “Ted Lasso” can.

So taken aback by this artistic choice, Rick Astley shared his reaction to the show in a teary-eyed video.

#Believe #Biscuits #Grrrr @TedLasso @jasonsudeikis @hanwaddingham @brendanhunting
@brettgoldstein @AppleTV… https://t.co/ZI5CTouHnn

— Rick Astley (@rickastley)
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In his video, Astley says “So, it’s taken a little while for me to process what I think about the latest episode of ‘Ted Lasso.’ I’m a massive fan of the show, and I was just completely blown away with what they did with that song. … People have said that even they cried in the church scene. I don’t want to give too much away. … Just amazing. Thank you very much for including that song in your beautiful show. I’m blown away. Just fantastic.”

Astley praised Waddingham’s effort in the scene and the impact it had on him. “I have to say, to Hannah Waddingham — Emmy award-winning Hannah Waddingham — you did an amazing, incredible job.”

Astley trailed off, looking a bit emotional before he said that he “didn’t cry.”

Emmy award-winning Hannah Waddingham appeared a bit starstruck in her reply to Astley’s tweet, saying, “DM’d you. Not going to embarrassingly fangirl in public!!”

@rickastley @TedLasso @jasonsudeikis @brendanhunting @brettgoldstein @AppleTV DM’d you. Not going to embarrassingly… https://t.co/4oClEZyUAx

— Hannah Waddingham. (@hanwaddingham)
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A few other show members were equally “fangirling” over the legendary crooner’s tweet.

😮 https://t.co/iwP98rLZKX

— Brendan Hunt (@brendanhunting)
1632623125.0

Awesome. #TedLasso https://t.co/IFcsrEsSjc

— Bill Lawrence (@VDOOZER)
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Rickrolling aside, Astley’s work is clearly hitting the public consciousness in a whole new (and perhaps better) way.

Because of her own experience with abuse and coercion in the music industry, Phoebe Bridgers is quick to speak out in support of other women who have faced similar experiences. Like Phoebe and many other women’s experience with Ryan Adams, as detailed in an investigative piece by The New York Times, sometimes the worst behavior comes from unexpected places. But producer Chris Nelson is vehement that his behavior doesn’t fall into that category, and is reportedly now suing Phoebe for defamation when she supported another woman for coming forward about him.

TMZ reports that Nelson has filed a lawsuit against Bridgers that “claims she seriously hurt his bottom line by falsely accusing him of being a violent abuser.” According to their reporting, the lawsuit alleges that Phoebe lied about the producer because she was close to his ex-girlfriend. Before Nelson began dating his ex, Phoebe and her allegedly had a relationship, and continued dating even after Nelson and the woman ended their relationship. That’s when the woman began speaking out about her abuse at the hands of Nelson, from grooming, stealing, violence and abuse to racially motivated violence, hate crimes, fraud, robbery and hacking women’s email accounts.

Because Phoebe directed her followers to the woman’s Instagram account where she was sharing what she experienced, Nelson is roping the musician into his suit. Nelson owns the Sound Space recording studio in downtown LA and is apparently suing Phoebe for “at least $3.8 million in damages.” He is also currently suing his ex for defamation, too.

TMZ didn’t get a comment from Bridgers’ camp, but we will update if and when they make one.

Drea Kelly appeared on Good Morning Britain this week to discuss the outcome of the sex crimes trial against her ex-husband R. Kelly, saying that her “heart is in two places” as a result of the guilty verdict handed down Monday (September 27). R. Kelly was found guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking, including 14 specific acts and eight counts of violating the Mann Act. Drea is “sad that it took this long,” but said that she has to “also wear the hat of a mother and an ex-wife,” unlike some of R. Kelly’s other victims.

“My heart definitely goes out to the survivors and the courage that it takes to come forward and tell the story,” she said, “But my heart breaks as a mother because this is now the legacy that my children will have to deal with and their children’s children. At the end of the day, you cannot walk away from your bloodline.”

She noted that she has the ability to more or less cut ties as the singer’s ex-wife, but that the former couple’s three adult children won’t have it so easy. “I have the ability to separate and kinda distance myself from it, but his blood runs through my children’s veins,” she said. “It’s part of their DNA and they couldn’t escape it even if they wanted to. So it’s very difficult for me to sit in that position.”

R. Kelly posted a statement on Facebook after the verdict was announced, writing, “To all my fans and supporters I love you all and thank you for all the support. Today’s verdict was disappointing and I will continue to prove my innocence and fight for my freedom.” Meanwhile, the prosecution in the trial produced a number of compelling witnesses who attested to Kelly violating the law by having fake ID made for Aaliyah so she couldn’t testify against him after a pregnancy scare, described specific sex acts committed by a 26-year-old Kelly on a 13-year-old Aaliyah, and recounted horrifying abuse at the singer’s hands.

A sentencing trial is set for May 4, 2022, as Kelly is set to go back to Chicago to face another trial on similar state charges.

One of the gripes Ben Simmons reportedly has about his current situation with the Philadelphia 76ers stems from the belief that he’s not able to fit alongside Joel Embiid on the court anymore. While there’s nothing personal there, Simmons’ thought is that the two can’t effectively play alongside one another.

According to a new report by Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, the well-documented trip that the Sixers’ brass took to Los Angeles to try and convince Simmons to come back to the team included a conversation about how his role might change. And while it involved giving more responsibility to him to the point that he’d be used as the focal point of the team’s offense when Embiid rests, it didn’t change his mind about leaving.

Rivers shared how he planned to use Simmons this upcoming season anyway: Embiid and Simmons would stagger minutes more often, and when Embiid came off the floor, Simmons would play the 5, sharing the frontcourt with Tobias Harris and new addition Georges Niang. Rivers said he wanted to put Simmons in more situations that resemble Giannis Antetokounmpo’s role in Milwaukee, with four shooters surrounding him, empowering him to be a primary scoring option with the second unit. Rivers and Morey, according to sources, said that Simmons and Embiid are the best defensive duo in basketball, and with some slight tweaks, they could be even more productive on the offensive end. Simmons wasn’t enthused.

In theory, this would be the best way to use Simmons’ talents, as the team would put four guys who can space the floor around him and give him the opportunity to attack defenses and set up teammates on the perimeter. Despite that, if Simmons wants to find himself in that role, it appears his heart is set on doing the Giannis-light thing somewhere other than the City of Brotherly Love.

There’s yet another Trump book en route, this one from inside the White House. Stephanie Grisham — the press secretary no one remembers, probably because she never held a single press briefing — is about to release the amusingly titled I’ll Take Your Questions Now, and no shock that it’s filled with goodies. For instance: Did you know the only thing that can calm the savage beast that is Trump is show tunes?

But there’s some dirt on Jared and Ivanka, too. As per The Washington Post, Grisham is clearly not a fan of the power couple, who obtained senior positions in the White House largely due to nepotism. She refers to Jared as “the Slim Reaper” due to his yen for inserting himself into other people’s projects, screwing it up, then leaving them to take the blame.

But there was one incident in which Jared and Ivanka failed to use their clout to get what they want. In 2019, during a trip to the United Kingdom — the one that bred that instant classic photo of the couple looking like porcelain dolls — they tried and failed to meet the Queen:

Tellingly, Grisham writes that Ivanka and Jared tried to push their way into meeting Queen Elizabeth II alongside the president and first lady, a wild breach of protocol on a state visit, but were thwarted when they couldn’t fit into the helicopter. “I finally figured out what was going on,” Grisham writes. “Jared and Ivanka thought they were the royal family of the United States.”

It seems Grisham wasn’t the only one who saw through Jared Kushner. “I had shared with Mrs. Trump many times my opinion that if we lost reelection in 2020 it would be because of Jared,” Grisham, who served as Chief of Staff to Melania before resigning on on Jan. 6, writes. “She didn’t disagree with me.”

(Via Washington Post)

The temperature is dropping, the pumpkins are out, and the Halloween copaganda is here. It happens every year: a local ABC, CBS, ABC, or Fox affiliate reports on the dangers of drug-laced candy in your kid’s trick or treat bag. But “how many children have actually been seriously injured or died as a result? The answer – given the available data on the topic – seems to be not a single one,” according to Canada’s CBC News.

Joel Best, a University of Delaware sociology and criminal justice professor, has researched reports of Halloween candy tampering in the U.S. dating back to the 1950s. “I couldn’t find a single report of a child killed or seriously injured from a contaminated treat received during trick-or-treating,” he said. “This is a contemporary legend, and that’s all it is.”

Best identified about 200 confirmed cases of candy tampering in the U.S. and Canada since 1958.

“The attempts to systematically follow up on all reports concluded that the vast majority were hoaxes,” Best said.

There’s even a Wikipedia page for “poisoned candy myths.” But here we go again:

“BEWARE: As Halloween gets closer, @BensalemPolice are warning parents to LOOK at your child’s candy before they eat it. They confiscated these snacks that look a lot like the real thing. All are laced with THC @6abc,” 6 ABC reporter Jaclyn Lee tweeted. Parents should look at candy given to their kids by strangers (good advice!), but to center the fake panic around drugs is Reefer Madness-level fearmongering. Because if there’s one thing drug dealers love, it’s giving away weed for free.

This particular scare tactic tweet did not have the desired effect, unless she meant to drive tourism to Bensalem, Pennsylvania, which is apparently loaded with free edibles. In that case, thank you for the public service.

It’s not even October yet. There’s still plenty more of these to come.

(Via CBC)

La Brea (NBC, 9:00pm) — Natalie Zea deserves some appreciation, dammit, and the Justified actress gets to sink her teeth into a glorious madhouse here. An enormous sinkhole, which looks to be at least one-square-mile in area, opens in the middle of LA and sucks her into some primeval hellhole, where pterodactyls and bad CGI reside. It looks absurd and preposterous and like probably the kind of show that could find a hopelessly devoted audience. Can NBC allow this sci-fi selection to blossom into its own brand of strangeness and let it stick, unlike that they’ve done with Manifest and Debris? If anyone can pull off the humor and the adventure that this role requires, it’s Zea, and if the writers can lean into preposterous setups while embracing the hot-mess, Manifest-like vibe, maybe, just maybe, the leading lady will get her due.

Britney Vs Spears (Netflix film) — Every streaming service is in on the Britney game these days, and Netflix is taking a stab at what really happened during the long, sordid history of the infamous conservatorship. Not only will this documentary paint a tragic portrait of a young woman who became trapped in her fame and family, but there’s also a shocking timeline to be unraveled here while, in real life, the pop singer moves toward (hopeful) autonomy.

Attack of the Hollywood Clichés! (Netflix special) — Rob Lowe brings his handsome to dig into the history and evolution of the most notorious clichés in Hollywood. Expect a plethora of guests to stop by, including Florence Pugh, along with screeners and critics and academics, all of whom deliver their takes on “meet-cutes” and “ladies running in stilettos.” Yes, there’s a “Wilhelm Scream” section, too.

Ada Twist, Scientist (Netflix series) — Plop the kiddos in front of the TV to enjoy this pint-sized scientist in lead-character mode, who takes on the truth with the help of two very good friends. Together, they explore how science solves the biggest mysteries while they hope to improve the world for all of mankind.

Stargirl (CW, 8:00pm) — Rick’s attempting to protect Solomon Grundy while hunters are causing a ruckus and Beth is a target.

Supergirl (CW, 9:00pm) — A magic totem’s the subject of a race between Supergirl and Nyxly, and although both might claim the piece of a pie, compromises must be made.

The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon — Jake Gyllenhaal, G-Eazy Ft. Demi Lovato

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert — Drew Carey, Phoebe Robinson

Late Night With Seth Meyers — Ray Liotta, Natasia Demetriou, Spencer Ackerman, Nick Baglio

In case you missed this streaming pick from last Tuesday:

Love on the Spectrum: Season 2 (Netflix series) — More stories of people on the autism spectrum arrive to show how they meet the challenges of dating and relationships. Expect an even greater variety of personalities, which will illustrate exactly how much diversity arises on the easily misunderstood spectrum.

Nessa Barrett‘s Pretty Poison EP only came out a few weeks ago, but the lip-syncing TikTok star is already earning plenty of attention for the five-track original release. Though she might’ve risen to fame for pitch perfect lip-synced performances of other pop star’s songs, it’s clear she’s more than capable of making hits all her own.

Today she shared the video for the EP’s title track, “Pretty Poison,” following up her visual for the hit song off the project, “I Hope Ur Miserable Until Ur Dead,” and the first of many more coming soon. In the new clip, a row of masked and hooded people sit in a theater to watch Barrett filming herself singing the defiant track. And of course there’s a shot of Barrett drinking the pink bottle that served as the artwork for her EP.

Nessa’s dark-pop sound is a logical soundtrack during a time of lockdown, pandemic, and isolation, as so many people are feeling distant or disappointed in the way things have played out. Her songs might be specifically pointed at a single person who wronged her, but they’re thoughtful enough to channel a larger feeling of distrust and self-loathing, which is what makes this pop dark — that doesn’t make it any less catchy though. Check out the new video above and stream the whole EP here.

Tesla recently made headlines for CEO Elon Musk’s presentation of the Tesla Bot, which already brings enough The Terminator vibes, even though Musk declared that the Tesla Bot (which can only move up to 5 MPH) is being set “at a mechanical level, at a physical level, that you can run away from it and most likely overpower it.” This, of course, doesn’t mean that Skynet can’t happen in real life, and now, Amazon’s presenting their very own contribution to this realm: the Amazon Astro. Wall Street Journal‘s Joanna Stern tweeted the harbinger out, as one does.

News of this development arrived during Amazon’s fall product event. Among other innovations, the company announced an Amazon Echo-Disney partnership; Amazon Glow (a video calling device tied to gaming for kids); and the availability of the Ring home security drone. And also, that bot, which will run you around $1000 and roam around your house and follow you around, basically as a mobile version of Alexa with cameras and everything. That’s not scary at all! Or maybe it is. Via CNBC, the lowdown:

Astro is equipped with a rotating screen that’s mounted onto a base with wheels. Amazon designed the robot to appear animated and friendly, with eyes and expressive body movements that respond to user interaction.

The robot can move on its own from room to room and is capable of navigating around objects on the floor or braking to avoid colliding with obstacles such as a pet that moves into its path. A periscope camera attached to the base of the device can be raised or lowered to view objects that are high up.

To no one’s surprise (and the delight of some), the joke-floodgates are open.

(Via CNBC)