With the news that her father will soon be removed as her co-conservator, Britney Spears has been more openly expressive on social media. She celebrated her newfound freedom by posting near-nudes while on vacation, and she recently directly thanked the #FreeBritney movement for calling attention to her legal case. Her independence is definitely a departure from what she experienced while her father acted as her conservator, as a new report states Jamie Spears was actively pushing religion on her during the early stages of her legal battles.
A report from TMZ details how Jamie, a born-again Christian after a stint in a rehab center early in Spears conservatorship, was trying to center the singer’s life around religion. TMZ alleges that Spears was diagnosed with a mental illness by medical professionals, but her father was convinced she could be helped by devoting herself to religion.
TMZ’s report states Jamie and his business partners would walk around with a bible in hand during the first year of Spears’ conservatorship, delivering lines of scripture. On top of that, Spears’ team only allowed her to read “religious material,” and there was a major disdain for anyone in her life who wasn’t considered to be a “good Christian.”
Part of the religious push on Spears was spearheaded by her management company, TriStar Entertainment, the CEO of which was also a fervent born-again Christian. Per a deal made by Jamie with TriStar, the company was getting five percent of Spears’ overall profits. But when the singer refused to continue performing in 2019, TriStar made an agreement with Jamie to still receive a $500,000 minimum annual salary, a deal which Spears’ legal team said accounted for a 260 percent raise. Spears’ legal team took action against the business deal in 2020, seeking over $300,00 from the entertainment company, the amount Spears’ team felt TriStar was overpaid.
The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor fans received a real treat from Mike Flanagan a few weeks ago with Netflix’s Midnight Mass. Have you watched it yet, and if not, what are you waiting for? Flanagan, who has called this his favorite project so far, hit another home run, further cementing his status as a modern horror master. As the series’ charismatic priest, Hamish Linklater will spook the hell out of your soul while charming you (and making you laugh during key moments) at the same time. In short, his character shakes up an isolated community that lives on spooky Crockett Island. A lot of supernatural shenanigans are afoot, but human nature proves to be scarier. And the show’s been sitting in the Netflix Top 10 list for weeks (although no one can hope to compete with Squid Game). Already, there’s a followup coming, too.
Wait a second, there’s already another Mike Flanagan (and Trevor Macy) series in the works with Netflix. That would be The Midnight Club (based on the Christopher Pike book), which finished up casting in February. And now there’s yet another project on the horizon, which would be based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe. The limited series will be called The Fall of the House of Usher, and Netflix isn’t saying too much (no projected date, no casting, zilch), yet, other than it’ll be based on multiple Poe offerings.
Limited series are the name of the horror game, man. With any luck, Netflix can bump this out for 2022 Halloween season, and by that time, we might already know about several Squid Game competing series, too.
Now that he’s begun work on The Flash, Michael Keaton has been noticeably more pumped about returning as Batman after 30 years, and he brought some of that enthusiasm to The Late Show on Tuesday night. While promoting his new Hulu series, Dopesick, Keaton proudly informed Stephen Colbert that his Batsuit still fits after the late night host asked if it needed to be “let out.”
“Svelte as ever,” Keaton responded. “Same dimensions. Same fitting.”
While also agreeing with Colbert that his performance in Tim Burton’s Batman is the “gold standard,” Keaton jokingly offered some assistance to all of the other Batmen that followed.
“I don’t know how many there are, like 77 Batmans,” he quipped. “They should form their own union.”
Jokes aside, Keaton has never been shy over the years about admitting that he stopped following the movies after he passed on Batman Forever, so it was pretty notable when he took a moment to specifically praise one Batman actor: Will Arnett. Keaton has never gushed about any of the other Batman films, but he made it a point to tell Colbert how much he loved The Lego Batman Movie. Christian Bale never got a shout-out like that.
Keaton’s return is obviously a huge get for The Flash movie that has been stuck in development hell for several years now. Although, Keaton reprising his role as The Dark Knight was looking iffy there for a while. Before his casting was officially confirmed, the actor made it very clear in interviews that if the COVID situation wasn’t looking good, he wasn’t putting the tights back on, which is completely understandable. Fortunately, Keaton felt safe enough to return, and he recently admitted to The Hollywood Reporter his reason for coming back.
“Frankly, in the back of my head, I always thought, ‘I bet I could go back and nail that motherf*cker.’”
For the better part of a decade, Aaron Maine has been an omnipresent force in the indie rock world, releasing consistently impressive music under the moniker Porches. Just about 18 months after his last release, Ricky Music, Maine is prepping another new LP. All Day Gentle Hold ! has something for everyone, covering the full spectrum of Porches’ evolving sound over the last several years. Where some songs have the more straightforward indie rock approach of his earlier releases, the electronic experimentation that dominated recent releases like The House and Pool is also stronger here than ever before.
To celebrate the new album, Maine sat down to talk Willie Nelson, tattooing an ex’s initials, and Cher’s Twitter in the latest Indie Mixtape 20 Q&A.
What are four words you would use to describe your music?
It’s 2050 and the world hasn’t ended and people are still listening to your music. How would you like it to be remembered?
Pure. I just would want people to think of me as someone who devoted their life to making art, and that the joy I felt creating these songs would be felt by the listener.
What’s your favorite city in the world to perform?
NYC!
Who’s the person who has most inspired your work, and why?
It’s much less a person than it is an irrepressible inexplicable urge to create, but maybe The Beatles are the most engrained in my head.
Where did you eat the best meal of your life?
My girlfriend’s house last night.
What album do you know every word to?
The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars by David Bowie. “My brain hurt like a warehouse, it had no room to spare/I had to cram so many things to store everything in there/And all the fat, skinny people/And all the tall, short people/And all the nobody people/And all the somebody peopleI/ never thought I’d meet so many people.”
What was the best concert you’ve ever attended?
Jonathan Richman at Bowery Ballroom was the most joyful performance I’ve ever seen.
What is the best outfit for performing and why?
It changes all the time, but whatever helps me believe in myself or is most in line with my mood, you gotta feel like yourself up there more than anything else.
Who’s your favorite person to follow on Twitter and/or Instagram?
Where’s the weirdest place you’ve ever crashed while on tour?
I’ll never forget staying in this RV in Texarkana that belonged to the person who booked our show there. We made a beautiful bonfire that night and the band slept great, I think I was like 19 years old.
What’s the story behind your first or favorite tattoo?
It is my high-school girlfriend’s initials LOL! I got it on Valentine’s Day when I was 17, probably my favorite tattoo still because it’s so over the top.
What artists keep you from flipping the channel on the radio?
Whatever station that seems like it might play “The Climb” by Miley Cyrus for no reason is the one I’m glued to.
What’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you?
Allowed me to make a career out of singing.
What’s one piece of advice you’d go back in time to give to your 18-year-old self?
DON’T SMOKE.
What’s the last show you went to?
Dan English at Baby’s All Right.
What movie can you not resist watching when it’s on TV?
The Temptations biopic. It’s probably not still on TV but when I was growing up I ate that up every time it came on, and it was always on.
What would you cook if Obama were coming to your house for dinner?
Blueberry pancakes.
All Day Gentle Hold ! is out October 8. Pre-order it here.
Virginia rapper-singer-saxophonist Masego hasn’t confirmed that he’s working on a new project yet, but he’s definitely been working, capitalizing on the additional attention he’s received from his participation on Drake’s new album Certified Lover Boy. Today, he released a smooth new single with Atlanta rappers Big Boi and JID, “Garden Party.” A celebration of all the things these boys enjoy, the Iman Omari and Jack Dine-produced single makes references to the film Stomp The Yard and the seminal 1985 Doug E. Fresh and MC Ricky D (aka Slick Rick) song, “La Di Da Di.”
The new track is the latest in a run of impressive guest verses for JID, who has popped up throughout the year on releases from Conway The Machine,Doja Cat, and fellow Dreamville rapper Lute. Conway’s song “Scatter Brain” also linked JID to another Atlanta legend, Ludacris, so it’s fair to say JID is making the most of the wait for his own next album.
Big Boi, meanwhile, recently celebrated the 25th anniversary of his and Andre 3000’s pioneering sophomore Outkast album ATLiensreissued pieces of vinyl. Big Boi also has a joint album with Sleepy Brown titled The Big Sleepover coming soon. Maybe he and JID can bond over their apparent shared love of Raymond Chandler adaptations.
Listen to Masego’s “Garden Party” featuring JID and Big Boi above.
Big Thief revealed in a recent Mojo interview that their next album is set to be a 20-track double album. The album is set for 2022, but today, they’ve shared a sample of it, “Change.” Adrianne Lenker described some of the band’s upcoming music as “raw and no fat, just songs, and acoustic,” and “Change” fits that bill, as it’s not too far off from the sound of Lenker’s 2020 solo album Songs.
In that Mojo interview, Lenker also noted, “I’ve noticed that a lot of this record is more uplifting and hopeful. Which is funny, given the times we’re in. And there’s more acceptance, of the self and of the whole paradigm we’re in. The mysteries of humanity and how it’s all unfolding. I’ll probably be writing about that until I die!”
Listen to “Change” above. Big Thief also just announced a run of 2022 tour dates, so find those below.
01/31/2022 — Lille, FR @ L’Aéronef
02/01/2022 — Paris, FR @ La Cigale
02/04/2022 — Bordeaux, FR @ Rock School Barbey
02/05/2022 — Barcelona, ES @ Sala Apolo
02/07/2022 — Lyon, FR @ Le Transbordeur
02/08/2022 — Strasbourg, FR @ La Laiterie Artefact
02/09/2022 — Zurich, CH @ Kaufleuten
02/10/2022 — Munich, DE @ Cafe Muffathalle
02/12/2022 — Prague, CZ @ MeetFactory
02/13/2022 — Berlin, DE @ Huxleys Neue Welt
02/15/2022 — Copenhagen, DK @ VEGA
02/16/2022 — Hamburg, DE @ Fabrik
02/18/2022 — Cologne, DE @ Live Music Hall
02/19/2022 — Brussels, BE @ Cirque Royal
02/21/2022 — Utrecht, NL @ Tivoli Vredgenburg
02/22/2022 — Groningen, NL @ De Oosterpoort
02/24/2022 — Manchester, GB @ Manchester Academy
02/25/2022 — Glasgow, GB @ Barrowland Ballroom
02/26/2022 — Dublin, IE @ The National Stadium
02/27/2022 — Bristol, UK @ O2 Academy Bristol
03/02/2022 — London, GB @ 02 Shepherd’s Bush Empire
03/03/2022 — London, GB @ 02 Shepherd’s Bush Empire
03/04/2022 — London, GB @ 02 Shepherd’s Bush Empire
04/12/2022 — Ithaca, NY @ State Theatre
04/16/2022 — Brooklyn, NY @ Kings Theatre
04/18/2022 — Montreal, QUE @ L’Olympia
04/19/2022 — Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall
04/21/2022 — Washington, DC @ The Anthem
04/22/2022 — Cleveland, OH @ Agora Ballroom
04/23/2022 — Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre
04/25/2022 — Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theatre
04/26/2022 — Milwaukee, WI @ The Pabst Theater
04/27/2022 — St. Paul, MN @ Palace Theatre
04/29/2022 — Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
04/30/2022 — Salt Lake City, UT @ Metro Music Hall
05/02/2022 — Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theatre
05/03/2022 — Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
05/04/2022 — Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
05/07/2022 — Oakland, CA @ Fox Theatre
05/10/2022 — Los Angeles, CA @ Wiltern Theatre
05/11/2022 — Los Angeles, CA @ Wiltern Theatre
05/12/2022 — San Diego, CA @ Observatory North Park
05/14/2022 — Pioneertown, CA @ Pappy & Harriet’s
06/09/2022 — Barcelona, ES @ Primavera Sound 2022
06/10-12/2022 — Berlin, DE @ Tempelhof Sounds
Even after securing funding, a rocket from Elon Musk, and a director crazy enough to join him for the mission, Tom Cruise‘s plans to be the first actor to shoot a film in space went out the window on Tuesday morning. Making good on their promise to beat Cruise’s production, a Russian film crew docked with the International Space Station on Tuesday where it will begin shooting a full feature film starring Russian actress Yulia Peresild.
The pair’s rocket was successfully launched this morning
It will be the first feature film to be shot entirely in space and production will take place on the International Space Station
According to CNN, the two person film crew already experienced its first bout of drama as concerns about its ability to dock with the station became an issue:
Russian mission control was worried about the amount of time left they had to communicate with the crew on the Soyuz spacecraft ahead of docking since it would be briefly pass out of range with ground control stations.
“Anton, we have very little time left,” Russian mission control said. “After that, just as you trained for. You’ll be fine.”
“I can see everything really well,” Shkaplerov assured them shortly before safely docking.
The spacecraft is usually capable of docking itself, and manual docking is rare. There was also an issue with Kurs, the docking navigation system, in July, when Russia’s newly docked Nauka module accidentally fired its thrusters, spinning the space station out of control.
It was practically like a scene out of a movie, just not one starring Tom Cruise who will have to settle with being the second actor to film in space, which is still pretty cool. And, hey, let’s not act like he won’t be the first to do some crazy stunt like jump off the top of the International Space Station, or ride a motorcycle in orbit. He’ll think of something.
Netflix’s Squid Game has been causing internet mayhem to the degree that the streamer got sued over the surge in traffic created by the frenzy to stream this show. The “world domination” jokes are actually no joke, given that it’s headed toward being the streamer’s most-watched show ever, and so many people want to watch the deadly (fictional) survival game (which skewers capitalism) that it’s topping the charts in 90 countries. Given the optimal timing, too, Squid Game shall surely be 2021’s most popular Halloween costume, and Netflix is here to assist with that as well.
Their merch shop (which contains The Witcher and Lupin offerings, and you can visit them here) is already pumping out Squid Game-themed apparel, including T-shirts and a hot-pink hoodie, which is part of a guard uniform with a show logo. That item can be customized with different shapes, so that one can pick their guard rank. So fancy! However, an actual contestant track-suit costume isn’t available as of yet.
Ominously enough, the apparel is offered up with this greeting: “Accept the invitation at your own risk. If you’re like us and love ‘Squid Game,’ you’ve come to the right place — and the stakes aren’t as high.”
Hmm… I wonder if Jeff Bezos is placing his order as we speak? The Amazon founder fired off a gracious congratulatory tweet over the weekend while writing that Netflix co-CEOs Reed Hastings and Ted Sarandos “get it right so often” with their content game. He also added, “Their internationalization strategy isn’t easy, and they’re making it work. Impressive and inspiring.” Bezos admitted that he hadn’t watched the show yet, and he might not be as big of a fan once he realizes that it’s a critique on capitalism, but hey, Halloween is for jokers anyway.
Taylor Swift has gotten involved in politics in recent years, far more so in years prior, as she has made her voice heard on topics like voter registration and has voiced support for specific candidates. Politicians are making note of her influence and using it to their advantage, as Swift’s name and her journey with her masters have found their way into the Virginia gubernatorial race.
Democratic candidate Terry McAuliffe has launched a series of ads — which appear on Facebook, Instagram, and Google search — that connect Republican candidate Glenn Youngkin to Scooter Braun’s 2019 purchase of Swift’s master recordings. One ad states (as Billboard notes), “Did you know that Republican candidate for Governor, Glenn Youngkin, helped buy Taylor Swift’s masters out from under her when he was co-CEO of Carlyle Group?”
The Carlyle Group provided funding for Braun’s purchase of Swift’s masters.
Youngkin’s camp has responded to the ads and the claims they make, with Renzo Olivari, McAuliffe’s press secretary, saying (via Axios), “In 2019, McAuliffe was as a passive investor at Carlyle, and did not have any investments associated with Taylor Swift’s masters.” Youngkin spokesperson Christian Martinez also told the publication, “Terry McAuliffe has reached the stage of desperation in his campaign where he’s rolling out the most baseless attacks to see what sticks. It’s a pathetic fall that could only be achieved by a 43-year political hack.”
In a 2019 message to fans, Swift specifically addressed Carlyle Group, writing, “This is WRONG. Neither of these men [Braun and Big Machine Records CEO Scott Borchetta] had a hand in the writing of those songs. They did nothing to create the relationship I have with my fans. So this is where I’m asking for your help. Please let Scott Borchetta and Scooter Braun know how you feel about this. Scooter also manages several artists who I really believe care about other artists and their work. Please ask them for help with this — I’m hoping that maybe they can talk some sense into the men who are exercising tyrannical control over someone who just wants to play the music she wrote. I’m especially asking for help from The Carlyle Group, who put up money for the sale of my music to these two men. I just want to be able to perform MY OWN music. That’s it. I’ve tried to work this out privately through my team but have not been able to resolve anything.”
Before he won four Emmys for his performance as Tyrion Lannister on Game of Thrones, Peter Dinklage was in a punk band. “We got together, and we just drank too much and played the old CBGB’s,” he said about his time in Whizzy (a terrible and terribly ’90s band name). “We had a following, but our following was, like, progressive rock. It was all guys. For some reason, just dudes came to our shows. I felt a little bit, like, what’s the point of being in a rock band if there’s no ladies?” Something tells me there will be more ladies in attendance when he shows off his musical chops in Cyrano.
Directed by Pride and Prejudice‘s Joe Wright, the musical adaptation of Edmond Rostand’s 1897 play Cyrano de Bergerac (you probably read it in high school) stars Dinklage as the love-struck title character, along with Haley Bennett as Roxane, Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Christian, and Ben Mendelsohn as Count de Guiche. Indie rock legends The National provide the soundtrack, and while Dinklage doesn’t sing in the trailer above, rest assured, he does in the “gonzo” musical of the “greatest love story ever told.”
Here’s the official plot synopsis:
Award-winning director Joe Wright envelops moviegoers in a symphony of emotions with music, romance, and beauty in Cyrano, re-imagining the timeless tale of a heartbreaking love triangle. A man ahead of his time, Cyrano de Bergerac (Peter Dinklage) dazzles whether with ferocious wordplay at a verbal joust or with brilliant swordplay in a duel. But, convinced that his appearance renders him unworthy of the love of a devoted friend, the luminous Roxanne (Haley Bennett), Cyrano has yet to declare his feelings for her — and Roxanne has fallen in love, at first sight, with Christian (Kelvin Harrison, Jr.).
Cyrano opens in select theaters on December 31.
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