Month: July 2022

Each week our staff of film and TV experts surveys the entertainment landscape to select the ten best new/newish movies available for you to stream at home. We put a lot of thought into our selections, and our debates on what to include and what not to include can sometimes get a little heated and feelings may get hurt, but so be it, this is an important service for you, our readers. With that said, here are our selections for this week.

10. (tie) On the Count of Three (VOD)

Jerrod Carmichael is having a moment, garnering all the praise for his revealing and powerful HBO special (Rothaniel, watch it again!), a great turn as SNL host, and now, for the release of his festival fave narrative directorial debut, On The Count Of Three. But, of course, you knew Carmichael was a force from his previous specials and The Carmichael Show. You’re just happy to see everyone else catch up and, with this film, get the chance to see Carmichael flex his dramatic muscles opposite Christopher Abbott as two friends trying to get the most out of the last moments before they execute each other as a part of a suicide pact. Track it down on your VOD service of choice.

10. (tie) Father of the Bride (HBO Max)

No one knows who really asked for this reboot starring Andy Garcia in Steve Martin’s shoes. Does this movie somehow involved literal shoes, as in the first movie? You’ll need to tune in and find out as Garcia’s character yanks everyone’s chain like he’s the real Bridezilla. If anyone can get him under control, it’s Gloria Estefan’s matriarch, and this is good, wholesome fun, people. Watch it on HBO Max.

10. Norm MacDonald: Nothing Special (Netflix)

Look elsewhere for a meditative self-exploration of a comic inching toward the end of his life. Norm Macdonald just wants to tell jokes, delivering a very Norm set in a very non-Norm setting (recorded at home with no audience due to COVID) with urgency. David Letterman puts it perfectly in the loose conversation that follows with him, Conan O’Brien, Dave Chappelle, Adam Sandler, Molly Shannon, and David Spade, saying it’s not stand up, but something different. But it’s still something worth seeing for Norm’s swan song and also the aforementioned conversation, which brings a level of closure to fans who get to hear a few great Norm stories and some thoughts on what made him so unique. Watch it on Netflix.

9. Ambulance (Peacock)

Ambulance has everything you could want in an action movie: frenetic pacing, adrenaline-soaked chase scenes, Michael Bay doing everything at once, hot explosive nonsense, Jake Gyllenhaal as a villainous psychopath with crazy eyes, an ambulance, etc. It’s basically perfect, if this is the type of thing you’re looking for, which you probably are on a Friday or Saturday night. Make some popcorn or order a pizza and get in there. Watch it on Peacock.

8. Dirty Daddy: Bob Saget Tribute (Netflix)

Friends and colleagues of the late comedian and Full House star get together for one last tribute, this one probably full of sweet memories and filthy jokes. Which feels right. Watch it on Netflix.

7. Cha Cha Real Smooth (Apple TV Plus)

Everybody clap your hands for Cha Cha Real Smooth, the second feature from writer and director Cooper Raiff. He also stars in the comedy-drama as a recent college graduate with an aimless life until he finds a job (bar/bat mitzvah “party starter”) and friends (a suburban mom played by Dakota Johnson and her autistic teenage daughter). It sounds like Indie Movie Trope Overload, but Cha Cha Real Smooth is a real charmer, with a heartfelt performance from Johnson. Watch it on Apple TV Plus.

6. Fire Island (Hulu)

Bowen Yang may be the best talent to emerge from Saturday Night Live in years – a fact underscored by the recent departure of comedy greats like Kate McKinnon and Aidy Bryant – but he’s not the only reason this sweet and silly gay romcom works. A BIG reason, sure, but not the only one. There’s also Margaret Cho playing a loopy lesbian house mom, a setting that allows a group of Queer misfits to find a sense of belonging amidst MDMA hazes and pulse-pounding raves, and a central love story that borrows from the period romance wellspring of one Jane Austen. It’s a booze-infused Pride & Prejudice in short swim trunks for the gays and the theys, but the fact that it works so damn well is also proof that the romcom genre should be welcoming more Queer and minority romantic leads into its ranks. Watch it on Hulu.

5. The Sea Beast (Netflix)

“A little girl boards a boat captained by a legendary hunter of sea monsters” is a plot that could work for almost any genre of movie, from action to horror to, apparently, in this case, a cute animated movie for kids. Netflix doesn’t have the track record of, say, a Disney/Pixar operation when it comes to these things, but they sure do appear to be trying. Sea monsters are a decent place to start. Watch it on Netflix.

4. Hustle (Netflix)

Adam Sandler plays a scout for the Philadelphia 76ers who discovers a raw but promising player in Spain. Hijinks ensue. Kind of. It’s more of a dramedy than, say, Jack & Jill, but it’s still Sandler doing his thing. Basketball fans will no doubt be just as interested in the action as they will be picking out all the cameos by NBA stars. It looks like a good time. Watch it on Netflix.

3. Jerry and Marge Go Large (Paramount Plus)

Bryan Cranston and Annette Bening play a married couple who discover a loophole in the state lottery and use it to win millions and millions of dollars. There should be more movies like this. Hundreds of them, probably. But this is a good start. Watch it on Paramount Plus.

2. The Man From Toronto (Netflix)

Kevin Hart, Woody Harrelson, and Kaley Cuoco team up for a comedy about mistaken identity and assassins and probably a few other things, but mostly those. The fuller description looks like this: A loser from Pennsylvania wakes up on vacation and is somehow assumed to be a world-famous contract killer. Hijinks, presumably, ensue. Watch it on Netflix.

1. Beavis and Butt-Head Do The Universe (Paramount Plus)

Beavis and Butt-head debuted on MTV something like 30 years ago and is still, somehow, against truly staggering odds, still going strong, with this movie sending them to the cosmos and other projects in the works down the line, too. It’s good news, to be sure, but please do imagine telling someone from like 1997 that these two would still be around in 2022 and would be going to space. It would be almost as shocking as the thing where time travel was apparently invented. Watch it on Paramount Plus.

As Thor: Love and Thunder gets ready to (dad) rock audiences, Chris Hemsworth is motivating his fans to get into shape by revealing the secret to his ridiculously jacked physique: yelling and screaming. In a new Instagram video, Hemsworth lays out his workout routine for getting those super swoll Thor pecs, and the God of Thunder makes it clear that he doesn’t enter the Valley of the Ripped quietly.

Via Men’s Health:

“We’re about to roll into a heavy chest workout, lots of yelling, lots of screaming,” he says in the video, in which he demonstrates each move with the help of trainer and Centr coach Luke Zocchi. “I don’t care where you are, whether you’re at home, on a bus, on a train, or on a plane, I want to hear you yelling! So move it, get involved!”

You can scope out Hemsworth’s workout routine below:

On top of inspiring others to push themselves to their physical limits, Marvel star is also keen on exercising the mind. Hemsworth has locked down an appearance on the BBC preschool show, CBeebies, where he’ll read a bedtime story to youngsters that will broaden their imaginations and get them well rested for another busy day.

“I love nothing more than reading bedtime stories to my children and it was a joy to get to read ‘Stormy Night,’ a story about a little bear who is scared of storms,” Hemsworth said in a statement to Variety. “Even though I know a thing or two about thunder and lightning, I always feel better when the storm passes.”

Thor: Love and Thunder rolls into theaters on July 8.

(Via Chris Hemsworth on Instagram)

After tragic events like mass shootings, the Internet tends to bring out cringey responses from people, specifically people who often cause problems on the internet and just say things without thinking. Scott Adams, author of the popular and sometimes depressing Dilbert comics, is one of those people.

Adams took to his Twitter to comment on the Highland Park shooting, throwing out the idea that parents with “dangerous” teens have two options: to watch people die or kill their own kid. As expected, this did not go over well.

Adams added a very upsetting update about how suffering is inevitable when it comes to teenagers: “If one more person hallucinates to me about some ‘program’ where teens are kidnapped and ‘fixed’ and returned to their happy parents, I might explode. No such thing exists. You have two options. Only two. No help is coming. Only death and suffering.”

One person, in particular, was outraged by Adams’ comments. Director James Gunn decided to put the author in his place. Gunn tweeted: “Hey Scott Adams: As someone who was himself a violent teenager addicted to drugs & entered recovery with the help & love of his family, as well as someone who has seen dozens of other young men stay sober & become fruitful members of society, these are not the only two options.”

Gunn has been open about his struggles with drugs and addiction in the past, noting that recovery is very possible, and there is not only death and suffering.

As many Twitter users pointed out, Adams is still mourning the death of his stepson, and hopefully, he takes some time off the internet to heal.

Watch out, Nardwuar, Jazzy’s World is coming for your spot. The 11-year-old Brooklyn-bred reporter (real name Jazlyn Guerra) has been going viral left and right thanks to adorable and earnest interviews with some of the biggest names in music and sports, including Jay-Z, J. Cole, and Shaq, and it turns out she’s just getting started. Her latest big get is Cardi B, who looks absolutely delighted to be getting interviewed by a kid who is only a few years away from being her own daughter’s age.

In the clip below, the pair share one of the timeless New Yorker debates: Which borough has the best chopped cheese sandwich. Jazzy has one stipulation though: “Before you answer,” she says. “Do not say The Bronx just because you’re from there… Let’s talk facts.” Listen, this kid’s got the right stuff. She’s gonna make it in this biz. “Let my tell you why I’m gonna say The Bronx,” Cardi shoots back. “I go to the studio here in downtown [Manhattan], and every time I leave the studio, it be like three or four o’clock in the morning and when I be hungry… I order a chopped cheese and they just don’t have like how I remember it growing up.” She does admit, however, that she’s never had one from Brooklyn.

Of course, Jazzy thinks her home borough of Brooklyn makes the best chopped cheese, suggesting that the debate will continue forever. Meanwhile, hidden in there is the knowledge that Cardi has been going to the studio and working on her upcoming sophomore album until late (or early), so there must be some progress being made, right? Check out the clip above.

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

The Bear (now streaming on Hulu) finally gives Jeremy Allen White the leading man showcase that he deserves. It’s a show that reminds you who was doing a lot of heavy lifting on Shameless without enough recognition, and it’s a food-fueled frenzy that’s about finding one’s true family. Before all is said and done, though, you might find yourself stressed out to the max by Carmy’s pressure cooker of a work-and-life environment, but don’t worry. Just call everyone “Chef” and enjoy this re-teaming of White with Chicago while everyone shouts at each other and it feels very Uncut Gems but with a side-serving of you attempting not to think of Ebon Moss-Bachrach and a certain Girls scene.

That sounds like a lot of effort to watch, admittedly, but you’ll enjoy the roller coaster. Eight perfectly paced episodes later, people are finding themselves wanting to know what comes next for the former fine-dining chef who’s finally found home. There’s a lot of lust tweets from fans, but mainly, people want to know if there’s a Season 2 coming.

Surely, that’s possible. The ending left things wide open for more developments after the re-Christening of sorts, and it’s wild that there hasn’t been an announcement yet, but surely, the powers that be took notice of all the show’s buzz on social media. This prevailing thread (about the show’s “exclusive strain of Sexually Competent Dirtbag that only exists in a restaurant kitchen”) says plenty about the show’s appeal, not only aesthetically but also because the environment (and all of the clichés involving too-expensive knives and no apartment curtains) rings true.

The show sure knew how to sell itself. And again, the realism of “Chef” life as portrayed by White and his co-stars rings all too true, and you may have known a Carmy or two in your life.

The Bear is streaming on Hulu. You should watch this show!

Welcome to another installment of Ask A Music Critic! And thanks to everyone who has sent me questions. Please keep them coming at [email protected].

I’m not that old (34), but I feel like there’s been a dramatic, across-the-board writing quality dip — regarding both prose and critical insights — in the world of music journalism. Are things getting worse? Or am I simply becoming a grouch? — Jay from Minneapolis

Hi Jay! I’m going to assume you are not subtweeting yours truly with this question. Surely, if you are seeking my opinion on these matters, you must view me as an island of brilliant insight, keen wit, and evocative prose in an otherwise arid landscape of crappy music writing. Right, Jay? Right?

Anyway, my short answer to your question is, “Actually, I don’t things are getting worse at all.” As part of my job — and also because I just like reading about music — I often go back and look at music writing from the 1960s, ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s. I’m generally reading work that was published in the very best and most prominent music publications of those eras, including Rolling Stone, Spin, Musician, and The Village Voice. And let me tell you something: A lot of it is … not good. Some of it is fantastic, of course, but most of the time the writing simply doesn’t hold up. The prose is kind of hokey and dated, and the opinions are reductive, half-baked, and even ignorant. Also, writers back then tended to have the same sorts of backgrounds — straight white guys from the east coast, mostly — which resulted in same-y opinions.

The truth is that the first draft of history tends to read like, well, a first draft. (Hello to the person reading this 20 years from now and dragging my own dated and short-sighted ass!) Critics always have a deadline, which means that almost never have a proper amount of perspective on whatever it is they’re writing about. But the writers of today have the advantage of standing on the shoulders of those who came before. We can learn from their mistakes. Which means we’re better by default.

As a discipline, pop music criticism was invented in the ’60s and writers today have the luxury of refining and updating an ancient template. For starters, modern music criticism is more diverse than ever in practically every sort of way, but especially in terms of the types of music that are covered. Even a general interest culture website like this one, on any given day, will include articles on pop, hip-hop, rock, country, R&B, electronic, and scores of other genres. Is there a lot of bad music writing these days? Yes, but there’s also a lot more writing, period, which means there’s also more good and even great stuff.

And then there’s the matter of technology — the critic Simon Reynolds once made a great and under-appreciated point about how writers back then had an inherent disadvantage because they didn’t have access to computers, which obviously makes researching and revising your work infinitely easier. Imagine not having the ability to Google or easily delete and replace blocks of text! Of course your writing would suck! Let me put it this way: If you’re a working critic now and you’re not better than a typical working critic from 1972, you have no excuse.

Now, lest I sound too positive and not “critical” enough, I do have one big pet peeve with modern music writing. When I started my career in 2000, many young critics aspired to write with the loopy, hopped-up, conversational, and Beats-obsessed rhythms of Lester Bangs. The result was a lot of embarrassing, overstuffed prose — the literary equivalent of an endless, self-satisfied drum solo — but at least there was a premium put on a sense of humor. Today, that humor has mostly gone missing. Many music critics now aspire to write like college professors, infusing their record reviews with academic jargon that’s so incongruous with the subject matter that it becomes unintentionally hilarious. “Goop On Ya Grinch” should have been regarded as a wake-up call — the Walk Hard of the music criticism industry! — but the satire seems to have gone over many people’s heads, since so much music writing now still reads like it.

Every music critic has a different approach; for me, the goal is for the reader of my writing to feel like they’re listening to a record. Like great music, great music criticism should address the mind but rest with the heart. It should be emotionally engaging and above all fun. We’re talking about music for crying out loud! Let’s not turn it into homework! Anyway, that’s my philosophy. Not saying I always hit the mark, but it’s what I’m aiming for.

How many times do you listen to a record prior to writing a review? — Dan from St. Paul

Lots of inside baseball questions this week! I like it! It makes my job seem way more interesting than it is!

I have to tell you, Dan: This is the question I am asked the most. Every time I check the mailbag for this column, there’s always a new email asking, “How many times do you listen to a record prior to writing a review?” I have never answered it before now. But since you’re from St. Paul, I will answer it for you.

I wonder why this particular subject is so interesting to people. I suppose there’s this idea that there’s a scientific method to reviewing records, in which you must peruse the materials in question a set number of times in order to issue a proper assessment. Well Dan, my answer might be disappointing, but here it is: I have no idea. Well, actually, I have some idea. It’s definitely more than five listens, and probably not as many as 500. Sometimes, you receive an album several months in advance, which naturally allows for more spins. (That was the case with Big Thief’s New Warm Dragon I Believe In You.) Other times, you don’t get an advance at all, so you only have a handful of quick listens before filing a review. (That was the case with Frank Ocean’s Blonde, to name an example in which I made my rushed plays part of the review.)

In a perfect world, I’d be able to play an album a perfect number of times before writing anything. But what is the “perfect number of listens,” exactly? I’m not sure. Sometimes one or two listens are enough for me to know that I love or hate something. For other music, it might take years for me to finally “get it,” so to speak. Let’s say you played an album 12 times before writing a review. Twelve seems like a sufficient number, right? But let’s also say that your 13th listen occurs six months from now, during the winter, when you’re at a different juncture in your life. Maybe that 13th listen will hit differently, causing you to move away from your original opinion.

The fact is that a review is merely a snapshot of a moment in time; as I said in the previous answer, the first draft is practically designed to miss the mark in some way. What I’m saying is that this isn’t a science, which is good, because I was bad at science in school.

Why aren’t The Walkmen celebrated more? — Chris from Hanover, Minn.

Another Minnesotan! What’s going on here? Did Uproxx trade me to the Star Tribune?

Like you, Chris, I love The Walkmen. And I agree that they are overlooked in discussions about aughts-era indie rock. While they existed on the periphery of that Meet Me In The Bathroom NYC rock world, they were never as popular as The Strokes, Interpol, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and TV On The Radio. As someone who observed that scene from afar in real time, I feel like there was a narrative about The Walkmen that they peaked with their ferocious 2004 single “The Rat,” and then retreated to a series of mellower and less visceral (but frequently great) albums. I know so many people who only know The Walkmen for that one song, which is a shame, because they have many cool deep cuts like this one.

I also wonder to what degree The National unwittingly marginalized them. This might be a crackpot theory, but it rings true to me: The year after The Walkmen dropped “The Rat,” The National put out Alligator, which operated in a similar lane of vibe-y, late-night, drunk male urbanite indie rock. As The National ascended, The Walkmen appeared to lose some popular momentum. As far as the market was concerned, The National took their spot.

Here’s a question for you: How could you leave goddamn Britt Daniel off your best lead singers list?!? — Philip from Washington D.C.

You know Philip, I was expecting more people to give me a hard time for that one. But you’re the first one to complain about it! (It’s also possible that you’re the first person who I noticed complaining about it.)

What can I say? I don’t have a good excuse! Britt Daniel should probably be on the list. Great voice, suave as hell, fine songwriter, swagger to burn, sexy middle-aged dude energy — he ticks all the boxes. I’m sensing a running theme in this column about how easy it is commit music-critic sins. This appears to be one of mine. I will pray to St. Lester for absolution.

Saucy Santana has officially arrived. Despite only starting his professional rap career in the last three years, Santana has seen his fame skyrocket behind ultra-viral tracks like “Here We Go,” “Material Girl,” and “Walk.” His latest single, the Beyonce-sampling “Booty,” is already taking over radio stations and was even tabbed by fans as a song of the summer before it was even officially released. Last month, Santana’s status was sealed as he was one of the 12 artists selected to represent XXL‘s annual Freshman class for 2022.

In his swaggering freestyle for XXL, Santana postures behind an ornate portrait frame in a Givenchy hoodie, decked out in stunner shades, glistening jewels, and his ever-present long nails. Rapping acapella, Santana details his experiences as “the gay boy on the block selling a purse full of drugs,” and dismisses haters who’ve questioned his presence and popularity due to his sexual orientation. “I’m still snatchin’ y’all wigs,” he boasts. “Call me ‘hair physician’ / Million-dollar deal on a billion-dollar mission.” Like I said, Santana has arrived. It’s up to fans to get used to him.

Watch Saucy Santana’s swaggering XXL Freshman freestyle above. You can watch Nardo Wick’s Freshman freestyle here and Doechii’s Freshman freestyle here.

A few nights ago, Olivia Rodrigo stopped by a dive bar in Manchester before her performance and launched into a cover of Natalie Imbruglia’s 1977 pop song “Torn.” Last night, the Sour star brought Imbruglia on stage at her show at London’s Eventim Apollo to perform “Torn” together.

The performance is as charismatic and amazing as you’d expect, with the audience prepared, singing along to every word. The two singers have obvious chemistry together, especially when their voices come together in a great harmony. The crowd for the show was definitely a lucky one.

In May, Rodrigo celebrated the one year anniversary of Sour, which launched her career and was undeniably one of the biggest records of 2021. “my first album SOUR came out a year ago today. it is impossible for me to sum up in words how much this album means to me and how grateful I am to have gotten the privilege to make it and watch it exist in the world,” she wrote. “thank u @dan_nigro for making it with me and believing in me more than anyone. and thank u to everyone who has embraced my 17 year old lamentations and forever changed my life in the process. [purple heart emojis].”

Watch Rodrigo and Imbruglia perform “Torn” above.

Black Thought, Danger Mouse, Joey Badass, and Russ take over the streets in the new video for “Because” from Black Thought & Danger Mouse’s upcoming joint project, Cheat Codes, which drops on August 12 on BMG. The trippy visual sees the trio of rappers perform via the massive screens in New York’s Times Square, as well as on the POV character’s phone screen. Indie singer Dylan Cartlidge continues to provide the song’s melodic chorus, while Danger’s presence is constricted to the beat and some extreme closeups on the screens.

Cheat Codes was selected as one of Uproxx’s Most Anticipated Hip-Hop Albums Of Summer 2022, with excitement focused on hearing one of hip-hop’s most gifted and skilled rappers over beats guided by the quirky ear of Danger Mouse, whose previous collaborations include The Mouse and the Mask with the late MF DOOM (as Danger Doom) and ASAP Rocky’s At.Long.Last.ASAP (ALLA). Other guests on the album will include prior Danger Mouse collaborators ASAP Rocky and DOOM, as well as Conway The Machine, Kid Sister, Michael Kiwanuka, Raekwon, and Run The Jewels.

Watch Black Thought & Danger Mouse’s “Because” video featuring Joey Badass, Russ, and Dylan Cartlidge above.

Cheat Codes is out on 8/12 via BMG. Pre-save it here.

The two biggest criticisms I’ve seen of Stranger Things season four are it’s too long and there weren’t enough deaths. Co-creators Matt and Ross Duffer have already settled the run-time complaint: season five will be eight episodes, instead of nine, and they’re “aiming for more like 10 hours” rather than 13 hours, not that Netflix minds the extra minutes. As for the lack of deaths, they’ll have to consult with Millie Bobby Brown.

“It’s way too big,” she said about the Stranger Things cast in an interview from May, before season four premiered. “Last night we couldn’t even take one group picture because there were like 50 of us. I was like, you need to start killing people off. The Duffer Brothers are two sensitive Sallies that don’t want to kill anyone off. We need to be Game of Thrones. We need to have the mindset of Game of Thrones.”

The Duffer Brothers responded to Bobby Brown (we don’t talk enough about how the actress who plays Eleven, a British teenage girl, has the same name as the guy who sang “Humpin’ Around”) on a recent episode of the Happy, Sad, Confused podcast.

“What did Millie call us? She said we were ‘sensitive Sallies.’ She’s hilarious. Believe us, we’ve explored all options in the writing room,” Matt said. “Just as a complete hypothetical, if you kill Mike, it’s like… That’s depressing… We aren’t Game of Thrones. This is Hawkins, it’s not Westeros. The show becomes not Stranger Things anymore, because you do have to treat it realistically, right?”

To be fair to the Duffers, “we need to be Game of Thrones” is the exact opposite of what you want to be heading into the final season.

You can listen to the podcast below.