Month: August 2022

First of all, most people don’t realize Weekend at Bernie’s shares a director, Ted Kotcheff, with that of the movie that first introduced us to Sylvester Stallone’s John Rambo, First Blood*. So, yes, the director who brought us Rambo for the first time also gave us Bernie Lomax. This is mentioned because Weekend at Bernie’s is, surprisingly, a competent film that has an actual plot. This is something I’m always reminded of when I watch Weekend at Bernie’s (which I just did this past Friday because it’s set the weekend before Labor Day through Labor Day weekend) in a sort of, “Wait, why am I enjoying this more than I should?” kind of way followed by, “You know, this movie is actually pretty good,” kind of way.

*First Blood is another movie that is, now, kind of hard to get people to watch because it gets lumped in with all the other, more over-the-top sort of dumb Rambo movies. If you’ve never seen First Blood, it is not what you think it is.

When my partner and I host movie nights – in 2019, I turned our small Manhattan second bedroom into a movie room with a 95-inch screen, a projector, and 7.1 sound … that we never used; then in late March of 2020 we started using it a lot – the rule is “fun canon movies that the guest or guests have never seen.” And Weekend at Bernie’s, surprisingly, gets brought up a lot. But usually as a throwaway, “I’m joking but wouldn’t it be funny if we watched this punchline of a movie,” to which I have to say with a straight face, “It’s actually a lot better than you think it is,” and then after we watch it I’m told I’m right.

The movie is a punchline because the concept is ridiculous and the sequel is terrible. But what’s interesting about the concept of “two guys hang out with a dead body” is that doesn’t happen until about halfway through the movie. And Weekend at Bernie’s does a pretty good job of meticulously setting up why two numbskulls hang out with a dead body.

A thing people forget is the entire first act of Weekend at Bernie’s takes place the week before Labor Day in New York City. It’s very hot out. So hot that when a criminal tries to mug Larry and Richard (Andrew McCarthy and Jonathan Silverman) in Central Park, the criminal is told it’s too hot for that and the criminal kind of shrugs and agrees. Larry is lazy and Richard is ambitious, but the two spend their pre-Labor Day weekend on top of a Manhattan walk-up building trying to keep cool in a kiddie pool. (Not only is it set during Labor Day, it’s also a good “working stiff” Labor Day movie.)

Richard discovers an egregious accounting error at the insurance company they both work at and the duo think this is their big ticket toward advancement at their company. They bring it directly to the CEO, Bernie Lomax (Terry Kiser, who is (a) still alive today and (b) gives an actual masterclass is physical comedy in this movie), but Bernie is embezzling money and now needs these two idiots out of the picture. Bernie meets with the mob (at this point, our friend who watched it with us this past Friday exclaimed, “holy shit, this is a mob movie?! Yes!”) and asks them to off both Richard and Larry at his house in the Hamptons. After Bernie leaves, the mob decides it’s best to just get rid of Bernie and they kill him at his beach house with an overdose of heroin.

So our two idiot heroes find Bernie dead, and eventually figure out Bernie wanted them killed and the instructions were to do it when Bernie wasn’t around. So, Larry and Richard take Bernie’s dead body everywhere in an effort not to be killed by the mob. In reality, Bernie was killed, but now his hitman thinks he failed so Larry and Richard actually are being trailed by a hitman, but only because they have a seemingly alive Bernie Lomax always with them. This is an actual good comedic setup! It’s funny! And it kind of/sort of makes sense why two morons are hanging out with a dead body for half the movie. (I also want to point out there’s a really funny throwaway scene where Larry and Richard are running for a ferry and both jump for it over the water, crashing and tumbling onto the ferry, only to find out the ferry is docking.)

Originally I wanted to declare Weekend at Bernie’s the best movie set during Labor Day weekend, because off the top of my head there aren’t a whole lot of movies set during Labor Day. Then looking at a number of “Best Labor Day Movies” lists, they are all about working. But I knew there had to be something I wasn’t remembering, and then did remember Stand By Me is set over Labor Day weekend and I quickly withdrew my hyperbole. But! If you haven’t seen Weekend at Bernie’s – I am more and more learning a lot of people even in their 30s have not seen Weekend at Bernie’s – or haven’t seen Weekend at Bernie’s in a long time and are looking for a pretty solid comedy set during Labor Day weekend to end your summer.

Am I supposed to write something like, “Well, Weekend at Bernies’s is the movie for you!” or something like that here? It should be pretty clear by now what movie we’ve been discussing. Although I will point out that you shouldn’t watch the sequel. It’s truly terrible. You’re welcome!

You can stream ‘Weekend at Bernie’s’ via Hulu. You can contact Mike Ryan directly on Twitter.

Charli XCX has had one of the more unusual careers in recent pop memory. She had a lot of success early on in the 2010s, with her and Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy” topping the charts, while “Boom Clap” and Icona Pop’s “I Love It” were both top-10 in the US. Charli later shifted into an experimental phase, though, with albums like Charli and How I’m Feeling Now, both of which were critically esteemed. She got back into a more straightforward pop lane with this year’s Crash, and that worked out well: It was her first top-10 album in the US and her first No. 1 in the UK.

Now that Crash has proven to be a hit, Charli is left not quite sure how to move forward.

In a new BBC Music interview, she said of the album’s success:

“It’s still a shock to me — and it’s quite stressful because I’m like, ‘Oh crap, what do I do now?’ I feel like the narrative around my work has often been, ‘She’s one step ahead,’ or, ‘She’s pushing the boundaries and no one ever quite gets her.’ So to achieve these things feels really special and unique, and it’s something I feel like I’ve achieved with my fans. But at the same time, what does it mean for me?”

In that same conversation, she also revealed she used to request her dressing rooms be intentionally trashed.

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

During the last season of The Goldbergs, the ABC sitcom ran into a significant problem when Jeff Garlin exited the show in December 2021 after being the subject of several HR investigations into his on-set conduct. As Garlin portrayed Murray Goldberg, the family patriarch, this put the series in a significant bind, considering the ninth season featured the oldest daughter, Erica, getting married. With Garlin gone, the show had to quickly get creative, which unfortunately resulted in a weird CGI abomination that went viral for all the wrong reasons.

Despite Garlin’s claim that his exit would lead to the end of the show, The Goldbergs is officially returning for Season 10, and the showrunners already have a solution to their Murray problem: Kill him off-screen. In a new interview, Alex Barnow and Chris Bishop confirm that Garlin’s character will have died off-screen, and the characters will be going on with their lives. Via Entertainment Weekly:

The family has already grieved, unlike Pops [George Segal] and the premiere of season 9 where they’re dealing with it sort of very freshly. This is going to be a family that has not reconciled the fact that their father’s gone but has sort of moved on and has dealt with a lot of that. So we’re starting with optimism about a baby coming and looking forward to the future. It’s an opportunity for this interesting emotional basis for the way people are behaving. But Jeff won’t be in the series this year, and so far the stories have been largely about looking forward rather than looking back.

While Murray’s sudden death will no doubt be awkward, Garlin’s co-stars were not exactly shy about the fact that he clearly checked out of The Goldbergs a long time ago. After the CGI scene went viral, Wendi McLendon-Covey defended the creative team and threw Garlin under the bus for throwing the season into turmoil.

“This season threw us for a loop because a.) it’s hard to incorporate someone who doesn’t want to be there and wants to leave mid-scene, and b.) we werent about to re-write the 2nd half of the season,” McLendon-Covey tweeted. “We’re doing our best.”

The Goldbergs Season 10 premieres September 21 on ABC.

(Via Entertainment Weekly)

Earlier this month, it was reported that Verzuz founders Swizz Beatz and Timbaland had sued Triller for not making payments after they sold their idea to the video app in 2021. Now, according to Rolling Stone, Triller is being sued by another business partner who says the app’s administrators refused to pay music licensing fees. Sony Music Entertainment has filed suit for millions in damages after Triller allowed users to continue posting videos with music from Sony artists after the label ended its deal with the app.

The lawsuit accuses Triller of “brazen contempt for the intellectual property rights of Sony Music, its artists, and others” after Triller “historically failed to make payments in a timely manner,” then completely stopped making its monthly payments entirely in March. Sony says attempts to contact Triller resulted in “near-total radio silence.” It terminated its licensing agreement on August 8, but despite warning Triller that “its continued use of Sony Music Content would constitute willful copyright infringement,” Triller has continued to make Sony Music artists’ music available for use on the app. The Sony roster includes artists such as Beyonce, Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson, Rosalía, Tyler The Creator, and more.

Meanwhile, as Triller apparently refused to pay Sony or the Verzuz founders, it acquired other platforms such as Fangage, a platform that helps creators to host and sell content. Triller previously called the Verzuz lawsuit a “legal shakedown,” maintaining that the producers had already been paid “$50 million in cash and stock.” Meanwhile, other high-profile stars are beginning to eschew proposed Verzuz battles; Diddy recently said, “We’re not f*ckin’ with Triller until they take care of Swizz and Tim for Verzuz.”

We are just days away from the latest fantasy series that will likely take over the internet. Amazon Prime’s Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power will make its debut this week, so now is the time to learn what the heck the show is even about.

Because Tolkien’s text is so rich with characters, many fans are concerned about who is showing up in the new series. Though Rings of Power will take place in the Second Age before the events of our good friends in the fellowship, there are still some familiar faces and names that will pop up in the series. The show will follow over 20 (!) main characters with interweaving storylines that take place in Middle Earth. To keep track of who’s who, here is a rundown of who to expect in the upcoming series.

In terms of familiar faces, Robert Armayo will portray a young Elrond, who was originally played by Hugo Weaving. Armayo also starred in season six of Game Of Thrones, so we know he can use a sword. Isildur will also make an appearance, portrayed by Maxim Baldry, along with Celebrimbor, an elf who eventually teaches Sauron how to make rings, who will be played by Charles Edwards.

Swedish actress Morfydd Clark, from 2019’s trippy religious horror film Saint Maud, will be the younger version of Galadriel, who was portrayed by Cate Blanchett in Peter Jackson’s trilogy. She will embark on a journey to find those responsible for defeating Morgoth (the bad guy pre-Sauron). She will be joined by Prince Durin IV, portrayed by Welsh stage actor Owain Arthur. Then there is Sophia Nomvete, who will play the dwarven princess Disa, who will also be the first female dwarf in a Tolkien adaptation. Also, there will be female orcs!

Then there is the elf known as Arondir, portrayed by Ismael Cruz Córdova, who is known for his role on both Ray Donovon and Seasame Street. THAT is range! He will embark on a relationship with Bronwyn, a human played by Nazanin Boniadi.

Of course, no Tolkien work is complete without two lovable harfoot hobbits named Poppy Proudfellow and Marigold Brandyfoot, who will be portrayed by Megan Richards and Markella Kavenagh, alongside Largo Brandyfoot, portrayed by Dylan Smith. Simon Merrells, who portrayed Julius Ceasar in DC’s Legends of Tomorrow will play a mysterious new character names Trevyn.

Finally, Anson Boon is set to portray some type of evil character that fans have been speculating has something to do with Sauron, though it has not been confirmed and we likely won’t know until he somehow acquires a giant evil eye. As for the rest of the cast without confirmed characters, we have Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Lenny Henry, Geoff Morrell, and Augustus Prew, who have all been kept under wraps.

Overall, there are a lot of names to remember and then eventually forget once the show starts. It might not be a bad idea to use subtitles for this one!

Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power debuts on September 2nd.

Taylor Swift may have stolen the spotlight from literally every other artist this past weekend by announcing her new concept album Midnights, which arrives in October, but there were still a ton of great releases from acts like Joji, Rina Sawayama, and more. Plus, the highly anticipated collaboration between Britney Spears and Elton John finally came out.

Each week, Uproxx rounds up the best new pop releases. Listen up.

Elton John, Britney Spears — “Hold Me Closer”

Let’s kick it off with the obvious pick: “Hold Me Closer” by Elton John and Britney Spears. It’s her first song in six years — and of course those six years were publicly tumultuous — but it shows how she hasn’t lost any of what makes her special. Her voice is as powerful as ever while the track pulsates with an infectious rhythm that only gets better as it goes on.

Madison Beer — “Dangerous”

Madison Beer’s new piano-driven song “Dangerous” floats magically. Her vocals are strong and stunning as she tells a visceral story full of imagery and feeling, all made more powerful by a stunning string section that brings the track to a heavenly state.

Oliver Malcolm — “Martian Man”

“Martian Man” by Oliver Malcolm, who just announced his forthcoming project Act Two, is undeniably infectious and groovy. He’s known for producing for acts like MF DOOM, Tinashe, and Glass Animals, and those experiences definitely helped him craft such a catchy, idiosyncratic sound of his own that shows on this track.

Sasha Alexa Sloan — “As It Was”

This year has been full of great Spotify Singles, from Snail Mail covering Superdrag to Remi Wolf covering Frank Ocean. Like those renditions, Sasha Alexa Sloan’s take on Harry Styles’s “As It Was” is creative and compelling. It’s much slower and has a twinkle to it, and her vocals are mesmeric.

Joji — “Yukon (Interlude)”

It’s likely not easy to follow up a massive TikTok hit — such as Joji’s “Glimpse Of Us,” which catapulted into fame off the bat because of its vulnerable lyrics and masterful storytelling. But “Yukon (Interlude)” picks up where it left off and is even imbued with a catchy rhythm that keeps it interesting.

Rina Sawayama — “Phantom”

We’re only a few days away from the release of Rina Sawayama’s Hold The Girl, an album whose anticipation has been increasing exponentially with the unveiling of every single. “Phantom” continues this pattern of excitement, serving as a sentimental track that explores how to keep boundaries with others in order to take care of ourselves.

Gayle — “God Has A Sense Of Humor”

Gayle’s new song “God Has A Sense Of Humor” is an intense but comforting exploration of grief and mortality as she reckons with being human. “Life’s not right or wrong / It’s just a little complicated,” she sings while reflecting on memories of loss, pain, and conflict that resonate deeply.

Ingrid Andress — “Feel Like This”

Off the bat, Ingrid Andress’s “Feel Like This” establishes itself as a nuanced confrontation of toxic relationships: “It’s crazy how manipulation feels like / A soft blanket holding you tight / And every night sleeping next to someone’s / Just as warm as the gaslight,” she sings, but she’s not resentful. In the chorus, she sings gleefully about finding a healthy love that gives her hope, and it’s inspiring.

Karol G, Maldy — “Gatúbela”

Of course we had to include Karol G and Maldy’s massive “Gatúbela,” which is the perfect catchy anthem for the end of the summer. It clings to the excitement of parties and endless sunlight before fall settles in within the coming weeks, and it makes those moments feel infinite.

Rema, Selena Gomez — “Calm Down”

This collaboration between Rema and Selena Gomez for “Calm Down” is a crossover we didn’t know we needed. Their vocals work amazingly together on the same track, intensifying the bittersweet atmosphere that leaves the listener with all different kinds of emotions.

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

Tucker Carlson has rarely met a dictator’s ass he didn’t want to kiss, and Vladimir Putin is at the very top of that puckering up list. The Fox News host is something of a folk hero in Russia: Because of the pro-Putin propaganda he so often spews, the Kremlin has encouraged Russia’s state TV to air as much of Tucker’s face as possible — and they’re certain to love his latest rant about how Putin is winning the war in Ukraine, which does not seem to be the case. But on Fox News, what Tucker says goes. And what he had to say on Monday night is that Joe Biden is crazy for suggesting that Putin surrender:

Joe Biden is calling for an ‘unconditional surrender’ from Vladimir Putin. Here’s the weird thing: By any actual reality-based measure, Vladimir Putin is not losing the war in Ukraine. He is winning the war in Ukraine! And Joe Biden looks at that and says, ‘We won’t stop until you proffer an unconditional surrender.’

This isn’t bad policy — this is nuts! It makes no sense. In fact, it only makes sense if the goal is to completely destroy the west in order to make way for Chinese global dominance. What would be the other explanation for this behavior?

As usual, Carlson provided no evidence for his baseless claims — unless one counts raising his voice an octave as indisputable proof.

As The Independent reports, Carlson’s comments came amidst a segment about Europe’s energy shortage, and how the real threat to the world isn’t global warming. “It never was global warming,” according to Carlson. “The real threat to people is global cooling, otherwise known as winter. Far more people freeze to death every year than die of heat.”

As Namita Singh writes for The Independent, Carlson’s comments came “even as scientists across the world have warned about the possibility of total human extinction due to the climate crisis, with a general agreement that temperatures are rising, alongside an increasing rate of sea level rise.”

(Via The Independent)

For the first time in Las Vegas Aces history, a player on the team’s roster is the WNBA’s Defensive Player of the Year. The league announced its defensive honors on Tuesday afternoon, and unsurprisingly, Aces star A’ja Wilson was named the WNBA’s best player on that end of the floor for her indomitable 2022 campaign.

Wilson, who earned the fourth All-Star nod of her 5-year WNBA career earlier this season, led the WNBA in blocks per game for the second time in her career — she previously achieved that distinction back in 2020, when she was named league MVP. She was the lynchpin of a Las Vegas defense that was third in the league opponent points in the paint per game, fifth in opponent field goal percentage, and sixth in defensive rating. Additionally, she was second in the league in both defensive rebounds per game and total rebounds per game.

The WNBA released the voting for the award on its website, with Wilson receiving 20 votes, Alyssa Thomas of the Connecticut Sun receiving 14, and Breanna Stewart of the Seattle Storm receiving 13. You can see the how full voting shook out here.

This was not the only honor Wilson received for her defense on Tuesday afternoon, as the league also announced its first and second-team All-Defensive honorees. Wilson, unsurprisingly, led the first-team, where she was joined by Stewart, Sylvia Fowles, Natasha Cloud, and Ariel Atkins. Despite being the runner-up for the Defensive Player of the Year award, Thomas led the second-team.

Don’t Worry Darling‘s impending arrival began with anticipation for Olivia Wilde’s directorial followup (starring Florence Pugh and Harry Styles) to the well-received Booksmart. As the months before arrival wore forth, however, the movie has become ensnarled within a PR mess, and that doesn’t even begin to touch upon the tangential issue of Wilde being ambushed with court papers (from ex Jason Sudeikis) while she promoted the film’s trailer at CinemaCon.

One of the bigger items of contention with Don’t Worry Darling happens to be the early involvement of Shia LaBeouf, who was meant to star in the role of Jack. Wilde recently claimed that the Transformers star had been fired while stating, “His process was not conducive to the ethos that I demand in my productions. He has a process that, in some ways, seems to require a combative energy, and I don’t personally believe that is conducive to the best performances.” Wilde added. Adding to the issue, this film’s production coincided with allegations from Shia’s ex-girlfriend, FKA Twigs, who accused him of sexual battery, assault, and overall “relentless abuse” during their relationship.

However, Shia pushed back on Wilde’s claims of his firing. The actor sent a series of emails to Variety, in which he declared that he had “quit the film due to lack of rehearsal time” back in August 2020. Further, he claimed that he wrote to Olivia (after her recent Variety cover story surfaced), “You and I both know the reasons for my exit. I quit your film because your actors and I couldn’t find time to rehearse.”

Further, Shia told Variety that Olivia had texted him during an exchange that seemed to hint at his decision to not do the movie. “Thanks for letting me in on your thought process. I know that isn’t fun. Doesn’t feel good to say no to someone, and I respect your honesty. I’m honored you were willing to go there with me, for me to tell a story with you.” She reportedly added, “I’m gutted because it could have been something special. I want to make clear how much it means to me that you trust me. That’s a gift I’ll take with me.”

LaBeouf also relayed how Wilde allegedly sent him a video (two days after he says that he quit), in which she declared that she was “not ready to give up on this yet.” The video also reportedly hinted at friction between Florence Pugh and Shia.

Don’t Worry Darling (following all of this drama) arrives in theaters on September 23.

(Via Variety)

(SPOILERS for this week’s Rap Sh!t episode will be found below.)

Shawna and Mia (played by Aida Osman and KaMillion) are getting more successful by the second on the Miami music scene. After gaining respect and popularity for their debut single “Seduce & Scheme,” the Rap Sh!t duo make it clear that they’re far from a one-hit wonder with their second record, “Nann Badder.” In the seventh episode of the inaugural season of Issa Rae’s Rap Sh!t, Shawna and Mia prepare for a big and star-studded performance at James Harden’s mansion.

The aforementioned events in the seventh episode of season one are soundtracked by records for the ladies. They’re songs that will boost your confidence and even make you want to shake something if that’s your vibe. Nonetheless, these records perfectly encapsulate the world that Shawna and Mia live in and hope to thrive in as well.

What Songs Were In Rap Sh!t S1E7?

Aside from performances of “Seduce & Scheme” and “Nann Badder,” there are two records that soundtracked big moments in this episode of Rap Sh!t. This first is Bee-B’s “1,2,3,4” which is heard as Shawna meets with Francois, her old schoolmate and producer played by Jaboukie Young-White, who she despises after a disagreement that happened in the early days of her rap career. The second is Enchanting and Coi Leray’s “Freaky Deaky” which plays during a sex scene between Mia and Lamont who is the father of Mia’s daughter and the producer behind Shawna and Mia’s songs.

The soundtrack for this week’s episode also includes the following songs:
Beam – “P*$$y Dream”
A1 LaFlare – “Wootie Woot”
Big Boss Vette – “Make Em Mad”
A.Chic — “Bandits”
Tierra Traniece — “Gno (Girls Night Out)”
Kali Cass & City Girls — “Handle It”
City Girls – “Rap Sh*t”
Baby Keem & Travis Scott — “Durag Activity”
La Chat – “Slob On My Cat”

HBO Max’s ‘Rap Sh!t’ airs on Thursdays at 9:00pm EST

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