Month: October 2022

After much anxiety on the part of the cast and crew, it appears House of the Dragon is a hit. Is it a Game of Thrones-level sensation? Still too early to tell, although it’s already got an MVP in Paddy Considine’s perpetually miserable king. There was one slight bone of contention, which shouldn’t be that controversial: In the sixth episode, halfway through its first season, there was a giant (well, 10-year) time jump. It even saw two of the main characters recast with older (still young) actresses. Well, the franchise’s creator noticed that, too..

George R. R. Martin — still a bit behind on that sixth Song of Ice and Fire installment, mind you— took to his blog to offer his positive but still slightly critical take on the jump in time. He says co-creator Ryan Condal has handled it “very well,” but notes that it is strange, especially in this age of epic, granular TV, when no stone is left unturned, every detail is filled in, and often times what could be a simple movie gets Stretch Armstronged into multiple seasons, to skip over so much story:

“Do I wish we’d had more time to explore the relationship between Rhaenyra and Ser Harwin, the marriage of Daemon and Laena and their time in Pentos, the birth of various and sundry children (and YES, Alicent gave Viserys four children, three sons and a daughter, their youngest son Daeron is down in Oldtown, we just did not have the time to work him in this season), and everything else we had to skip? Sure.”

Still, he notes there “only so many minutes in an episode” and “only so many episodes in a season.” He also noted that TV is shorter these days:

“ When I was a boy, shows had 39 episodes a season. By the time I was writing for BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, it was down to 22. Cable shrunk that even further. THE SOPRANOS had 13 episodes per season, but just a few years later, GAME OF THRONES had only 10 (and not even that, those last two seasons). If HOUSE OF THE DRAGON had 13 episodes per season, maybe we could have shown all the things we had to ‘time jump’ over… though that would have risked having some viewers complain that the show was too ‘slow,’ that ‘nothing happened.’”

He also praised all of the actors, singling out the ones playing Queen Alicent Hightower (Emily Carey as a teen, Olivia Cooke as an adult) and Rhaenyra Targaryen (Milly Alcock as a teen, Emma D’Arcy as an adult). Maybe next time he’ll weigh in on the show’s incredibly dark lighting.

(Via Deadline)

While we’re a little over a week away from Taylor Swift‘s 10th studio album, Midnights. But in the meantime, Swifties can hear a frightening update of a fan-favorite track from her 2019 album, Lover.

In the trailer for James Wan’s upcoming film, Megan, a woman named Gemma (Allison Williams) takes in her niece, Cady (Violet McGraw) after Cady’s parents die. Gemma struggles to comfort her niece, so she decides to introduce Cady to an AI doll named Megan (Model 3 Generative Android), which she is developing for work. Cady and Megan quickly form a sister-like connection. So much so, Megan will go to extremes to protect Cady.

Throughout the trailer, we hear Swift’s “It’s Nice To Have A Friend.” In the beginning, we hear the version of “It’s Nice To Have A Friend” as it is heard on Lover, but as Cady and Megan grow closer, the sound of the song becomes more and more ominous.

James Blum produced the film, alongside Wan, and Gerard Johnstone is Megan‘s director. The film’s screenplay was written by Akela Cooper (American Horror Story, Grimm) and was adapted from a story by Wan and Cooper.

Check out the trailer for Megan above.

M3gan arrives in theaters 1/13/2023.

For many, Dame Angela Lansbury represented a once-in-lifetime combination of talent, grace and charm.

Whether she played a singing teapot, a baker-slash-murderess or a book-writing, crime-solving sleuth, the London-born actress with one of the world’s most beloved voices delivered lasting, iconic roles that stayed in people’s hearts.

On Tuesday, October 11, 2022, “just five days shy of her 97th birthday,” Lansbury’s family announced that she “died peacefully in her sleep at home in Los Angeles.”

Though it is sad to see her go, her long life of gracing the stage and screen is certainly worth celebrating, and her legacy will not be forgotten.

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As a former theater kid, I’d be remiss not to fawn over her Tony awarding winning performance in “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” as Nellie Lovett, the devilish pie maker who comes up with a plot to make cost-efficient pastries using the meat of murder victims—priests, in particular.

Performing on the stage well into her late 80s, Lansbury racked up a total of six Tonys during her illustrious career, including best actress in a musical wins for “Mame” in 1966, “Dear World” in 1969 and “Gypsy” in 1975, and a Lifetime Achievement Award in May 2022.

Of course, Lansbury delighted audiences across all mediums and generations as a notable character actress, playing roles that leaned either toward warm and maternal or deliciously eccentric.

Her list of television and movie credits is overwhelmingly extensive—at only 19 years old, she received a best supporting actress Oscar nom for her role of Nancy, a young yet conniving maid in the 1944 thriller “Gaslight.” This was Lansbury’s very first film role and was perhaps way ahead of its time, considering the way we now use the term “gaslighting” fairly regularly.

“Gaslight” was released in 1944.

The film is about a man manipulating his wife into believing she is going insane.

And it was the debut film of 19 year old Angela Lansbury. RIP…
pic.twitter.com/o6XFQVo7KC

— Rex Chapman🏇🏼 (@RexChapman) October 11, 2022

Lansbury then received another nom for her third movie a year later, “The Picture of Dorian Gray” (1945), in which she played a singer who’s heartbroken by the title character. She starred alongside her mother Moyna MacGill, because yes, talent does run in the family.

Lansbury was rewarded with her final Oscar nom for her role as a manipulative mother in the Cold War classic “The Manchurian Candidate” (1962).

In 1991, Lansbury lent her Cockney accent and endearing singing voice to Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast,” playing the role of the sweet and nurturing Mrs. Potts. Even years after the movie’s debut, Lansbury was still able to captivate audiences with her rendition of the film’s lead tune.

Rest In Peace, Angela Lansbury… pic.twitter.com/HQruGJ2nVC

— Rex Chapman🏇🏼 (@RexChapman) October 11, 2022

Though she always delivered memorable performances, Lansbury’s role of mystery writer and amateur detective Jessica Fletcher in the 1982 series “Murder She Wrote” was history making. The show was an unexpected hit and ran for 12 seasons, ushering in a new era of television featuring women as the series lead.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/nH4L8MKh0k

— Marie Bardi (@mariebardi) October 11, 2022

“Mostly, I’ve played very spectacular bitches,” Lansbury said according to The Hollywood Reporter. “What appealed to me about Jessica Fletcher is that I could do what I do best and have little chance to play — a sincere, down-to-earth woman.”

Following the news of her passing, fans flocked to social media to pay their respects, sharing some of their favorite clips and photos, along with words of appreciation.

Rest in peace, Angela Lansbury. Truly one of the greatest, most versatile actresses to have ever lived. She made us laugh, she made us sob, she chilled our blood, and every single time she did it with such ease and excellence. She defined the essence of being a legend. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/pVxmLphydM

— 𝖇𝖔𝕺𝖔𝕺𝖔𝕺𝖒𝖆𝖘 👻 (@cinema_gay) October 11, 2022

Angela Lansbury gets emotional watching herself deliver “Rose’s Turn” in Gypsy. pic.twitter.com/WNZwpUKEhX

— Kevin Daly (@kevinddaly) April 23, 2022

RIP Angela Lansbury. This is what stardom means, especially in the theater: she provided the most fabulous, irreplaceable joy. She was beloved as a person and an actress, and managed to be approachable, glamorous and heartbreaking. She’ll be missed, celebrated and adored pic.twitter.com/8HVhQRFv4C

— Paul Rudnick (@PaulRudnickNY) October 11, 2022

rest in peace, the absolute legend and superstar, dame angela lansbury. you were the hero of so many of my childhood memories. your pioneering work and outstanding talent will always be remembered and treasured ♥️ pic.twitter.com/2rNl0CIOgW

— sophia ✨ (@musicallaneous) October 11, 2022

Where do you even begin with Angela Lansbury?

Five Tony Awards, an Olivier, three Emmys, an Oscar nom, a Damehood.

She was one of the greatest cinematic villains of the ’60s, the ultimate icon of cozy mystery, a legend of theater who did Sondheim, Shakespeare, Coward… pic.twitter.com/GC3uVXPGNU

— Kayleigh Donaldson (@Ceilidhann) October 11, 2022

Below is a clip of Lansbury singing “Bosom Buddies” in 1987 with close friend and fellow legend Bea Arthur.

Angela Lansbury was one of the greats. Here’s hoping her old close friend Bea Arthur is waiting for her in heaven with a stiff drink. RIP. pic.twitter.com/fIWJMxH8B7

— Gregory Ellwood – VOTE – The Playlist 🎬 (@TheGregoryE) October 11, 2022

“It’s interesting to note that Angela Lansbury and Bea Arthur—both in their 60s—were at the apex of their TV stardom here, headlining two of the biggest hits of the decade,” one person noted. “‘Murder, She Wrote’ was #4 [and] ‘The Golden Girls’ was #5 in the Nielsen top 10 for the 1986-87 season.”

Angela Lansbury was the hero of so many lovers of the stage and silver screen with pioneering work that has shaped our culture forever. Her talent will always be treasured.

Rest in peace, you absolute legend.

Over the last couple years, Sydney Sweeney has emerged as both a sex symbol and a serious actress. In that sense, she’s not unlike Jane Fonda, except that Fonda had to pivot away from lighthearted roles to get her Oscars, whereas Sweeney has been able to be both a modern equivalent of a pinup and a two-time Emmy nominee at the same time. Now she’s effectively going to become Fonda, or at least take on one of her most iconic roles.

As per Deadline, Sweeney is set to star in and executive produce a remake of Barbarella, the 1968 sci-fi camp classic in which Fonda played a scantily-clad interstellar adventurer in the far-flung future. It’s not clear what direction this version will take. Will it be a more progressive rehash of a prurient original, which seems to be what’s happening to the Emmanuelle redux with Léa Seydoux and Audrey Diwan, the latter of the French abortion drama Happening? Whatever happens, it currently has no director or writer(s) yet attached.

Barbarella was directed by Fonda’s then-husband, French director Roger Vadim, and while it wasn’t a smash hit at the time, its combination of kooky Space Age visuals and Eurotrash seediness helped turn it into a cult item. It was the last movie of Fonda’s sex kitten era. Her next film, They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? — in which she played a desperate, Depression-era loner who looks ready to give up on life even before she gets involved in one of those demonic dance marathons — rightly earned her her first Oscar nomination.

Perhaps Sweeney can follow in Fonda’s path and do a remake of Horses next — or Klute, or A Doll’s House, or The China Syndrome. As for New Barbarella, it will be Sweeney’s first producing credit. Considering she’s revealed that she doesn’t get paid enough to take time off, maybe moving up in the industry will earn her a well-deserved vacation.

(Via Deadline)

Joji‘s upcoming sophomore album, Smithereens is set to arrive next month. But while we wait, YouTube food critic Uncle Roger pulled up a 2018 video of the “Glimpse Of Us” singer cooking instant noodles with his friend and 88Rising labelmate Rich Brian, and add hilarious commentary.

Early on the video, Joji and Brian keep some of the ingredients pixelated, as a way to maintain a surprise.

“This is not Japanese porn, don’t pixelate your meat,” says Roger.

Throughout the clip, the buddies are seen adding ingredients, making their noodles their own.

“Is that Nemo?” Brian asks as Joji scoops a red caviar called salmon roe ikura.

“By the way he scoops up stuff with the ladle, you can tell Nephew Brian [has cooked] before,” says Roger. “And by the way he [made a] Finding Nemo joke earlier, you can tell he’s never had sex before.”

Shortly after, Joji dances gracefully in the kitchen, tossing ingredients into the pan.

“Nephew Joji just throwing random sh*t in pan now,” Roger says. “So, I guess he’s the same level of cooking as Rachael Ray.”

Are the boys’ cooking skills as good as their music? Check out the clip above and find out.

Smithereens is out 11/4 via 88Rising and Warner Music. Pre-save it here.

Joji and Rich Brian are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

After a midseason trade with the Sacramento Kings that brought Marvin Bagley III to Detroit, the Pistons wasted no time signing the former No. 2 overall pick to a three-year contract on June 30. Bagley, who is still just 23 years old, has something of a fresh start in Detroit after falling short of pre-draft expectations in Sacramento and, by all accounts, Troy Weaver and the Pistons are high on what the former Duke standout could bring to the table. Unfortunately, Bagley left Tuesday evening’s preseason game against the Oklahoma City Thunder with what appears to be a non-contact knee injury.

Within the first minute of the game, Bagley slipped on the floor and, within seconds, he was being helped off the floor

Shortly after his exit, Chris Haynes of Yahoo reported Bagley has a right knee injury and would not return to action.

It remains to be seen how serious the injury might be, and it seems likely that Detroit will set up imaging on the knee to take a deeper look. Hopefully this will not be a long-term setback for Bagley and the Pistons, but it did not look good in the moment. In his stead, the Pistons do have options in the frontcourt, including rookie Jalen Duren and veterans like Isaiah Stewart and Nerlens Noel, but Bagley is clearly in the team’s plans and it would be best for all if he avoided serious injury.

Episode seven of Pod Yourself The Wire is now available early at Patreon.com/frotcast. Episode six is now available for free.

“I’m old enough for all of this.” -Dan From The Internet

On the latest episode of the Pod Yourself The Wire, Matt and Vince welcome a frustratingly young guest, Dan from the internet, to talk about The Wire season one episode seven, “One Arrest.” Dan is a Gen Z content creator and news commentator. He’s a host on Good Morning Bad News on TikTok, as well as his news & culture show Power Report and Audioface where he and his co-host reviews new music almost every week. To keep up with everything Dan does everywhere, follow him on Twitter.

It’s appropriate that Dan introduces the podcast to the concept of ugly bastard hentai, because there is a lot of ugly bastard behavior from the various characters in David Simon’s Baltimore in this episode. Landsman pranks a desperate Santangelo into enlisting a low-rent psychic to help him clear cases, drunk Bunk implores a woman to “rub ‘em together like that,” and even Judge Phelan is vocalizing his desire to “throw a f*ck” into a peer. ACAUB.

Should we pod ourselves a King of the Hill when we’re done with this series? Let us know in a five-star review on Apple Podcasts.

Subscribe to Pod Yourself A Gun on Apple Podcasts

Email us at [email protected]; leave us a voicemail at 415-275-0030

Support the Pod: become a patron at patreon.com/Frotcast to get more bonus content than you could ever want. Sign up for the Pod Yourself a Shoutout tier to hear Vince give you a corner nickname on the podcast, like today’s newest members: Alphabet, Quattro, The Mick, The Battery, & The Green Man.

-Description by Brent Flyberg

Riding the highs of his latest viral hit, “Poland,” Lil Yachty has shared a second visual for the lean-inspired anthem.

Like the song’s first music video, the second sees Yachty on a “walk” through Poland, this time, during the day. He is wearing a green hoodie, with some sort of contestant number printed on the front. Yachty also spits bars sitting on a stoop and dances in a garage.

Though it was only officially released this morning onto streaming platforms, the original video for “Poland” had already received over 4.3 million views on YouTube.

Yachty has previously described his upcoming album as more “alternative” sounding. In a recent interview with Complex, Yachty revealed that the album is complete, however, he is unsure as to when it will arrive.

“My album is done,” he said. “It’s mastered and done. When you’ll get it, I don’t f*cking know. My date has been pushed back like five times. The disappointing thing is that it probably won’t be on this side of the year unfortunately.”

He didn’t say much else about the album, though it’s likely we may hear a Drake collaboration.

“That’s my f*cking guy,” said Yachty about the Canadian rapper. “I talk to Drake every day.”

Check out the new video for “Poland” above.

Technology is so good right now that it’s bad. By “bad” we mean that now more than ever it’s easier to trick people into believing something fake is real. Deepfakes? They’re really bad. DALL-E AI images? Less bad, but still worrying. A more lighthearted version of digital subterfuge can be seen in a series of posters, made in part with DALL-E, that were so good some people were convinced Netflix was making a Legend of Zelda movie with Tom Holland, Emma Watson, Idris Elba, and more. Spoiler: They’re not.

As per Kotaku, someone posted a handful of posters for this fake, definitely not real Netflix production, featuring big names dressed up like characters from one of Nintendo’s first sensations. They’re pretty realistic-looking! Holland, as Link, has blonde hair, elfish ears, and an earring. Watson looks like how Watson would look like if she was playing Zelda. Elba makes for a menacing Ganon. Again, none of them are playing any of these characters, in a movie that doesn’t exist.

But the fakes were spot-on. They should be: In his post, their creator, one Dan Leveille, said they were made with such AI tools as Midjourney, in painting with DALL-E, Tencent ARC, and a “bunch of Photoshop.” Leveille even said as such, revealing that they were fakes.

That didn’t stop the post from getting almost 300,000 shares of this writing. The comments board was lit up, with some of the usual unwelcome suspects. There were fans complaining that Netflix was ruining their childhood. There were racists making jokes about how a Zelda movie in 2022 would have to be even more diverse.

So to reiterate: There is no Zelda movie with Tom Holland and Emma Watson and Idris Elba. There’s just some painstakingly designed fakes from someone with some real skills and some real time on their hands. Hopefully Holland didn’t catch wind of them, long as he’s still on his social media break.

(Via Kotaku)

Adam Sandler has gone serious plenty of times before. Indeed, today is the 20th anniversary of the theatrical release of maybe his finest film, Paul Thomas Anderson’s Punch-Drunk Love. But the most popular of his non-Happy Madison productions is Uncut Gems, the unbearably intense gambling thriller he made with two of New York City’s most New York City filmmakers, Ben and Josh Safdie. There’s been talk of the three reuniting for yet another panic attack of a movie. But not only is that actually happening, it’s actually happening very soon.

Sandler spoke with Vanity Fair, where he up and revealed that he’s teaming back up with the Safdie brothers, and that they’re going to “start in the late winter.” Whether that mean they’re starting pre-production or actual shooting is unclear. Nor is there any indication about what it will be about. Some poor shlub suffering through one of NYC’s brutal winters?

What we do know is that Sandler is stoked. “I love those guys, I know we’re going to dedicate ourselves into working our asses off and making sure it’s as good as it can be, and I know that takes a lot of time,” he said. He also talked about getting into the zone. “Like everybody, when you work hard you’re tired, you’re knocked out, and you miss out on some stuff that you wish you could’ve seen. But ultimately, I know it’s going to be a few months of going after a goal that we all feel the same about. We want to do the best we can.”

When asked if it will be as “intense” as Uncut Gems, he said, “Yeah, because of how much these guys care.” That’s a bit cryptic. Does he mean the film will be as intense or it will be an intense shoot? Perhaps both? It’s probably both. What he will say is he doesn’t “want to let them down,” adding, “And I see how hard they work, and just like when I’m working on my comedies with my friends, it means a lot to us. Every joke means a lot. The Safdie boys, every word means a lot to them, every frame of the movie means a lot. So I don’t want to walk through anything. I care about it, and I respect those guys so much.”

When Uncut Gems came out in 2019, it instantly scored Sandler the best reviews of his career. There was Oscar talk, which, alas, came to naught. It would have been deserved. After all, he allowed himself to almost get choked for real during one of the many tense scenes. Still, even though the Academy snubbed him, he won plenty of other trophies and became a welcome, goofy presence on the awards circuit, delivering delightful speeches such as the one below.

(Via Vanity Fair)