Year: 2022

Multiple times per week, our TV and film experts will list the most important ten streaming selections for you to pop into your queues. We’re not strictly operating upon reviews or accrued streaming clicks (although yes, we’ve scoured the streaming site charts and ratings) but, instead, upon those selections that are really worth noticing amid the churning sea of content. There’s a lot out there, after all, and your time is valuable.

10. The Power of the Dog (Netflix film)

It’s approaching Oscar time, baby, and it sure seems as though this movie will be a big contender. Benedict Cumberbatch’s a whistling rancher who’s running on sheer toxic masculinity. He terrorizes his brother and sister in law (Jesse Plemons and Kristen Dunst), and expect acting nods as well some Jane Campion love from the Academy.

9. And Just Like That… (HBO Max series)

True, this Sex And The City revival ended up playing out like a horror show, and the Che Diaz backlash was only part of the occasion. The reappearing Peloton and Steve Brady receiving a metaphorical knife went a long way, too, but no one could ever accuse this season of being boring. Will the world see more? We should find out pretty soon.

8. Peacemaker (HBO Max series)

John Cena’s horribly patriotic The Suicide Squad character is here in a show that’ll win you over with its sheer campiness and devotion to fun. Remember, we’re receiving this one because James Gunn grew bored during the pandemic and knew that people needed to see Cena dance in his tighty whities and feel some unconditional love from Eagly.

7. In From The Cold (Netflix series)

The criminally underrated Margarita Levieva (Scandal, The Deuce, Adventureland) portrays a maybe-Russian spy in this role that seems handcrafted for her. She’s fluent in Russian and Soviet-born, after all, and Levieva finally gets to be a leading lady in a project where she can let her no-nonsense and ass-kicking skills fly. There are more than a few gory moments in this one, but the final twist pays off serves as a perfect layup for a second round.

6. Ozark (Netflix series)

The Byrde family’s taking their final money-laundering lap, and Netflix’s first half of the fourth season goes to Ruth Langmore with plenty of f-bombs along the way. Marty and Wendy sure are in a heaping helping of trouble, even though they survived the bloodshed of the most recent season finale. Don’t expect things to stay quiet for them, though. And one of the loudest calls will come from inside the house.

5. Murderville (Netflix limited series)

Will Arnett returns to TV to lampoon procedural shows, which almost lampoon themselves at this point. Fortunately, he’s getting improvisational with celebrity guests, who will attempt to solve murders, All involved will have to think quickly and improvise the heck out of this thing, and that means that Annie Murphy, Conan O’Brien, Ken Jeong, Kumail Nanjiani, Marshawn Lynch, and Sharon Stone are your guinea pigs.

4. Raised By Wolves (HBO Max series)

If you were confused by Westworld and loved it, then good news: you’ll want to give this Ridley Scott show a chance. The Mother character is still doing everything she can to reboot humanity in unfriendly terrain, and the sci-fi-trippiness continues here with (probably) more bloodletting amid a truly intellectual ride. Just let go and let the story sweep you away for this one.

3. Pam & Tommy (Hulu series)

Pam & Tommy is a gloriously decadent show that doesn’t shy away from tough issues like consent and double standards and misogyny, but it never forgets that people are always watching this show through sheer voyeuristic tendency of their own. Yep, poor Pamela Anderson gets caught in the crossfire of Tommy Lee and Rand Gauthier’s ridiculous beef, but it’s still undeniably a blast to watch the story unfold.

2. All Of Us Are Dead (Netflix series)

Clearly, there are some Squid Game parallels in this K-drama series that shot to the top of Netflix’s global charts in less than one week. There are zombies, as well, as high school students try to fight their way out of a terminally dire situation where no one is coming to rescue them. It’s stressful to watch but bingeworthy as hell.

1. Euphoria (HBO series on HBO Max)

The Zendaya-starring, mascara-streaked phenomenon hit the fan this weekend, but don’t worry, we’ve got plenty of theories and questions for you to chew on as well as details on all of the songs featured while we wait for the next episode. Surely, there might be some light at the end of the tunnel soon, right? Please.

The 2022 NBA All-Star Draft will take place this Thursday on TNT, as Kevin Durant and LeBron James will select their teams for the second straight year. Like the 2021 edition, Durant will be drafting a team he won’t be playing on, as his sprained knee will continue to keep him out of the February 20 exhibition game.

Along with Durant’s absence, Draymond Green announced when reserves were selected that he also wouldn’t be able to play, as he battles a back issue that’s kept him out the past couple of weeks and will continue to do so through the All-Star break. That meant Adam Silver had two players to select to replace Durant and Green, one from each conference, and he selected two up-and-coming point guards to take those spots.

Spurs guard Dejounte Murray will replace Green, while last year’s Rookie of the Year, Hornets guard LaMelo Ball, will replace Durant. Moving into the East starting lineup will be Jayson Tatum to take Durant’s spot with the starters.

Murray has been terrific this season for the Spurs, averaging 19.6 points, 9.2 assists, 8.4 rebounds, and 2.1 steals per game, doing a bit of everything for San Antonio. Ball is posting similar production with 19.6 points, 7.5 assists, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game in Charlotte, as his continued growth as a lead guard has the Hornets above .500 and in a play-in spot in the East. There will be plenty of others who felt they had earned a shot at being a replacement pick, but both of these selections are deserving and will bring some more youth to the festivities.

Recently, news broke that Cancun-loving Republican Senator Ted Cruz had gotten into crypto. But unlike other Bitcoin groupies who just want to rave about the limitless possibility of digital currency to uninterested strangers at the bar or on Twitter, Cruz suggested the new frontier of financial tech might be the thing that could save Texas. Or at least, its failing power grid.

According to Cruz and other proponents, making Bitcoin miners stakeholders in the state’s current power play may actually help with overload problems — which is what led to the ERCOT grid shutting down during a terrible blizzard that left hundreds dead and millions without power. Cruz seems to think that simply incentivizing Bitcoin mining companies — all of whom use a ridiculous amount of energy to power their warehouses full of supercomputers — to shut down their tech when demand is high will fix the state’s energy problems. The trouble with that theory? It seems to be BS.

Dozens of Bitcoin mining and blockchain companies are flocking to Texas because of the state’s loose energy laws. They claim they’re lowering energy costs for residents by harnessing unused power. They also say they have the ability to power down immediately when the energy demand is high, helping to stabilize the grid. Of course, the problem with that theory is the Bitcoin industry isn’t regulated, so companies operating in Texas aren’t required to stop using hundreds of megawatts-worth of energy — in some cases, enough to power an entire city — just because the Texas legislature asks them nicely.

In an interview with KVUE, cryptocurrency expert and Texas A&M Professor William Magnuson said that Cruz’s plan to rely on Bitcoin miners to save Texas won’t work.

“We know that the Texas grid is unstable,” he said. “How do we know that cryptocurrency miners are acting responsibly? How do we know if cryptocurrency miners will power down their facility when the electricity grid is struggling? There is no central database that keeps track of where all the Bitcoin mines are located. We don’t know where many of them are except [through] press releases. We need our government regulators to step in and clarify the rules that apply to cryptocurrency.”

If Texas doesn’t even know how many Bitcoin mining companies are in the state, it’s doubtful they could even enforce an energy cap in the first place. All that to say, we hope Cruz has booked his flights to Mexico this winter because it sounds like Bitcoin is about to earn him even more bad press.

(Via KVUE)

New York’s own Pete Davidson has been doing a lot lately for someone who is just seemingly Just Some Guy. But starring in an Super Bowl ad for Hellmann’s mayonnaise is actually pretty on-brand for him.

Former NFL linebacker Jerod Mayo is also in the ad for Hellmann’s mayo (ha!) as he goes around tackling various people in an effort to control food waste. This is actually a very good message! But, as with all Super Bowl ads, it has to end with a joke, in the form of the SNL comedian being tackled by the football player while he is eating chips and dip. Mayo (the person) then apologizes, to which Davidson jokes, “I get it. I’m very hittable.” Oh, and his mom is right next to him.

This is possible a reference to Kanye West’s latest track, where the rapper says he could “beat Pete Davidson’s ass.” The line has led Davidson to reportedly tighten up his security team, but this seemingly confirms that Davidson is, in fact, a hittable person. Davidson has been allegedly seeing West’s ex-wife Kim Kardashian for a little over a month.

Davidson is clearly one to make light of his personal life, after being attached to a slew of famous females who, let’s be honest, are a bit out of his league–it’s okay, because he admitted it too. Check out the Super Bowl ad above.

If I had the opportunity to meet Adam Sandler but blew it, I would be mad at myself. Maybe not “calling it my biggest regret in the New York Post and making a movie about it” mad, but that’s where David Seth Cohen and I differ.

Last year, Seth Cohen (not The OC character) told the Post about his experience as a production assistant on 1998’s Big Daddy, where “Sandler invited then-22-year-old Cohen to have a drink with him at his NYC apartment.” He ended up “reluctantly pass[ing]” because he was “on the clock at the time” and “his work ethic winning out.” Cohen turned his Sliding Doors moment into a backer-funded documentary Finding Sandler, which will premiere at the Garden State Film Festival on March 26, 2022. Don’t worry, it’s not Nudie Magazine Day. That’s the following week.

Here’s more:

Finding Sandler is Cohen’s quest to recapture what could have been. In 1998, while working on the smash hit Big Daddy, Cohen passed up the chance to have a drink with Sandler, and after a vivid dream in 2006, decided to do something about it. Since then, Cohen has spent more than fifteen years trying to rewrite that moment with the comedic legend. Will the Sandman finally have that drink and give Cohen the closure he has been looking for? You’ll have to see the film to find out.

You can watch the trailer for Finding Sandler above, and click here for more information on the festival. You better buy your tickets now. If it sells out, no matter of begging on your knees, pretty pretty please, will get you into the screening.

After ringing in the holidays in Marvel style with Hawkeye, Jeremy Renner is returning to Disney+ for a new series, but this time, he’ll be leaving the bow and arrow behind. Titled, we swear to God, Rennervations, the reality series will follow The Avengers star as he uses his love of renovating vehicles to help out communities in need.

Here’s the official synopsis:

Rennervations is an original four-part series that embraces Jeremy’s lifelong passion for giving back to communities around the world by reimagining unique purpose-built vehicles to meet a community’s needs. Behind the big screen, Jeremy is a construction aficionado. He is heavily invested in the highly creative fabricator culture that exists across the globe and hopes to change lives with these skills and inspire others to do the same.

In addition to Rennervations — seriously, props to Disney+ for shooting its shot with that name. — Renner’s MCU co-star Brie Larson will also be bringing a new reality series, Growing Up, to the streaming platform.

“The series uses narrative, experimental, and documentary filmmaking to follow one casted individual, ages 18-22, as they tell their story,” Disney said via Variety. “They represent a wide range of lived experiences, giving audiences emotionally powerful narratives that offer an engaging look at teenage-hood and the diverse social, familial, and internal obstacles young people face on their path to self-discovery and acceptance.”

Considering the aspirational nature of the series, we’re going to let Disney slide for not calling this one Grand Larsony. It was right there, but inspiring kids is more important than making killer puns. Probably. We get it. But still.

(Via Variety)

Earlier this year, Lil Wayne was able to finally bring his fan-favorite 2011 mixtape Sorry 4 The Wait to streaming along with four new songs. Among those new songs was “Cameras,” featuring new Young Money artist Allan Cubas, an upbeat showcase of Wayne’s lyricism and Cubas’ smooth vocals.

Today, Wayne shared the video for “Cameras,” which finds the two artists taking in a spectacular sunset from the deck of an infinity pool intercut with clips of synchronized swimmers and models taking aggressively close-up photos of Cubas with Polaroid cameras. The treatment is a quirky inversion of a common hip-hop video trope, making the two rappers the objects of admiration.

In terms of new music, Wayne has reportedly been in the studio with 2 Chainz, working on the follow-up to their 2016 joint album, ColleGrove. Wayne also recently popped up work with the likes of Cordae (on “Sinister” from Cordae’s album From A Bird’s Eye View), Alicia Keys, and The Weeknd, as well as the joint album he dropped with Rich The Kid late last summer. Although he hasn’t announced any new projects, he’s far too prolific to let 2022 go by without releasing a body of all-new work at some point.

For now, you can watch Lil Wayne’s “Cameras” video above.

Sorry 4 The Wait is out now via Young Money Records. Get it here.

For 12 seasons, Matthew Stafford toiled away in Detroit, leading Lions teams that ranged from abject disasters to respectably decent.

Stafford became the poster child for empty QB stats in the eyes of many, throwing for over 4,000 yards eight times in Detroit, but only receiving one Pro Bowl nod (2014) for his efforts. He reached the playoffs three times, losing all three times in the Wild Card. Stafford saw the prime years of his career seemingly come and go in Detroit without much to show for it, and became a polarizing figure in the process. A wasted talent on a franchise that failed him? Or piling up stats and never elevating his team to sustained success?

There was only one way for him to answer those questions. And that was to go elsewhere, with Detroit acquiescing to a trade request and sending him to Los Angeles, where the Rams hoped he was one of the final missing pieces in a championship puzzle.

Seemingly every game this season was a referendum on Stafford’s career, with both sides being able to serve their own confirmation bias. A great game, proof he simply needed better support pieces around him. A bad one, proof that you can take the QB out of Detroit, but can’t take the Detroit out of the QB.

All along it was building towards this postseason, where Stafford has been presented the chance to rewrite his legacy and change the narrative about a 13-year career in the span of a month. He (and the Rams team as a whole) have pounced on that opportunity through three rounds of playoff action. Stafford, who had a spell of concerning play towards the end of the season with regards to turnovers, has been a model of consistency and quality decision-making through three games.

He’s completed 72 percent of his passes for 905 yards, six touchdowns, and just one interception. He’s orchestrated a pair of game-winning drives and has delivered in both fourth quarters he’s been needed. For a quarterback who’s always been known for his cannon of an arm, it’s been his precision in crucial moments that’s stood out during the Rams postseason run. He has been sharp and decisive on key third downs and in late clock situations, with few plays more exemplary of that growth than his third-down dart to Cooper Kupp in traffic to keep a drive alive to set up what became the game-winning field goal in the NFC title game.

That play spoke to the confidence he has in himself and those around him, something that was not always the case in Detroit. It also showed the confidence McVay has in Stafford (and Kupp), running a basic option route rather than trying to scheme up a first down, trusting his top guys to simply beat the defense in that moment and it worked. That play was the perfect harmony of accuracy, timing, and power that many wondered if Stafford could ever bring together on the big stage.

Stafford’s been busy with the pencil and eraser this postseason, crafting a new story for himself and answering just about every question about his ability to mesh his immense talent with the savvy and decision-making needed to be a championship quarterback.

Sunday, he’ll have a chance to write it all down in ink and make it permanent.

The rumor mill was open this weekend, as some people noticed that Julia Fox unfollowed Kardashian fan accounts and deleted some pictures of her and Ye (aka Kanye West). Naturally, the conclusion that many reached in light of that activity is that Fox and West’s relationship was facing some trouble. However, Fox addressed all this directly and assured all onlookers that there’s a perfectly good explanation for everything.

In a video shared on her Instagram Story, Fox said, “Guys, relax. I unfollowed the fan accounts because I was tired of seeing myself, OK? Suddenly, Instagram was not a fun place anymore. And I took the f*cking photos down because I read the comments and everyone was like, ‘Oh my God, you clearly only posted photos where you looked good in.’”

Her latest Instagram post, a gallery of photos of herself and West, addresses that sort of feedback directly, as she wrote, “And of course special thanks to Ye [heart emoji] pics by @arnold_daniel. YES IM AWARE I ONLY CHOSE PHOTOS THAT I LOOK GOOD IN [nail polish emoji].”

While West’s life story has new chapters to it every day, a majority of the tale will be told in the upcoming Jeen-Yuhs documentary series, which premieres on Netflix on February 16.

The big names surrounding this year’s trade deadline are obvious. All-Stars like Ben Simmons, James Harden and Domantas Sabonis dominate the headlines, and high-level starters such as CJ McCollum and Christian Wood (the 2020-21 version, at least) could also move the needle for teams.

Yet not everyone has the flexibility to acquire those types of players, even if improvements ahead of the playoffs remain a priority. That’s where lesser targets factor in, and this is often where the top contenders operate at the deadline. Finding guys who can still invigorate a rotation, whether it be for the regular season’s stretch run or beyond, is important for teams trying to take a step forward in the second half of the season or add more 16-game players for the postseason.

A great example can be found just last year, when the Bucks dealt for P.J. Tucker, who became a vital piece of their title team. This year there are plenty of valuable veterans out there on teams with future-facing priorities, and here we’ll take a look at five vets that could be on targets for contenders this week.

Eric Gordon

Despite all of the Rockets struggles, Gordon is putting together a really encouraging scoring campaign over in Houston. He’s drilling 42.7 percent of his triples, 55.8 percent of his twos and averaging 14.2 points on 62.6 percent true shooting. That final number is 6.7 points above league average, the best mark of his 14-year career, even amid a fairly stagnant offensive attack.

Gordon offers both long-range shooting and interior scoring prowess. According to Cleaning The Glass, his 35 percent rim frequency ranks in the 75th percentile among wings, while his 65 percent clip there places him in the 60th percentile of efficiency. With a distinct cadence and dribbling savvy, he’s excellent at marrying the threat of his jumper and driving to generate good looks for himself. He also provides some juice as an on-ball defender.

The passing and off-ball defense are poor, though. Plus, he has 1.5 years guaranteed years remaining on his contract, at roughly $19 million per year, so streamlining the finances in a trade could be complicated. But Gordon is a versatile scorer who can produce from deep and at the rim quite effectively. Those players aren’t abundant in the league, let alone on the trade market. He can certainly help a contender. I’d really love his fit with the Suns, for instance, who lack downhill scoring.

Mike Muscala

Already in his third season with the Thunder, Muscala has been one of their best players this season. He continues to be a premier stretch big (42.9 percent from deep this year, 39.2 percent since 2019-20) and has been pretty active defensively. He’ll rotate to alter shots around the rim, bother ball-handlers in pick-and-rolls and get a paw on passes, all at rates that feel previously unmatched in his career.

Muscala’s deal doesn’t hamstring anything either. He’s slated to earn $3.5 million through 2022-23. A team who wants more floor-spacing out of its center spot (a chance at redemption with the Lakers, maybe?), while also not jeopardizing the defense, would benefit from his game.

Justin Holiday

After trading Caris LeVert on Sunday, the Indiana Pacers seem like a prime candidate to keep shifting toward a retool, at the very least. Sabonis and Myles Turner will be the biggest prizes in Indiana’s potential fire sale, but Holiday’s game is likewise best utilized on a winning squad, a direction Indiana doesn’t seem slated for the rest of the year.

He’s knocked down 38.8 percent of his threes since 2019-20 (.714 three-point rate), can capably shoot off screens, and is a high-level cutter and useful on-ball defender against lower-rung perimeter creators. There should be significant appeal for him to slot in as a viable rotation wing on various good teams. The Sixers strike me as an optimal landing spot.

Gary Harris

Harris’ first 17 games of the year — 6.8 points on .390/.241/.857 split — were, uh, rather rough. Since then, he’s been on absolute tear, averaging 14.4 points on .461/.425/.843 splits over the past 30 games.

He’s a versatile long-range shooter, perceptive cutter (especially along the baseline) and can occasionally create out of ball screens. While he’s not the menacing perimeter defender of yesteryear — injuries have sapped some of his mobility — he still got the chops to thrive at times.

Playing out the final year of a four-year, $84 million deal, Harris is on expiring contract. But he’s set to earn $20 million this season, so, similar to Gordon, the finances could get tricky. Nonetheless, he’s turned it around since late November and absolutely can bolster a playoff club (Celtics or Jazz, perhaps?).

Montrezl Harrell

The Wizards exist in an odd space. They’re trying to maximize and build a winning roster around Bradley Beal ahead of his free agency this summer. But the reality is they’re 2-8 in their last 10 games, outside of a play-in berth (0.5 games back) at 24-28 overall and haven’t been playing good basketball since a 10-3 start.

Harrell isn’t really to blame for these struggles, and him potentially being moved stems from the crunch at center, with all of him, Daniel Gafford and Thomas Bryant deserving minutes. Both Bryant and Harrell will be free agents this summer, but Bryant’s youth (24 vs. 28) and floor-spacing abilities might entice Washington more to retain him over Harrell.

Regardless, if Harrell is available, he should have suitors, despite his well-documented playoff foibles. Some of them are on poor coaching decisions (Doc Rivers kept playing him against Nikola Jokic) or an incongruent fit with schemes (Frank Vogel prefers defensive-minded centers, though his ball-screen defense is undoubtedly an issue in high-leverage spots).

There are plenty of positives, though, most notably that Harrell can score the hell out of the ball. This season, he’s averaging 14.1 points on 68.2 percent true shooting, which is absolutely ridiculous efficiency on notable scoring volume. Since 2018-19, he’s averaging 15.8 points on 63.7 percent true shooting.

He’s one of the NBA’s best pick-and-roll bigs and can score out of face-ups in the right circumstances. Pair him with a good creator and he’ll cook during his minutes, especially if he’s empowered to just bully opposing bench bigs. Understanding Harrell’s exploits and shortcomings and how they align with your team’s vision is paramount to maximizing him.

If a team is searching for a big to effectively handle 12-18 minutes a game off the bench and wants an offensive jolt, Harrell is perfect. Identifying that team is a bit challenging, but I’m not entirely opposed to the idea of him in Dallas or Toronto.