Month: January 2023

The legal team for Alex Jones is still continuing to feel the effects of the InfoWars host’s devastating loss in court against the Sandy Hook families who successfully sued him for over a billion dollars in damages. On Thursday, Jones’ defense attorney, Norm Pattis, had his law license suspended for releasing the medical records of the Sandy Hook families. To be clear, this is not the same attorney that accidentally sent incriminating texts from Jones to the opposing counsel. This situation is an entirely different blunder of which there were many in the explosive trial.

“Simply put, given his experience, there is no acceptable excuse for his misconduct,” Judge Barbara Bellis said of Pattis in her court decision. Via NBC Connecticut:

“We cannot expect our system of justice or our attorneys to be perfect but we can expect fundamental fairness and decency. There was no fairness or decency in the treatment of the plaintiffs’ most sensitive and personal information, and no excuse for the respondent’s misconduct,” Bellis wrote.

Pattis told NBC Connecticut that he plans to appeal the decision, but he’s currently busy in Washington D.C. for the Proud Boy insurrection case.

The decision arrives after Jones was hit with even more damages in November for spewing lies about the Sandy Hook shooting. Jones routinely pushed conspiracy theories that the children and their families were crisis actors and reportedly made millions from his viewers, some of whom threatened and harassed the grieving families for years.

Jones eventually apologized for spreading the false theory, but it was too late. He was already staring down several lawsuits that ultimately cost him a small fortune.

(Via NBC Connecticut)

Wet Leg’s 2022 was nothing short of exciting. With their 2021 hit “Chaise Longue,” their success and hype only accumulated when their debut self-titled LP came out and they were brought on a tour with the one and only Harry Styles, who was arguably the biggest pop star of last year.

The reign of “Chaise Longue” is not over yet. The group handed the song over to Unknown Mortal Orchestra to put their own spin on it, and they did not hold back. The track is completely transformed into a psychedelic, distorted experience, having the texture of a noise-rock anthem. It hits — in a totally different way.

In our interview with Wet Leg, Rhian Teasdale explained her pronunciation of the piece of furniture: “You can hear the demo of ‘Chaise Longue,’ it’s on the B-side of the 7-inch that we put out,” she said. “That’s ‘Chaise Longue’ in its purest form, pretty much. I say ‘chaise longe,’ because that’s how I thought it was pronounced at the time. And then when we went into like the real studio, I thought I’d get my friend Google out and actually learn how to say it, and Google told me it was ‘chaise long.’ So that’s what we went for. Well, there in the States you say ‘chaise lounge.’”

Listen to Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s remix of “Chaise Longue” above.

As classes resume for the second season of Abbott Elementary, many fans are wondering whether or not a certain duo will get together after some “will they/won’t they” scenarios. After Janine and Tariq broke it off earlier this season, it seems like Gregory might swoop in, but that information is under lock and key at the moment.

Still, Lisa Anne Walter knows that it’s on everyone’s mind. “Everybody wants to know obviously about the romance,” Walter recently told Deadline. “I will say that there were a couple of interesting romantic moves that happen before the end of the season. I’m not going to say what, but I think the audience is going to be really happy. They’re just gonna be enthusiastic,” she added.

The actress then added that some fans have been correctly hinting and guessing that Janina and Gregorry would finally get together after a season and a half of speculation. “Last year, when people were saying, ‘What do you want to see happen?’ and I gave a scenario…that’s gonna happen and I can’t tell you what it is, but it’s coming up and I loved the episode. It was a big episode. I think it might be my favorite episode this season.”

Even though some things are spur-of-the-moment decisions, Walter says that Brunson has most of the series’ main plots pointed mapped out. “My joke is that when she sat down, she had five years planned. But not every little thing. They sit in the writer’s room and they break the story, and they come up with different things.” One of those things was securing a cameo from the most in-demand actor of our time: Gritty. And she did that! There’s no telling what else Brunson has up her sleeve.

Abbott Elementary airs Wednesdays on ABC.

(Via Deadline)

Next week, the State of Georgia v. Jeffery Lamar Williams (better known professionally as Young Thug) and YSL Enterprises, Inc. (or Young Stoner Life Records) RICO trial will begin. With each day that passes, more details about the case emerge, including Williams’ alleged witness list.

In May 2022, Williams and 29 other associates were indicted on 56 counts of criminal acts under the state’s RICO Act. However, now that several co-defendants have accepted plea deals, including fellow rapper and label signee Gunna, fans wondered what that would mean for Williams. Although social media users celebrated the prosecutor’s office dropping several dozen charges against Williams, he still faces nearly ten charges with potential 300 witnesses willing to testify against him.

Williams’ charges are as follows:

• one count of conspiracy to violate Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act,
• possession of a firearm while committing a felony,
• possession of a machine gun,
• two counts of participating in criminal street activity,
• three counts of violating the Georgia Controlled Substances Act,
• and one charge of street racing.

Young Thug’s trial for his RICO case is scheduled for Monday, January 9, 2023. The trial is expected to run for as long as six months.

Some of the artists mentioned are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Last year, around this time, we got collaboration for a remix to BIBI’s hit single “The Weekend” with Milli. This year, 88rising does it again by linking up two of Asia’s finest artists for an unexpected collaboration. And this time, it’s an original track.

Hailing from Thailand, rapper and singer Milli links up with China’s Magic Man Jackson Wang for their track “Mind Games” under 88rising. Already building a rapport over the course of many Head In The Clouds festivals in the past, this collaboration between the two Asian acts was bound to happen at some point in their careers.

Released at midnight last night (January 6), the Thai rapping princess slows it down a notch from her hyped raps and gets sultry, flexing vocals and some falsettos. Playing herself in the music video, Milli is alluring and seductive as she becomes the only subject in Jackson’s mind. Singing back and forth at each other, Jackson has obviously fallen in love with her as he figuratively chases her in a maze.

Just last month, 88rising took their famous Head In The Clouds Festival to Asia, performing in cities they’ve never done before. On December 3 and 4, HITC made stops in Jakarta, Indonesia with the following Manila, Philippines days after (December 9 and 10).

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

It’s time to brush up on your movie theater etiquette because it sounds like we’ll be spending a lot of time sardined into cushy seats and inhaling the sweet fumes of stale popcorn in 2023.

What we’re trying to say is, there are a lot of movies are coming out this year. A lot of good movies too, the award-winning, box-office-smashing kind that consume our social media feeds and give us plenty to pick apart at the office watercooler, assuming those are still a thing. And what do we do when there are a lot of things to sort out? Well, we vote, and so we asked some of our critics to tell us which films they were most excited about in the new year, with some surprising results. So get out your calendars and then take a look at where we collectively stand on everything from sci-fi sequels to Scorsese-directed crime dramas, high-speed heists, plastic, fantastic origin stories, and a Nolan biopic of nuclear proportions.

Honorable mentions/others receiving votes: Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny, Shazam! Fury Of The Gods, Asteroid City, Little Mermaid, Renfield, Creed III, 65, The Exorcist, No Hard Feelings, Challengers, MaXXXine

8. Magic Mike’s Last Dance

For too long, there has been an absence of horniness in cinema. But not for long: after taking a break for the raunchy sequel Magic Mike XXL, cinema master Stephen Soderbergh returns to the male stripper universe with Magic Mike’s Last Dance. Channing Tatum returns as the titular Magic Mike, who heads to London to lead a steamy show. By his side is a wealthy socialite played by the incomparable Salma Hayek. The trailer promises to leave you… very satisfied, to say the least, most appropriate thing. — Carrie Wittmer

7. (tie) Oppenheimer

Christopher Nolan’s next masterwork, Oppenheimer, is centered on the creation of the atomic bomb during World War II and the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the man responsible for the success of the Manhattan Project. Cillian Murphy stars as Oppenheimer while Emily Blunt plays his wife, Kitty. Matt Damon and Robert Downey Jr. are also on-board, but there are honestly too many big names to list out. With Nolan in the director’s chair and the impressive cast, it’s safe to say that Oppenheimer has the potential to be one of 2023’s best films. — Wongo Okon

7. (tie) Killers of the Flower Moon

Martin Scorsese ventures into new territory this year, bringing with him a handful of faithful collaborators to tell another true crime story, this time with Western roots. Based on a best-selling non-fiction book of the same name, Scorsese (along with long-time muses Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro) tackle the tragic murders of dozens of members of the Osage Nation at the hands of a covetous white landowner named William Hale (De Niro) in the 1920s — a years-long assassination plot that eventually led to the “birth” of the FBI. Jealous of the wealth the Osage People accumulated thanks to owning oil-rich land in Oklahoma, Hale and his family – including a nephew named Ernest Burkhart (DiCaprio) – orchestrated the killings of at least 20 wealthy Osage tribe members, corrupting police officers and bribing local politicians along the way. It’s a long, winding, and morally-bankrupt tale of greed, prejudice, and deadly entitlement – one that just might score Scorsese and company more Oscar noms. — Jessica Toomer

6. (tie) Cocaine Bear

Subtlety can be a wonderful thing, but also, I enjoy titles that tell you precisely what you’re gonna get, which is what’s happening here: a bear ate about 70 pounds of cocaine and then went on a murderous rampage. Clearly, this will be a masterpiece directed by Elizabeth Banks and featuring Ray Liotta in one of his final roles. And as the trailer shows us, the nice boy from Sweet Tooth (Christian Convery) drops an F-bomb. It will be chaos, I tell you.

Then there’s this: Margo Martindale gets snatched by the bear with no “apple pie” to be found. Justified fans, I am not referencing in a gratuitous way. This matters. Our own Brian Grubb previously laid it all out there: this film is based upon the same real-life story that inspired the Season 4 Drew Thompson arc of the Tim Olyphant show. But the story could be even better in this movie because (although Raylan Givens will not swagger out of the woods and shoot the bear) this story includes the bear. He ate cocaine, and he’s on fire. — Kimberly Ricci

6. (tie) Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

2018’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is not only the best Spider-Man movie — it’s arguably the best comic book movie ever made. (No pressure, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.) But based on everything we’ve seen so far, the sequel looks just as good as the original, if not better, because it has Daniel Kaluuya as Spider-Punk and dozens (hundreds?) of other Spider-People. Across the Spider-Verse will require more than one viewing to take them all in. But, like Into the Spider-Verse, multiple watches won’t be a chore; it’ll be a pleasure. — Josh Kurp

5. Fast X

It feels crazy that it took this franchise 10 movies to find a role for Jason Momoa. Jason Momoa is maybe the most “should be in the Fast & Furious movies” actor currently working in Hollywood. Everything about him screams it. The temptation here is to be angry about that, the thing where we all wasted so much time making these movies without him. The better reaction — the mature one — is to be thankful that it’s finally happening. Especially when you see Momoa describe his character (whose name is “Dante,” which is perfect) as “very sadistic and androgynous and he’s a bit of a peacock.” All of this in a franchise that just sent Ludacris and Tyrese to outer space in a NoS-fueled muscle car. Anything could happen. Dominic Toretto could be a senator by the end of the movie. That’s not an impossible outcome here. There’s something thrilling about that. — Brian Grubb

4. Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One

The most frequently punctuated film franchise is back, and not a moment too soon. For the seventh Mission: Impossible movie, and the first since 2018’s Mission: Impossible – Fallout, Tom Cruise performed the “most dangerous stunt” ever, which involves riding a motorcycle off a cliff. He’s basically Russell Crowe in Gladiator asking “are you not entertained?” except he’s 100 percent serious about wanting to entertain us with his life-or-death stunts. Also along for the ride (not the ride off the cliff, however) are returning favorites Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, and Vanessa Kirby, as well as newcomers Hayley Atwell, Pom Klementieff, and Shea Whigham. Top Gun: Maverick was one of the biggest movies of 2022 — Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One will hopefully be just as massive in 2023. — Josh Kurp

3. John Wick: Chapter 4

Keanu Reeves, man. I could stop there, but I cannot do so. Because Keanu is at the stage of his career where he could, you know, decide to focus on his “craft” or not do a million punches and kicks. Yet here he is, doing that better than anyone else. It’s kind of like Tom Cruise, but there’s a different vibe because Keanu is not inside an airplane with a parachute to save him if things go awry. Instead, he is throwing himself into hand-to-hand combat (while wearing a suit, no less) for our edification. He knows that we want this, and he delivers and happily so.

At this point, John Wick has slaughtered nearly a whole army of criminal underworld dudes, and the franchise has increasingly gone off the rails in the most glorious way possible. Again, this is happening on the strength of the Wick character (every fan knows this by now: do not f*ck with a man’s dog) and whatever he can grip in his bare hands. He’s gonna deal with ninjas and horse-bound gunfights and a new baddie played by Donnie Yen, who was certainly fated to appear in this franchise. And I have complete faith that Keanu would not be doing this movie if it doesn’t top the greatest scene of the franchise thus far: the busting-through-glass-boxes fight scene of Parabellum. I’m ready. I will watch this in IMAX, which is not something I say frequently. Give me the tick-tock and the swords and the rain-soaked battles and that sweet action choreography. Oh, and the mythology. That’s pretty neat. too. — Kimberly Ricci

2. Dune: Part Two

This was always Denis Villeneuve’s plan, to follow up his sub-woofed space opera with a part two that delved even deeper into the mythology and majesty of Frank Herbert’s seminal sci-fi novel. Thankfully, despite simultaneous streaming platform premieres and Covid constraints, we got here. Here, of course, being the next installment in the story of Timothee Chalamet’s Paul Atreides, an intergalactic messiah with luscious locks and a terrible destiny. With most of his family dead and his House destroyed, Paul and his mother, Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) must now partner up with the Fremen of Arrakis to defeat House Harkonnen and fulfill his prophesized destiny – which all sounds very grand and ridiculous. And that’s without even mentioning the whole “riding giant sandworms” bit. We’ve been promised more than a perfume-commercial-break of Zendaya this time around and some new characters played by the likes of Florence Pugh, Austin Butler, and Christopher Walken. Combine all that with Villeneuve’s passion for serious storytelling and Hans Zimmer’s bone-rattling, bass-heavy score, and this “sequel” will likely translate into one of the more awe-inspiring sci-fi epics of the year, not to mention, the decade. — Jessica Toomer

1. Barbie

Looming large over the year’s impressive line-up of blockbuster franchises is this maybe-meta exploration of conscious consumerism coated in neon-pink nostalgia about a children’s toy that’s become a cultural icon. Helmed by Greta Gerwig and starring a who’s-who lineup led by Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, Barbie seems almost too smart for a premise that began by asking the simple question, “What if life in plastic wasn’t so fantastic after all?” With few plot details and only a Kubrickian-styled teaser to whet the appetite, we’re still questioning how this Mattel-funded fever dream might play out. Will Barbie be remembered in the pantheon of cinema as the highest-brow of art, a Truman Show-like musing on sentience and self-confidence? Will it be a gluttonous exercise in camp, an oversaturated acid trip of tongue-in-cheek humor that flops at the box office but finds life as a future cult favorite? Will it finally give Robbie the blockbuster star vehicle she deserves? Will it turn Gosling into 2023’s himbo of the year? Half the fun is in the wondering. — Jessica Toomer

It’s a new year and Rosalía is already teasing new music. Yesterday (January 5), the Spanish pop star played a preview of her new song that’s been dubbed “Lie Like You Love Me” on TikTok.

Rosalía is continuing to enjoy her romantic vacation in Tokyo, Japan with her boyfriend Rauw Alejandro. On TikTok, she posted and then later deleted a video of herself cruising through a lake with Alejandro. In the video, she is singing along to an unreleased song. Rosalía repeatedly sings, “Lie like you love me,” which fans have named the track that appears will be in English. Though in English, the preview shows the song has a bit of a flamenco sound to it that she’s known for.

There’s no word yet on when to expect the release of “Lie Like You Love Me.” Last month, Rosalía dropped a remix of her hit “Despechá” with Cardi B. Since then, she has spent Christmas and New Year’s Eve with Alejandro in Tokyo. On New Year’s Day, the Latin power couple had an epic karaoke session where they covered classics like Lady Gaga’s “Alejandro” and Cher’s “Believe.” For the reggaeton fans, they also sang Daddy Yankee’s breakthrough hit “Gasolina” together.

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

If there’s one thing that remains true about country music icon Dolly Parton, she never passes up on an opportunity to make music. As a result, the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame songwriter has been tapped to sing on the theme song for the upcoming film, 80 To Brady. Based on Parton’s track record of turning out soundtrack bangers (see 1980’s “9 To 5“), expectations have been set high.

The song titled “Gonna Be You” was written by legendary songwriter Diane Warren and will feature an all-star list of vocal cameos similar to the film. Parton will be joined by Gloria Estefan, Debbie Harry, Cyndi Lauper, and Belinda Carlisle.

Warren told Rolling Stone about the inspiration behind the film’s feature track, “I wanted to write a song that celebrated these women’s deep friendship. Since 80 was in the title, I got a crazy idea, why not get some of the most iconic singers from the ’80s, who are still amazing and always will be, to all sing it?”

Despite her impressive resume, Warren was taken when the ladies agreed to be a part of the song, stating, “Everyone I approached said yes and was just as excited as me!”

Although the film has been scheduled to hit theaters on February 3, we’re unsure when “Gonna Be You” will be available for streaming.

Watch the full trailer for 80 For Brady below.

“America’s Got Talent” is back, this time reuniting the best of the best for its “All Stars” season. Winners, finalists, fan favorites and others from across the franchise step onto the stage once more to showcase their talent and compete for the title.

As you can imagine, the bar is set pretty high. On Monday’s premiere, Jan 2, one hopeful act truly shined—not only with another Golden Buzzer winning performance, but their incredible display of resilience.

Light Balance Kids, a dance group from Ukraine made up of mostly kids, earned their first Golden Buzzer back in 2019 after wowing judges with their robot themed light-up routine. Since that victory, their home country has been in the throes of war. One member even noted that some had to travel to the show alone. “Some of our parents, like my father, are still in the war in Ukraine. He’s fighting for our country for independence and freedom,” she explained.

She went on to share that she’s been woken up at 4 a.m. so that her family could flee to an underground station, overwhelmed by the sounds of “bombs and rockets everywhere.” Needless to say, no child should ever have to experience that.

Another dancer added that after not dancing together since 2019, returning to AGT is an “opportunity to remember what it’s like to have peaceful times.”

She concluded with yet another powerful statement before the group began: “We want to show the world that light always wins.”

The group proceeded to do just that—performing a stunning video-game inspired number that earned a standing ovation from the audience.

Watch below:

The impressive spectacle was dubbed by judge Simon Cowell as the crew’s best. “If anything defines an All-Star, it was that performance, really,” he said, adding that their touching story on top of such talent made it all the more “poignant.”

Howie Mandel seconded, saying, “There’s such an amazing message here. Where you come from, at this point it’s arguably the darkest place in the world, and you come across the globe to bring us light.”

Then he hit that coveted Golden Buzzer button, and joined them on stage as the confetti dropped, telling the group they’re his “favorite act ever!”

With a show like this, seeing astonishing talent is inevitable. But what makes it even more worthwhile is witnessing remarkable displays of humanity. It takes courage and strength to choose hope when surrounded by darkness. These kids have that in spades, along with some super cool dance moves.

The painting of an old devout man praying over a bowl of gruel and a loaf of bread in front of a Bible is one of the most popular pieces of 20th century American art. The piece is called “Grace” and you’ll find it in homes, churches and even restaurants.

I clearly remember there was a copy of it hanging on the wall at my corner burger joint, Mack’s Burgers, in Torrance, California, in the ’80s. Sadly, it’s been torn down and is now a Jack in the Box.

However ubiquitous the photo may be, a new video by pop culture YouTube user Austin McConnell shows that “Grace” isn’t really what it seems.

“Grace” was originally a photograph taken in 1918, during World War I, by Eric Enstrom, a Swedish American from Bovey, Minnesota. Enstrom was preparing some photographs to take with him to a convention when Charles Wilden, a salesman selling boot scrapers, came to his door, and he know he had to take his photo.

“There was something about the old gentleman’s face that immediately impressed me. I saw that he had a kind face… there weren’t any harsh lines in it,” Enstrom said. “I wanted to take a picture that would show people that even though they had to do without many things because of the war they still had much to be thankful for,” he added.

“There was something about the old gentleman’s face that immediately impressed me. I saw that he had a kind face… there weren’t any harsh lines in it,” Enstrom said. “I wanted to take a picture that would show people that even though they had to do without many things because of the war they still had much to be thankful for,” he added.

Enstrom posed Wilden in front of a loaf of bread, a bowl—which may have been empty—and a large book that many assume to be the Bible. But, as McConnell notes, the book is far too large to be the good book, as most people assume. The Grand Forks Herald claims that a receipt for payment from Enstrom to Wilden reveals that the book is a dictionary.

The photograph went on to be a huge hit at the convention and Enstrom began selling copies about town. After many requested copies of the photo in color, Enstrom’s daughter, Rhoda Nyberg, began hand-painting them in oils and added a streak of light on the left side of the painting. This is the version that people have come to love.

u201c@BrentTerhune The artist who hand- colored u201cGrace,u201d a photo showing a white-bearded man bowed in prayer before a simple meal, was Rhoda Nyberg, the daughter of Eric Enstrom. Rhoda’s father took the photo in his studio in Bovey, Minnesota in 1918.nnRhoda Nyberg died at the age of 95. in 2015.u201d

— Brent Terhune in Akron Jan 6 & 7 (@Brent Terhune in Akron Jan 6 & 7)
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“The intent of the photo is fairly obvious,” McConnell says in the video. “Enstrom wanted an image that conveyed to people that even though they had to do without many provisions because of the ongoing war, there was still much to be thankful for. A picture that seemed to say ‘this man doesn’t have much of earthly goods, but he has more than most people because he has a thankful heart.'”

Enstrom convinced Wilden to sign over his rights for $5, which gave him the sole copyright. He then licensed the image to the Lutheran-affiliated Augsburg publishing house, which distributed the image across the country.

According to McConnell “thousands and thousands” of copies of the photo were sold. The image entered the public domain in 1995.

Although not much is known about Wilden, it is believed that he lived a hard life. “He was living in a very primitive sod hut near Grand Rapids, eking out a very precarious living,” retired history professor Don Boese told the Grand Forks Herald. It’s also likely that he wasn’t the devout man we imagine in the photo. “The stories about him centered more around drinking and not accomplishing very much,” Boese said.

So the painting was actually a photo. The Bible, a dictionary, and the subject was more likely to be the town drunk than a saint. But, in the end, does it matter? McConnell believes that its meaning rests in the eye of the beholder.

“If you found out today that everything you thought you knew about this iconic image was actually wrong, would you take it off your wall?” McConnell asks at the end of the video. “Or would you accept that the value in a piece of art isn’t merely derived from the knowledge of how it was made? Or who made it?”