Month: June 2023

One of the more surprising free agent pickups during the 2022 offseason was Bruce Brown heading to the Denver Nuggets at what appeared to be a discount. Brown, a standout Swiss Army knife for the Brooklyn Nets, put pen to paper on a 2-year deal worth about $13 million that included a player option to let him re-enter unrestricted free agency in 2023.

A whole lot happened in that year, including Brown becoming an important piece for the Nuggets as the team won an NBA championship for the first time in franchise history. Unsurprisingly, Brown is prepared to parlay that success into a bigger payday, as Shams Charania of The Athletic reports that he plans to decline his player option. While he will surely attract interest from all around the league, Charania notes that a return to Denver is not off the table.

While Brown only started 31 games for Denver last year, he appeared in 80 regular season contests and played a role off the bench in every game the team played during the postseason. During the regular season, Brown averaged 11.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.6 blocks in 28.5 minutes per game while connecting on 48.3 percent of his shots from the field and 35.8 percent of his attempts from behind the three-point line.

Wes Anderson’s latest film Asteroid City hits theaters this Friday, while its soundtrack comes to DSPs the same day. Among the Anderson signature, period-appropriate recordings and composer Alexandre Desplat’s score are a pair of original songs by Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker. These include a song inspired by a scene in the film, “You Can’t Wake Up If You Don’t Fall Asleep,” and a song that is performed in the film, “Dear Alien (Who Art In Heaven).” The latter is an absolute hootenanny and takes place during what my editor calls “the best scene” of the film. You can check it out below.

Now, that being said, I would like to dispute his assertion via this post’s headline that “Dear Alien” has the Best Original Song category at next year’s Academy Awards all sewn up. This is because, of course, of the news that Jack Black’s Super Mario Bros. Movie contribution, “Peaches,” is also Oscar-eligible for 2024. And look, I know that the Oscars are usually a stuffy affair, in which the artistic value of animation as a whole is often overlooked (unless Disney and/or Pixar are involved), but Jack Black is equally beloved by the Academy as Wes Anderson and I’m willing to bet that “Dear Alien” won’t end up being half as culturally ubiquitous as “Peaches.” Dinner’s gonna be on you, Phil!

The Asteroid City soundtrack is due June 23 via American Empirical Pictures, Inc.

After taking an acting hiatus, Jennifer Lawrence is back in all-out sex comedy, No Hard Feelings. The film, based on a real Craigslist ad, stars Lawrence as a desperate woman willing to do anything to make some bucks, which leads her to a pair of helicopter parents who really want their 19-year-old son to date somebody. And by date, they mean date. (Getting the picture?)

No Hard Feelings is the type of sex comedy that blanketed the 2000s before falling out of style. But if there’s anyone who can bring the genre back, it’s Lawrence, who’s been racking up universal praise for her all-out performance even if it’s better than the rest of the film.

You can see what the critics are saying below:

Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter:

Lawrence is a big part of the reason No Hard Feelings works. She’s sharp and sassy as the hyper-independent, emotionally avoidant lover with a short fuse. It’s fun to watch the actress embrace her sillier register, but her dramatic skills are a boon, too, lending depth to a character that could be one-note and making it easier to believe the more emotional turns the film takes later.

Sophie Butcher, Empire:

Let loose to be her most comedic self for the first time, Jennifer Lawrence is a riot. Her confidence is palpable, and she proves herself quite the physical clown — Maddie’s exploits include struggling to roller-skate up a hill, getting accidentally punched in the throat, and wrestling with would-be thieves whilst fully naked on the beach. She really commits, and looks to be having a great time while doing so.

Owen Gleiberman, Variety:

As an actor, Jennifer Lawrence radiates pride, sensuality, and a glowing belief in herself, and I didn’t buy for a moment that her Maddie would sign on to sleeping with some kid all to gain access to a car, so that she could rejoin the gig economy, because otherwise her beloved house will go poof! But watching “No Hard Feelings,” you sort of roll with it, because the director and co-screenwriter, Gene Stupnisky (“Good Boys”), works with a confectionary skill that tugs you along, because in spirit it’s just a rom-com (a form not meant to pass the plausibility test), and because Lawrence, acting with a brazen theatrical sexiness that allows her to wink at the audience at how adeptly she can turn it off and on, and newcomer Andrew Barth Feldman, who’s like Mike White crossed with the pale son of Seth Meyers crossed with an amoeba, turns out to be a winning actor.

Nick Schager, The Daily Beast:

Lawrence enthusiastically embodies Maddie as a sexpot who, beneath her alluring exterior, is a clumsy and desperate loner who’s petrified of becoming attached (as illustrated by her dislike of finger traps). Screaming and threatening, fuming and making funny faces, the star is easily the highlight of No Hard Feelings, and her rapport with Feldman does much to make the film a mildly pleasant diversion.

Tomris Laffry, The Wrap:

Had Katniss Everdeen and the “X-Men” series never gotten in the way — or, had we still lived in an era when superheroes or fantasy franchises were not seen as status symbols on the resume of a young superstar — Jennifer Lawrence would have already starred in numerous rom-coms by now, à la the Julia Roberts of the 90s. Especially after winning the Oscar for one a decade ago, with David O. Russell’s “Silver Linings Playbook.” But better late than never.

Todd McCarthy, Deadline:

It seems like quite a while since we’ve seen an apparent sex-on-the-brain romp that actually has a bit more on its mind than just pushing the boundaries of vulgarity and gross-out comedy. But while director and co-writer Gene Stupnitsky, who worked on 66 episodes of The Office and numerous other shows, is only sporadically successful at having things both ways, the film nonetheless shows talent both in generating some good laughs and in addressing serious aspects of life that eventually must be faced. Jennifer Lawrence, who is also a producer here, hits the mark as a thirty-ish woman whose great looks and popularity have seemingly delayed her full transition from hot young thing into responsible adulthood.

Josh Spiegel, /Film:

No Hard Feelings” is enjoyable because Jennifer Lawrence is still one of the most delightful actresses of her generation. (At one point, another character dryly dubs her “America’s sweetheart,” but the moniker does kind of fit in a sincere way.) She’s well matched by Andrew Barth Feldman here; their performances are what make this film work at all. If there was any cinematic justice in the world, Lawrence would have proven her romantic comedy bona fides long before now. “No Hard Feelings” is a step in the right direction, and hopefully not the last one. Here is a movie star working her magic.

Jude Dry, IndieWire:

If anyone could have saved the studio comedy, it might have been Jennifer Lawrence. But if the uneven sex comedy “No Hard Feelings” is Hollywood’s best effort, it’s not looking good for either one. Starring Lawrence as a broadly sketched caricature of an emotionally stunted, sexually liberated thirtysomething struggling to stay afloat, “No Hard Feelings” tries to resurrect the messy white woman trope that worked so well in films like “Young Adult” and “Trainwreck.” Though by no means a guarantee, there’s a crucial difference between those movies and “No Hard Feelings” — actual women wrote them.

No Hard Feelings opens in theaters on June 23.

The Sheridanverse continues to dominate. Paramount premiered the Yellowstone prequel (set in the even rougher West) in December 2021 to 5 million viewers, its entire run has been available to stream on Paramount+ for over a year, and it still pulled in 3.8 million viewers when Paramount reran the first two episodes on TV June 18th. 1883, which stars Sam Elliott, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Isabel May, and LaMonica Garrett, tells the story of the Dutton ancestors who settled the ranch for their Yellowstone descendants.

Obviously, it’s already a big summer hit. Its success also offers an interesting question in our murky transition period between television and streaming: should Paramount have just put this on TV to begin with? They used it as an anchor to score more subscribers to their streaming service, but we plebes have no way of knowing how many of the millions who tuned in fired up their laptop the following week to keep watching. Or how many people who loved the first episodes were profoundly confused when it disappeared from their lives forever.

And does this signal that audiences are game to rewatch full series during the summer doldrums despite having full access to them already or that maybe Paramount should have just aired this and streamed it simultaneously to begin with? Tough to say (unless you’re the Paramount accounting department), especially while being this mesmerized by Sam Elliott’s mustache.

(via The Hollywood Reporter)

Pharrell Williams recently kicked off his first fashion show in Paris as Louis Vuitton’s Men’s Creative Director — replacing the late Virgil Abloh. It wasn’t without surprises either, as he incorporated music into a large part of the show.

Jay-Z made a special appearance to play “Frontin” by The Neptunes and “On To The Next One.” Pharrell also brought the Voices Of Fire gospel choir to perform their recent collab, “Joy (Unspeakable).”

There was also a live debut of a new Clipse (Pusha T and Malice’s duo) song that is reportedly called “Chains ‘N Whips,” according to a New York Times write-up.

“Beat the system with chains and whips,” Pusha reportedly raps in the chorus, per the publication. The song also played over the speakers on the runway.

“That was made in this room,” Pharrell told NYT in reaction to the song. “We just start walking around and looking out this window and you just see all of this. I mean, we beating this system, bro.”

There’s also another lyric that was shared by Stereogum, where he seems to dig at a long-time rapper. “You’d think there’d be honor amongst veterans / I am watching your fame escape relevance / We’re all in the room, but here’s the elephant / You’re chasing a feature out of your element,” the Clipse track goes. Many have suspected it is about Dipset’s Jim Jones.

Check out some live footage from Pharrell’s Louis Vuitton show above.

Damian Lillard is in the news a lot currently. The 32-year-old guard is getting set for his 12th season in the NBA, all of which have been in Portland to this point. This summer, his future feels as much in question as at any point in his career, as the Blazers have reached a fork in the road in terms of picking an organizational path.

Portland enters Thursday’s NBA Draft with the No. 3 overall pick and a chance to land a potential young star. However, developing a young star doesn’t fit with Lillard’s timeline to compete right now, leading to plenty of discussion about moving that pick and some of their younger players for veterans to load up for another run with Dame at the helm. How Thursday goes for Portland will tell us a lot about what path their picking, and if it’s making that pick, some around the league have wondered aloud if it changes Lillard’s continued loyalty to the organization.

For his part, Lillard has continued to say he wants to stay in Portland, but has also made it clear he isn’t interested in a rebuild. Last Thursday, we got a chance to talk with Lillard on behalf of Modelo, and he didn’t want to dive too much into the team-building world in our conversation. That said, he did offer some insight into his takeaway from the Nuggets championship run, given Portland and Denver had a minor rivalry in recent years as they met multiple times in the postseason. We also discussed how he learned to manipulate the game and how he uses a mental edge to tilt the floor in his favor, which allowed him to score a career-high 32.2 points per game this past season, and what he’s focused on this offseason in his own game while waiting to see how everything shakes out around him.

I asked you this a few years ago and I think this is maybe one of my favorite quotes I’ve ever gotten from anybody. I asked you about when you get to that All-NBA caliber how you continue to try to get better. You talked about everybody has a scouting report on you and you’re always trying to take things off that list. What are the things this summer that are on the top of your to do list that you know you’re trying to take off that scouting report for next year?

At this point in my career, I don’t think it’s like a game thing. Like, I think I’ve reached a point in my career where I can manipulate situations well enough to get to where I want to get on the floor or get to whatever shot. Like, I know how to call a game in a way where I can have my way. It’s gonna come down to whether I’m missing or making shots, or a team just might defend me well that night and they just might be there that night. But for the most part, you know, this year I averaged 32 points and you don’t do that just because you make those shots every night. You got to be able to think and manipulate the situations and people to get to the spot on the floor you want to, and to get to what shots you want to, and to get which defender [you want] to throw the defenders off and create spaces and lanes that you want to get certain shots. And I think I reached that point in my career. So it’s not … obviously the scouting report. it’s always gonna be the scouting report; send him this way, make him shoot this shot, he passes better like this, this shot is low percentage shot for him, whatever.

I think the thing for me that I’m focused on the most this summer is conditioning, because I know that I’m at, regardless of what the other team is doing, as long as I’m top level condition, which I’m always in great shape, but I know that I could be in in better shape. I know that I could go up a level or two conditioning-wise and how my body feels and how my body functions. I can go up a level or two in that, and if I do that, it only makes everything else that I do that much harder to deal with and it’ll make me that much better.

Definitely. You mentioned getting to that point where you feel like you can manipulate the game. What are the checkpoints you have to get to along your career to get to that point? And what are the things that you learn as you go along that allow you to, you know, turn defenses in the way that you want them to, and shape how defenders are coming at you, and understand how to read and react, but also how to force them to read and react in the ways you want them to?

I think the number one thing is you got to get experience, like you got to be on the floor. The more you playin’, the more you’re in a game, the more you’re seeing things. You learn, “Oh, okay,” you know, they rotate this guy every time. If I attack, they rotate, this man has to help every time from the weakside corner. The low man is the help every time. And then you see the coverage and how they’re guarding, and then you look at that and then you start to put the players that you want in those positions. So, if it’s a defender, that’s a defender that falls asleep, I might put him on the wing because I know that the guy from the opposite corner is going to pull over if I get around my man and the guy guarding the wing, he’s going to be the defender that I know he falls asleep, so he’s not going to sink to help the guy that’s helping out the corner. And now I’m hitting the shooter and a corner three.

So like, you get to the point where you’re thinking that far ahead of what everybody else is probably thinking. And I think the way that you get to that is, like I said, from being on the floor and playing, and then also being a student of the game. Like, you got to watch a lot of film. You got to watch a lot of other teams. Sometimes you got to watch the games. You can’t just watch a breakdown of clips or this or that, you got to watch games, you got to see oh, he’s tired or he’s missing shots, and now he’s not doing, you know what I mean? You got to see what’s making certain things happen that is time consuming. But I mean, you definitely feel the results from that when you get on the floor. I think that’s when you see guys who, they say the game slows down and it’s like you’re not trying to use your actual speed and your athleticism to do any of these things. You can almost be like, just skipping and going real slow and manipulating them with your eyes and where you look and how you move your body and stuff like that. And, you know, that’s what it comes down to, that’s how you get to that point.

I know this has been a noisy offseason, which seems kind of the norm for you at this point. But just generally when you’re looking at what teams are successful right now, and you look at what it’s going to take to get to that point. What do you look at as the things that you need around you to get back to that point where you’re on a playoff contender, and the things that you need around you so that you can — like you said — move the pieces around and work it in the way that you need to?

I mean, I don’t really want to get into all of those things because at the end of the day what I can control is myself and my attitude. And you know, I think the way that I’ve gone about my career, and I’ve gone about everything has been with a fighter spirit. And I continue to do that. I think that’s the best way to to handle any of these things is to keep just being a warrior. You know, keep doing what I do, keep making sure that I’m prepared, and I think the truth of the matter is that you just never know when it’s gonna happen or how. You never know who’s gonna turn the corner. You never know what’s gonna happen with the team or when it’s going to click.

And I think Denver is a perfect example of that. You know, obviously you look at the team and they got a talented roster. They got Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon — like, they got a lot of talent, but you know, they’ve been bounced in the first, second round. And coming into the season, nobody was looking at them saying this is our favorite to win it. It just happened. So I mean, you just, it’s hard to say because you just never know when it’s gonna just happen. So you’ve almost got to just keep pressing forward and keep doing that with true faith. And you just never know when it’s gonna click and the team is gonna take off and it’s gonna happen. So that’s kind of my approach.

Absolutely. You’ve got this partnership with Modelo for this Summer Bucket List. How did this kind of idea come about for a way to get fans involved and do something with them this summer?

Well, I think it came about because of how I feel about the summer and how they feel about the summer. You know, it’s connected with, one season ends and you go into another one. It’s not to relax or to take a step back and just chill. It’s one of those things where I come into the summer and everything that I’m not doing during the basketball season that I care about that I’m passionate about, that’s when I turn up in those things. Whether that’s my music, whether that’s the things that I’m doing in the community, getting with my partners to try to have an impact someplace, getting in a boxing ring — I love boxing and training, you know, self defense and getting some work in when I’m not on the court.

So, things like that. I think that’s how this came about, and also getting fans and getting people involved with these challenges to create some type of community. To create or to connect with the fans, that’s typical me. I’m always looking for those types of opportunities. So I think that’s really what this is about, you know, we got some prizes, June, July, August, each month I’m gonna upload a challenge for people to do on Instagram and we’re gonna have some fun with it.

You mentioned boxing and working on your conditioning. What was it that drew you to boxing as a way to kind of change it up and kind of challenge yourself in a different way?

I mean, I didn’t do it — I wasn’t doing it like “Oh, I need a different workout.” Like I wanted to keep tightening up my ability to fight. Self defense purposes. And I love the sport of boxing. I love to watch boxing, I always have, and I’ve trained in it for a long time. So it’s like I want to keep it sharp, you know what I’m saying. And it’s a good workout it’s a good sweat, it works your legs it works your shoulders from having to keep your hands up, balance. You know, I think boxing is one of those things that it helps your mentality because you wear down, you get tired, you got to keep moving your legs, you got to keep your hands up, you gotta stay aware, you got to keep your eyes open. And it works your nervous system. So like, you know, that’s a different type of training. So I’ve also enjoyed that as well.

Yeah, I was gonna say the mental side’s interesting, cause like when you’re in the ring, I mean, you gotta stay sharp. You mentioned the things slowing down and boxing is the same way. It’s like once you can start to feel things and see things before they happen, it’s kind of similar to that that feeling of on the basketball court.

That’s when you start feeling like, man, a true fighter, you know? Like, you see things coming. You start to see where somebody’s — the angle that they punching from, you’re like, oh, he bout to throw a hook, or that’s a jab. Like, you can see where their arm is, the angle that they throw in from, and you know how to move, you know your next punch that you’re gonna throw back. You can see the distance, you know what I mean? So like, the more you in it, the more you’re able to be a step or two ahead.

Definitely. Last thing on that. It’s been a big year boxing. Who you like in Crawford-Spence?

I think it’s a 50-50 fight. Like it’s a real 50-50 Either way, it wouldn’t surprise me.

It’s gonna be a good one.

I think Bud [Crawford] — it’s something about Bud, like I just don’t know. Something about him.

Yeah, I know what you’re saying. like, he’s just, there’s an energy when he’s in the ring that’s crazy.

Mmhmm. Something different about him.

Greta Van Fleet‘s Josh Kiszka has shared a special message in honor of Pride Month. In an Instagram post last night, the Nashville resident noted that LGBTQ+ issues are “especially close to [his] heart.” Kiszka also came out as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, noting that he’s “been in a loving, same-sex relationship with [his] partner for the past 8 years.”

“Those close to me are well aware, but it’s important to me to share publicly,” said Kiszka.

Elsewhere in the post, Kiszka listed some organizations of importance to him, and encouraged fans to support foundations like ACLU, Nashville Pride, and Human Rights Campaign.

You can see the full post below.

“Where I’ve settled a home in Tennessee, legislators are proposing bills that threaten the freedom of love. It’s imperative that I speak my truth for not only myself, but in hopes to change hearts, minds, and laws in Tennessee and beyond.

These issues are especially close to my heart as I’ve been in a loving, same-sex relationship with my partner for the past 8 years. Those close to me are well aware, but it’s important to me to share publicly.

Over the years, the outpouring of love for the LGBTQ+ community has been resounding, but there is still work to be done for LGBTQ+ rights in TN, the nation, and the world. In response to the exceptional support from my last post, I wanted to share how we can all continue to advocate for this valiant cause. Here are some organizations doing great work:

@hrc_nash
@inclusiontn
@oasiscenternashville
@aclu_tennessee
@nashvillepridefestival
@humanrightscampaign
@trevorproject
@aclu_nationwide

Bravo!

The LGBTQ+ community is a cultural pillar, constantly championing positivity and acceptance through art, music, literature, film, and most importantly, legislation.

The greatest mortal gift of all is our capacity to love and as we travel through time, may our greater understanding of the matter around and within us teach us to love ever deeper.”

Cardi B has an issue with the ongoing Titanic submersible situation.

In case you haven’t been on the internet at all over the past few days, here’s what’s happening: A submersible vehicle from OceanGate Expeditions set out on a voyage to view the underwater wreckage of the Titanic. The vessel, which has five people aboard, has since been reported missing. Given that there is a limited amount of air left inside the submersible, this has become a life-or-death situation. (We have a more detailed timeline and explanation of what’s going on here.)

Since that news broke, it was revealed that Brian Szasz, the stepson of British billionaire and currently missing submersible passenger Hamish Harding, attended a Blink-182 concert amid all this. He explained, “It might be distasteful being here but my family would want me to be at the Blink-182 show as it’s my favorite band and music helps me in difficult times!”

Cardi, it turns out, doesn’t quite agree with his reasoning.

In a video shared on her Instagram Story last night (June 20), Cardi (being virtually held by a skinless man, for some reason) said, “People was like, ‘Well, what is he supposed to do? Be sad at the house? Is he supposed to go look for him?’ Yes. You’re supposed to be at the house, sad. You’re supposed to be crying for me. You’re supposed to be right next to the phone, waiting to hear any updates about me. […] Like, isn’t it sad that you a whole f*ckin’ billionaire and nobody gives a f*ck about you? Like, you missing and motherf*ckers is ready to shake dicks at concert. That’s crazy. I’d rather be broke. I’d rather be broke and poor, but knowing that I’m loved.”

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

After tackling cannibalism, dancing witches, and summer romances, director Luca Guadagnino has set his sights on a new topic: tennis.

In Challengers, Zendaya plays Tashi, a tennis pro who becomes involved with two guys, Patrick (played by The Crown‘s Josh O’Connor) and Art (West Side Story‘s Mike Faist). After a career-ending injury, Tashi becomes a coach — and settles down with Art. She’s transformed him into a grand slam champion, but “to jolt him out of his recent losing streak,” according to the official plot summary, “she makes him play a ‘Challenger’ event — close to the lowest level of pro tournament — where he finds himself standing across the net from his former best friend and Tashi’s former boyfriend,” Patrick.

“I think those three characters in that movie are beautifully complex and really fucked-up people that I love very much,” Guadagnino told IndieWire in 2022 about making Challengers, written by Justin “Potion Seller” Kuritzkes. “And a sports film, why not? It’s hyperkinetic, and I do films, so it’s great.”

Bones and All was one of the best movies of 2022, and Challengers looks great, too. But there’s one scene in particular that has people talking. Close your eyes, Tom Holland.

Challengers opens in theaters on September 15.

Rootin’ tootin’ Lauren Boebert’s latest move genuinely has me surprised, given the timing. It’s only been a few weeks since she was filmed frantically scrambling up the U.S. Capitol stairs. So you’d think that moment might have given her pause to pull any flashy moves, at least for a bit, and let a few people forget the fact that she showed up too late to vote on the debt ceiling (and then lied, calling it a “protest”). No waiting around here, though.

Recently, Boebert has plowed full steam through not only insulting a witness at an Oversight Committee meeting but also wanting people to know that she is aware of George Orwell‘s existence. Now, she’s (again) attempting to impeach Joe Biden, but it’s apparently not going over well for her. Here’s a video clip of Boebert genuinely blaming Biden for the U.S.-Mexico border fiasco that has been going on for quite some time.

Boebert “brought a privileged motion,” meaning that this “will force a vote on the impeachment of Joe Biden” because she accuses Biden of “allow[ing] human traffickers to thrive and giv[ing] the cartel a free pass.” So it will definitely be worth watching how the numbers turn out.

As The Independent notes, though, the initial GOP response was not to rally around Boebert. If one of her Democratic colleagues, Democrat Maxwell Frost from Florida, is to be believed, this didn’t impress all Republicans. “I’m on the House Floor and Boebert is introducing articles of impeachment on President Biden,” Frost tweeted. “I see even Republicans rolling their eyes. Lmao.”

Boebert didn’t seem to be interested in waiting for a reaction to her speech, though. She had already popped over to Twitter to announce, “I’m calling on every member of the Republican Party to join me!” She added a mailing list/fundraiser link, too.

Fundraising while filing articles of impeachment? That’s something, alright.