Month: December 2023

Tems has been relatively quiet lately: She released “Me & U,” a new single, earlier this year, but that was her first new song in two years. Things have started to ramp up in Q4 2024, though. Following the aforementioned “Me & U” in October, Tems announced today (December 5) that she has another new song, “Not An Angel,” coming soon.

On social media, Tems shared what is presumably the single’s cover art, a blurry photo of what appears to be Tems in a squatting position. The post indicates the song is set for release this Friday, December 8.

Despite not being productive in terms of new release, Tems still had a few notable moments in 2023. She picked up a Grammy for Best Melodic Rap Performance, for her, Drake, and Future’s “Wait For U.” She wore an attention-grabbing dress to the Oscars that looked great but probably wasn’t beloved by those who had the misfortune of sitting behind her. In September, there were rumors flying around on social media that she was pregnant with Future’s baby, which she addressed with a simple response.

Tems has yet to release a full-length album, but perhaps her two year-ending singles are signs that one is finally on the way soon.

After delivering its first live-action spinoff, The Continental, the rapidly expanding John Wick universe is making the leap to anime. Chad Stahelski, the director behind all four of the powerhouse Keanu Reeves films, recently announced that a John Wick animated series is in the works. Unlike The Continental, Stahelski will be personally involved in the project that will heavily into the medium that’s a perfect fit for the high-octane action of the gun-slinging assassin’s world.

The John Wick anime series is still in very early development, but here’s what we know so far thanks to Stahelski opening the door on the curious project that’s being kept tightly under wraps. For now.

Plot

Not much is known about the plot of the John Wick anime series, but here’s what director Chad Stahelski recently told The Discourse Podcast about his hopes for the project. Via Collider:

“So we’re really looking forward to that; we’re really excited about it because we’re doing that and a Japanese anime because I love Japanese anime so much. So to create all the cool stories that anime could achieve better than we could and the TV show to expand our world, we’ll still get our fix, you know what I mean? And we’ll still have all the fun.”

According to ScreenRant, the project reportedly stems from Stahelski wanting to take a more hands-on approach to future John Wick spinoffs after not being able to be involved with The Continental.

Cast

Casting information for the anime series has not been revealed. Although, the John Wick world has plenty of badass characters to choose from with actors who could most likely voice their animated versions. Locking down Keanu Reeves would a huge get, and not out of the realm of possibility if the anime series explores the time before and/or between the films.

Release Date

According to Stahelski, Lionsgate has yet to partner with an animation studio for the project, so the John Wick anime series is presumably still a ways off. Late 2024 would be a best case scenario, but 2025 is looking like the more likely release window. A streaming platform has not been confirmed either, so there are still a few pieces that need to be locked in.

Trailer

With the John Wick anime series still very much in its infancy, there is no release date or promotional material available for the project as of this writing. But we’ll keep you posted.

Before she was even old enough to get her driver’s license, Olivia Rodrigo was on New Girl. She played Terrinea in the season six episode, “Young Adult,” in which Jess (played by Zooey Deschanel) tries to impress some cool girls at her school by introducing them to their favorite author: Nick Miller (Jake Johnson), of The Pepperwood Chronicles fame.

“The Olivia Rodrigo [episode] was really weird because I remember her and those girls,” Johnson told Entertainment Weekly. “It was me, Zooey, and the girls, and they were such sweet kids. And some kid actors are just good.”

The Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse star and Deschanel “used to have a joke that we were fake managers and how when a guest star would come on, one of the bits we would do with each other was that we would playfully compete over who’s gonna sign them.” Johnson was the bad cop to Deschanel’s good cop, and “when Olivia Rodrigo and those girls were on, I was for sure trying to scoop them up because I was like, ‘There’s money in these kids!’ They were just good actors.”

(Olivia? Taylor Swift? Prince? New Girl had the best musician cameos since The Adventures of Pete and Pete.)

Johnson later saw Rodrigo on an episode of the Disney Channel’s Bizaardvark with his kids. “I remember being like, ‘I knew that f*cking kid was good!’ And when she really blew up, I’ve gotten really into her albums because I’ve got ten-year-old girls so I’ve heard ’em all,” he recalled. You can watch all her New Girl scenes below.

(Via Entertainment Weekly)

Between the countless music festivals unveiled, 2024 is on track to be another massive year of live shows. “Love, Try Not To Let Go” singer Julia Jacklin has impressive plans of her own. In 2022, Jacklin hit the road for a 46-date tour to support her album, Pre-Pleasure. Next year, in addition to touring with Mitski, Jacklin will set roots in Los Angeles, California, Las Vegas, Nevada, and Brooklyn for a profoundly personal residency.

Starting in March and each month following, Jacklin will make Brooklyn’s National Sawdust, Las Vegas’ Beverly Theatre, and Los Angeles’s Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever home. View the full schedule below. In a statement, Jacklin spoke about the vision for the residencies.

“I’m approaching next year’s shows with a sense of play,” Jacklin said. “I want to write on the go, try things out, and slow things down for a second. I want to stay in the same city for more than a night and have some breathing room between each show to think about what I’m doing, why I’m drawn to songwriting and public performance, and how I can change my practices to be more sustainable. Maybe I can even work on my enduring stage fright in intimate rooms where I can see people’s faces, feel their support, and remember that this is all just about connecting with other people at the end of the day.”

Ticket sales for Jacklin’s 2024 residency dates begin on Friday, December 8, at 10 a.m. local time. Find more information here.

Julia Jacklin 2024 Residency schedule

03/ 19/2024 — Los Angeles, CA @ Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever
03/26/2024 — Los Angeles, CA @ Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever
04/02/2024 — Los Angeles, CA @ Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever
04/18/2024 — Las Vegas, NV @ The Beverly Theatre
04/ 25/2024 — Las Vegas, NV @ The Beverly Theatre
05/02/2024 — Las Vegas, NV @ The Beverly Theatre
05/09/2024 — Brooklyn, NY @ National Sawdust
05/15/2024 — Brooklyn, NY @ National Sawdust
05/22/2024 — Brooklyn, NY @ National Sawdust
05/29/2024 — Brooklyn, NY @ National Sawdust

Dua Lipa, also known as Margot Robbie’s “secret crush,” released “Houdini” in early November and, with it, an incredibly catchy hook: “Catch me or I go, Houdini.” In the song, her 21st-career Billboard Hot 100 entry, the global pop star made it abundantly clear that she does not have any time to waste. And on Monday’s (December 4) The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, she also noted that she certainly does not have time to sit on a fake Santa Claus’ lap.

It wouldn’t be a Jimmy Fallon interview without Fallon welcoming his guest by saying how much he loves them. But shortly after that, Fallon presented a throwback photo of a toddler-aged Lipa and her pronounced frown sitting on Santa’s lap.

“I used to be terrified of Santa,” Lipa said. “I just didn’t get it. I was like, ‘This man with a beard, and he wants me to hold a bell and sit on his lap?’ I’m like, ‘I don’t want to sit on [his lap]. This is weird!’” She additionally quipped, “I think this was when I discovered feminism.”

And there is zero flaw in her logic. I will gladly die on this hill alongside Lipa. Why must we force sweet, innocent children to pose with a stranger? And then laugh when their shrill crying indicates that they are hating every second of it? And then laugh more when the photo embarrassingly resurfaces every Christmas henceforth?

Anyway, elsewhere in Lipa’s chat with Fallon, she discussed her “Dance The Night” song for the Barbie soundtrack (peaking at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100), very vaguely addressed her forthcoming third album due out sometime in 2024, and explained why she interviewed Apple CEO Tim Cook (a man she gladly sat down with, unlike Santa) for her Dua Lipa: At Your Service podcast.

Watch Lipa’s interview with Fallon above, and watch “Val and Hal” holiday skit below.

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

The Barbie soundtrack is a Warner Music release. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Margot Robbie is used to people fawning over her, as both herself and as her alter ego (Barbie), but Cillian Murphy might not be too used to it. Sure, he has his fair share of rabid fans after Peaky Blinders, but his Oppenheimer fame really launched him into space, garnering him massive amounts of attention and praise. He seems unmoored by it.

Robbie, on the other hand, is ecstatic for her Irish colleague and hyped him up so hard in their Variety interview. Robbie called herself a “big fan” after asking if there would be a spinoff movie in the works for Peaky Blinders. Surprisingly, Muprhy seemed on board.

“I mean, I’m open to the idea. I’ve always thought that if there’s more story to tell,” he admitted, which was exactly the response that Robbie was hoping for, as she jumped into a long-winded speech praising Murphy for his acting work and his soothing voice work. “Please do it. Please! Obviously, I’ve now revealed that I am a big fan of yours, not just Peaky Blinders. I also love your sleep story on the Calm app,” Robbie admitted. The story in question features Murphy taking you on a magical trip across Ireland. Maybe Robbie will record one for Barbieland?

Of course, Robbie couldn’t let Mruphy off that easy. She had to mention his “off the grid” nature that makes him susceptible to things like…this. She said, “Because I’m a fan of yours, I have watched a lot of your things on YouTube, and it’s out there on the internet that you are not that aware of memes and things like that. First of all, is that true? And second of all, if that is true, were you even aware of the Barbenheimer phenomenon, or were you just blissfully unaware because you use a dial-up phone or something?”

Murphy was quick to shut her down, saying that he has not one but two teenagers, so he obviously is aware of what a meme is. “I have two teenage boys. I do know what a meme is. Now I know there are memes about me not knowing what a meme is.” This man was in Inception, he has to know what a meme is. That movie practically invented them.

Thankfully, he also mentioned that he has seen some Barbenheimer fan art. “I mean, it was impossible to avoid any of that stuff,” he admitted, before galloping back into a misty Irish forest for the next few years.

(Via Variety)

Donald Glover recently wrapped up FX’s Atlanta and co-created Amazon’s conversation-starting Swarm, and he’s about to star in Amazon’s reboot of Mr. and Mrs. Smith, which looks to be far beyond the confines of the blockbuster action-romance-comedy flick starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.

Since Glover is involved, do not expect this to be a straightforward retelling of the film, but do expect to be able to binge the entire first season in one weekend. Amazon actually plans to release all eight episodes (co-starring Maya Erskine of PEN 15 and Blue Eye Samurai) in one go on February 2, 2024. Will it get you into the Valentine’s Day mood? Perhaps not.

Yes, the basic set-up of this series will also involve two secret assassins who are married, but in this story, they are arrange-hitched by their joint spy agency. They are rich and worldly and bored and lonely as hell, and oh damn, this sure looks like a worthwhile rewrite. As Glover told Entertainment Weekly, he wasn’t too taken with the film, so he’s turning marriage on its head:

Glover wished it explored something deeper, which is why he began thinking about doing a TV reimagining that would tackle modern ideas of marriage and relationships. “Why do people even get married anymore? Half of it ends in divorce — what’s the purpose?” Glover says. “Let’s make a show dealing with relationships, but from this point of view, centering more on really what a marriage is and trust and teamwork and loneliness and all that stuff. I just wanted it to be something that spoke to people right now because in a time of abundance, why do we feel lonely? The movie wasn’t about that.”

Phoebe Waller-Bridge was originally planned to co-star with Glover, but she dropped out, and Maya Erskine (who co-writes here) stepped up to fill those assassin shoes. The film will also co-star Michaela Coel, John Turturro, and Paul Dano.

(Via Entertainment Weekly)

Homelessness has been on the increase in America since 2016 and the numbers exploded in 2020. On a single night in January 2020, there were more than 580,000 individuals who were without a home.

There are many reasons for the increase in homelessness and one of the leading causes is a lack of affordable housing across the country. Housing prices have been on a steady increase and, according to PBS, we are about 7 million units short of affordable housing in the country.

So what can the average person do about this human tragedy taking place in America’s streets? Some people who would like to help don’t feel comfortable giving money to homeless people, although experts in the field say that most of the time it is OK.

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“If you don’t have money or time, or capacity to donate, I still think it’s nice to be respectful and say hello,” Diane O’Connell, a community lawyer for the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, told the Chicago Tribune.

Actress Jennifer Garner, 49, shared a great idea on Instagram for those who would like to help homeless people but aren’t sure how to do so.

The actress posted a video where she filled zip-up plastic bags with everyday items that homeless people need.

See on Instagram

“Random act of kindness: gather these essentials in a quart sized ziploc bag and keep them in your car to give away when you see someone in need,” she captioned the post. “A pair of thick socks. Kleenex. Hand wipes. Disposable toothbrushes. Chapstick. A couple of granola bars. I forgot this time, but like to add feminine hygiene products, too. Add $5, $10, $20 and a smile.”

For those not comfortable giving money, they can put a gift card in the bag for a local restaurant. O’Connell says that one thing most homeless people desperately need is a hot meal.

“Simple, cheap foods like bagels and doughnuts aren’t that helpful,” O’Connell said. “People who are homeless can usually buy things like that for themselves.” Often what people experiencing homelessness need is a hot meal, she said, because that’s more difficult for them to buy.

Greendrop says that the items most commonly requested by homeless people are socks and undergarments. Homeless people are always walking and have a hard time accessing laundry facilities so their socks and undergarments are often dirty or falling apart.

Here are some other items that will help make homeless people more comfortable:

Shampoo and conditioner

Toothpaste

Hair brushes and toothbrushes

Soap

Lotions

Nail clippers

Feminine hygiene products

Reusable containers

Garner’s Ziploc bag tip is a great idea because it’s a simple way for people to lend a hand when they encounter someone on the streets. How many times have you been driving around, saw someone in need, but didn’t have any way to help? This way you can easily brighten someone’s day when you see them at a freeway on-ramp or in a parking lot without having to ask yourself whether you feel comfortable giving them money.

This article originally appeared on 3.12.22

A dad is sharing his first encounter with a transgender woman in his small Texas town, and the simple lesson he taught his son is inspiring hope in others.

James Eric Barlow (oddragon226 on TikTok) shared a video from his car describing how he and his son saw a trans woman in real life for the first time. “We all know that there’s people that are disgusted whenever they see a trans person,” Barlow begins. “And we all know of the people who don’t care if they see a trans person.

“But apparently, we’re a third type of person (or at least I am, I can’t speak for him),” he says, indicating his son in the backseat who chimes in with “I am, too!”

Barlow then goes on to explain how they had just had their first experience with a trans woman. It wasn’t anything major—she just walked through a door behind them and Barlow held the door for her, just as he would any other person. He didn’t even notice she was trans at first, but once he did, his immediate reaction was one we can all learn from.

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“When I tell you how happy it made me,” he says, beginning to tear up, “to be able to see somebody be out and open to the world here in small town Texas. You just gotta know how much bravery that takes. Right, Mikey?”

“Hell yeah!” the son agrees.

Barlow wanted to say something to her, but he didn’t want to make her feel uncomfortable, either.

“But if you’re a trans woman and you came here to the Landmark truck stop in Clyde, Texas, just know we’re proud of you,” he concludes.

@oddragon226

our first trans woman experience #trans #transwoman #transpeoplearepeople #transrights #translivesnatter

Barlow’s video was shared on Reddit, where it’s received 37,000 upvotes and a slew of comments that prove parents set the tone for their kids’ sense of acceptance.

“Indoctrinate your children with kindness, compassion, consideration and respect for others.” – Toddthmpsn

“When I was younger I would get my hair cut by a woman named Liz. She spoke Spanish so it was hard for to understand her English sometimes. My dad spoke Spanish so would translate for her and me. I noticed Liz looked a little different then other women. But I never said anything, I never felt any differently about her. She never scared me, or made me question anything. She was just Liz. As I got older I realized she was a trans woman. And it literally changed nothing. She was still just Liz. Liz was always kind and treated everyone warmly. I havnt seen her in years but I hope she is doing well. I really liked her.” – PerplexedPoppy

“This literally happened to me as a child in the 80s. A cashier at a store we visited suddenly started dressing in a feminine style and it appeared that they were transitioning. My mom explained to me in an age appropriate way that sometimes people decide they want to be a man instead of a woman, or a woman instead of a man. She told me that people would probably be mean to the cashier and it was important for us to remember that and always be polite to her, as we would anyway. This was way before trans issues were as mainstream as they are now, but my mom had seen an episode of Phil Donahue where transwoman discussed their stories, and she recognized it as a medical issue. Core memory for me.” – ZipCity262

“As a trans woman, im deathly afraid whenever I have to go to rural areas. I can instantly feel physical tension when I walk into a gas station or a restaurant in these areas. Thank you for being supportive. Trans people need you now more than ever.” – rainbow_lenses

It really is a simple matter to accept people as they are and treat all humans with dignity, kindness and respect, even if we don’t fully understand them. And as this dad and son show, it’s a simple matter to demonstrate non-judgmental acceptance in front of our kids so they hopefully will grow up without being bound by chains of bigotry they’ll later have to learn to unload.

This article originally appeared on 7.7.23

For those not well versed in moose facts, the shedding of antlers is normally a fairly lengthy process. It happens only once a year after mating season and usually consists of a moose losing one antler at a time.

It’s incredibly rare for a bull moose to lose both at the same time—and even more rare that someone would actually catch it on film.

That’s why shed hunter (yes, that’s a real term) and woodsman Derek Burgoyne calls his footage of the phenomenon a “one-in-a-million” shot.

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According to The Guardian, Burgoyne was flying his drone through a remote patch of forest in Canada when he spotted three moose in a clearing. His drone followed one of the bulls, who began doing the wobbly little shake thing that signals these antlers are going bye-bye.

Burgoyne knew he had to keep his camera on the moment—but he had no idea that he’d hit the jackpot.

Watch below:

It’s hard to tell which is more fun to watch— the super rare moment in nature or Burgoyne’s pure passion for his hobby.

“I shook a little bit. It was an adrenaline rush for sure,“ he told CBC News, sharing that he has previously found hundreds of shed antlers in his life.

Antler hunting has become a hot and profitable pastime over the past few years, although Burgoyne affirms that his shed hunting ambitions are born from a desire for well-being, not monetary gain.

“I enjoy being in the woods. It’s great exercise and it’s fun tracking the moose through the winter and looking for their sheds in the spring. Each one you find feels like the first one. It never gets old,” he told The Guardian.

Well Derek Burgoyne, thank you for doing what you love. Thanks to your passion, we too can share this once-in-a-lifetime moment. Here’s to good moose news!

This article originally appeared on 1.20.23