Category: News

As the situation at Twitter continued to rapidly deteriorate following an reported “mass exodus” of employees and Elon Musk‘s controversial decision to unban Donald Trump, John Oliver weighed in on the chaos at the social media platform. During the opening segment of Sunday’s Last Week Tonight, the late night host tore into Musk for his weak jokes and signaling to “many of the worst people on Twitter” that the site is now a free-for-all. Oliver also dropped a scathing new nickname for the flailing media baron.

“A man who answers the question “What if Willy Wonka benefited from apartheid?’” Oliver quipped before dragging Musk over the coals for scaring away advertisers with his $8 a month blue checkmark plan that led to a “predictable” rise in impersonating brand accounts. The late night host also went to town on the platform’s apparent increase in hate speech as well as the removal of safeguards to stop misinformation.

Via The Hollywood Reporter:

Oliver concluded his intro segment by saying that Musk clearly doesn’t know what’s going to happen next on the social media platform, now that he’s fired half his staff and is facing several labor lawsuits.

“He’s decimated his staff and degraded his product, and sure, he could try and sell what’s left of Twitter, or it can continue functioning worse than before, as his free-for-all digital clown town,” the host said.

Despite ripping Musk apart for destroying Twitter, Oliver is not immune to the schadenfreude of it all.

“There is undeniably something a little satisfying about a guy who was so desperate to be perceived as cool and funny on the internet that he paid $44 billion to make it happen, only to discover that he still somehow couldn’t afford it.”

(Via The Hollywood Reporter)

How did Adele tackle anticipatory nerves around the start of the Weekends With Adele Las Vegas residency and a history of bummer New Year’s Eves? Schedule a Weekends With Adele show for New Year’s Eve.

“New Year’s Eve has always been a let down for me,” the 15-time Grammy winner wrote on Instagram, captioning a photo of her wearing “2023” glasses and popping champagne. “I seem to always end up spending it in a car on my way to or from somewhere! But not this year!! I’ll be ringing 2023 in on stage!! I dress up to the nines on NYE and I would love it if those of you that come would too! Let’s go all out black tie vibes.”

Adele deserves to let loose in Vegas. She finished 2021 with 30, her first release in six years, registering a fifth straight/total week atop the Billboard 200 albums chart. But the “Easy On Me” songstress hasn’t had an easy 2022. She tearfully announced the postponement of Weekends With Adele due to COVID complications in January, clarifying the residency “would have been a really half-assed show” if she didn’t make the difficult decision to postpone. The rescheduled dates were confirmed in July, and Adele finally brought The Colosseum at Caesars Palace to life this weekend. The residency will stretch to March 25, 2023.

See scenes from Adele’s opening weekend below.

It’s been nearly a month since Elon Musk bought Twitter and grabbed the reigns of the social media platform. Things have not gone well. Heck, at one point recently, many thought the site, at any second, was going to shut down for good. Whether that actually happens, it doesn’t look like Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor will be part of Twitter’s future, as he’s gearing up to leave.

Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Reznor called Musk’s takeover an “embarrassment” and continued, “I’m about to depart. We don’t need the arrogance of the billionaire class to feel like they can just come in and solve everything. Even without him involved, I just find that it has become such a toxic environment. For my mental health, I need to tune out. I don’t feel good being there anymore.”

He also said of making the music for Luca Guadagnino’s Bones And All, “It couldn’t have been better. We went from not knowing him going into this to meeting a genuine, authentic, respectful collaborator who has become a friend. We were able to work on material that, in every iteration, we were amazed by how it blossomed into something beyond our expectation. I know that sounds ridiculous, you can say, but it really was a magical experience.”

Over the weekend, Elon Musk went ahead and decided to let Donald Trump back on Twitter. This was something that many people did not care for, including Jack White, who had many thoughts on the matter.

On an Instagram post about the reinstatement from the weekend, White wrote, “So you gave trump his twitter platform back. Absolutely disgusting, Elon. That is officially an asshole move.”

He continued, “trump was removed from twitter because he incited violence multiple times, people died and were injured as a result of his lies and his ego, (let alone what his coup did to attempt to destroy democracy and our Capitol). And how about the division and the families broken apart from his rhetoric and what it did to this country? That’s not ‘free speech’ or ‘what the poll decided’ or whatever nonsense you’re claiming it to be; this is straight up you trying to help a fascist have a platform so you can eventually get your tax breaks.I mean, how many more billions do you need that you have to risk democracy itself to obtain it?”

White concluded with some thoughts on free speech, writing, “I am a believer in free speech, but for example i’m not about to let the KKK hold a rally at our record label’s performance stage. That’s one of the platforms we control and have a say in, it’s not town square operated by the government. And if i owned a gas station, i wouldn’t be selling the KKK gasoline to burn crosses either and then wash my hands as if i didn’t help facilitate hatred. You took on a big responsibility with your purchase, and ‘free speech’ isn’t some umbrella that protects you from that.”

Brandi Carlile chimed in with a comment on the post: “PREACH Jack. What you’re saying and doing is super potent. He will on some level want your approval because you’re brilliant and culturally important. This reproach is both just and effective. He will see this and it may even help.”

Read White’s full post below.

“‘So you gave trump his twitter platform back. Absolutely disgusting, Elon. That is officially an asshole move.

Why dont you be truthful? Tell it like it is; people like you and Joe Rogan (who gives platforms to liars like alex jones etc.); you come into a ton of money, see the tax bill, despise paying your fair share, and then think moving to Texas and supporting whatever republican you can is going to help you keep more of your money. (How else could trump possibly interest you?) You intend to give platforms to known liars and wash your hands like pontius pilate and claim no responsibility? trump was removed from twitter because he incited violence multiple times, people died and were injured as a result of his lies and his ego, (let alone what his coup did to attempt to destroy democracy and our Capitol). And how about the division and the families broken apart from his rhetoric and what it did to this country? That’s not ‘free speech’ or ‘what the poll decided’ or whatever nonsense you’re claiming it to be; this is straight up you trying to help a fascist have a platform so you can eventually get your tax breaks.I mean, how many more billions do you need that you have to risk democracy itself to obtain it?

You did a lot of amazing things with Tesla, Elon, and you deserve a lot of compliments in that department (i personally supported the hell out of that venture), but you’ve gone too far and are now using your power to promote horrible, violence inducing liars, who are taking the country and the world backwards and endangering the democracy that made you rich and successful in the first place. I am a believer in free speech, but for example i’m not about to let the KKK hold a rally at our record label’s performance stage. That’s one of the platforms we control and have a say in, it’s not town square operated by the government. And if i owned a gas station, i wouldn’t be selling the KKK gasoline to burn crosses either and then wash my hands as if i didn’t help facilitate hatred.

You took on a big responsibility with your purchase, and ‘free speech’ isn’t some umbrella that protects you from that.”

(Spoilers for The Walking Dead series finale will be found below.)

After 11 seasons and nearly 200 episodes, The Walking Dead came to an end on Sunday. It was a remarkable run for the zombie series, one of the highest-rated shows on cable ever; at its peak, over 20 million people watched Rick, Daryl, & Co. escape a group of cannibals. The Walking Dead isn’t nearly as popular these days, but AMC hopes there’s enough interest for multiple spinoffs, including the existing Fear the Walking Dead and Tales of the Walking Dead, as well as Dead City (which is focused on the unlikely pair of Maggie and Negan), Daryl Dixon (in Paris), and Rick & Michonne.

The Rick in “Rick & Michonne” is, of course, Rick Grimes, who left The Walking Dead in season nine. He hasn’t been seen since — until the series finale, “Rest in Peace.”

Rick appears in the final moments of the episode after Daryl rides off into the sunset (and a bunch of zombies got blown up real good in an impressive-looking explosion). “I think of the dead all the time,” he said in a voice over, while writing a letter. “And about the living. Who I lost. I think about them all every day. Their faces. What I learned from them. How they made me who I am. So much more than all of this made me who I am.”

The other half of Rick & Michonne (last seen in season 10) is also writing a letter at the same time as Rick, or so it seems. They’re actually in two different timelines: Rick in the past; Michonne in the present. Rick is trying to get back to his family, including daughter Judith, but he’s interrupted by a Civic Republic Military helicopter; he’s told that there’s “no escape for the living,” but he has enough time to place his letter into a bottle and toss it into the water, and chuck his bag into a boat, which eventually finds it way to Michonne. The last time we see Rick, at least until the spinoff, he has a curious smile on his face as the helicopter approaches and the screen fades to white.

The episode then cuts to Hilltop, where Judith and her brother R.J. (Rick and Michonne’s son) are admiring the peaceful scenery surrounding them. The final lines of the show: “We get to start over. We’re the ones who live.” And it’s largely thanks to Rick.

Rick & Michonne premieres in 2023.

At the American Music Awards last night (November 21), controversial singer Chris Brown found himself nominated for Favorite Male R&B Artist, against Brent Faiyaz, Givēon, Lucky Daye, and The Weeknd. The AMAs are fan-voted, and the fans decided that Brown should come away with the win, so he did.

The in-person audience at the ceremony didn’t take this well. Kelly Rowland presented the award and was showered in boos when she revealed Brown was the winner. She accepted the honor on the absent Brown’s behalf and addressed the crowd as the booing continued, saying, “Now Chris Brown is not here tonight so I’m accepting this award on his behalf — excuse me: chill out — but I wanted to tell Chris, ‘Thank you so much for making great R&B music,’ and I want to tell him, ‘Thank you for being an incredible performer.’ I’ll take this award, bring it to you. I love you, congratulations, and congratulations to all the nominees in this category.”

This comes shortly after Brown accused AMAs organizers of canceling his planned Michael Jackson tribute performance at the show. Sharing a rehearsal video on Instagram a few days ago, Brown wrote, “U SERIOUS?” He later added in a comment, “WOULDVE been the ama performance but they cancelled me for reasons unknown.”

Tulsa King brings Sylvester Stallone to the small screen as a gangster who’s relegated to Oklahoma, where he’ll have the run of the state’s second-biggest city. In the process, he busts up a dispensary and starts to carve out some mafia-like extortion income and discovers the Internet and takes a tour of a honky tonk bar. It’s an amusing show, and Sly is clearly having a blast, but there’s also some emotional layers for his character, Dwight “The General” Manfredi, to sort through as he returns to civilization after 25 years in prison.

We received a hint of this deeper stuff at the end of Episode 2 (actually titled as “Center of the Universe”), which followed Dwight hearing about a real-life Tulsa landmark, known as the Center of the Universe. It’s a weird little anomaly located downtown atop a pedestrian bridge. There, the sound bounces off the surrounding buildings and concrete barriers in a way that echoes can be heard by the person speaking within the circle.

What’s more important and relevant to this episode: no one who is outside the circle can hear what that person is saying (no matter how loud they speak) while standing within it. Here’s a short video from local NBC affiliate KJRH, which demonstrates this phenomenon in action.

Dwight visits this landmark as a place to shout his anguish over being estranged from his daughter, but obviously, no one else would be able to hear him. It’s a pointed choice to have him do so atop this bridge, and the moment says a lot about how he’s suffering inside but would never dare to show it to the world. We don’t yet know what significance the white horse (seen near the bridge in an earlier moment) will hold, if any, but this is a nice nod to the Tulsa as a character of this show, since the Center of the Universe tends to attract tourists and locals who take to Instagram with the results.

In 2016, a pair of local artists replaced some of the bridge’s bricks with a lighted display, and it appears as though the series paid tribute on that note (blinking bricks are seen from above as Sly departs the structure), although the landmark itself is currently in disrepair with the City of Tulsa soliciting suggestions on how to overhaul and improve the area. Perhaps Tulsa King will give the area enough of a boost to get it going.

So, the show has conquered one landmark, and hopefully, we’ll see Sylvester Stallone threaten the Golden Driller at some point in the future. Hey, a girl can hope.

Paramount+’s Tulsa King streams on Sunday evenings.

Tulsa King brings Sylvester Stallone to the small screen as a gangster who’s relegated to Oklahoma, where he’ll have the run of the state’s second-biggest city. In the process, he busts up a dispensary and starts to carve out some mafia-like extortion income and discovers the Internet and takes a tour of a honky tonk bar. It’s an amusing show, and Sly is clearly having a blast, but there’s also some emotional layers for his character, Dwight “The General” Manfredi, to sort through as he returns to civilization after 25 years in prison.

We received a hint of this deeper stuff at the end of Episode 2 (actually titled as “Center of the Universe”), which followed Dwight hearing about a real-life Tulsa landmark, known as the Center of the Universe. It’s a weird little anomaly located downtown atop a pedestrian bridge. There, the sound bounces off the surrounding buildings and concrete barriers in a way that echoes can be heard by the person speaking within the circle.

What’s more important and relevant to this episode: no one who is outside the circle can hear what that person is saying (no matter how loud they speak) while standing within it. Here’s a short video from local NBC affiliate KJRH, which demonstrates this phenomenon in action.

Dwight visits this landmark as a place to shout his anguish over being estranged from his daughter, but obviously, no one else would be able to hear him. It’s a pointed choice to have him do so atop this bridge, and the moment says a lot about how he’s suffering inside but would never dare to show it to the world. We don’t yet know what significance the white horse (seen near the bridge in an earlier moment) will hold, if any, but this is a nice nod to the Tulsa as a character of this show, since the Center of the Universe tends to attract tourists and locals who take to Instagram with the results.

In 2016, a pair of local artists replaced some of the bridge’s bricks with a lighted display, and it appears as though the series paid tribute on that note (blinking bricks are seen from above as Sly departs the structure), although the landmark itself is currently in disrepair with the City of Tulsa soliciting suggestions on how to overhaul and improve the area. Perhaps Tulsa King will give the area enough of a boost to get it going.

So, the show has conquered one landmark, and hopefully, we’ll see Sylvester Stallone threaten the Golden Driller at some point in the future. Hey, a girl can hope.

Paramount+’s Tulsa King streams on Sunday evenings.

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) 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.

TIE: 10. Manifest (NBC-turned Netflix series)

Flight 828’s first chunk of Season 4 episodes came and went with no real answers on what the hell caused the passengers to blip off the earth’s radar for five years, so of course, people want more answers. Plenty of Cal and Zeke drama (some of it tragic) will take us into the final touchdown whenever we receive a release date, and maybe (just maybe) we’ll see a Michaela and Jared reunion. Too soon? Nothing is too silly for this sci-fi soap opera, so bring it, Jeff Rake.

TIE: 10. Fleishman Is In Trouble (FX series on Hulu)

The title of this show won’t reel you in on its own, but this show takes takes a departure from the usual “divorced dad” story with Jesse Eisenberg taking a sexy jaunt into singledom. Eisenberg does awkward like no other, and here, he’s a doctor juggling a madcap social life with a satiric twist. Lizzy Caplan and Adam Brody co-star as his supportive buddies while Claire Danes plays the incredibly distant ex-wife as Fleishman, also a doctor, struggles to keep it all together without falling in love with everyone.

9. Smile (Movie streaming on Paramount Plus)

If this movie isn’t a case for maintaining the fine art of the RBF, then I’m not sure what else would qualify. This horror movie freaked out theater audiences, and now, you can be afraid of literal smiles from the comfort of your own home. They marketed the heck out of this movie with an unsettling, baseball-themed campaign, so tune in to be afraid of happiness right before the holiday season goes into full drive. The timing!

8. 1899 (Netflix series)

Those streaming aficionados who could stand to see more Dark will want to tune into another mysterious story from the same creators. This show’s a nightmarish voyage about a migrant steamship who discovers a companion ship where something slightly supernatural might be happening. Yes, this is another Lost imitation, but people seemingly cannot get enough of them, if you don’t mind some frustration and a zillion upfront questions.

7. Interview With The Vampire (AMC series streaming on AMC+)

The O.G. toxic vampire romance rose from the undead in a series that proved to be more scintillating than the Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt (closeted) coupling of the 1990s. You can now watch through the first season finale while counting down for the next round of chess-playing tantrums and campy gore from a dancing Sam Reid. It’s heady and glorious and also updated for the 2022 audience amid trips to the past. On the rarest of occasions, reboots can actually get things right!

6. The Crown (Netflix series)

Princess Diana more than stands her ground with this season full of (“fictionalized”) episodes that showcased her misery and really upset the royal family, particularly because King Charles III will soon officially be coronated. Tune in for the too-hot prince (also fictionalized) as well while listening to the infamous “tampongate” conversation with now-Queen Consort Camilla. They do know how to get randy sometimes.

5. From Scratch (Netflix series)

Zoe Saldana leaves blockbuster mode for this limited series that follows a European-set love story including an inspiring chef. The location moves to Los Angeles, where all is not sunny and bright and, in fact, things grow pretty tragic. It’s a nice switch up from all of the superhero stories and the dark-fantasy stories that recently proliferated the TV realm, and this proves to be a nice little bingewatch for when you’re either preparing for or attempting to digest all of that Thanksgiving food.

4. The English (Amazon movie)

We love to see a show that we can actually see, and that’s only one of the high points for this big swing of a Western starring Emily Blunt and Chaske Spencer. Together, they’re crossing 1890s middle America while dodging danger at every turn and considering exactly how this country can turn people inside out, for better and often worse. Blunt can even whoop some ass while dressed in aristocratic getups and toting a massive bag full of money, and the story also commits to joining the newfound influx of Indigenous perspectives that eschew the stereotypes of yesteryear.

3. Dead To Me (Netflix series)

Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini love the hell out of each other, and it shows. This dark comedy returns for one final round of homicidal fallout. Much of the season was filmed following Applegate’s MS diagnosis, and get ready for more chaotic James Marsden(s) and the threat of the FBI amid this continued celebration of the rarest and deepest of friendships. As a bonus, Applegate’s Married With Children mom shows up to stir some drama, and yes, we’ve got more headbanging. Fans will be sad to see this show go, but the final flourishes are worth the tugs at heartstrings.

2. Tulsa King (Paramount Plus series)

Sylvester Stallone has been leading up to this role for his whole career, and he’s truly having a blast as a mafia boss with the run of an entire city, which yes, simply happens to be Tulsa. Who would have thought that this city would be so hot on TV these days? After Watchmen and amid the ongoing Reservation Dogs, TV characters cannot seem to stay away from the semi-appealing armpit of Route 66. Stallone delivers a fun and emotional performance in an irresistible show that’s directed by Boardwalk Empire‘s Terence Winter and dreamed up by Taylor Sheridan of Yellowstone fame. Giddyup.

1. The White Lotus (HBO series streaming on HBO Max)

This show has already been renewed for a third season, thank god, and hopefully, Jennifer Coolidge will once more be the connecting thread. Her boozy socialite is miserable, but I feel worse for her assistant (Haley Lu Richardson). Aubrey Plaza and Theo James lead the rest of the troubled characters who can’t seem to be totally happy in idyllic surroundings. Mike White is putting first-world humanity on blast in a way and considering lofty issues like whether morning sex can make or break a relationship. In other words, this show is a sleeper hit in more ways than one.

The Dallas Mavericks played host to the Denver Nuggets on Sunday night, and took what they thought was a 59-52 lead into halftime after a stepback three-pointer from Luka Doncic just before the halftime buzzer.

However, the play was reviewed during halftime and it was determined that Luka’s heel stepped on the boundary line and, as such, there was no basket and should be two seconds left on the clock.

So, when the teams came out of the locker room after halftime, they actually played out the final two seconds of the first half, with Denver inbounding the ball from the other side of the court with the Dallas lead 56-52. Denver got the ball to Vlatko Cancar who launched a 50-foot shot that hit nothing but net to cut the deficit to one.

That six-point swing proved very costly, as the game remained very close throughout the second half, with Michael Porter Jr. hitting what ended up being the game-winning three with just under a minute to play.

The Mavs didn’t score again, as a deep three from Doncic went begging at the buzzer, and the Nuggets ended up swiping a 98-97 win in Dallas despite the absences of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. It was a rough loss for a Dallas team that’s made something of a habit of losing to shorthanded teams this season, and after the game Luka was none too happy about the overturned three to end the half.

It was a bizarre situation, but the league determined on review that Doncic’s foot hit the line and the Nuggets capitalized thanks, in part, to Cancar’s apparent obsession with hoisting halfcourt shots every day at practice.

They say practice makes perfect and his execution on that shot, swishing one from well beyond the midcourt line, was proof of concept and proved to be a massive swing in a one-point game.