Category: News

Last month, it was announced that The National’s Aaron and Bryce Dessner were composing the score for the new Peter Dinklage-starring film, Cyrano. The film arrives in theaters this month and The National leader Matt Berninger and his wife Carin Besser penned the lyrics to the songs on the soundtrack. While the first track released from the film, “Someone To Say,” is sung by actress Haley Bennett, the latest single is a full-on song by The National.

“Somebody Desperate” has Berninger’s vocals front and center. The track opens with Aaron Dessner on the grand piano, something he’s been doing a lot of for Taylor Swift in recent days. It’s the first new material from The National since 2020’s “Never Tear Us Apart,” an INXS cover that benefited Australia’s Brushfire Relief efforts.

Recently, both Dessner brothers and Peter Dinklage appeared on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert to perform “Your Name,” also from Cyrano. In the Joe Wright-directed film, Dinklage stars alongside Bennett, Amanda Seyfried, and Kelvin Harrisson.

Cyrano is out in theaters on Friday, December 10. Listen to “Somebody Desperate” above and check out the Cyrano trailer below.

Cyrano (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is out 12/10 via Decca Records. Pre-order it here.

Although Atlanta-bred YSL rapper Gunna has had a productive year as a featured artist on songs like “Repeat It” from Lil Tecca, “Butter ATL” with Ludacris, and his label crew’s solid compilation Slime Language 2 — including Uproxx Best Songs Of 2021 inclusion “Ski” — we haven’t heard quite as much from him on the solo side of things. However, in September, he did release the thunderous single “Too Easy” with Future, suggesting he might be spooling up for the follow-up to 2020’s Wunna soon.

Today, the hometown hero lent even more credence to that suggestion by releasing a boisterous remix to the track, adding the fitting inclusion of Compton rapper Roddy Ricch, who he previously worked with on both Wunna and Roddy’s debut album, Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial. The two certainly have established chemistry thanks to their similar, Young Thug-inspired sing-song flows, and Roddy’s slick boasts fit right in alongside his elders as he brags, “First time I called Elliot, Gunna told me to spend two-fifty / Now my chain cost half a milly and I’m plottin’ on a silly billy.”

Listen to Gunna’s “Too Easy” remix featuring Future and Roddy Ricch above.

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

It was exactly 27 years ago today in 1994 that Adam Sandler first performed his holiday classic, “The Chanukah Song,” on Saturday Night Live. Sandler has offered updated lyrics for the song a handful of times since then, but now Haim have grabbed the torch and revised the track’s lyrics to include more contemporary references.

The trio shared their rendition of the song on social media, adopting a simple setup of just two acoustic guitars and vocals. Este takes on lead vocal duties and works a bunch of modern musicians into the lyrics, like Japanese Breakfast and Aaron and Bryce Dessner of The National. She also sings, “Doja Cat’s half Jewish, [Timothée] Chalamet’s half, too. Put’ em both together: What a fine-lookin’ Jew!”

They also teased a tour at the end of a video by remarking how much fun playing the song was before saying in unison, “Should we go on tour?!”

Of course, the sisters’ update wasn’t intended to fix any flaws with Sandler’s original version. Rather, their rendition seems to have come from a place of pure admiration, as they wrote alongside the video, “Sandler we love you.” Sandler himself is into it, as he re-shared the video on Twitter and wrote, “Love you ladies! You are three badass jews! See you on tour!”

Meanwhile, the trio has been celebrating “Haimukkah” this year, during which they’ve hosted giveaways and shared message. So far, they’ve gifted a drum set, tickets to a Licorice Pizza screening, and Este’s signature Fender bass. For their most recent dispatch yesterday, they asked fans to donate to Planned Parenthood.

Following Alec Baldwin‘s controversial interview about the fatal shooting on the set of Rust, the hosts of The View came to the actor’s defense and agreed that his sit-down with George Stephanopolous was “a good thing for him to do.” As an attorney, Sunny Hostin offered valuable insight into Baldwin’s legal culpability for the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. She also expressed concern about his mental health. Via Mediaite:

“I don’t think he’ll be found criminally responsible, but any lawsuit they’re going to play this video. I got the tell you, I saw empathy, I saw remorse, I saw, you know, sympathy,” said co-host Sunny Hostin of the interview which aired Thursday night.

“Depression?” Interjected co-host Joy Behar.

“I saw depression,” Hostin continued. “He said he would have killed himself had he felt guilty about this. I thought it was a good thing [the interview] for him to do actually despite the critics who are saying otherwise.”

Filling in as guest host, America Ferrara offered up her perspective from working on film sets, and she mounted a vigorous defense of Baldwin. Ferrara said the actor was failed by people whose job was to make sure he was handed a safe firearm.

“I have handled guns and it’s so many people’s jobs to ensure the safety of every single person on that set. It’s the AD’s job, every producer’s job — it’s the director’s job and the gun handler’s job,” Ferrara said. While she agreed that Baldwin plays a part in the process, Ferrara argued, “it’s not Alec Baldwin’s job to alone to be responsible for that moment, it’s so many people’s jobs.”

(Via Mediaite)

Paul Verhoeven, director of Robocop, Showgirls, Starship Troopers, etc. has always been a horny little altar boy at heart and never has that been more clear than in his new film, Benedetta, a tale of lesbian nuns, politicized Catholicism, and the Bubonic Plague set in Medieval Italy. At 83, it’s nice to see that the man still loves farts, boobs, graphic violence, and sacrilegious imagery as much as ever. As both a Biblical scholar and a nasty little Dutch freak, Benedetta is the movie he was born to make.

Since his heyday as the king of satirical sci-fi action movies in the 90s, Verhoeven has been mostly making European art films lately, compensating for lower special effects budgets with even more sex. Benedetta is the high-water mark of this horny Late Verhoeven phenomenon, a vaguely artistic, deliciously schlocky extended reverie. It grapples with faith, sorta, but it also depicts a Petomane-esque medieval flatulist lighting farts on a stage in the town square inside of the first five minutes. Ah, medieval Vaudeville, these are the kinds of details that really make a story sing.

The plot concerns the title character, whom we first meet as a little girl on the road to a convent with her family (who actually have to pay a dowry to the convent to get Benedetta married off to Christ). Some highwaymen attempt to waylay the family but the devout Benedetta threatens them with divine punishment, some of which seems to miraculously materialize before all of their eyes. Later she becomes a pledge at the nunnery (this is what they’re called, right?) in Pescia, torn between a stern overseer, played by Charlotte Rampling, and Bartolomea, another nun Benedetta had saved from sexual servitude, played by Daphne Patakia. Meanwhile, grown-up Benedetta, played by Virginie Efira, is beset by increasingly intense religious visions — some of which seem to come true, others of which seem to be largely abstract, like when she dreams of a Jesus with a vagina.

The early-middle section of Benedetta, after the setup but before the lead up to the finale, drags a bit, and for a time Benedetta feels as if it’s setting up to be one of those indies that has a collection of charmingly weird elements strung together by too much dull slowness in between. I’ve seen a million of those, and they’re always a drag, both to watch and to review. You want to credit them for the good ideas they contain while remaining honest about the main feeling they evoked while watching, which is boredom. “You know… I liked it when Nicolas Cage wrestled that CGI jaguar but mostly that was shit.”

Benedetta is the rare, almost miraculous, really, two-hour-plus movie (131 minutes, to be precise) that only seems to get better in its second hour. The momentum builds and builds until the action comes to a glorious crescendo, a collision between the plague, Benedetta’s earthly enemies, and her torrid affair with Bartolomea, a finale as delicious as anything I’ve seen this year (including one of its best lines).

Part of the beauty of Paul Verhoeven is that he seems to be a thinking man who doesn’t making thinking man’s movies. His characters rarely yearn silently or morosely reflect; they fuck, fight, fart, betray, torture, and murder. For him, film is not an introvert’s medium, and God bless him for that.

‘Benedetta’ is available in select theaters and everywhere films are rented digitally on Friday, December 3. Vince Mancini is on Twitter. You can check out his film review archive here.

In last week’s episode of Succession, Kendall wanted the playlist for his 40th birthday party to be “all bangers all the time.” Did he succeed? You can judge for yourself, as HBO has released “Kendall’s Birthday Mix” on Spotify. There’s no Billy Joel, but there is the Chemical Brothers, LCD Soundsystem, Alison Wonderland, and KRS-One.

Assuming Succession takes place in 2021, Kendall would have been born in 1981, meaning his formative music-listening years would be in the mid- to late-1990s. There is absolutely no chance that he didn’t agonize the night before the party over whether to include “Blue (Da Ba Dee)” by Eiffel 65 on the playlist. He made the right call to leave it off — even if the episode ended with him feeling blue, da ba dee da ba di, after — spoilers, but you’ve probably seen the episode already — not being able to find his kids’ birthday present in the rabbit wrapping paper. Everything’s great.

You can listen to the playlist below:

And here’s the tracklist:

1. “White Lines (Don’t Don’t Do It)” by Grandmaster Flash and Grandmaster Melle Mel
2. “Man of the Year” by ScHoolboy Q
3. “Fotomat” by St. Maximus
4. “Go” by Geek Boy
5. “Here Comes the Warm Dreads” by Lee “Scratch” Perry and Brian Eno
6. “The Club” by Keith Goodey and Julian Napolitano
7. “NY Lipps (Kawazaki Dub)” by Soulwax
8. “Big Conspiracy” by J Hus and iceè tgm
9. “MC’s Act Like They Don’t Know” by KRS-One
10. “Radio Babylon” by Meat Beat Manifesto
11. “Troublemaker” by St. Maximus
12. “New York, I Love You but You’re Bringing Me Down” by LCD Soundsystem
13. “Don’t Glaze Me” by Dizzee Rascal
14. “Hey Boy Hey Girl” by the Chemical Brothers
15. “Lost Dimension” by Magic Castles
16. “Anything” by Alison Wonderland and Valentino Khan

Over the past few years, there has been an incredible rise in global consciousness about social justice. But there’s been one exceptionally large group that’s been mostly absent from the conversation, people with disabilities.

The World Health Organization estimates there are 1.2 billion people with disabilities across the globe, which accounts for 15% of the total human population.

“To truly create an accessible and equitable world, a place where everyone feels safe and has the courage to be themselves, we have work to do,” Sophie Morgan, British Television Presenter, and disability advocate says on the first episode of the “Equal Too” podcast. “We have to change the law. Transform culture. Rebuild our cities. Increase visibility. And to do so we must empower everyone to be involved.”

As activists such as Morgan work to change public consciousness surrounding the issues facing 1.2 billion people with disabilities, they face a major question. What are the biggest challenges and what work is needed to drive equality?

Brand new podcast alert nnMade by the team behind #Netflix doc #RisingPhoenix (@HTYTmissions), #EqualToo is a groundbreaking 6-part series co-produced by @TheSineadBurke and me. nnWe are asking, how do disabled people achieve equity? Join us!nn https://linktr.ee/equaltoou00a0pic.twitter.com/1tIveMOkUy

— sophie morgan (@sophie morgan)
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To address these pressing concerns, Harder Than You Think, the team behind the Emmy-award winning Netflix documentary Rising Phoenix, and P&G Studios launched “Equal Too: Achieving Disability Equality” a 6-part podcast that aims to answer these pressing questions by talking to disability activists, athletes, politicians, and those working to make the world more accessible.

What’s unique about this podcast is that 61% of its team of producers, guests, and contributors identify as disabled.

The podcast recently wrapped up its sixth and final episode so now is a great time to binge-listen to this compelling podcast that attempts to create a cohesive agenda for people with disabilities in the wake of one of the most successful Paralympic Games to date.

The show is hosted by Morgan who sustained a T6 spinal cord injury in a traffic accident in 2003, resulting in paralysis from the chest down.

Morgan was a lead host for Channel 4’s Paralympics coverage.

I had a wonderful chat with @jameelajamil on her #iWeigh podcast this week. We talked about pretty much everythingu2026.nnHave a listen! nnAnd then..check out: #EqualToo @HTYTmissions nnhttps://open.spotify.com/episode/24zmfG7MOXEXj7IMA7w9aC?si=YZJdoNN4Qf2tfVM2JiMmMQ&context=spotify%3Ashow%3A48QtcFDDyQzKIc4B0fo4V7&dl_branch=1u00a0u2026pic.twitter.com/73MBVmWapL

— sophie morgan (@sophie morgan)
1631958076

Throughout the six episodes, Morgan took a look back at the history and the legacy of the Paralympic movement and the impact it’s had on host cities and beyond. She also spoke with actress Jameela Jamil (“The Good Place”) who has Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a group of disorders that affect connective tissue, about ableism in Hollywood.

“For someone who maybe has just found that they have a disability, that someone they love does, or they want to be an ally for people with disabilities, this is a perfect series for you,” Jamil says. “It’s full of very real conversations, but they’re incredibly entertaining, too.”

Morgan also had a conversation with Keely Cat Wells who runs a talent agency for disabled talent and Yoshihiko Kawauchi, an architect and wheelchair user who advised Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 on venue construction.

After six episodes, the show’s co-producer, Sinead Burke, is proud that she and Morgan were able to achieve the show’s ultimate goal of inclusivity.

“I think it’s been so brilliant to have six different threads of conversations under the umbrella of disability,” she said on episode 6, “The Decade Ahead.” “When we began this podcast we had lots of conversations back and forth about who the audience was. Was it non-disabled people? Was it disabled people? Or was it allies? Was it athletes? One of the things we’ve been really considerate around is making sure that across these six episodes that we appeal to listen to amplify and bring questions to each of those audiences.”

Morgan boiled the far-reaching effort down to one big takeaway. People with disabilities need greater representation in the places where decisions are being made.

“I feel that the next part of this journey to take that giant leap forward, not slowly incremental changes, we need to see disabled people in decision-making roles,” she said in episode 6.

“We need to see disabled people across the board because then we don’t need to present our argument for why you need to be represented or why you should be in the room,” she added. “Somebody will get it already. The paradigm shift will happen organically.”

To be a part of the new push towards equality for the 15% of humanity living with a disability, listen to ‘Equal Too: Achieving Disability Equality’ now on iHeart Radio or wherever you get your podcasts.

We’ve seen a lot of actors make their Marvel Cinematic Universe debut this year, from rising star Simu Lui in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings to Angelina Jolie herself. Hell, even Harry Styles (yes, that Harry Styles) suited up in The Eternals, if only for a minute. However, while there’s a whole lot of hype surrounding actors making their big MCU debuts, there’s also a whole lot of something we don’t consider as much: anxiety.

Turns out, the stars really are like us, and even Oscar winners are prone to getting in their head about making an appearance in a beloved franchise — just ask Mahershala Ali. Earlier this year, Ali made his MCU debut as the vampire-slaying Blade in The Eternals, delivering one line of dialogue, off-screen during the film’s final moments. However, just because the role was small scale does not mean it was small stakes. In a recent appearance on The Late Show with host Stephen Colbert, Ali revealed he actually “lost sleep” over his role in the film, telling Colbert he didn’t believe in himself.

“You lose a lot of sleep over it. I was losing sleep over this line because, ideally, you want to be talking once you are filming,” Ali told Colbert. “One hundred percent of the time, my first day on any set, on any job, I hate it. I hate how I sound. I don’t believe myself. You’re trying to get comfortable in the character, so to have to talk before you actually film was challenging.”

While it might seem a small thing to keep the Moonlight and Green Book legend up at night, you have to remember, not many fan bases are as devoted — and particular — as Marvel fans, which has apparently been a major source of stress for Ali. In addition, Ali has some pretty big shoes to fill, as Wesley Snipes take on the Marvel character was pretty beloved in both Blade and Blade II. While Snipes has been vocal about his support of Ali, there’s no denying it’s still a tall order.

“I’ve never walked into a role where the anticipation of it was so great,” he said. “Where people were already so familiar with the character, they have real opinions and points of view and all that. So it feels different. There’s clearly an added layer of pressure, which I will embrace.”

While Ali has technically already made his debut MCU appearance, it is rumored the stars first solo film, Blade, will hit theaters late 2022.

QAnon followers are apparently hyped over the possibility that Sylvester Stallone is a secret member of their cult.

As Newsweek noted, the Rocky star posted a photo on Instagram this week that showed him donning what looks to be a blue hat with the letter “Q” (?) stitched in the center. Adding to the theory that the hat is actually an endorsement for the far-right movement that was a big player in the insurrection, here’s Stallone’s caption: “Heading into the Storm …”

That phrase is a popular slogan amongst QAnon cult members who believe that a secret, satanic cabal of pedophiles is running the world’s governments. Democrats and Hollywood elites have been targeted by the group, who continue to maintain that Donald Trump, the twice-impeached president now retired in Florida, is working to bring down the cabal — despite Trump being a reality TV star and millionaire who used to live in New York City.

This is the first time Stallone has appeared to publicly endorse QAnon, but he’s been a friend to Trump for a few years now. The A-lister has been a guest at Mar-A-Lago and successfully petitioned Trump to issue a posthumous pardon to heavyweight boxer Jack Johnson in 2018. Though Stallone never endorsed Trump for president, his relationship with the election fraud conspiracy theorist and this latest social media post has some QAnon members hopeful he’s on their side.

One QAnon Telegram account using the handle Truth Hammer wrote, “Check out that hat and that caption. Stallone knows.” Another that goes by the handle Pepe Lives Matter said, “What kind of hat is that? Stallone with an interesting photo.” Still, some users on Instagram questioned why Stallone would support QAnon in the first place, saying, “Seriously, is my childhood hero going QAnon? Say it ain’t so!”

Weirdly enough, Rocky Balboa turning out to be a cultist who believes lizard-people are secretly in power probably isn’t the most bizarre thing on anyone’s bingo card this year.

(Via Newsweek)

You’ve got the Gucci wallet, you’ve got the Gucci flip-flops, and maybe you’ve got the Billie Eilish perfume, too. Now round out the collection with Eilish’s Happier Than Ever on Gucci recycled vinyl! Facts only, folks. And the limited edition record also comes with some extra flair.

Eilish took to her Instagram yesterday to announce the collaboration. “So excited to share my limited edition “Happier Than Ever” vinyl and @gucci nail stickers featuring an exclusive box designed by @alessandro_michele,” the post began. “The vinyl is made from recycled vinyl scraps from all the colors of the original pressing of the record and each piece is completely unique!!

The recycled vinyl is a similar concept to Paul McCartney’s McCartney/333 special edition vinyl pressed by Third Man Records. Except McCartney’s records were made from recycled pieces of his first two solo records, whereas Eilish’s is an amalgamation of other editions of Happier Than Ever. Although Eilish definitely has McCartney one-upped with the Gucci nail stickers.

Eilish’s post continued on to list out the Gucci Boutiques where the records/box set will be available. Cities include Paris, Berlin, Milan, Madrid, London, Los Angeles, New York City, Sydney, Osaka, and Tokyo. It’s an opulent and exclusive release to say the least, and since it’s currently only available at retailers, the price isn’t listed online. But it’s safe to say that it’ll come with a hefty price tag. This isn’t lost on your day-to-day Billie Eilish fan and the top comment on the Instagram post summed it up best: “bae i’m broke”