Category: News

Owen Wilson is a newbie to not only the MCU but superhero stuff in general. Indeed, in a new interview with Variety, he describes himself as being “pretty much a blank slate” when it comes to comics fare. So when the actor and screenwriter was cast in Loki, the spin-off series that follows Tom Hiddleston’s oft-nefarious trickster god, he had some work to do. But it was worse than that: He also had to find a way to get through reams of complicated expository dialogue involving something called the Time Variance Authority — an agency new to the MCU.

The TVA, is it’s called for short, isn’t exactly easy. In fact, we’re just going to quote Variety’s own, fairly concise description of it as an “inter-dimensional bureaucracy tasked with the awesome — and formidable — responsibility of maintaining a single, sacred timeline and pruning away all “variants” that could lead to the multiverse.” Loki has toyed a bit with the multiverse going back to The Avengers, when he used the Tesseract to escape certain events. So he winds up catching their interest.

But one person who didn’t have that much trouble with it is Wilson — or at least it wasn’t such a pain that it stuck with him. “I don’t really have much of a memory of it,” Wilson tells Variety about remembering how he got a handle on the subject. “I don’t know if I blocked it out of my mind the way you would math class. Because it is complicated, and it’s hard sometimes if you feel you’re saddled with a lot of exposition.”

Whatever happened, he was able to get through it. “We must have found a nice flow for it, where it was able to naturally work its way in to the conversations with Tom,” Wilson says. “Because I don’t remember it being too, ‘Oh god, now we’ve got to lay this out.’”

Wilson also admits some of the more philosophical aspects of the show — such as the idea of fate in a world with multiple planes of existence — wasn’t “one of the things that I really latched on to.” Instead he worried more about “making things believable for myself. Sometimes there would be logic stuff that I didn’t quite follow, and [director] Kate [Herron] was always very good about letting us talk about it.”

However Wilson got through it, it seems to have worked: He’s receiving some of the best reviews of his life for his performance, which manages to make lots of tricky exposition flow beautifully, all while acting as a more laidback counterpoint to Hiddleston’s revved-up Loki. The show bows on Disney+ on Jan. 9.

(Via Variety)

A whole lot of people were up in arms when the Los Angeles Lakers secured Andre Drummond on the buyout market after his tenure with the Cleveland Cavaliers came to an end. The general gripe — big market teams have an inherent advantage and can get players more easily than smaller market teams — certainly held water, but in the case of Drummond specifically, it turned out any fears that he would solidify a spot as L.A.’s main center were unfounded.

Drummond put up decent enough numbers in the regular season as a Laker — 11.9 points and 10.2 rebounds in 24.8 minutes per game, largely while LeBron James and Anthony Davis were working to come back from injury — but when the playoffs came around, he saw his impact get reduced before eventually losing his starting role and picking up a DNP-CD in the Lakers’ Game 6 loss against the Phoenix Suns.

In the latest edition of Marc Stein of the New York Times‘ newsletter, we got a little glimpse into how Los Angeles brought Drummond on board. Stein reports that Drummond was promised a starting job by the team in order to get him to join the team.

“The Lakers promised Drummond a starting role to secure his commitment in free agency, according to two people familiar with the situation who were not authorized to discuss it publicly,” Stein reported. “By Game 6, Drummond was rooted to the bench, receiving zero minutes in an elimination game.”

Drummond is a good but limited player, and considering the way Deandre Ayton used his mobility to give him a headache in round one, it made sense that Frank Vogel would want to go with a more reliable option in a win-or-go-home game. This is not to say Drummond was the only person at fault for losing to the Suns, of course, but when the rubber hit the road, Vogel opted to go in a different direction. Now, the question is how this will impact his long-term prospects with the franchise, as the Lakers have said they view Drummond as a piece to their puzzle going forward.

Migos’ Culture III rollout is going as well as could be expected with a global pandemic to deal with. Shortly after releasing lead single “Straightenin,” the Atlanta trio revealed the release date with a Michael Jordan-style statement, then announced a festival in Las Vegas to promote the project before sharing the avant-garde cover art. Today, they presented the next piece of the puzzle, revealing the tracklist and features, which naturally include Offset’s wife Cardi B and their longtime collaborator Drake.

The project also boasts the dubious distinction of hosting two posthumous appearances from Juice WRLD and Pop Smoke, as well as a potentially star-making performance for Youngboy Never Broke Again, and an eyebrow-raising guest spot from Justin Bieber, who has previously worked with Quavo on his song “Intentions” and DJ Khaled’s “I’m The One” and “No Brainer.” Future and Polo G round out the features on an 18-song tracklist that surprisingly does not include “Rolling Stone,” the song Offset told Billboard is the one he can’t stop playing from the album. Perhaps it was cut at the last minute or maybe the name was changed (or Offset misremembered it); we’ll find out this Friday.

Culture III is due 6/11 via Quality Control and Motown/Capitol. You can participate in their first listen Thursday at apple.co/FirstListenMigos.

The 2020-21 NBA MVP race was one in which a number of players found their name in the conversations at various points during the season, but one name was at the top of the list throughout: Nikola Jokic.

The Nuggets do-it-all center dominated throughout the season, playing in all 72 games for Denver to led them to the 3-seed in the West, averaging 26.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, 8.3 assists, and 1.3 steals per game on 56.6/38.8/86.8 shooting splits. That consistent dominance has earned him this year’s MVP award, with Shams Charania of The Athletic breaking the news before what one would expect to be the official announcement either tonight on TNT’s pregame show or later this week when the Suns-Nuggets series shifts back to Denver.

Jokic beat out Joel Embiid, Stephen Curry, and others for the award, as there were, as always, a number of special individual seasons from around the NBA, but even as players entered and exited the MVP conversation, Jokic was the constant throughout. While it’s always important to remember that the MVP is a regular season award, Jokic has made sure to back up his stellar play in the postseason, dominating his first round matchup with the Blazers to lead Denver to a second round showdown with the Suns.

We’ll learn the full voting breakdown when the announcement is made official, but it’s fairly safe to assume that Jokic won the award by a fairly comfortable margin.

Indie music has grown to include so much. It’s not just music that is released on independent labels, but speaks to an aesthetic that deviates from the norm and follows its own weirdo heart. It can come in the form of rock music, pop, or folk. In a sense, it says as much about the people that are drawn to it as it does about the people that make it.

Every week, Uproxx is rounding up the best new indie music from the past seven days. This week we got the Japanese Breakfast’s massive new album Jubilee, the introduction to full-on ’80s-inspired John Mayer, and a new track from Chvrches featuring The Cure’s Robert Smith. Check out the rest of the best new indie music below.

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Japanese Breakfast – Jubilee

Michelle Zauner has had a massive 2021 so far, with the release of her debut memoir Crying In H Mart, and now her latest album as Japanese Breakfast. “Not only is [Jubilee] Zauner’s most accomplished album to date, it might very well be the best indie record of the year,” writes Steven Hyden for Uproxx.

Rostam – Changephobia

Four years after releasing his debut solo album, Rostam is back with his sophomore solo LP. On the breezy, experimental Changephobia, the former Vampire Weekend member “examines that which we can’t control, like the uncertainty of the future, speaks to necessary changes, like addressing the impending doom of climate change, and takes the future in stride,” writes Carolyn Droke for Uproxx.

John Mayer – “Last Train Home”

John Mayer has announced his next album will be called Sob Rock, and the first official preview of the album is the very ’80s-inspired “Last Train Home.” “The new song isn’t synth-driven, but definitely synth-supported,” writes Derrick Rossignol for Uproxx. “Take the bongos into account and it’s easy to draw similarities between ‘Last Train Home’ and Toto’s beloved hit ‘Africa.’”

Darkside – “Lawmaker”

After nearly eight years of silence, Darkside, the collaborative project of Nicolás Jaar and Dave Harrington, will be back later this summer with a brand new album called Spiral. “Lawmaker” is the latest taste of the forthcoming LP, which Derrick Rossignol describes for Uproxx as an “eerie new tune is driven by rhythmic guitar and bass, as well as some storytelling lyrics.”

Chvrches – “How Not To Drown” (ft. Robert Smith)

A few months ago, Chvrches returned to the spotlight with the new single “He Said She Said,” signaling the impending arrival of their fourth LP. Now, the band has officially announced the album, entitled Screen Violence, alongside a new single. “How Not To Drown” features guest vocals from The Cure’s Robert Smith, and the track “ventures into alternative rock territory, leaning on crashing snares and Smith’s languid vocal delivery,” writes Carolyn Droke for Uproxx.

Hurry – “Where You Go, I Go”

With their fourth full-length album Fake Ideas due later this month, Philadelphia power-pop quartet Hurry have shared the third and final single from the effort. “Where You Go, I Go” is another gorgeous, shimmering track that will make for a perfect soundtrack for driving down the highway with the windows rolled down this summer.

Career Woman – “Balcony”

Melody Caudill has been playing music since she was four years old, and you can tell. Caudill is only 17 today, yet Career Woman’s “Balcony” perfectly executes the slow build, opening with lo-fi guitar and vocals before introducing the full band for a master class in melody and personal songwriting.

Clinic – “Fine Dining”

Last year, Liverpool rock band Clinic broke a near decade-long silence with the new album Wheeltappers And Shunters. The outfit is showing no signs of hibernation again, as “Fine Dining” continues their streak of new music. The ethereal, electronic number is not currently attached to a full-length project, but don’t be surprised if an announcement is imminent.

Dead Tooth – “Hell Shack”

Zach James’ Dead Tooth project has existed in various forms for a few years now, but “Hell Shack” marks a shift in direction for the project. The Brooklyn outfit takes inspiration from post-punk and inspired by what James calls “a posthumous dinner party where Ian Curtis and Herman Hesse are swilling whiskey and cracking jokes,” and the driving, cinematic “Hell Shack” is an impressive first entry to Dead Tooth’s new era.

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

Indie singer-songwriter Lucy Dacus has released another incisive song from her third studio album, Home Video. “Brando” has the sound and scorch of a Highway 61-era Dylan. Instead of Dylan’s “Thin Man” leafing through F. Scott Fitzgerald, Dacus’s muse subscribes to the Criterion Collection. Over a dulcet, indie-folk arrangement, she turns his film references against him. “I’m laughing ’cause you think you’re Brando but you’ll never come close,” she sneers.

“‘Brando’ refers to a very dramatic friend I had in high school whose whole personality was the media he consumed,” Dacus said in a statement. “He showed me a lot of amazing movies and music, but I think he was more interested in using me as a scrapbook of his own tastes than actually getting to know me. He claimed to know me better than anyone else but I started to feel like all he wanted from me was to be a scene partner in the movie of his life.”

The Richmond, Virginia native broke out with her acclaimed 2016 debut, No Burden. In 2018, she co-founded Boygenius with fellow acclaimed singer-songwriters, Phoebe Bridgers and Julien Baker.

For a chance to be in the official music video for “Brando,” Dacus is asking for fans to send a video of themselves “dancing (or skateboarding, ice skating, roller-blading, etc.)” to https://lucydacus.com/brando. More details are available via the link.

Home Video arrives on June 25th via Matador. Preorder the album on Dacus’ website.

Gucci Mane’s label has suffered another blow after his artist Foogiano was sentenced to five years in prison for skipping bail last month. This time, it’s 21-year-old supernova Pooh Shiesty — aka Lontrell Williams — in the hot seat, according to The Miami Herald, which reports that Shiesty was arrested for aggravated battery in connection with a shooting at the Miami nightclub King Of Diamonds over Memorial Day weekend.

Complex‘s report on the arrest partially reconstructs the events in question, with social media video purportedly depicting the “Back In Blood” rapper at the club while the person apparently filming narrates. According to the clubgoer’s commentary, someone “took” Shiesty’s money, leading to a second clip in which the commenter loudly claims “Pooh Shiesty let off in a jacker’s b*tch ass” — meaning the rapper apparently shot at someone. The final clip does show someone who looks to be the rapper — although he’s wearing a ski mask, he was the focus of the prior videos — exiting the club holding something that certainly appears to be a handgun.

According to Miami Herald, the rapper did turn himself in on Tuesday. The Herald obtained an arrest warrant which said Shiesty shot a security guard in the leg.

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

Fans of Cowboy Bebop got some exciting news Tuesday: They saw something like a first look at the cast of Netflix’s forthcoming adaptation. A short video released during “GeekWeek” shows stars John Cho, Daniella Pienda, and Mustafa Shakir propped in front of green screen, ready to bring the cult anime to live-action life. But that’s not what got people online so hot and bothered. What got people online so hot and bothered was John Cho’s incredible hair.

The Harold and Kumar and Star Trek vet is playing Spike Spiegel, one of the show’s three bounty hunters, who roam about the galaxy, hunting down ne’er-do-wells and malefactors. Some have complained that the pushing-50 Cho is a little too old to play the young-ish Spike. But absolutely no one was complaining about his wavy locks, which flop about his forehead, creating waves so epic they look like he could achieve flight.

Clearly Cho, whose ‘dos tend to be more conservative, spent part of quarantine, as some of us did, growing out his hair, or simply not cutting it, resulting in new and eye-popping looks. Whatever the case, he looks uncannily like the show’s Spike.

But most didn’t care if it’s accurate or not. They just dug his hair.

The live-action Cowboy Bebop show won’t premiere until fall, so hopefully Cho doesn’t cut it short before then.

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert (CBS, 11:30pm) — Clive Owen stops by, but more provocatively, Ziwe Fumudoh (who is headlining her own satiric Showtime series) comes by to either be interviewed or do the interviewing. No one can say how this will go down, but the former Desus & Mero writer uses comedy as a weapon to examine the hardest-hitting issues out there, including race, and she isn’t afraid to offend anyone.

Superman & Lois (CW, 9:00pm) — Sure, we’ve seen several incarnations of these title characters over the decades, but the CW’s here with one more shot. In this series, the pair struggles to stay under wraps, although this week, they team up with Chrissy in an effort to bring the significance of Smallville to light for a particularly interested party.

Cruel Summer (Freeform, 9:00pm) — This newish series goes down in the 1990s and follows the aftermath of a popular teen going missing. When a seemingly unrelated shy student suddenly becomes massively popular, well, things look pretty strange. This week, Kate’s secrets and memories of captivity rise to the surface.

The Flash (CW, 8:00pm) — Barry, Iris, and Caitlin struggle to digest the departure news of Cisco and Kamila, but a new version of Rainbow Raider arrives to disturb everything.

Mental Samurai (FOX 9:00pm) — Is Rob Lowe on every show now? Not quite, but Season 2 continues with Mr. Handsome welcoming contestants that include an Army veteran, medical lab scientist, and an animal activist.

Mr Inbetween (FX, 10:00 & 10:30pm) — This season, Ray’s life is looking different while Brittany is growing ever-closer to discovering who Ray really is and what he does, which is doing the hitman thing while holding onto his own strict ethical code and balancing his family life. Meanwhile, severing ties with Freddy complicates matters when a criminal kingpin makes Ray’s struggle feel even more intense. This week, the synopsis includes the following: “Curiosity rarely kills the cat but too many pharmaceuticals generally will.” Oh boy.

Late Night With Seth Meyers — Joel McHale, Bill Cowher, Carmen Christopher, Brenda Buckley

The Late Late Show With James Corden — Chelsea Handler, The Wallflowers

In case you missed these streaming picks:

Sweet Tooth: Season 1 (Netflix series) — Team Downey (Robert Jr. and Susan) brings us this awe-inspiring story based upon a comic-book by creator Jeff Lemire, who whipped up a post-apocalyptic fairytale about what happens when a great sickness (which is poorly dealt with by humans) ends with a miracle. In this case, this would be the appearance of “hybrids,” babies who are born half-human and half-animal, and we’ll meet a young deer-boy, Gus, (Christian Convery), who teams up with a reluctant protector, Tommy Jepperd (Nonso Anozie), for a cross-country quest. The comic has been described as “Mad Max Meets Bambi,” and Will Forte also plays a pivotal role. You’re in for a real (sweet) treat if you surrender to this adventure.

We Are Lady Parts: Season 1 (Peacock series) — A Muslim female post-punk band called Lady Parts looks for a lead guitarist in this subversive series, which follows the ups and downs of the group as they seek a real gig. A geeky, hard-sciences Ph.D. recruit named Amina Hussain ends up being the unlikely lucky lady to pick up the ax, and she’s soon swept up into the group’s anarchic energy. Naturally, Amina’s caught between two worlds, that of her conservative friends and the irresistible lure of the band’s joyful spirit. Together, they’re fearless, rowdy, and sexual and every ultra-religious family’s nightmare. As a show, it’s silly and irreverent and inspiring; for sure, you’ve never seen women like quite this on your TV screen.

First it was GameStop, then it was AMC, and now Wendy’s has been minted as the latest “meme stock” as 2021 continues to see day traders on Reddit boost the price of seemingly random companies. On Tuesday, shares of Wendy’s surged upward 25 percent as Reddit latched onto the stock for sound financial reasons… and also nonsensical internet reasons (the fast-food company sells chicken tenders a.k.a. “tendies” which is a Reddit trader slang for huge profits). It also didn’t hurt that the Wendy’s social media account routinely dunks on its competitors, which the social media savvy traders like. Via CNN:

“Frenzy+scarcity+low volume means minimal buys could push the price quickly,” the Reddit user wrote.

Other Reddit users noted that the Wendy’s social media team has a knack for dunking on McDonald’s (MCD) and other competitors on Twitter. That irreverence could help gain the company new investors as well.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the frenzy on Wendy’s stock continued to trend on social media:

However, Yahoo! Finance editor-at-large Brian Sozzi cautioned readers that this latest stock meme is a different animal than the recent runs on GameStop and AMC. For one thing, unlike the other meme stocks, Wendy’s shares are not being aggressively short sold. Only 4.64 percent of the company’s outstanding shares are being shorted. On top of that, the stock is just plain good to begin with and didn’t “rescuing” from Reddit day traders.

“The reason why Wall Street doesn’t hate Wendy’s is that unlike other meme stocks, Wendy’s is a fundamentally sound business that is growing,” Sozzi writes. Whether that information will matter now that the stock is already a social media favorite will be interesting to watch.

(Via CNN, Yahoo! Finance)