After HBO Max leaned heavily into its nerd-shaking decision to Release the Snyder Cut, the recently launched streaming service is leaving DC Comics fans might be scratching their heads to learn that many DC Comics movies will be (temporarily) leaving the platform in a few weeks. The list contains 12 movies that will be no longer available on HBO Max (starting in July), including Justice League, a film that was prominently featured in ads, billboards, and again, the Snyder cut announcement:

Justice League
Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice
Wonder Woman
Suicide Squad
Batman
Batman Returns
Batman Forever
Batman & Robin
Catwoman
Jonah Hex
Steel
The Losers

Comic Book first broke the story, and Deadline confirmed the news. In addition, The Observer got word from an HBO spokesperson, who explained that the platform will be rotating its selection of DC Comics movies on a monthly schedule: “We have a new batch coming in July and then another batch coming in August.” At this time, the streaming service did not disclose what that new batch for July will contain, but it should be an interesting selection considering the DC Films don’t have as wide of a library as Marvel, and 12 films are already off of the table.

While it is surprising that HBO Max is already losing so many DC Films after prominently featuring them in promotional material (Batman Begins was included in the launch trailer, and neither that film or the rest of The Dark Knight Trilogy has yet to be available), navigating convoluted streaming rights is a hurdle that Disney+ also dealt with at launch. Despite owning the Marvel movies just like HBO Max’s parent company owns the DC films, Disney need to wait for some streaming deals with Netflix to expire before it can have the MCU films all under one roof. And don’t even get us started on the rights to Spider-Man.

(Via Comic Book, Deadline & The Observer)

A discussion about the upcoming VOD film Money Plane, in five parts.

PART ONE — I can’t wait to tell you about Money Plane

Money Plane is a movie about a plane filled with money. Specifically, the plane is “a bulletproof casino in the sky” that contains over a billion dollars worth of cryptocurrency and cash, as well as, apparently, many packages of cocaine. It is, as we learn in the trailer, “a legend in the underground” and “untouchable by any government agency,” which is good for the money plane because the passengers — a collection of the world’s most notorious criminals — can gamble on anything they want, from regular roulette to Russian roulette.

Guess if someone is going to try to rob the money plane.

A professional thief with $40 million in debt and his family’s life on the line must commit one final heist – rob a futuristic airborne casino filled with the world’s most dangerous criminals.

This is easily one of the top five sentences I’ve ever read. Not even just for a movie description. I’m talking all sentences, all-time, every one that has crossed my eyes in three-plus decades. It’s got everything I could ask for: dangerous criminals, a futuristic airborne casino filled with the world’s most dangerous criminals, a professional thief doing one last job. It’s perfect. It’s like Ocean’s Eleven crossed with Con Air crossed with Money Train, the 1995 film that stars Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson as thieves who are trying to rob a train filled with money. I hope we keep this trend going and make a new Money [Method of Transportation] movie every 25 years. We can do Money Submarine in 2045, Money Blimp in 2070, and, I don’t know, let’s Money Rocketship in 2095. Most of us will be in the ground by then but it will be comforting to know traditions like this continue after we’re gone.

All of which is to say, this is the most excited I’ve been about a VOD movie since John Travolta hopped into a series of speedboats two years ago I imagine you’re wondering how this can possibly get any better.

Well…

PART TWO — Kelsey Grammer is in Money Plane

See all those quotes in the first section? The ones about bulletproof casinos in the sky and underground legends? They are all said by Kelsey Grammer, Frasier Crane himself, who is in Money Plane for some unknowable reason. He plays the biggest bad guy of them all, the one who sets this whole thing in motion, the one who buys the professional thief’s $40 million debt and forces him to rob the money plane. Here are some things Kelsey Grammer does in this trailer:

• Lights a cigar and asks our hero if he’s “a gambling man”
• While explaining the job, after saying the thing about it being a legend in the underground, literally says “it’s the money plane,” which, as a fan of movies where someone says the title of the movie in a piece of dialogue, made me whoop out loud a little
• Grabs what appears to be some sort of AK-47-type automatic weapon while shouting “NOW BRING ME MY MONEY”

This all raises a number of questions, including “Why is Kelsey Grammer in Money Plane?” and “Is Kelsey Grammer okay?” and “Seriously, why is Kelsey Grammer in Money Plane?” The most important question it raises for me, however, is “Will Kelsey Grammer tell the main character that the two of them are ‘not so different’ at some point?” It seems like a movie where the bad guy will say that. It seems so much like the kind of movie where the bad guy will say that.

I will be furious if he doesn’t. Just inconsolable. I’m actually kind of nervous now.

PART THREE — Look at the rest of the cast of Money Plane

Money Plane stars Adam Copeland, perhaps best known as former WWE champion Edge, as the troubled thief. Kelsey Grammer is starring in a movie where he forces a former WWE champion to rob an airborne casino. And Copeland’s wife is played by, you guessed it, Denise Richards, star of Wild Things and Starship Troopers and exactly the type of person who would play the endangered wife of a thief who is robbing a lawless flying casino at the behest of Kelsey Grammer in a movie titled Money Plane. (It says a lot about Money Plane that Thomas Jane is in the movie and I’ve buried it in this parenthetical.) The movie itself is filled with as much treasure as the titular plane at the center of its plot. You can’t imagine how happy this makes me.

And it gets better. Guess how many of the Lawrence brothers are involved in Money Plane. I’m just going to tell you. Three. Three Lawrence brothers are involved in Money Plane. Joey and Matthew — the former best known for his 90s heartthrob run as Blossom’s brother, the latter probably best known as Shawn Hunter’s half-brother on Boy Meets World — pop up briefly in the trailer. The reason for this, one assumes, is because Money Plane was written and directed by the third Lawrence brother, Andrew.

This is already my favorite movie.

PART FOUR — Look at the official poster for Money Plane

Do we have cutouts of our four main characters in formal attire against a background of clouds? We do.

Are two of the main characters holding handguns while two other unnamed characters shoot automatic weapons in front of an exploding plane? Of course.

Does it feature an objectively perfect tagline like “An explosive casino heist in the sky”? Baby, it’s in all-caps right under the title, which is, again, Money Plane.

I think I’m hyperventilating from excitement. I want to stuff this movie into a feedbag and strap it around my neck.

PART FIVE — Three screencaps from Money Plane presented with no further context or explanation

Money Plane is set for release on July.

We are all going to see it.

I can’t wait.

Money Plane!

MONEY PLANE!

IT’S THE MONEY PLANE!

Beyonce is no stranger to the big screen. Her acting debut in Austin Powers In Goldmember arrived even before her debut solo album in 2003. Beyonce’s latest work in Hollywood was her voice over role as Nala in last year’s remake of The Lion King. But, according to recent reports, Beyonce’s work with Disney is far from over. The singer is apparently in talks with Disney about working on multiple different films, including the upcoming Black Panther 2.

According to Elle, Beyonce is reportedly in meetings with Disney concerning a $100 million deal that would involve her in three major movies. One of the projects Beyonce is rumored to be involved in is the upcoming Black Panther sequel. A source for the publication said that the singer has become “a major player” for Disney, and the company is working to get her to voice some of the new documentaries coming out on Disney+. “The negotiations are still ongoing but it’s the final details that are being thrashed out now,” the source claimed.

While Beyonce worked with Disney for The Lion King, the singer recently appeared in ABC’s Disney Family Singalong in April. Beyonce gave a touching rendition of “When You Wish Upon A Star” and dedicated her virtual performance to “all the healthcare workers who have been working tirelessly to keep up healthy and safe.”

Beyonce has yet to confirm or deny her involvement in Black Panther 2. Other rumors surrounding the sequel have already surfaced, though it’s not slated for a release until 2022.

The recent protests against racist police violence have made waves in the world of wrestling. Lots of wrestlers have spoken out, the New Day recorded a whole podcast, and Becky Lynch posted from a protest. WWE even released an official statement, although it was pretty toothless and mostly served to remind people of all the problems the company has had with race over the years. NXT North American Champion Keith Lee even wore “Black Lives Matter” gear at NXT TakeOver: In Your House. Now a report has emerged about a big backstage argument on the subject that is said to have happened backstagee before NXT TakeOver: In Your House.

According to Fightful Select, an unnamed producer on the show made an ill-considered claim that everyone in the United States is already treated equally, regardless of race. It was apparently Shawn Michaels, of all people, who was angered by this and had a lot to say about how rampant systemic racism and inequality actually are in this country. HBK and the other producer reportedly worked together professionally throughout the show, and the NXT roster apparently only heard about this argument the next day.

It’s hard not to wonder if this story was leaked because it makes Shawn Michaels sound like a good, progressive guy (while the producer who was wrong remains unnamed). It also makes NXT sound like a place where racism isn’t tolerated, which can only help their reputation after some other stories that have come out in the past year.

With the arrival of HBO Max, people not only puzzled over access-related questions but also marveled over the massive number of content offerings on the table. On the original content side of things, Doom Patrol‘s second season will air on HBO Max, which will free it up from solely landing on the DC Universe streaming service, where nerd fare doesn’t reach the audience it deserves. Speaking of which, the show’s new trailer is here to give HBO Max viewers a crash course on DC’s strangest group of heroes. Smart move.

This trailer gives a quick rundown of Cliff Steele/Robotman (Brendan Fraser), Larry Trainor/Negative Man (Matt Bomer), Rita Farr/Elasti-Woman (April Bowlby), Victor Stone/Cyborg (Joivan Wade), and the one who’s closest to my heart, Crazy Jane (Diane Guerrero). Jane/Karen (!) actually asks what the heck Doom Patrol is, a question that might be on a lot of HBO Max subscribers’ minds. Well, the group is here to save the world again with some Yellow Brick Road vibes added to the mix (as highlighted in a previous poster), but they all must grow up first. From the synopsis:

Following the defeat of Mr. Nobody, the members of the Doom Patrol now find themselves mini-sized and stranded on Cliff’s toy race car track. Here they begin to deal with their feelings of betrayal by Niles Caulder aka The Chief (Timothy Dalton), while confronting their own personal baggage. And as each member faces the challenge of growing beyond their own past traumatic experiences, they must come together to embrace and protect the newest member of the family: Dorothy Spinner (Abigail Shapiro), Niles’ daughter, whose powers remain a mysterious but real threat to bringing on the end of the world.

Doom Patrol‘s second season comes to HBO Max on June 25.

An analogy about expectations for my fellow white folks just diving into anti-racism education:

Imagine showing up to a class an hour late. How would you expect the professor to respond to your entrance?

Would you expect them to greet you at the door, tell you how happy they are that you arrived, walk you to your seat and make sure you were comfortable? Would you expect the teacher to ask you if you have everything you need or thank you for showing up? Would you expect them to take time away from the class to do that—would that even feel appropriate?

Or would you expect them to say, “Hi, take a seat.” Or perhaps nothing at all—maybe just give you a glance while they get on with the class as you find a place to sit?

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And how would you enter that class if you were an hour late?

Would you walk in and announce, “Hey, I’m here!” and then give a big explanation for why you are taking the class and what took you so long to get there, diverting the class’s attention and taking away valuable class time?

Would you walk straight up to the professor and say, “Sorry I’m late, but could you please go over what you’ve covered in the last hour with me?” Just imagine the professor’s face if you did that, and then hold that thought.

Or would you quickly and quietly sit down, open your book and do your best to keep up with where the class is now, knowing you’re going to have to catch up on the first hour of material on your own. Maybe even borrowing someone’s notes to help with what you’ve missed.

Would the professor be glad that you were in the class? Sure. Better late than never. But would you expect them to express gratitude or happiness that you finally showed up? Of course not.

Now imagine the professor’s life depends on people like you showing up for class. Imagine that they’ve seen countless students arrive late, sit down for a few minutes, decide the desk is too uncomfortable or the subject matter is too hard, then walk out, over and over and over. Would you expect them to feel relieved at your arrival? Would you expect to be met with a warm welcome, or some understandable skepticism?

Photo by National Cancer Institute

White folks, we are that late student. Only we are far more than an hour late.

If you’re just diving into anti-racism activism and it all feels a bit pricklier, less patient or less welcoming than you expected, this is why. We don’t get a cookie for showing up to a place we already should have been. We should not expect an open-armed, warm welcome because we’ve finally arrived.

We might be embarrassed when we realize how late we are. We might feel like we have some good reasons for it. But lengthy apologies and explanations just waste valuable class time and no one really wants to hear it, no matter how heartfelt or sincere. The class just wants to move on.

We’re undoubtedly going to feel a little lost. But if we raise our hands to ask questions about stuff that was covered in the hour we missed, we should expect the response to be a simple “You’re going to need to get someone’s notes on that” or “That was covered in Chapter 1—go back and read it.” No one would expect a professor to go over material that’s already been covered for the student who showed up an hour into class. No one should expect them not to find those questions annoying.

Yes, it is good that we’re here. There’s no question about that. But we’re late to a class that’s already in session and that’s the dynamic we should expect. The most respectful thing we can do is recognize our lateness, then quickly take a seat, open our books and listen like someone’s life depends on it. The truth is, it does.

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Orville Peck’s actual identity remains a mystery thanks to his Lone Ranger-style fringed mask, but the singer’s debut album Pony earned him accolades and recognition as a queer voice in country music. The singer has been gearing up for the EP Show Pony with his recent singles “Summertime” and “No Glory In The West.” But Peck has decided to pause his EP’s promotion in order to focus on supporting the Black Lives Matter movement. Just two days before the EP was supposed to drop, Peck announced he is pushing it back a month.

Addressing his fans on social media, Peck wrote that he wants to shift his priorities away from his EP to support Black Lives Matter. The singer wrote that the momentum of the movement is “so strong,” but people need to stay committed in order to “dismantle the injustices of oppression”:

“Hey gang, I know it’s only two days away but I’ve decided to push the release of my new EP ‘Show Pony’ to July. We’re undergoing a huge overdue worldwide transformation thanks to the Black Lives Matter movement and that is mainly what I want to put my focus on at the moment. The momentum is currently so strong, and it needs to keep going in order to dismantle the injustices of oppression, so if your voice hasn’t been heard yet just use it, or walk out and hear the protesters, and if you’re scared, tell them Orville sent you! Last week, thanks to the help of some lovely people we raised close to $37k, and this week I’ll be performing a little surprise from the EP at @wynwoodpride where we’re hoping to raise $100k. Lots of great performers, so if you guys like what you see, remember to tip- and y’all, even if you can’t tip, watching to actively educate yourself is also a win for everyone.”

Find Peck’s post above.

Show Pony is out 7/12 via Sub Pop. Pre-order it here.

Since the first rumors about a possible bubble league for the NBA cropped up, one of the chief concerns among those involved has been what to do with older personnel — especially coaches — who are at a higher risk for serious complications should they contract COVID-19. That has seemingly not yet been addressed, with Adam Silver walking back a statement he made on TNT about not having coaches over 65 in the bubble, and the ongoing friction between the league and its coaches continued Wednesday with the news that the NBA league office will ask teams to submit personal health records for everyone coming to Orlando in order to determine risk on a case-by-case basis.

According to a report from Zach Lowe and Adrian Wojnarowski at ESPN, “NBA team personnel are expected to be asked to submit personal medical histories to a panel of physicians who would review their individual risk of serious illness due to any spread of coronavirus in the NBA’s bubble environment in Orlando.”

However, many labor and health-related issues crop up when an employer begins to ask employees for personal health history, even during the time of COVID-19. Rick Carlisle, one of the head coaches who will head to Orlando next month to coach the Mavericks, is also the president of the coaches’ association. He’s recently had to fight to protect some of the older coaches in the NBA while also ensuring their labor freedoms are not infringed upon by the league.

While an optimistic perspective would indicate both Carlisle and NBA coaches, as well as the league office, are all fighting to protect coaches, it’s a slipper slope toward health-based discrimination. A cursory understanding of HIPAA guidelines calls into question the legality of the NBA asking for such information and providing it to a third-party panel, though many such rules have changed during this pandemic. Even the best intentions, though, can lead to problems between employers and their workers, even within high-profile sports leagues.

Per ESPN: “Forcibly excluding such personnel could implicate both the Age Discrimination in Employment Act and (perhaps more important) the Americans with Disabilities Act, experts said.”

Simply put, the league has to balance not violating labor or health law while also figuring out how bets to ensure the health and safety of older head coaches such as Gregg Popovich, Mike D’Antoni or Alvin Gentry, all of whom fall into the primary risk category according to the CDC. If any of them have pre-existing health conditions, their risk only worsens.

This is one of the things you might have hoped would be sorted out prior to the league and players voting to resume play, but at least it appears both sides are working to find a tenable solution.

After delivering a gripping teaser in early May, HBO is back with an official trailer for its upcoming docu-series I’ll Be Gone In The Dark, which is based on the Michelle McNamara book of the same name.

As fans of true crime and comedian Patton Oswalt know, McNamara died tragically in her sleep in 2016 before finishing her book that focused on solving the infamous cold case of the Golden State Killer. In honor of his late wife’s dedication to the case, Oswalt worked with a team of investigators to finish I’ll Be Gone In The Dark. Two months after it hit shelves, the killer was arrested after decades of eluding law enforcement.

In the upcoming docu-series, not only will McNamara’s extensive research into the Golden State Killer be front and center, but also the crime writer’s intense dedication to telling the victims stories. With interviews from Oswalt, friends, and co-investigators, I’ll Be Gone In The Dark will go beyond the book and also tell the story of McNamara’s fierce determination that led to the capture of a killer.

Here’s the official synopsis from HBO:

I’LL BE GONE IN THE DARK is a detective story told in McNamara’s own words, through exclusive original recordings and excerpts from her book read by actor Amy Ryan. The series draws from extensive archival footage and police files as well as exclusive new interviews with detectives, survivors and family members of the killer to weave together a picture of a complex and flawed investigation. It is a frightening document of an era when victims were often too ashamed to speak out and sexual crime was minimized in the press and the courtroom. Echoing McNamara’s writing, the series gives voice to the victims, and their experiences speak to the far-reaching, human cost of the decades-old case.

I’ll Be Gone In The Dark will debut on HBO on June 28.