Each week our staff of film and TV experts surveys the entertainment landscape to select the ten best new/newish movies available for you to stream at home. We put a lot of thought into our selections, and our debates on what to include and what not to include can sometimes get a little heated and feelings may get hurt, but so be it, this is an important service for you, our readers. With that said, here are our selections for this week.
Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson star as a preposterously attractive couple who get together after her character — one half of a global sensation pop duo — discovers her lover and music partner has been stepping out. That’s right, it is rom-com time over here. Will they? Won’t they? Whose hair will look better in the pivotal scene that will probably take place in the driving rain? There’s one way to find out: Grab some popcorn and comfy pajamas and set up shop on the couch. Watch it on Peacock.
Zoe Kravitz plays a stay-at-home digital detective in this latest thriller from Steven Soderbergh who — with the help of her friendly A.I. sidekick Kimi — uncovers a string of murders she traces back to the company she works for. She then must venture out into a pandemic-ridden Seattle in search of the reason why. Honestly, we can’t relate. But, Kravitz is quickly becoming a bonafide action star and a Soderbergh script rarely disappoints. Watch it on HBO Max.
Well, guess what: It’s a remake of the 2003 classic with Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt, which was itself a remake of a film from 1950, only this time is stars Zach Braff and Gabrielle Union as the flustered parents and can be found on Disney Plus, a service that did not even almost exist when the other versions came out. Which is fine. Time marches on. And this one is written and produced by Kenya Barris from Black-ish, which is also fine. Good, even. Round up the family and grab some snacks. Watch it on Disney Plus.
Ryan Reynolds plays Mark Ruffalo’s time-traveling son, so there’s a little MCU crossover there for you before Deadpool makes his possibly sooner than expected MCU return. They’re going to save the future, of course, and this film also has Ruffalo’s 13 Going On 30 co-star, Jennifer Garner, so there’s reteaming aplenty here. Expect both family drama and romance and drama across four dimensions. Watch it on Netflix.
Is the movie good? Reader, it is not. The updated take on the Agatha Christie classic romp is littered with awkward-to-bad CGI and a cast that has been through a slew of individual public relations disasters, and you just watch Knives Out again if you’re itching for a star-studded murder mystery, but still, if we can’t all get together once in a while to enjoy a good old-fashioned trainwreck, then what are we even doing here, you know? Watch it on Hulu or HBO Max.
Steven Spielberg brings the classic musical to the big and/or small screen, to the delight of both older fans and newer ones who get to experience it all for the first time. Get in there. Really let the experience wash over you. Sing along. Dance around your living room. Get in a knife fight with your sworn enemy. Okay, maybe not that last one. But the other ones, definitely. Watch it on Disney Plus.
In Domee Shi’s Turning Red, a boy band-loving teenage girl turns into a red panda whenever she experiences strong emotions, which as every parent of a teenager knows all too well, is often. Too often. It’s all the time, really. Turning Red is being called Pixar’s best movie in years, as it should. It’s about time red pandas got the cinematic showcase they deserve. Watch it on Disney Plus.
Deep Water is an erotic thriller that stars Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas as… honestly, what more do you need? It’s a “weird, wild mess” of a movie from the director of Fatal Attraction and Unfaithful, with a murder mystery, duplicitous characters, and Affleck as an alpha cuck. Deep Water is the kind of sleazy mainstream movie that rarely gets made anymore, so it feels like a sexy treat that it even exists (from Disney, no less). Break out your Ana de Armas cardboard cutout and make it a double feature with Basic Instinct.Watch it on Hulu.
It is wild to think about how long Tony Hawk has been a figure in American pop culture. It is also wild to watch a full-length documentary about it, which is good and notable here because HBO made one. The whole thing is fascinating, the way the guy whose name is synonymous with skateboarding at this point is still doing it and does not plan to stop, and the way he’s built a career and lifestyle out of the thing he loved doing as a kid. It’s cool. And a good watch. Crank up “Superman” by Goldfinger and give it a run. Watch it on HBO Max.
3. Apollo 10 1/2: A Space-Aged Childhood (Netflix)
NETFLIX
Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood is loosely inspired by director Richard Linklater’s childhood in Texas. The coming-of-age animated film (think: Waking Life and A Scanner Darkly, but more nostalgic) is set during the summer of the Moon landing, and features performances from Glen Powell, Zachary Levi, and Jack Black. Linklater brings out the best in Black (he’s fantastic in both School of Rock and Bernie), and Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood looks to be no exception. Watch it on Netflix.
Judd Apatow’s The Bubble is a pandemic-era movie about making a movie during the pandemic. We’re through the looking glass, people. The comedy, which stars Karen Gillan, David Duchovny, Keegan-Michael Key, Pedro Pascal, and Borat Subsequent Moviefilm breakout Maria Bakalova, was produced like a “two-hour Simpsons episode,” according to Apatow, and reportedly inspired by the production of Jurassic World Dominion. If enough people watch it on Netflix, maybe we’ll get a full-length Cliff Beasts 6: The Battle For Everest movie. Watch it on Netflix.
1. Metal Lords (Netflix)
NETFLIX
Game Of Thrones HBO co-creator D.B. Weiss wrote this little ditty while teaming up with Rage Against The Machine axeman Tom Morello as a love letter to the metal genre. The story revolves around two high-schoolers who seek the ultimate glory and win contests and be gods, and so on. Unfortunately, it’s hard to find a bassist when Black Sabbath isn’t as popular with the kids as Justin Bieber is. The struggle is real.
You might think that Vanessa Hudgens‘ gift is starring in Christmas movies for Netflix, but you would be wrong. Her gift is communicating with the undead spirit world, thank you very much. Hudgens revealed her paranormal abilities to Kelly Clarkson earlier this week, and it sounds like something we’re going to hear a lot more of from Hudgens. Just like she’ll be hearing from the ghosts she talks to.
“I’ve accepted the fact that I see things and I hear things,” Hudgens told Clarkson. “I kind of shut it down for a while [because] the unknown is scary. But I recently was like, ‘No, this is a gift and something that I have the ability to do, so I’m going to lean into it.’”
According to Hudgens, she had a paranormal experience when she was eight-years-old and saw one of those duck pull-toys move on its own. Naturally, that freaked her out and she repressed her abilities until recently. Thanks to the aid of a “spirit box,” Hudgens can now be found in graveyards communicating with the dead. Via Us Weekly:
“We found this one tombstone of a spirit that we were told is very playful,” she said. “So, I turn on [the spirit box] and I said, ‘Hi Sam, I’m Vanessa [and] this is Gigi’ … And then Gigi goes, ‘Sam, can you tell us our names?’ Then we just hear ‘Vanessa’ [static sounds] ‘Gigi.’ I was like, ‘Cool, do you have anything else that you want to tell me?’”
While Sam the ghost did not have anything else to add to the conversation, Hudgens noted that you “have to tell spirits to stay” otherwise they can follow you.
So Vanessa Hudgens is going around waking up ghosts, and then telling them, no, they can’t hang out with her? Seems kinda rude. Terrifying, but rude.
Today, in 2022, there are both subtle and not-so-subtle ways for people to signal that you stand with Nazism. Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar chose the latter. On Wednesday, The Arizona Mirror reported that the Grand Canyon State congressman/all-around monster was set to be fêted as a special guest of the American Populist Union, a white nationalist organization, on a very special occasion (well, if you’re a white nationalist): Hitler’s birthday.
While Gosar’s team pled ignorance when asked about the congressman’s plans for what would’ve been Adolf’s 133rd birthday, the 63-year-old Republican must have forgotten that there’s this little thing called Instagram. And that when Gosar promoted his upcoming appearance at the event via an Instagram story, people, you know, saw it. And took note.
While Gosar’s office did not respond to the Mirror’s several requests for comments about his attendance at the event before publishing the story, they did reach out once the story was live—to deny it. As Jerod Macdonald-Evoy wrote:
“After this story was published, Gosar’s campaign consultant told the Arizona Mirror that the congressman would not be attending the white nationalist group’s event on April 20. Instead, he said Gosar had a ‘farm tour’ scheduled for that day. Rory McShane said that American Populist Union never contacted Gosar or his campaign.”
The American Populist Union similarly ignored the Mirror’s requests for comments ahead of publication, but had plenty to say afterwards:
American Populist Union did not respond to requests for comment before this article was published. Several hours later, its chairman, Vince Dao, sent a statement denying any “ties or loyalties to white nationalism or Neo-Nazism,” and he said his team did not know it was planning an event on Hitler’s birthday.
“We chose the date April 20 based on venue pricing, availability, and logistics — and nothing more. Venues tend to be easier to acquire on weekdays, which is why we ended up with the date. Our team was not even aware that April 20 was Hitler’s birthday, and we were not intending to honor or acknowledge Hitler or Nazism in any way,” Dao said.
It is, of course, worth noting that Gosar has reportedly had a complicated issue with the truth in the past. In just the past year, some of his own nine siblings have called for his expulsion from Congress, endorsed his opponent, and/or branded him an outright “sociopath.” Which likely means none of Gosar’s brothers or sisters will be joining him in a chorus of “Happy Birthday der Führer.”
Back in 2021, Avril Lavigne and Mod Sun (real name Derek Ryan Smith) reportedly started dating after working on music together; Lavigne featured on Mod Sun’s 2021 album Internet Killed The Rockstar, while Mod Son co-wrote and/or produced most of the songs on Lavigne’s new album Love Sux. Now, they’re taking things to the next level as Lavigne announced today she and Mod Sun are engaged.
This afternoon, Lavigne shared an Instagram photo gallery that starts with Mod Sun on one knee in front of Lavigne with the Eiffel Tower in the background. Other photos from the gallery show off Lavigne’s ring and other moments from their Paris trip. She captioned her post, “Oui! Je t’aime pour toujours [heart emoji] [ring emoji] [champagne glasses emoji]. Dimanche. 27. Mars. 2022.” That translates to, “Yes! I love you forever. Sunday. 27. March. 2022.”
Mod Sun commented on the post, “I love u so much! Forever n ever my angel.”
He also shared a post of his own, a poem that reads, “The day we met I knew you were the one. / Together forever til our days are done. / I had a dream where I proposed in paris. / I pulled out a ring + asked you to wear it. / I was on one knee as I looked in your eyes. / You’re too beautiful for my words to describe. / I grabbed your hand + took one last breath… / I said ‘will you marry me?’ + she said ‘yes’. / I love you Avril [heart emoji].”
This will be Lavigne’s third marriage, as she was previously married to Sum 41’s Deryck Whibley from 2006 to 2010 and to Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger from 2013 to 2015. As for Mod Sun, he was previously married to Bella Thorne.
“You don’t hit people over a joke, however bad it is. And it wasn’t bad! That was like the tamest joke I would ever have told,” The Office co-creator said during a live Q&A session on Twitter that he recently shared to his TikTok account. Gervais believes people are overreacting to Rock’s G.I. Jane crack about Jada Pinkett Smith. “Someone said it was joking about her disability,” he continued before snickering. “Well, I’m going a bit thin. So I’m disabled. That means I can park right up next to [British supermarket] Tesco now. And I’m fat. That’s a disease, isn’t it? I’m fat and balding. I should get f*cking benefits.”
Gervais’ comments sparked a spirited discussion under his post. While there appeared to be general agreement that it was not a disability, there were disagreements over whether alopecia should be seen as something to be mocked. “I agree Will shouldn’t have slapped Chris but you need to understand how emotionally important a woman’s hair is; it is devastating to lose it,” said one of the star’s followers.
For someone who supposedly doesn’t care about pop culture…
Something is going on at Chipotle. In addition to the fast-casual chain’s five permanent protein options, the brand has introduced a new smoked brisket, plant-based chorizo, and most recently, a new pollo asado all in the last six months. That’s the biggest shake-up of the Chipotle menu in the chain’s history.
We used to get stuff like queso and… food poisoning. Now we’re actually getting exciting new offerings!
While the brisket and plant-based chorizo options were only available for a limited time, it seems to us that Chipotle is actively testing the waters to see which of these new protein options stick. And, as someone who has eaten them all, I have a pretty strong opinion on the matter. So I’m ranking all of the Chipotle proteins against one another. Because Chipotle’s menu is customizable we’ve made sure to base our tasting notes on how these proteins taste completely plain — no salsa, no sour cream, nothing that would enhance or mask the flavors in any way.
It’s a truly unenjoyable way to eat fast food, but we do it for you! Here are the best Chipotle protein options, ranked from worst to best.
9. Sofritas
Dane Rivera
Calories: 150
Protein: 8g
Permanent Menu or Limited?
Permanent, and while I think it’s Chipotle’s worst protein option, I kind of think it deserves that permanent status. This needs a reformulation for sure though.
Tasting Notes:
I feel bad about ranking Chipotle’s only plant-based protein option last, but…it is what it is. I will say that when it comes to flavor, the sofritas aren’t half bad. They have a great blend of peppery and cumin-dominant flavors that really cut nicely through your burrito add-ons and give you that savory meat vibe. If you’re a vegetarian, this is a great meat substitute. Don’t feel bad about ordering it or think of it as an excuse to skip Chipotle entirely.
What I don’t like about the Sofritas is everything else.
First of all, they’re incredibly wet. So wet that they will soak through your tortilla, which can totally ruin your meal. Aside from the wetness, the sofritas also have a terrible mouthfeel, the tofu is really chunky and chewy to the point of distraction, and it becomes very obvious that you’re not eating meat. In a loaded burrito or bowl there are enough other ingredients going on that you aren’t going to notice that mouthfeel, but in something like a taco, you won’t be able to ignore it.
Perhaps more importantly, because the sofritas are also Chipotle’s least popular meat option, they are almost always served a little stale and lukewarm. That doesn’t do any favors to the experience.
The Bottom Line:
If you don’t abstain from eating meat, there is no reason to ever order the sofritas. It isn’t the flavor that’s the problem it’s the wet consistency and the awful rubbery mouthfeel that are the problems.
8. Carnitas
Carnitas
Calories: 210
Protein: 23g
Permanent Menu or Limited?
Somehow permanent despite being oh so bad. Please Chipotle we’re begging you, drop the Carnitas to make room for one of the new limited-time protein options, they’re all leagues better than this stuff.
Tasting Notes:
I’ve heard people swear by the carnitas at Chipotle, and I’m not going to sit here and tell you that Chipotle carnitas are not “real” or “proper,” but these are without a doubt consistently the worst carnitas I’ve ever had. So if you love the carnitas, sorry, but you have bad taste in carnitas — you’re playing on my homecourt here and I’m telling you: not good.
Where to start with these things? They’re dry, over-salted, and so fatty-sinewy that you’ll constantly be picking sh*t out of your mouth because it’ll end up sticking around even after you’ve already swallowed the rest of your food. What makes carnitas special is the slow-cooking, this helps the pork reach a level of tender juiciness that is downright orgasmic. Flavors of cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper are supposed to dance across the tongue with each bite.
Chipotle’s carnitas has none of that.
The juicy tenderness is replaced with a bone-dry texture that enables you to feel each strand of pork in your mouth as you chew through it. The earthy flavors of cumin and oregano are instead replaced with a small ocean’s-worth of salt. I’m almost amazed that Chipotle could fail at carnitas this hard. If you told me this was Taco Bell’s new meat, I’d believe it.
The Bottom Line:
When people say “Chipotle isn’t real Mexican food” it’s because they’re offended by this poor excuse for carnitas.
7. Guacamole
Dane Rivera
Calories: 360
Protein: 2g
Permanent Menu or Limited?
Permanent, and if it was ever limited it might cause a damn riot.
Tasting Notes:
Does guacamole count as a protein option at Chipotle? Not in the “protein” sense, no. But we’re using the phrase to mean: “main item featured in an entree” and in that sense, it certainly fits the bill. So what the hell, we’ve decided to include it!
People go nuts for Chipotle’s guacamole, and if you’re comparing it to Taco Bell and Del Taco guac, sure, it’s pretty good. But nothing worth obsessing over. This is pretty standard stuff at every Mexican joint in California, and if anything Chipotle goes a little heavy with the onion here.
Aside from the dominant flavor of red onions, we have some consistently ripe avocado here acting as our base, mixed with lime juice (a little too much — someone on Chipotle’s board must be heavily invested in lime groves), cilantro, and diced jalapeno bits throughout. The diced jalapeno is my favorite feature, it adds a nice subtle kick that lingers on the palate after each bite and leaves you wanting more. It’s a great trick, and I wish they would’ve focused more on the peppers than the onion, but I get that they’ve got to please the average consumer who probably can’t handle the spice.
The Bottom Line:
Chipotle’s guacamole is astoundingly consistent. I’ve yet to have a serving that tastes like it was using over or under-ripened avocados, and though this is more onion-dominant than I like, I’d still order a veggie burrito over getting the sofritas and carnitas — so we’re ranking this higher.
Even though it’s not really a protein option.
6. Plant-Based Chorizo
Dane Rivera
Calories: 220
Protein: 16g
Permanent Menu or Limited?
Plant-Based Chorizo was only available for a limited time, sadly.
Tasting Notes:
It doesn’t have that savory mouth-watering senses-tingling quality that you get from real chorizo, but this plant-based chorizo gets all of the flavors right. So if you love chorizo but recently adopted a more meatless lifestyle, you’re going to dig on this stuff. It’s also a significant step up from the tofu-based sofritas.
Smokey paprika dominates the flavor with a nice gentle sizzling on the back end. I wouldn’t call it spicy, though — so if you have a low tolerance don’t worry, it’s not going to produce any sweat on your brow.
Its only real weakness is the texture. It’s dry, crumbly, and a bit of a chore to chew through when you have a mouthful. That’s really only a problem if you like extra “meat” though, if you’re sticking with Chipotle’s typical two-spoon serving, it’s not noticeable enough to really be an issue.
The Bottom Line:
Chipotle needs to make this a permanent menu item. If that means ditching the sofritas to make room for plant-based chorizo, do it! But it’s 2022 Chipotle, I think we can all handle more than a single plant-based option on the menu.
Give the meatless the spice of variety!
5. Steak
Dane Rivera
Calories: 150
Protein: 21g
Permanent Menu or Limited?
Permanent, unfortunately. It’s… fine, but Chipotle already has a much better beef option on the menu so this feels like doubling-down where Chipotle doesn’t need to. I’d happily see this replaced by Chipotle’s limited time only smoked brisket.
Tasting Notes:
Chipotle’s steak is probably the most frustrating meat option the chain has on offer. On the one hand, when it’s good it’s great — tender chunks of medium-cooked steak with a perfect caramelized outer and a simple seasoning blend of salt, black pepper, cumin, and finished with what I’m assuming is butter to help achieve that crunchy glaze. But when it’s bad — which, unfortunately, is most of the time in my experience — it’s grainy, chewy, and tough. An absolute chore to eat.
So my advice is to give the steak a good look when you’re ordering it, if it glistens with rising ribbons of steam like in the photo above, get it — it’ll be excellent. But if it looks like it’s been sitting around for a while and they’re about to change it up with a new batch, ditch it because you might as well be eating rocks.
The Bottom Line:
Because of its hit-or-miss quality, we’re sadly ranking this delicious option in fifth place. That’s not even medal-worthy.
4. Chicken
Dane Rivera
Calories: 180
Protein: 32g
Permanent Menu or Limited?
Until recently, this has been Chipotle’s only chicken option in its 29-year history. That’s pretty nuts. As good as it is, I’m not sure it deserves permanent menu status over the newer recipe. If we had to choose one, it’s not going to be this.
Tasting Notes:
Chipotle’s chicken doesn’t suffer from the same consistency issues that plague the steak. Even when the chicken has been sitting in the bin for a while, it’s still packed with flavor. The only thing you lose with time here is how hot the meat is, and considering you’re eating at Chipotle I’m just going to assume you don’t care about whether your food is hot or not. Because at Chipotle it rarely is.
Chipotle’s chicken is flame-grilled and features a flavor profile that is dominated by the smokey qualities of ancho chilis and the savory zest of adobo sauce. I have no doubt the restaurant spends a good amount of time marinating this meat. Because Chipotle uses grilled chicken thigh rather than breast, each bite is juicy and tender, never suffering from the dry tendencies of over-cooked white meat. If you’re wincing at the idea of dark meat over white, you must hate flavor. Just kidding (kind of), but if chewy fat generally keeps you away from ordering dark meat, that’s not a problem here. The meat is still remarkably lean, you almost can’t tell it’s dark meat aside from the fact that it’s so consistently tasty with each bite.
The Bottom Line:
Flavorful, juicy, and most importantly, consistent. It’s hard to get a bad serving of chicken at Chipotle. If this is your first time, this is your second best meat for a positive experience overall. If you want the best experience, go with our number one choice while you still can.
3. Smoked Brisket
Dane Rivera
Calories: 360
Protein: 22g
Permanent Menu or Limited?
Chipotle’s Smoked Brisket was available for a limited time in September and October of last year. It is leagues better than Chipotle’s steak and deserves a permanent menu spot.
Tasting Notes:
The Smoked Brisket is slow-smoked for 10-16 hours and features a mouthwatering mix of smokey and sweet flavor notes. It’s tender, with a smooth butter-like consistency in the chew, and is dominated by a mix of garlic, paprika, cumin, and various peppers, from black to chipotle. It’s not going to rival the best brisket at a BBQ joint, but in the fast food space, you’ll rarely find anything this tender and flavorful.
A definite winner in Chipotle’s line-up and welcome addition to the menu.
The Bottom Line:
Please bring this one back, Chipotle! It packs so much more flavor than that often tough and dry steak option that Chipotle keeps on the menu permanently.
2. Barbacoa
Dane Rivera
Calories: 170
Protein: 24g
Permanent Menu or Limited?
Permanent.
Tasting Notes:
The strength of this meat is in its insanely tender texture — each bite bursts with juicy savory goodness. For this barbacoa, Chipotle uses shoulder-cut meat, (rather than the more traditional cabeza) which keeps it tender, helping to soak up Chipotle’s marinade, which it spends overnight bathing in. Putting in that extra time marinating really helps this meat soar above the rest of Chipotle’s options, and while I miss the silky sumptuous qualities that I’ve come to expect from traditional barbacoa, this comes way closer than I’d expect a national chain to ever get to the real thing.
The barbacoa is dominated by the earthy notes of oregano and cloves, I’m also getting a bit of bay leaf in there and Chipotle’s usual pepper and adobo-forward flavor. It works great in each of Chipotle meal form factors, whether you’re crunching on tacos, putting together an epic burrito, or you’re looking for the best salad of your life.
The Bottom Line:
On most days, Chipotle’s most flavorful protein and almost as good as the traditional barbacoa you’ll get at a classic SoCal taqueria. Almost. Seriously, if you’ve ever left Chipotle thinking the chain is seriously lacking in flavor, you must not have tried the barbacoa yet.
1. Pollo Asado
Chipotle
Calories: 210
Protein: 22g
Permanent Menu or Limited?
Pollo Asado are currently available for a limited time. We kind of expect this one to be a lock for menu inclusion though, it’s far and above the best Chipotle protein.
Tasting Notes:
Here we are at our number one choice, the new Pollo Asado. It’s the chain’s first new chicken recipe in 29 years, to which we say, “what the fuck took so long, Chipotle?” The Pollo Asado is delicious, it’s smoky, spicy, tender, and juicy with an appetizing red color. The chicken is cooked whole and then chopped, which helps it to retain its juiciness, and it’s noticeably more tender than Chipotle’s original chicken option.
The flavors wash over the palate in waves, and black peppercorns and oregano tumble into a waltz of zesty citrus and gently spicy notes, accentuated by a touch of fresh cilantro that adds a depth of flavor that most other Chipotle proteins lack. There isn’t a Chipotle build that this chicken won’t shine in, whether you’re all about the burrito, bowl, salad, or taco, Pollo Asado is the ideal choice.
If you’ve never been a fan of Chipotle (weird that you’re here), go off menu and ask for the Pollo Asado in a quesadilla and prepare to get your mind blown. You’ll forget that you’re eating at Chipotle, this stuff is that flavorful.
The Bottom Line:
Chipotle would have to be insane to not put this on their menu permanently. The Barbacoa has always been the juiciest and most tender Chipotle protein, and it’s still the juiciest, but the pollo asado is equally tender, and much more savory. It’s perfectly marinated in a blend of zesty citrus and earthy achiote and black pepper, which truly makes it taste like nothing else at Chipotle.
Basketball is not having a moment. It’s entering an era. HBO knows that basketball is cinema, which is more than likely a contributing factor to its decision to renew its drama series Winning: Time The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty for a second season. Here’s the statement about Winning Time’s renewal, per HBO:
HBO has renewed drama series WINNING TIME: THE RISE OF THE LAKERS DYNASTY for a second season. Based on the book “Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s” by Jeff Pearlman, the fast-break series chronicles the professional and personal lives of the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers, one of sports’ most revered and dominant dynasties — a team that defined an era, both on and off the court. The ten-episode first season will conclude on Sunday, May 8, on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max.
The series, produced by Don’t Look Up director Adam McKay (please don’t let that discourage you, this is actually good), stars an impressive ensemble cast including John C. Reilly, Jason Clarke, Gaby Hoffmann, Sally Field, Quincy Isaiah, DeVaughn Nixon, Solomon Hughes, Michael Chilkis, and Tracy Letts. Winning Time also features quintessential tall guys like Adrien Brody and Jason Segel. Reilly leads the ensemble as Jerry Buss, who, at the beginning of the series, purchases the Los Angeles Lakers. The season chronicles the early days of the Los Angeles Lakers under the ownership of Buss.
There’s no word yet on when to expect a second season, but it will more than likely return at the same time next year, so early 2023. What we can expect, however, are more tall guys.
Our favorite season? Awards season, and even though Hollywood is rolling up the red carpets, we’re here to celebrate the history-making wins and nominations that should’ve dominated headlines this year.
First up? The Oscars.
Host Drew Dorsey recapped the glitz and glamour of the film industry’s most iconic awards show by hyping the women who made huge strides in their categories. Save your hot takes on the Will Smith and Chris Rock drama because we’re here for Jane Campion’s historic nomination (and win) for her work directing The Power of the Dog. The Netflix Western also snagged cinematographer Ari Wegner a history-making nod — she became just the second woman recognized by the Academy in the Best Cinematography category — and, as a bonus, it gave us all the gift of seeing Benedict Cumberbatch don a pair of leather chaps.
But it’s not just in the movies that women are making moves. Drew highlights the many femme artists headlining this year’s GRAMMYs potential winners list. From Olivia Rodrigo’s huge wins to Doja Cat slaying the red carpet and H.E.R. taking home her own hardware — women ruled the GRAMMYs stage. Of course, because everyone’s still scandalized by the latest season of Netflix’s Bridgerton, Drew also had to give the two femme composers who crafted an entire musical based on the show’s first season, their rightful due.
You can watch all that plus a highlight reel featuring everyone from Zendaya and Sian Heder to movies like Disney’s Turning Red in the video above.
As things get serious between Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson, the couple has started to meet each other’s parents. Davidson’s mom famously wants Kardashian to have her grandchildren, while Caitlyn Jenner thinks Davidson’s name is Peter. Parents are hard to understand sometimes!
“I met him for the first time. I was in trouble because I called him Peter, and Kim now starts laughing, ‘It’s not Peter, it’s Pete.’ I said, ‘I don’t know. I’m just trying to be, you know, polite,” Jenner said on the podcast Full Send. “He seems like a very nice guy, but the best part was Kim seemed, honestly, Kim seemed so happy — and that’s my No. 1 concern, is her happiness.”
Kim does seem super happy with her SNL boyfriend, and they have been doing everything together as of late. Also, his given name is Peter, so technically, Jenner wasn’t wrong!
Jenner recently got a gig as a Fox News contributor, and praised her step-daughter Kardashian for being “one of the most amazing people out there” and a “hardworking, smart businesswoman.” Despite being a news contributor, Jenner clearly doesn’t read the news that much.
Jenner also commented on Kardashian’s famous ex Kanye West, who has been lashing out at Kardashian and Davidson lately. Jenner said she has nothing but respect for West, “Every time we’ve been together, he’s been absolutely great, especially during the transition and this and that,” she added, hinting at the ugly legal battle between West and Kim. “I just have to be a little careful because, you know, he said some things, especially toward the family, and I’m on the family’s side. I wish him nothing but the best. I’d love to see him again.”
Activision Blizzard is in the midst of a gigantic unionization effort among its employees. The Quality Assurance department of Raven Software, in particular, has been vocal about unionizing ever since a dozen QA employees were laid off due to company reorganization. The layoffs led to an employee walkout with many saying that they were promised better pay and benefits in the future. Eventually, the Raven Software QA department did form a union, but Activision Blizzard has so far chosen to not recognize it.
While employee demands for their union to be recognized have not been met, they did somewhat accomplish one of their goals. On Thursday, Jason Schreier of Bloomberg reported that 11,000 temporary and contract employees within Activision Blizzard are being brought on full time and will have their salaries raised to at least $20 an hour.
NEW: Activision Blizzard just told staff that all of its 1,100 quality assurance testers will be 1) converted from contract to full-time and 2) bumped up to at least $20/hour. A big win for QA in the wake of several worker revolts and a burgeoning union effort. Story soon
The catch: The people who will be receiving raises are employees that are not joining the union. Activision Blizzard says this is due to legal obligations. A spokesperson for Activision Blizzard told Schreier that the raise and the employee’s choice to unionize are unrelated to one another.
And here’s the catch: Activision will not give raises to Raven QA testers, who are unionizing, “due to our legal obligations under the National Labor Relations Act,” the company said in an email seen by Bloomberg News.
This change follows a process that began last year” across Activision Publishing and Blizzard, a spokesperson said in a statement.
An Activision Blizzard spokesperson said Raven workers won’t receive new pay initiatives “due to legal obligations under the National Labor Relations Act.” The spokesperson added that “Whether Raven workers choose to unionize has nothing to do with the salary increases elsewhere for Activision’s QA workers.” A representative for the Communications Workers of America, which is representing Raven in its union push, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
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