The Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fang dojos are now working together against Cobra Kai, and the Cobra Kai Season 4 trailer sets up an intense All-Valley showdown. Man, superfan Andrew Garfield is gonna be so happy to see this happen.
This tournament lead-up, of course, is a direct callback to the O.G. All Valley Karate Tournament confrontation that took place 30 years ago, and forever (and arguably) changed the life paths of Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence. Unsurprisingly, they can’t get over this rivalry, but they’re gonna have to suck it up and go there. Likewise, their respective dojos, Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fang, attempt to join forces against John Kreese’s ownership of Cobra Kai, but of course, getting along will prove to be a bumpy road. As you can see above, Johnny’s doing the wax-on-wax-off training favored by Mr. Miyagi while Johnny pushes Daniel into knuckle push-ups and encourages kids to roof-hop. What could go wrong? Oh, everything.
Well, Kreese has called in reinforcements in the form of his old Vietnam War buddy and co-founder of the Cobra Kai dojo, Terry Silver, who returns to the franchise. Who will win the spirit of karate in the Valley, and can Hawk and Tory stay afloat in life while Johnny’s messing around with a crane kick? Most of the grown-ups are a-holes in their own way on this show, so hopefully, the kids can talk some sense into them. At the very least, we’ll have fun watching them try while carrying torches for new generations.
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.
This is a surprisingly star-studded — Ellie Kemper! Rob Delaney! Kenan Thompson! — addition to the Home Alone franchise, written by SNL veterans Mikey Day and Streeter Seidell. The plot remains the same: A 10-year-old boy gets left behind when his parents head off to Tokyo and he has to defend his house from various bumbling criminals. The reviews so far are… not great, but it might be worth a go if you’re looking for a nostalgia blast to the face or something to watch with younger kids. Order yourself a large cheese pizza first. Watch it on Disney Plus.
You like Turner and Hooch, right? Of course you do. Tom Hanks + a dog = good ’80s movie. OK, well, what if Turner and Hooch was set in the post-apocalyptic future… and instead of working as a cop, Tom Hanks is one of the last people on Earth and he travels the planet with his dog and a robot… and the movie was directed by the guy who did the awesome “Hardhome” and “Battle of the Bastards” episodes of Game of Thrones. It’s Finch time. Watch it on Apple TV+.
Jeymes Samuel’s slick, stylish Netflix Western is a “pick your fighter” lineup of gun-slinging, swag-dripping Black cowboys ready to dust off the history books and give us a more accurate, diverse representation of the Old West. Jonathan Majors is having a hell of a year and here, he imbues the deadly Nat Love with some impressive comedic beats that make it easy to root for the vengeance-minded outlaw – unless, of course, you’re swayed by the prospect of Regina King riding a horse and f*cking sh*t up in every scene. (Who wouldn’t be?) Idris Elba, LaKeith Stanfield, and Zazie Beetz round out the main cast members with the most things to do on screen and all of the shoot-outs and train robberies and saloon fights are timed perfectly to an eclectic mix of Reggae/Dancehall bangers produced by Samuel and collaborator Jay-Z. This ain’t your grandpa’s Western, and really, that’s kind of the point. Watch it on Netflix.
Andrew Garfield is giving theater-kids everywhere a musical-thirst-trap performance in this Lin-Manuel Miranda-directed biopic that pays tribute to Jonathan Larson, the artistic genius who changed Broadway with his seminal musical Rent. This film examines Larson’s life before fans were belting out Season of Love though, with Garfield giving an award-worthy turn as a restless visionary who feels the suffocating deadline of turning 30 without having produced a great show. The supporting cast is terrific, Garfield is doing his best work, and Miranda infuses everything with a genuine sense of love and admiration that makes it hard not to root for this one. Watch it on Netflix.
8. Last Night in Soho (VOD)
Working Title
Nostalgia can be dangerous, but if you’re nostalgic for when you saw Last Night in Soho in theaters, now you can watch it again at home (hopefully your ghost-free home). And if you never got around to checking out Edgar Wright’s retro psychological horror film starring Thomasin McKenzie, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Diana Rigg in her final role, here’s your chance. Watch it on VOD.
The debut film from writer-director Stephen Karam, based on his Tony-winning play, sounds a little too real for the holidays. Let’s let the official description explain why: “As three generations of Erik Blake’s family gather to celebrate Thanksgiving at his daughter’s apartment in Manhattan, darkness falls and eerie things start to go bump in the night, laying bare their deepest fears – and the love that binds them together.” It’s got an interesting cast — Amy Schumer! Beanie Feldstein! Steven Yeun! June Squibb! — and it’s got a great pedigree, so, you know, maybe give it a shot. Watch it on Showtime.
Halle Berry’s MMA movie made a deal with Netflix and now Halle Berry’s MMA movie is on Netflix. Yes, that sentence said “Halle Berry’s MMA movie twice but, to be fair, it’s a phrase it takes a little bit of time to wrap your head around. Berry makes her directorial debut and stars as a disgraced fighter named Jackie Justice (Jackie Justice!) who is back in the cage to deal with various personal demons. It’s Halle Berry’s MMA movie! The reviews are pretty good! Watch it on Netflix.
As odd as it is to have a movie about two of the greatest athletes of all time told centered on, not the women winning Grand Slams and Olympic gold medals, but their determined, driven father – King Richard works. It works because Will Smith exudes charisma and charm but he also brings a believable grit and weary defiance to the role of Richard Williams, the man who gave tennis not one, but two female legends. This is Serena and Venus’ story, told from the perspective of the man who believed in them when no one else did so, yeah, grab a box of tissues before you sit down to watch. Watch it on HBO Max.
You might be wondering, “There are already nine million books and documentaries and academic studies about the Beatles out there. Do we really need The Beatles: Get Back?” I can answer that: yes, we do. The three-part doc comes from Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson and includes never-before-seen footage of John, Paul, George, and Ringo in the studio recording their final masterpiece. I’ve got a feeling you’ll like it. Watch it on Disney Plus.
Oscar-nominee Riz Ahmed likes to make the kind of movies you wouldn’t expect him to. In 2019, he played a rock n roll drummer slowly losing his hearing and having to upend his life because of it. This year, well … he’s surviving an alien invasion. Sort of. Encounter is one of those streaming movies that quietly sneak onto a platform – this time it’s Amazon Prime Video – and usually stay buried under all the other content the algorithm prioritizes. Hopefully, that doesn’t happen here though because Ahmed is a force on screen, playing a disturbed man and desperate father who believes he’s saving his two sons from an extra-terrestrial invasion that no one else knows is happening. It’s a mindf*ck, in the best way possible. Watch it on Amazon Prime.
Well, it’s Sandra Bullock as a recently released violent felon who is trying to reintegrate into society after a number of years in prison and dealing with the various hurdles and stigmas attached to… all that. It sounds interesting and important, even if it’s not, like, the type of light holiday viewing you might be looking for in mid-December. Still, worth giving it a run at some point. Watch it on Netflix.
Benedict Cumberbatch gives a villainous performance for the ages in The Power of the Dog, the first film in 12 years from director Jane Campion. The western is expected (and deserves) to be an Oscars frontrunner, so hop on the horse-drawn bandwagon now. Watch it on Netflix.
Each week our staff of film and TV experts surveys the entertainment landscape to select the ten best new/newish shows 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.
Are you in the mood for an intense survival epic and psychological horror story with plenty of coming-of-age touches? How about all of that with Juliette Lewis and Christina Ricci starring as the adult versions of two female athletes who were irretrievably shaken by their experiences after a plane crash in the wilderness? Sure, that sounds like a stressful description, but it’s also a hell of a watch. Not to mention another reason not to hop onto an airplane these days. Watch it on Showtime.
How To with John Wilson changed my life: I will never look at scaffolding the same way ever again. Or furniture covers. Or risotto. In every episode, New York City-based filmmaker John Wilson edits together seemingly mundane footage into a compelling narrative about life’s quirks. It’s occasionally heartbreaking, but it’s always hilarious. Make it a double feature with Adult Swim’s Joe Pera Talks with You. Watch it on HBO Max.
It’s Kyle Mooney from SNL, and he’s goofing on old campy/corny Saturday morning TV shows in a hybrid live-action/animation series for adults, and the project is described as “wildly irreverent and slightly disturbing.” So… yeah. Let’s all check this out and get as weird as we want. Watch it on Netflix.
The final few episodes of this space epic drop this week, though knowing The Expanse (and its fandom) it’s hard to believe this is the end of the intergalactic journey. Before the screen fades to black though we’ve got ancient beings and protomolecule disasters and galaxy takeovers to contend with. The crew of the Rocinante must somehow save Earth, take down a space tyrant, and take some time to mourn one of their own. It’s a hell of a lot to pack into just six episodes but if any show can do it, it’s this one. Watch it on Amazon Prime.
Esmé Creed-Miles is back as the pint-sized, badass title character, who’s still attempting to defeat the mysterious powers that be while Dermot Mulroney’s operative is as sinister as ever. The third season promises more fight scenes and thrills, all while more characters get backstories, and Mireille Enos’ character forms one half of a lady power duo to cross generations. Watch it on Amazon Prime.
In this stop-motion animated series, the perpetually jolly Seth Rogen voices what seems like Santa while Sarah Silverman plays the dedicated elf who’s seeking to become the first lady Santa. Let’s hope she kicks some butt and rises above all the dude candidates, and you’ll also hear the voices of Craig Robinson, Nicholas Braun, Maria Bamford, and more along the way.Watch it on HBO Max.
6. Anne Boleyn (AMC Plus)
Amazon
Queen & Slim star Jodie Turner-Smith leads this reimagining of Tutor England’s era of King Henry VIII, and history will tell us that Anne, his second wife, did not fare well in the long term. The story leans toward psychological thriller rather than period drama, and the patriarchal society gets a feminist twist here. Expect a visionary take on a snapshot of time that people only thought that they understood. Watch it on AMC Plus.
The wait is over. The Gang is back to offer a playbook on how not to act, Forrest Gumping 2020, feigning wokeness, venturing back to the ’90s, and then going all the way to Ireland. From that description alone, it might sound like the show’s most epic season, and it may well be… which is fitting for its record-breaking 15th season. But no matter the ambition, these are still the same hilariously wicked monsters who inspire wonder over how they don’t get stabbed at the conclusion of every episode. Enjoy! Watch it on Hulu.
Carrie, Miranda, and Charlotte are back, along with the Big Apple. No Samantha will be found, given that Kim Cattrall declined to return, but there will be returning dudes, including Chris Noth’s Mr. Big. Yet there’s going to be a bittersweet aspect to this revival, given that Willie Garson (Stanford Blatch) recently passed away. All of those swirling moods will possibly disappear in a whirl of overwrought flower hats or something, but the show professes to be more inclusive this time around. Watch it on HBO Max.
The Great? More like The Great Show. Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult are back as Catherine the Great and Emperor Peter III, respectively, in season two of the wickedly funny Hulu series. If you like scheming and backstabbing, this is the show for you. Watch it on Hulu.
The MCU is in holiday mood for this series, which begins to pass the bow from Jeremy Renner’s Clint Barton (who desperately wants a real retirement) to Kate Bishop, played by Hailee Steinfeld, who hits the arrow-flinging mark while learning the ropes. The two battle through some sort of Christmas hellscape that feels awfully surreal, including a Captain America-themed musical and the entry of Vera Farmiga into the MCU. Also, Florence Pugh’s Yelena is on the way for Hawkeye, so watch out, man. Watch it on Disney Plus.
Everyone’s favorite collection of monsters is back, once again, this time for a slightly delayed third season. Things left off with the Roy family in turmoil, as always, although this time from friendly fire, thanks to noted screw-up and amateur rapper Kendall making a big move. The new season is getting ugly in the best possible way, so hop on board week-to-week if you’re already a fan or load up a binge and get caught up to see what everyone’s yammering about all fall. Watch it on HBO Max.
Centenarians — people 100 years or older — are a rarity. Their lives are often scrutinized as holding the key to aging.
Czech photographer Jan Langer‘s portrait series “Faces of Century” shows them in a different light: as human beings aged by years of experience, but at their deepest level, unchanged by the passing of time.
In the series, Langer juxtaposes his portraits with another portrait of the subject from decades earlier. He recreates the original pose and lighting as closely as he can — he wants us to see them not just as they are now, but how they have and haven’t changed over time. That is the key to the series.
These are the rare faces of people who have lived through two world wars, a cavalcade of regimes, and the rush of advancements in modern life. These photos, and the stories of the lives lived by the people in them, show not only the beauty of aging, but how even as we age, we still remain essentially ourselves.
Vejdělek is a former metallurgical engineer who will never forget the taste of warm fresh goat’s milk.
2. Bedřiška Köhlerová, at age 26 and 103
Originally born in Merano, Italy, Köhlerová wishes to visit Italy one more time.
3. Ludvík Chybík, at age 20 and 102
Chybík is a former postal carrier and says he will never forget the route he worked every day.
4. Vincenc Jetelina, at age 30 and 105
Jetelina spent eight years in prison after World War II. Now, he just wants to live the rest of his life in peace.
5. Marie Fejfarová, at age 101
Fejfarová burned all her material memories, including old photographs, when she decided to move to a long-term care facility. She lived a dramatic life, hiding from the Nazis and then the Russians, but eventually she was able to travel the world with her husband. Her experiences show there’s no such thing as too late in life to start a new chapter.
6. Antonín Kovář, at age 25 and 102
Kovář is a former musician whose daughter comes to visit him every day. He wishes to play the clarinet once more.
7. Anna Vašinová, at age 22 and 102
Vašinová will always remember the day her husband was taken away by the Nazis. She wishes to be reunited with him after death.
8. Stanislav Spáčil, at age 17 and 102
Spáčil was an electrical engineer throughout his life and thinks that it’s too early in his life to think about the past.
9. Anna Pochobradská, at age 30 and 100
Pochobradská was a farmer. She now lives a quiet life and is thankful that her daughter visits her every weekend.
10. Antonín Baldrman, at age 17 and 101
Baldrman was a clerk early in life and keeps up with current events by reading the newspaper.
11. Marie Burešová, at age 23 and 101
Burešová loves talking to her family and wishes to have them all together again.
12. Vlasta Čížková, at age 23 and 101
Čížková cooked in the dining room at the airport in the small village of Vodochody. She’ll never forget reciting her own poetry at wedding ceremonies.
13. Ludmila Vysloužilová, at age 23 and 101
Vysloužilová stays active every day by chopping wood, shoveling snow, and doing work around her house.
The photographer Langer was initially inspired to document the lives of elderly people because of what he saw as the media’s lack of coverage of them. He decided to focus on people over the age of 100 — a very rare demographic indeed. The 2010 U.S. Census reported only 53,364 centenarians, which is only 0.19% of the population of people 70 years or older.
“One should live every single moment according to their best knowledge and conscience because one day we will see clearly what has a real value,” Langer says of what he learned from his subjects while photographing them.
The series was originally part of a story that Langer did for the Czech news outlet aktuálně.cz. You can see more photos from the portrait sessions by following the link.
Earlier this week, Stephen Callaghan’s daughter Ruby came home from school. When he asked her how her day was, her answer made him raise an eyebrow.
Ruby, who’s in the sixth grade at her school in Australia, told her dad that the boys would soon be taken on a field trip to Bunnings (a hardware chain in the area) to learn about construction.
The girls, on the other hand? While the boys were out learning, they would be sent to the library to have their hair and makeup done.
Ruby’s reply made Callaghan do a double take. What year was it, again?
Callaghan decided to write a letter to the school sharing his disappointment — but his wasn’t your typical “outraged parent” letter.
“Dear Principal,” he began. “I must draw your attention to a serious incident which occurred yesterday at your school where my daughter is a Year 6 student.”
“When Ruby left for school yesterday it was 2017,” Callaghan continued. “But when she returned home in the afternoon she was from 1968.”
The letter goes on to suggest that perhaps the school is harboring secret time-travel technology or perhaps has fallen victim to a rift in the “space-time continuum,” keeping his daughter in an era where women were relegated to domestic life by default.
“I look forward to this being rectified and my daughter and other girls at the school being returned to this millennium where school activities are not sharply divided along gender lines,” he concluded.
Dear Principal
I must draw your attention to a serious incident which occurred yesterday at your school where my daughter Ruby is a Year 6 student.
When Ruby left for school yesterday it was 2017 but when she returned home in the afternoon she was from 1968.
I know this to be the case as Ruby informed me that the “girls” in Year 6 would be attending the school library to get their hair and make-up done on Monday afternoon while the “boys” are going to Bunnings.
Are you able to search the school buildings for a rip in the space-time continuum? Perhaps there is a faulty Flux Capacitor hidden away in the girls toilet block.
I look forward to this being rectified and my daughter and other girls at the school being returned to this millennium where school activities are not sharply divided along gender lines.
Yours respectfully Stephen Callaghan
When Callaghan posted the letter to Twitter, it quickly went viral and inspired hundreds of supportive responses.
Though most people who saw his response to the school’s egregiously outdated activities applauded him, not everyone was on board.
One commenter wrote, “Sometimes it is just ok for girls to do girl things.”
But Callaghan was ready for that. “Never said it wasn’t,” he replied. “But you’ve missed the point. Why ‘girl things’ or ‘boy things’… Why not just ‘things anyone can do?'”
He later commented that he didn’t think the school’s plan was malicious, but noted the incident was a powerful example of “everyday sexism” at work.
Callaghan says the school hasn’t responded to his letter. (Yes, he really sent it.) At least, not directly to him.
Some media outlets have reported that the school claims students are free to opt in and out of the different activities. But, as Callaghan says, gendering activities like this in the first place sends the completely wrong message.
In response to the outpouring of support, Callaghan again took to Twitter.
“At 12 years of age my daughter is starting to notice there are plenty of people prepared to tell her what she can and can’t do based solely on the fact she is female,” he wrote.
The Indiana Pacers appear to be at a crossroads. While the franchise has been one of the most consistently competitive in the league over the last three decades, the team has gotten out to an 11-16 start this year and reports indicate the front office is willing to listen to calls from other teams who are interested in acquiring a number of their most prominent players.
Among that list of names is Myles Turner, the team’s longtime center whose name has popped up in trade rumors in the past. He’s always stuck around — the Pacers have been adamant about the duo of Turner and Domantas Sabonis working together in their frontcourt — but a new piece by Jared Weiss of The Athletic seems to indicate that Turner is ready for a bigger role.
“It’s clear that I’m not valued as anything more than a glorified role player here, and I want something more, more opportunity,” Turner told The Athletic Tuesday. “I’m trying really hard to make the role that I’m given here work and find a way to maximize it. I’ve been trying to the past two, three seasons. But it’s clear to me that, just numbers-wise, I’m not valued as more than a rotational role player, and I hold myself in a higher regard than that.”
…
“I’ve been given many roles in the years that I’ve been here, and I feel like I’ve been able to produce at a high level in the roles I’ve been given,” Turner said. “I’ve shown that I can do the things they ask me to do, and I think it’s time to put that all together and be a more prominent night-in, night-out guy on the offensive side of the ball instead of someone who is asked to be a floor spacer and hide in the shadows.”
Despite the obvious frustration, the Pacers reportedly still view the Sabonis-Turner pairing as one that can work, while Turner has not explicitly demanded a trade. In fact, following Wednesday’s night win over the New York Knicks, Turner made clear that he loves Indiana and that he wants to succeed with the franchise.
“For me personally, I love it here. I want to win with this franchise.”
“I love it here,” Turner said. “I want to win here with this franchise, for whatever that may be. We just gotta get back to bringing excitement and joy back into this building. A lot of that comes from just playing hard, playing like we did tonight.”
On the season, Turner is averaging 12.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, and a league-best 2.8 blocks in 29.1 minutes per game while connecting on 39.7 percent of his attempts from three.
Actually, the suspect is Craig Tamanaha, who was “arrested and later charged with seven counts including criminal mischief, reckless endangerment and arson” (he has since been released and, upon leaving the courthouse, reportedly yelled, “The moms that want to rape their f*cking daughters — they set it on fire”). It was a random act of crime that has nothing to do with Jesus and Hanukkah, and CNN had some fun on Thursday mocking Fox News for treating the incident like the biggest story of the year.
After playing a lengthy montage of Fox News’ Christmas tree coverage, Brianna Keilar said, “This is a serious incident. Obviously, it’s very scary to feel like your workplace is under attack. Unless…” Cut to footage from January 6th. She continued, “…your workplace is the Capitol, then according to many, many Fox hosts, it’s not such a big deal. At Fox, when the target is a Christmas tree at their workplace it’s a sacrilege. But when the target is the seat of American democracy, it is not.”
Keilar wrapped up the segment by imagining “if Fox hosts could muster for an armed attack on the Capitol the same outrage that they did for their Christmas tree. Perhaps some of the almost half of Republicans who think Jan. 6th was a legitimate protest might actually see it for what it really was.” You can watch the video above.
In the Billboard feature, they were asked about criticism over “removing works, including those from Kacey Musgraves and Brandi Carlile, from the genres in which they were submitted and reslotting them elsewhere.” The question was, “Why shouldn’t an entry stay where the label or the creator of the work thinks it belongs?” To that, Mason responded:
“You’re seeing genre lines blurring. You’re seeing people switching from song to song as to what [their music] sounds like. With the screening committees, we’re listening and making sure that we’re paying attention to that, because if not, we’re just stereotyping everything: ‘Oh, this person makes these types of songs, they should go in that category.’ The committees are made up of the artist’s peers. They’re evaluating and deciding, ‘Does this fit within the confines of the construct of what this category means?’ Those definitions are created by our members that are ratified by our board. If we’re opening it up to just anyone to decide where they want to submit, there could potentially be problems that come along with that. But also, you have to remember that we are looking at the process and how we do everything is always up for review.”
Mason also responded to a question about negative feedback, including that received after The Weeknd’s infamous 2021 Grammy snubs, and whether it’s distracting. Mason said, “It’s not distracting, it’s understandable. People that make music are passionate people inherently. These [projects] are their babies. When they get upset, it doesn’t affect us or offend us. Getting this right is the priority. The perception of the academy and our process is important because it allows us to do the work that we want to do. Having input from the community is important. Sometimes it might be nice not to hear it always in the press; maybe it’d be nice to get a phone call or a text. But regardless of how we get it, it’s important that we evaluate it and find out actionable steps on how to be better. At the end of the day, when our members and our community say, ‘We’d like to look at something differently and we think there is a new way of doing this, it’s better,’ we listen, and we move.”
Compton rapper Slim 400 is dead at the age of 33 after being shot and killed in Los Angeles, according to TMZ. Primarily known for his affiliation with fellow Comptonite YG, Slim 400 appeared on YG’s 2015 single “Twist My Fingaz” and on the Still Brazy album cut “Word Is Bond.” In addition to those higher-profile guest spots, Slim released a solid body of solo work, including the February 2021 album BompTTon, which featured appearances from Compton mainstay RJMrLA and rising Florida rapper Jackboy. The day before the shooting, he’d released the video for “Caviar Gold (IceWata).”
Incidentally, the rapper had narrowly escaped death in a previous shooting just a few years ago. In 2018, Slim underwent surgery after getting shot multiple times in Compton. While he made a recovery in that instance, he wasn’t as fortunate this time. Complex relayed a report from LA’s ABC News affiliate linking TMZ’s report to a shooting near 7th and Manchester — Inglewood — in which police officers on patrol heard gunshots nearby and investigated, finding a man lying on the ground suffering multiple gunshot wounds.
RIP Slim 400. A Compton gangsta rap prototype, an ambassador for a tradition, lineage, and history — who made a whole lot of hard-as-hell rap songs full of sober gravity and blunt force. pic.twitter.com/ZgI1AVPmz4
News of Slim’s death prompted an outpouring of grief on social media from the rapper’s fans and friends, who include Oakland rapper Kamaiyah. Kamaiyah was also affiliated with YG early in her career, and shared a photo of the three in lowrider during better times on Instagram.
Damn RIP Slim 400 smh I remember him being mad hella nice to me when I opened for YG
If you’re a true crime and murder mystery connoisseur, then you’ve probably heard of Payne Lindsey, the podcaster and co-founder of the Atlanta-based award-winning podcast company, Tenderfoot TV. If you’ve been tuning into podcasts since the beginning, then you know that Payne is credited with helping to crack an eleven-year-old cold case in early 2017. Throughout the first season of his hit debut podcast, “Up and Vanished,” he investigated the disappearance of beauty queen and school teacher Tara Grinstead. Ultimately, Payne’s work led to two arrests.
He’s also the host of a handful of other true crime podcasts including, Atlanta Monster, Radio Rental, and Dead and Gone. Lindsey is someone who’s spent much of his career studying horrific crimes (which sounds just a little stressful). So it makes sense that when he travels, he chooses destinations that are more laidback and low-key. His go-to spot for a weekend away is Portland, Maine, which sits on the peninsula extending into Casco Bay in the Atlantic Ocean. The town’s waterfront atmosphere makes for beautiful views and killer seafood.
If you’re in the market for a chill vacation in the Northeast, check out Lindsey’s full guide to Portland below. He’s sharing where to stay, eat, play, and drink.
WHY PORTLAND?
Payne Lindsey
First and foremost, there are fewer people. Anywhere there are fewer people, I’m usually in. The Northeast, specifically, has amazing Stephen King vibes. Cold, sleepy towns by the ocean make me feel weird inside and I love it.
What’s one thing that every first-time visitor should see or do in Portland?
Eat as much fresh lobster as you can possibly stomach. By your last day there, you’ll completely hate it. But two days after you get back home you want it all over again.
Where to get the best waterfront view?
Hands down, the best place to stay in Portland is this Airbnb. It’s right across the water in Portland Old Port with an amazing patio and even a little lookout tower. The seagulls are absolutely everywhere so you gotta be cool with that.
Tastiest spot for a lobster roll in the city?
The best lobster roll in the city, in my opinion, is the Nor’easter Lobster Roll from Boone’s Fish House. This is the only “warm” style lobster roll I actually enjoy. It comes in a buttery griddled bun and is absolutely phenomenal.
Best outdoor activity in Portland?
Hovercraft of Maine
Take a Hovercraft of Maine boat tour. It’s a tiny little covered boat that holds around six people. The captain is a charming old man who knows literally everything there is about the city of Portland and all the beautiful islands off the coast there.
The coolest bar for a late-night cocktail or craft beer?
ViA VECCHiA has the best craft cocktails in town. I enjoy all their drinks, but I am partial to the old fashioned there. The coolest place to sit is the high-top couch in the far back corner — you might want to call to reserve it, though!
Best time of year to visit?
The summers are beautiful, but sometimes it can get pretty hot. In mid to late September or early October, it starts to get cool, but it’s not freezing cold yet. That, to me, is the best Maine weather.
Most unique hotel or place to stay in Portland?
Besides my favorite Airbnb, the best place to stay is The Press Hotel. The breakfast there is fire. Be sure to get the grilled blueberry muffin — it’s unreal.
Anything else you’d like to add about Portland:
Don’t tell too many people about it, let’s keep it a secret. Ugh, too late.
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RIP SLIM 400.. rest in heaven to my dawg!
