Category: Worldwide

Welcome to Wednesday Night’s Alright, my Uproxx Sports column where we compare AEW Dynamite and WWE NXT, the two shows that air on the best night of the week for wrestling. There was also a little bit of Dynamite on Tuesday night this week, but that really just consisted of two solid wrestling matches with no story, and one story-advancing match that wasn’t that impressive in its wrestling. So let’s stick with Wednesday for now, and look at the highlights from both shows.

Nefarious Heel Behavior: The Lucha Bros and Ricky Starks

After Jon Moxley had just fought tooth and nail to escape Eddie Kingston with his AEW World Championship intact (skip to the end for more on that), the Lucha Bros showed up to punish him for it. Will Hobbs, Ricky Starks, and Darby Allin all joined in and the ring descended into chaos. Ricky Starks driving Darby’s own skateboard into his body while Kingston lovingly cradled Mox’s head and also bashed it in was a particularly strong look for the heels.

And yeah, admittedly seeing Kingston’s guys team up with Ricky and Taz, who had previously been allied with Jake Roberts and Lance Archer, did seem like a last minute change related to the COVID-19 outbreak (we know Lance Archer is sick, and Jake, Cage, and the Butcher and Blade are all conspicuously missing too). On the other hand, this did build the ongoing feud between Starks and Allin, and I’m kind of down with all the heel teams working together when it serves them. They’re nothing if not opportunists.

Runners Up

Candice LeRae beat up Tegan Nox to keep her out of the Number One Contender Women’s Battle Royal, which didn’t seem all that necessary since Tegan just recently had a title shot. I guess it was just about continuing their storyline and generally reminding everyone how nasty Candice is these days.

Matt Jackson smashed Tony Schiavone’s phone and then dismissively tossed money at him to buy a new one, which furthered the “Wow, the Young Bucks are terrible people now” story. And yeah, I know if you followed the Bucks’ indie career, it doesn’t seem like much of a revelation for them to be jerks, but keep in mind they’ve been presented as heroes essentially since AEW started.

Johnny Gargano showed up after Damian Priest’s match to superkick him, and also followed Candice around being a jerk to everybody but her. Johnny really is the best loving but terrible husband in wrestling, at least since Eddie Edwards told Alisha, “I love you baby but I’m going to go out in the woods and murder Sami Callihan with a big stick, whether you like it or not.”

Best Enormous Charismatic Bruiser: Miro

Miro’s in-ring debut wasn’t necessarily the greatest match. I like everyone involved in it, but there were definitely some sloppy moments and missed calls. Nevertheless, Miro himself looked amazing. He’s possibly more jacked than he’s ever been, and he can throw guys like Joey Janela and Sonny Kiss around the ring like rag dolls with wiffle balls for heads.

Plus he still has that Rusev magic that just makes you love him, even when he’s putting a guy you like in the hold that JR accidentally called the Accolade before being reminded that it’s called Game Over now. Related, I love that Miro has a gamer gimmick in AEW. The truth is, he doesn’t need a “big scary Eastern European guy” gimmick, because he’s literally a big scary Eastern European guy. Let him have more personality on top of that; nobody’s going to forget he’s a badass.

Runners Up

Ridge Holland had a squash match on NXT, which was a good reminder of what a badass he is as well. Also, I hope he gets to have some fun in NXT before Vince McMahon catches a glimpse at what his body looks like and decides Raw needs him that very day. In any case, I do think he’s better suited for American NXT than NXT UK, because being English seems to be part of his gimmick. Over there when he comes out in a schoolboy cap it’s like, “Look, he’s wearing a hat,” but in Orlando it’s more like, “Look, he’s a tough English guy!”

Bronson Reed also had a good run in the Eliminator Gauntlet match that main-evented NXT, even though he didn’t make it to the end. He still got lots of spots to show off his strength and skill. I have to admit, I’m a little sad that his “Thicc Boi” nickname has been replaced with “Colossal,” which seems a lot more generic. I suppose somebody (maybe Bronson himself, maybe someone backstage) probably decided Thicc Boi wasn’t intimidating enough, which like, sure. It was fun though.

Best Inevitable Victory by a Scary Bearded Man: Brodie Lee Defeats Orange Cassidy

I’ve already seen some controversy about this match, but I really liked it. Cassidy’s been looking great after winning his feud with Jericho, but it wouldn’t have made any sense for him to win the TNT Championship off of Brodie so soon after Brodie squashed Cody Rhodes for it. Plus, this loss establishes that AEW is not strapping a rocket to Orange’s back for the moment. We’ve established that he’s a legit (if lazy) wrestler who can win a match when he’s really motivated, but that doesn’t mean he should win every match.

I really enjoyed Cassidy’s dismissive treatment of the Dark Order, dropping his jacket on John Silver and putting his glasses on Anna Jay, but I also liked Brodie Lee looking like a monster with no patience for nonsense. Of course he is the leader of the Dark Order, which is mostly nonsense in its own right, but as a pro wrestling heel whose gimmick is being a religious leader, it only makes sense for him to be a big hypocrite.

Runners Up

Tommaso Ciampa handily defeated Jake Atlas. I love that mask Ciampa wears to the ring (somebody put Retribution in touch with Ciampa’s mask guy), and Ciampa’s always at his best when he’s a heartless monster. I do like Jake Atlas, too, and I look forward to a day when he gets to do more than this, but in the meantime, he’s perfect for the job.

Best Climb Up The Chaos Ladder: Candice LeRae

Candice, now a fully evolved Poison Pixie who enters in cute little wings, used a pretty messy Women’s Battle Royal to become the Number One Contender to Io Shirai’s NXT Women’s Championship. This was far from my favorite NXT Battle Royal (they’re usually very good at them, so that’s a high standard), but Candice winning was great. Not only will it lead to a really strong match at TakeOver in a couple of weeks, but it gives Candice and her terrible husband something else to be terrible about.

Runners Up

Kyle O’Reilly similarly became he Number One Contender to Finn Bálor’s NXT Championship by winning the Eliminator Gauntlet Match. That wasn’t quite as chaotic as a Battle Royal, but it did enable O’Reilly to come in and win after Bronson Reed had done a lot of the hard work.

Isiah Kassidy of Private Party spoke up during a confrontation between Matt Hardy and Chris Jericho, and got himself a match with Le Champion for next week. Kassidy’s not actually great at talking yet, but I didn’t mind hearing him because that’s how he’ll get better. Later in the show Jericho was asked about it and he said something like, “I like Isiah Kassidy, and he’s going to be a huge star some day in the future … but not next week.” There’s nothing quite so powerful as a heel who tells the truth.

Best Weird Nonsense: Sherlock Dango’s Tag Team Master Plan

With his deerstalker hat and pipe, Fandango mapped out a plan to find a contender for his and Tyler Breeze’s NXT Tag Team Championship. It didn’t make any sense to William Regal (or us at home) until Danny Burch translated it into British English (which was even more incomprehensible to us Americans). It turned out to be a tag match in which Danny Burch teamed up with Roddy Strong to take on Fabian Aichner and Raul Mendoza. Danny and Rody won, which means that next week they’ll fight for the chance to face Breezango at TakeOver. Nobody ever really made it clear if that will be a singles match or if Oney and Fish will show back up for a tag match, but honestly that probably depends on who does and doesn’t have COVID.

Runners Up

NXT also had a weird segment in night vision (and possibly digitally animated — that mystery person didn’t look terribly real when they moved). It seems to be somebody returning, and a lot of speculation is that it might be Bo Dallas. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen that guy, and even longer since he’s had much to do, so it will be interesting if that’s true. In any case, the mystery person is due at TakeOver on October 4, so we’ll see who it is soon enough.

Best Promo: Mister Brodie Lee

Cody Rhodes made his return (with dark hair and a dark suit) after the Orange/Brodie match, to renew his feud with Lee and the Dark Order. Brodie was so furious that he stormed backstage to rant about it. Anna Jay pushing Dasha Gonzalez out of the way was a great touch, too. Brodie wants to have a dog collar match, which is exactly the kind of 1980s Southern hardcore wrestling that Cody’s in love with, so I’m pretty sure he’s going to accept.

Runners Up

Eddie Kingston had another great promo this week too. He could have won this category, but honestly I’m worried that if I let that happen I’ll just start giving it to him every week. Still, that stuff about how he and Mox used to be similar before Mox sold his soul to become a Sports Entertainer was great. It’s not about putting down WWE, it’s about using WWE to put down Moxley.

Io Shirai didn’t get to say much before she was interrupted by Candice LeRae, but I have to give her points for directness: “I’ve never liked Candice. Never have, never will.” Most of the rest of what she said was in Japanese, but the emotions came through, which is why letting wrestlers cut promos in their native languages works. It also gave Gargano the chance to say “I don’t know what you’re saying, lady, but I don’t like the sound of it,” which was golden.

Tully Blanchard and FTR had a great talk segment too, where they no-sold SCU’s fame and then called the Best Friends outdoor comedy wrestlers. That led the Best Friends to come out and challenge them to a match right then, and Chuck called FTR “weenies” when they begged off.

Damian Priest had a good backstage promo over on NXT. I think I’m starting to get that guy’s charisma, which is exciting. Isaiah “Swerve” Scott had a solid promo too, as did Ridge Holland. Honestly I didn’t understand everything Ridge said, but I feel like that’s really on me as an American.

Best Match: Eddie Kingston vs Jon Moxley

This main event match had to be booked at the last minute after Lance Archer came down with COVID, but these two facing off was immediately exciting, and King’s aforementioned promo early in the show only increased my anticipation.

No matter what Eddie said about Mox being a sports entertainer now, this was a hard-hitting brawl between two guys who hit hell of hard. As unlikely as it seemed that Kingston could possibly win the belt, he fought like hell and convinced you it was a real possibility. One day Eddie’s going to come for that belt again, and win it, and he’s going to make a hell of a champion.

Runners Up

The Gauntlet Eliminator Match on NXT was actually really solid and fun. It worked a bit like a Royal Rumble but with no over-the-top-rope elimination. Trying to get a pinfall or submission on somebody while a bunch of other randos are in the ring with you is that much harder, and it led to fun spots like Bronson Reed carrying two guys on his back.

Hangman Adam Page had a solid match against Evil Uno, who was more impressive as a singles wrestler than I expected. Also after all those months of tag team angst, I love seeing Page start to rack up singles wins. This guy’s best days are 100 percent ahead of him.

Finally, AEW’s one women’s match was Hikaru Shida and Thunder Rosa teaming up against Ivelisse and Diamante. Rosa accidentally hit Shida at one point, but Shida didn’t turn on her for it, which might make her the smartest person in pro wrestling. I think this might be Thunder Rosa’s last AEW appearance, but I do hope she returns at some point. Also, Ivelisse and Diamante are literally on the show every week, so maybe it’s time to sign them?

That’s all for this week. Join me next week, for more of the best and worst of Pandemic Booking.

Tory Lanez might be the owner of the worst ratio on Twitter after seemingly offering to break his month-long silence in the wake of the Megan Thee Stallion shooting incident. When the Torontonian rapper popped up on Twitter to apologize for his absence and tease … something coming at 9 pm tonight, the reactions were, shall we say, less than enthusiastic.

“To my fans … I’m sorry for my silence …. but respectfully .. I got time today …… 9 PM PST,” he wrote. While he doesn’t make it entirely clear what silence he’s referring to or what he has time for at 9 pm tonight, his wording is certainly suggestive. The timing is, as well; due to both in conjunction, the general consensus is that he’ll likely be releasing a song offering an alternative telling of the August incident, in which Megan Thee Stallion accused him of shooting her in both feet.

Needless to say that under the circumstances, his overture was met poorly. At best, it’s kind of tone-deaf to announce anything short of a public apology for his actions. At worst, it seems he might be willing to use the scandal to promote a new single despite the harm he’s allegedly caused (and for which he’s under police investigation). Naturally, the fan reactions are probably not quite what he expected — or perhaps they are. Either way, they’re overwhelmingly negative; as many of the fans pointed out, the timing — the day after Breonna Taylor’s killers were essentially excused from accountability — is even worse than J. Cole’s when he dropped “Snow On The Bluff.” As the saying goes: Read the room, Tory.

See some of the reactions below.

The next time you’re in a heated argument over which makes a better pet between dogs and cats, instantly end the conversation and clinch the W for dogs by asking this question: Can cats smell and help prevent the spread of COVID-19?

Because it’s looking like dogs can. The Helsinki Airport is currently running a state-funded pilot program created by Finnish researchers to see if COVID-19 sniffing dogs might be a cheap, fast, and effective method of testing travelers for active coronavirus. According to the Guardian, the pilot program is funded to last for four months and so far the four COVID-19 sniffing dogs are proving to be quite effective — able to sniff out the presence of the coronavirus in just 10 seconds in a process that altogether takes less than a minute to complete.

That’s about 14 minutes faster than United Airlines recently announced rapid COVID-19 test, which they’re testing with passengers flying between San Francisco and Hawaii.

For the pilot program, international passengers arriving in Helsinki are asked to dab their skin with a wipe which is then placed in a beaker in a separate room along with other control scents where the pups come in and do their work. When the virus is found, the dogs will indicate the tainted sample by yelping, pawing, or lying down, making this the most adorable of the COVID-19 tests and a massive improvement over snorting a cotton swab. The Helsinki Airport says that in the future four dogs will work at the airport during a shift, the duration of which depends on the dogs. Currently, ten dogs are being trained for the COVID sniffing role.

The Guardian reports that scientists aren’t sure what exactly the dogs are responding to, but because they don’t have the receptors necessary for the virus to attach to, the health of the dogs isn’t affected. Preliminary tests in the study show that the COVID-19 sniffing dogs were able to identify the presence of the virus with nearly 100% accuracy, and because the dogs are able to identify COVID-19 from a smaller sample than the average PCR test requires, the dogs are actually able to identify the virus before a person even develops symptoms.

Jharrel Jerome generated a hefty buzz around his performance in the Netflix drama When They See Us last year. Now, he’s looking to spin that buzz into enthusiasm for his other artistic pursuits — namely, rap. Today he shares his first video, “For Real,” which finds him ruminating on the cost of his newfound fame. While he laments the demands of being an in-demand actor, he also demands respect as a musician, firing off rhymes at a rapid-fire clip over a beat with a soulful sample composed by Take A Daytrip, best known for working with Sheck Wes, Lil Nas X, and The Scotts.

“Tell me which Range I should cop,” Jerome challenges on the song’s defiant chorus. “Tell me whose booze I should grab / Tell me whose name should I drop / I’ma just do what you ask.” However, he denies being “here to be the coolest,” focusing instead on being true to himself. Meanwhile, guest rapper Kemba points out the problem with modern celebrity culture on his verse, charging “n****s that get their ideas off IG / Whole personality’s Twitter / I just see copies of copies.”

As far as first singles go, it isn’t bad and warrants any future attention given to Jharrel Jerome, both as an actor and as a rapper. Fortunately for him, he can justify the career move as he joins the list of other professional entertainers moonlighting in hip-hop — a list that includes NBA players like Damian Lillard and fellow actor Riz Ahmed. “Long before I became an actor, hip hop was my first love,” he explained in a statement. “I was the one spitting off the top at the lunch table in the sixth grade. If there was a freestyle cypher happening at the park, I was there.”

Watch Jharrel Jerome’s “For Real” video above.

Carbonadi isn’t your typical vodka brand. It doesn’t come in a plastic handle and you definitely don’t need to mix it with saccharine ingredients to mask its flavor. Born in the Piemonte region in northern Italy, this “ultra-premium vodka” is made from 100 percent organically grown winter wheat. It’s distilled five times before being filtered through black diamonds. Finally, it’s micro-oxygenated prior to bottling in an effort to give the spirit a velvety mouthfeel.

To say that it’s a complicated vodka is an understatement. This is vodka treated with the same care and attention to detail as the finest whiskies.

The brand was co-founded by Ricky Miller III, who saw a need to elevate the vodka category and, clearly, took that passion to the furthest degree. The name itself is a testament to the detailed production process. Carbonadi is the Italian plural for “carbonado” — the industrial-type black diamonds through which the vodka is filtered.

“It’s a spirit that’s very unique in a world of sameness,” Miller told Uproxx recently. “The texture is creamy, like that of a wine, the impurities are non-existent like the Alps water it’s married to, and the bottle has a very northern Italian luxury perfume aesthetic.”

A former professional athlete, Miller is also a cancer survivor and a Black man in an industry that has historically struggled with diversity. As the drinks business continues its a long-overdue reckoning with regards to racial justice and inclusion, the brand founder was gracious enough to answer a few questions about his struggles getting Carbonadi started, how the vodka world has embraced him, and the rewards of facing the unknown.

…

Why start a vodka brand?

Vodka makes up 1/3 of all spirits consumed. I wanted to elevate something that consumers were already drinking. I wasn’t interested in inventing a new category altogether.

Tell me about your phrase, “Being comfortable, being uncomfortable.”

This concept has propelled me through the toughest of times. I think playing football, to a point, had a lot to do with that because as an athlete in a collision sport like football you’re never 100% — there is always some type of ailment like a sprained ankle or knee, bruised elbow, massive headache, the list goes on and on and you’re expected to perform in the midst of all these issues. So you either perform or move out of the way so the next guy can get the job done.

When I was diagnosed with stage 3 small intestinal cancer in 2016, this concept is what got me through the storm. The chemo was brutal, my body took a real beating, but when you think about it simply the chemo is just the cost of survival. That made it easy for me. Suffer now, enjoy the win later. That is how I approach my business daily, the struggles and obstacles are just the cost to get Carbonadi where I believe it belongs — a globally respected luxury brand.

What are some of the struggles of being one of the only minority-owned vodka brands?

I think everything has to do with perspective. I don’t look at it as a struggle, I look at it as an opportunity to shine bright. I strongly believe in meritocracy, so to have the opportunity to shine and show the world that a Black man has the ability to create a luxury brand that has all the nuances of traditional luxury. A brand that carries the weight of a Dom Perignon, Chanel, or Fendi is a blessing, now I have to execute.

How has the vodka world embraced you?

The vodka world has embraced Carbonadi nicely, actually. From a consumer standpoint, they love the idea of being able to drink a vodka by itself — free of any mixers — and actually enjoy the experience. From a trade personnel perspective, they have also shown us love, thanks to the great feedback they receive from their patrons.

What difficulties have you found being a Black man in the vodka world?

I believe the difficulties I face are very common among other spirit entrepreneurs, of all races. As for things I face specifically as a Black entrepreneur, there may be some prejudice that takes place but because I’m so focused and locked in on the finish line, it doesn’t bother me — I don’t have the time to convince someone to act differently.

I definitely sniff out racism sometimes, but I’m so anti-entitlement I just move on to the next situation rather than whine and complain about how some idiot should not be racist.

How do you hope to inspire other aspiring Black Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) entrepreneurs?

The best way I can inspire other minority beverage owners is by winning and winning big in an unapologetic way. As minorities, we sometimes feel like we have to tiptoe around in a world where we aren’t highly represented. You cannot win big that way. So I wake up every day ready to execute in a way that will get Carbonadi that much closer to being a globally respected luxury brand, further reminding minorities we can do this too, at a very high level.

What advice do you have for BIPOC hoping to follow in your footsteps?

My advice would be to not follow my footsteps, but rather, learn from my experience — take little bit of this and a little bit of that and create your own path. You have to have a real passion for what you’re doing because you will be met with obstacles of all kinds and your passion, determination, and sheer will to win will be what gets you through.

Stay in student mode, constantly be learning by listening more than you talk. And finally, you have to be obsessed. You have to want to win more than you want to do anything else. For better or worse, your success will be commensurate with how much shit you’re willing to eat.

October is delivering a slew of specials, documentaries, and limited series to HBO and HBO Max.

Meek Mill’s biker drama, Charm City Kings, rolls up, and so does a revealing doc about Luis A. Miranda Jr. — yes, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s dad. Then there’s David Byrne’s buzzed about special that’s bringing his critically-acclaimed Broadway show to the masses and a Nicole Kidman-starring thriller that’s bringing major Big Little Lies vibes.

Here’s everything coming to (and leaving) HBO and HBO Max this month.

Charm City Kings (HBO Max original film streaming 10/8)
Meek Mill stars in this gripping coming-of-age drama that took home the Jury Prize for Ensemble Acting at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Mill plays Blax, the leader of an infamous group of dirt bike riders in Baltimore called The Midnight Clique. When a young boy named Mouse (Di’Allo Winston) tries to join the crew, Blax takes him under his wing and teaches him the code of the streets.

Siempre, Luis (HBO doc streaming 10/16)
Sure, Lin-Manuel Miranda is talented, but his dad is a damn rockstar, as this doc from first-time filmmaker John James sets out to prove. The film takes a look at Luis A. Miranda Jr., a Puerto Rican migrant who’s been fighting for change and shaping New York’s political scene for the past 30 years.

David Byrne’s American Utopia (HBO special streaming 10/17)
Academy Award winning director Spike Lee helms this unique look that gives Broadway fans a chance to see David Byrne’s critically acclaimed show that broke records and sold out crowds earlier this year. The show is based off Byrne’s album of the same name, so if you liked watching Hamilton from home, you’ll probably enjoy this.

The Undoing (HBO limited series streaming 10/25)
Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant star in this limited series that picks up in the aftermath of a tragic death and the terrible revelations it spawns. Kidman plays a wealthy woman reeling from grief who discovers her picture-perfect life isn’t what she thought it was, leading her down a rabbit hole that makes her question her own intentions and if she can break free from the mess her past has caused.

Coming To HBO And HBO Max In October:

Avail. 10/1
A World of Calm, Documentary Series Premiere
Akeelah And The Bee, 2006 (HBO)
All-Star Superman, 2011
American Dynasties: The Kennedys, 2018
American Reunion, 2012 (HBO)
Analyze That, 2002
Analyze This, 1999
The Angriest Man In Brooklyn, 2014 (HBO)
Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery, 1997
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, 1999
Ball of Fire, 1941
Beavis And Butt-Head Do America, 1996 (HBO)
Beef (HBO)
Beginners, 2011 (HBO)
Best in Show, 2000
BLOW, 2001
Bombshell, 1933
Boogie Nights, 1997
Boomerang, 1992
The Bush Years: Family. Duty. Power., 2019
The Butterfly Effect, 2004
Cats & Dogs, 2001
Catwoman, 2004
Cellular, 2004
Cheech & Chong’s Up In Smoke, 1978
The Chronicles Of Riddick, 2004 (Director’s Cut) (HBO)
City Slickers 2: The Legend of Curly’s Gold, 1994
Clean and Sober, 1988
The Client, 1994
Collateral Beauty, 2016 (HBO)
The Color Purple, 1985
Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind, 2003 (HBO)
Constantine, 2005
Cradle 2 the Grave, 2003
Critters 2, 1988
Critters 4, 1992
The Curse of Frankenstein, 1957
Day Of The Dead, 1985 (HBO)
Death Sentence, 2007 (Extended Version) (HBO)
Deerskin, 2020 (HBO)
Dirty Dancing, 1987 (HBO)
Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights, 2004 (HBO)
Deliverance, 1972
Dracula Has Risen from the Grave, 1969
Dreamcatcher, 2003
Edge of Darkness, 2010
Empire of the Sun, 1987
The End: Inside The Last Days of the Obama White House, 2017
Endings, Beginnings, 2020 (HBO)
Enter The Dragon, 1973
Eraser, 1996
Firewall, 2006
Frantic, 1988
Frequency, 2000 (HBO)
Friday, 1995
The Friday After Next, 2002
Galaxy Quest, 1999
The Golden Compass, 2007
Gothika, 2003
Grudge Match, 2013 (HBO)
Hairspray, 1988
Hairspray (Musical Remake), 2007
Harina (Aka Flour) (HBO)
The Haunting, 1999
The Hills Have Eyes, 2006 (Extended Version) (HBO)
The Hills Have Eyes II, 2007 (Extended Version) (HBO)
Horror of Dracula, 1958
The Hunting Ground, 2015
I Am Sam, 2002
Infamous, 2006
The Informer, 1935
The Invisible War, 2012
Jonah Hex, 2010
The Last Kiss, 2006 (HBO)
The Last Mimzy, 2007
Laws of Attraction, 2004
Lethal Weapon, 1987
Lethal Weapon 2, 1989
Lethal Weapon 3, 1992
Lethal Weapon 4, 1998
Libeled Lady, 1936
Life as We Know It, 2010
Little Baby Bum, 2011
Little Big League, 1994
Madea’s Big Happy Family, 2011
Malcolm X, 1992
Man of Steel, 2013
Marie: A True Story, 1985
The Matrix Reloaded, 2003
The Matrix Revolutions, 2003
The Matrix, 1999
Million Dollar Baby, 2004
Miracle of Morgan’s Creek, 1944
Mister Roberts, 1955
Monsters Vs. Aliens, 2009
The Mummy, 1959
Mutiny on the Bounty, 1935
Next Friday, 2000
Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always, 2020 (HBO)
Nothing Sacred, 1937
Open Water, 2004 (HBO)
Open Water 2: Adrift, 2007 (HBO)
Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures, 2013
The Pelican Brief, 1993
A Perfect Murder, 1998
The Perfect Storm, 2000
The Phantom of the Opera, 2004
Presumed Innocent, 1990
Race for the White House, Season 1
Raised By Wolves, Season 1 Finale
Revolutionary Road, 2008 (HBO)
Roger & Me, 1989
Sands of Iwo Jima, 1950
Scanners, 1981 (HBO)
Scooby-Doo! Haunted Holidays, 2012
Se7en, 1995
Semi-Pro, 2008
Sesame Street Presents Follow That Bird, 1985
Shame, 2011 (HBO)
Sherlock Holmes, 2009
Sleight, 2017 (HBO)
Son of Batman, 2014
South Park: The Pandemic Special
Steel, 1997
Superman vs. the Elite, 2012
Superman/Batman: Apocalypse, 2010
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, 2009
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, 1990
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2, 1991
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3, 1993
They Were Expendable, 1945
A Thin Line Between Love and Hate, 1996
The Thin Man, 1934
The Thing, 2011 (HBO)
A Time to Kill, 1996
Tin Cup, 1996
TMNT, 2007
Training Day, 2001
Tricky Dick, 2019
Turistas, 2006 (Extended Version) (HBO)
U.S. Marshals, 1998
Us, 2019 (HBO)
Vampire in Brooklyn, 1995
A Very Brady Sequel, 1996
We Will Rise: Michelle Obama’s Mission to Educate Girls Around the World, 2016
What You Gonna Do When the World’s on Fire?, 2018
When Harry Met Sally, 1989
Where the Wild Things Are, 2009
The Whole Ten Yards, 2004 (HBO)
The Wings of Eagles, 1957
You’ve Got Mail, 1998

Avail. 10/2
Lina From Lima (HBO)

Avail. 10/3
The ABCs of Back to School: A CNN/Sesame Street Town Hall for Families, 2020
Downhill, 2020 (HBO)

Avail. 10/6
Siempre, Luis, Documentary Premiere (HBO)

Avail. 10/7
Wild Card: The Downfall Of A Radio Loudmouth (HBO)

Avail. 10/8
Charm City Kings, HBO Max Original Film Premiere
The Fungies, Season 1B
The God of High School (Dubbed)

Avail. 10/9
Entre Nos Presents: Shayla Rivera: It’s Not Rocket Science (HBO)
Room 104, Series Finale (HBO)

Avail. 10/10
Cats, 2019 (HBO)

Avail. 10/12
Ghosts, Season 2

Avail. 10/15
Detention Adventure, Season 2
A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote, HBO Max Original Premiere

Avail. 10/16
La Odisea De Los Giles (Aka Heroic Losers) (HBO)
The Perfect Weapon, Documentary Special Premiere (HBO)

Avail. 10/17
David Byrne’s American Utopia, Special Event Premiere (HBO)

Avail. 10/18
Lovecraft Country, Season Finale (HBO)
The Vow, Docuseries Finale (HBO)

Avail. 10/20
Smurfs, Season 3

Avail. 10/21
537 Votes, Documentary Premiere (HBO)

Avail. 10/22
Equal, HBO Max Original Docu Series Premiere

Avail. 10/23
How To With John Wilson, Season 1 Premiere (HBO Original)

Avail. 10/24
Emma., 2020 (HBO)

Avail. 10/25
The Undoing, Limited Series Premiere (HBO)

Avail. 10/27
Ghosts, Season 2
It: Chapter Two, 2017 (HBO)
John Lewis: Good Trouble, 2020
The Soul Of America, Documentary Premiere (HBO)

Avail. 10/28
Burning Ojai: Our Fire Story (HBO)

Avail. 10/29
Vida Perfecta, Season 1

Avail. 10/30
Mano De Obra (Aka Workforce) (HBO)

Avail. 10/31
Black Christmas, 2019 (HBO)

Dates TBA:
Chelsea Handler: Evolution, HBO Max Original Special Premiere
Gomorrah, Seasons 1 & 2
the Monster at the end of this Story, HBO Max Original Premiere

Leaving HBO And HBO Max In October

Leaving 10/8
The Nice Guys, 2016 (HBO)

Leaving 10/11
Fantastic Beasts: The Crime of Grindelwald, 2018 (HBO)

Leaving 10/20
The Conjuring 2, 2016 (HBO)

Leaving 10/30
A Cinderella Story, 2004
A Cinderella Story: Once Upon a Song, 2011
A Very Brady Sequel, 1996
Amelie, 2001 (HBO)
American History X, 1998
Barefoot in the Park, 1967
Batman Beyond: The Return of the Joker, 2000
Batman vs. Robin, 2015
Batman: Gotham Knight, 2008
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 1, 2012
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 2, 2013
Beautiful Creatures, 2013
Blade Runner: The Final Cut, 2007
Blood Diamond, 2006
Cop Out, 2010
Crazy, Stupid, Love, 2011 (HBO)
Dangerous Liaisons, 1988
DEVIL, 2010 (HBO)
Driving Miss Daisy, 1989
El Norte, 1984 (HBO)
Green Lantern (2011)
Gremlins 2: The New Batch, 1990
Home Alone, 1990 (HBO)
House Party, 1990
Kung Fu Panda 2, 2011
Kung Fu Panda, 2008
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, 2003
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, 2002
Ocean’s Eleven, 2001
Paul (Extended Version), 2011 (HBO)
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, 1987
Raising Arizona, 1987 (HBO)
Serendipity, 2001
Soldier, 1998
Spies Like Us, 1985
Star Trek, 2009
Swing Time, 1936
The Adventures of Pinocchio, 1996
The First Wives Club, 1996
The Others, 2001 (HBO)
The Outsiders, 1983
The Replacements, 2000
This Means War (Extended Version), 2012 (HBO)
Three Kings, 1999
Top Hat, 1935
V for Vendetta, 2006
Woodstock (Director’s Cut), 1994
Yesterday, 2019 (HBO)

Travis Scott’s cross-promotion with Chris Nolan’s Tenet won’t stop at his soundtrack contribution. While his song “The Plan” appears on the soundtrack and in the film’s trailer, viewers of the film who brave movie theaters in-person may get a chance to see Travis’ short film Franchise as well. While there isn’t much detail on the film other than it’s directed by Travis himself, the Houston rapper has been teasing the release of a song by the same name arriving tonight at 9pm PT/midnight ET for the past couple of days.

Meanwhile, his other major collaboration this month has seemingly reached its conclusion as the third and final drop of his McDonald’s merch has sold out, leaving his online store with a short, simple message for fans: “Soon.” The Travis Scott Meal at McDonald’s was also quite successful — so much so that the company had to revise its ordering procedure for the burger, even despite dire warnings from NLE Choppa and some employees not even knowing who Travis Scott is.

Franchise, the song and its accompanying short film (likely a music video), is set to debut at select screenings of Tenet tonight. Find more information here and stay tuned to the streaming platform of your choice.

Among Us is the surprise hit of 2020, mostly because it’s a game that originally came out in 2018. The murder mystery game is perfect for remote online play and full of drama, and its ascendence on Twitch has caused a belated explosion in popularity in recent days. That popularity was years in the making, though, and it’s created an interesting problem for developer Innersloth: what work goes into improving a viral hit and what goes into making a sequel, Among Us 2?

Developer Innersloth wrote an update for its many new fans on Wednesday that detailed some upcoming adds and fixes to the game, as well as what the future holds for what the company would work on moving forward. And despite some issues with what the original Among Us was built on, the team revealed that the game’s massive rise in popularity has made them decide to officially cancel Among Us 2 and focus on adding more content to the game currently taking over Twitch.

The post noted “several long discussions” about what Among Us 2 could be, and the difficulties of working on additional content for the original game. But popularity seems to have won out, and for good reason.

The main reason we are shooting for a sequel is because the codebase of Among Us 1 is so outdated and not built to support adding so much new content. However, seeing how many people are enjoying Among Us 1 really makes us want to be able to support the game and take it to the next level. We have decided to cancel Among Us 2 and instead put all our focus into improving Among Us 1. All of the content we had planned for Among Us 2 will instead go into Among Us 1. This is probably the more difficult choice because it means going deep into the core code of the game and reworking several parts of it. We have lots of things planned and we’re excited to bring new content to everyone as you continue to enjoy playing!

The Itch.io post noted more servers, a new stage and other improvements are on the horizon, including a friend system that they noted may take some time. They also hope to make the game playable for those who are colorblind and might struggle to identify killers by, well, color. It’s all good news for players who have fallen in love with the game, as more developer support is always a good sign for a title’s lifespan. It’s tough to stay alive in Among Us, but it looks like the game’s makers plan to keep it alive well into the future.

If nothing below suits your sensibilities, check out our guide to What You Should Watch On Streaming Right Now.

The Murders at the White House Farm (HBO Max series) — Get your next true crime fix in a dramatized, six-episode series about three generations of one family, all murdered 30 years ago at an isolated farm. One detective stood firm on pinning the whole crime spree on an initial suspect, and his dogged determination led to another, more likely suspect. The series is based upon many years of research, interviews, and published reports, all to uncover the truth.

Haute Dog (HBO Max series) — On a lighter note, this series about a dog-grooming, creative-competition series is sure to turn up some cuties who undergo transformations to become “haute” dogs on the runway. There’s money on the table for winners, so expect the competition to be fierce.

The Chef Show: Season 2 (Netflix series) — Jon Favreau’s back with award-winning Chef Roy Choi to continue their collaborative exploration of different flavors, cultures, and people. Keep your eyes open for more celebrity guests, all in the hopes of bringing people together to enjoy delicious food.

Star Trek: Discovery (CBS, 10:00pm EST) — Ahead of the show’s Season 3 arrival (at some undetermined point) the CBS All Access show makes its network debut with “The Vulcan Hello” episode.

Mysteries Decoded (CW, 8:00pm EST) — This week, it’s time to explore the so-called Montauk Experiments in the wake of new evidence surrounding stories that the U.S. government was conducting mind control tests on young children in the 1980s.

Jimmy Kimmel Live — Norman Reedus, Aminé

The Late Late Show With James Corden — Jason Schwartzman, Alicia Keys

Late Night With Seth Meyers — Alicia Vikander; Maya Erskine, Anna Konkle

In case you missed these offerings last week:

The Devil All The Time (Netflix film) — Robert Pattinson portrays an unholy preacher while Sebastian Stan steps into a crooked sheriff’s shoes, and Tom Holland’s simply trying to stay out of the line of fire while evil forces surround him. It’s a battle between the corrupt and the so-called just that should provide a nice midweek viewing break. This Antonio Campos-directed story spans the period between WWII and Vietnam and co-stars Jason Clarke, Riley Keough, Bill Skarsgård, Eliza Scanlen, and Mia Wasikowska.

Antebellum (VOD film from Lionsgate) — Amid the pandemic shuffle, this film’s hoping to clean up on VOD with Janelle Monáe in a mindbending horror-thriller. Our own Mike Ryan thinks it’s a terrific movie with a twist that you may not see coming.

Ratched (Netflix series) — This isn’t the Nurse Mildred Ratched origin story that One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest viewers might be expecting, but it’s an entertaining-if-messy watch. Sarah Paulson gives it her all, and Cynthia Nixon makes an extraordinary turn as a public servant (and lover of Ratched). Overall, it’s a stylish and twisted devotional, one that has been rolled around in true Ryan Murphy fashion.

PEN15: Season 2 (Hulu series) — Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle are doing it again — playing 13-year-old versions of themselves — in this exaggeratedly surreal show that’s found a cult audience. This season may not be as funny as last year, but it’s still as good as fans expect.

Becoming (Disney+ series) — LeBron James produced this docuseries that focuses upon celebrity upbringings and what it means to go home. Expect to see a variety of entertainers, musicians, and athletes in this first season, including Anthony Davis, Caleb McLaughlin, Candace Parker, and Nick Cannon.

Before De’Aaron Fox was drafted by the Kings in 2018, he was a top recruit out of the basketball haven of Chicago and a star at the University of Kentucky. In a new appearance on JJ Redick’s The Old Man And The Three podcast, Fox explained how it was “very different” to play for the Kings after having so much success throughout his amateur career.

Asked if he ever played with a chip on his shoulder after going fifth in the draft and starring for a franchise in the Kings that hasn’t made the playoffs in nearly two decades, Fox explained that it required a different mindset.

Despite admitting that it was a bit of a challenge, Fox later said he quickly changed his tune and looked at going fifth in 2018 to the Kings as a huge opportunity. After all, taking Sacramento to the promised land is a feat not many can claim.

“For me it’s like, imagine being one of those players on one of those teams that hasn’t made the playoffs in over a decade … and then being the first team that actually gets to the playoffs,” Fox said. “It’s obviously hard as hell, especially being in the West, but being able to be part of that would be something special.”

Fox discussed leading the Kings, his Chicago roots, and more with Redick on the podcast, which you can watch below.