Category: Worldwide

Neon, the indie distributor behind two of the best films of 2019 (Portrait of a Lady on Fire and Best Picture winner Parasite) and this year’s “damn near perfect” Palm Springs, has released the trailer for the company’s next awards seasons contender.

Ammonite stars Saoirse Ronan and Kate Winslet as… does it matter? It’s a movie with Saoirse Ronan and Kate Winslet. You’re going to see it. But in case you need more convincing, Winslet plays Mary Anning, an “acclaimed but overlooked fossil hunter Mary Anning and a young woman sent to convalesce by the sea develop an intense relationship, altering both of their lives forever,” according to the official plot synopsis. Ammonite was directed by Francis Lee, and while it may lack the sweaters of his last film God’s Own Country (seriously, SO many great sweaters), it looks equally moody and romantic. Speaking of that romance, Anning’s relatives criticized the film for depicting a same-sex relationship that they claimed never happened. Lee responded on Twitter:

After seeing queer history be routinely ‘straightened’ throughout culture, and given a historical figure where there is no evidence whatsoever of a heterosexual relationship, is it not permissible to view that person within another context…?

As a working class, queer film maker, I continually explore the themes of class, gender, sexuality within my work, treating my truthful characters with utter respect and I hope giving them authentic respectful lives and relationships they deserve.

Ammonite opens on November 13.

Netflix loves Stranger Things‘ Millie Bobby Brown, and the feeling must be mutual. The 16-year-old actress’ upcoming role as Sherlock Holmes’ rebellious teen sister in Enola Holmes should draw quite an audience, and having Henry Cavill onboard to play Sherlock (and Sam Claflin as Mycroft Holmes) can only help with that cause. This trailer shows off a rip-roaring adventure set to an orchestral riff of Hole’s “Celebrity Skin.” That really sets the stage, as does the presence of Fleabag director Harry Bradbeer.

Enola Holmes follows the title character’s super-sleuthing in her own right, and she’s doing it her way after her mother (Helena Bonham Carter) disappeared without a trace on her daughter’s sixteenth birthday. Sherlock and Mycroft have had about enough of dealing with a “wild child,” so they’re keen on sending her off to finishing school, where she’d become a “proper” lady. Cue the twirling of mustaches, but Millie Bobby Brown’s the perfect actress to send Enola striking out on her own. From the synopsis:

Refusing to follow their wishes, Enola escapes to search for her mother in London. But when her journey finds her entangled in a mystery surrounding a young runaway Lord (Louis Partridge), Enola becomes a super-sleuth in her own right, outwitting her famous brother as she unravels a conspiracy that threatens to set back the course of history. Based on the beloved book series by Nancy Springer, ENOLA HOLMES is a dynamic new mystery-adventure that introduces the world’s greatest detective to his fiercest competition yet: his teenage sister. The game is afoot.

Enola Holmes arrives on September 23.

In response to Michelle Obama’s speech at last week’s Democratic National Convention, The Late Show host Stephen Colbert, who gets paid to tell jokes, was unable to tell a joke. “My job is to have a joke for every time somebody says anything in public. After watching Michelle Obama’s speech, I have never been more happy to fail at my job,” he said, in awe of the former-first lady’s speech. Colbert was not speechless following the first night of the Republican National Convention, however — last night’s The Late Show could have been four hours long, and he still wouldn’t have run out of material.

Colbert called “PROUD American” Kimberly Guilfoyle, she of the Rita Repulsa-esque speech, a “vengeful banshee who will haunt your dreams.” About her relationship with California Governor Gavin Newsom, he said, “I’m guessing that was not an amicable split. But I think I know who was awarded custody of the rage, because when it came to the president’s agenda, she had some very nuanced screams.” Those screams were the “first time in my life I’ve had to turn down the volume on C-SPAN. I’m glad we already had our kids because I think if I was too close to the TV, I might have been sterilized by that.”

Colbert then moved on to Guilfoyle’s current partner, Donald Trump, Jr., who a campaign aide referred to as “the emotional center of the MAGA universe. Makes sense. He’s like a black hole in that he sucks.” Hm, maybe not your best work. Got another one? “It was his keynote address, in that he looked like he had snorted a key.” Better. Colbert also noted Trump, Jr.’s “sweaty face and wet, bloodshot eyes,” meaning he’s “either he’s high or that’s what happens when you live in the splash zone of Screamin’ Guilfoyle.”

You can watch the entire segment above.

While the world is still basking in the wet glow of “WAP” and waiting for Cardi B’s next album, there are still plenty of fans out there still listening to her 2018 debut, Invasion Of Privacy. In fact, the album just set a new chart record.

Chart Data noted in a tweet that Invasion Of Privacy is on the Billboard 200 chart for its 124th week, which makes it the longest-charting album by a female rapper. Cardi was grateful to hear the news, as she shared a screenshot of the tweet and wrote on Instagram, “It feels very good !Thank you guys for still supporting and listening to invasion of privacy.Working on my second album,it’s takin time but I want to make sure i put a amazing project.”

The album has racked up achievements over the past several months. In January, it became the longest-charting debut album by a female rapper in Billboard 200 history. Not long before that, it reportedly achieved the status of being the most-streamed album by a female rapper in Spotify history. The album’s “Bodak Yellow” was of course a huge hit that set some chart records as well.

Cardi B is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The Los Angeles Lakers had plenty of emotional fuel for their Game 4 matchup as they paid tribute to Kobe Bryant by wearing their Black Mamba uniform set for the first time since 2017, and they came out and dominated the Blazers from the opening tip en route to a 135-115 victory.

LeBron James led the way with 30 points and 10 assists in just 28 minutes of action, as he looks to be fully rounding into his usual playoff self in Orlando. After the game in his walkoff interview with TNT, James wasn’t wanting to talk about basketball, as he noted the Lakers were playing with an awful lot going through their minds, both in honoring Kobe and Gigi Bryant and in thinking about the latest tragic shooting of an unarmed Black man, Jacob Blake, in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

“Extremely blessed and honored to play on 8/24 and continue to remember Kobe Bryant and Gigi Bryant and all of the fallen people who were a part of that tragic incident. And then at the same time having the emotions of what’s going on and what happened outside of Milwaukee to James Blake — Jacob Blake, sorry, Jacob Blake.

“It’s what we’ve been talking about, and what we’re going to continue to talk about. Having two boys of my own and me being an African-American in America and to continue to see what continues to happen with the police brutality towards my kind, continue to see what goes on with the just injust — it’s just very troubling. It’s very troubling. We play a beautiful game that brings so many great families together and people should be able to rejoice and enjoy it, but at the same time never losing track of what’s really going on in our world, especially here in America. My prayers go to that family, and hopefully we can have some change and it starts with November. I believe it starts with November and it’s why I stared my initiative with More Than A Vote, and getting people to understand what’s really at risk and the change — we continue to talk about change and we have an opportunity to make change. But it still doesn’t stop there, even with whoever comes next.”

Chris Paul likewise took his opportunity in speaking in the walkoff interview earlier in the day to speak out on the latest instance of police brutality caught on tape, and players from around the league voiced their continued anger, sadness, and frustration that this continues to happen and the need for drastic change to policing and systemic racism.

It is extremely disheartening to continue seeing this happen and continue seeing police shoot unarmed Black people even in what feels like an inflection point in America where there have been nationwide protests that have continued for months against police brutality. At the same time, those continued protests offer the hope that change can come provided we remain focused on that issue and continue applying pressure to government on a local, state, and federal level — which as James said involves voting but continued work beyond that to make sure elected officials know what is important to the people.

Big Sean have been keeping fans at bay for new music ever since he announced he was back “in album mode” on his “Overtime” single over a year ago. On Monday, the rapper served up some exciting news — his album, Detroit 2, is finished and it arrives in less than two weeks. Just a few hours after sharing the big news, Sean decided to appease fans by previewing the record with his Nipsey Hussle collaboration, “Deep Reverence.”

It seems as though the decision to drop the single was a response to pressure from fans. “The world needs to hear n feel Nipsey presence!” the rapper wrote on Twitter.

Ahead of “Deep Reverence” and his album announcement, Sean took to Instagram to offer up some advice on how he’s been able to stay level headed:

“I talk about being aggressively happy. That’s one of the things that I’ve been working on every day, is to feel good. Whatever it takes, you know, because the best things happen to you when you feel good and when you attract it, and it’s because what you’re putting out there is what you’re going to get back from this ever-giving universe. It’s law, really. If you’re attracting bitterness, or in my case, I had a lot of anxiety and depression and all those type of things that put the craziest ideas in my head and made me feel like I wasn’t worth it. But not only am I worth it, I’m in control of my feelings. Unless I give somebody else or something else that power, I’m in control of my feelings. Nobody else. When you are at your lowest, the quickest relief you can give yourself is to count your blessings, show gratitude. Because guess what? If you’re here, you got blessings.”

Listen to “Deep Reverence” above.

Detroit 2 is out 9/4 via GOOD Music/Def Jam. Pre-order it here.

Nipsey Hussle is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

On Aug. 24, the Los Angeles Lakers honored Kobe and Gigi Bryant by wearing “Black Mamba” uniforms for Game 4 against the Portland Trail Blazers. Following a series-opening win by the Blazers in Game 1, the Lakers responded with back-to-back wins but, as Monday evening’s contest loomed, Los Angeles needed to take care of business to avoid the peril associated with a 2-2 series that their crosstown rivals currently face against Dallas.

By halftime, the end result was clear and, after a thoroughly dominant 135-115 victory, the Lakers will take a 3-1 lead into Game 5 on Wednesday. With that as the backdrop, here are three takeaways from the contest.

The first half was the Lakers at their best

The Lakers did receive a bit of help from the struggling Blazers but, in short, Los Angeles showcased their entire arsenal in the first half on Monday. The top-seeded squad scored the first 15 points of the evening, swallowing up Portland’s offense and using their force to control the proceedings.

The Lakers relentlessly attacked the rim, creating 16 free throw attempts in the opening period, and they shot 68 percent for good measure. That onslaught continued in the second quarter, with the lead growing to as many as 30 points in short order. With Los Angeles cooking offensively and Portland virtually unable to generate any efficient looks, the recipe was clear and present.

Individually, Anthony Davis was remarkable, and he played with force on both ends of the floor. In the first quarter alone, Davis excelled in scoring 16 points, grabbing three rebounds, dishing out three assists, generating two blocked steals and even picking up a steal to aid in setting a dominant tone.

It should be noted that Davis left the game in the third quarter and he did not return, with the Lakers announcing that he was battling back spasms. With that said, it is possible that the team was simply being cautious with Davis given the lofty margin. Overall, Los Angeles threw the kitchen sink at Portland in the first 24 minutes, and the game was effectively over when the barrage came to an end.

The Blazers look out of gas

As noted above, the Lakers were quite obviously ready to play at the outset, and the Blazers couldn’t match their energy. Portland’s primary offensive action, a high pick-and-roll for Damian Lillard, was quelled by the Lakers’ length and athleticism in the early going, and the Blazers just couldn’t find a counter until it was (far) too late.

That isn’t to say that the Blazers were fully to blame for the way the first half of the game went, as the Lakers truly were phenomenal at the outset, even shooting 11-of-19 from beyond the arc. Portland doesn’t have any margin for error in this series, however, with the Lakers owning edges in star power, physicality, athleticism and apparent freshness.

It isn’t always accurate to reference a “lack of energy” or “tired legs” for issues that transpire in the midst of a playoff game, especially when overlooking execution and shot-making. For a Portland team that has looked tired at times dating back to their push in the seeding games, though, they couldn’t match the fire of the Lakers in Game 4, and Terry Stotts’ team isn’t in a position to be outworked by an already superior opponent.

To add insult to injury, Lillard was in visible discomfort during the second half before shutting it down for the night with what the Blazers announced as a right knee injury. The All-NBA guard was already battling the well-documented finger injury suffered in Game 2, but any further limitations for Lillard would exacerbate Portland’s already difficult task to come back from a 3-1 deficit.

LeBron James remains preposterous

It isn’t breaking any new ground to suggest that LeBron James is, in fact, good at basketball. It is still good to remember just how good James is, however, and this performance was a strong reminder.

As the Lakers dominated the first half to the tune of a 29-point lead at the break, James was nearly perfect. He finished the first half with 22 points on 8-of-9 shooting to go along with seven assists and three rebounds in only 18 minutes. In compiling those eye-popping numbers, James tossed up a trademark chase-down block and punctuated it with a remarkable assist.

Later, James was in his bag as a scorer, finishing with flair at the rim and carving up any Portland resistance.

Given the margin, the game was all but over at the break but, in case there was any doubt, James threw a haymaker coming out of halftime. He keyed an 11-2 run to give the Lakers a 38-point lead, and he punctuated the spurt with a (very) deep three-pointer to effectively turn the lights out.

James played only 28 minutes, finishing with 30 points (on 10-of-12 shooting and 4-of-5 from three), 10 assists and six rebounds. Even beyond the numbers, it was a masterclass in controlling the proceedings and, if anything, his individual brilliance might be underplayed on account of the team-wide effectiveness on this night.

For the Lakers to win the title with an admittedly limited supporting cast, James likely needs to be the best player on the floor consistently for the duration of the playoffs. It is a one-game sample, but James and Davis were both tremendous in this contest (with Davis leaving the game with back spasms, which L.A. will be hoping is a one-off issue going forward), and the Lakers are tough to deal with for any opponent when two of the game’s best are operating at optimal capacity.

Game 4 of the Blazers-Lakers series was a blowout from the jump, as L.A. ran out to a 10-0 lead and eventually a fitting 24-8 lead on the night they honored Kobe with the Black Mamba uniforms, never looking back as they carried a 25-point lead into the fourth.

In the third quarter, both teams saw stars exit the game due to injury, with Anthony Davis leaving and being announced as out for the remainder of the game with back spasms and Damian Lillard later in the quarter suffering a right knee injury that, likewise, ended his night early.

The hope for both is that neither injury is too severe to impact them longterm, as back spasms can be a nagging issue and the knee injury for Lillard came on a non-contact incident in which he planted hard on his right leg and his knee seemed to buckle slightly.

Lillard will have further testing on that knee to determine the severity and the Blazers will give a more specific update when that happens, as Chris Haynes of Yahoo reports he is currently going to have an MRI done.

Neither team can afford missed time from either player, as Portland’s only hope to get back into this series would be for Lillard to explode as he did in the seeding round on offense, and the Lakers title hopes are obviously contingent on having Davis at full strength alongside LeBron James.

It’s not much of a surprise that Donald Trump Jr.’s Republican National Convention speech was one that was a bit, um, wired. Much like his girlfriend did earlier in the night, Trump Jr. came out with his foot planted firmly down on the gas pedal right from the start. But what caught the attention of many wasn’t his loud, frenzied speech but his red, glassy eyes. While Don Jr’s speech was something that resembled an SNL parody of a commencement address delivered by a speed freak, his eyes looked like the eyes of someone who just emerged from Willie Nelson’s tour bus. It was all very confusing!

In his speech, Trump Jr. called Joe Biden the “Loch Ness Monster of the swamp” and claimed that “Biden and the radical left are also now coming for our freedom of speech and want to bully us into submission.” He went on to note that “anarchists have been flooding our streets” and “small businesses across America — many of them minority owned — are being torched by mobs.” He promised that if his father is elected for four more years, Americans will have “the life you want to have – one with a great job, a beautiful home, and a perfect family. You can have it.”

But, again, people were much more captivated by his eyes than they were by the content of his speech.

Tonight was only night one of the RNC. Can’t wait to see what the rest of the week will bring!

Throughout his career, Akon has worn many hats. He’s been a singer, a producer, a label head, and even recently he signed off on his own city in Senegal. The musician has worked with many big-name artists, but he’s also passed up on a few. One of the biggest musicians he missed out on is Drake, for reasons he recently tried to explain.

In an interview with VladTV, Akon discussed passing up on signing Drake at the beginning of the rapper’s career. According to Akon, Drake’s demo sounded to him too much like Eminem:

“Kardinal Offishall brought me back to him in 2005, I think it was. It was right before the ‘Best I Ever Had’ blew up. Because at the time it was more mixtape-ish. At the time, believe it or not, Drake sounded more like Eminem. With that demo that I heard, he sounded more like Em. That’s every artist developing. You can see the different in that demo and ‘Best I Ever Had.’ It was completely different. ‘Best I Ever Had’ was when everybody was after him. At that time, he hadn’t quite signed, he was negociating with everybody. It was this huge bidding war. And that’s when Kardi was like n****, I told you this n**** was going to be the sh*t. I said, ‘Why don’t you reach out?’ He said, ‘I can, but the lowest bid right now is a million.’ I said, ‘Sh*t, I ain’t got a million dollars.’”

Akon continued: “Out of all the artists today, to me, [Drake] is worth every single f*cking penny. Every single penny. That motherf*cker’s a genius, bro. It’s revolutionary what he’s done.”

Watch Akon talk about nearly signing Drake on VladTV above, around the 2:30-minute mark.