A “woke” puzzle on Jeopardy! has right-wingers losing their minds on social media. During this week’s Tournament of Champions, one of the categories included an answer on pronouns, so you can probably already see where this is going.
The tantrum kicked off after contestant Cris Pannullo selected a $600 puzzle in the “Speech! Parts of Speech!” category. The answer read “Xem, Xyrs, Xemself,” and Pannullo correctly guessed, “What are pronouns?” (Although, Jennings noted that they’re actually neopronouns, but Pannullo’s answer still locked down the prize.)
As for why right-wingers are freaking out, pronoun usage has been a hot topic issue for several years now as MAGA conservatives have railed against any attempts to accommodate the LGBTQ community.
Xem, xyrs, and xemself are examples of gender-neutral pronouns that have become increasingly popular in recent years, in addition to ze/zir, or the more commonly used he/she/they.
The inclusion of the pronoun question was enough to make the anti-woke crowd start frothing at the mouth on Twitter even though we’d bet cash money that only handful of them (if any at all) are regular Jeopardy! watchers. The End Wokeness Twitter account kicked off a wave of right-wing crying that includes over 1,400 comments as of this writing.
“If even @Jeopardy thinks these are pronouns, say good bye to to normalcy,” one user wrote.
“Alex Trebek did not spend 20 months, heroically battling stage 4 pancreatic cancer so commie scum could bastardize his beloved gameshow with ‘neo pronouns,’” The Red Headed Libertarian tweeted.
“Looks like our country is in Jeopardy,” wrote another reply.
You get the picture. “Pronouns bad, America doomed,” rinse, repeat when some other “woke” thing captures the MAGA throng’s attention.
How much do you pay for streaming subscriptions each month? Whatever number popped into your head is likely well below the actual tally.
According to a 2023 Forbes Home study, people are spending an average of $553 per year on streaming services with nearly 49% of consumers paying for access to three or more platforms each month. That same survey found that 48% of people admit to barely using some of their subscriptions, while 45% of those polled revealed they were paying for platforms simply because they forgot to cancel following a free trial. In the age of auto-renews, one-click sign-ups, and annual payments, it’s easy to underestimate just how many subscriptions we’re paying for.
And that’s what plenty of companies are now counting on. It’s become a business model unto itself.
It’s part of the reason why the subscription-based economy – i.e. how much money corporations pull in from recurring customer charges – is set to jump to $12.5 billion by 2026. We might not be able to control what services like Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, Apple TV+, Disney+, Max, Paramount+, Criterion, Fubo, Youtube TV, and Peacock (my god there are a lot of these, aren’t there?) charge as an entry fee to their platforms but we can look to cut ones that we aren’t using enough to justify the expense. To that end, we’ve rounded up some of the biggest platforms cornering the streaming market right now to figure out which are worth their price tags. We’ll break down how to bundle, churn, and ultimately save when it comes to your binge-watching habits without missing out on the shows and movies that matter to you.
PART I — Embrace The Churn
Netflix
Living that frugal life when it comes to monthly subscriptions doesn’t have to be so limiting. More and more companies offer plans for users to pause their billing for months at a time without losing any of their account history. So if you only tuned into Max for new episodes of True Detective season four, its recent finale might be a good enough excuse to take a temporary step back from the streaming platform.
This is where free apps like JustWatch come in handy too. They break down show schedules, letting you know when and where to catch your favorite films and series. By keeping track of the weekly release cycle of a series like Shogun — which drops on FX and Hulu on Feb. 27th — you can decide whether to pay for an extra month or two while pausing your plan somewhere else — say, Netflix? This is called churn and it’s simply a way of prioritizing which platforms offer you the most content in any given month.
Though it might mean becoming a bit more intentional with your binge-watching habits, figuring out which upcoming shows and movies you can pass on, and which might spark some major FOMO if you’re not watching weekly can save you some serious change — and, probably, a few hours of mindlessly scrolling through the content mill.
Here’s how each platform’s suspension and cancellation policy works:
Netflix
Netflix offers the option to suspend service one month at a time for Standard plan subscribers. Users can also opt to cancel their membership while keeping all of their watch history and account information for up to 10 months.
Amazon Prime
Amazon offers the option to pause Prime membership indefinitely instead of outright canceling. Unfortunately, if you’re signed up for Prime Video through your Prime account, suspending will mean you lose that free, two-day shipping perk.
Hulu
Hulu lets you pause your subscription for up to 12 weeks at a time, though you can choose exactly how many weeks you want off by heading here.
Apple TV+
Apple TV+ doesn’t allow members to pause their subscription but you can cancel (and return) via your iTunes account or on their website.
Disney+
Like Apple TV+, Disney+ doesn’t offer a pause membership option, so canceling and renewing down the line might be your best bet.
Peacock
If you’re paying for Peacock’s premium, ad-free tier, canceling means the streaming service automatically downgrades you to its free, ad-supported tier. So, you can still access most of its content library, you’ll just have to sit through a few more commercials.
Max
Max doesn’t let users pause their subscription to its platform, but you can cancel and renew, possibly scoring better sign-up deals depending on the time of year.
PART II — Try Bundling
A recent CNBC report predicted 2024 will be the year of the streaming bundle, but you don’t have to wait to start consolidating some of your services. Whether it’s through your phone carrier or a consequence of monolith corporations like Disney buying up smaller platforms, there are ways you can pay less for more when it comes to streaming. Below are some of the best bundles available at the moment:
Disney+ Bundle Trio (Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+)
Disney offers a variety of combinations when it comes to its streaming services but this trio, which includes ad-supported versions of Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ is really the best value. For $14.99 a month, users get access to all of Disney’s library — plus their original content slate with Marvel — original programming from Hulu — plus day-after viewing of network TV — and access to ESPN’s various channels. It’s a “something for everyone” deal that just can’t be topped.
Paramount+ with Showtime
While a Showtime subscription would have cost you $11.99 per month and an ad-free membership on Paramount+ will set you back $5.99 per month, paying $11.99 per month for both means you save money, get access to CBS, CBS Sports, Paramount+ originals, fresh from theaters movies, and the latest season of Yellowjackets.
AMC+
AMC+ isn’t advertised as a bundle but it includes more content than just the latest spin-off of The Walking Dead. If you purchase the annual subscription, you’ll pay $6.99 per month for a handful of live channels plus access to movies and series from Shudder, Sundance Now, BBC America, and IFC Unlimited.
Max
Again, Max isn’t billed as a bundle but after Warner Bros. merged with Discovery, purchasing any tier subscription means you get access to WB movies, HBO and HBO Max original series, Studio Ghibli, CNN, Sesame Street, Looney Toons, Food Network, Magnolia Network, TLC, TCM, The CW, and more Discovery Channel shows.
Apple One
While not solely a streaming bundle, Apple One offers customers the option to combine multiple services under one bill. For $17 a month, subscribers to the Individual plan can get Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and 50 gigabytes of iCloud storage.
PART III — Go The Ad-Supported Route
With more and more streaming platforms trying to court advertisers — and convince users to stay despite price hikes — ad-supported tiers are now the newest binge-watching money grab. You might be thinking, “Aren’t commercials what we’re paying to avoid here?” Yes, but unlike network TV, ads that play before and during streaming series aren’t as time-consuming or disruptive. Here’s how each streamer’s ad-supported plan breaks down.
Netflix
For $6.99, fans can watch Netflix with ads that run ahead of newly released movies and before and during older films and TV shows. In total, fans can expect about 5 minutes worth of ads to play during an hour-long watch but, unfortunately, not all of Netflix’s content library is available on this plan. To have wider access to Netflix’s catalog, users need to pay for the Standard or Premium plans which cost $15.49 per month and $22.99 per month, respectively.
Hulu
Hulu’s lowest-level tier costs $7.99 per month and features ads that play before and during its programming. Unfortunately, Hulu’s ads tend to run longer — anywhere from 30 seconds to two minutes — and you’ll likely have four or more interruptions during an hour-long watch. In some instances, that means ad runtime can clock in at more than 10 minutes which might be enough to justify looking into the platform’s No Ads option of $14.99 per month.
Amazon Prime Video
Amazon recently announced it was turning its cheapest subscriber tier into an ad-supported one, continuing to charge $14.99 per month (for Prime users) and $8.99 per month (for Prime Video subscribers) while introducing up to three minutes of advertising during their hour-long shows. To avoid having your binge-watch interrupted, you’ll have to fork over an additional $2.99 per month.
Apple TV+
Currently, Apple TV+ doesn’t have an ad-supported tier, though you will see pre-roll promos for other shows and movies on the streamer when you pay the $9.99 per month bill.
Disney+
Expect to see ads playing before and during a show or film on Disney+ when you subscribe to the $8 per month plan. The streamer has promised that fans will sit through no more than four minutes of these breaks while watching an hour-long program.
PART IV — Wait For Deals
Plenty of streaming services offer deals during certain times of the year — think during the holidays and at the start of the new year. Even more have partnerships with phone carriers and first-time sign-up discounts that can save you big bucks for an allotted amount of time. Keep checking in on your subscriptions to see which might be due for a bit of “refinancing,” and check out some of the best deals we’ve earmarked for 2024 below.
Any Verizon customer with myPlan can add a Disney bundle, giving them access to Disney+ Premium (no ads), Hulu, and ESPN (with ads) for just $10 per month.
Hulu
If you’re a college student, you might qualify for a $1.99 subscription to Hulu’s ad-supported tier. If you buy the annual plan, you’ll end up saving nearly $16 per year.
Netflix
Verizon customers with myPlan can add a Netflix and Max bundle (with ads) for $10 per month.
PART V — The “Cancel My Subscription” Hack
As part of this article, my editor felt inspired to cancel his Amazon Prime Channel subscription to Showtime now that The Curse is over. They offered him two months at $0.99 per month. If he were the type who could track that sort of deal and wouldn’t accidentally let it linger until the charges restarted and ran for a year, it might have been very useful! Plenty of other services offer similar deals at the point of cancellation.
Deeper Well is due out March 15, but Musgraves isn’t letting February wrap before treating fans to more bits and pieces. This morning, February 29, she announced the accompanying tour, the Deeper Well World Tour, which is scheduled to begin on Sunday, April 28, in Dublin, Ireland. The run will snake all around the world, as implied by the title, before concluding with back-to-back shows at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee on December 6 and 7. Oh, and Musgraves also dropped another single from the album, “Too Good To Be True.”
American Express Card Members will enjoy an Amex Early Access pre-sale for North American and UK tour dates from March 5 at 10 a.m. local time until March 7 at 10 p.m. local time. Tickets will become available to the general public on March 8 at 10 a.m. local time. Find more information here.
Kacey Musgraves 2024 Tour Dates: Deeper Well World Tour
04/28 — Dublin, IE @ 3Olympia Theatre +
05/01 — Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso +
05/03 — Brussels, BE@ Ancienne Belgique +
05/05 — Cologne, DE @ Carlswerk Victoria +
05/06 — Hamburg, DE @ DOCKS +
05/09 — Glasgow, UK @ 02 Academy Glasgow +
05/11 — Manchester, UK @ 02 Apollo Manchester +
05/13 — Wolverhampton, UK @ The Civic at The Halls +
05/14 — London, UK @ Roundhouse +
09/04 — State College, PA @ Bryce Jordan Center *
09/06 — Boston, MA @ TD Garden *
09/07 — Boston, MA @ TD Garden *
09/09 — Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center *
09/11 — Grand Rapids, MI @ Van Andel Arena *
09/12 — Rosemont, IL @ Allstate Arena *
09/15 — Greenwood Village, CO @ Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre *
09/19 — Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena *
09/20 — Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena *
09/23 — Sacramento, CA @ Golden 1 Center *
09/24 — San Francisco, CA @ Chase Center *
09/27 — Glendale, AZ @ Desert Diamond Arena *
09/28 — Las Vegas, NV @ T-Mobile Arena *
10/01 — San Diego, CA @ Pechanga Arena San Diego *
10/03 — Inglewood, CA @ Kia Forum *
10/04 — Inglewood, CA @ Kia Forum *
11/06 — Laval, QC @ Place Bell #
11/07 — Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena #
11/09 — Baltimore, MD @ CFG Bank Arena #
11/10 — Pittsburgh, PA @ PPG Paints Arena #
11/12 — Louisville, KY @ KFC Yum! Center #
11/13 — Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center #
11/15 — Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center #
11/16 — Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center #
11/21 — Houston, TX @ Toyota Center #
11/22 — Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center #
11/23 — Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center #
11/26 — Austin, TX @ Moody Center #
11/27 — Austin, TX @ Moody Center #
11/29 — Tampa, FL @ Amalie Arena #
11/30 — Hollywood, FL @ Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood #
12/02 — Orlando, FL @ Kia Center #
12/05 — Charlotte, NC @ Spectrum Center #
12/06 — Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena #
12/07 — Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena #
+ with Madi Diaz
* with Father John Misty and Nickel Creek
# with Lord Huron and Nickel Creek
Cage The Elephant will be treating fans to an incredible tour across North America this summer supporting their upcoming album, Neon Pill, which was just announced today (February 29). Along the way, Young The Giant and Bakar are joining as opening acts on the tour.
Many presales will open on Tuesday, March 5th at 10 a.m. local time, including for those who are part of Cage The Elephant’s fan club, follow them on Spotify, or are an American Express cardholder. Tickets will then be made available to the general public on Friday, March 8 at the same time. Additional information can be found on the band’s website.
Continue scrolling for the complete list of tour dates. The band also just shared the new song “Out Loud,” so check that out above.
Cage The Elephant 2024 Tour Dates
06/20 — West Valley City, UT at Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre^
06/22 — Seattle, WA at Climate Pledge Arena^
06/23 — Ridgefield, WA at RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater^
06/24 — Bend, OR at Hayden Homes Amphitheater^
06/26 — Vancouver, BC at Rogers Arena^
06/28 — Edmonton, AB at Rogers Place^
06/30 — Spokane, WA at BECU Live at Northern Quest^
07/02 — San Francisco, CA at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium*
07/03 — Santa Barbara, CA at Santa Barbara Bowl^
07/05 — Phoenix, AZ at Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre^
07/06 — San Diego, CA at Viejas Arena^
07/07 — Los Angeles, CA at Kia Forum^
07/09 — Albuquerque, NM at Isleta Amphitheater^
07/11 — Austin, TX at Moody Center^
07/12 — Houston, TX at The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion presented by Huntsman^
07/13 — Fort Worth, TX at Dickies Arena^
07/15 — Rogers, AR at Walmart AMP^
08/02 — Alpharetta, GA at Ameris Bank Amphitheatre*
08/03 — Raleigh, NC at Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek^
08/04 — Charlotte, NC at PNC Music Pavilion*
08/07 — Noblesville, IN at Ruoff Music Center^
08/08 — Madison, WI at Breese Stevens Field^
08/10 — Winnipeg, MB at Canada Life Centre^
08/12 — Minneapolis, MN at Target Center^
08/14 — Chicago, IL at Credit Union 1 Arena at UIC^
08/16 — Grand Rapids, MI at Van Andel Arena^
08/18 — Saratoga Springs, NY at Broadview Stage at SPAC^
08/19 — Bridgeport, CT at Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater^
08/21 — Gilford, NH at BankNH Pavilion^
08/22 — Mansfield, MA at Xfinity Center*
08/24 — Holmdel, NJ at PNC Bank Arts Center^
08/26 — Montreal, QC at Centre Bell^
08/27 — Toronto, ON at Budweiser Stage^
08/29 — Burgettstown, PA at The Pavilion at Star Lake^
08/30 — Cincinnati, OH at Riverbend Music Center^
09/05 — New York, NY at Madison Square Garden^
09/06 — Philadelphia, PA at TD Pavilion at the Mann^
09/07 — Lewiston, NY at Artpark Mainstage Theater^
09/09 — Cleveland, OH at Blossom Music Center^
09/10 — Detroit, MI at Pine Knob Music Theatre^
09/12 — St. Louis, MO at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre^
09/13 — Des Moines, IA at Wells Fargo Arena^
09/14 — Kansas City, MO at Starlight Theatre^
09/16 — Omaha, NE at CHI Health Center Omaha^
09/18 — Denver, CO at Red Rocks Amphitheatre*
^ with Young The Giant and Bakar
* with Bakar
Neon Pill is out 5/17 via RCA. Find more information here.
Young The Giant is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
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.
This series originally streamed on Max and found new life after moving over to Netflix for its second season of U.S.-based streaming. Jamie Dornan’s character took a hell of a road trip in the Australian Outback and has now crossed a few ponds to land in Ireland, where he’s attempting to make progress against those ultra-bad dudes who want to take his also-bad dude self off the map. At least Dornan can rest assured that he has escaped those Fifty Shades movies, even if his character here can’t outrun everything.
Netflix’s reigning rom-com queen Gina Rodriguez is back at it. This one kind of flips things on its head, though. Now it’s the ladies who are out partying and having one-night stands with no intention of settling down. At first. Will there be a twist? Maybe a meet-cute that makes our main character question everything they’ve believed to that point in their life?
Let’s go straight to Prime Video’s official description for this one: “This Is Me…Now is like nothing you’ve ever seen from Jennifer Lopez. Alongside director Dave Meyers, Jennifer has created a narrative-driven, cinematic original which showcases her journey to love through her own eyes.”
Hmm. As long as it features a minimum of 20 visits to Dunkin’ with her longtime partner Ben Affleck, we can support this.
Tom Hollander (not Tom Holland) stars in Ryan Murphy’s latest FX creation that’s already dubbed itself the tale of the “Original Housewives of New York.” Hollander plays Truman Capote (yes, that Truman Capote) a writer with a standing invitation to the brunch table of New York’s wealthiest women. He trades on his status as their confidante, writing a book about the scandals and secrets harbored within their Upper East Side brownstones which leads to an all-out society war that no one escapes unscathed. Come for the clothes, stay for the drama and the veteran actresses like Demi Moore, Calista Flockhart, and Naomi Watts who make this thing so deliciously messy.
17. American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders (Netflix)
NETFLIX
A four-part true crime series that, per Netflix, “follows journalist Danny Casolaro’s mysterious death while probing an alleged conspiracy called “The Octopus” linking spy software theft, unsolved murders and major 20th-century scandals.” If your own life and the various spy shows and movies aren’t enough to freak you out thoroughly, this one could be a winner.
Paul Giamatti is picking up awards left and right for his performance in Alexander Payne’s latest film, which is great. For Paul Giamatti. But also for us. Like, as a society. Look at this: “A curmudgeonly instructor at a New England prep school remains on campus during Christmas break to babysit a handful of students with nowhere to go. He soon forms an unlikely bond with a brainy but damaged troublemaker, and with the school’s head cook, a woman who just lost a son in the Vietnam War.”
Our official position here is twofold: one, we support anything where Paul Giamatti gets to be curmudgeonly; two, we love to see Paul Giamatti thrive. This checks both boxes.
Two important things to know here. The first is that the premise of it all, summarized by Apple as “the story of how fashion icon Christian Dior and his contemporaries, including Coco Chanel, Pierre Balmain and Cristóbal Balenciaga, navigate the horrors of World War II and launch modern fashion,” sounds interesting.
The second is that the cast is straight-up loaded. Ben Mendelsohn, Maissie Williams, John Malkovich, etc. They really went all out on this one. That’s commendable.
Here’s a stellar Band Of Brothers followup from Steven Spielberg (Amblin Television) in conjunction with Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman (Playtone). This new series is based upon Donald L. Miller’s book of the same name about the “Bloody Hundredth,” i.e. the 100th Bomb Group, who risked everything they had to conduct bombing raids upon Nazi Germany. Austin Butler dropped his Elvis voice to portray a U.S. major alongside Callum Turner. There’s a “Buck” and a “Bucky” in the character list, and there’s also the ever-present Barry Keoghan joining in the camaraderie while the U.S. carries out perilous missions to take down Hitler’s Third Reich. It’s an adventure-filled yet harrowing viewing experience but fully worth the ride.
The Sandman is the Spaceman. Adam Sandler stars in Spaceman, a science-fiction drama from director Johan Renck (Chernobyl) about a lonely astronaut who realizes his wife (played by Carey Mulligan) might not be waiting for him when he returns to Earth. Desperate to fix things, he gets advice from a mysterious talking spider voiced by Paul Dano, as one does. Spaceman is very odd and very sad, and Sandler is very good in it.
Here’s what you need to know about Tyler Perry’s new Netflix movie:
The official description is as follows: A criminal defense attorney takes on the case of a seductive artist accused of murdering his girlfriend, but when burning desire takes hold, things get hot — and dangerous”
It has Kelly Rowland in it, which, like, good for Kelly Rowland
Kate Winslet as an unhinged autocrat in a problematic power struggle with her unpredictable mold-eradicating henchman that may or may not spark the downfall of an entire nation? Sign us up. As Elena Vernham, the chancellor of an authoritarian regime in fictional Europe, Winslet smooths over fascist ideals with maternal platitudes while insulating herself from the real problems of the world. It’s only when her home begins crumbling (literally) and her dead father begins haunting its halls (not so literally?) that her iron grip loosens enough for the vultures to sweep in.
Yes, there’s been a live-action adaptation of this IP already. And yes, people overwhelmingly prefer the Nickelodeon animated series, but here is another reimagining that will hopefully make everyone forget about that M. Night Shyamalan project. The setup will be familiar, of course. The story takes place in a world where the four nations (represented by the elements of Water, Earth, Fire, and Air) no longer live in harmony. Fire Nation destroyed the Air Nomads, and one young Air Nomad (Aang) must now ascend to his rightful ruling position and restore peace between the elements and realms. The Fire Nation is very angry, however, so watch out, Aang and friends.
Pablo Schreiber is back as Master Chief, and if he has any say in the matter, there won’t be Sexy Master Chief on display this season. Officially, he will be fretting about the changing tide of his war and how to prepare for what he believes is an imminent attack by the Covenant on the most valuable stronghold known to mankind. Can he finally find the Halo, which will either help humanity survive or kill it off forever? So much pressure! Yeah, please don’t have him wasting time getting down and dirty this season.
24 years, 12 seasons, and countless social assassinations; Curb Your Enthusiasm is set to begin its end, promising a season filled with familiar faces (Ted Danson, Richard Lewis, Cheryl Hines, Vince Vaughn, JB Smoove) and misanthropic delights as Larry David readies to walk off into the sunset so he can strangle more muppets or do whatever else he does when he isn’t kvetching about required niceties and other peccadilloes. Whether this season will be funny is not in question. Whether Larry’s “character” makes it out alive is.
No streaming service is doing sci-fi quite like Apple TV+ and this entry into the genre continues that winning streak. Starring Noomi Rapace as an astronaut who survives a disaster in space only to return to a slightly off-kilter existence on Earth, Constellation is the kind of mind-melding thriller that sparks those most philosophical of questions: What? Why? Huh? More timeline hopping, government conspiracies, a truly fed-up Jonathan Banks, and some exquisitely directed Scandinavian night shots elevate the central mystery propelling most of the action here, as does Rapace who plays a woman on the brink in the most heartbreaking of ways.
Rick Grimes has been missing from TV screens for a handful of years and in The Walking Dead timeline for over a decade. Now, Michonne is about to save his ass and hopefully torch the CRM while she’s at it. Too much? Nah, this franchise went off the rails a long time ago, and that’s part of the fun. This spinoff ends up being a worthy love story within the parameters of this world, and existing viewers will adore it. Meanwhile, Daryl is still in France, now with added Carol, so they won’t be reinforcements for the “Save Rick” cause, but we can hope for a reunion.
Did we really need a reimagining of the Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie movie? Watch the first few episodes, and you might agree that this effort was not wasted. Donald Glover and Maya Erskine pick up as assassins who happen to be paired together (and “married”), and you aren’t ready for the rollicking, madcap, action-packed set of missions that they must complete (or else?). Even better: John and Jane Smith’s onscreen relationship is as much of daredevil stunt as the action scenes.
School’s back in session at Abbott Elementary and the show has made some big changes after the romantic cliffhanger that ended season two. Janine has a new job (and a new love interest), Gregory’s struggling to move on, Josh Segarra from The Other Two is auditing classrooms, and Ava Coleman is a Harvard (adjacent) graduate. Lord help Mrs. Howard. After a longer-than-expected hiatus it’s nice to see the Emmy-winning comedy reinventing itself instead of resting on its laurels, but don’t worry, there are plenty of Janelle James one-liners and Tyler James Williams pans to camera to keep things comfortably familiar.
Bottoms is a screwball comedy about two gay teenage girls who start a high school fight club as a ploy to hook up with their cheerleader crushes. Ayo Edebiri is in it. So is Marshawn Lynch. There are acts of vandalism set to 80s bangers and football players in cages and none of it makes any sense but it’s absolutely worth just rolling with it.
This one is a blast. And it’s streaming on the same website you bought your coffee maker on. The future is kind of wild.
With this historical biopic, Christopher Nolan unknowingly created an atomic amuse-bouche for a double-feature blockbuster viewing experience that saved cinema last year. But, watching Cillian Murphy’s cheekbones cut glass as he chain-smokes his way to becoming Death, Destroyer of Worlds for three-plus hours is just as much fun at home as it was in a packed movie theater. Sporting a packed line-up of A-list talent (hello future Oscar winner Robert Downey Jr.), a bone-rattling score, and some clever monochromatic cinematography to distinguish between its multiple timelines, Oppenheimer has more than earned its place on every nominations list this awards season. Now, go enjoy it in the way Nolan intended – streaming on Peacock.
Shogun really is that good. A historical epic set in feudal Japan that follows an English pilot (Cosmo Jarvis) who washes ashore during a time of political strife, it takes the kind of storytelling swings you just wouldn’t expect. Its most fascinating characters speak almost exclusively in subtitles (hello Hiroyuki Sanada, Anna Sawaii, and Moeka Hoshi), its action sneaks up on you, and its political intrigue is cutthroat. It’s Game of Thrones with samurais and it should be on everyone’s must-see list.
SomeBODY once told me that Universal Studios Florida is opening a new theme park in 2025. It’s true! But that’s not all they’re up to. This morning, Universal Orlando Resort revealed the first details about DreamWorks Land, which is going up near my beloved E.T. Adventure ride.
The kid-friendly DreamWorks Land is, as you might imagine from the name, based on characters from DreamWorks movies, including Shrek, Puss in Boots, and Kung Fu Panda. Sorry, Flushed Away fans, but you’re out of luck.
Highlights include a meet-and-great with Shrek characters, a Trolls-themed “Trollercoaster,” and “Po’s Kung Fu Training Camp,” featuring “enormous water cannons, dump buckets, giant fans, and more.” It wouldn’t be a Universal attraction without guests getting soak (as someone who always makes time for Jurassic Park River Adventure, I say this with complete affection). I’m particularly intrigued by Shrek’s Swamp for Little Ogres, the first (?) attraction where you can visit a character’s toilet.
This ogre-sized play area features four fun slides, wet play areas, and a playground where guests can climb, bounce, and splash around as well as venture into Shrek’s outhouse.
If DreamWorks Land is a success, and it will be with the Shrek toilet, what movies should be represented in the expansion? I’m hoping for Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. The Halloween Horror Nights crossover would be a blast. Here’s the full list of attractions:
SHREK
Shrek’s Swamp Meet: Guests can visit Shrek’s Swamp Meet to interact with beloved characters Shrek, Princess Fiona and Donkey, the noble steed eager to joke around and converse with guests, just outside of Shrek’s cottage.
Shrek’s Swamp for Little Ogres: This ogre-sized play area features four fun slides, wet play areas and a playground where guests can climb, bounce and splash around as well as venture into Shrek’s outhouse.
Mama Luna Feline Fiesta: The blockbuster film, Puss in Boots 2: The Last Wish, comes to life with this new interactive experience that takes place in Mama Luna’s retirement home for cats. Here, guests get to play with Mama Luna’s many cats on vivid interactive screens activated by buttons, bells, maracas and levers. They might even spot the one and only Puss in Boots himself.
King Harold’s Swamp Symphony: Guests can create their own melodious masterpiece as they trigger a choir of ever-changing frog ribbits by continually stomping on an array of interactive lily pads.
Swamp Snacks: Families can feast like an ogre at this new kiosk, which will serve scrumptious snacks inspired by Shrek, including Shrekzel, Far Far A Waffle, Frozen Ogre and more.
TROLLS
Trolls Trollercoaster: After strolling through a dazzling marquee starring cherished Trolls characters Poppy, Viva, Tiny Diamond, Satin and Chenille, guests of all ages can take a ride on the iconic Caterbus escaping evil spiders as they speed along a bright orange and yellow track aboard this family-friendly rollercoaster.
Poppy’s Playground: Nestled under a giant, 20-foot mushroom is Poppy’s Playground – a shaded play area featuring colorful flowers and bugs with a bountiful array of fun bouncing and climbing structures for the youngest of trolls.
Trolls Treats: Poppy’s boombox from Trolls Band Together has been transformed into a playful kiosk that offers up brightly colored Trolls ice cream treats inspired by Poppy and Branch like the pink lemonade-flavored Poppy-licious Pink and huckleberry-flavored BroZone Berry.
High Five Hideaway: Cloud Guy hosts this all-new retail location featuring the latest merchandise including apparel, plush and accessories from Shrek, Trolls, Kung Fu Panda, Gabby’s Dollhouse and more.
KUNG FU PANDA
Po’s Kung Fu Training Camp: Inspired by the hit Kung Fu Panda films, this all-new play area brings the Panda Village to life like never before. Within both wet and dry play areas, guests have the opportunity to help the pandas wash and dry their laundry with enormous water cannons, dump buckets, giant fans and more. Guests will also encounter fun elements throughout the experience, including an interactive gong, mischievous, giggling baby pandas, and oversized merry-go-round noodle bowls from Mr. Ping’s Noodle Shop.
Po Live!: This digital, interactive meet and greet experience gives guests the opportunity to interact with the famous Dragon Warrior himself as he teaches them cool Kung Fu moves, cooks some delicious stir fry and babysits his little cousin, Ling Ling…all at the same time.
Universal Studios’ DreamWorks Land is expected to open at the Orlando-based park in summer 2024. Have a look at the concept art:
Seth Meyers is used to taking a “closer look” at the news. But on Monday, he was the news.
The Late Night host made an impromptu and “strange” visit to an ice cream shop with President Joe Biden, who answered a reporter’s question about a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas while holding an ice cream cone. “Never before in my life has the Curb Your Enthusiasm music been louder in my head than during this moment,” Meyers said about standing next to the president.
He later added, “I already felt like I was in an episode of Curb and Veep. I didn’t want to do a Jim Halpert look into the camera, too.”
nbc
The weirdness of the scenario aside, Meyers deeply hopes that Biden was telling the truth while enjoying his slowly melting sweet treat. “I will say, as I was listening in the moment, I was thinking to myself, ‘I really hope he’s right about an imminent cease-fire.’ In fact, I hope it comes as soon as possible, because as far as I can tell, the only way out of this nightmare is an immediate, lasting cease-fire and the safe return of all the hostages,” he said.
We’re a few years removed from St. Vincent’s last album, 2021’s Daddy’s Home. Now, Annie Clark is back: Today (February 29), she announced All Born Screaming, her seventh album. The project is set to drop on April 26, but before that, she has shared a new single, “Broken Man.” While Daddy’s Home wore its ’70s influences on its sleeve, “Broken Man” boasts more of an experimental and aggressive rock sound.
A press release notes Clark worked on the album with Foo Fighters members Dave Grohl and Josh Freese, Stella Mogzawa of Warpaint, Cate Le Bon (who appears on the album-closing title track as the project’s sole credited feature), Rachel Eckroth, Mark Guiliana, Justin Meldal-Johnsen, and David Ralicke.
Clark says of the project, “There are some places, emotionally, that you can only get to by taking the long walk into the woods alone — to find out what your heart is really saying. It sounds real because it is real.”
Listen to “Broken Man” above and find the All Born Screaming cover art and tracklist below.
St. Vincent’s All Born Screaming Album Cover Artwork
Virgin Music Group
St. Vincent’s All Born Screaming Tracklist
1. “Hell Is Near”
2. “Reckless”
3. “Broken Man”
4. “Flea”
5. “Big Time Nothing”
6. “Violent Times”
7. “The Power’s Out”
8. “Sweetest Fruit”
9. “So Many Planets ”
10. “All Born Screaming” Feat. Cate Le Bon
All Born Screaming is out 4/26 via Virgin Music Group. Find more information here.
Yesterday (February 28) was an unusual day for Meek Mill. The rapper found himself at the center of online conversations after he appeared to be referenced in a lawsuit filed against Diddy. The suit claims that Diddy said he had sex with a rapper whose name was redacted from the document. A footnote clarified of the redaction, though, “He is a Philadelphia Rapper who dated Nicki Minaj,” which many saw as proof it was Mill the document was addressing.
Mill then got into it with DJ Akademiks, and not long after that, he dropped Heathenism, a new five-track EP that includes features from Future and Fivio Foreign.
Before and after the release of the project, Meek took to X (formerly Twitter) to continue sharing his thoughts on the Diddy situation. He wrote in one tweet, “The 2 things they say … we snitching or we gay ….we generating 100’s of millions from music it’s not a coincidence we all gay and snitches …. They are powering this stuff even if it’s fake! The goal is to disrupt the hip hop community…. I own this music that drop tomar play it!!!!!”
The 2 things they say … we snitching or we gay ….we generating 100’s of millions from music it’s not a coincidence we all gay and snitches …. They are powering this stuff even if it’s fake! The goal is to disrupt the hip hop community…. I own this music that drop tomar play…
Meek added in another, “Every black blog site enhanced that post to make me seem gay…. I change laws for our people I donate millions … they are designed to destroy the image of black leaders! It can’t work with me tho you gotta really kill me and I still will get bigger after death! This god not me lol.” He also wrote, “When I got a girl around me I’m f#%king her twice a day lol ask some of ya favorites … p*ssy don’t control me but it’s like a high… one love to the gay people but that juicy p#%sy do it for meeeeee [smiling emoji] I done ran red lights to get that feeling yall weird on here like devils lol.”
Every black blog site enhanced that post to make me seem gay…. I change laws for our people I donate millions … they are designed to destroy the image of black leaders! It can’t work with me tho you gotta really kill me and I still will get bigger after death! This god not me…
When I got a girl around me I’m f#%king her twice a day lol ask some of ya favorites … pussy don’t control me but it’s like a high… one love to the gay people but that juicy p#%sy do it for meeeeee I done ran red lights to get that feeling yall weird on here like devils lol
In response to one user who wrote, “Meek you have the right to remain silent,” the rapper replied, “I have the right to say I ain’t gay and I’ll trash anybody that play with my manhood lol.”
I have the right to say I ain’t gay and I’ll trash anybody that play with my manhood lol https://t.co/H6RTPX1LlI
Former Brockhampton member Matt Champion packed a one-two punch in February. His first solo offering of the year, “Aphid” featuring Dijon, is hardly two weeks old, but Champion dropped another solo single, “Slug,” on Wednesday, February 28.
The trippy single was co-produced by Matt and Henry Kwapis, and Champion’s boundless musicality is depicted in an Anna Pollack-directed video.
In it, we find Champion within a mysterious orb in the middle of a damp forest. “I want someone,” he sings. “And that someone just happens to be you.” An unidentifiable yet undeniably gross substance drips from his fingers — which, very slug-like — while he’s slowly joined by people who seem unaware of his existence. Champion slips and slides while others execute choreography around him. Champion observes, then trips when he tries to walk away. “Won’t you be my slug?” he sings.
Finally, Champion seamlessly joins in on the dancing for a bit before returning to his initial drooped state. The music cuts off, and we’re left with the same view from the outside of the bubble. Wildlife chirps outside while Champion’s habitat totally decompresses, and he’s left lying inanimately when the screen goes black.
It would appear that Champion intends to keep fans fed, as a press release advises, “Stay tuned for more from Matt Champion soon.”
Watch the “Slug” video above.
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I done ran red lights to get that feeling yall weird on here like devils lol