The Miami Heat shot their way to a win in Game 2 of the 2023 NBA Finals, as the team was able to become the first squad to go into Denver and knock off the Nuggets all postseason. Now, with things tied up at one win each and the series shifting to Miami for Games 3 and 4, the Heat are in a position where they will lift the Larry O’Brien trophy if they can simply win all their home games.
Through the first two matchups, Bam Adebayo has shouldered quite the load for Miami, as he’s been battling with Nikola Jokic and leads the Heat with 23.5 points and 11 rebounds a game. His performance earned praise from Jimmy Butler on Tuesday, as the Heat star believes his teammate is going to be the reason they end up winning a title.
“Bam’s been playing incredibly well this entire playoffs — for sure this series — and this one, he got the toughest matchup by far on the defensive side of the ball,” Butler told reporters on Tuesday. “And he plays with so much energy, he never takes a possession off or a play off. So you gotta really respect him for that.
“And on the offensive end, he’s doing everything for us,” Butler continued. “We need him to continually be that. He has been that for us all year long, and like I said, he’s going to be the reason why we win a championship.”
Game 3 of the 2023 NBA Finals will take place on Wednesday, June 7 at 8:30 p.m. EST on ABC.
While hometown festivals can constitute a great opportunity for artists to connect with some of their earliest supporters, they can also be a lightning rod for backstage shenanigans. The latest example comes from Hot 97 Summer Jam, where a video has surfaced of Bronx native Lil Tjay being restrained by security guards as he apparently tries to attack someone during an altercation backstage.
Tjay, who is only a year removed from a life-threatening situation in which he was shot multiple times during a robbery attempt in nearby New Jersey, is riled up in the video, struggling to get free and repeatedly warning the guards, “You gonna be fired.” While it’s not clear he has the pull to make that happen — at least in regard to the guards he doesn’t directly employ — according to the person filming, he’s attempting to retaliate after the altercation was instigated by the other party. “N**** popped on Lil Tjay, bro,” he says.
Not to be a killjoy or anything, but it’s probably better that Tjay didn’t get to escalate the conflict. After all, we’ve seen far too many times how these things can go bad in a hurry, and he’s already on his second life. Not for nothing, Tjay’s also been involved in too many run-ins with the law recently; as recently as January, he had no fewer than two arrests for firearm possession. Let’s all hope he can stay out of trouble for the foreseeable future and enjoy the life he very nearly lost less than a year ago.
Despite all the legal trouble surrounding The Flash star Ezra Miller, Warner Bros. Discovery has held strong on delivering the superhero blockbuster to theaters after the film reportedly wowed audiences in test screening. (It probably didn’t hurt that Michael Keaton’s Batman is along for the ride.)
With the film’s release just a little over a week away, critics have finally had a chance to see The Flash and the big question is whether it lives up to the hype that’s been building over the past few months. The answer… kinda.
While most of the reviews are positive, The Flash appears to fall victim to the same problem as virtually every single superhero movie these days: A convoluted, CGI mess of a final act. There are also mixed reactions as to how well The Flash basically offers up DC’s version of Spider-Man: No Way Home and whether audiences really need another multiverse film.
What makes Andy Muschietti’s The Flash a great movie (written by Christina Hodson, who also wrote Bumblebee, and has a knack for turning big-budget summer movies into stories with heart) is it’s not about saving the universe. Well, it sort of is, but that’s kind of secondary to Barry just trying to save his mom. Personally, I can’t really relate to saving a universe. It’s such a big thing, it doesn’t really matter. But as the movie gets deeper into Barry’s love for his mother, this is something, as humans, we can relate with and turns The Flash into a surprisingly heartfelt and emotional movie.
Director Muschietti handles the action with confidence. But like the conflict between Barry’s superhero exploits and his soulful attempt to mend the broken heart that has suspended him in arrested adolescence, the film often feels torn in two opposing directions. It’s strongest when its focus remains personal, an aspect embedded in Miller’s deftly layered performance and reflected in the corresponding sadness of Keaton’s Bruce Wayne/Batman. The early word on The Flash calling it one of the greatest superhero movies ever made was pure hyperbole. But in the bumpy recent history of the DC Extended Universe, it’s certainly an above-average entry.
Ezra Miller has never gone full Ezra Miller the way they do in “The Flash.” With sculpted dark brows, almond eyes, and insinuating lips, the actor is a mesmerizing camera subject, like the young Jimmy Fallon crossed with the young Bob Dylan. But it’s the voice that gets you. In “The Flash,” Miller is insouciant, irritated, irascible and irresistible, like Andy Cohen on a bender of high anxiety. Just watching Barry order an elaborate peanut butter sandwich in the opening scene, with his hungry jitters and nervous speed-demon élan, is mesmerizing. With the possible exception of Deadpool, no straight-as-an-arrow DC or Marvel superhero has exhibited this level of psycho flippancy, this antic dissociation from his own heroism.
Let’s give credit to director Andy Muschietti and screenwriter Christina Hodson for making what was becoming a worn out movie genre a brand new life with a smart, funny, thrilling, emotional, and altogether swell take on a character that has been around 80+ years, but until now never got the showcase he deserves. And bringing him vividly alive in a rich and dazzlingly dual performance in which he brilliantly plays opposite himself is Ezra Miller, and simply put, better casting you could not imagine. Whatever the well-publicized previous troubles the actor had in his own life simply do not matter here, he is the real deal and a superhero superstar is born.
Viewers who enjoy Miller’s take on the character are thus welcome to a double serving (several scenes in the film consist of this one actor talking to themselves), while those who get easily annoyed by performative eccentricities might find it a lot to take. The upside is that, in the alternate reality created by Barry’s time travel, Michael Keaton is still Batman.
There are simply too many multiverse stories out there, and The Flash falls victim to being the lesser of the Flashpoint stories. A movie that thrives on the nostalgia bait laid out with Michael Keaton’s return as Bruce Wayne, it’s frankly a mid-level watch after seeing something like Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. And maybe the near-hysteric level of unnecessary hype ruined my viewing experience of it, so temper your expectations and you might have more fun. The Flash is far from the “best superhero movie” title that had been thrown around by audiences and critics after CinemaCon. It is, in a way, fine—not “bad” fine, not “great” fine. Just fine.
Andy Muschietti (“It”) directs clean, bright, mostly satisfying action sequences, at least up until the film’s epic finale, which takes place entirely against a backdrop of a beige desert. One can’t help but look at this action sequence, which might as well be set in limbo half the time, and remember the immortal words of John Ford at the end of “The Fabelmans,” as yelled by David Lynch: “When the horizon’s in the middle, it’s boring as sh*t.”
Fresh, funny, and fast – The Flash is a good time at the movies. Director Andy Muschetti’s clear love of the character anchors the many refreshingly unique action scenes and twisty time-travel plot, never losing sight of Barry Allen’s powerful emotional journey. Though the story doesn’t necessarily justify its excessive fan service and the third act is a bit unwieldy, that doesn’t stop The Flash from being an earnest and entertaining superhero film – and one of the better efforts from DC in recent memory.
J. Cole and Lil Durk’s collaborative song “All My Life” kicked off the rollout of Durk’s new album Almost Healed. The song performed well, peaking at No. 2 on Billboard‘s Hot 100 chart. However, fans found themselves hung up on J. Cole’s reported verse fee to appear on the track.
Music blog Raphouse TV is at the head of the financial rumor. The outlet tweeted, “Lil Durk reportedly paid J. Cole $978K for his ‘All My Life’ verse, counting 489 words Cole spat. Cole reportedly charges $2K per word for the feature.” Based on Cole’s star power in the rap game, the price tag would be justifiable if it were real.
Lil Durk reportedly paid J.Cole $978K for his “All My Life” verse, counting 489 words Cole spat Cole reportedly charges $2K per word for the featurepic.twitter.com/n6cJMNNOwF
After gaining over eight million impressions, Cole’s longtime friend and manager Ibrahim “Ib” Hamad took a second to dispute the claim. According to Hamad, Raphouse TV is false or, as he put it, “Cap.”
When asked about the song’s reception, Durk admitted to Complex, “[Cole] smoked my ass on that one, for one — barely. That barely happens. But shout out to J. Cole, shout out to [Dr.] Luke, we made it happen.”
In his memoir, Pageboy, Elliot Page discussed his transition, the actor who threatened to have sex with him “to make you realize you aren’t gay,” and his secret romance with Kate Mara. The Umbrella Academy star also revealed that he was hooking up with co-star Olivia Thirlby “all the time” while making Juno.
“I was taken aback the moment I saw Olivia Thirlby,” Page wrote, according to Page Six. “Sexually open, far removed from where I was at the time. But the chemistry was palpable, it pulled me in.” One day while they were in Thirlby’s hotel room, she told Page, “I’m really attracted to you.” From there, “we started sucking face,” Page detailed. “It was on. I had an all-encompassing desire for her, she made me want in a way that was new, hopeful. It was one of the first times someone would make me cum, the first time I would open up.”
The couple began having sex “all the time” and everywhere. “Her hotel room, in our trailers at work, once in a tiny, private room in a restaurant… We thought we were being subtle. Being intimate with Olivia helped my shame dissipate. I didn’t see a glint of it in her eyes and I wanted that — done feeling wretched about who I am.”
Page and Thirlby have another connection, beyond what happened on the Juno set: he was in Inception, while she appears in Christopher Nolan’s next movie, Oppenheimer.
WARNING: spoilers for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
As with every superhero movie (or Taylor Swift music video) there are bound to be a million easter eggs that represent other things, because it’s not enough to just see a movie anymore, you have to know the lore. But it’s fun to do the Leonardo DiCaprio meme when you see something that others don’t so if that’s your prerogative, then Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse is the movie for you!
Among the vibrant animation and critically acclaimed web-slinging, there are numerous easter eggs hiding out in the movie, mostly consisting of various iterations of Spidey and his human counterparts. There are quite literally hundreds of bits of callbacks and references jam-packed into the adventure, but here are some that you might have missed.
J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson
You probably didn’t miss this, but it’s fun to talk about! J.K. Simmons returned to the Daily Bugle as J. Jonah Jameson in multiple different iterations throughout the movie, even with his own little blockhead as a Lego. Maybe he should get his own spinoff about the power of journalism in the Spider-Man universe. They have an incredible photo policy there.
Lego Spider-Man
Speaking of Lego Spidey, an entire Lego Spider-Man sequence was featured as a nod to Chris Miller and Phil Lord’s work on The Lego Movie. What’s even cooler is that they added the Lego scene after a clip of the trailer remade as legos went viral, so they reached out to the Twitter user who made it. Turns out he is a 14-year-old who now has a movie credit. Sometimes you don’t have to stay in school! Just play with Legos.
Doctor Strange
It seems like the only person who really made a name for himself in the multiverse is Doctor Strange, thanks to his ability to be present in just about every universe out there. At one point, Spider-man 2099 warns Gwen to not “get him started on Doctor Strange and that little nerd back on Earth 199999,” referring to the events in Spider-Man: No Way Home. That little nerd in question is Tom Holland’s Peter Parker.
Venmon
But wait! You simply cannot have a Spider-Man film without bringing back the best villain we all love to hate: Venom. While several variations of the character and his suit can be seen throughout the film, a live-action Mrs. Chen, who appears alongside Tom Hardy in Venom also makes a small cameo in her store.
‘Spider-Man’ For PS4
Miles’ roommate Ganke is seen playing the 2018 Spider-Man game on the PlayStation 4 in the background of one of the scenes. He also makes a joke about not being Miles’ “Guy In The Chair,” which might have been a reference to Peter Parker’s friend Ned Leeds in the Tom Holland-led Marvel installments.
Donald Glover’s Prowler
In Spider-Man: Homecoming, Donald Glover appeared as Aaron Davis, who is known in the comics as The Prowler. While Glover only has a small cameo in Homecoming, Glover as The Prowler is seen during the Nueva York segment of Across The Spider-Verse meaning that he might just have a larger part in the next installment.
Mahershala Ali’s Prowler
Is this getting a little confusing for you? It would be weird if it wasn’t. Mahershala Ali voiced The Prowler in Into The Spider-Verse and unfortunately met his demise, but since time isn’t real and nobody really dies, Ali’s iteration of the villain came back from a brief moment towards the end of the movie.
Doc Oc
Alfred Molina also makes his iconic return (again) after appearing as Doc Oc in Spider-Man: Homecoming. This time, he has a small cameo as a cutout in a training facility while Miles is running from various spider-people.
Bagels!
Sometimes, a bagel is just a bagel. Other times, it’s a clear reference to the multiple multiverses thrown at you from every angle. In one brief moment in the movie, a billboard with a bagel appears as a nod to Everything Everywhere All At Once, the Oscar-winning movie from last year which helped bring the concept of a multiverse to a wider audience by using tax fraud.
One of my favorite Easter Eggs in Spider-Man Across the Spiderverse: the significance of BAGELS to The Spot’s origin as a multiverse threat.
I thought, huh, like Everything Everywhere All At Once!
While Spider-Man 2099 is doing a bit of wall-breaking by explaining the concept of canon events, there are scenes from just about every other Spider-Man movie, including Andrew Garfield’s portrayal and Tobey McGuire. Spider-Ham, Spider-Man Noir, and Peni Parker from the first Into The Spider-Verse also appear, making it a whole family affair.
The only surprising thing about Drew Barrymore’s rise as a talk show host is that it took so long for this to happen. I feel like Drew could have given us some much needed moments of levityat least a decade ago, but also I can accept that there are times and places for wonderful projects to emerge, and here we are.
Drew’s sense of humor and effusiveness are refreshing, but she knows where to draw the line and call out what isn’t funny at all. This includes The Razzies going after the young star of the Firestarter reboot, and now, she’s taking aim at the tabloids for getting really personal with their falsehoods. Mind you, the tabloids have been all over Drew since shortly after her own Firestarter days and for reasons that she detailed in her first memoir way back in 1990. The “wild child” coverage was not a great look for the tabs, and they’re keeping that streak going following Drew’s recent profile with Vulture, in which she clearly expressed that she “cannot wait” to fully unravel her complicated relationship with her mother, Jaid, while Jaid is still alive:
“All [my relevant interview subjects’] moms are gone, and my mom’s not. And I’m like, Well, I don’t have that luxury. But I cannot wait. I don’t want to live in a state where I wish someone to be gone sooner than they’re meant to be so I can grow. I actually want her to be happy and thrive and be healthy. But I have to f—ing grow in spite of her being on this planet.”
The tabloids ran with their erroneous ball and completely misrepresented Drew’s words to make it seem like she was eager for Jade to die. Like, what? Well, Drew was not here for these shenanigans. Here’s how she responded on Instagram: “To all you tabloids out there, you have been f*cking with my life since I was 13 years old.” She added, “I have never said that I wished my mother was dead. How dare you put those words in my mouth.”
Allison Russell has announced her next album, The Returner, and is treating fans to a glimpse of it by dropping the title track.
Russell’s new album will also feature her “Rainbow Coalition” band and appearances from Wendy & Lisa, Brandi Carlile, Brandy Clark, and Hozier.
“My goal with The Returner – sonically, poetically, and spiritually – is a radical reclamation of the present tense, a real time union of body, mind, and soul,” Russell shared in a statement. “This album is a much deeper articulation of rhythm, groove, and syncopation. Groove as it heralds the self back into the body, groove as it celebrates sensual and sexual agency and flowering, groove as an urgent call to action and political activism.”
“In just a word, it’s funkier,” she added. “But as is the history of anything funky, it’s never just a party. It is a multiverse of energies that merges the celebration and the battle cry. For while an embrace of the present tense is a celebration, it is equally an unquestioning leap into battle – cultural, political, environmental.”
Check out Allison Russell’s “The Returner” above. Continue scrolling for the album’s full tracklist and cover art.
Fantasy Records
1. “Springtime”
2. “The Returner”
3. “All Without Within”
4. “Demons”
5. “Eve Was Black”
6. “Stay Right Here”
7. “Shadowlands”
8. “Rag Child”
9. “Snake Life”
10. “Requiem”
The Returner is out 9/8 via Fantasy Records. Find more information here.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Mike Pak can take any of his interests and turn them into something bigger than just personal hobbies. Known as the unofficial mayor of LA’s Koreatown (Pak’s personal Instagram handle is @koreatown, he lives and breathes the neighborhood), Pak has made (and continues to make) his stamp on the bustling neighborhood. Nearly a decade ago, he started the Koreatown Run Club along with Guy Nguyen (who gave him the “unofficial mayor” title), which started as a casual weekly meetup and blossomed into a movement that has garnered attention from Nike, GQ, Runner’s World, and Therabody.
Then, on a whim, Pak and Nguyen decided to get into the world of smash burgers (neither had restaurant experience under their belts), linked up with restauranteur Jimmy Han, and created Love Hour, a pop-up that garnered a whole bunch of attention, turned into a permanent fixture of the neighborhood, and this year took its food to Coachella.
As if his slate wasn’t packed enough, Pak has just launched a new venture — a monthly Supper Club series that will enable creatives to get together and interface with one another in a private dinner that celebrates the local businesses around Koreatown. Still in its infancy, it’s anyone’s guess as to what Supper Club will turn out to be, exactly. But if Pak’s track record is anything to go off of, we’re sure it’ll become a fixture of the community.
To get a better sense of the sights, eats, and hang-outs of Koreatown for the uninitiated, we linked up with Pak and he hit us with his favorite local K-Town spots. If you’re visiting LA, K-Town is a must, and who better to guide you than the “unofficial mayor of K-Town” himself?
What’s the first thing someone visiting K-Town should do upon arriving?
The first thing someone visiting K-Town should do is go for a walk and take in the neighborhood. From natural springs to the best diverse cuisine, Koreatown has so much to offer! But get ready for a night of drinking. Beforehand, make sure you drink lots of water and electrolytes. I’m telling you… it’s going to be a long night.
It’s hard to pick just one spot for the best late eats because there are so many good spots to choose from. But if you’re twisting my arm, I’d say the best picks that first come to mind are Mom’s House on 8th, Sun Nong Dan, BCD Tofu, and Juntong. These are all great spots for traditional Korean late-night food cravings.
It’s definitely a coin toss between Olympic Cafe and Bistro on the Blvd. Both are mom-and-pop spots that serve up all your breakfast classics. If you want a standard morning after recovery that serves the basics like eggs, bacon, toast, and coffee, look no further.
Best Place to get a good drink and view of the city?
My personal favorite is Apt 503, it has great views and great cocktails which is a major plus. Openaire located inside the Line Hotel on Whileshite is also a fan favorite. If you could put yourself in one of these spots during sunset, you won’t regret it.
The Wiltern Theatre is the best place to see your favorite artists perform. It’s a two-story, 155-foot Art Deco landmark at the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Western Avenue. Undoubtedly an iconic building in the neighborhood. It’s also THE perfect spot for date night.
While there are many spots for good eats and drinks. If you want to unwind and take a pause from the city, you can set up a picnic in front of Radio Korea. It’s also a great spot to take your pups. There’s a huge lawn space to just lay out and relax.
It’s hard to pick a favorite so I’ll share some K-town favorites of mine. My top list includes Normandie Club, Frank n Hanks, Thai Angel, Monte Carlo, Southland Beer, HMS Bounty, The Prince, Brass Monkey, and of course Love Hour!
When you walk into The Prince it’s like being transported through a Time Machine. With their old school decor no wonder shows like New Girl and Mad Men have filmed there. Lately, Frank n Hanks has been the regular spot to grab quick drinks with the buds. A historic bar with dim lights, pool table, and classic jukebox, the cheap drinks will keep you coming back.
Best place to take in the culture of the neighborhood?
The Food court inside Koreatown Plaza is the best place to capture and soak everything in. It feels like you’ve been transported to Seoul on a busy Sunday afternoon. If you visit, invite a solid group of friends, and don’t forget to order one dish from each stall for a mini food tasting and gather around the table for a good eats hang.
A night of not making any plans. But if you must have a plan in mind — visit the oldest restaurant in Koreatown by checking out El Cholo off Western. It’s been there since the 1930s and they were the first spot to introduce Tex-Mex nachos to the world.
Let’s go all the way back to a month and a half ago and remember the opening round series between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Memphis Grizzlies. You may recall that, after a Lakers win in Game 1, the Grizzlies were able to bounce back in Game 2, which led to former main character of the NBA playoffs Dillon Brooks going at LeBron James a bit. Brooks called James “old,” said “I poke bears,” and made clear “I don’t respect someone until he gives me 40.”
Los Angeles would go on to win three out of the next four games to bounce Memphis from the playoffs, with James posting something on Instagram in the aftermath of the series that sure showed that he had Brooks’ comments on his mind. And on the most recent episode of “Podcast P with Paul George,” one of Brooks’ soon-to-be former teammates in Memphis conceded that his comments did put some pep back in the Lakers’ step following the loss.
“It helped L.A. get around something and get some energy, get some life, and they went in the game with some life,” Jaren Jackson Jr. said at the 41:40 mark of the above video. “But, he is old, and he kicked our ass. Kicked our ass and he’s old. He dropped 20 and 20. He’s thinking about retiring. I mean, he’s been playing since 03. Like my dad retired…he’s great like he kicked our ass, he beat us. He’s not old? I mean, damn…He beat us 4-1. He kicked us and we got to spin the block but I hope we get a chance because I don’t know how many more years he wants to do it.”
George’s podcast has become a very interesting place for Brooks chat, as he’s previously compared the way Brooks carried himself in the series against the Lakers to the way Lance Stephenson prodded James when the Indiana Pacers and the Miami Heat would square off in the postseason. Unsurprisingly, that continued to be the case in his conversation with Jackson, as the two talked about how quotes in media availabilities can be turned into bulletin board material.
“And that’s fine but this is the NBA that’s bulletin board material right there,” George said. “Like coaches tell you that sh*t all the time. Don’t say this, don’t say that. If that’s how you feel, cool keep that sh*t to yourself. You know what I mean? Like we gotta play this motherf*cker, keep that sh*t to yourself. You feel me like it’s a team sport and like for Dillon, it’s not like Dillon is shooting 20, 30 shots a night. It’s not like he’s a 30-point producer. You don’t get that same opportunities Bron gets, you know what I mean? Like why would you even try to challenge him on that level?”
“Media availability, man,” Jackson said. “A lot of podiums, a lot of opportunities. Like, I mean, at that point you know, it’s Dillon. It’s packed around him, they’re gonna ask him anything. He’s there for like 20 minutes. Eventually one of those questions… they good.”
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Cole reportedly charges $2K per word for the feature
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