Right as 2022 is coming to an end, Billie Eilish has celebrated another incredible career milestone. One of her breakthrough singles, “Ocean Eyes,” has reached a billion streams on Spotify.
This is Eilish’s fifth entry into the “Billions Club,” as Spotify called the milestone in a tweet. Among her other songs that have reached over a billion streams are the Grammy Award-winning “Everything I Wanted,” “When The Party’s Over,” her Khalid collaboration “Lovely,” and “Bad Guy.” The lattermost is Eilish’s most-streamed song, with more than 2.1 billion streams.
Eilish first released “Ocean Eyes” in 2015. The song became a viral hit on Soundcloud and quickly put Eilish in the public eye.
Eilish, who is now 21, has admitted that adjusting to fame as a teenager was quite a challenge. In a recent interview with BBC, she revealed that she often cringes at old interviews that frequently surface online.
“It absolutely drives me insane that you can look up Billie Eilish and videos that come up are things I said when I was 15,” she said. “Almost nothing I said before two months ago I still believe.”
You can check out Spotify’s “Billions Club” playlist, which features over 300 songs that have reached over a billion streams on the platform, below.
Late in the third quarter of the Denver Nuggets’ exhilarating Christmas Day victory against the Phoenix Suns, Aaron Gordon flicked the ball to his big man, Nikola Jokic, in the post. Gordon’s defender, Torrey Craig, lunged for a deflection and momentary dig inside. As soon as Craig committed himself, Gordon made a beeline to the rim. Jokic lofted a dime over his noggin and Gordon slammed home a dunk before Landry Shamet could rotate to help.
The dunk was Gordon’s fifth of the game on a night he ended with seven total, the last of which was a pogostick poster over — err, through — Shamet to help cement the win. After two-plus months, the former Arizona Wildcat is enjoying a career-best campaign for the 22-12 Nuggets. He’s averaging 17.5 points and 6.5 rebounds on 66.9 percent true shooting and is 30th in Estimated Plus-Minus (plus-3.2) in the league.
Trailing only Giannis Antetokounmpo (101) and Evan Mobley (87), he is tied for third league-wide in dunks with 85. Nearly 30 percent of his made baskets are rim-rocking jams, by far the loftiest rate of his nine-year NBA tenure. Last season, he set a career-high with 130 dunks in 75 games. At his current pace, he’ll shatter that by the All-Star Break.
When Denver acquired Gordon two seasons ago, it clearly had a vision to maximize his offensive exploits alongside Jokic and help curtail some of the habits hamstringing his impact. As a result, 2021-22 and 2022-23 have been the finest years of the 6’8 wing’s career.
The gigantic boost in context between Orlando and Denver is not the sole reason behind Gordon’s upswing. He deserves considerable credit for reshaping his approach and fully leaning into the merits of his skill-set. Throughout much of his time with the Orlando Magic, Gordon was afforded the autonomy to explore the depths of his creation potential. He ran pick-and-rolls, spent substantial time handling the rock, launched jumpers off the bounce all over the floor, and tested the waters as a daring playmaker.
That freedom instilled and amplified some poor inclinations in him. He didn’t apply his physical gifts as a slasher nearly anywhere as often as he should’ve and fell in love with the allure of shiny pull-up jumpers. During his 6.5 seasons in Orlando, he never eclipsed league average true shooting in a given season and ended his time there at 53.1 percent, 13.8 points lower than this year’s mark.
Some of that dissonance stems from the brilliance of Jokic, with whom Gordon seemed to fashion chemistry almost immediately upon his arrival. That, however, is not all of it. Gordon is a different player now. He’s better, independent of the team name splayed across his chest.
According to Cleaning The Glass, a career-high 63 percent of his shots are at the rim this season (100th percentile among forwards), where he’s shooting 76 percent around the cup (94th percentile). The former is 10 points higher than his previous best of 53 percent in 2014-15. He’s trimmed down those midrange pull-ups that previously tanked his efficiency and replaced them with paint production instead. His .411 free-throw rate is well above the .274 number he amassed his first eight seasons. His .240 three-point rate is the second-lowest of his career. A smattering of data points indicate renewed vigor in Gordon’s scoring ethos.
By no means have the Nuggets completely stripped him of creation chances, either. They’re particularly fond of letting him boogie from the wings in early offense or outmuscle mismatches inside. Gordon affirms their confidence because he’s using those possessions much more effectively, living at the rim like the slasher he is and eschewing the Chris Paul cosplays as a midrange aficionado.
He’s cognizant of the advantage his strength, flexibility, and quick leaping ability present him against most matchups. Even if he can’t convert the initial look, there’s a decent chance he’s dislodged his defender for space on a putback. If that doesn’t happen, he might still hop off the ground before them and follow it up, too. His athleticism is a major asset on the interior.
According to PBPStats, 37.7 percent of his field goal attempts are self-created (defined as a touch lasting at least two seconds before a shot) this year, the second-lowest rate of his career. He’s posting the best effective field goal percentage of his career on those shots at 53.7 percent. What’s more is 64.5 percent of his self-created attempts are coming within 10 feet of the hoop, the second-highest mark of his career. To put it a more succinctly, Gordon’s beneficial environment is far from the lone factor in his progression. He’s refined his playstyle to best suit his athletic talents and maximize all that Denver offers him.
Primarily, this bountiful Rocky Mountain situation offers him the place to share the hardwood with Jokic. Just 61 of his 869 minutes this year have come without the back-to-back league MVP. The Nuggets’ net rating is plus-12.1 with an offensive rating of 125 when they’re together. From lobs out of inverted ball-screens to deft entry passes on duck-ins or post-ups, they enjoy wide-ranging synergy. Gordon often floats around the dunker spot when Jokic is piloting the action to take advantage of his ethereal interior passing.
Not only does Gordon lurk near the baseline because of his finishing prowess, he’s also quite the accomplished custodian to clean up misses. His 9.1 percent offensive rebounding rate is a career-high and ranks in the 97th percentile, per Cleaning The Glass. He is fearless, ferocious, and unrelenting as a finisher and rebounder. Seven-footers, rangy rim protectors, and a sea of limbs do not deter him. Whether it’s a cut or board, he keenly identifies space for scoring opportunities. He’s an unorthodox ball hawk whose instincts cater toward offensive functionality.
Like so many other mid-career breakouts, Gordon’s flourishment should be a testament to the importance of context and patience for players. When one-and-done freshmen enter the NBA, they are miles away from their prime — Gordon joined the Magic at 19 and just turned 27 in September. This is squarely his prime. His play reflects that. Those formative years in Orlando were not the lone chapters of his story, nor did his responsibilities align with his capabilities.
Last season, Gordon was very good. He feasted at the rim, was a lively point-of-attack defender, and notched a then-career-best 60 percent true shooting. Some of the bewildering offensive tendencies were still prominent and his strides felt more closely tied to improved personnel than internal adaptation, although both existed. Now, he’s further tailored his game to blossom as the optimal version of himself, entirely merging individual growth and the rewards of the 2021 trade that brought him to Denver.
There’s an old adage you’ll often hear in recovery groups:
“We’re only as sick as our secrets.”
The phrase means that a secret kept in the dark grows and becomes more harmful, but when it is exposed in the light of day, its power is lost.
However, that saying only refers to the dark secrets we keep. What about the nice things we do for others without ever telling anyone? When we hold onto the positive things we’ve done for others does it make us happier because we did something without ever asking for credit?
Does doing good things in secret lead to a positive cycle of doing more and more good?
A Reddit user named @Toadsaged posed a question to the AskReddit subforum that was a bit of a departure from the usual conversation. People frequently ask people to reveal their darkest secrets on Reddit. But for a change of pace, @Toadsaged asked people to share the good things they’ve done without telling anyone.
“Instead of a dark one, what wholesome secret are you hiding?” @Toadsaged asked.
A lot of the responses were people sharing how they have anonymously helped friends, family members and neighbors who have fallen on hard times but may be too proud to ask for help. The responses are great because they show creative ways that people can help one another without making it known.
It’s also a reminder that there are a lot of people out there doing nice things that we never hear about.
“My stepmother doesn’t know she’s going to spend the rest of her life living with my family because I feel a sense of duty to her. My dad wasn’t the best to her, and he drank himself to death immediately after a quadruple bypass. She never got to have kids because he had a vasectomy after I was born, and the reversal didn’t work. The life insurance policy I guilted my dad into getting was only 50k, and it’s gone. My brother completely rejected her as a mother. She’s so happy when she’s with my kids. And a disappointing life has taken its toll on her. I want her final years to be easy and happy, to feel like she has a family that is not ruled by alcohol.” — @TheQuietType84
2.
“Every time my grandmother gave me money or paid me for doing her a favor, I always slipped the money back into her purse or hid it in her house when she wasn’t paying attention. Sometimes when I had no choice but to leave with it, I’d trade it for smaller bills and hide it the next time I visited. She never knew. There were a lot of times we’d be talking over the phone or something and she’d get excited because she found money. It’s nothing special, but it’s something that makes me happy. And I know she’s happy giving money when she can so it’s a win-win! Y’all better not tell her either!” — @clumsyally423
3.
“I worked at a KFC for maybe 3 weeks back in 2005. I came out the back door one night after closing the place down to find several homeless guys huddled around the dumpster, digging through it to find the excess food we’d thrown out. That was some haunting shit… so for the rest of the short time I worked there, our excess food didn’t go in the dumpster. I just left it on the back step. Fucking Colonel Sanders could afford to take the hit so those poor bastards could eat a halfway decent meal without having to dig through garbage for it.” — @risenphoenixkai
4.
“Someone close to me is too proud to accept my help so they go to a food pantry. So, I donate their favorite foods to the pantry so it stays stocked with the foods they prefer.” — @Glum_Lab_3778
5.
“I buy hundreds of pounds of birdseed every year and keep all the bird feeders in the windows of the resident’s rooms of our nursing home full. They all love watching the birds and think the facility provides it.” — @WakingOwl1
6.
“Where I live, there is a place called the ‘Blessing Box’ It’s a cabinet where people can drop off canned and dry goods to help feed other families. My wife and I hit some hard times financially and had to rely on the Blessing Box to feed ourselves. Made a promise to myself that if I ever came into some extra cash, I would return the blessing.
Later on, I scored a well-paying temp job and was able to catch up on a lot of bills right before Thanksgiving. Remembering the promise I made, I used my next paycheck to fill the Blessing Box to the brim with a variety of canned goods. Everything a family would need for the holiday. A few days later, the Blessing Box was featured on the local news and how an unknown donor provided enough food to feed over a dozen low-income families for the holiday. Wife and I have never told a soul that it was us.” — @JQuest7575
7.
“Anytime either of my kids has a school field trip, I anonymously pay for a student that wouldn’t otherwise go due to financial reasons. I was always that kid, sitting in a strange class because my class was off doing something else. It sucked.” — @SnoSlider
8.
“I ‘lose’ cash everywhere. Friends’ places, gently tucked into the booth at restaurants, just on the floor in a public place. I lightly believe in karma, and while it started ironically, I now full-heartedly believe that when I ‘lose’ a few bucks here and there, then that money goes to the person who needs/deserves it. It’s one of the few things I have thought of that has little to no chance of being caught for it. I also do the same with myself. I intentionally ‘forget’ cash in my jacket pockets, then it’s a nice surprise later in life.” — @reynosomarkus
9.
“I got a girl in my class who was my friend a Valentine’s card who never got any attention from guys. I never liked her in that way but wanted her to be happy. No joke she seemed to develop more confidence from that day and got a boyfriend a year later then got married a bit after that and is really happy.
I even heard her talking about it one day in a group setting and how happy it made her, and I had to stay really quiet because I wanted it to stay special for her.” — @GroundbreakingMud537
10.
“I finished cancer treatments last spring and my work was extremely generous financially throughout the process. A sporting event was used as a fundraiser and I received $1200. Since I was almost done with treatment and bills were caught up, I gave $1000 to a student in my daughter’s class who is fighting cancer too. I left it anonymously for her to pick up at school. Her mom posted a thank you on her FB page, but no one knows it was me.” — @Puzzled-Mushroom8050
11.
“I often buy my friends tickets to concerts or movies and just say that I happened upon a free ticket and ask if they want to come. I never tell them I bought it just because I want them there and they couldn’t afford to go!” — @Fedjito
12.
“I had recently moved into my own apartment in Manhattan after graduating and getting a very nice job on Wall St. Every Friday everyone would go dashing to the bars for Happy Hour but I’d respectfully always decline. I was a volunteer at a hospice home where I’d read, feed or just spend time with the residents there. I had been volunteering there for about 2 years and sadly saw more than a few of the folks I was close to pass away. I still think of the people there though they all must have left our world already since this was a long time ago. I’m certain we’ll all meet again one day.” — @BoujeeMomme
13.
“I bake food, like banana bread, cookies or brownies for the ups/ mail carriers during the holiday seasons since they’re the real Santas. I leave them in a plastic bags in the mamailboxith a little for the mail carrier/ thank you note, For the UPS people I’ll put it in a basket on our front porch with a similar note.” — @DMaddsRads
14.
“I bought a poor kid in my church a left-hander’s baseball glove and left it on the pew where his family sits with no note. He has since told me that it is awesome to have since he only had a hand-me-down riright-handernd he throws left. He’s being raised by his grandmother who doesn’t have a lot of cash and is stubborn about it—if I had left my name, she would have been angry about it and insisted on paying me back.”— @KaleidoscopeWeird310
15.
“Whenever I get a raise, bonus, or if I feel like it, I leave an exorbitant tip and leave immediately after so I’m not caught. Oftentimes it’s over 400% of the bill.” — @aimstothrive
16.
“I send my kid’s birthday/holiday cards from their grandparents every year. They aren’t involved in their lives but I do it in case one day they may want to be. My kids won’t have any ill feelings towards them.” — @morganripley669
17.
“Every Christmas I leave a card with money in it and some gifts at the door of a single elderly woman living alone. I know she struggles financially and must be lonely. I like to think of her feeling like she has a Christmas miracle happening to her once a year.” — @blacktransampinkguy
Anybody who thought the vinyl resurgence was just a fad was mistaken: The industry has experienced a legitimate revival. As a result, music fans are interested in physical media in ways they may not have if the decades-old medium hasn’t made a comeback. That doesn’t mean everybody is listening to just their parents’ old music, though. That’s part of it, sure, thanks to rereleases that present classic albums in new ways. A vital part of the renewed vinyl wave, though, is new projects being released as records, of which there are plenty.
Whatever you might be into, each month brings a new slew of vinyl releases that has something for everybody. Some stand out above the rest, naturally, so check out the best vinyl releases of December below.
It’s been over 50 years since Crosby, Stills & Nash released their beloved self-titled debut album and now it’s lovingly been given a deluxe vinyl reissue. This edition was mastered from the original tapes and the packaging is similarly detailed, featuring special foil-stamped jackets and other intricacies that make this UltraDisc One-Step 180g 45RPM 2LP collector’s edition the version of this album to own.
Speaking of the CSNY squad, Neil Young’sHarvest turned 50 this year. So, he’s given the iconic album a big box set that comes with, along with the beloved original album, three studio outtakes and a previously unreleased 1971 BBC solo performance, as well as a hardbound book and fold-out poster.
Bo Burnham’s Inside (The Songs), consisting of tunes from his Inside comedy special, was an unexpected hit, as it became his first top-10 album in 2021. Now there’s a new limited edition box set, a 3-LP release that includes everything from Inside as well as the later supplementary release, The Inside Outtakes. Target and Urban Outfitters have their own exclusive versions, too, pressed on opaque white and crystal clear vinyl, respectively.
Paul McCartney die-hards: this one’s for you. Earlier this month, Macca dropped The 7″ Singles Box, which features a whopping 80 7-inch singles. In total, there are 163 tracks making up over ten hours of music and a 148-page book (that features writing from McCartney and Rolling Stone‘s Rob Sheffield), all housed in a wooden crate. Only 3,000 copies have been produced, too, so if you’re interested, it’s one to scoop up quickly while it’s still available.
Idles — Five Years Of Brutalism (Anniversary Reissue)
Partisan
For Idles, it all started with 2017’s Brutalism. Half a decade later, the band has given the LP a fresh coat of paint with Five Years Of Brutalism. This anniversary rerelease is pressed on cherry red vinyl, comes with alternative artwork designed by the band’s Joe Talbot, and is limited to just 10,000 copies worldwide.
Alabama Shakes — Boys & Girls (10th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)
ATO
It’s been ten years since Brittany Howard established herself as one of music’s most powerful vocalists with the release of Alabama Shakes’ debut album, 2012’s Boys & Girls. To mark the occasion, there’s a new reissue that is packaged in a foil-board gatefold jacket and comes with a bonus 12-track KCRW radio session from January 2012.
Karma is an enduring classic from 1969 and if the Pharoah Sanders album isn’t in your library yet, here’s a terrific opportunity to add it. This reissue was mastered from the original analog tapes and was pressed on 180-gram vinyl, which is housed in a high-quality tip-on deluxe gatefold jacket. The release comes after the jazz icon’s death, which came in September at 81 years old.
Yusuf/Cat Stevens — Catch Bull At Four (50th Anniversary Edition)
A&M/UMe
If you own Catch Bull At Four on vinyl, it was pressed when the LP was originally released back in 1972. Now, though, the Yusuf/Cat Stevens album has been reissued in vinyl for the first time since then. It’s also been newly remastered and is available in both 180-gram black vinyl and limited edition 180-gram orange vinyl editions.
Queens Of The Stone Age — Like Clockwork and Villains (Reissues)
Matador Records
Queens Of The Stone Age have kept their output relatively minimal over the past decade, as their two most recent albums are 2013’s Like Clockwork and 2017’s Villains. If you need to get caught up, though, the band has given those two LPs new reissues. Like Clockwork was recut from the original master tapes and comes with alternate artwork, while Villains comes pressed on limited edition leaf-green transparent vinyl and with a new poster.
Wu-Tang Clan has spawned a number of beloved solo albums, including Inspectah Deck’s 1999 debut Uncontrolled Substance. This new Vinyl Me, Please reissue is actually the first time the project has ever been re-released and this 2-LP edition comes pressed on understated but lovely “cop car blue” vinyl.
The last week of the year tends to be a sleepy one for most. Not for Andrew Tate. The kickboxer-turned-professional misogynist thought it’d be fun to spend the last days of 2022 belittling Greta Thunberg, the teenage climate change activist who’s been begging the world to save her generation from a horrible death. Instead, he a) wound up getting owned back and b) got arrested. Now the guy will spend New Year’s in jail.
As per the BBC, a Romanian court has agreed to hold Tate — and his brother Tristan, who was also arrested — in detention for 30 days. The pair were rounded up as part of an investigation into allegations of criminal activity, human trafficking, and rape. The Tates’ lawyer said they would appeal the decision, arguing that the investigation has not yet reached the part where either guilt or innocence is proven.
Tate’s arrest came a day after he attacked Thunberg over his newly reinstated Twitter account, asking her to give him her email address so he could brag about his 33 cars and all the carbon emissions they’re sending into the atmosphere. Thunberg supplied an email address: [email protected]. That prompted Tate to reply with a sarcastic video, which, on top of having strong “jerk store” energy, may have tipped Romanian authorities off to him being back in the nation. The possible giveaway? That he included pizza boxes from a Romanian pizza chain.
Tate — who was booted from Twitter after saying women should “bear responsibility” for sexually assault — has yet to comment directly on the allegations. What he has done is tweet that “The Matrix sent their agents,” as well as retweeting another Matrix-inspired meme from Musk. Of course, the trans women who made the game-changing sci-fi-action franchise don’t exactly think fondly of Musk. Surely they don’t think much of Tate either.
Atlanta Hawks coach Nate McMillan has apparently considered resigning from his position. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, McMillan, who ascended to the position in March of 2021 after the team decided to fire Lloyd Pierce, has “seriously” weighed ending his tenure with the team amid their 17-18 start to the campaign.
Charania did note that, ever since Landry Fields took over basketball operations, “there have been only positive conversations with McMillan about the direction of the team this season,” and that there’s nothing imminent on the horizon regarding McMillan possibly stepping away. But apparently, McMillan sees the writing on the wall regarding his future, whether that’s in the immediate future or after the season comes to an end.
McMillan’s job status came into question across the NBA after his exchange with Hawks All-NBA star Trae Young at a gameday shootaround. His job status has been considered safe, and the Hawks have wanted to finish out the season with McMillan on the sideline, sources said. But McMillan, 58, appears to be near the end of his tenure with the Hawks after the season — unless there’s a resignation before then.
After head coaching stints in Seattle, Portland, and Indiana, McMillan joined Pierce’s staff ahead of the 2020 campaign. He’s gone 87-68 during his time as the head coach in Atlanta and helped get the team to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021.
One of the most viscerally upsetting scenes in all of college football occurred on Friday afternoon. The Maryland Terrapins beat the NC State Wolfpack, 16-12, in the only bowl game sponsored by a condiment, the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. As a result, Maryland coach Mike Locksley participated in a recent tradition that happens to the head coach of the winning team: getting an entire cooler of mayonnaise dumped on him.
The problem is that Locksley appeared to, you know, not wanna get too saturated in that famous emulsion of egg yolks, oil, and other stuff. As a result, Locksley looked elsewhere in the DMV area and took inspiration from Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson, as he put on a gigantic hat while the whole thing happened.
The tradition began last year, when South Carolina coach Shane Beamer was on the receiving end of this after the Gamecocks beat North Carolina in the game. At the very least, Locksley can take a ton of pride in knowing that his entire football team seemed to believe this was the funniest thing in the entire universe, which, if my boss got a huge cooler cooler of mayo dumped on him, I would probably also think this. Anyway, with the win, the Terrapins finished the season 8-5, which goes down as the best record that Locksley has had during his four-year tenure in College Park.
The 1990s was a very good decade for action crime movies, and for the people who love to watch them. For those same fans, the 2000s also had some excellent viewing options to choose from. Whether it’s blood-drenched sword fighting, comic book carnage brought convincingly to life, or fast cars being stolen and driven in a race against the clock, here are 10 of the best action crime movies that the 2000s has to offer.
Dreamworks
1. Collateral
Year: 2000 Cast: Tom Cruise, Jamie Foxx, Mark Ruffalo, Genre: Action, Crime Rating: R Runtime: 120 minutes Director: Michael Mann Trailer:Watch here
Michael Mann returns once again to his adopted home of Los Angeles for another unconventional and darkly compelling crime story. This one focuses on a hitman (Tom Cruise) who arrives in town to kill five people on his hit list, forcing a cab driver (Jamie Foxx) to drive him around as he carries out his assignment. Tense moments follow, such as a gunfight in a Korean nightclub set to the music of Paul Oakenfold’s “Ready Steady Go” and a simple exchange where two armed robbers hear the phrase “Yo, homie!” before realizing that they chose the wrong person to steal from. Overall, the film shows us how both characters affect one another while drawing out some of the best performances of both Cruise and Foxx’s careers.
Year: 2003 Cast: Uma Thurman, David Carradine, Lucy Liu Genre: Action, Crime Rating: R Runtime: 111 minutes Director: Quentin Tarantino Trailer: Watch here
Inspired by the martial-arts movies and revenge flicks he grew up watching and loving, Quentin Tarantino created The Bride character (Uma Thurman), a former assassin who goes on a roaring rampage of revenge against her former teammates who betrayed her and left her for dead. This includes her ex-boyfriend, Bill (the late David Carradine). The film’s final chapter is absolutely not for the squeamish, as The Bride shows just how dangerous she is with a sword in her hand, no matter the odds. One of Tarantino’s finest works that features one of Thurman’s very best performances as well.
Year: 2006 Cast: Jamie Foxx, Colin Farrell Genre: Crime, Action Rating: R Runtime: 132 minutes Director: Michael Mann Trailer:Watch here
Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx play detectives Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs in this feature film adaptation of the NBC crime drama of the 1980s. Despite what many critics and fans believed when it was first released, the film is every bit as dark and intense as the television show itself. And Mann isn’t shy or lazy in showing the physical and psychological toll of undercover work, while also giving his audience the thrill of seeing white supremacists getting much-deserved beatdowns in the expertly choreographed gunfights that he is known for.
Year: 2004 Cast: Denzel Washington, Christopher Walken, Dakota Fanning Genre: Crime, Drama Rating: R Runtime: 146 minutes Director: Tony Scott Trailer:Watch here
Denzel Washington is known for his numerous collaborations with the late Tony Scott, and in this one, he gets to show off a mean streak while playing one of the good guys. Washington plays an ex-CIA agent who agrees to work as a bodyguard for a young girl (Dakota Fanning) in Mexico City, and declares all-out war when she is kidnapped by a mysterious entity known only as “The Voice.” Scott films every scene in the film as if it’s an acid-fueled documentary that grabs the audience by both shoulders to demand attention, and it works quite well, as we see Washington exact cruel and inventive acts of revenge in order to find who he’s looking for.
Year: 2005 Cast: Clive Owen, Bruce Willis, Jessica Alba, Rosario Dawson Genre: Crime, Thriller Rating: R Runtime: 124 minutes Director: Frank Miller, Robert Rodriguez Trailer: Watch here
Comic book writer-artist Frank Miller’s black-and-white tribute to film noir and pulp novels is skillfully brought to life by director Robert Rodriguez and a large ensemble cast including Bruce Willis, Jessica Alba, Mickey Rourke, Clive Owen, and Rosario Dawson. Three stories about betrayal, honor, revenge, survival, redemption, and smashing the patriarchy with guns and samurai swords fill a bleak and corrupt metropolis in a film that, while not right for the whole family, still stands out as a comic book adaptation that’s worth your time.
Liam Neeson’s career got an unexpected shot of adrenaline thanks to his starring role in this action thriller (and franchise starter pack) about a retired CIA operative (Neeson) who discovers that his teenage daughter (Maggie Grace) has been kidnapped while vacationing in Paris. Much of the thrills from seeing Neeson turn words into actions as we see him dish out ferocious tactics against a parade of enemies while saving the day in this film that helped to keep the mid-priced action thriller alive and well at the start of the comic book hero re-boom.
Year: 2003 Cast: Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Gabrielle Union Genre: Action, Crime Rating: R Runtime: 143 minutes Director: Michael Bay Trailer:Watch here
When Michael Bay made his feature film debut with Bad Boys, it wasn’t exactly known for its subtlety. But its sequel takes everything that fans loved about the first film, kicks it up several notches, and reminds us why his work in the action genre should not be easily dismissed. Martin Lawrence and Will Smith return as Miami detectives Marcus Burnett and Mike Lowry, cops who are as good at cracking jokes as they are at taking down the bad guys, whether on their home turf as they dodge coffins flying at them during a car chase, or in Cuba, as they literally drive through people’s houses during yet another car chase.
Year: 2008 Cast: James McAvoy, Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman Genre: Action, Crime Rating: R Runtime: 110 minutes Director: Timur Bekmambetov Trailer: Watch here
Almost everyone dreams of living a better and more exciting life, and Timur Bekmambetov’s adaptation of the Top Cow comic book series shows what happens when that dream becomes a reality and quickly becomes a nightmare. James McAvoy plays an ordinary office drone who agrees to join a secret society of assassins after being recruited by one of its deadliest members (Angelina Jolie). The action is far more impressive than the story itself, as the film throws the gauntlet down and shows that it won’t let a little something like the laws of physics get in the way of making sure that the audience is enjoying this particular ride. Think of it as a more grounded and less ambitious version of The Matrix.
Year: 2003 Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Sean William Scott, Christopher Walken Genre: Action, Crime, Comedy Rating: PG-13 Runtime: 104 minutes Director: Peter Berg Trailer: Watch here
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson launched his career as an action star with this action-adventure film, playing a bounty hunter who heads to Brazil to find his boss’ son (Seann William Scott) and bring him back to the U.S., only to end up in a treasure hunt and a battle to the death with a ruthless interloper (Christopher Walken). Peter Berg shows a deft hand balancing action and comedy while taking advantage of the great chemistry between his leads as they bicker and battle through the jungle. A solid debut for Johnson that hinted at his movie star potential.
Year: 2000 Cast: Nicolas Cage, Angelina Jolie Genre: Action, Crime Rating: PG-13 Runtime: 118 minutes Director: Dominic Sena Trailer: Watch here
Producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Dominic Sena’s remake of the 1974 exploitation film is much glossier in comparison to the low-budget, hard-edged original. But seeing Nicolas Cage as a reformed car thief who reunites with his former crew to steal fifty cars in one night (and all of the nonstop vehicular mayhem that happens as a result) qualifies as a high-speed, pedal-to-the-metal pleasure to watch. Pretty cars, slick dialogue, and a collection of supporting characters played by Angelina Jolie, Robert Duvall, Delroy Lindo, Timothy Olyphant, and a scenery-chewing Christopher Eccleston as the big bad add to the watchability for this 2000s action gem.
The White House was never exactly calm during the Trump administration, but during its last stretch it was a circus. That’s because the big guy lost re-election but refused — and still refuses — to accept it. There were a lot of crazy characters gallivanting about 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., hocking up increasingly desperate (and in some cases illegal) nonsense. One person who reportedly did not enjoy the commotion was the then-First Lady, who was sure some of those idiots would walk in on her wearing only a robe.
As per The New York Post, when she spoke to the Jan. 6 committee, Stephanie Grisham made sure to spill some beans about Melania, for whom she worked as Chief of Staff during her final days in the administration. According to her, her former employer was “very upset” when her husband’s revolving door army of bozos would make their way into the residential area of the White House.
“She hated when people would come to the residence,” Grisham, who these days can be seen on The View, told the House select committee. “That was her home, she wanted privacy. So I do recall, towards the end, her telling me that there were constantly meetings happening in the Yellow Oval, which is the room up in the residence, with various people.”
To make matters worse, no one, not even her thoughtful husband, would give Melania a heads up when some conspiracy theory-spouting twit would make their way into her then-home, where she might be casually walking around in a robe. She didn’t name names — well, except for Sidney Powell, the Diet Dr. Pepper-loving lawyer who torched her livelihood to spread nonsense even Trump thought was wackadoodle. And she named Rudy Giuliani, who did more than burn up his law licenses.
Grisham never said whether or not Giuliani and company ever walked in on Melania while she was chilling out. But the idea of the guy who had black mystery goo dribble down his head during one of his chaotic voter fraud pressers suddenly entering your personal space doesn’t sound nice. No wonder she wasn’t exactly upset when they had to leave.
If 2022 has heralded any large-scale trends in the music industry, then the prominence of the double album is a surefire contender. Over the course of this year, we’ve had double albums from indie stalwarts like Beach House, Wilco, and Big Thief, plus the likes of King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, Kendrick Lamar, Johnny Marr, Jeff Parker, and even two from Red Hot Chili Peppers. You could count Jack White’s two complementary albums this year, too, if you want. These sprawling, ambitious records have become a noteworthy staple, a major fixture of 2022 that’s become especially apparent as year-end coverage reaches a fever pitch. We’re aware this phenomenon exists, but why does it?
Double albums are not something new. They were particularly important in the 1970s, including seminal titles like Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti, Fleetwood Mac’s Tusk, and the Clash’s London Calling, to name just a few. But, they were spread throughout an entire decade. This year alone has seen a concentrated abundance of them. It’s a fruitless task to highlight only one reason for this surge, but the pandemic has likely played a significant role. Tom Schick, who co-produced Wilco’s twangy Cruel Country, mentions it. “With the pandemic, a lot of artists were able to get in a room together for a long time,” he says during a phone call. “There was just a lot of creative energy that was pent up, and the double album is just a natural result of that, at least in Wilco’s case.” Once frontman Jeff Tweedy and co. hit the studio, the music “naturally flowed out of them,” as Schick puts it.
Peter Standish, the Senior Vice President of Marketing at Warner Records (with whom Uproxx shares a parent company, WMG), worked on both of the Red Hot Chili Peppers albums from this year, and he echoed Schick’s rationale. “A lot of the recording occurred during the pandemic,” Standish says. “Maybe people have a lot more time on their hands to write and record.” Still, the SoCal funk rockers had another factor at play. It was their first time writing with guitarist John Frusciante since 2006’s colossal Stadium Arcadium, and the quartet was thrilled about the reunion. “John’s tenacious focus on treating every song as though it was equal to the next helped us to realize more songs than some might know what to do with,” goes one of the band’s quotes from the Return Of The Dream Canteen press release.
Even though touring is still highly infeasible for many artists today, it was completely put on hold during lockdown. This opened up more free time than usual for artists to write new material. It makes sense why so many of these massive albums are appearing just now, considering vinyl supply chain issues affecting the production process. At the time of this writing, Cruel Country is still unavailable on vinyl; it’s slated for a January 20 release date. “It takes forever for when you finish the record for the actual vinyl to come out,” Schick says. “[Cruel Country] came out in the summer. We’re still waiting on the vinyl; I think we might get it this week, which is just crazy.”
Johnny Marr, however, intended to create a double album from the outset. Surprisingly, he had never made one before Fever Dreams Pts. 1-4. Once he realized that, the influential English guitarist charted a course for his foray into more conceptual territory. Making a double LP appealed to him in the sense that it rejected the playlist-based streaming culture we currently inhabit. To Marr, this represents a sense of artistic freedom that’s often scarce.
“Generally, I think people like the idea of taking on something that’s a little less fiercely commercial,” the former Smiths guitarist explains over Zoom. Even in mainstream circles, that notion applies, as he cites prominent, critically acclaimed filmmakers like Wes Anderson and the Coen brothers. “I think Kendrick’s album is a really good example of it. Right out of the gate, it appears to be conceptual and expresses a bigger idea than just how many streams it can hit up.”
A double album can also allow for more expression. While some artists may use brevity as a tool to convey their ideas in a short-form capacity, a long-form project provides ample space to explore a wide variety of styles they may not have otherwise tried. Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You, for example, shifts from ebullient alt-country (“Red Moon”), to spacious post-rock (“Little Things”), to MPC-driven lo-fi (“Heavy Bend”).
“I can try not to sound immodest, but I think what it suggests is people being inspired,” Marr says. Referencing fellow Odyssean efforts like Once Twice Melody, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, and Cruel Country, “I quite like the company that I’m in with this. I think it’s a really healthy inspiration and a healthy disregard for crass commercialism. Hopefully, that’s true.”
Artists’ reasons aside, however, why have listeners been gravitating toward these notoriously lengthy endeavors? The streaming industrial complex, after all, begets a single- and playlist-focused economy, one that doesn’t prioritize unified experiences like a deliberately sequenced, front-to-back album. Schick points toward a deeper connection with fans.
“For the fans and these artists, it’s exciting to see,” Schick explains. “To be able to sit with it [for a longer time], it’s just a more intimate thing. The double record is ambitious, and it’s exciting. It’s fun for the fans, and it’s fun for music-lovers.”
Length, though, isn’t always the definitive trait of a double album. Kendrick Lamar’s Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, for example, is shorter than 2015’s To Pimp A Butterfly. Sonic Youth’s influential Daydream Nation, which clocks in at just under 71 minutes, is a paltry appetizer compared to the seven-course meal that is Smashing Pumpkins’ gargantuan Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness, whose original vinyl pressing is over 128 minutes long. To put it another way, the qualifications for a double LP are as nebulous as they are malleable. What constitutes an EP vs. an LP, a regular album vs. a double album, has been a long-standing curiosity. Some EPs, like Sufjan Stevens’ hour-long All Delighted People, are much longer than some LPs, such as Pusha T’s 21-minute Daytona.
If 2022 marked such a momentous time for the double album, then can we expect it to fade out of view in 2023? It’s a difficult metric to predict, one that Schick also agrees is inconclusive. “I can speak only from my experience and the people who I’ve been working with, like Jeff Tweedy and Wilco,” he says. “ But I wouldn’t be surprised to see the quadruple album, just from the amount of playing and writing that they’re doing. On my end, I don’t see that slowing down, but maybe it’s a different situation for other bands and other artists.”
As of now, the only major 75-minute-plus record slated for next year is Smashing Pumpkins’ “three-act” statement, ATUM. Maybe this is an ongoing trend we’ll see for the next year or two, or maybe 2022 has simply been an auspicious time for these enormous projects. If it continues, then 2022 has proven that double albums don’t have to be stuffed to the brim with filler. They don’t have to be tedious, monotonous experiences that we listen to all the way through exactly once. As incredible records like Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You, Mondays At The Enfield Tennis Academy, and Once Twice Melody demonstrate, an album’s length can easily be justified. The primary draw of a double LP, to begin with, is how different songs resonate with different listeners; seldom is there a steadfast consensus on the absolute best track. Part of that harkens back to what Schick mentions as a crucial raison d’etre for music writ large: human connection.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
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