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After effectively riling up the audience with nostalgic hits, Green Day‘s Billie Joe Armstrong took a moment during the band’s headlining Lollapalooza set to reflect on how much the festival has meant to him over the years. To a sea of tens of thousands of screaming fans spanning generations, Armstrong said attending an early iteration of the then-traveling festival gave small-town kids like him a chance to see all their favorite bands in one place. It affirmed his decision to start Green Day, who got their first chance to play the festival only a few years later in 1994.

Lollapalooza has changed a lot since its early, traveling days. Now a massive event that beckons nearly 400,000 people through its gates every year, Lollapalooza has found a permanent home in Chicago’s downtown Grant Park. With a 360-degree view of the dazzling city skyline, eight stages with minimal sound bleed, and thoughtful amenities, Lollapalooza is an example of a big city festival done right.

Lollapalooza’s lineup has also evolved a lot since the ’90s, but this year’s bill paid tribute to its early days by inviting bands like Metallica and Green Day to headline. Billy Corgan, who headlined with the Smashing Pumpkins in 1994, even made a guest appearance on stage with festival founder Perry Ferrell’s band Porno For Pyros. But the four-day event’s eclectic bill had something for everyone to enjoy. One stage was dedicated to EDM fans raging all day long to artists like Kaskade and Rezz. Hip-hop heads found a home at the festival too, getting a chance to see J. Cole, Big Sean, BLXST, and Lil Durk. Pop artists big and small like Dua Lipa, Charli XCX, and The Regrettes, took the stage and K-pop icons like Tomorrow x Together and BTS’ J-Hope were greeted by thousands of screaming fans. Even the kiddos weren’t left out at Lollapalooza, with a stage dedicated solely to interactive sets for children and parents to find respite from the massive crowds.

The giant crowds are definitely something Lollapalooza has earned a bit of a reputation for, though huge signs reading “fence jumpers will be prosecuted” may have deterred anyone thinking of sneaking in without a wristband. Due to Lollapalooza’s sheer size, the festival effectively takes over the entire city of Chicago each year. It’s located on a one-mile stretch in Chicago’s downtown Grant Park, but the festival manages to set the whole city in motion. Public transportation is jam-packed with excitable festivalgoers sometimes ignorant of the disruption they cause to the average commuter. Main streets like Michigan Ave are shut down and cars get re-routed to account for the hundreds of thousands of people flocking to the park. While Lollapalooza brings many out-of-towners, many who actually live in Chicago are used to avoiding the weekend like the plague. Even those who forget about it are subject to its aftermath, left to wonder things like: “Why are the trains so delayed?” and “Why does everyone downtown look like they were downloaded directly from the Shein website?”

And while the yearly festival may cause a headache for those not in attendance, it’s more than clear why Lollapalooza is one of the most-talked-about music festivals in the country. For one, every performer continually brings their A-game. Dua Lipa put her refined dance moves on full display and Charli XCX transformed an entire field of people into a euphoric, daytime club. It also wasn’t uncommon for artists to surprise guests on stage. During his Saturday set, Big Sean brought out his very pregnant partner Jhené Aiko for a few songs. The two shared some very tender moments on stage, like when Sean lovingly kissed Aiko’s belly before leaning in for an intimate embrace. But that wasn’t the only surprise appearance: J-Cole invited Bas and J.I.D to the stage during his headlining performance, Still Woozy was joined by Remi Wolf to sing their collab, and Sunday closer J-Hope had Becky G make a surprise appearance during his penultimate song.

Speaking of J-Hope, the BTS member’s performance was history in the making. Not only was the K-pop star’s set reportedly the highest ticket selling event in Lollapalooza’s history, but it also marked the first time a South Korean solo artist has headlined a US festival. The momentous occasion was more than tangible, as the entire festival was seemingly flooded by the BTS fandom. From the grounds, J-Hope’s performance would at times be washed out by the ear-piercing screams of the crowd.

Along with bigger artists going all-out, Lollapalooza also offered a space for up-and-coming musicians to shine. Gen Z favorite PinkPantheress managed to start a mosh pit when performing the short-but-sweet hit “Just For Me.” Newcomer GAYLE, who has gained a notable following thanks to an uber-viral TikTok song “Abcdefu,” showed off her rock-star status on stage. She had the crowd on their feet before ripping through an electrifying cover of Joan Jett & The Blackhearts’ “Bad Reputation.” Indie pop trio MUNA also fired off a fun cover during their set, getting the entire audience to shout along to a rendition of The Killers’ “Mr. Brightside.” Meanwhile, pop singer Fletcher played a main stage set for her first time ever and took the opportunity to lead the crowd through a cover of Billie Eilish’s popular song “Happier Than Ever.”

Most of Lollapalooza’s four days were accompanied by awe-inspiring sets and appreciative artists. But like any festival of its ilk, there were a few drawbacks. For one, many of the on-site amenities felt like corporate cash grabs in disguise; an intriguing art installation tent turned out to be an NFT gallery that implored you to sign up for an NFT minting service. Another installation designed to look like a haunted house ended up being a scheme to get your email address in exchange for a free can of water. Thankfully though, none of the drawbacks had anything to do with safety measures, other than an unforeseeable accident Lil Durk had involving pyrotechnics during his set. Efficient water stations were conveniently located near every stage and EMT volunteers were constantly on the lookout for anyone in need of help. After one attendee fainted just a few feet away, two medical professionals were on-site within seconds, handing them water and carrying them safely out of the crowd.

Overall, Lollapalooza 2022 lived up to its reputation in nearly every way. Yes, there were massive crowds and lots of rowdy teenagers, but there were also outstanding performances accompanied by breathtaking city skyline views. And after four days of music, dancing, and meeting new friends, I was left with a sense of gratitude for the festival, a camera full of unforgettable memories, and very sore feet.

Some of the artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Frankie Cosmos had just a short break between their last two albums: 2018’s Vessel was quickly followed by 2019’s Close It Quietly. Both of those projects were well received and now they group is looking for another hit: Their new album, Inner World Peace, is set to drop on October 21. Today also brings the lead single “One Year Stand,” a patient and lush tune.

Director Eliza Lu Doyle says of the visual, “We conceived of the setting for the video as a cross between a diorama and an empty arena stage. To me, the interaction between Greta and the camera is almost like an act of faith — a reach toward an absent audience. We wanted to channel the pleasure of half-performing for that imaginary gaze.”

The band’s Greta Kline also notes, “This music video was created with my best friend Eliza, who makes video and performance art. It feels like an encapsulation of the record in that it’s strange and vast while also being contained and interior. Clowning and playing are a huge part of collaborating for me and Eliza. We wanted to perform a dance without dancing — the kind of movements you fall into in private, banal moments, playing without even realizing. Choreographing together felt like we were in 6th grade again, all id and giggles. The album and the video were made in these environments of love and pleasure.”

Of the album, Kline says:

“To me, the album is about perception. It’s about the question of ‘who am I?’ and whether or not the answer matters. It’s about quantum time, the possibilities of invisible worlds. The album is about finding myself floating in a new context. A teenager again, living with my parents. An adult, choosing to live with my family in an act of love. Time propelled us forward, aged us, and also froze. If you don’t leave the house, who are you to the world? Can you take the person you discover there out with you?”

Watch the “One Year Stand” video above and find the Inner World Peace art and tracklist below.

1. “Abigail”
2. “Aftershook”
3. “Fruit Stand”
4. “Magnetic Personality”
5. “Wayne”
6. “Sky Magnet”
7. “A Work Call”
8. “Empty Head”
9. “Fragments”
10. “Prolonging Babyhood”
11. “One Year Stand”
12. “FOOF”
13. “Street View”
14. “Spare The Guitar”
15. “Heed The Call”

Inner World Peace is out 10/21 via Sub Pop. Pre-order it here.

WARNING: Spoilers for The Rehearsal below.

Where to even begin with this one? On the third episode of The Rehearsal, Nathan Fielder’s new show for HBO, a man by the name of Patrick is trying to figure out how to convince his brother to relinquish control of a trust set up by their late grandfather. As the episode progresses, it becomes clear that this is a frustrating experience for Patrick, who cared for his grandfather during his dying days, including changing his diaper. The problem is Patrick’s brother is concerned that Patrick’s latest girlfriend is a “gold-digger,” and his brother thinks their grandfather would want him to protect Patrick’s money.

Like previous episodes, Fielder created a “simulation” so that Patrick could rehearse talking to his brother, played by an actor. But when Fielder notices that Patrick isn’t emotionally invested in the simulation, it creates an even more elaborate scenario where, essentially, Patrick is tricked into thinking the actor’s grandfather (also played by an actor) needs help digging up gold buried in the woods. When Patrick, and not the fake grandson, helps find the gold, the fake grandpa promises to leave some of the gold to Patrick after he helps him change his diaper in the woods. However, the next day Patrick learns that the fake grandpa “died,” and now the actor doesn’t want to give him the gold because, well, he’s worried that Patrick’s girlfriend is a gold-digger. It’s so brutal that Patrick actually leaves the show and never comes back.

Since the episode became available last Friday, people have been going nuts about the actor who played the fake grandpa, and it turns out he’s not technically an actor. He’s actually Vincent A. Cefalu, a former undercover ATF agent, who is understandably as gobsmacked by the whole experience as everyone else. During a hilarious and insightful interview with The Daily Beast, Cefalu opened up about how he ended up on the show:

“My No. 1 goal in all of this was to get exposure for my book,” Cefalu tells The Daily Beast, in an interview following the episode’s debut. He was referencing his non-fiction memoir Ratsnakes, about his time working as an undercover agent for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. The TV show promised a bit of promotion, Cefalu tells me, though the hour-long interview he filmed with HBO about it didn’t make the final cut. “They fell a little bit short on their representation… that the book would be pumped, somehow, on the show,” he says.

According to Cefalu, he ended up on The Rehearsal by “pure chance.” The production had reached out to “higher-ups” in the ATF looking for undercover agents. Cefalu ended up being the lucky one, but he quickly learned that the gig was not for a law enforcement show. Instead, Cefalu found himself in the woods pretending to need his diaper changed, which he actually had fun doing.

“My fleeting 15 minutes is awesome,” he told The Daily Beast while confirming that he’d gladly work on The Rehearsal again. As for the big question of whether Fielder is like his onscreen persona or putting on an act, Cefalu says it’s all real.

“He was pleasant enough, forthcoming enough, and engaging,” Cefalu recalled. “But what you see on that show, I don’t think he’s acting. [Laughs] He’s just a quirky dude.”

(Via The Daily Beast)

“Rollin’ down the street, smokin’ indo, sippin’ on gin and juice. Laid back. With my mind on my money and my money on my mind.” If you don’t recognize those lyrics from “Gin and Juice” by Snoop Dogg, well… you need to study the classics. And by that, we mean both classic tracks and classic cocktails.

We’ll let you get better acquainted with Snoop’s catalog on your own; as for gin and juice, it’s a simple cocktail of gin and your favorite fruit juice (usually orange juice, grapefruit juice, or another type of citrus). While some recipes sweeten up gin’s juniper flavor by adding simple syrup into the mix, that’s not definitely not required — we’re basically talking about a classic screwdriver or Paloma, but with gin.

We already love gin-based cocktails during the summer months so as August rolls out we figured we’d mix up a whole fleet of gins mixed with grapefruit juice for a blind test. Keep scrolling to see the gins we selected and see how everything turned out. The cocktail itself is literally just a jigger of gin over ice. Then the cup is filled with grapefruit juice — simple as can be.

Today’s Lineup:

• Hendrick’s Gin
• Seagram’s Extra Dry Gin
• Beefeater London Dry Gin
• Tanqueray London Dry Gin
• Bombay Sapphire Gin
• Citadelle Gin
• Nolet’s Silver Gin
• Bluecoat American Gin

Part 1: The Taste

Taste 1

Tasting Notes:

Aromas of lemon zest, pine, and juniper meet your nose. They have difficulty rising over the aroma of grapefruit juice, though. I had to really try to find them. The palate continues this trend with more citrus, juniper, and some coriander. Overall, the flavor profile is a little spicy and citrus-driven for this mixed drink. It tends to get lost in the shuffle.

Taste 2

Tasting Notes:

On the nose, this gin is very fruity, and floral, and has just a hint of piney juniper. All of which pair well with the grapefruit juice component of the drink. Sipping it only heightens the experience with more pine, wildflowers, wintry spices, and a ton of fruity flavor.

From my notes: “It’s almost like this gin was created to be mixed with fruit juice, specifically grapefruit juice.”

Taste 3

Tasting Notes:

While subtle, I noticed notes of candied orange peel, coriander, cinnamon, and a gentle, herbal, floral flavor that melded with the sweet, grapefruit juice aroma. More of the same on the palate. Juniper, nutmeg, cinnamon, licorice, and tart, bright citrus zest work in unison with the sharp, sweet flavor of the grapefruit juice.

All in all, a winner of a combination.

Taste 4

Tasting Notes:

Right away, this is a citrus bomb of a cocktail. There’s a ton of tangerine and lemon zest along with juniper in this gin’s nose. There just isn’t much else. When mixed with grapefruit juice, it’s kind of overwhelming. Add the harsh heat and spice at the finish and this just isn’t a favorable pairing.

From my notes: “I wouldn’t drink these together again.”

Taste 5

Tasting Notes:

Complex aromas of juniper berries, orange zest, pine, and cucumbers pair well with the ripe grapefruit smell of the grapefruit juice. Drinking it brings forth more juniper, pine, cucumber, and light spices that all seem to work well with orange juice. There’s something light, yet complex about the gin when paired with the fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice.

Taste 6

Tasting Notes:

The nose is classic pine, juniper, and slight citrus peel. But really there isn’t much else going on the pair with the juicy, ripe grapefruit juice aroma. Sipping it added some wintry spices and maybe some licorice on top of the citrus and juniper. But overall, it was a little underwhelming and more juniper-centric than I’d prefer when mixed with grapefruit juice.

Taste 7

Tasting Notes:

Heavy juniper, pine, and citrus zest are included in this gin’s nose. There are also hints of anise and coriander. Generally speaking, the aromas stand up well with the juicy, fresh grapefruit juice smell. The palate continues this trend with juniper berries, coriander, cinnamon, and other spices all working in unison with the included grapefruit juice.

Taste 8

Tasting Notes:

Heavy aromas of lemon zest and pine met my nostrils. They were even more powerful than the grapefruit aroma of the juice. In fact, the lemon aroma (and flavor) bordered on Pine-Sol. It was so overwhelming. There were some juniper, spiced and herbal flavors when paired with the grapefruit juice, but nothing all that exciting. Overall, a little too much generic lemon that didn’t mesh well with the grapefruit juice.

Part 2: The Rankings

8) Seagram’s Extra Dry Gin (Taste 4)

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $15.99

The Gin:

This simple, bargain gin has been made the same way since 1939. Created to be versatile and work well in any cocktails, it’s known for its juniper-forward flavor profile that also features coriander, bitter orange, and Angelica root flavors. For the price, it’s surprisingly flavorful.

Bottom Line:

Seagram’s Extra Dry landed right about where I thought it would. It’s cheap, a little harsh, and spicier than it should be. Overall, not a good pairing.

7) Beefeater London Dry Gin (Taste 6)

ABV: 44%

Average Price: $20.99

The Gin:

Touted as the world’s “most awarded” gin, Beefeater doesn’t get its name from fans of meaty sandwiches, it’s a reference to The Yeomen Warders who guard the Royal Palace as well as the Tower of London. Featuring nine herbs and botanicals, including Seville orange and lemon peel, the brand has been crafting London dry gin for more than 200 years.

Bottom Line:

Save the Beefeater for your classic gin & tonics or just don’t buy it. It doesn’t pair well enough with grapefruit juice to make it worth your while.

6) Bluecoat American Gin (Taste 1)

ABV: 47%

Average Price: $29.99

The Gin:

This popular gin is made using 100% organic herbs and botanicals including juniper beers, an “American citrus blend”, coriander, and Angelica root. It’s known for its soft, earthy, herbal flavor profile that makes it a great base for your favorite cocktails.

Bottom Line:

Unless you prefer not to taste the gin in your gin & juice, you should probably either add a lot of Bluecoat or look elsewhere. The flavor was a little too subtle for this drink.

5) Bombay Sapphire Gin (Taste 8)

ABV: 47%

Average Price: $21.99

The Gin:

Bottled in its famous blue-hued bottle, this famous London dry gin is flavored with ten specific herbs and botanicals including orris roots, juniper berries, lemon peel, almond, Angelic root, cassia bark, coriander, cubeb, and grains of paradise. It’s known for its dry, juniper-driven, complex flavor profile.

Bottom Line:

I expected more from Bombay Sapphire with its ten herbs and botanicals. In the brand’s defense, like most gins, it wasn’t crafted to be paired with grapefruit juice.

It’s not a terrible pick… but you can do better.

4) Tanqueray London Dry Gin (Taste 7)

ABV: 47.3%

Average Price: $21

The Gin:

Created by Charles Tanqueray back in the 1800s, it remains one of the most popular London dry gins in the world. While the brand doesn’t release the list of its herbs and botanicals, it’s believed it contains at least juniper berries, coriander, licorice, and Angelica root.

Bottom Line:

Tanqueray is definitely a juniper-heavy gin. But there are tons of other herbs and spices that popped up both on the nose and the palate that work well with the grapefruit flavor.

3) Nolet’s Silver Gin (Taste 2)

ABV: 47.6%

Average Price: $44.99

The Gin:

To say that Nolet’s Silver Gin is a different type of gin is a total understatement. It was crafted specifically to be different from the norm by using ingredients like juniper berries, Turkish rose, peach, and raspberries. Its base of European wheat gives it a soft, sweet, fruit flavor profile.

Bottom Line:

Nolet’s Silver Gin is a great pairing for gin & juice and it’s specifically because, even though it featured the piney juniper gin drinkers expect, it’s also fruity, sweet, and soft enough to complement the juice.

2) Hendrick’s Gin (Taste 5)

ABV: 44%

Average Price: $34.99

The Gin:

Even though this Scottish-made gin has only been available since 1999, it quickly became one of the most popular gins in the world. Distilled with eleven ingredients including juniper berries, roses, and cucumbers, it’s known as one of the best mixing gins in the world by drinkers and bartenders alike.

Bottom Line:

Hendrick’s Gin is well-known for its rose and cucumber flavors. Both work well when paired with grapefruit juice.

1) Citadelle Gin (Taste 3)

ABV: 44%

Average Price: $21.99

The Gin:

France isn’t necessarily known for its gin prowess but… maybe it should be? Citadelle, with its complex ingredient list, including cinnamon, nutmeg, orris roots, almond, star anise, juniper berries, grains of paradise, orange peel, cardamon, violet root, and more is something utterly different and truly special.

Bottom Line:

Sometimes more complex isn’t such a bad thing. The massive list of herbs and botanicals in Citadelle seem to work perfectly with the bright, tart flavors of grapefruit juice.

Part 3: Final Thoughts

Gin & juice is a very simple cocktail. It’s just gin and grapefruit juice (in this case). Because of this, the usual gin flavors don’t necessarily work. Fruity, floral, and spicy (along with some juniper) seemed to work the best. Overly piney, harsh gins with too much lemon didn’t work as well. If you’re planning to make your own gin & juice, flavorful, multi-dimensional, well-balanced, versatile gins are the way to go.

Over a year and a half since the January 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol, consequences are slowly but surely happening. Josh Hawley’s being mocked for running like the worst track star on the same day that he raised his fist in support of insurrectionists. Borat 2 star Rudy Giuliani’s got his next major role lined up (appearing in front of a grand jury), and Steve Bannon’s being compared to a Peanuts character in a mock courtroom sketch addition.

In other words, MAGA is not doing “great” in any sense of the word (and we’re not even talking about the leader of that movement), and it doesn’t pay to be a rioter. As the Wall Street Journal reports, the first rioter to go to a jury trial (rather than take a plea) has now received the longest Jan. 6 sentence yet. Guy Reffitt landed seven years in prison, which could have been even longer, but he avoided the terrorism add-on. Reffitt’s son, Jackson, is the one who turned dad in. As the teenager told CNN’s Brianna Keiler on New Day, Jackson declared “absolutely not” when asked if he regrets making the call. He also believes that his father deserves the lengthy sentence (and acknowledges that his dad fell prey to manipulation by a certain president’s rhetoric).

As CBS News previously reported, Jackson ended up testifying for the prosecution during court proceedings. The teenager recounted how he was “secretly Googling the FBI tip line to tell the bureau about his father,” and he did so because he feared his dad would take his actions further. Guy Reffitt began to openly weep when Jackson took the stand, and the teen described his former relationship with his dad as “pretty great” but acknowledged that they’d grown “distant” in recent years.

Reffitt’s case, no doubt, will factor into whether other Jan. 6 defendants will choose to roll the dice with the jury or take plea deals. And there might be some DOJ charges against the MAGA King himself, you never know.

(Via CNN & CBS News)

Drink Champs may say that its mission is to give hip-hop icons their flowers while they’re still around to smell them, but fans’ chief interest in the show is the tea that spills in the free-spirited environment. With the alcohol flowing and hosts NORE and DJ EFN egging them on, guests are more than happy to get a little messy about drama both past and current, creating clips that the show’s producers are more than happy to use to promote each upcoming episode.

Case in point, a future episode sees rap producer Irv Gotti of Murder Inc. Records stopping by to promote his upcoming Murder Inc. documentary and, in a clip shared by NORE, waxing nostalgic about his former relationship with Murder Inc. singer Ashanti. “Gotti ain’t over it,” NORE laughs in the caption as Gotti recounts in the video how he found out that Ashanti was dating Country Grammar rapper Nelly. As it happens, he says, “I was at home… NBA package, I like watching sports. ‘My God, what’s this commotion going on in the stadium?’ We just found out what the commotion is: Nelly has walked in with Ashanti.”

Of course, as pointed out by many — and I mean MANY — followers on Twitter, Gotti may not deserve as much sympathy as he feels he does, as he was married at the time, Ashanti was 12 years his junior at 24, and she was technically his employee, creating an imbalanced power dynamic even if he hadn’t been cheating on his wife at the time.

So, yeah. Drink Champs is where rap icons go to get blitzed and drunkenly reminisce about 20-year-old breakups and beef for the consumption of bored office drones who love the mess but also love dunking on said icons for engagement on Twitter. Jordan Peele was right.

It was kind of surprising to learn David Leitch, after his Deadpool 2 made just under $800 million, would not be directing Deadpool 3. (Shawn Levy has been tapped for that assignment, whenever that may even be.) Then again, it’s also actually kind of surprising Leitch, to this point, has never done a second movie in a franchise. He’s done successful stints with John Wick, Marvel, Fast & Furious, then moseyed on to something else. He certainly doesn’t seem against the idea – he gets excited talking about a possible sequel to Atomic Blond – but also admits, yes, he’s drawn to new things. So maybe it’s circumstance, but there’s probably something to this. (Ahead he does explain why he’s not doing Deadpool 3.

Speaking of new things, here comes Bullet Train. Brad Pitt stars as Ladybug, a self-conscious hitman in a movie that plays out more like an episode of Three’s Company than a traditional action movie. (There are a few instances of characters with mistaken information that leads to hilarious hijinks. I mean this as a compliment.) It’s basically a full-on comedy in the body of an action movie. And this is by design, as the original script, based on Kōtarō Isaka’s novel, is a much darker story but Pitt decided people were in the mood for laughs, so the movie takes a different direction.

Speaking of different directions, Leitch’s next film will be The Fall Guy, based on the 1980s series, and starring Ryan Gosling as a stuntman named Colt Seavers (Leitch doing a movie about stunt people should be exciting on its own) who, if it stays true to the series, also learns how to become a bounty hunter. Leitch gives us a preview of The Fall Guy and, perhaps, teases if Ryan Gosling will be singing the theme song just like Lee Majors did on the series.

Last time we spoke was, I believe, Hobbs & Shaw.

Yep.

Like I said then, Hobbs alone, you’ve got yourself a movie. Then you throw in Shaw for free? Come on. That was a deal.

Yes. That movie, you paid for the whole seat, but you only need the edge, I guess. It was a riot. And wildly appreciated. Man, maybe we get to explore that world again someday soon.

So I’m watching Bullet Train, and I mean this as a compliment, it reminded me of Three’s Company.

Oh, awesome. I love Three’s Company.

Because there are a few instances of mistaken information that leads to hilarious hijinks.

I love that. I love that. I think, ultimately, the tone of the movie is so important. And we went for … Brad and I had a conversation early on of, comedically, how far do we want to go because there’s a little more darker sadistic version of this movie.

What was the change in tone? Because this movie is very funny.

Oh, good. Good. I’m glad. Because that was what we set out to do. Look, the novel is … It’s beautiful. Kōtarō Isaka’s work is obviously prolific. In Japan, he’s a rockstar of an artist. And to even be able to have an adaptation of his work is a beautiful thing. But it’s dark. His vibe is a little bit more sadistic and those characters are maybe less relatable. And it’s really hard boiled genre stuff that’s rigged and that I love. I had these conversations with Brad. And he’s like, “Dude, I’m laughing my ass off at Zach’s adaptation, and I think we go for the laughs and we go big and we go broad and we go unapologetic. This is what people want right now.”

I think, right now, that’s true.

And I’m like: Okay. You and me, holding hands. We’re jumping off this bridge, and we’re doing it. So we went big. And even when Aaron and Brian came to set, I don’t even think they knew already what was already in my head and what Brad and I had been discussing. Like, we can be broad. So the minute I unleashed them in that first scene where they start to have banter, and they’re like, “You mean improv?” And we’re like, “Yeah. Have fun.” I already got stuff that’s great. Now you want to try some bigger things? Let’s go big. And then that became the process through the film. We were all trying to have fun.

So I’m curious. So let’s say, for whatever reason, this starts filming before the pandemic starts. Do you stick with the dark version then?

No… I don’t know. I mean…

My opinion is it’s been such a dark time anyway, people are in the mood to feel good at a movie theater and laugh and have fun. And if this was a dark movie, I’m not sure I’d respond to that as much as I maybe would have four or five years ago.

Correct. I think pandemic, no pandemic, wherever we are in the world right now, I think we want to go to a place where we can escape and have fun and laugh and feel good and share sort of this fun, cathartic experience communally and then go home. It’s not to say you can’t explore that in a drama.

Oh, sure. Well, I’ll use an example. I wasn’t in the mood, at this point in history, to watch James Bond die. I wanted to see him win and save the day.

And I think as filmmakers and storytellers, you want to create things that the audience can respond to and enjoy. At least I do. And I want to take the audience on a ride of fun and thrills and feels, but ultimately leaving the theater feeling good.

I’ve noticed this summer there are movies like Top Gun and Nope that have defined characters and a clear plot. And your movie does that, too. Over the last few years summer movies have tended to be unnecessarily convoluted.

I think that that’s sometimes the special sauce. I think too much plot can undermine an experience or undermine a great character. You’re servicing all these different masters, and you have two hours to tell the story. We want to spend time with these characters that are sadistically fun, but ultimately relatable. Ladybug is relatable. The brotherhood between Lemon and Tangerine is relatable. Joey King’s character with Michael Shannon, even though she’s so sadistic, that scene with her and her father, there’s a moment of empathy for her like, “Of course she’s a sociopath. He ignored her her entire life.” And I just love telling that stuff. And the simplicity that was there on the page and that we tried to amplify with the performances made it a special one for me.

Speaking of a sadistic character that we like to spend time with, Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Tangerine. When I see him in interviews, he seems like this jovial fellow. But a lot of movies have him doing an American accent and playing a stoic character. You just let him run loose in this thing and it looked like he was finally having the time of his life in a movie.

I do think he was and I think he was feeling in his wheelhouse. It was the pandemic when we shot this, so everyone was raising their hands to be in it and I had the blessed opportunity to have people read that wouldn’t normally read. Aaron Taylor-Johnson doesn’t need to read. But he wanted to, and he’s like, “I want to show you.”

So he had this character in mind.

Right. “Awesome. You want to read? Let’s hear it.” And he really did come with that character fully fleshed out in this West Ham, East End thug that he knew from growing up in London and he could just turn on at a switch. And he was chaotic and unhinged, and he felt dangerous but also funny. It was instant. Within five minutes of him riffing with the character I was like, “I want him to play this guy.” And so look, I’m glad that fate brought this character to us. He got to show what he’s really capable of. And I think there are a lot of people in Hollywood who know, but he just doesn’t have the right roles where he can really let it go. And thank God that Tangerine was that.

I’m curious what your relationship with Brad Pitt was before this movie. You used to be his stunt double?

Yeah. I was Brad’s stunt double for four or five films.

Okay. So Fight Club, The Mexican…

It was Fight Club, The Mexican, Troy, Mr. & Mrs. Smith.

So you had a pretty good working relationship before this.

Yeah. We had been around the world together and run a show. Troy was six months, and there was a lot of training involved and choreography and wearing skirts together….

You actually just made a wistful face. Like, “What a time that was.”

I look back on that time in my life, it was early on in my stunt career. It was five, six years of back-to-back movies working with Brad. And it was really influential in my development as a filmmaker. I was working, observing these big directors in these big movies like David Fincher, like Wolfgang, Doug Liman, Gore Verbinski. I got to see them all work for the run of the show. And for a guy who wanted to make movies who was a stunt man who had an eye on the director chair, what a great sort of playground to be there every single day and watching these directors make movies.

Well, I’m curious. When I was joking about Hobbs & Shaw when we started and you mentioned exploring that world again. But you haven’t made a second movie in the same franchise yet. And I’m curious why you’re not going to do Deadpool 3. Is that just circumstance, or is it what you’re doing on purpose?

It’s probably more of what I’m doing and some circumstance. I love all of those worlds, and they’re all precious to me. Starting with John Wick. Chad has taken over that franchise and executed it beautifully. And Deadpool is amazing. And Atomic Blonde, I would love to go back. When I look back, I would love to go back to those worlds, but I think the way it’s worked out for me, or fate has brought me to this place, is that I get new opportunities and they’re really awesome, interesting, as well. Now moving on and doing The Fall Guy with Gosling, we’re prepping right now.

So is The Fall Guy the reason you’re not doing Deadpool 3?

No. Look, we had conversations about Deadpool 3, but I just was … I had things in the pipeline, too. And it was never, “Hey, do you want to do it or not want to do it?” or whatever. I think it was more we knew our dance cards were kind of full on both sides. And we have a window. And Marvel has calendars.

I do love The Fall Guy. I still have a The Fall Guy board game and a The Fall Guy lunchbox. So is it Colt Seavers?

It’s Colt.

Is there a Howie? Is it the same thing, or is it different?

Well, it is definitely a re-imagining. I think it’s contemporary idea. I mean, I think that the DNA of him, there’s going to be touchstones to the original. But it’s an origin story and it’s about a stuntman who goes on location and some things happen. And I think maybe through that process, he might discover he’s got a really impressive skill set of things that could be used for not only just stunts.

But also bounty hunting.

Maybe. Maybe.

Will Ryan Gosling sing the theme song?

[Laughs] TBD.

‘Bullet Train’ opens in theaters on August 5th. You can contact Mike Ryan directly on Twitter.

“The Bells” is the 71st best episode of Game of Thrones, as voted on by IMDb users. Put another way, it’s the third worst episode of the series. In the season eight episode, Daenerys Targaryen goes full girlboss and, with some help from her dragon Drogon, destroys King’s Landing. It was the most-watched episode of Thrones ever (until the equally confounding series finale), but the reception was so mixed that the cast and crew tried to defend the muddled motivation behind Daenerys’ heel-turn — and failed.

It would be a reasonable assumption — understandable even! — that everyone associated with Game of Thrones would want to sweep “The Bells” under the proverbial rug and never discuss it again. But the episode came up during a recent Empire magazine interview with House of the Dragon co-showrunner Ryan J. Condal.

“Daenerys resurrected this idea that, when you’re the only person in the world with nuclear weapons, you can either be a force for peace, or you can be a tyrant,” he said about the connection between “The Bells” and the prequel series. “The line between those two things is very thin. That’s definitely something this show will explore.”

Miguel Sapochnik, who directed “The Bells” and oversees House of the Dragon with Condal, also talked about the debate over the episode.

[For Sapochnik], the divided reaction and backlash around Daenerys’ devastation of the kingdom hasn’t factored into how they’ve approached this show; there’ll be no playing it safe, and no easy endings “Life doesn’t end the way you want it to!” Sapochnik told Empire. “I think we very much wanted to pay attention to not that.” Condal agrees: “It doesn’t really factor in at all. I think the minute you as a creator start playing defense, you’re just taking the ground from beneath your feet. Should we be so lucky to have such a large and passionate fanbase that will debate our show! I think that in itself is a sign of success.”

House of the Dragon premieres on August 21.

(Via Empire)

Jake Gyllenhaal’s Road House reboot is actually happening. A little over a year ago, there were rumblings that the actor and director Doug Liman were looking to get the project going after Amazon swallowed up MGM, and now, it’s officially on the books. Gyllenhaal will star in the remake of the Patrick Swayze classic that’s easily one of the late actor’s most iconic roles. Gyllenhaal will have some big shoes (and a big, gorgeous mullet) to fill.

“I’m thrilled to put my own spin on the beloved ‘Road House’ legacy, and I can’t wait to show audiences what Jake and I are going to do with this iconic role,” Liman said in a statement to Variety:

“’Road House’ is a homerun for us. Not only is it a nod to fans of the original, but it is also a big, fun, broad audience movie,” stated Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke. “We are thrilled to collaborate with Joel, Doug, and this great cast led by Jake Gyllenhaal, and for them to come together to reimagine the classic MGM film as an action-packed adventure for our global audience.”

Meanwhile, over at Hulu, another ’80s classic is getting the reboot traffic. According to Deadline, 20th Century is in final negotiations with Selena Gomez to star in a remake of Working Girl for on the streaming service. Released in 1988, the original workplace comedy starred Melanie Griffith, Harrison Ford, Sigourney Weaver, and a burgeoning young actor named Alec Baldwin. Like Road House, it also had ’80s hair for days, so good luck to everyone involved should any of these projects decide to be period pieces.

(Via Variety, Deadline)

(This post contains spoilers for the Better Call Saul episode, “Breaking Bad.”)

Even though Breaking Bad fans were expecting a Jesse/Walt/Saul Goodman reunion on the final season of Better Call Saul, it was still a wonderful (almost) surprise when the dysfunctional duo showed up on the latest episode of the hit AMC series. And it was also a good reminder of just how long it has been since we first met Walt and Jesse nearly 15 (!) years ago.

Obviously aging exists, but the show decided not to try out The Irishman-style of de-aging the iconic characters. Better Call Saul writer and director Thomas Schnauz told Variety that “it is what it is” when it comes to bridging the gap between Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad’s timeline crossovers. “We don’t do a ton of de-aging on the show,” Schnauz explained. “There’s a little bit of stuff on the guys’ faces to take a few lines out here and there, but other than that, Aaron is not going to look like an 18-year-old kid or however old Jesse was during this time period.”

Despite the fact that they did minimal de-aging, it’s still a little jarring to see the actors jumping right back into a scene from over a decade ago. Fans on Twitter had fun with a 40-something actor getting back in the mindset of his 20-something character.

Meanwhile, everyone had nothing but nice words for Bryan Cranston, who seamlessly became a solid season two version of Walter White.

While reminiscing about older characters is fine and all, we should focus on the bigger picture here: where is Kim Wexler?!