GoneTrending

This year marks the 60th anniversary of Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe’s shocking death, and the circumstances around her fate have always been a mystery. Netflix’s latest documentary hopes to shed some light on the mystery. Though Monroe’s death was originally ruled a suicide, many fans believe that wasn’t the whole story.

The Mystery Of Marilyn Monroe: The Unheard Tapes takes unheard recordings and phone calls to piece together the complicated life of the talented actress, who starred in almost thirty films during her career, which was cut short at the age of 36.

From executive producer Chris Smith and directed by Emma Cooper, the documentary promises to touch on every theory, including her alleged involvement with JFK, the FBI, and her infamous drug use. This documentary isn’t to be confused with the upcoming dramatization of Monroe’s life, Blonde, starring Ana de Armas, which is also slated for a Netflix release later this year.

As per the official synopsis:

Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe’s tragic death spawned conspiracies and rumors for decades, often overshadowing her talent and shrewdness. By piecing together her final weeks, days, and hours through previously unheard recordings of those who knew her best, the film illuminates more of her glamorous, complicated life, and offers a new perspective on that fateful night

The Mystery Of Marilyn Monroe: The Unheard Tapes premieres on April 27th on Netflix. Check out the trailer above.

After years of bearing witness to Donald Trump at his Donald Trumpiest, that he would make an offensive remark—either intentionally or cluelessly—should really not be news. Yet he seems to constantly outdo himself in the “Wait, did he REALLY just say that?!” department, as he proved yet again this week.

As Newsweek reports, Trump’s latest woof of a comment came on Wednesday night at Mar-a-Lago, which was hosting a fundraiser for congressional candidate John Gibbs, a Republican from Michigan. Upon learning that representatives of the organization Gays for Trump were in the crowd, he asked for them to speak up. When one of the members told him “We’re over here,” the former president looked and stated matter-of-factly “You don’t look gay.”

The comment elicited lots of laughter from those in the crowd, which is hardly surprising. Nor did it seem to offend the organization itself. Newsweek spoke with Gays for Trump founder Peter Boykin via email, who said that his members “probably wouldn’t ‘look gay’ because it’s a stereotype that fits more with the typical ‘look’ of leftist LGBT,” whatever that means. “Otherwise it was a suit and tie event,” Boykin added. “So unless one of us was wearing a joker suit, meh.”

As Jason Lemon wrote for Newsweek:

Trump has faced substantial criticism from many in the LGBTQ+ community since he launched his 2016 presidential bid. However, the former president courted LGBTQ+ voters by waving a rainbow flag during an October 2016 event in Colorado. The flag had the words, “LGBTs for Trump” written on it. Some openly gay individuals also served in high-level positions within the Trump administration.

The White House under Trump also took numerous anti-LGBTQ+ stances on various legal cases making their way through the courts. In particular, Trump voiced support for several anti-transgender measures being pushed forward by Republican leaders in conservative states.

You can watch the interaction play out below, via Patriot Takes:

(Via Newsweek)

While performing his second comedy show in Boston since being slapped by Will Smith at the Oscars, Chris Rock shut down a heckler who tried to start another round of chants cursing Smith. During Rock’s first show on Wednesday, he reportedly did not engage with the crowd as it fired off its profanity-laced thoughts about Smith. But on Thursday night, Rock took a different approach and stopped the chants dead in their tracks. Clearly, the comedian didn’t want it to become a thing.

Via PEOPLE:

After Rock took the stage on Thursday, dressed in an all-white ensemble much like the night before, he began his set by once again addressing the weekend. … However, at this particular show, an audience member yelled out, “F— Will Smith!” Rock, who did not engage with “Will Smith” chants the night before, responded this time around by immediately shutting it down. “No, no, no, no, no…” Rock replied.

Much like his previous performance, Rock only briefly addressed The Slap by once again saying, “I’m still kind of processing what happened.” However, as conflicting media reports continue to pop up left and right about what went down in the aftermath of the assault, Rock did add, “I haven’t talked to anyone, despite what you heard.”

Presumably, Rock is referencing claims from Diddy that he and Smith “settled their beef” after the Oscars ceremony. Rock’s brother, Tony Rock, already said on Twitter that Diddy was lying, and it seems Rock himself is making it clear that he hasn’t worked things out with Smith yet.

(Via PEOPLE)

Sometimes, SNL promos can be very silly. This occasionally works to their benefit, especially when one or more of the trio of stars making them gets to play the unassuming straight man. Usually, this is the musical guest and the effectiveness of the bit depends on how game they are. Some guests are super good at this, like they’re in on the joke, while some (coughcoughBadBunnycoughcough) aren’t great. Shockingly, this week’s musical guest, Gunna, falls into the former category, mostly by pretending he’s going to land in the latter one ’til the last second.

Of course, guest host Jerrod Carmichael does the necessary setup, introducing Gunna, and hands it off the Heidi Gardner, who lights the fuse. “Guys, let’s a promise right now that we’re all gonna bring our A-game this week,” she says, somehow keeping a straight face. “Jerrod gonna,” Jerrod replies. Heidi maintains that straight face, even though we all know what’s coming: “You know Heidi gonna.” Both expectantly side-eye the stone-faced rapper, who looks for all the world like he resolutely refuses to make the joke.

… A loooong pause…

“Gunna gonna.”

You know, as hard as I tried not to, I laughed. Good for Gunna. Good for Heidi. Good for Jerrod. Great for all of us. A job well done.

Watch the SNL promo above and check out Gunna as the musical guest on Saturday night.

The uphill Morbius: The Living Vampire battle might be taking an unexpected turn for what many assumed would be a Marvel Cinematic Miss for Sony. Hey, that’s show business, baby.

The Jared Leto-starring picture — in which he vamps out because he can’t stand to not pile on the makeup or prosthetics — has answered to absolutely brutal reactions and the dubious most-delayed movie record of the pandemic. Granted, the masses had a lot of fun with this advance fallout because Leto irked plenty of people with his Worst Joker, so a 19% rotten was something that people loved to see.

Add that to an oddly selected release date (April 1), and none of this boded well for the brilliant-scientist-turned-bloodsucker story, which critics called “bad” and “sloppy” with “insulting” post-credit scenes from a comic-book lover standpoint. However, there’s a new wrinkle in the equation: moviegoers carried Morbius to a surprisingly solid Thursday night preview. As The Hollywood Reporter reveals, things look “promising”:

Jared Leto’s new movie Morbius — centering on the character known as “The Living Vampire” in the Marvel comic books from whence he hails — flew to a promising $5.7 million in Thursday previews at the domestic box office.

The Sony pic could open anywhere from $33 million to $40 million-plus for the weekend. The studio is being uber cautious and stressing the $33 million estimate. Insiders at Sony note that Morbius isn’t a traditional superhero pic, but more of a genre film based on one of the many Marvel characters Sony holds the rights to.

And that’s led so some semi-guilty sounding reactions on Twitter, including, “No it’s not an April Fools, I genuinely really liked Morbius.”

This is not a standalone take, either. People are pouring in, wondering if they are “crazy” for liking Morbius and asking why the movie got slammed so hard. Granted, this will be no billion-dollar movie, but hey, to each their own when it comes to vampire flicks.

(Via Hollywood Reporter)

Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks went into Brooklyn on Thursday night and picked up a thrilling 120-119 overtime win over the Nets. After the game, Antetokounmpo dropped a line in his press conference that served as a callback to an old criticism of his game that he once received from a now-former Nets player.

Antetokounmpo was asked about passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the Bucks’ all-time scoring list, something he achieved when he forced overtime by doing something we haven’t seen him do all that much in his career: hitting a stepback, off-the-dribble three.

As he explained, Antetokounmpo did not know this bucket gave him a record, but enjoyed how this played a role in how he’s “changing the narrative.”

“I don’t want to be the guy only that dunks and runs, I can make a three,” Antetokounmpo said with a smile on his face. “But no, it doesn’t really matter, because at the end of the day, if you don’t have a successful season and if you don’t try getting better and staying humble and staying happy, to play all the way until May, June, nobody is going to remember this.”

The dunks and runs line was famously used by James Harden back when he was a member of the Houston Rockets. Harden came in second to Antetokounmpo in MVP voting during the 2018-19 season, and the following year, Harden expressed some frustration about the whole thing, telling Rachel Nichols of ESPN that “I wish I could just run and … seven feet and run and just dunk. That takes no skill at all. I gotta actually learn how to play basketball and how to have skill.”

Harden, of course, was a member of the Nets until this past trade deadline, when he was sent to Philadelphia along with Paul Millsap for a package of players and picks headlined by Ben Simmons. Regardless, Antetokounmpo saw a chance to remind everyone of that old criticism of his game and decided to run with it.

Last year’s Willow’s album Lately I Feel Everything marked her deep dive into feverish pop-punk. Aside from exploding with catchy hooks and riffs with sharp edges, it also featured Travis Barker, whose influence is becoming more and more ubiquitous, as well as Avril Lavigne, who just released her bombastic LP Luv Sux. Since then, the “Meet Me At Our Spot” singer has proved that this shift to heavier music isn’t just a phase; she joined Machine Gun Kelly for the infectious, guitar-heavy “Emo Girl” off his recent album Mainstream Sellout.

Willow is taking things to the next level with this new single, “Purge,” with influencer Siiickbrain. Dramatic drawls, caustic riffs, screams, trap beats, lyrics like depressed poetry… not to mention the music video, which has lots of black lipstick, cigarettes, piercings, and black eyeliner. The song itself is more aligned with the kind of merging of pop and nu-metal that Poppy and Mothica have been experimenting with; it disposes of the buoyancy of pop-punk and instead takes on discordant, disruptive heaviness. At its core, though, it’s an anthem for goth girls who just want to wallow in their pain and cause trouble for fun.

Watch the chaotic video for “Purge” above.

While Republicans across the country are scrambling to viciously refute Madison Cawthorn’s claims that wild, cocaine-fueled orgies are all part of the GOP playbook, Alex Jones is talking about how they are indeed a real thing. And that, hell, even he’s been invited to them.

While Cawthorn has since admitted that the stories he told on the Warrior Poet podcast about “key bumps” of cocaine and regular invites to “sexual get-togethers” were lies, the shouty InfoWars host is blowing up the North Carolina congressman’s spot. On Wednesday, in addition to noting that Cawthorn “had a super-hot wife” (who may or may not be a Russian spy), Jones encouraged his listeners to believe everything that Cawthorn originally said:

“This is ridiculous. I’ve been invited to these things. I haven’t gone to them, ‘cause I don’t want to be, you know, whatever, blackmailed… I’m not into that. I’m happy. But I’ve been invited not just to those—I’ve been invited to the really weird stuff. Not with kids or anything, but with the whole occultic stuff. So, I can tell you folks: The Eyes Wide Shut things go on as well.”

Even more terrifying than the “not with kids or anything” line? Roger Stone lording over Jones like an Orwellian nightmare.

The duo, of course, didn’t let the conversation end there. They then went on to talk about House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who has perhaps been the most vocal Republican to take Cawthorn to task for his comments. Though they took their conversation in another direction…

(Via Ron Filipkowski)

It’s basketball season, whether you have time for it or not. The NBA playoffs are approaching. March Madness is reaching its apex this weekend with the Final Four in New Orleans. In other words, it’s the best time to revisit the best basketball films ever made, which also (completely unbiased opinion) happen to be the best sports films ever made.

There is not a lot of stillness in basketball. Fast-paced, intense, and chaotic, basketball is the most cinematic sport. Behind all the chaos is a gorgeous game that lends itself well to the visual medium. The best basketball movies capture the sport’s anxious speed, its distinct sounds, and the passion it instills in players, coaches, agents, fans, and everyone who has any part in the game. Due to the sport’s distinct personality, some of the best basketball films don’t even have to have any basketball scenes in them, like Uncut Gems or High Flying Bird.

Here is a slightly unconventional, focused list of the best basketball films presented in no particular order, which does not include documentaries or Space Jam, which is important to me personally and culturally but terrible so I cannot in good conscience recommend it in a blog on the internet.

Coach Carter (2005)

Coach Carter is a formulaic and predictable film based on the true story of Coach Ken Carter, who made headlines in 1999 for suspending his undefeated Richmond, CA basketball team for poor academic performance, resulting in forfeits and outrage from players, parents, and the community. The film follows every single beat you expect from a sports drama but is anchored by Samuel L. Jackson’s moving performance that matches the energy of the sport itself. Despite their predictable outcomes, the basketball scenes in Coach Carter are some of the basketball choreography and acting, aided by intense editing that escalates otherwise quite standard basketball drama.

Hoosiers (1986)

The basketball drama blueprint. Hoosiers – which follows failed college Coach Norman Dale, who begins coaching at a small town Indiana high school – originated every cliche you see in a basketball movie. The coach seeking redemption. A small town. The shooting montage. The final game montage. The underdog story. Although every second of Hoosiers is an expected second, the film is so masterfully made and so well-acted (particularly from Gene Hackman and Dennis Hopper, who received an Oscar nomination for his performance as the alcoholic assistant coach, Shooter) that the cliches feel like new again. You don’t have to be a basketball fan to love Hoosiers, but it is nearly impossible not to become one once you see it.

The Basketball Diaries (1995)

The Basketball Diaries, based on poet Jim Carroll’s memoir of the same name, is an unsuccessful athlete story. After being abused by his coach, Jim, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, becomes a heroin addict and gets further and further from being the star athlete at his New York City high school. The film is more about abuse and addiction than basketball, but it’s an alternative, realistic story unlike any other sports drama out there, especially at the time of its release. Besides DiCaprio’s terrible basketball skills (he dribbles way too high while looking at the ball), the performance is one of his strongest from the 90s, and is just a glimpse at what we would see in the future from the Oscar winner.

High School Musical (2006)

I know that you think I’m kidding here, but I am only half unserious. High School Musical is a devastating story about Troy Bolton (Zac Efron), a boy who loves basketball but whose newfound interest in musical theater after one night of karaoke gets in the way of his future in basketball. The depiction of basketball throughout the series is appalling – games appear to happen at random times throughout the day, the coach says things that make absolutely no sense like “take it downtown,” and is not even present at every practice. During a game, several players on the bench and coaches stand on the court. But there is one exception that got this Disney Channel Original Movie on this list: the “Get’cha Head in the Game” sequence features some of the best ball handling ever depicted on a fictional visual medium. That is, except for Zac Efron, who is only a little bit better at having a basketball in his hands than Leonardo DiCaprio, in that it does not look like Efron is touching one for the first time in his life.

Love & Basketball (2000)

Love & Basketball, one of the most accurately titled films of all time, tells the story of childhood friends Monica and Quincy who aspire to become professional basketball players. Over the years, their relationship turns into a romantic one, but their competitive nature and their professional goals get in the way of their connection and their personal lives. Director Gina Prince-Bythwood’s stunning first feature has become a sports classic even though it isn’t a standard sports movie. Prince-Bythwood’s directing and the star performances from Sanaa Lathan and Omar Epps capture the romantic side of basketball, the passion players have for the game, and every athlete’s unique relationship to their sport. Instead of shaping the story around important moments such as big, important games or a winning shot, Love & Basketball lets real life drama unfold in those settings and in doing so, captures how an all-consuming sport such as basketball can shape you.

He Got Game (1998)

In this underrated Spike Lee joint, the film’s protagonist is not the athlete, but the father of the athlete. Denzel Washington plays Jake Shuttlesworth, the father of the top-ranked basketball player in the country. Jake is released from prison on parole in order to convince his son to attend the governor’s alma mater. If he succeeds, he will get an early release from prison. Spike Lee’s love for the game is evident in the stylized way he shoots basketball scenes but also in the way the film explores unethical college recruiting tactics. But at its heart, He Got Game is an examination of a complex father/son relationship.

The Way Back (2020)

He doesn’t teach the kids. The kids teach him. In the underappreciated gem The Way Back, Ben Affleck does peak sad acting as Jack Cunningham, an alcoholic and former basketball superstar who returns to the high school where he played as a coach. As Jack struggles to get the program back on its feet, he learns from the kids he’s coaching. The Way Back feels like a formulaic sports drama every step of the way, but pulls the rug out from under you just when you expect it to go the predictable route. The film is anchored by Affleck’s emotionally charged performance, which is just as effective in coaching scenes as it is in scenes of him shooting jump shots on an empty California court at sunset. Unlike most basketball actors, Affleck knows how shoot a basketball correctly.

Big Shot (2021-)

This is technically cheating because Big Shot is a television show, but it is cinema, so it counts. On this excellent, fun, and easy-to-watch Disney+ series from David E. Kelley, John Stamos plays a Marvyn Korn, a prolific men’s college basketball coach who is demoted to coaching a struggling (they’re terrible) high school girls’ team after his rage gets him fired. Sound familiar? It’s basically girl Hoosiers but in California. Big Shot checks every sports cliche in the book: reluctant coach starts to really love his team, the team wins a big game with a stunning shot at the final seconds. The basketball acting is average to below average at best with horrible fundamentals, inaccurate shooting, and terrible dribbling techniques, but the story, which gives room for every player and coach to have their own story arc, feels real enough for make up for the lack of skill. Most basketball films and shows follow male athletes, and Big Shot captures the unique experience of girls’ basketball, with a charming John Stamos at the center of the raging teen girl hormones.

High Flying Bird (2019)

Steven Soderbergh can truly do it all: male stripper movie, pandemic Alexa thriller, heist movie trilogy, broads on a boat movie, or sports agent movie shot entirely on an iPhone 8. High Flying Bird explores professional basketball from the perspective of an agent. Sports agent Ray Burke (André Holland) who has only 72 hours to conceptualize and pitch a plan to his rookie client during a lockout that will save both their careers. The film is a sharp, thrilling analysis of power and celebrity that somehow feels more like a basketball movie than most basketball movies despite not having any basketball in it.

Uncut Gems (2019)

In Uncut Gems, exhausting Diamond District jeweler/degenerate gambler Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler in a career-best performance) makes a high-stakes bet on an NBA game. Uncut Gems is not a basketball movie in the literal sense: its protagonist is not a player or a coach. Really, he’s just a fan. But Uncut Gems captures the essence of basketball with its rapid stop and go pace and its protagonist who is constantly screaming. Kevin Garnett’s performance as himself is one of the best basketball player performances in cinema history.

Flight 828 is coming back to Netflix (much like a Lucifer resurrection) after an NBC cancellation. When will Manifest return for its final season?

Yes, those callings (or rather, the voices in passengers’ heads) must lead somewhere. Fortunately, Manifest creator Jeff Rake will be able to tie up the discombobulated story threads and tell us exactly why that flight slipped off the radar. It’s a return that may not have happened after NBC decided to axe the wildly popular supernatural soap opera after three seasons. And please, won’t someone let Olive have some (inconsequential) fun in life that doesn’t involve a cult? That poor girl needs a break.

The fourth season of the show is on the way, and it will be a supersized one. The show’s been filming since since fall 2021, November to be more specific. And with some pandemic-related delays to be expected, of course, it feels like some real news should be on the way. Even Manifest fan one Stephen King supported the show’s return. Of course, we won’t quite get the six seasons that Rake had initially planned out, but here’s what we know so far.

The season will be a super-sized one, coming in at 20 episodes. Don’t be too surprised if that season arrives in more than one part, as with Ozark. To back that gut feeling up, TV Line recently reported that the final season will indeed “be delivered in multiple parts” that will arrive “late this year.”

As far as a firmer arrival date goes, that was a question posed to Rake from King on Twitter. In response, Rake responded, “I’m hearing November.”

Now, let’s talk about the finale episode.

So, November 2022 is the most official thing that we’ve heard so far, but if one wants to have some fun, roll a Reddit theory around for style. It would be fitting for the show to pick its “death date” (a huge, and rightful, obsession of characters on the show) match up with the show’s finale. If that’s the case (and this is a total shot in the dark), then June 2, 2024 could hold some significance. Can people wait that long, and would the powers that be even want to play that way? No one’s telling, but it’d be trippy.

(Via TV Line & Jeff Rake on Twitter)