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Steve Martin, Martin Short, And Selena Gomez Were Courted To Host The Oscars, But Shooting Conflicts Got In The Way

The Oscars are about a month-and-a-half away and things are still up in the air. We know that after three years without a host (partially thanks to the Kevin Hart mishegoss), they’re bringing them back. In fact, the plan is to split the job across three people. Right now the tentative, not-quite-locked-down plan is to make those three hosts Amy Schumer, Regina Hall, and Wanda Sykes. But they weren’t the only ones courted. Indeed, the show almost went with three fan favorites but couldn’t due to scheduling conflicts.

Those three are no less than Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez. Together, they’re the snooping trio on Only Murders in the Building, the Hulu show where one SNL alum, one longtime SNL frequent host, and a pop singer and actress who has incredible chemistry with them make a nuisance of themselves in their Dakota-esque Upper West Side apartment building.

The show’s a hit — and therein lies the problem. In a New York Times piece delving into the race of this year’s Oscars host (in a bit teased out by Film Updates), the three are among those cited as being courted by the show’s producers. Alas, they’re busy filming the show’s second season and can’t be bothered. Still, maybe next year.

Other names were dropped. Jon Hamm was in talks to play host, but he pulled out of negotiations over the weekend. Previous hosts were contacted, such as Chris Rock and [drum roll] Martin himself, presumably solo, before they realized they should nab Short and Gomez while they were at it.

In the meantime, the world will probably get Schumer, Hall, and Sykes, who will likely be formally announced on Tuesday morning.

(Via NYT and Film Updates)

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Who Are All Of The Ghosts On The CBS Show ‘Ghosts’?

Have you ever gone into an Airbnb and thought, “Hey this place is for sure haunted” but in a non-alarming way? You’re probably not alone. There are a lot of haunted hotels and bed and breakfasts in the world, which is basically the main plot of CBS’s new show Ghosts.

Based on the BBC series of the same name (which you can also stream on HBO Max) the show stars Rose McIver (from the CW series iZombie) and Utkarsh Ambudkar as young couple Sam and Jay, who inherit an old mansion which they decide to turn into a quaint bed and breakfast. The only thing is…the mansion is a fixer-upper. And when Sam, played by McIver, has a near-death experience, she starts seeing all of the ghosts living in the house. And since it’s in upstate New York, there are a lot. Some of them have ‘powers’ and some of them are just annoying, so it can be hard to keep track. Here is a character breakdown.

Captain Isaac Higgintoot, played by Brandon Scott Jones, is a closeted gay Revolutionary War officer who died on the grounds after the siege of Fort Ticonderoga (geographically, this makes sense!) He is often taking the role as a leader, even though nobody wants him to.

Then there is Pete Martino played by Richie Moriarty, a girl scout troop leader who died on the grounds in the summer of 1985 after being shot in the neck with an arrow by an untrained girl scout. Heety Woodstone, played by Rebecca Wisocky, is the lady of the manor, and original owner of the mansion and the grounds. Her cause of death is unknown, but she is the great-great-great-great grandmother to Sam.

Asher Grodman plays Trevor Lefkowitz, a young Wall Street trader who died without pants on sometime in the late nineties. Trevor actually possesses the ability to touch certain items in the real world. Sheila Carrasco plays Flower, a young woman who was attacked on the grounds by a bear while trying to find her way out of a cult. Then there is Alberta Haynes, played by Daniella Pinnock, a prohibition-era singer whose voice can be heard by “the livings” aka, not dead people.

The two oldest ghosts are a Viking named Thor, played by Devan Chandler, who can sometimes control the lighting in the house, and Sasappis, played by Roman Zaragoza, a Lenape Native American. Of course, no character breakdown would be complete without mentioning the group of ghosts who died of cholera that live in the basement.

There seem to be other ghosts living on the grounds, but these are the main ensemble of the spirits, who often have their own plots and storylines that involve them recounting their times as humans. While many of their deaths remain a mystery, viewers will be happy to know the series was renewed for a second season, so there will be more ghost puns to come. You can stream all episodes of season one now on Paramount+.

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The Chemistry Between Tom Hardy And Charlize Theron On ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ Was So Intense The Casting Director Crashed Her Car

There’s a new book coming out about the making of Mad Max: Fury Road, the critical and commercial darling that revived a long dormant franchise and, in turns, made one of the most spectacular action extravaganzas in history. Vulture writer Kyle Buchanan dug up some good stories: how director George Miller at various points courted Margot Robbie, Rihanna, even Eminem; how Tom Hardy nabbed the lead by spitting on Armie Hammer (way before that seemed remotely kosher, of course).

Now here’s another: The actors who went on to become the two leads had such fantastic chemistry that it caused the casting director to crash her car.

While hocking a loogie on the future controversial star made a huge impression on Miller and company, Tom Hardy didn’t really land the role originated by Mel Gibson until they saw him with Charlize Theron, who went on to play the vengeful, one-armed Furiosa. The two wound up meeting up for a side-by-side video call audition with Miller. It went gangbusters. “Once we saw them, we just knew,” said casting director Ronna Kress. “It was an indescribable, perfect thing.”

But perhaps Kress wasn’t sure how well they gelled until she couldn’t help but get into an automobile accident.

“After the video call, Tom and Charlize and I were in the parking lot. I was looking at them, and they looked so unbelievable together — it was perfect; there was no question in my mind that we had done the right thing — and while I was waving good-bye to them, I backed my car into a pole and crashed the side of my car,” Kress told Buchanan. “Charlize ran up: ‘Oh my God, Ronna, are you okay?’ I said, ‘I’m fine. I was just staring at you guys!’ That’s how intense it was.”

And the rest was history. You can read the full excerpt from Buchanan’s Blood, Sweat & Chrome: The Wild and True Story of ‘Mad Max: Fury Road over at Vulture.

(Via IndieWire)

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Patrick Beverley Agreed To A One-Year Extension With The Wolves

The 2022 NBA Trade Deadline provided all kinds of fireworks in early February, headlined by the swap of James Harden and Ben Simmons. With that deadline now the rearview mirror, the transaction game takes a backseat to the actual on-court action until the summer, but the Minnesota Timberwolves still made some noise with an oddly timed contract extension on Monday evening. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski brought word that veteran guard Patrick Beverley will be sticking around Minnesota for another season, with Beverley agreeing to add an extra year for $13 million.

Beverley is currently in the final season of a three-year, $40 million deal, earning $14.3 million for the 2021-22 season. This extension essentially replicates his annual salary from the last few years and, from the team side, Minnesota was not projected to have salary cap space, meaning that retaining Beverley does not come with explicit opportunity cost other than raw dollars and cents.

The 33-year-old Beverley has been a helpful piece for the Wolves, appearing in 38 games (34 starts) in his first season with the club and helping Minnesota to a +4.3 net rating when he’s on the floor. Beverley brings strong defense, veteran presence and the ability to handle the ball and shoot from the perimeter for Minnesota, and he partners well with Minnesota’s backcourt pieces. It is possible that the veteran, who has battled injury issues in recent seasons, could fall short of returning value on this deal, but the two sides seem to be enjoying the marriage and they’ve agreed to extend it.

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Celebrate Valentine’s Day by watching animals be cute for 3 straight minutes

Valentine’s Day is a holiday usually met with pretty mixed reviews. But if there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that animals deserve all the love.

A compilation of all kinds of critters, big and small, being cute and cuddly is breaking the internet with over 5 million views. And when I say all kinds, I mean ALL kinds.

If you’ve always wanted to see a bear dancing for joy, watch this video. If you ever wondered if a black panther enjoys smooching, watch this video. If you secretly wish an alligator could sit on someone’s lap like a puppy, watch this video. (By the way, there’s real puppies in it too).


Did I mention there’s an itty bitty baby dolphin? Yes, this is not a drill. Plus big dudes with tiny kittens! This video literally has everything your heart could desire.

@jokerhoney0 #pet #funnyvideos #animals #cute ♬ original sound – joker

No matter what animal pops up on the screen, there’s a prevalent theme that comes to mind as even the apex predators display affection: love is the most natural thing in the world, and a universal language that needs no words. It’s so much more than romance; love is that little tug that pulls us into one another, reminding us of how we are all connected through the heart.

Everyone, man and beast alike, needs it. And it can be found in something as simple as a hug. Or, in this case, a video of animals hugging. Even if you detest Valentine’s Day, love is something worth celebrating.

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Trump’s Longtime Accounting Firm Have Ditched Him After Claiming His Records Cannot Be Trusted

They call Donald Trump “Teflon Don” because he’s never suffered any serious blowback for his many misdeeds. But right now things aren’t looking so hot for him. The House Select committee investigating the Jan. 6 riot, which he’s accused of fomenting, are in talks to chat with a key crony: his legally and financially plagued lawyer Rudy Giuliani. Then there are those two investigations into his organization, which have already uncovered “significant evidence” of fraud. Now things just got even worse.

As per The New York Times, Mazars USA, the accounting firm that has long served Trump and his business have cut ties with both. In a letter to the Trump Organization, the firm said they could no longer stand behind the financial statements they had prepared for him for 10 years, from 2011 to 2020. Those statements were based on information Trump and his team had provided for them, which they said they could no longer trust. As a result, all those statements, which Trump had used to secure loans, had been effectively retracted.

The statements prepare by Mazars USA are, incidentally, at the heart of the investigations being conducted by both the New York State attorney general’s office and the office of the Manhattan district attorney.

Mazars USA have been cutting ties with Trump and his business since last spring, when work on his statements was transitioned to a new accounting firm. However, the new letter — which, again, renders past statements they’ve prepared retroactively null and void — not only makes the split public, but suggests they find the information Trump and team provided to be fishy.

Part of the investigations includes claims that the Trump Organization knowingly inflated the value of certain assets, including Trump’s own Trump Tower penthouse in Manhattan. Trump Organization CFO Allen H. Weisselberg, who was indicted last summer over a separate matter, even acknowledged that they had done so. New York State Attorney General Letitia James is looking at a number of properties, which together, James said, suggests that “Mr. Trump’s net worth was higher than it otherwise would have appeared.”

(Via NYT)

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The Best New Hip-Hop This Week

The best new hip-hop this week includes albums, videos, and songs from Saweetie, Snoop Dogg, Wiz Khalifa, and more.

Some of hip-hop’s heaviest hitters returned to the spotlight this week, with Pusha T dropping his new single “Diet Coke” and 21 Savage joining the late King Von on “Don’t Play That.” Then, on Friday, Nicki Minaj followed up her previous week’s single with another Lil Baby collaboration “Bussin,” Mozzy and Roddy Ricch put on for the “Real Ones,” NLE Choppa concluded his “Shotta Flow” series with “Shotta Flow 6,” and Future pre-emptively trashed Valentine’s Day with “Worst Day.”

Here is the best of hip-hop this week ending February 11, 2021.

Albums/EPs/Mixtapes

Cousin Stizz — Just For You

cousin stizz just for you
Cousin Stizz

The Boston rapper returns with his first full-length since 2019’s Trying to Find My Next Thrill and remains as consistent as ever. In addition, Just For You is his first project since leaving RCA and truly shows his creative mindset, free of external influence or a need to craft “hits.” At 13 tracks and featuring no guests, this project might be the truest to his character.

Juicy J & Wiz Khalifa — Stoner’s Night

juicy j wiz khalifa stoners night
Juicy J

Juicy J and Wiz Khalifa have an extensive history of making each other’s tracks better, so why shouldn’t they team up to craft a hedonistic joint album? The duo’s chemistry remains as magnetic as ever and they use the opportunity to highlight both the foundation and future of Memphis rap with guest spots from Big30 and Project Pat.

Snoop Dogg — BODR

snoop dogg bodr
Snoop Dogg

Snoop finally fulfilled his dream of acquiring ownership of the Death Row brand (with the catalog not far behind), so it makes sense that he would drop a full project on the label to commemorate the occasion. Back On Death Row is a typically exuberant showcase of Snoop’s influence and love for the art form, tagging in peers (Nate Dogg, Nas), contemporaries (The Game, T.I.), and newcomers (October Landon) alike.

$NOT — Ethereal

snot ethereal
$NOT

After shocking Florida rap fans awake with his take on the thrash fusion style popularized in his home state, $NOT looks to expand his palette on his second album, layering in classic boom-bap (assisted by Joey Badass) and softer sounds that perfectly evoke the album’s title.

Singles/Videos

Big Moochie Grape — “In Dolph We Trust”

Long Live Young Dolph, the tribute album from the late Memphis hero’s label Paper Route Empire, has legs.

Cardo — “Van Gogh” Feat. JID & Lil Yachty

Cardo may be better known for the smooth production with which he outfits characters like Curren$y, LE$, and Larry June, but he digs into a rougher sound for this ATL collaboration.

Carl Lamarre — “For The Family”

Journalist Carl Lamarre is taking a somewhat of a circuitous route to Billboard acclaim; the magazine’s longtime editor flexes his pen in a new fashion, following in the footsteps of peers such as Genius’ Rob Markman.

Don Q — “What Up”

The Bronx native continues to roll out singles from his album Double Or Nothing, keeping the Highbridge flag flying as A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie prepares his own project.

Mibbs — “Transit”

Rap fans who were around for the first wave of blog-certified rappers surely remember Pac Div. Mibbs goes solo to promote his upcoming LP, House & Garden.

Nana — “Bet It Back”

South Central native Nana got off to a strong start in 2021, and his first single of 2022 shows no signs of rust.

Saweetie — “Closer” Feat. HER

The Bay Area native catches all kinds of hell on Twitter, but each time she returns she offers something we haven’t seen from her, which tells me that she’s striving to improve with every new release. That’s worth applauding, especially when that work ethic produces stone-cold bops like this.

Trae Tha Truth — “Sky Scraper” Feat. Louie Ray

The Houston veteran released his latest project, Truth Season, this week preceded by a video for this chilling standout.

Wynne — “Mary’s Lambo”

Portland’s own bares all in the latest video from her 2021 EP Do My Own Stunts.

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

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‘Euphoria’ Style Watch: The Best Outfits From Season 2 Episode 6 And Where To Find Them

Welcome to Euphoria Style Watch, your weekly (ahem) roundup of all the best outfits from Sunday night’s episode and where to buy them for yourself. You might have noticed we didn’t drop a list last week and if you caught episode five, “Stand Still Like The Hummingbird” you know why. To summarize, the entire episode followed Rue parkouring around the fictional town she calls home, evading her family, drug dealers, the cops, and ultimately, herself, and that made for a real lack of fashion.

Unless you want to count Rue’s black Chuck Taylors. Which are fly.

But we’re happy to be back, and while this episode, “A Thousand Little Trees Of Blood,” (shout out to whoever is naming these things!) wasn’t nearly as lighthearted or fashionable as this season’s first half, things are starting to get back to “normal” and the fashion is almost back at full force. I’m sure by next week when we all get to see Lexi’s hilarious-looking play, we’ll have more style picks than we know what to do with!

For now, here were last night’s best outfits.

Rue — Mosquitohead Malcolm X T-Shirt

Euphoria Style Watch
HBO

Rue spent all of last week running around in a basic hoodie and the first few minutes of last night’s episode writhing in drug-withdrawal-induced pain, so we were happy to see her back to flexing her vintage fits. Last night it was an oversized graphic t-shirt of Malcolm X by the now-defunct Mosquitohead.

As with all of Rue’s vintage fits, this one is a bit hard to find but a few are floating around on aftermarket sites like Grailed, GOAT, and eBay. Mosquitohead also has some other dope Malcolm X graphic t-shirts that rival Rue’s fit, so don’t get hung up on Rue’s when there are plenty of other options out there.

Fez — Polo Ralph Lauren

Euphoria Style Watch
HBO

We already covered this shirt in a past article but Fez wore it again and it’s easy to see why. It’s dope. The rugby-style shirt is not part of Ralph Lauren’s current season, but it’s routinely available on aftermarket sites and is particularly active right now, thanks to what I’m sure the aftermarket fashion industry is calling the ‘Euphoria bump.’

Pick up the shirt on eBay.

Kat — O-Mighty One Love Long Dress

Euphoria Style Watch
HBO

I think I speak for everyone when I say that this season of Euphoria hasn’t had enough Kat. But then more Kat is what we got last night and after that bullshit in the diner… do we want more Kat? From a fashion standpoint, definitely, give us more Kat, but honestly, if the show was just Lexi and Fez for 50 minutes watching Stand By Me, we’d like it more.

Anyway, the glam-punk streetwear fashion brand O-mighty supplied Kat’s semi-sheer long dress during last night’s episode. The dress runs in a size small to large size-run, pick it up here.

Maddy — True Religion Low Rise Jeans/ Falize Rome Denim Bikini Top

Euphoria Style Watch
HBO

Oh Maddy Perez, without you this article series would cease to be. If you’ve been wondering if low-rise jeans are really “in” again or it’s just something you keep hearing about, the answer is “yes.” They’re back, and Maddy, who was rocking a pair of vintage low rise True Religions proves it. Completing Maddy’s outfit was a crochet crop by Dion Lee. We’re not sure what the implication of the camera in the clock is just yet, but it’s one of this season’s bigger mysteries and I’m sure how it all ties in will be fascinating, or fascinatingly stupid.

And because this is Euphoria, we also saw Maddy wearing yet another bikini (she’s four for six, so far), this time a denim top by Falize Rome, and that wasn’t even all of her outfits. This girl is a walking closet.

Shop low rise new stock True Religions here, and search the vintage stuff here. Find the bikini top here and the crochet top here.

Nate — Nike Blazers

Euphoria Style Watch
HBO

Okay, this one is a bit of a joke post. Nate is not cool. He doesn’t look cool, he doesn’t dress cool. The coolest thing Nate has ever done was get beat up in the season premiere. So we’re not big Nate fans, he is an actual psychopath, the only person in Euphoria less likable than Nate is his dad (his mom, pretty close second). So it surprises us, just as much as it probably surprises you to see Nate in our Euphoria style roundup, but the dude is the only one repping sneakerheads in the whole show, Ash Tray aside.

Nate wore Nike Blazers last night and Nike Blazers are dope. Doesn’t make Nate cool, but he’s not powerful enough to make the sneakers lame. We can’t tell if they’re low or high top blazers, but we’re going to give Nate the benefit of the doubt and assume he has taste, in which case it’s probably the vintage Mid ’77 design with a teal swoosh.

Shop Nike Blazers here.

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Adam Pally And Jon Gabrus Will Be Cross-Country Drinking In ‘101 Places To Party Before You Die’

Adam Pally is on a mission to party all across the country and beyond, alongside friend and fellow comedian Jon Gabrus.

The duo will star in truTV’s unscripted travel comedy show, 101 Places To Party Before You Die, based on the similarly, but more explicit book, aptly titled 101 Places To Get F*cked Up Before You Die: The Ultimate Travel Guide to Partying Around the World. The half-hour comedy series will consist of eight episodes exploring local life, food and, of course, alcohol, in various cities, including Maui, Moab, Miami, Puerto Rico, Portland, Richmond, Atlanta, and Denver.

101 Places To Party Before You Die will highlight unique experiences and adventures that are “off the beaten path” AKA probably won’t be flooded with tourists in various cities around the country. The show will begin airing this summer.

Pally is best known for his role of Dr. Peter Prentice on The Mindy Project, which he starred in from 2013-2017. Before that, he had a main role on the short-lived but well-loved ABC series Happy Endings alongside Damon Wayans Jr. Gabrus has worked on numerous comedies, including the hit sketch show Comedy Bang! Bang! and What We Do In The Shadows. He also hosts a podcast about weed, titled High and Mighty with Jon Gabrus.

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Remembering comedy royalty Ivan Reitman, who taught us how to laugh at ghosts

It’s admittedly cliche to write “we lost one of the greats,” but nothing feels more appropriate when writing about Ivan Reitman.

Reitman’s work is the quintessential comedy experience for people across at least three generations. His biggest film, “Ghostbusters” was a first-of-its kind pop culture phenomenon. “National Lampoon’s Animal House” flipped frat house humor on its head. “Meatballs” introduced the world to Bill Murray, for cryin’ out loud. Reitman always seemed to know exactly how to blend silliness, innovation, and heart in the most magical way.

Part of Reitman’s gift was his knack for finding funny people. “You get a sense after a while when you’re seeing something special in a person,” Reitman mentioned in a 2007 interview. “They have a way of taking stage, or taking a screen. It’s not just that they know how to say something funny — there’s something about their face where you just have to keep looking at them.”


Reitman even saw the comedic potential of action superstar Arnold Schwarzenegger, who starred in two of Reitman’s movies: “Kindergarten Cop” and “Twins.” This was a near 180 degree difference from the normal bare chested barbarian and souped up killing machine roles that Schwarzenegger had become known for.

Upon hearing the news of Reitman’s passing on Feb 12th, Schwarzenegger gave a heartfelt statement on Twitter, calling Reitman not only “comedy royalty,” but also “kind, generous, smart as hell, and always there for you.”

Schwarzenegger certainly wasn’t alone. Filmmakers and film lovers alike paid tribute on social media.

Paul Feig, who directed the all-female version of “Ghostbusters” in 2016, reflected collaborating with Reitman for the project. “It was always such a learning experience,” he wrote. “All of us in comedy owe him so very much.”

Kumai Nanjiani, co-creator of “The Big Sick” and a film trailblazer in his own right, tweeted, “ A Legend. The number of great movies he made is absurd.”

Included in that absurd list is “Beethoven” and “Space Jam”, which Reitman produced. It’s not easy to make family movies that are actually funny to all family members. But Reitman excelled at it.

Mindy Kaling, who worked together with Reitman on the rom-com “No Strings Attached,” noted him as being “old school in the best way,” adding, “it’s sad he’s gone, it makes me feel older and like my childhood movies are more far away than ever.”

Even Tom Rothman, Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, spoke out. According to CNN, Rothman said in a statement, “Tonight, the lady with the torch weeps, as do all of us at Columbia, and film lovers around the world. Ivan Reitman was an inseparable part of this studio’s legacy, but more than that he was a friend. A great talent and an even finer man; he will be dearly missed…”

Ivan instilled a love for comedy into his son, Jason Reitman, whose tribute took on a more personal tone.

“All I want is the chance to tell my father one more story,” the tweet read.

Jason might not be able to fulfill that wish, but he does continue his father’s storytelling legacy. Working with his dad, Jason directed the franchise’s latest installment: “Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” and has produced dark comedy cult classics like “Jennifer’s Body” and “Young Adult.”

Even the official “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” Twitter account paid its respects, saying, “See you on the other side. Rest In Peace Ivan Reitman”

The world might be saddened by the loss of this icon of feel-good entertainment, but it’s only because he gave us all so so many moments that opened our hearts and brought us to laughter.