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Holy moly, these handmade miniature film and TV sets are incredible

There truly is no limit to the amount of creative brilliance in the world. And sometimes seeing the works of talented humans is all you need to have your faith restored, or at least to brighten your day a bit.

Los Angeles based artist Bridget McCarty creates incredibly lifelike, yet nonetheless tiny rooms with remarkable craftsmanship.

Her Instagram, TikTok and YouTube are chock-full of these intricate, elaborate mini-masterpieces, and even some amazing how-to videos that can help get your own creative juices flowing.


Taking a look at these creations, it’s easy to forget that these models are in fact only inches tall.

…that is, until you notice a “giant” hand in the frame.

The amount of serenity I received from seeing this tiny sushi restaurant cannot be expressed by mere words.

Just when you thought apartments in New York couldn’t get any tinier.

McCarty also takes iconic sets from well-known movies and televisions shows, and recreates them—with exact detail—as miniature models.

When I say exact detail, I mean it.

“Seinfeld,” but make it small. Like, really small.

In this recreation of Jerry’s apartment from “Seinfeld,” McCarty offers a little hack for making teeny tiny potato chips … by using bell pepper seeds! How genius is that?

A “Jurassic Park” that could fit in your pocket.

Pro tip from McCarty’s behind-the-scenes video: If doing this at home, don’t forget you have to break the tiny fence open, so that the tiny dinosaur can get out and cause tiny mayhem.

The not so “Big Bang Theory.”

I think even cynical Sheldon would approve of this recreation of the popular sitcom’s Comic Center of Pasadena.

Enter a fun-sized “Friends.”

Behold, a 1:12 scale model of Monica’s kitchen. Could this BE any cooler?

Harry Potter and the magical miniscule model.

Looking at McCarty’s handcrafted Flourish and Blotts, the wizarding world’s beloved bookstore found on Diagon Alley, is making me feel like a muggle.

“Star Wars” fans rejoice at this itty-bitty baby Yoda.

… aka Grogu, for “Mandalorian” purists.

Scaled-down spookiness.

The Haunted Mansion fans were baffled by McCarty’s Haunted Ballroom, complete with ghostly pipe organ and glowing chandelier. Actually, according to her website, McCarty is a huge Disney aficionado and even supplies art to Disney Parks galleries.

@bridgetmccartyminis Who has been baking in my kitchen?! #ShowYourGlow #36SecondsOfLightWork #fyp #halloween #baking #wow #amazing #lol #foryoupage ♬ Who Ya Gonna Call (From “Ghostbusters”) – Karaoke Version – Urock Karaoke

And I mean, who you gonna call when you need some compact “Ghostbusters” nostalgia? McCarty, clearly.

McCarty found this seven-inch house at a Michael’s craft store, and decided it would be the perfect home for a tiny Gizmo.

Many of McCarty’s pieces have itty-bitty working TVs (like, you can change the channel on them and everything), which can be found at Walmart. Who knew?

Though currently on hiatus from Etsy, McCarty also creates the most adorable custom pet miniatures. Like this doggo. 

Look at the awe on this fella’s face!

A coin-sized kitty is also available and adorable. 

Personally, I’d like 500 of these.

McCarty’s designs might be small, but they’re certainly making a big splash on social media. On TikTok alone, she has 110,000 followers.

Her art is already so clever and creative, but seeing someone authentically live their passion makes it all the more inspiring.

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How ‘Wintering’ has changed my perspective and improved my mental health

Winter has always been a bit of a struggle for me. A long slog that must be endured. As soon as October comes around, my mental health takes a dip. I get a rebound in December with its cozy holiday vibes, but once the calendar flips to January, my mental health takes a major hit. I find myself counting down the days until March, wishing time away.

But lately, I’ve realized just how problematic this is for me. Not only does my mental health suffer, but as a result of my winter ‘blahs,’ my relationships also suffer. I’m shorter with my family. My motivation wanes, which in turn leads to feelings of shame and guilt, which decreases motivation even more. Rinse and repeat.


For the past few years, I’ve been making more of a concerted effort to tend to my mental health during these seasonal changes. An introvert at heart, hygge is my jam. Snuggling under a blanket with a hot cuppa something? Yes, please.

What has really transformed my outlook on winter and helped my mental health in the process, however, has been the concept of wintering. Popularized by Katherine May in her book by the same nameWintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times – wintering has not only changed the way I look at this season on the calendar, but also similar seasons of life.

Central to May’s book and the concept of wintering is adjusting our perspective of winter – whether the literal or metaphorical variety – from one of bleakness to one of renewal. Winters, after all, are essential to regrowth.

“Wintering brings about some of the most profound and insightful moments of our human experience, and wisdom resides in those who have wintered,” May writes.

Just reading these words last year – in the depths of a pandemic winter in the Upper Midwest, where cold isn’t just cold but downright frigid – brought comfort in this otherwise painful season. Instead of something to endure and wish away, winter started to feel almost honorable. And my newfound acceptance of it started to feel radical and rebellious. Instead of feeling like there was something wrong with me for feeling a bit sluggish, anxiety-ridden, and despairing, I felt an almost giddy ease, like I was in on a secret that these feelings were not only okay, but necessary.

At its core, wintering – to me, at least – is about changing my perspective and paying attention. “When you start tuning in to winter, you realize that we live through a thousand winters in our lives – some big, some small,” May writes. While this might seem like a pessimistic approach, there is comfort in knowing that we’ve made it through lean, hard, lonely times before, and we can do it again.

These winters of our life don’t need to be feared or avoided, but held with care and compassion. The past couple of years have felt like a never-ending winter for many of us, I suspect. Even when things seem reasonably “fine,” there’s a subliminal heaviness to my psyche. I feel stuck and confused, lethargic and antsy all at the same time. I want to heal.

Don’t get me wrong, wintering didn’t magically “fix” anything, but it did cause a subtle shift in me that snowballed (pardon the winter pun) into something more comfortable. Or at least less brutal.

So what does wintering look like for me, and how does it help my mental health?

Well, here are a few things I’ve tried to incorporate into my life during winter – whether they come in the months of December through February or some other time of the year:

Trust my intuition, and feel the feels. Once I accepted winters as a necessary, and perhaps even helpful part of life, I was able to accept them more easily. If I’m feeling sad or lonely, I let myself feel sad and lonely. Same thing with joy and comfort. We don’t need to ignore our sadness, or pretend it isn’t there; nor do we need to tamper our joy and contentment. We only need to trust ourselves. “Wintering,” May writes, “ is a moment of intuition, our true needs felt keenly as a knife.”

Give myself permission to rest – like, really, rest. Lying on the couch while my mind races with all the things I “should” be doing isn’t really resting. Nor is it resting if I feel guilty about how or when you rest. Wintering gives us permission to rest when and how we need. No questions asked. That means more sleep too. With darkness enveloping our home earlier, we might feel an almost circadian urge to sleep more. This is normal and good.

Get physical with wintering. In her book, May tells the story of cold water swimming (and by cold, I mean 37 degrees Fahrenheit cold). I was nearly shivering just reading about it, but there was something exhilarating about it too.

“Immersion in cold water has been shown to increase levels of dopamine, the neurotransmitter that stimulates the brain’s reward and pleasure centers, by 250 percent,” May notes in the book. “A recent study found that regular winter swimming significantly decreased tension and fatigue, as well as negative states associated with memory and mood, and improved swimmers’ sense of general wellbeing.”

I’m not going to start swimming in Lake Michigan in the middle of January, but this concept has changed my perspective. I’m more likely to blast the cold water at the end of a shower, and I was more eager to walk out into a cold mountain lake on vacation this summer, instead of sitting on the rocky shore as I would have done in the past. I feel energized and peaceful all at the same time, while also sensing a clarity that I can’t quite pinpoint. Bottom line: it feels good even if it feels uncomfortable.

Don’t be ashamed or embarrassed of the dark and difficult times. As May writes, “Everybody winters at one time or another; some winter over and over again.” In our glossy and edited social media culture, it can be easy to think that we are alone in our struggles, mental health challenges, and difficult times. But that just isn’t true.

Our inability to accept, hold space for, and even nurture our pain doesn’t come from a personality flaw or weakness, but simply because we weren’t given the tools to do otherwise. As May writes, “We’re not raised to recognize wintering or to acknowledge its inevitability. Instead, we tend to see it as a humiliation, something that should be hidden from view lest we shock the world too greatly.”

I’ve been open about my mental health challenges, but the concept of wintering has helped me be more open about these challenges in real time. I’m far more likely to say, “I am struggling” or “I’m dealing with a touch of depression right now,” than waiting until I “feel better.” And this distinction has been critical in getting the help and support so that I can actually feel better.

Wintering isn’t just cozy socks, glowing candles, and knitting while tucked under a quilt. Though it can certainly be those things too. Mostly it’s about seeing winter, and any hard or dark times in our life, for what they are – essential. Wintering is about shutting off the constant busyness and go-go-going of our lives that we sometimes use to mask our pain or anxiety or sadness so that we can recover, heal, and grow.

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Machine Gun Kelly Changes His New Album’s Name After He And Travis Barker Got Tattoos Of The Old Title

Last year, Machine Gun Kelly was so sure that he was naming his new album Born With Horns that he and collaborator Travis Barker got the title tattooed on themselves. Now, though, MGK has had a change of heart and given the album a different name. So, in a hilarious TikTok video, he had to break the news to Barker that the album is now called Mainstream Sellout.

In the clip, Barker and Kelly sit side-by-side as Kelly starts, “OK, we’re friends no matter what, right?” After getting confirmation from Barker, he continued, “Remember when, um… remember when we got the album name, the new album name, tattooed on our arms?” As Barker realizes what’s happening, he laughs and says something to the effect of, “You’re changing it.” Kelly laughs and confirms before Barker asks, “OK, what’s the new album name?” At that point, the video cuts to the album logo for Mainstream Sellout, a title that seems thematically connected to its preceding album, Tickets To My Downfall.

Back when the album was called Born With Horns, Kelly said of it, “It feels more guitar-heavy for sure, lyrically it definitely goes deeper – but I never like to do anything the same. Every album is a juxtaposition of the last album. So I went and studied ‘Tickets [To My Downfall]’, and I heard the bright sound that I had, and for this album I just turned the lights off.”

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QAnon Wackos Seem To Think Nancy Pelosi Is Sending Secret Messages About Bob Saget’s Death (Or Something)

Last week, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that she plans to run for reelection to Congress. “Our democracy is at risk because of assaults on the truth, the assault on the U.S. Capitol, and the state-by-state assault on voting rights. This election is crucial. Nothing less is at stake than our democracy,” she said in a video posted to Twitter with all the enthusiasm of a C-list actor recording a Cameo. “And that is why I am running for reelection to Congress and respectfully seek your support. I would be greatly honored by it and grateful for it.” It’s nothing you haven’t seen from a politician before — unless you’re a QAnon member, in which case you believe the video confirms, without a doubt, that MJ, I mean, Pelosi had something to do with… the death of Bob Saget?

Pelosi recorded her video (with some green screen help) in front of San Francisco’s Painted Ladies, the row of Victorian homes made famous in the Full House opening credits. SF Gate reports that “Anons speculated that the inclusion of the Painted Ladies is actually a reference to Full House, which uses the Alamo Square icons in its opening credits. And because Full House star Bob Saget recently died, this means… something.”

Here is a convincing argument from a popular QAnon forum:

“Using the ‘Painted Ladies’ the background this close to Saget’s death makes me think it’s comms,” wrote one user. (“Comms” refers to “communications,” generally used by Anons to designate supposedly hidden messages from the military or politicians.) “There are plenty of other iconic SF backgrounds that could be used. 95% of the pop couldn’t tell you where those houses are. Not that common.”

Another user agrees:

“It may very well tie-in with Sagat [sic],” another agreed, although no one could quite pin down how the death of a popular comedian relates to the re-election campaign of a longtime politician.

Hey, QAnon, I have three words for you: Cut. It. Out.

(Via SF Gate)

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The NBA Will Test Out A ‘RedZone’ Style Show On The App Called ‘CrunchTime’ On Monday

For years NBA fans have wanted the league to offer something akin to NFL RedZone, the beloved channel that takes viewers from game to game, allowing them to keep tabs on all of the action happening around the country and on various channels.

The problem is, there are some obvious differences in how football and basketball operate and the pace of games that require some changes, because every possession is a scoring chance in basketball and, as The Starters poked fun at years ago with the help of Ernie Johnson, there would be no way to try and see every bucket of every game in the same way RedZone promises every touchdown (and field goal) from every NFL game on Sundays.

However, there is a market for a channel that bounces back and forth between games that are close late, and possibly even putting a couple games on the same screen when things are tight late on a multi-game night. The folks at Turner and the NBA have apparently been thinking about this as well, and on Monday night Jared Greenberg and Steve Smith will debut a show called NBA CrunchTime on the NBA App, starting at 8:30 p.m. ET when the early games are getting into the fourth quarter.

It’s going to be interesting to see how this works, but there is a real chance that this could become something much bigger for the NBA, particularly on those Mondays and Wednesdays when there are often 10 or more games happening on the same night. For now, this is an NBA app exclusive, but if successful, it could become something for NBATV to consider adopting — or it may become a part of the League Pass package.

For now, we’ll see how it works for an eight-game night in which every game will have tipped off by 8 p.m. ET.

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Robert Pattinson, Aficionado Of Freaks And Weirdos, On Why He Wanted To Play Batman: ‘He’s A Freak!’

With The Batman getting ready to hit theaters in just a little over a month, Robert Pattinson has revealed that his agents were just as surprised as the general public when he signed on to the new take on the Dark Knight from director Matt Reeves. After becoming a teen heartthrob thanks to performance in the Twilight films, Pattinson has gravitated towards more indie fare. When he started floating it to his agents that he wanted to play Batman, they were puzzled by his sudden interest in a mainstream comic book role.

“I just kept obsessively checking up on it for the next year or so,” Pattinson said. “Even my agents were like, ‘Oh, interesting. I thought you only wanted to play total freaks?’ And I was like, ‘He is a freak!’”

As it turns out, Pattinson is a huge Batman fan, and he loves all of the films featuring his favorite freak/superhero. Via Total Film:

“I was always really looking forward to them coming out. There was the combination of just being so attracted to it, but also feeling like it’d had a lot of movies made about it, and none of them are bad movies. People kind of shit on some of them, but they’re not actually bad. They all kind of completely achieve what they set out to achieve, and they’re all really interesting, according to their time and place. I don’t know. I just had a weird instinct about it. But I’ve always loved the character.”

That wild freak, The Batman, swoops into freaking theaters on March 4.

(Via Total Film)

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‘Euphoria’ Style Watch: Season 2 Episode 4’s Best Outfits And Where To Buy Them

Welcome to Euphoria Style Watch, your shopping guide to the latest episode’s best fits and where to buy them. Last night’s episode, “You Who Cannot See, Think of Those Who Can” will forever change the way we look at hot tubs. To say episode four was “unhinged” doesn’t do it justice, it was a straight-up sh*t show.

Who had the messiest evening — Cal, Cassie, or Rue? All three of them are f*cking up (with Cal that’s been a constant) but the only person we’re really feeling sympathy for is Maddy.

We were all Kat last night.

Euphoria Style Watch
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What’s worse, being thrown up on in a hot tub on your birthday, or throwing up all over yourself while crying in a hot tub because you’re hiding a secret from your best friend whose mom has to pull you out while you’re covered with your own cheap-alcohol-induced vomit? I’m sorry, but we’re going to have to give it to Maddy here. What the hell did she do to deserve this, Cassie? Be your best friend?

At the very least, we got to see Zendaya cosplaying as Leo in Titanic, so this week wasn’t without its hilarious moments.

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Messiness aside, last night was also full of great outfits (though fewer than usual), which we’re certain a lot of people are eager to get their hands on. So we went on the hunt to find ’em all. Let’s dive into this week’s five best fits and keep our fingers crossed that next week gives us more Fez and Ashtray antics and a lot less throw-up.

Maddy — All Of It

Euphoria Style Watch
HBO

Maddy continues to be Euphoria’s best-dressed character and is probably single-handedly keeping 2022 swimwear sales afloat in these cold winter months. It’s become a bit of a running joke in this series, but at this point, the show has put Maddy in a bikini in three of four episodes, this time it was a hot tub so things make a little more sense (episode 1 kicks off the show on New Year’s Eve so it’s presumably still winter in the Euphoria universe), but unless we see some indication that we’re no longer in winter, we won’t be able to sustain our disbelief for very much longer.

Anyway, I digress. Last night Maddy rocked a lot of great outfits. The most sought-after is probably the simple satin green slip dress she wore during her long talk with Nate, unfortunately for you, that piece is nowhere to be found on the internet. Fortunately, we know the brand.

The slip dress and robe combo come courtesy of luxury womenswear brand Blumarine’s SS18 season. Currently, the brand has nothing like it, but a few “vintage” pieces can be found on aftermarket sites like Depop and Etsy. The aforementioned bikini is by Motel and is pretty affordable, but the Euphoria custom designers mixed and matched two different sets. The bottoms come from the Leyna set while the strappy top is from the Parmia set. Neither of which are available in the same black color Maddy wore, though many variations are available.

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HBO

Finally, Maddy’s birthday dress is the Devon Slip Dress by Marc Jacobs which is readily available in a XS to XL size run. Damn, Maddy is really making us work here.

Grab the bikini top and bottom here, the Marc Jacobs Devon slip dress here, and search the Blumarine satin slip here. Check out Blumarine’s current season here.

Cassie — The Party Dress & One Piece

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Oh, Cassie. I think I speak for everyone when I say: what the f*ck are you doing? Last night’s episode was an absolute mess for our girl Cassie, both figuratively and literally but we have a feeling things are going to start turning around as we enter the last half of the season. We hope.

Messiness aside, Cassie wore some pretty eye-catching outfits including this puff sleeve mini dress from NA-KD as well as a pink one-piece Gamma Wrap swimsuit by Frankies Bikini during that now-infamous hot tub scene.

Grab the mini dress here or here, and the one-piece which is available for waitlisting, here.

Fez — Ralph Lauren Sport Capsule Large Logo Polo

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There simply wasn’t enough Fez in this episode but we did get enough glimpses of Angus Cloud’s insanely popular character to notice he was rocking a Ralph Lauren Sport large logo polo shirt in blue. It’s nice to see our guy finally break free from those Palace and Supreme chains!

The shirt is a short-sleeve two-button polo made from cotton and features a classic straight fit and a colorbock colorway in black and blue.

The genuine article is currently pretty hard to find, as it’s not part of Ralph Lauren’s current season, but a few are floating around on aftermarket sites and certain retailers. Be sure to check out the rest of the Sport capsule collection here.

Find an alternate colorway long sleeve here.

Jules — Polite Worldwide Utopia T-Shirt

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HBO

We’re getting pretty sick of Jules and her antics this season but it’s sort of understandable when you consider she’s with Rue, and Rue… well, is Rue. Drug addicts don’t make for ideal partners so do us all a favor and break up already!

Jules scenes were brief this episode, but we did see her rocking an oversized t-shirt courtesy of LA-based streetwear brand Polite Worldwide. The t-shirt features an embroidered collar that reads “polite” and sports a hand-painted graphic of a sun setting behind mountains with the word “utopia” across the neckline.

Pick up the Utopia Hand Painted Shirt at Polite Worldwide’s official store.

We’re going to have to close this list at a tight four this week, there just weren’t enough outfits worth copping, unless you count Rue’s high-waisted cotton briefs, which we don’t. But if you’re looking for those you can grab them here.

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Adrien Brody On Accessing His Rage In ‘Clean’ And Playing Pat Riley In HBO’s ‘Winning Time’

In IFC’s new film Clean, Adrien Brody‘s character (also named Clean) walks through life in the margins, literally cleaning up the streets as a garbage man and through acts of kindness and care for his neighbors and neighborhood while quietly reeling from the consequences of addiction and loss that pushed him into retreat. In the corner of his eye, he sees it, though: a reason to free his rage and capacity for destructive violence on the gangster (a tremendous Glenn Fleshler) who is poisoning that neighborhood from within. A clash is inevitable and explosive when it finally does happen.

For Brody, this is a story years in the making. A passion project in the fullest sense for all the ways he influences the finished product — co-writing the script (with director and previous Bullet Head collaborator Paul Solet), producing a project that was independently financed, creating a hip-hop-centric score with myriad influences, and getting into peak shape to play a reluctant vigilante who would have preferred to stay on a path of peace.

Uproxx spoke with Brody about the years-long journey to get Clean (and his music) in front of you (it’s in theaters and available to stream on VOD now), accessing his own untapped rage, influences and homages, and playing people who overcome hardship both in this film and in his upcoming work as former LA Lakers coach and icon Pat Riley in HBO’s Winning Time.

This is more than just you on camera. This is you producing and shepherding it to life, co-writing it, doing the score. Why this film specifically [for those firsts]?

First of all, it’s a genre that I just love so much. And I haven’t found a role quite like this, where I just wanted to create a character that had complexity and was heroic in spite of being so deeply flawed. And those feelings of being a failure that crush your self-esteem and that so many of us endure and yet have to prevail… I feel like those are the real heroes. There’s so much injustice in the world. There’s so much inequality. And I wanted to tell a story that honored what’s going on around us that would still be entertaining and still fit this revenge saga vibe and be rewarding to the kind of audience that appreciates that. [It’s something] that I grew up appreciating. The kind of audience that appreciates a more character-driven artistic piece. And I feel I haven’t seen a lot of that. I wanted to create something that I guess honored all of that and all of those creative yearnings. And then the music has been another component in my life that has kind of been underserved.

I’ve worked with all these wonderful creative people in my lifetime. And I grew up in a very creative household, and I grew up in a pretty rough urban environment. And so, it’s an amalgamation of all of these influences. And I had to put it into something. It’s kind of an art project. It’s like the whole thing is really sculpting together all of these things and bringing in collaborators who I admire and appreciate, and wonderful actors like RZA and Mykelti Williamson, who I’ve worked with. It was such a painful journey, but wonderful. And it’s been a very long haul. And so, I’m really grateful.

This is such a wonderfully positive week for me, because first of all, it’s the first time anyone beyond me blasting out a couple of things on Instagram or with my boys has heard any original music from me. And I feel like it’s such a part of this world. It is a character. I get to create another character, another element of the storytelling. And that’s just really exciting creatively.

You say this is a very painful, very long process. Are you already thinking about what’s next? And also is it a package deal? If you do this again, does it have to be you doing the score, doing the music, as well as acting?

No, no, there’s no prerequisite. I don’t have any mandates for how I work or choose to work. I’m very experimental in the process. There are things I’ve learned that I’ve definitely learned the hard way, and we all do. And I’ll be a better filmmaker moving forward from those experiences. Work on the ground is the best film school you could ever have. I’m steeped in independent filmmaking. So I’ve spent a lifetime problem-solving with all the collaborators I’ve been working with whether I’m just an actor on it or not. Effects aren’t working that day, the crane doesn’t operate, the camera’s frozen, the location sucks, there’s no light? How do we pivot and keep telling that story and honor the script and honor the audience and honor all the hard work that we’re immersed in and keep going in a creative way? It’s all about problem-solving and storytelling. So yeah. I mean, I feel like if I can offer up something that I feel is an asset, I will offer it up, and I’ll do the work.

In terms of honoring the genre, how do you decide when to lean into it and when do you try to change things up a little bit? Because there are moments in some of the fight scenes where I see some definite inventiveness, but there are also moments that feel very much steeped in that genre and feel very much like a nod to some of the things that have come before. And I’m going all the way back, like Death Wish all the way to John Wick.

That’s all intentional.

Yeah, of course.

That’s all intentional. Paul Solet is just a wonderful writer, our director of the film, and I brought him on because I love his sensibilities and his understanding of the craft of screenwriting. I have yearned to do this for a long time and didn’t quite have the confidence to fully manage all of that responsibility structurally. And so, it’s both of our influences that are infused in the storytelling. We both love films from the ’70s and both grew up loving movies, like Death Wish as well. I feel like it’s really fun to create someone new and work within that space. I grew up seeing martial arts movies, my whole childhood. My dad used to take me to Canal Street in Chinatown, and we’d go see wonderful martial arts films regularly in the theater. And it was such a big influence on me. I wanted those sequences. I wanted to have a bit of creativity within that brutality. And I found them really entertaining. I still find them entertaining. But when I was young, it was so exhilarating to see your hero prevail and have these skills and someone that you don’t anticipate. It’s like, he’s the wrong guy to mess with. And he’s just the guy in the neighborhood. He’s trying to do right. He keeps his head down. He’s picking up trash, but you do not want to cross this guy.

I love that oh shit moment in the movie. I just love it so much because these guys who are so used to exerting their power and influence over their community and dominating the people in their community for their own means… He puts them all to the test, and we all want that. That’s fun and that’s rewarding. And we all need that. Frankly, we need someone to go out and clean up the streets because they’re filthy. And we live with that in our society. And in a fictional world, you can do that.

When you’re in some of these really heavy violent scenes, how do you get into that headspace? Are you channeling any kind of pushed-down rage within yourself? How do you get there to do a scene like that, where you’re just covered in blood and there’s so much physicality, so much choreography involved?

I have no shortage of … I have a deep well to dig into for lots of stuff, put it that way. And that’s the beauty of being an actor… finding a creative place for that, and for your own anger or frustrations of what’s wrong in the world around you and your own helplessness. And you can channel that. And I think lots of people can. It’s something that is an emotional technique that I’ve had a great deal of training in my lifetime and applying it. A lot of people have what it takes from their life experiences to draw from, to express real emotion. They just have to learn to suppress their inhibitions and their feelings of being self-conscious in that moment. And that’s all acting really is, is finding those truths and doing the work to get to those truths. And there’s a lot to be angry about in the world, and there’s a lot of positive solutions, but both of those need to be at your disposal in life and as a character

Totally offtopic, you’re in the upcoming Lakers show, Winning Time. And you’re playing Pat Riley. I know you can’t say a lot about that, but I’m curious what you’re tapping into to find Pat Riley.

Well, Pat had a lot of hardship and a lot to overcome as well. Pat is an amazing, inspiring human being to me and to many people and a very complex person as well. And when the show picks up, he’s not the Pat Riley that you know yet. He’s far from it. And I too understand that burning desire to, I guess, be able to apply all that I know and all that I want to share and all that I have to give to the game in my own respect and I identify [with] what he’s felt. He’s a veteran, he had a ring, he played for the Lakers, and then he had to kind of start again from a pretty humble place. And a lot of luck and perseverance and mental fortitude got him to that leadership position that he’s in now. And it’s been a long road for him.

It was very exciting to also learn about him and who I’ve always seen with the perspective that he’s got… He’s got it, but I didn’t know all that he had gone through until I did a lot of that research. And that’s all of us. That’s everybody that you see, that you feel, “Hey, they must have it great,” or, “They’re shining,” or, “They’re doing such great work.” It’s such a journey to get there. And that makes for the best characters. And that makes for people who have an understanding and from their life experiences and a sense of gratitude when they’ve overcome those obstacles or [when] they’re not facing them currently.

‘Clean’ is in select theaters and on VOD.

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‘We Don’t Talk About Bruno’ From ‘Encanto’ Completes Its Historic Rise To No. 1 On The Hot 100 Chart

On last week’s Billboard Hot 100 chart, Adele’s “Easy On Me” held onto its No. 1 spot as the Encanto hit “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” rose to No. 2. Now, on the new chart dated February 5, the two songs have swapped spots as “Bruno” rises to No. 1 for the first time, which is a historic feat for multiple reasons.

This is the first No. 1 song for all the track’s credited artists — Carolina Gaitán, Mauro Castillo, Adassa, Rhenzy Feliz, Diane Guerrero, Stephanie Beatriz, and Encanto Cast. This breaks the record for most credited artists on a No. 1 song, with seven. The previous record-holder was 2017’s “I’m The One” by DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance The Rapper, and Lil Wayne. “Bruno” is now just the second song from an animated Disney film to top the Hot 100, following “A Whole New World” from Aladdin.

Additionally, this is Lin-Manuel Miranda’s first chart-topper as a songwriter (and overall) and the first No. 1 placement for a song with only one credited songwriter since Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect” in 2017. This is a rare feat, as “Bruno” is just the 14th song penned by a single songwriter to go No. 1 since 2000.

On top of that, “Bruno” isn’t even the only Encanto song in the top ten, as “Surface Pressure” rises from No. 10 to No. 9 this week, while other musical highlights from the movie are sprinkled throughout the rest of the chart.

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

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Thandiwe Newton Thinks Sean Penn A ‘Jibbering Fool’ For His Comments About Men Being ‘Feminized’

Earlier this month, anti-skirt activist and director Sean Penn was under fire for saying some weird things. Penn told i News that he thinks men in America are “wildly feminized” in a string of strange, off-topic comments. “I don’t think that being a brute or having insensitivity or disrespect for women is anything to do with masculinity, or ever did. But I don’t think that [in order] to be fair to women, we should become them.”

In an interview with The Independent, Penn was asked to clarify his comments, maybe in an effort to have him clear the air. Instead, he doubled down, stating that “men have, in my view, become quite feminized. I have these very strong women in my life who do not take masculinity as a sign of oppression toward them. There are a lot of, I think, cowardly genes that lead to people surrendering their jeans and putting on a skirt.” Questionable.

These comments didn’t sit right with Westworld actress Thandiwe Newton, who went off on Twitter over Penn’s comments. She, very eloquently, called Penn a “jibbering fool.”

She added, “In front of your DAUGHTER!? That poor little mite. Thank God her Mum’s so dope. Please stop ruining the brilliance of #LicoricePizza with this nonsense.”

Newton is nor afraid to speak out against things that piss her off, rightfully so. And honestly, her comments about Penn are accurate!