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One NBA scout is not a particularly big fan of Cleveland Cavaliers guard Collin Sexton, and one of Sexton’s now-former teammates has a problem with how he was described. Scouts spoke to Sports Illustrated as part of a piece where they were given anonymity in exchange for their complete thoughts on every team in the league — a not uncommon thing to read over the course of a sports’ particular calendar — and when it came time for the Cavs, one scout in particular unloaded on the team’s fourth-year guard, calling him “an asshole” and saying that “none of his teammates like him.”

While Sexton is by no means a perfect basketball player, these sorts of remarks go beyond talking about what he can and cannot do on the basketball court. It got plenty of criticism from the basketball watching world, with one of Sexton’s former teammates, Larry Nance, coming to his defense.

Nance and Sexton were teammates on the Cavaliers for each of Sexton’s first three years in the league. While they are no longer on the same team — Nance was sent to the Portland Trail Blazers as part of a three-team trade involving the Chicago Bulls — Nance was perhaps the most outspoken member of the Cavs’ roster over the last few years and is as good a person as there is to provide perspective on how things work in that locker room.

Netflix’s Maya And The Three is a nine-part animated series inspired by the vibrant mythology of the Aztecs, Mayas, Incas, and modern-day Caribbean culture. While the series premieres on October 22nd, the first song by Kali Uchis from the soundtrack is here and the video serves as a preview for a show that is certainly meant for an audience of more than just kids.

Written by Academy Award winners Paul Williams and Gustavo Santaolalla, “It Is Meant To Be” opens with Kali Uchis chilly hum. Latin guitar, tribal drums, and a pipe flute that sounds like it was recorded in an ancient temple join her, as the series’ titular hero embarks on an adventurous journey in the video. There’s also a Spanish language version of the lyric video promised.

Starring Zoe Saldaña as Princess Maya and Gabriel Iglesias as Picchu, Maya And The Three also has Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna (who seem to only take projects that they’re both involved in. Totally not complaining though, swoon.) Other voices cameos include Queen Latifah, Cheech Marin, Danny Trejo, and Rosie Perez.

The Maya And The Three soundtrack is out October 22nd via Interscope. You can stream the series beginning that same day on Netflix here.

Mega-producer Jerry Bruckheimer is an outlier in an industry of ever-shifting tastes that’s always searching for new power brokers with a hot hand. He has staying power, with a name synonymous for big things — be they on-screen explosions, hero shots, or box office favorites like Bad Boys, Pirates Of The Caribean, Con Air, and I really could go on for a while.

For years, Bruckheimer has also dabbled in television, most notably producing CSI, a show whose concoction of tried and true procedural notes and tech geek visuals doesn’t get enough credit as a game-changing crowdpleaser at the turn of the century (which, incidentally, just launched a comeback on CBS). Now, Bruckheimer is focused on talking about Hightown, a gritty Starz series [whose 2nd season premieres Sunday) about murder, drugs, crime, cops, and betrayal in Cape Cod with Monica Raymund’s Jackie Quiñones at the center of it all. And in this chat with Uproxx, we do exactly that while also discussing the nature of our collective interest in damaged characters and redemption stories, the state of the worldwide box office, why he never made a Marvel movie, and the challenge of trying to reboot or remake ’80s faves like Top Gun and Beverly Hills Cop.
What can you share that’s sort of changed around [from season one to season two] as we head into the premiere?

Well, I think it’s these characters. These characters are deep, some of them very damaged. Is there redemption for some of these characters? Can they turn it around? Do they go deeper into the hole? We introduce new characters. So you have new characters to follow and follow their arcs. But Rebecca [Cutter, series creator] is such an amazing writer and she does such a fabulous job, and that’s what drew me to the project. I read her script, and I said, “What a fabulous voice.” I haven’t seen this verisimilitude, this reality of these characters. To me, they are so real, and so vibrant, and damaged, and all looking to… some of them [are looking] to do the right thing. But they can’t get out of their own way.

What’s your role in terms of the collaboration? Are you more hanging back and just offering advice when it’s sought? Are you more hands-on?

Well, they really run their shows. What I do is, we have Jonathan [Littman], KristieAnne [Reed] and some of our team are really in the weeds. I’m not in the weeds, but I read every script. I give notes when they’re appropriate, but they [the showrunners] are so good, I rarely have anything to add. And then I watch every episode and we’ll give notes again to them. So of all, I don’t think I’ve missed one of our episodes of all the television that we’ve done.

What is it about redemption stories and damaged characters that keep people coming back for more?

I think they, the audience, always wants the characters that they love and follow to be redeemed. They want it for themselves. They want it for their entertainment. I think you always… you want a satisfying ending. Not always a happy ending, but you want something that’s satisfying. That has a beginning, middle, and end. And with television, with these serialized shows like our show, you want to keep the audience engaged. You want to keep giving them new characters they can follow. And you put up roadblocks for certain characters that they love on our show. You’re always sitting there with a Coke in your hand (or whatever you do at home) and you’re hoping the character makes the right turn and you’re rooting for them.

Hightown isn’t this kind of situation, but you’ve attempted adaptations of some of your projects that have been huge on the big screen before, like for instance, a Beverly Hills Cop TV show. What are some of the challenges of trying to cross the expanse of multiple decades between when something was successful and now in addition to trying to do it within a different medium with a different cast?

It’s a really good question and very hard to do because the audience wants the same experience, but not the same thing. You fight it and sometimes we’re successful at it and sometimes we’re not. You walk a tightrope. You walk a tightrope of trying to give them something that they loved in the past and yet give them something new. And that’s really important. You don’t want to just have a replay of the original.

We just finished… unfortunately [it was] a long time ago, a year ago, Top Gun, which is a sequel, and it’s one of those. I hope you get to see it because it’s, they tell me it’s really good. I love it, but I never talk about stuff until after it comes out. It really walks the line of something that makes you feel nostalgic about what you saw that was 30 years ago, 35 years ago, and it gives you a new story and new characters to follow, and follow the arc of our lead and how he’s changed. But I think at the end of it, you feel the same kind of feeling, at least I did, that I felt after I saw the first Top Gun.

How intently focused are you on the box office performance of films that are coming out now? To see… “Okay, there’s light at the end of this tunnel, things are going to go back.” I mean, do you think things are going to go back to normal with the theatrical experience being somewhat preserved, or are you a little more cynical about it?

Well, I think based on what I’ve seen box office-wise the last few weekends, people are coming back. Definitely coming back. The reason Top Gun isn’t out yet [is] we want the world to come back. I think it’s a worldwide movie. You go to the Far East and other places, they’re not quite there yet, but they’re getting close. I’ve talked to people who’ve, are in Italy and people are back out on the streets. They’re wearing masks, but they’re back. They’re coming back to theaters. I think Bond opened last weekend and did phenomenally [well]. So they’re coming back. Look, everybody wants, loves that communal experience. There’s nothing better than watching a comedy or watching a big action flick in the theater and enjoying the excitement that the audience brings to it. I always use the analogy that, you have a kitchen in your house, right? You eat at home, but yet you still want to go out. You still want to get out of your house and taste something else. It’s the same thing with the theater. There’re certain movies where you really want to have that big-screen experience.

You’ve made very specific kinds of films in your career. Very specific, big-budget, action films, and Marvel movies are this other sort of unique thing. Have you ever been interested in doing one of them?

I admire the people who make them. They’re really enormously talented and… their casting is great, their storytelling is great, their productions are enormous. They do a phenomenal job. I wish I could do something like that. We dabble a little. We have a show called Secret Headquarters with Owen Wilson that’ll come out next Summer. That kind of dabbles in the superhero world. But they are so good at their craft.

Was there ever a time when there was almost a crossover or has there never been an opportunity [to work with Marvel]?

Unfortunately not. Those titles were usually owned by people who either didn’t want to hurt the brand, put it in a big movie, or didn’t want to spend the money that it really needed. Marvel, when they came out, they did it right. They really went out there and with the first Iron Man, they went out and made big entertainment and spent the money on visual effects that you need to do.

‘Hightown’ Season 2 Premieres Sunday At 9PM ET on Starz

There’s little that screams “fall food” quite like bone broth — well, maybe pumpkin pie. An unctuous and deeply satisfying cup of broth really soothes the soul as the leaves fall and the rain slaps at our windows.

Rendering a quality broth from beef bones takes time though. There are short cuts — like pressure cookers — but the real-deal broth is really just about low and slow cooking. Some recipes will tell you that you need at least 24 hours or even 48 hours to make a “proper” bone broth. While the longer time does mean more depth of flavor, you really can get this done in about ten hours, maybe even nine. That’s what we’re going to do today, a nice 10-hour middle ground.

Before we start, it’s worth mentioning that bone broth recipes are like anything in cooking. There are as many recipes and tricks as there are kitchens in the world. This is how I do it, and it gets the job done without taking forever (barely). It’s also a delicious end product that properly turns to jelly when cooled, revealing that it has the collagen folks that health-conscious folks love.

Okay, let’s get simmering.

Bone Broth

Ingredients:

Makes about 2 liters or 1/2 gallon.

• 5-lbs. beef bones
• Water
• 2 large carrots
• 1 yellow onion
• 1 leek
• 4 fresh bay leaves
• 1 sprig of fresh sage
• 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
• 4 Mushrooms
• 10 black peppercorns
• Whole garlic bulb
• Salt + Pepper to taste

When it comes to which bones to use, I just get scrap bones from the butcher. You don’t want marrow-heavy bones as that’ll add too much fat and create a metallic-tasting broth. You do want a little sinew, fat, and meat still on the bone but only barely. You can see the scrap bones I used below.

As for the rest, it’s really up to you. If you want to add in some spice, throw some dried chilis in there. The one thing you really need is vinegar. The vinegar helps pull the nutrients from the bones and adhere them to the broth, creating a rich and nourishing final product.

What You’ll Need:

• Large stockpot
• Cookie sheet with rack
• Foil
• Cutting board
• Kitchen knife
• Large spoon
• Sieve
• Extra pot
• Airtight container
• Cheesecloth (optional)

Method:

• Preheat your oven to around 400 to 450f.
• Line a cookie sheet with foil and then place a wire rack on it.
• Place the bones on the rack and hit with salt and pepper.
• Roast the bones for about 90 minutes, or until well-browned.
• In the meantime, roughly chop all the veg and herbs. Cut the garlic bulb in half, exposing the cloves along the horizontal.
• Load the roasted bones into a large stockpot (I had to use two).
• Add the herbs and veg and top with cold water.
• On low heat, bring the pot to a very, very bare simmer.
• As the water heats up, skim the scum from the top of the pot with a large spoon and discard. You’ll need to do this for the first hour-ish.
• Once the scum stops rising to the top, place an ajar lid over the pot and make sure the heat is on its lowest setting.
• Let it barely simmer for another nine-ish hours, checking every hour or so. Skim any scum as it comes up. Try not to jostle or stir the pot. Just let it be.
• The water level will go down anywhere from 1/4 to 1/2 after nine hours. Then, you’re done.
• Set up a sieve with a cheesecloth (optional) over a smaller stockpot.
• Use the spoon to scoop out all the big bones and any sinew that’s come loose.
• Run the bone broth through the sieve to strain all residual bits from the broth.
• Pour the bone broth into a waiting vessel that you can seal and refrigerate.

Optional:

• The next day, a thin layer of fat will have formed on the top of the bone broth. Use a spoon to remove if you like.
• Once reheated, run the bone broth through a coffee filter to further filter the fine particulates from the broth before serving with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Bottom Line:

I usually skip those last two steps. I like my bone broth a little murky. We’re talking about bone broth here and not a demi-glace or consomme. It’s supposed to be down and dirty.

If you’ve done this right, the bone broth will turn into a jelly when you cool it down. All that gelatin should have leached out of the bones and connective tissues. This is a photo of what you’re aiming for.

Overall, this is delicious. I’ve done the 24-hour and 48-hour cooks before (only in pro kitchens) and, sure, those are deeper than this. But, I’d argue not by enough to make it worth the time at home. Maybe if I was making a demi, I’d go the full 24-hours but, again, that’s not why we’re here (also, this will make a perfectly good demi-glace base).

The sweetness of the veg comes through the heft of bones and beef. It’s deeply delicious and so nourishing. I can’t wait to drink a mug of this for breakfast every day this week. It really only needs a flake or two of salt to really pop.

The Dave Chappelle controversy just keeps getting worse for Netflix. The streaming giant has reportedly fired the organizer of the trans employee walkout set for October 20. Calling it a “day of rest,” trans employees were encouraged to not report to work in an effort to let Netflix know that “we challenge the very principles of our company.” However, as news of the walkout broke, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos continued to double down on his defense of streaming Chappelle’s controversial new special, The Closer, and now, the organizer of the event, who is reportedly Black and pregnant, has been terminated. Via The Verge:

“All these white people are going around talking to the press and speaking publicly on Twitter and the only person who gets fired is the Black person who was quiet the entire time,” says a former employee in an interview with The Verge. “That’s absurd, and just further shows that Black trans people are the ones being targeted in this conversation.”

According to a Netflix spokesperson, the employee in question has been fired for allegedly leaking internal metrics that were featured in a Bloomberg report on how much Chappelle’s special cost as well as its return on investment for the streaming service.

“We have let go of an employee for sharing confidential, commercially sensitive information outside the company,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “We understand this employee may have been motivated by disappointment and hurt with Netflix, but maintaining a culture of trust and transparency is core to our company.”

(Via The Verge)

The success of Netflix’s Squid Game cannot be overstated. Since hitting the streaming service last month, the survival drama has skyrocketed to Netflix’s most watched series of all time, crashing websites, garnering plenty of Emmy buzz, and spawning real-life versions of show’s dark competition as it blazes the trail for Korean television in North America. Naturally with such success, there’s one big question on everyone’s mind: will there be a season two? While Netflix and creator Hwang Dong-hyuk have kept quiet about what’s next for the show, Hwang has now confirmed it’s a possibility.

In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Hwang opened up about how personal Squid Game‘s story was to him, being “dumbfounded” by the show’s success, and the possibility of working with Netflix on a second season. While Hwang stated he felt the way season one ended provided “good closure for the whole story,” ending with the powerful message that “you should not be dragged along by the competitive flow of society, but that you should start thinking about who has created the whole system — and whether there is some potential for you to turn back and face it,” the writer and director says there are still plenty of stories he could work with.

“There are some other stories in the series that have not been addressed. For example, the story of the police officer and the story of his brother, the Front Man. So if I end up creating season two, I’d like to explore that storyline — what is going on between those two brothers? And then I could also go into the story of that recruiter in the suit who plays the game of ddakji with Gi-hun and gives him the card in the first episode. And, of course, we could go with Gi-hun’s story as he turns back, and explore more about how he’s going to navigate through his reckoning with the people who are designing the games. So, I don’t know yet, but I’ll just say there are a lot of possibilities out there for season two storylines.”

Whether or not we’ll see these stories play out is still up in the air, as neither Netflix nor Hwang have confirmed they’ll be reuniting for a second season or any additional spinoff projects. According to Hwang, he is still undecided on if he should even do another season, as with “such a big audience waiting for season two,” the “pressure” on the creator is “huge now.” However, Hwang also stated the amount of love for Squid Game could be seen as ” a big box of inspiration” for what’s to come.

“The pressure on me is huge now, with such a big audience waiting for a season two. Because of all that pressure, I haven’t decided yet whether or not I should do another season. But if you look at it in a positive way, because so many people loved season one and are expecting good things for season two, there are people everywhere in the world offering their opinions about where the show should go. I could actually pull ideas from fans all around the world to create the next season. I think that’s what I’m wrestling with right now — that I shouldn’t just view it as a huge amount of pressure, but think of all of this love and support I’m receiving as a big box of inspiration that I can leverage for season two.”

The old fashioned is a great drink any time of year. The cocktail was created to go back to the “old fashioned” way cocktails were made, before things got too complicated. But there are a few riffs on the classic formula that we love, too, and today we’re going to share a perfect gem for the season.

The recipe comes from Lynn House, who came up in the Chicago bartending scene before becoming the National Brand Educator at Heaven Hill Brands. House’s riff sticks with the core elements of the drink but also features apple-cinnamon syrup — adding those autumnal flavors we all crave this time of year.

Check the full recipe below and try to mix up a few of these this weekend. God knows it’s better than another pumpkin-spiced latte.

Fall Fashion

Ingredients:

• 2-oz. Small batch bourbon
• 0.5-oz. apple cider syrup
• 3 dashes of Fee Brothers Old Fashioned Bitters
• 1 lemon peel for garnish
• Ice

While House’s recipe calls for Elijah Craig Small Batch bourbon, I decided to use their barrel proof. What’s that eyebrow raise all about? It’s Friday, folks.

You should be able to grab a bottle of Fee Brothers Old Fashioned Bitters from most liquor stores or online outlets. The only thing you’ll need to make ahead is the apple-cinnamon syrup. It only takes about 15 minutes and is very low impact. We explain the process below.

For the syrup:

• 2 cups apple cider or unfiltered apple juice
• 3/4 cup cane sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick

What You’ll Need:

• Cocktail Jug
• Cocktail strainer
• Old Fashioned glass
• Barspoon
• Jigger
• Fruit Peeler
• Small pot
• Wooden spoon
• Medium bottle

Method:

• First, make the syrup. Add the apple juice, sugar, and cinnamon stick to a small pot. Bring to a very light simmer while stirring in the sugar until it dissolves. Lightly simmer until the juice reduces by about one-quarter and the sugars start to brown/caramelize. Remove from heat. Remove the cinnamon stick. Pour into a small bottle and refrigerate to cool.
• Prechill your old fashioned glass in a freezer.
• Add the whiskey, bitters, and apple cider syrup to a cocktail jug.
• Fill about 2/3 with ice and stir with a barspoon until the outside of the jug is frosted over.
• Retrieve the glass from the freezer.
• Fill the glass with fresh ice.
• Strain the cocktail into the waiting glass.
• Peel a lemon peel the size of your thumb from the lemon.
• Spritz the lemon oils over the cocktail and rub the peel around the rim of the glass and the body. Drop the peel into the glass.
• Serve.

Bottom Line:

Wow! This slaps hard this time of year. The cinnamon/apple base tastes like rain pattering outside your window. That lemon oil really helps lighten and brighten those stewed flavors. And the bourbon really pops.

I’m so glad I have a fair amount of this syrup. I’m definitely going to be putting this in hot toddies, dark rum old fashioneds, and much more all fall long. It’s light but really conjures the season.

As The Batman gets ready to have a sizable presence at Saturday’s DC FanDome event, the film’s official Twitter account and director Matt Reeves have been dropping tiny nuggets of Bat-gold to build up hype for what is almost certainly going to be a new trailer release.

First out of the gate is a look at the new Bat-signal, courtesy of a brief clip featuring Robert Pattinson‘s Batman delivering the ominous line, “It’s not just a signal; it’s a warning,” in his best Bat-voice.

Up next, Reeves shared a shot from the imminent new trailer that shows Pattinson’s Batman watching the sun rise on Gotham City after a night of presumably punching the crap out of evil:

And, as of this post, the latest Bat-goodie is a set of character posters that includes the best look at Paul Dano’s Riddler yet. Clearly, he’ll be taking the character in a very different direction than Jim Carrey’s performance in Batman Forever. Or not? Who knows? Maybe he’ll bust out tights halfway through.

In addition to the trailer drop, Pattinson and co-star Zoë Kravitz will reportedly make an appearance at DC FanDome where we’ll presumably get a closer look at her new spin on Catwoman. The fan event kicks off at 1 PM EST/10 AM PST on October 16.

(Via The Batman on Twitter)

Numerous reasons for Ben Simmons’ trade request out of Philadelphia have been reported and speculated upon over the past few months, including a fractured relationship with the organization or comments from head coach Doc Rivers and Joel Embiid following the team’s 2020-21 playoff exit. According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, though, it’s not about those components. Simmons simply yearns for a restart elsewhere.

Per Shelburne, over the summer, Simmons’ agent, Rich Paul, arranged a meeting in Los Angeles among the All-Star guard, Rivers, and Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey. There, Rivers and Morey designed to persuade Simmons to change his mind and recommit to the team rather than continuing to prefer a trade. After Simmons listened to their messages, he explained his perspective.

“He didn’t dwell on Rivers’ or Embiid’s quotes from after the Sixers’ Game 7 loss to the Hawks. He didn’t say he felt betrayed by being included in the Sixers’ attempts to trade for Harden last fall,” Shelburne wrote. “His first three years in the league, the Sixers had such a bright spotlight on them and so much early success, he told them, that he didn’t feel like he could make the mistakes other top draft picks were afforded. His growing pains were too public and consequential. He needed to start over, he said, in a place where he ‘could make mistakes.’ ”

The idea that Simmons felt uncomfortable experimenting with his game on a team that entered the last three years eyeing a deep playoff run or a title is understandable. To some degree, it’s also an indictment on his training habits for not reaching a point as an outside shooter, post scorer, driver, and face-up hub where he can effectively utilize those skills frequently.

A low-stakes environment where youthful development is encouraged or prioritized over wins and losses could, in theory, be more conducive to offensive growth for him. Taking more jumpers and missing more jumpers on a team jockeying for home-court advantage, for example, is harder to justify than it is on a team where the lottery is the endgame for a few years. Not every situation, even one where there’s lots of winning like Philadelphia, breeds the same context for individual players. Every human is different and responds in varying ways to these opportunities.

Again, Simmons shoulders the foremost culpability for his offensive shortcomings and this isn’t to blame the Sixers for being too good. That’d be an absurd sentiment. But he’s also correct that his development, or lack thereof, was magnified because of Philadelphia’s success in a manner most young guys do not experience.

Simmons and the Sixers being so good so quickly into his tenure is a testament, in part, to him and his abilities. To be relied upon so greatly as a rookie is a luxury, one he doesn’t feel allowed for the most widespread expansion of his skill-set. It’s fair to be skeptical of whether or not he’d be a completely different and better player on a team with fewer immediate expectations, though it is not hard to see why he believes that and also why, to others, it may appear he’s avoiding accountability.

Jamila Woods and Peter CottonTale are two of Chicago hip-hop’s most illustrious minds. Woods is a noted singer, poet, and activist whose 2019 album LEGACY! LEGACY! paid tribute to Black luminaries and rightfully cracked the top 25 of our Uproxx Music Critic’s Poll that year. CottonTale came up as a core producer for the breakthrough material of Chance The Rapper, Vic Mensa, and Woods, and has recently claimed credits with the likes of DJ Khaled and Justin Bieber.

Now the the pair have joined forces for the latest single “WYD (You Got Me)” and it manages to preserve the feeling of summer sunshine as winter starts to creep in. There’s a childlike melody to the tune, reminiscent of the innocence of summer cookouts and spending time with friends and family. There’s autotune vocals sprinkled throughout from both, but Woods’ voice is as sweet as peach pie. The hook is definitely something we’ll be repeating as she sings: “Good evenin’, I called you. I hope you will see that. So hit me as soon as you see this. I’ll be there in times when you need me… to be there, someone you can lean on. When I see ya. If it’s something you needed, believe me. If got it. If you got it. You got me.”

The song is part of the new film Summertime. Directed by Blindspotting‘s Carlos López Estrada, it weaves the tale of 27 different youth spoken poets throughout the streets of Los Angeles.

Watch the video for “WYD (You Got Me)” above and watch the very cool trailer for Summertime below.