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It’s been 18 years since the last The Matrix movie. Considering the disappointing reaction to the sequels and sister/co-director and writer Lilly needing “time away from this industry,” you could understand Lana Wachowski not wanting to return to the world of Neo and Trinity. But she found the inspiration to make The Matrix Resurrections (which brings back Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss) as a way to channel her grief.

“My dad died, then this friend died, then my mom died,” Wachowski said (via Indiewire) while speaking at the International Literature Festival Berlin, alongside co-writers Aleksandar Hemon and David Mitchell. “I didn’t really know how to process that kind of grief. I hadn’t experienced it that closely… You know their lives are going to end and yet it was still really hard. My brain has always reached into my imagination and one night, I was crying and I couldn’t sleep, and my brain exploded this whole story.”

She said that she “couldn’t have my mom and dad, yet suddenly I had Neo and Trinity, arguably the two most important characters in my life. It was immediately comforting to have these two characters alive again… This is what art does and that’s what stories do, they comfort us.”

The Matrix Resurrections comes out on December 22.

(Via Indiewire)

Lil Nas X’s “Industry Baby” video continues to cause controversy for its explicit content but when one parent decided to complain about the video’s prominence on her YouTube search, Nas had to remind them how search functions work. Other Twitter users joined in, pointing out that YouTube already has parental control functions to prevent small children from seeing inappropriate content — and while it’s far from a perfect feature, it’s probably well capable of keeping Nas’ gyrations aware from concerned parents, with just a little more effort than taking screenshots and posting angry messages on a completely different platform.

“This was the THIRD video that popped up when I searched ‘Baby videos’ on YouTube,” read the original complaint. Ordinarily, that’d be enough to garner some sympathy, but the next line kind of belied the bad faith argument the user was actually trying to make. “How much more proof do people need that they are after our kids???” Nas, who is pretty much the Shang-Chi of Twitter trolling, expertly reversed the argument with a sarcastic quote-tweet, highlighting that merely searching “baby videos” might not be the most effective method of finding quality kids’ programming.

“BREAKING NEWS,” he joked. “Local woman shocked that search results for ‘baby’ included videos with baby in the title.” Other users were quick to point out that YouTube has a wholly separate app, YouTube Kids, to circumvent exactly this concern. “Just say y’all not attentive parents and move on,” one jabbed.

Meanwhile, the phrasing of the bad faith questioning “that they are after our kids” — implying that evil gay people are out to brainwash children into … being gay, I guess? — echoed more conspiracy nonsense recently spouted by Louisiana rapper Boosie. However, true to form, Nas disarmed that line of reasoning just as deftly on last night’s MTV VMAs as he won the award for Video Of The Year for “Montero (Call Me By Your Name),” shouting out the so-called “gay agenda” in his cheeky acceptance speech. Check out more responses to YouTube’s parental control policies below.

https://twitter.com/smoke_nd_pearlz/status/1437417901313646594

The world is still mourning the shocking loss of Michael K. Williams, who died suddenly last week at the age of 54. The beloved actor had many memorable roles in his impressive career, but many know him first and foremost as Omar Little from David Simon’s The Wire.

The HBO drama remains one of the best works on television in recent memory, and Williams’ death made many remember once again the remarkable work the actor did with that role. There have been several lovely tributes to the late actor in recent days, but none were better than Simon’s tribute to the actor in the New York Times on Sunday.

Simon’s piece detailed their relationship and the weight of Williams’ work, and it also included the reveal that Williams actually reprised the character at a special appearance in New Orelans. As the author and showrunner laid out, another actor in the HBO universe often invited actors to New Orleans to have them perform in front of a live audience. And Williams showed up on “almost no notice” to play the part with ease:

Wendell Pierce, an actor native to New Orleans, would hype the local acts in the guise of his “Treme” character. I asked Mike to fly down, on almost no notice, and intro the Baltimore acts in the persona of Omar Little. He was there at the asking.

For a few hours, I watched him inhabit that character one last time. When it was over, we stood outside the club, and I watched a weight descend as he slipped back into Michael from Flatbush, the gentle, self-effacing and utterly committed professional who never gave a camera the wrong moment, but who somehow never took enough comfort from that great skill, who was always, I came to understand, looking for it to mean more.

“Was that what you wanted?” he asked. “Did that go OK?”

It’s a lovely note that brings much of what made Williams so beloved off screen to the public eye. So many of the stories that were shared in the wake of his death from those that knew him best said his on-screen persona was often so different from what people saw on HBO and in film. And while Simon said he was “ashamed” to ask a favor of Williams, it’s a perfect way to remember the actor by.

(Via New York Times)

For years now, Jimmy Fallon has occasionally devoted some Tonight Show airtime to a segment titled “Do Not Play,” as well as variants “Do Not Read” and “Do Not Game.” The point of the bit is that Fallon mocks creative works he believes are bad, which is a weirdly mean-spirited premise for the (in)famously positive and upbeat Fallon. During a recent installment of “Do Not Play,” Fallon “highlighted” the title track from Nipples, a 1969 album by German free jazz musician Peter Brötzmann. Now, Brotzmann has offered a response.

Rolling Stone describes Brötzmann as “a well-revered free jazz musician with more than 50 years of experience and praise under his belt,” and an in email to the publication, Brötzmann wrote, “We both know that the world is full of ignorants and stupidos, one more or less, who cares.”

He continued, “This little snippet I got from friends all over the world and my reaction was laughter. The only thing that annoys me a bit is that this 1969-made piece is a milestone in at least European free music history. I don’t know these American TV shows but I know that it is a serious TV station, so after a couple of days I am asking myself, sitting here at my kitchen table, is there something behind, not just an out-of-order-joke? Well …. again… who cares.”

During the segment, Fallon takes delight in the album’s title before sarcastically pretending to enjoy the music, which, given that it’s free jazz, isn’t as accessible or traditionally structured as something like a contemporary pop hit. He then offers an unoriginal joke: “That sounds like a Guitar Center on a busy Saturday.”

In a positive review, AllMusic’s Lang Thompson describes Nipples as “something of a free jazz cult item” that’s beloved by Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore. The review notes of the track Fallon would go on to poke fun at, “They create a swirl of sound with saxes locking into repeated riffs that generally change slowly but sometimes take abrupt leaps while the drum, bass, and guitar roll in waves and the piano jumps in with hyperactive runs. The music’s dense, everything-at-once nature sometimes makes it seem like a hot-headed competition, but in the end it’s the musician’s construction of intricately detailed patterns that really matter.”

Check out the “Do Not Play” segment below.

Ever since the Nintendo Switch came out all the way back in 2017, yes it’s really been that long, it has held firm at a price of $300. While it’s not common for a console to go so long without a price drop, this price has always made sense for the Switch. It has always been the least expensive console on the market compared to what Sony and Microsoft are offering and it’s also significantly less powerful. Especially compared to the current generation PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. However, with the announcement of the OLED model we may finally be seeing a change in pricing for the Switch.

Rumors have been circulating over the last few days that the Switch would be dropping in price sometime in the near future. While those of us in the states have yet to see a price drop, these rumors may have been confirmed by a recent drop over in the UK/Europe. The UK/European version of the Switch dropped from £279.99/€329.99 to £259.99/€299.99. This is adding further flame to rumors that a price drop will be occurring in the United States sooner rather than later.

A price drop for the Switch makes sense when we take into consideration that Nintendo is releasing a “superior” model in the near future with the OLED. While the OLED is not going to perform better than the current Switch under the hood, we do know that it has an improved screen and is made to better perform as a mobile console. That new model is going to cost $350 at launch. Meanwhile, the current version is four years older and also at a $350 price tag. Without a price drop that would be Nintendo basically admitting that this “new” model isn’t that much of an improvement compared to a four-year-old console.

What gave a lot of people pause with the upcoming OLED model is that there have been rumors of a “Switch Pro” persisting for a couple of years now. This Switch is supposed to stand closer to the same footing as current-generation consoles, and the OLED model definitely doesn’t do that. If that’s not the case then a new more powerful Switch should be on the way right? If we take Nintendo at their word, that won’t be happening anytime soon.

It’s unfortunate that we won’t be getting a next-generation Switch anytime soon, but the current model does have a plethora of good games to play on it. So it’s not like we’re limited. Even better is, since the OLED really isn’t that much of an improvement, fans can wait for an expected price drop to get all those games at a slight discount. Big wins for everyone that enjoys video games.

As the second season of Ted Lasso enters its last batch of episodes, negotiations are already under way to get Season 3 fired up, and members of the cast are looking at some significant raises. Lasso himself, Jason Sudeikis, is reportedly scoring $1 million per episode for Season 3 while series regulars like Hannah Waddingham, Juno Temple, Brett Goldstein (who is a real person and not CGI), and Brendan Hunt will see their paychecks double. Of course, it probably didn’t hurt that Ted Lasso Season 2 came out of the gate with record-breaking numbers for Apple TV. Via The Hollywood Reporter:

Sources say negotiations have been ongoing for the past month or so with central cast members including Emmy nominees Hannah Waddingham (Rebecca), Goldstein, Juno Temple (Keeley) and Hunt, who all scored raises that take them from the $50,000-$75,000 range they earned per episode for seasons one and two to the $125,000-$150,000 territory. Sources say Waddingham, Temple and Goldstein have already closed rich new deals for season three, joining Sudeikis. Goldstein also negotiated a second payday for his role as writer and exec producer on the series.

Of course, the big question mark is whether or not the pop culture juggernaut will go past a third season. Sudeikis was saying as recently as June that he doesn’t have any future plans after Season 3. “But the story that’s being told — that three-season arc — is one that I see, know and understood,” Sudeikis told Entertainment Weekly. “I’m glad that they are willing to pay for those three seasons. As far as what happens after that, who knows? I don’t know.”

It should be noted that during that same interview, Sudeikis made a joke about the “iMoney truck,” and by the looks of things, Apple is readily backing that baby up to his front door.

(Via The Hollywood Reporter)

James Blake is about a month out from releasing his latest album, Friends That Break Your Heart, and just a few days from kicking off his North American tour. So far, he’s shared two album singles, “Life Is Not The Same” and “Say What You Will.” Now, Blake has a third single to share: the spare, soulful “Famous Last Words,” which premiered today on Zane Lowe’s Apple Music show. With a sparse synth melody and pulsating beat, “Famous Last Words” will no doubt be a welcome addition to the UK singer’s catalog.

Opening up to British GQ about his latest album title, Blake recently said, “It’s a Ronseal title,” adding, “It feels relevant to the moment, if I may say so myself, because a lot of us had to contend with friendships where we weren’t getting what we needed out of them. Maybe we were moving on or people were moving on without us.”

Blake continued, discussing how confusing it can be when friendships fade out: “It’s a kind of relationship that doesn’t really have a protocol for when it ends. With romantic relationships we know what to do and we know what to expect. Love songs and films have told us and other people know what to expect of us when we’re heartbroken in that way. Friendship breakups don’t carry the same level of acknowledged gravitas. People just go: ‘Well, you can get more friends. There are plenty more of those.’”

Listen to “Famous Last Words” above.

Friends That Will Break Your Heart is out 10/8 via Republic. Pre-order it here.

Remember that jacket former First Lady Melania Trump wore when visiting the children at the border? Well, that “I Really Don’t Care” slogan wasn’t just a fashion statement; it might be her catchphrase for any and every political disaster of her husband’s adminstration.

Case in point: Claims from a new book authored by former Trump aide and the First Lady’s Chief of Staff Stephanie Grisham details how little Melania could be bothered about the violent insurrection happening just a couple of miles from the White House on Jan. 6th. Mrs. Trump apparently spent the day directing a photoshoot of the new rug she had installed at the White House while her husband inspired an angry mob to storm Capitol Hill and threaten our democratic process. According to Politico, Grisham sent the First Lady a text as the riots broke out, asking if she’d like to address the situation publicly.

“Do you want to tweet that peaceful protests are the right of every American, but there is no place for lawlessness and violence?” Grisham reportedly asked Mrs. Trump.

Her response? One word. ‘No.’

It took Trump five days to issue a statement on the attacks and, when she did, she opted for fairly soft language when condemning the insurrectionists and spent more time addressing the attacks aimed at her character. According to Politico, Grisham takes the time to break down why Mrs. Trump seemed so apathetic to what was happening on Capitol Hill. Grisham says she was “shocked” to learn that Melania, like her husband, actually believed the 2020 Presidential Election to be “stolen,” saying the First Lady told her “something bad happened” when discussing issues of voter fraud. This seems to be in line with comments made by Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, a former close friend of Melania’s who wrote in an op-ed for The Daily Beast that she was “complicit in the destruction of America.”

This will, undoubtedly, be a blow for Melania sympathizers who might wish to believe the former First Lady was merely an unwilling participant in her husband’s tyrannical reign.

Drake’s new album Certified Lover Boy, which unsurprisingly debuted at No.1 on the Billboard 200, also holds the historical distinction of making him the first artist to have nine top-ten songs on the Hot 100 chart in the same week. However, Drake isn’t the only one to benefit from this achievement; Billboard also reports that Jay-Z, who appears on “Love All,” also collects another career milestone: His 22nd career top-10 hit.

Jay-Z and Mariah Carey — who were both recently the subjects of a (refuted) rumor about them falling out — now share the distinction of being the only artists with top 10 hits in the ’90s, ’00s, ’10s, and ’20s. it’s also Jay’s first top-10 since appearing on his wife Beyonce’s 2013 hit “Drunk In Love,” which peaked at No. 2 on the Hot 100. Incidentally, he actually would have had his 23rd top-10 hit had his feature on Kanye West’s Donda been credited as such — since his name doesn’t appear on the official tracklisting for “Jail,” he apparently had to wait a week for his latest feature to count. Jay was among an array of artists who appeared on both albums, drawing a fair amount of attention and prompting a Twitter trending topic thanks to his close proximity to both.

Drake’s new album Certified Lover Boy is a truly unprecedented commercial success. Over the weekend, it was revealed the album debuted at No. 1 with the biggest week of the year so far, and now the album is dominating the Billboard Hot 100 chart in ways the music world has never seen. The top ten spots of the chart were revealed today, and of those ten, nine of them are songs from Certified Lover Boy. Drake is now the first artist to ever have nine top-ten songs in the same week.

Debuting at No. 1 is Drake’s “Way 2 Sexy” featuring Future and Young Thug. After that is “Girls Want Girls” featuring Lil Baby at No. 2, “Fair Trade” featuring Travis Scott at No. 3, “Champagne Poetry” at No. 4, “Knife Talk” featuring 21 Savage and Project Pat at No. 5, “In The Bible” featuring Lil Durk and Giveon at No. 7, “Papi’s Home” at No. 8, “TSU” at No. 9, and “Love All” featuring Jay-Z at No. 1o. The only non-Drake song in this week’s top ten is The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber’s “Stay.” Overall, all 21 songs from Certified Lover Boy debut in the top 40 of this week’s chart.

This list of records that this sets is extensive, even beyond the aforementioned accolades. Certified Lover Boy has more top-ten songs than any album in history; Michael Jackson’s Thriller, Bruce Springsteen’s Born In The USA, Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814, and Drake’s own Scorpion all have seven top-ten songs on the Hot 100.

Furthermore, Drake and The Beatles are now the only two artists to ever dominate the entire top five spots of the chart. Drake’s total of five songs to debut at No. 1 ties Ariana Grande for the most ever. Drake has also extended his records for the most career top-ten songs (54), most top-40 hits (140), and total Hot 100 entries (258).