Since the day it happened, Kurt Cobain’s death has been the subject of numerous conspiracy theories, so much so that documentaries have been made about them. Now it has been revealed that some of these theories were officially acknowledged by the FBI: Recently, the Bureau shared its file on the Nirvana leader. As Rolling Stone points out, the file was quietly shared online in April, without comment from the FBI.
The file is only ten pages long and the main features are letters about Cobain’s death that were sent to the FBI, as well as the Bureau’s responses. The response letters are nearly identical in their phrasing, and one reads:
“We appreciate your concern that Mr. Cobain may have been the victim of a homicide. However, most homicide investigations generally fall within the jurisdiction of state or local authorities. In order for the FBI to initiate an investigation of any complaint we receive, specific facts must be present to indicate that a violation of federal law within our investigative jurisdiction has occurred. Based on the limited information you provided, we are unable to identify any violation of federal law within the investigative jurisdiction of the FBI. We are, therefore, unable to take any investigative action in this case.”
There are multiple Muppets-themed Christmas movies and specials, most notably The Muppets Christmas Carol (a masterpiece), but Halloween has been sadly overlooked in the Muppets canon. The Muppets wiki notes that “the Muppets have made several attempts at producing Halloween-themed television specials,” but none of them came to fruition, even though Uncle Deadly could serve as in-house Vincent Price. But this fall, Disney is finally giving the Muppets a spooky adventure in Muppets Haunted Mansion.
The special will take place on Halloween, obviously, when Gonzo is “challenged to spend one very daring night in the most grim grinning place on Earth.” That would be the Haunted Mansion, a top-five ride at the Disney parks. (Disney should promise that if everyone with a Disney+ subscription watches Muppets Haunted Mansion, Muppet*Vision 3D will never be taken down.) Muppets Haunted Mansion will “feature a star-studded Muppets cast, celebrity cameos, all-new music, and spooky fun for families to enjoy together,” according to Disney+. As part of the “Halfway to Halloween” event, the streaming service also released a teaser for the special featuring Gonzo and Pepe the King Prawn. I like the talking crustacean, especially when he’s dressed like the Rock, but seeing Gonzo with anyone other than Rizzo is not right. Get those two back together and let them narrate more movies.
For weeks, we’ve been quietly hoping that Steve and Ian would dedicate an episode of Indiecast to the evolution and purported impending comeback of ska. Well, that day has finally arrived, as this week’s episode is all about talkin’ ska. For the uninitiated, ska is a genre of music that originally started in Jamaica in the 1960’s but soon moved over to the UK with the 2 Tone revival in the late 70’s, then re-emerged prominently in the 80’s and 90’s with bands like Reel Big Fish, Less Than Jake, The Aquabats, and more.
With Jeff Rosenstock reimagining his entire 2020 opus No Dream as a ska album and the prevalence of Ska Tune Network on YouTube, could ska be making another comeback in the 2020’s? Perhaps, but the deciding factor will come when a new ska band starts to get critical and commercial attention.
In this week’s Recommendation Corner, Ian has been digging Internet Breath, the new album from Montana band Hey, ILY. Hyden is looking ahead a bit to the forthcoming album from Brooklyn-based quintet Lightning Bug, which is due June 25.
New episodes of Indiecast drop every Friday. Listen to Episode 38 on Apple Podcasts and Spotify below, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts here. Stay up to date and follow us on Instagram and Twitter. We also recently launched a visualizer for our favorite Indiecast moments. Check those out here.
For their last episode of the season, Desus and Mero traveled to Boston to meet up with the legendary cellist Yo-Yo Ma, who was not only ready to cut it up with the two hosts, but also very game to cover a host of modern classics. Most notably, Desus and Mero got Yo-Yo Ma to provide some cello beats from DMX’s “Ruff Ryders Anthem” as the two threw in some freestyle in honor of recently passed rapper. After that, Yo-Yo Ma put his own spin on Britney Spears’ “Toxic” before tackling Sisqo’s “The Thong Song,” at Desus and Mero’s request.
The whole thing was a blast from start to finish, as the Showtime hosts also spent time meeting folks in Yo-Yo Ma’s neighborhood, including his barber who used to tame the Grammy winner’s locks. In short, it was prime Desus and Mero as the two have spent the past season locking down big name interviews like Barack Obama, and also doing some public good by checking in with mental health professionals who have had their hands understandably full during the pandemic.
The two also took the time to educate a fifth grade class on two very important topics: The Revolutionary War and Megan Thee Stallion. For their time, the students all walked away with free sneakers, but not before touching the hosts’ heart by having nothing but good things to say about their Zoom teacher who shed some light on what school has been like in these pandemic times.
“You know how like the yellow in your battery, like no matter how much you charge your battery, it still stays yellow? That’s what it feels like,” Mr. Robles told Desus and Mero. “But you draw energy from the other students in your class, so we’re all looking out for each other and charging each other’s battery.”
As Conan O’Brien is in his final stretch of Conan shows on TBS, he took some time on a recent episode to reflect on his legacy. He had the harsh realization, though, that if BTS’ cultural awareness is any indication (specifically, J-Hope’s), his name may not live on for long after he’s gone.
This whole thing actually happened a few days ago, but the situation is a trending topic on Twitter today. Earlier this week, O’Brien shared a clip of a game played on a BTS variety show, on which the band members were shown photos of celebrities and had to identify who the person was. O’Brien was featured, and when J-Hope saw the photo, he proudly exclaimed, “Curtain!” He and the rest of BTS quickly realized the error and had a good laugh about it. As other BTS members razzed J-Hope, he explained (translated from Korean), “I got confused for a moment.”
After showing the clip, Conan cut back to its host, sporting a steely look of disappointment and anger. An outraged (but not actually) Conan said, “Curtain. He called me Curtain! […] He said I was a curtain! I’ve been to Korea! I’ve been there! I was popular! Curtain! I’ll get you, BTS. Oh I’ll get you good.” He then broke his fake anger and continued with laughter, “And by that, I mean I’ll silently resent you. I have no power to do anything to you. You’re going to go on to have huge success. I’m very old and on the way out and you guys are pretty much running the world. So when I say I’ll get you, I just mean I’m gonna stew in my own juices for quite a long time, and you’ll be vastly unaware.”
Josh Hawley, the “pathetic” senator from Missouri who helped incite the Capitol Building mob, protested the Electoral College vote (Walmart called him a “sore loser”), and opposed a bipartisan anti-Asian hate crimes bill, wrote a book. The Tyranny of Big Tech is about how “giants like Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Apple — once symbols of American ingenuity and freedom — have become a techno-oligarchy with overwhelming economic and political power.” You know where I found that summary? Amazon.
If you can see the irony here, congratulations, you’re smarter than Josh Hawley.
“Thanks for making The Tyranny of Big Tech a best seller all week on Amazon! You can get your copy here,” the senator tweeted, along with a link to Amazon. Hawley could have picked an independent book store to promote his work (assuming he can find one willing to sell one written by an insurrection cheerleader), but he went straight to Amazon, despite the book being anti-Amazon. I assume. I will admit that I have not read The Tyranny of Big Tech, nor will I ever read it, but I do enjoy this one-star review.
After trying to overthrow the government, seditionist Josh Hawley, without irony, tries to sell his anti-tech story on the biggest of tech platforms, Amazon. Another example of unbridled political cynicism at work. And even though the book attacks the very essence of what Amazon is, they will sell it, because you know, profits.
Others also pointed out Josh “Corporations Are Canceling Me Even Though The World’s Largest Bookseller Is Promoting And Selling My Book” Hawley’s hypocrisy.
Only @HawleyMO would go on big tech Twitter to brag about sales on big tech Amazon of his book attacking big tech. It’s just too perfect. https://t.co/Lp7TcGMR8s
Certain members of Congress seem very, very afraid of Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) and can’t seem to handle how she’s attempting to repair the GOP’s tattered status in a post-Trump D.C. For some unknown reason, these mostly male members of Congress can’t seem to envision a future without the reality star. That much is obvious from Ted Cruz’s proud Mar-a-Lago photo op with the guy who mercilessly attacked his wife’s looks. And Sen. Lindsey Graham is still ride-or-die on that Trump Train, too, with a bizarre refusal to let go of the guy who got voted out of office.
“Can we move forward without President Trump?” Graham told Fox News. “The answer is no. I’ve always liked Liz Cheney but she’s made a determination that the Republican Party can’t grow with President Trump. I’ve determined we can’t grow without him.”
Lindsey Graham: Can we move forward without President Trump? The answer is no. I’ve always liked Liz Cheney but she’s made a determination that the Republican Party can’t grow with President Trump. I’ve determined we can’t grow without him. pic.twitter.com/ptdo7AQCKD
One might wonder if this is more about Graham’s distaste for Cheney, and surely, there’s that, too. Mostly though, this is about him being able to cut the cord from his Trump addiction. It’s strange stuff! A few months ago, Lindsey even weirdly ranted about wanting to “harness” Trump’s mojo or magic or something. This guy has a weird power over certain segments of the GOP, and people sure are dragging Lindsey hard, especially after all the mean things that Trump said about him.
One thing is certain: big Succession vibes are coming your way…
Ted Cruz and Lindsey Graham have definitely played Boar on the Floor at Mar-a-Lago. https://t.co/fboPTYwxNF
— Republicans against Trumpism (@RpsAgainstTrump) May 7, 2021
Lindsey the pilot fish Graham is small. He’s a vile creature. Spineless. Gutless. Pathetic. Craven. Yellow. He’s so weak it’s actually sad. He cannot quit the former guy. He can’t. We all know this video. But it’s still the one I turn to when I need to remind myself and others. pic.twitter.com/E6JBW72Otw
Let me state the obvious here: no shortage of comic-book adaptations exist about white dudes (and green-skinned ladies), both heroes and villains, who find themselves propelled by daddy issues. You can’t swing Thor’s hammer without hitting several of these similarly afflicted characters who largely hail from the MCU (although it’s debatable who’s suffered more anguish, Gamora, Peter Quill, or even Tony Stark, so I’ll make like a trickster here and go with Loki). Image Comics doesn’t shy away from the trope, either, as the recently adapted Invinciblequickly revealed on Amazon Prime, and now, the publishing house is finding a home for another title, Jupiter’s Legacy, on Netflix as part of its overarching deal with Mark Millar’s Millarworld umbrella. The daddy issues weigh in heavily here, although it’s for a substantial reason.
Again, the issues-with-parents focus obviously isn’t new for comic-book projects. Heroes and villains might be practically indestructible but often remain vulnerable to inner frailty, but as with most Mark Millar material, there’s a deeper focus. And the show also arrives at a time when we’ve grown accustomed to watching superhero “league”-style showdowns with dark forces as all kinds of collateral damage goes down. Jupiter’s Legacy does make several nods toward such action scenes and contains several of them. Yet this series takes a look at how a younger generation would react to seeing their Boomer-esque parents be the very first superheroes on Earth. The inherent tensions, the feelings of doubt, the “latchkey kid”-type resentments that might linger, they’re all there and unprecedented in this context, at least for this version of Earth.
What Jupiter’s Legacy comes down to is this: it’s certainly about superhero-ing, yet it’s much more of a family drama at heart. While writing the comic, Millar (with an assist from artist Frank Quitely) found inspiration from William Shakespeare, and boy, does it show. The set-up is essentially Hamlet with power-infused people in tights. The superhero protagonist, Sheldon Sampson/The Utopian (portrayed by a heavily bearded and grizzled, although ripped, Josh Duhamel), experiences a jarring trauma, which is quite Shakespearean in nature and sets up the vibe for the whole first season. Also, Sheldon’s not sure whether his son, Brandon (Andrew Horton), has inherited the ability to be the next The Utopian, but he’s definitely inherited the tendency toward theatrics.
Netflix
Brandon has a conflicted sister, Chloe (played by Elena Kampouris), and the two attempt to navigate power dynamics that test loyalties and the bounds of family. Can the new generation live up to the unique code of Dad, Mom (Leslie Bibb), and Uncle Walter (Ben Daniels)? Will the first gen retire, and can they handle watching their ideals be supplanted? The answer is a layered one, and although Jupiter’s Legacy might not be as flashy as other recent offbeat superhero series, it’s an engrossing ride to take.
Of course, Millar’s skewed take on superheroes generally makes things weird, as one might expect from the Kick-Ass and Wanted creator. And if you are familiar with his work on Kingsman, you know that Mark Millar enjoys tossing in an opaque critique of a subject that can be politically dicey, and sometimes, it’s not entirely clear whether he’s straight-up critiquing or playing with satire-fire. There’s some of that in Jupiter’s Legacy, which holds a death-of-capitalism theme on its surface, and that arc includes decades full of flashbacks. There’s also an epic journey undertaken by Young Sheldon (that’s not a Big Bang Theory prequel reference, I swear), and the mythology that unfurls throughout the season is one that Millar fans (and nerds in general) should enjoy.
That’s even the case during uncomfortable moments when these characters feel burdened by their anguish. And the family must grapple with the fact that, yeah, they are celebrities, so everyone’s watching their drama go down. The voyeuristic aspects do work well, and there’s also a superficial diversion that I must mention, if you don’t mind.
What piqued my interest about the casting of Josh Duhamel is that he looks quite unlike himself in this show. Now, Duhamel is a handsome man. He is a very handsome man who looks a lot like many other tall, slender, brown-haired, handsome men in Hollywood. Google “Josh Duhamel looks like,” and you’ll see a lot of names: Timothy Olyphant, Johnny Knoxville, Eric Dane, and so on. I’d toss Joel McHale in there (although he also looks like Ryan Seacrest), as well as Armie Hammer (although no one wants to be compared to him these days, Josh Duhamel did recently replace Hammer in Shotgun Wedding). My point is this: Josh Duhamel is almost interchangeably handsome and rarely strays from looking like his very handsome self in projects. A litmus test: If one Googles “Josh Duhamel unrecognizable,” you’ll only see one of his old Halloween costumes. So, it was high time for Josh Duhamel to do a project where he wasn’t all Duhamel-ed up, and Jupiter’s Legacy is that series.
However, be warned that dual timelines exist on this show, so while we do see a lot of what one character refers to as the “hot Santa” look from Duhamel, he also looks, well, like himself during younger years. Still, I’m willing to work with this because Jupiter’s Legacy isn’t what people are expecting from a superhero series at this moment. It’s atypical but not outrageously so, and it attempts to dive into heady themes while also rolling around in spandex-clad excess with pulpy throwbacks in the mix. It’s a swell way to spend a handful of hours, especially if you dig that Shakespeare-type drama.
Netflix is ready to roll into May with a whole buffet of entertainment options to keep us going strong on the weekends. This week, they’re giving us a new true-crime option that promises to (at least) bathe an old case in a new light, and be forewarned, you might lose a little sleep (in the best way) if that’s your cup of spooky tea. In addition, the streaming service is getting back into the original superhero-series game (after the shuttering of The Defenders offerings a few years ago) with their first Millarworld adaptation. Revisiting a musical superstar is also on the menu, along with a few fresh original movies. As usual, you’ll never be able to watch everything on this list on this particular weekend, yet we’re here to give you the highlights and help you choose wisely.
Here’s everything else coming to (and leaving) the streaming platform this week.
Jupiter’s Legacy (Netflix series streaming on 5/7)
Kick-Ass and Kingsman creator Mark Millar is to thank for this epic superhero series, starring a heavily bearded Josh Duhamel as The Utopian. He’s the head of a superhero family that’s hoping to pass the torch to a new generation, but (no real surprise) things aren’t going smoothly on that end. Yes, this description does evoke shades of Robert Kirkman’s Invincible (currently running on Amazon), but the vibe is less R-rated and also entertaining on its own merits. No spoilers here, but there are twists involved with this family’s ethics as heroes, and the show answers a lot of questions left open by Marvel Studios’ The Avengers with all of its collateral damage.
The Sons of Sam: A Descent into Darkness (Netflix limited series streaming 5/5)
Netflix continues to delve deeper into the true crime realm with new selections every month, from the ongoing Unsolved Mysteries revival to bingeworthy limited series like Murder Among The Mormons and Joe Berlinger’s haunting Crime Scene anthology show. Now, the streamer is taking on the case of serial killer David Berkowitz, a.k.a. “Son of Sam,” who was arrested and convicted after a stream of murders in the late 1970s. Upon Berkowitz’s capture, New Yorkers felt a sense of relief after Berkowitz could no longer stalk the streets, but journalist Maury Terry (author of Ultimate Evil) didn’t rest easy. He felt convinced that Berkowitz had a partner (or more than one), and this limited documentary series will dive down the rabbit hole with him. This might be a cautionary tale or the path to the elusive truth or both.
Selena: The Series: Part 2 (Netflix series streaming 5/6)
Selena Quintanilla, who eventually became the Queen of Tejano Music, continues her years of hard work and sacrifice as she journeys from tiny gigs to becoming the biggest female Latin artist ever. The show embraces family and the power of dreaming to inspirational effect.
This harrowing story follows a teenage honor student who finds himself accused of felony murder. As one might expect, this brings life crashing down around him and threatens to topple his promising future in exchange for life in prison if convicted.
A recently bereaved truck driver takes an existential journey while coping with the thought of losing out a a young recruit on the job while also dealing with personal loss. In the process of all of this, he reaches a record mileage mark at his company, and this sounds a bit like a certain George Clooney movie that we’ve all seen, right? But grittier.
Here’s a full list of what’s been added in the last week:
Avail. 4/27 August: Osage County
Battle of Los Angeles
Fatma
Go! Go! Cory Carson: Season 4
Avail. 4/28 Sexify
Headspace Guide to Sleep
Avail. 4/29 Things Heard & Seen
Yasuke
Avail. 4/30 The Innocent
The Mitchells vs. The Machines
Pet Stars
The Unremarkable Juanquini: Season 2
Avail. 5/1 Aliens Stole My Body
Angelina Ballerina: Season 5 Angelina Ballerina: Season 6 Back to the Future
Back to the Future Part II
Back to the Future Part III
Barney and Friends: Season 13 Barney and Friends: Season 14 Best of the Best
Dead Again in Tombstone
Due Date
Fun with Dick and Jane
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
Green Zone
Hachi: A Dog’s Tale
JT LeRoy
Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted
Mystic River
Never Back Down
Notting Hill
Open Season
Resident Evil: Afterlife
Resident Evil: Extinction
S.M.A.R.T Chase
Scarface
SITTING IN LIMBO
Stargate
State of Play
The Land Before Time
The Land Before Time II: The Great Valley Adventure
The Lovely Bones
The Pelican Brief
The Sweetest Thing
The Whole Nine Yards
Under Siege
Waist Deep
Your Highness
Zack and Miri Make a Porno
Zombieland
Avail. 5/2 Hoarders: Season 11 Avail. 5/4 The Clovehitch Killer Selena: The Series: Part 2 Trash Truck: Season 2
Avail. 5/5 Framing John DeLorean
The Sons of Sam: A Descent into Darkness
Avail. 5/6 Dead Man Down
Avail. 5/7 Girl from Nowhere Jupiter’s Legacy Milestone Monster
Avail. 5/8 Mine
Sleepless
And here’s what’s leaving next week, so it’s your last chance:
Leaving 5/7 The Chosen Ones
House at the End of the Street
In January, Wyoming congresswoman Liz Cheney proved herself to be one of the Republican party’s more independent thinkers when she—gasp!—voted to impeach Donald Trump. But the GOP isn’t about to let that kind of traitorous act go unpunished. Trevor Noah dedicated nearly 10 minutes of Thursday night’s episode of The Daily Show to the current war on Cheney, and the (incredibly flawed) lengths to which the Republican party is willing to go to justify their blind loyalty to The Donald, which Trevor described as a current “defining principle” of the party.
As scary as that sounds, he’s right. How else would one explain the GOP’s continued fight to give Cheney the boot? They tried to oust Cheney—who, as chair of the House Republican Conference, is the third-ranking Republican—once before. And it looks as if another attempt to push the ejector button on her seat could come as soon as next week. But Cheney’s not just sitting idly and waiting for that to happen. In an op-ed for The Washington Post this week, she reminded her colleagues that “history is watching” and how they behave right now could be a “turning point” for their party.
While Noah thinks that turning point came a long time ago, he still took a moment to praise Cheney’s willingness to be one of the lone sane voices in the room.:
“I gotta give props to Liz Cheney, for risking her political career to stand up for what she believes in. Because you don’t see that very often, you know. It’s like seeing someone use an iPhone as an actual phone. You’re always like: Damn, sh*t, I totally forgot they could do that. Wow. Says what’s up to my grandmother for me, man.”
Even today—more than three months after Trump hightailed it out of the White House to become an old man who wanders around his golf course looking for weddings to crash—there are still ongoing efforts to overturn the results of the election in states where the votes were close. Of particular note? Arizona, where the Senate is in the midst of a third audit… despite the first two showing no evidence of voter fraud. The audit, it should be noted, is being overseen by individuals like Anthony Kern, a former lawmaker who reportedly took part in the insurrection at the Capitol. Way to spend that taxpayer money, folks. Third time’s a charm!
You can watch the full clip above.
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(@KYDoubleARon) 
Phony alert — this genius is railing against “big tech” while selling his book on “big tech.” Please cancel this loser. 
