Horror, as a genre, is killing the game. From Get Out to Us, Ready or Not, Midsommar, It Follows, and more, horror is finding new audiences in increasingly inventive ways, and it’s pairing those expected chills and thrills with incredibly important storytelling.
That’s why Obsessed hosts and resident cultural gurus Britt Ellis and Taylour Chanel are letting us into their personal nightmare landscapes to talk about all of the terrifying movies and TV shows they can’t get enough of… just in case you need a bit of help getting into the Halloween spirit. But don’t expect many Freddy Krueger recs or slasher binge-guides. No, horror movies are operating on a different level these days, taking timely events and real-world issues and putting them under a hair-raising lens.
For Britt, Midsommar’s the perfect example of that — a relationship drama that drops in just enough occult weirdness to creep you out. For Taylour, it’s films like Sorry To Bother You, thrillers that mask their true monsters until we’ve let our guard down. And after both women trade their must-watch horror favorites they sit down with Dear White People star Elle Lorraine to talk about her upcoming satirical horror saga, Bad Hair, coming to Hulu on October 23rd.
Whether it’s the genre-bending work of a show like Lovecraft Country that shines a harsh spotlight on the real monsters and horrors of history along with magic, mysticism, and impactful horror tropes, or the aforementioned Bad Hair, which takes an everyday ritual like getting a weave and turns the cringe-level up a notch (or 50), it’s never been a better time to be a horror fan.
It turns out not everyone is upset with Ice Cube’s efforts to promote his Contract With Black America concept. Cube has faced staunch opposition online after the Trump administration revealed that it had incorporated many of his CWBA requests into its “Platinum Plan” for addressing Black Americans. However, one of his peers in the music industry recently spoke up in his defense: T.I., who believes Cube should be given the benefit of the doubt.
During an interview with LA’s Power 106, T.I. stated his belief that detractors are “being presumptuous,” citing Cube’s anti-authority track record as an outspoken critic of the government throughout his ’90s rap releases. Parroting Ice Cube’s belief that Democrats were uninterested in taking the CWBA into consideration (and conveniently leaving out that many — if not most — of its proposals are already part of Joe Biden’s presidential platform, including concrete provisions to make them happen as opposed to the broad declarations in the Platinum Plan) T.I. said, “To add input to this initiative for the greater good of your people, and only one side responds? That’s not Cube’s fault.”
He also wondered at the criticisms being sent Ice Cube’s way, including some of his attackers mistaking his meeting with the Republicans for an endorsement of Trump. “If we ain’t never known or seen or caught Cube on no bullsh*t — doing no tap dancing and bending over backwards for no white supremacist — why you think he gon’ start right now 35, 40 years in?” he questioned. You’ve got to give him the credit of his credibility. And if you ain’t never known him to be on bullsh*t before, why you gon just automatically put him in the mix of some bullsh*t now?”
Ice Cube defended his decision on CNN, saying, “Once we get some capital, we’ll be treated better. This is a capitalistic society and if you ain’t got no money — you see how people are treated on the street. Bottom line is, dollars bring dignity… we need to close this wealth gap.”
About a month ago, Lil Dicky, like many celebrities before him, got naked on the internet. He stripped down, tucked it between his legs, and promised that if his followers registered to vote, he would “spread my legs wide and release my penis in a subsequent post.” Well, a subsequent post has come, and Dicky’s legs are indeed spread.
That doesn’t mean we’re getting a full look at what’s going on between them, though. In a video Dicky shared today, the rapper and actor sits cross-legged on the floor with his penis tucked securely into a Nike athletic sock.
He begins the video, “Hi, I’m Dave and I’m here to talk to you guys today about the election, because boy oh boy, do we have a doozie coming up, the most important one of our lifetime.” Dicky goes on to compare Biden and Trump by discussing their approaches to climate change and racism.
He ultimately endorses Biden, saying, “I need my president to be presidential. Call me crazy for wanting rhetoric that’s not spewing hatred or dividing a nation. I’m sorry, it’s just like, we’re at a crossroads right now and we don’t have time to deal with f*cking horsesh*t, OK? So again, for that reason, I’m voting Biden.”
Based on August Wilson’s Tony-nominated play of the same name, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom stars Viola Davis as singer Ma Rainey, the rightfully-nicknamed Mother of the Blues. The actress, who’s won an Oscar, an Emmy, and two Tonys, looks to give the kind of powerhouse performance you’d expect from Viola Davis (a casual reminder that everyone should watch Widows), but much of the conversation surrounding the film will be about Chadwick Boseman. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is the final on-screen performance from the Black Panther star, who died from cancer at age 43 in August.
Boseman plays trumpeter Levee, who’s “representative of a new phase of music that will render her extinct,” as Davis described to Entertainment Weekly. “He is unruly and undisciplined.” The actress, who previously starred in Wilson’s Fences, agreed to appear in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom because it shows a “part of womanhood [that] has been strangely absent from a lot of narratives that were written at the backdrop of this time period.”
Here’s the official plot synopsis.
Chicago, 1927. A recording session. Tensions rise between Ma Rainey (Viola Davis), her ambitious horn player (Chadwick Boseman), and the white management determined to control the legendary “Mother of the Blues.” Based on Pulitzer Prize winner August Wilson’s play.
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom premieres on Netflix on December 18.
On this week’s episode of People’s Party, Talib Kweli and Jasmin Leigh sat down with rapper and activist Narcy for a wide-ranging chat that touched on everything from the Muslim poet Rumi and Islam in hip-hop to Narcy’s directorial work on some of Kweli’s favorite videos. Well into the nearly 90-minute conversation, talk turned to Narcy’s very viral, deep fake-filled video for “Thoughts and Prayers,” where we see Narcy re-cast in the middle of some of the internet’s most meme-able moments.
“I didn’t have to do much, I just sent some green screen footage of myself and I scoured YouTube and found all these meme-able moments or characters that are controversial in society and put myself in those situations,” says Narcy, noting that the ease of making the video and the problematic nature of being able to present himself as any other person or ethnicity made him come to the realization of just how dangerous deep-fake technology could be in the wrong hands. “You can frame anybody. You can shoot a whole bank heist and god forbid put Kweli’s face on the guy, and then that can go to court, and who is to prove that that’s real or wrong. It’s an interesting technology, it’s fun but it’s also dangerous. You can do it in two minutes on your phone now, imagine where we’re going to be in 10 years.”
Watch the full discussion on this week’s People’s Party with Talib Kweli (the deep fake conversation begins at the 29-minute mark) above and check out the video for Narcy’s “Thoughts and Prayers” below.
The Great American Beer Festival had to go digital this year. Previous iterations of the event were attended by thousands of people from across the American craft beer industry to celebrate American craft beer. It was, traditionally, a big, buzzed convention. Clearly, that wasn’t happening in 2020.
Even with in-person festivities being postponed, GABF (as it’s commonly known) still soldiered on — announcing the best American beers and best American craft breweries over the weekend. There were 91 beer categories in play this year, with over 8,000 entries. That’s 91 distinct beer styles that received “gold,” “silver,” and “bronze” awards this year. Even mid-pandemic, the festival is nothing if not expansive.
We’re not going over all 91 GABF categories (you can review full results at your own leisure here). Instead, we went through and pulled the top ten most represented beer styles — basically, the most popular beer styles based on how many entries there were in each style’s category. That means the ten beers below represent the beer categories with the most entries, with the gold medal winner getting a shout out.
One huge caveat here, most of these beers are hyper-local (it’s a craft festival after all) and sometimes only available seasonably. You might be able to find a few of these outside their local areas. Most of them, you probably won’t. Still, today isn’t the day for celebrating ubiquity. Check out these brews and rest easy knowing that if you’re in the region of one of these award-winning craft breweries, you’ll be able to enjoy some truly exemplary beer.
Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer (154 Entries) — Amburana Dream
Denver Beer Co. Instagram
Brewery: Denver Beer Co. – Olde Town Arvada, Arvada, CO ABV: 9%
The Beer:
This beer is a bit of an enigma. It’s been winning awards for years now and the brewery still doesn’t bother to mention it on its own webpage (besides a press release saying it won an award once). We guess if you’re in Denver and visit the brewery, ask about it?
The judges at GABF definitely seem to think it’s a winner.
“Bomber poured a clear dark reddish-brown with a small lasting brown head. Aromas of bitter chocolate, cinnamon, light roastiness, and light woody notes. Palate was medium-bodied and smooth with a dry finish. Flavors of bitter chocolate, cinnamon, light roastiness and light woody notes with a smooth dry lingering cinnamon chocolate finish.”
American-Style Pale Ale (156 Entries) — Featherweight Pale Ale
Canonball Creek Brewing
Brewery: Cannonball Creek Brewing Co., Golden, CO ABV: 5.5%
The Beer:
This is a year-round offering from Cannonball Creek out in Golden, Colorado. So you can actually try this one if you happen to be in the area. The beer looks tasty enough but Cannonball Creek also doesn’t offer any details besides that they sell the stuff on tap for $6 for a full pour.
“Draft at the brewery. Saving the best for last, I hope? Darkish golden pour, small soapy head. Mild hoppy aroma. Taste also favors the hops but lets the malts shine through. Mild for an APA, but highly drinkable.”
German-Style Kölsch (162 Entries) — Kölsch
pFriem Family Brewers Instagram
Brewery: pFriem Family Brewers, Hood River, OR ABV:
The Beer:
pFriem Family Brewers out in Oregon are masters at taking old-school European styles and giving them a Pacific Northwest feel. Their Kölsch uses Weyermann Pilsner, Rahr Red Wheat, and Acidulated Malt with Tettnang Tettnanger and Hallertau Perle hops.
The German belly of this beast is strong but leans into a much fruitier nature than a hoppy or malty one.
“Brilliant light straw color topped with bright white foam. Crisp aromas of fresh pear, wildflowers, and green apple. Gentle flavors of ripening fruit, biscuit, and light grain. Alluring finish, light, dry, sparkly, and quaffable.”
Imperial India Pale Ale (166 Entries) — Hammerland DIPA
El Segundo Brewing Company
Brewery: El Segundo Brewing Co., El Segundo, CA ABV: 8.6%
The Beer:
This year-round offering from El Segundo Brewing is another local favorite that you may be able to find at some specialty shops. It’s a double IPA, so the hops are paramount to this bottle of beer. They use Mosaic, Simcoe, Chinook, and Centennial hops — a very classic American IPA mix from the West Coast.
“Bright, Dank, Colossal…exactly what you expect with a hop bill of Mosaic and Simcoe. Get your nose in the glass and the aromatics will overwhelm you like the double-overhead closeouts down at Hammerland.”
Fruited American-Style Sour Ale (180 Entries) — Guava Dreams
Del Cielo Brewing Co.
Brewery: Del Cielo Brewing Co., Martinez, CA ABV: 4.5%
The Beer:
A funky sour spiked with Colombian guava does sounds very thirst-quenching. Though this one definitely has more of a summer vibe. This brew gets an extra shoutout since you can actually order it online for delivery pretty much nationwide!
“Inspired by the unique flavor of pink guava, ubiquitous in Cali, Colombia. Get lost in the middle of sensory experience, welcomed by the fresh guava aroma, followed by an explosion of tropical flavors and balanced sour notes.”
Juicy or Hazy Imperial India Pale Ale (192 Entries) — The Hopsplainer
Burke-Gilman Brewing Co.
Brewery: Burke-Gilman Brewing Co., Seattle, WA ABV:
The Beer:
This is another tiny craft brewery that has little-to-no information about their award-winning beer, even on the brewer’s own webpage, social media, etc. Again, the judges at GABF seemed to love the hoppy beers from this brewery this year and awarded them two gold medals in the hop-heavy categories.
Definitely worth checking out if you’re in the Seattle area.
“On tap at the brewery. Very hazy blonde yellow with head and lace. Lovely aroma and flavors of flavorful malts and hops. Smooth, fairly bold, and tasty.”
Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Stout (199 Entries) — A Night to End All Dawns
Kane Brewing Instagram
Brewery: Kane Brewing Co., Ocean, NJ ABV: 12.2%
The Beer:
This special barrel-aged beer spends some time in bourbon and rye barrels (some releases spend time in maple syrup barrels too). It’s also pretty much impossible to find unless you’re lurking in the secondary or even tertiary beer markets. Still, this beer will continue to age well in the bottle and you might see some popping up in the years to come. There will also surely be new releases each year, which you’ll need to go to New Jersey for.
“This beer carries notes of vanilla and coconut from the initial barrel-aging and hints of caramel and undertones of toffee from the next round of maple syrup barrel-aging.”
German-Style Pilsener (200 Entries) — Sprockets
Gravel Brewing Co. Instagram
Brewery: Gravely Brewing Co., Louisville, KY ABV: 5.6%
The Beer:
This beer from Gravely Brewing is a slow-pour German Pils. Beyond that, Gravely doesn’t really tell us much about the beer. The seven-minute-long pour off the tap was the main thrust of their marketing, so hopefully, the judges got that experience when they judged this one.
Brewery: Perry Street Brewing, Spokane, WA ABV: 6.3%
The Beer:
This is yet another tiny, local brewery that you’re not going to get to try unless you’re in Spokane. As for the beer, the brewery doesn’t really mention it beyond that it’s on their menu right now.
Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale (377 Entries) — Spellbinder
Wren House Brewing Company Instagram
Brewery: Wren House Brewing Co., Phoenix, AZ ABV: 6.5%
The Beer:
Wren House does some big beers out in Phoenix that often get a lot of attention. Their Spellbinder is brewed with oats and locally grown white wheat. The brew is then hopped with Cascade hops before a Mosaic and Citra dry-hopping. The juicy hops become the star of the show as you can see from that hazy glass above.
2020 hasn’t been a year of prolonged chart domination. For the most part, there has been a different song on top of the charts pretty much every week. Now, on the latest Billboard Hot 100 chart, there is yet another new leader. This time, it’s 24kGoldn’s Iann Dior-featuring hit “Mood,” which tops the October 24-dated chart. This is the first No. 1 song for both artists
24kGoldn shared a reaction to the news, writing on Twitter, “ain’t no higher than this. thank you to everyone who ever listened, this is just the start.” He also posted a reaction video on Instagram, in which he excitedly says, “I’m only 19 years old, I’m not even 20 years old and we’re on top of the world, No. 1 on the Billboard charts. I did not think this sh*t was gonna happen this fast, if I’m being 100 percent honest with y’all. But I’m grateful as f*ck. I knew we could do it, and it was just a matter of time, yo.”
Elsewhere on the chart, The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” jumps back up to No. 4 from No. 6, which puts it back in the top 5 and extends its record for the most weeks spent in the top 5. In other chart news, Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours is back in the top 10 for the first time in a long time.
Legendary broadcaster Doc Emrick is officially hanging up the microphone. The longtime lead of NBC Sports’ hockey coverage is retiring after decades of calling play-by-play for multiple sports, including a 50-year career in hockey.
NBC Sports announced Emrick’s decision on Monday, sharing a video farewell from Emrick where he covered some of his favorite moments and noted that, though he’s done broadcasting for NBC, he may occasionally pen some video essays in his retirement. Uproxx Sports interviewed Emrick in September ahead of the Stanley Cup Final and the broadcaster, who covered the NHL’s Bubble remotely, talked about the difficulties of the broadcast and being away from the game.
In an interview with the New York Post, Emrick said he looks forward to spending time at his home north of Detroit and, eventually, traveling in retirement.
“I hope I can handle retirement OK,” he said Sunday night from his home in Michigan, “especially since I’ve never done it before. But I’ve just been extremely lucky for 50 years. And NBC has been so good to me, especially since the pandemic, when I was allowed to work from home in a studio NBC created.
“Now, into my golden years, this just seemed to be the time that was right.
“Plus, I’ve now accumulated enough frequent-flyer miles — to not go anywhere.”
Emrick, who spent decades expanding every hockey fan’s vocabulary considerably, will be missed on NBC to say the least. But at least it sounds like we’ll still hear his voice from time to time, which is the least you can ask for.
Our pop-culture devouring hosts (Naz Perez and AJ Lodge) are back to fill you in with ten-second bites on the things culture is buzzing about while bringing infectious chemistry and rapid-fire banter, even if that mostly involves Naz dunking on AJ for not knowing what Minecraft is. 200 million copies sold, come on dude! We don’t want to be too hard on him, though, like all of us he’s dealing with the news that we’re going to be Chalamet-less for the foreseeable future.
From that news (that Denis Villeneuve Dune remake is just one of the many movies originally set for 2020 that are seeing COVID-19 related delays) to reminders that NBA2K21 is going to look really real when it hits next-gen consoles (too real?), and Shawn Mendes’ new video is a must watch at least 15-20 times daily (don’t judge!) we’ve got you covered. We’re also shouting out Rihanna’s star-studded body-positive all-inclusive Savage x Fenty show that’s still lingering in our minds and the recognition J. Balvin and Bad Bunny are about to get when the Latin Grammys cure us all of our election hangover in November.
Check out the latest episode of Culture Quick Bites above to hear our crew break it down while barely breaking for breath.
Unlike Disney, which can make as many Star Wars movies as it wants after acquiring Lucasfilm for a cool $4 billion in 2012, Universal Pictures can’t churn out Back to the Future sequels. That’s because director Robert Zemeckis and writer Bob Gale, a.k.a. the Bobs, retain the rights to the franchise, and will continue to do so until they die. There won’t be a new Back to the Future movie, TV show, or theme park without their permission, and based on an interview Gale did with Collider, they’re not likely to give it.
“We told a complete story with the trilogy. If we went back and made another one, we’d have Michael J. Fox, who will be 60 next year, and he has Parkinson’s Disease. Do we want to see Marty McFly at age 60 with Parkinson’s Disease? Did we want to see him at age 50 with Parkinson’s Disease? I would say, ‘No, you don’t want to see that.’ And you don’t want to see Back to the Future without Michael J. Fox,” Gale explained. It’s been 30 years since the last (and weakest) Back to the Future, and with time comes impossible expectation; even a “good” movie would be considered a let down compared to the greatness of the first two films. We don’t need Biff’s World; we’re already living it.
“All you’re gonna do is beg comparisons to the originals, and you’re not going to match up. And we’ve seen this repeatedly with sequels that go back to the well after many, many years, and they go ‘Ah, well, The Phantom Menace, maybe my life would have been better if I hadn’t seen it.’ There are a lot of extra sequels like that.”
Mesa don’t agree with The Phantom Menace criticism, but mesa also understand what he means. Anyway, that’s the creative reasoning for why Zemeckis and Gale have no interest in Back to the Future 4; there’s also the financial explanation. “We’ve already made a whole lot of money with these movies, and we like them just the way they are,” he said. “And as proud parents, we’re not going to sell our kids into prostitution.”
You don’t need a sports almanac to get rich. You just need to create Back to the Future.
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