GoneTrending

“It is everything you dreamed of. It is nothing you’d expect.” That’s the tagline that graced movie theater posters in 1985 for the movie Cocoon, the Ron Howard movie that would go on to become the fifth highest-grossing movie of that year and win two Oscars (Best Supporting Actor and Best Visual Effects). That poster tagline is, perhaps, fitting in that if you’re dreaming about watching Cocoon right now, not only is it everything you dreamed of, you’re just going to have to keep on dreaming – because Cocoon isn’t available for you to watch. Anywhere. One of the most ubiquitous movies of the ‘80s is just gone. Vanished. Nowhere to be found on any platform in the era of streaming, a moment in time where seemingly everything is available within seconds via the push of a few buttons.

It was strange timing, because the day I decided I wanted to rewatch Cocoon for the first time in I can’t even remember how many years was the day before Wilford Brimley died. So, my futile attempts to watch this movie were met, the very next day, with soaring tributes featuring film clips from a movie that is impossible to find – including one from Ron Howard himself* – for a movie I wanted to watch even more now.

*What’s great about the scene that Howard tweeted is, in context to Brimley’s actual age at the time, it’s pretty funny. Brimley’s Ben Luckett is telling his grandson, David, who is 11, that they plan on leaving with the aliens to go to a world with no death, but not seeing David anymore is giving Ben pause. Now, in the viewer’s mind, we are thinking, well, how much time do they have left together anyway? But in reality, Brimley lived another 35 years after this movie, so the line to this 11-year-old kid really could have been, “Look, David, I’d only be around until you’re 46 anyway.”

So let’s back up for a minute. Since the pandemic hit the United States in full force back in March, I’ve been on, what now seems like, a never-ending movie marathon. A lot of the movies I haven’t seen before. A lot of them, like Cocoon, are films I haven’t seen in ages. Every now and then, I’ll come across a film that isn’t readily available via a streaming service and every time I find myself surprised because, for the most part, these aren’t obscure titles. But I’m even more surprised when a movie isn’t on those streaming services, nor is it available to rent on iTunes or Amazon. That’s when I find myself extremely perplexed.

And this has happened a few times over the last few months. I tried watching Mannequin, which is nowhere to be found, even though Mannequin 2: On The Move is right there on iTunes ready to be rented at any time. Though the original Mannequin does seem to be available on-demand to DirecTV customers, and if that’s some sort of exclusive deal, it at least sort of explains its absence. Regardless, I solved this by just buying an inexpensive Blu-ray. This scenario repeated itself when I tried to watch Less Than Zero and Johnny Dangerously. The only difference being neither of those movies have been released on Blu-ray, so I had to resort to buying fairly inexpensive DVD copies.

But the thing about all the movies I just mentioned, none of them were top-five grossing movies of the year like Cocoon was. This would be like Fast & Furious 7 being impossible to find in the future.

At first, I did what I always do: I checked the internet to see if Cocoon was on any of the streaming platforms. It was not. Then I went to iTunes and, strangely, Cocoon: The Return popped up, but not the original. I tried Amazon, no luck. I even tried YouTube, which sometimes has movies in full that the studios just kind of gave up on, but no. And also, it wouldn’t make much sense to dump a big movie like Cocoon onto YouTube. (Though, if you want to watch the Kenny Rogers vehicle Six Pack, well, you’re in luck).

I scoured the internet for anything about this and came across a GQ piece from December about notable movies that aren’t available on streaming, and it does mention how Cocoon is impossible to find, so at least it alleviated my fears that I was just somehow missing something.

From there I just figured I’d just do my handy trick of ordering the Blu-ray and it’d soon be on its way and I’d shortly be watching Cocoon in beautiful HD. Well, no, not so quick. It turns out Cocoon’s 2010 Blu-ray is now out of print. And since Cocoon is still a fairly popular movie, it’s not cheap, hovering around $100. (If you go searching yourself, don’t be fooled by the moderately priced Blu-rays, those are all region 2 and you’ll need a Blu-ray player from that region to watch it. There are many negative Amazon reviews from angry Cocoon fans complaining their discs don’t work on their players.) As much as I wanted to see Cocoon, I didn’t want to spend $100. Finally – finally – I found a Cocoon DVD from 2004 on eBay and bought that for $25. When it arrived, it was one of those DVDs that has the full-screen version on the flip side of the disc. It’s 2020 and this is how I watched Cocoon.

Anyway, this all made no sense to me and I wanted an explanation. Why was it so hard for me to find Cocoon?

Rewatching Cocoon on my sad 2004 DVD with a full-screen version readily accessible, I found it more emotional as an adult. There are a lot of themes about loss that I missed as a kid when everyone in my family was all still alive and healthy. Back then, I thought it was a fun movie about aliens. (And, back then, I had no idea Wilford Brimley was only 49 when he filmed the movie.) Yes, there are aliens, led by Brian Dennehy on a mission to rescue their friends who had been left behind centuries before, all encased in cocoons at the bottom of the ocean off the coast of Tampa. The cocoons are brought to a swimming pool to gestate, with a side effect being that humans who enter the pool are given healing powers – as a few members of a retirement home next door soon realize after sneaking in and using the pool.

The scene that really got me was — after a number of residents of the retirement home were invited by the aliens to leave with them, promising a world of no disease or death (sounds pretty good!) — young David sees his grandparents (Brimley and Maureen Stapleton) leaving by boat (driven by Steve Guttenberg) to meet the alien spacecraft. David jumps aboard the boat at the last second. Later, as they are being chased by the Coast Guard, David jumps in the water so the authorities will have to rescue him and not chase his grandparents. Brimley’s Ben is about to jump in after him, but David tells his grandfather, seeing him for presumably for the last time (we will ignore the sequel, which, again, you can watch), to go and that he’s not afraid. It’s a wonderful, touching moment about saying goodbye to loved ones. I will admit, watching Cocoon for the first time after losing my grandparents and my father, the waterworks hit me. And it’s even more preposterous this movie isn’t available for younger viewers who have never seen it and who aren’t going to purchase a 16-year-old DVD off of eBay. I suspect that if Cocoon were on Netflix, or whatever, it would be pretty popular.

So, I started asking around. I emailed the representative of Lili Fini Zanuck, a producer on Cocoon. As of this writing, my emails have been not returned. (Though, if Lili Fini Zanuck has a Google alert on her name set, please know that I’d love to talk to you.) I emailed the screenwriter (Tom Benedek), who also hasn’t yet returned my email. I emailed Ron Howard’s publicist, who told me to contact his agent. sO I emailed Howard’s agent, who has yet to return my email. (I knew this was a longshot because, in the aforementioned GQ piece from December, it includes an anecdote about someone who knew Ron Howard personally who texted Howard for the answer and he didn’t respond.) I emailed the representative for the effects supervisor, who won an Oscar for this movie, and got no response. I even emailed someone who worked in distribution at Fox and, you guessed it, no reply. Honestly, in all my years of writing about movies I’ve never been ignored by this many people.

Then I emailed Steve Guttenberg. Through his rep he said he didn’t want to discuss Cocoon, but asked if I’d read a script he just wrote about Hurricane Katrina. (As I am writing this piece, he sent me the script. I have yet to read it.)

I also spoke to representatives at Disney. Look, there are a lot of questions still about Fox’s catalog of films after the Disney purchase. And, yes, Cocoon is a Fox title, but from what I do gather this is in no way related to Disney. Cocoon has been missing in action long before the Disney sale was finalized. Also, if this was Disney holding back Fox titles (which really doesn’t seem to be the case, at least digitally), that wouldn’t explain why Cocoon: The Return can be watched right now as you are reading this.

To Disney’s credit, the last thing I heard was an update that they were still looking into it. And, look, I get it. Imagine working remotely for the last five months and having someone come out of the blue to ask, “Hey, you know that whole studio you just bought? Why did they not have Cocoon, this one specific movie from 35 years ago, available?” Though, I did like the idea that he would say, “Oh, yeah, that’s just an oversight,” then hit a button and Cocoon would be available for us all to rent or buy immediately. (So, yes, in my mind at Disney headquarters there’s just a button that says “Cocoon” and, once pressed, it shows up on all the streaming services.) Though, if another Ron Howard movie, Splash, can be on Disney+, I don’t see a reason Cocoon can’t be?

(If I hear from any of these people, I will update this story. I will also update the story after I read Steve Guttenberg’s script about Hurricane Katrina.)

I guess the larger point here can be taken as “maybe don’t throw away your physical media.” Personally, I still like discs better because the quality is always going to be better than streaming. But during quarantine, the vast majority of movies I’ve watched have been over some form of streaming, since most of the movies I own I’ve seen before. And I am a big fan of streaming for that reason. Most movies you’d want to watch at any given time are a few button presses away. (Just like the Disney “Cocoon” button.)

But I’ve learned a lesson that even old DVDs have a good deal of value. Because right now, as I type this, I can watch Less Than Zero and Johnny Dangerously and you can’t. (Well, unless you, too, own the DVDs for both. Then you can.) So, yes, in the greater context, I suppose that is the lesson: Hey, kids, hold onto your discs because you never know when movies might just disappear. Who knows, maybe it will be Fast & Furious 7 next!

But, really, I just wanted to watch Cocoon. And I wanted an explanation as to why I can’t, other than a 16-year-old DVD. And as of this writing, I still don’t know why. (But, on a positive note, if you want to watch Cocoon in pan and scan full screen, I’ve got you covered.)

You can contact Mike Ryan directly on Twitter.

Welcome to Wednesday Night’s Alright, my Uproxx Sports recap of the big events from wrestling’s biggest night, when AEW Dynamite on TNT goes up against WWE NXT on USA. I’m still finding the shape of this column, but I’m glad to be here with you and writing about two of the best wrestling shows on TV.

Nefarious Heel Behavior: Robert Stone insults Kayden to Kacy’s face

This was probably the strongest category this week, which says something about the lack of actual wrestling-related excitement in these episodes. It may be a controversial choice, but my favorite heel moment this week was on NXT when the delightfully sniveling Robert Stone started trying to recruit Kacy Catanzaro by insulting her best friend and tag team partner Kayden Carter, while Kacy and Kayden were standing right next to each other. That’s so much meaner than just insulting both of them.

It led to Kayden and Kacy playing third and fourth bananas in their own match, with Rhea Ripley and Shotzi Blackheart showing up at the end looking for revenge against the Robert Stone Brand. And that all makes sense right now, but I do hope Carter and Catanzaro get a spotlight of their own before too long. I’d love to see them go up against Sasha and Bayley for the Tag Team gold.

Runners Up

On Dynamite, FTR took part in perhaps the oldest and proudest tradition in Southern wrestling—they beat up Ricky Morton of the Rock N’ Roll Express for heel heat. Not that Robert Gibson got out unscathed either, but it’s the attack on Morton that’s most important, ritualistically. This was part of “Tag Team Appreciation Night,” when the Young Bucks and FTR welcomed the Brain Busters and the RNR Express into the ring to talk about their legacies. It was basically a naked attempt to establish FTR as the new Arn and Tully (a comparison that’s followed them since NXT) and the Young Bucks as the new Rock N’ Roll Express, which… sure, I can see how that makes sense too.

Then there was Scarlett casting a spell on the contract Karrion Kross had just signed before handing it back to Keith Lee, causing it to burst into flame in Keith’s face. I think that could work in theory, and I’m all in favor of Scarlett being a witch who casts hexes on people. This just didn’t work for me because it was a quick flash of light in the Champ’s face, and then they tried to sell it like he was horribly burned and might never see again. It was a lot to expect us to buy into.

Thing I Could Have Done Without: Another women’s squash match on Dynamite

I’m trying not to go on the same rant again and again, but here we are. All that was advertised for the women’s division was “Hikaru Shida in action,” so I was hoping for the Dynamite debut of one of the competitors from the Deadly Draw Women’s Tag Team Tournament on YouTube, like Rachael Ellering or Nicole “Lil’ Swole” Savoy, and maybe they’d even announce a signing. Instead it turned out to be a different guest competitor, Heather Monroe.

Monroe’s a fine indie wrestler in her own right, but she was clearly just there to do the job. Indeed, Shida made short work of her. There wasn’t even any attention to the Big Swole/Britt Baker feud this week. On the other hand, a friend pointed out to me that Shida’s constant refrain of “I’m ready to face anyone who challenges me,” points to a possible surprise opponent to come, and all I can say is, man, I hope so.

Runners Up

I don’t have all the answers when it comes to wrestlers accused during #SpeakingOut. I’m inclined to believe survivors who step forward publicly, because I know how much crap they get for doing it. But at the end of the day, I don’t have a guide to objective truth and ethical action. What I do know is that, personally, the celebrated return of Velveteen Dream, who’s been accused of grooming minors for sex, feels weird and off. Regardless of what we know or don’t know for sure about Dream’s past actions, it’s hard to look at him the same way with that thought in mind.

Best Promo: MJF

I haven’t been wild about the election trappings of the World Title feud on Dynamite, with MJF treating his bid to become Champion like an election, but his speech this week was undeniably great. I love how he kept calling Jon Moxley “Jonathan.” Is his name even Jonathan? It’s actually funnier if it’s not. MJF is a fantastic old-school heel, all the more impressive for his youth, but sometimes he relies on stuff like overt sexism to get heat, even though he’s too good to need it. He mostly avoided that here, which was also a plus. Yes, he told his female employee to smile, but personally I can handle some more subtle/realistic sexism in my heels.

Anyway, the whole segment was great, leading up to MJF sending Wardlow up in the stands to interrupted Moxley on his entrance, only for Mox to enter from the ramp for once and attack MJF from behind.

Runners Up

Dakota Kai and Io Shirai both had great video promos for their upcoming NXT Women’s Championship match. Io’s was particularly good, dismissing Kai as the same little girl who couldn’t stand up to Shayna Baszler. Love to see that level of long-term continuity in my wrestling. Cameron Grimes also had an outdoor promo this week, and while I can’t say I paid a lot of attention to what he said, I enjoyed his voice and accent, which both seem genuine and suit his gimmick perfectly.

Best Match: Scorpio Sky vs Cody

Scorpio Sky is a fantastic wrestler, and I hope this loss to Cody isn’t the end of his momentum. That worry actually affected my enjoyment of this match a bit, to the degree that I almost didn’t pick it, but ultimately the virtuosity of these two guys in the ring is a bigger deal that my concern about Cody’s ego, or the fact that he’s so clearly following a script with these matches. “Sell, sell, let the other guy look great and do all his stuff, okay it’s time to win now, win.”

But this was the transition of Scorpio’s solo run to Dynamite after he’s racked up a bunch of wins on Dark, so hopefully things are just starting for him. And hopefully Cody commits to a heel turn soon, or stuff like “the Prince of Wrestling” is going to get old pretty quick. But for now, try to ignore all that and watch these guys move. They’re really good at moving.

Runners Up

Damian Priest and Bronson Reed had a really solid match on NXT. Priest hasn’t always excited me that much, but I like Reed a lot, and they were both great this week.

Over on Dynamite, Kenny Omega and Hangman Adam Page face Jurassic Express, which of course was a solid and fun match even if it didn’t really move any needles or tell any stories. Sorry if I seem to have a lack of excitement for what I’m writing about, but the honest truth is this week wasn’t all that exciting on either show. I was happy to see the performers I enjoy, but it didn’t feel like much happened that was important or particularly exciting.

One thing that was important, story-wise, was Orange Cassidy’s defeat of Chris Jericho on AEW Dynamite. It was Orange Cassidy’s first major victory, and Jericho was doing his best to put the younger guy over. Unfortunately, I thought Jericho seemed really tired (perhaps because he’s currently on tour with Fozzy while also wrestling full time) and showed his age more than usual. And as good as Cassidy is, he had a hard time maintaining his usual effortless crispness with Jericho being sloppier than usual. Their match was better, but I was happy to see Orange get this big win all the same.

That’s all for this week. Next’s week’s going to be weird because AEW Dynamite is moving to Saturday, but I’ll figure it out.

Though the NBA has another full day of seeding games on Friday, the match-ups for the 2020 playoffs are all but set. In fact, only the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference is up for grabs, with the league’s first-ever play-in tournament set to begin on Saturday. However, the league had the luxury of putting together a full schedule for the first round of the postseason a bit early and, on Thursday evening, the NBA released the full slate of games that we’ll be able to watch over the next two weeks.

In an interesting decision, the league is electing to showcase playoff games in the afternoon on weekdays, rather than pitting games against each other in prime time. For die-hards, that will be something of a dream, with easily accessible quadruple-headers every day for what could be two full weeks. On the flip side, it might be at least a little bit difficult for fans of specific teams to catch 1:00/1:30 p.m. ET tip-offs during the week, and this is something of an experiment.

For the sake of clarity, the league also released the schedule broken down series by series.

From tip-off between the Utah Jazz and the Denver Nuggets on Monday, Aug. 17 through the end of the first round, high-level basketball will be available for consumption all day, every day. The seeding games, and even the televised scrimmages before them, were a tremendous warm-up. However, the main event is here, the excitement is palpable and observers can now begin their calendar planning through the end of August.

The children’s version of a dog-themed Blazing Saddles might finally hit theaters in 2021, but the original version of the Mel Brooks classic is definitely not for kids. And in 2020, watching it on a streaming service will come with a bit more added context on HBO Max.

The Hollywood Reporter noted on Thursday that Blazing Saddles, the 1974 parody western from Brooks and Richard Pryor, has gotten a content warning added to it while streaming on HBO Max. It’s unclear exactly when the warning was added, but it definitely came in the wake of many services examining racially sensitive content and the depiction of blackface in light of massive protests against racial inequality and police brutality that have swept the nation this summer.

As THR reported, an HBO Max spokeswoman said the introduction puts the film in the “proper social context” necessary to explain that the film’s racism and bigotry is part of the larger parody of the genre and its own inherent racism.

TCM host and University of Chicago cinema and media studies professor Jacqueline Stewart provides the intro to Blazing Saddles. She also did the intro for Gone With the Wind.

A little more than three-minutes long, Stewart’s intro puts the bigotry and racist language in context, the host saying, “as the storyline implies the issue of race is front and center in Blazing Saddles. And racist language and attitudes pervade the film. But those attitudes are espoused by characters who are portrayed here as explicitly small-minded, ignorant bigots. The real, and much more enlightened perspective, is provided by the main characters played by Cleveland Little and Gene Wilder.”

It’s the latest film spotted on the service to have a content warning of sorts, as Gone With The Wind‘s considerably racism and derogatory plot points also garnered the 1939 film a warning earlier this year. It was part of a larger movement among streaming services to either provide context for racist depictions or remove them altogether, such as the variety of shows that saw episodes depicting blackface taken out of streaming libraries this summer.

Emmy Raver-Lampman likes to joke that she’s taking it easy during quarantine. On any given day she might be downing a pint of ice cream or enjoying a long hike. She’s taking things one moment at a time. But, with all due respect to Emmy Raver-Lampman, we’ve seen her IMDb page. We know that’s just not true. Between starring in the original cast of Hamilton, playing Angelica Schuyler on the national tour, filming two seasons of The Umbrella Academy, and scoring a new gig on Apple TV+’s Central Park, Lampman is one of the busiest actors in the game right now. The second season of Netflix’s sci-fi series about a dysfunctional group of superpowered siblings just landed on Netflix, and with it came a chance for Lampman to transport her character back to 1960s Texas.

It marks a bold storytelling choice by creator Steve Blackman and his team, to address a very real, often ugly part of our history with a show about talking chimpanzees and time-traveling assassins, and an alien masquerading as a mysterious tycoon. But it’s one that pays off and gives Lampman a chance to showcase her range. So no, we just don’t buy the idea that Lampman is sitting in her pajamas all day, watching The Office re-runs and considering giving herself a quarantine haircut. It was nice of her to try though. We chatted with The Umbrella Academy star about the eerie parallels of season two, Hamilton fun-facts, and her fight for representation.

We’ve got to start off with Hamilton because…

It’s Hamilton?

Exactly. You were in the original cast, what’s it like to see it reach a new audience on streaming?

I’m so grateful. I think Hamilton is told by a group of actors that represent and look like what our world looks like. So it’s just been amazing to watch the world kind of take in the show and be able to experience it in places that it hasn’t reached yet and to people that couldn’t afford a ticket to New York and then on top of that, a ticket to a Broadway show. For me, it’s just been so interesting because I was a part of the original cast. I helped to create this musical. But it’s so funny how I’m learning from fans of the movie and the show, stuff that I didn’t even know about it because people are diving deep in the best way possible — finding hidden Easter eggs and doing all this research and really devouring the material in a way that I’ve just never seen before.

After Hamilton, you made the switch to TV. Was that a “what’s next” kind of move? How do you top this show?

I think that was part of it for sure. The way that people are feeling after they watch Hamilton, I felt that as an artist. I was just like, “This is theater at its best and it’s being told by so many unbelievably talented Black and Brown bodies,” I think I was at that point where it’s like, “Well, I don’t know of a musical that’s coming to Broadway any time soon that I can see making me feel like this.” I had almost a decade of being a theater performer under my belt, I was feeling ready to be challenged in a different way. I came to LA with Hamilton as Angelica [Schyuler] and Umbrella Academy was one of the first self-tapes that I did. I didn’t put any stock into it because I’m so new here and nobody knew my name. I sent in my audition, no expectations, and didn’t hear anything for four months. And then out of the blue, heard from my manager that they wanted me to come in the next day and do a camera test. It happened so fast.

We’ve made it to season two and your character is dropped into ’60s Texas. I think we all have a watered-down idea of the Civil Rights Movement. Did you have to do more research to understand Allison’s journey this season?

Yeah, I mean, we learn the bare minimum in school, and we are never asked to confront the harsh realities and the brutal violence of our history, especially towards Black and Brown bodies. I think I wanted to be as fully educated as I could be so that I understood some of the harsh realities of the ’60s. The level of hatred that people had to live through in the ’60s as a Black person and as a Brown person and as an LGBTQ person… I just really rooted myself in facts of the time. I wanted to educate myself as much as I could because, at the end of the day, that’s the least that I could do.

How does filming something as traumatic as that sit-in scene influence how you view protests happening right now?

I think it’s the same. Allison sitting at that protest and then having it escalate to violence because of actions of white aggressors is the same violence that we’re seeing playing out on our TV screens today, especially in the midst of all of these protests. These are peaceful protests that are escalating to violent acts and to the point of violence because of white aggressors. It’s very clear to me that, yes, the ’60s was the ’60s, and today is today, but that fight, that struggle, that movement is the same movement. It’s just a different hashtag. We are still fighting injustice. We are still fighting systemic racism. We are still fighting hate. We are still fighting homophobia. We are still fighting so many of these things that all of these unbelievable people were fighting in the ’60s, and to be completely honest with you, for centuries. The ’60s wasn’t the beginning of this movement. You know what I mean? There is still so much work to be done.

Probably the biggest questions fans have about Allison’s arc this season is why she didn’t use her powers to help in this fight?

Yeah, that was a big part of the conversation at the beginning because I was like, “If she’s not using her powers, it has to be very clear why she’s not.” Allison’s powers are complicated, and her relationship with them is complicated. We don’t know the lasting effects of her powers. She has a biracial daughter in the 21st century, so for her to do a quick fix to solve the problems of civil rights, what are the long-term effects? I think it just was not worth the risk.

I also think that the work that is the most important and the work that is long-lasting, and the work that is the most needed is always the hardest to do. Having landed in the ’60s and not having her power, the beginning of the season is like a new beginning for herself. It forced her to observe and to listen and to kind of recreate herself without using her powers. At the end of the day, she’s actually liking this version of herself who isn’t using her powers because everything she has, she’s worked for and she likes that. That applies to her life, but I think she’s also realizing that it applies to this movement.

You’re replacing Kristen Bell on Central Park. Why is that an important move in the representation fight?

Representation is so important because it broadens our ability to tell stories. I think my lived experience as a biracial woman and what I have to give forth to a story about a biracial teenager coming of age is so important because that is a very unique and singular experience. That is true for the queer experience and the trans experience and the Black experience and the Asian experience. I think it is so important to give opportunities for people to tell their stories of their people. We have to start making those moves and that transition to opening up writers’ rooms and opening up directing opportunities and opening up producing opportunities and opening up acting opportunities.

I think the only option is to make art that is a true reflection of the world that we live in, and you can’t do that if everyone is white and everyone is male because the world is not all white and the world is not all male.

I mean, thank God.

[Laughs] Right? Everybody’s experiences are so unique because of their sexual orientation, because of their race, because of how they grew up, because of their location, because of their religion. I think it’s important also for people to turn on the TV and to go to a movie and to see a character that looks like them and connect to that. What a disappointment on an animated show, to see a Black character, and then go Google who voices it, and it’s not a reflection of the character that’s being voiced. I think that’s such a missed opportunity, and I’m so grateful for Josh [Gad] and Kristen [Bell] and the creatives of Central Park. It’s just so amazing that they’re opening it up to allow room for people to voice characters that look like them.

Netflix’s ‘The Umbrella Academy’ is streaming its second season now.

The Memphis Grizzlies will have a chance to play for a playoff spot this weekend thanks to a resounding 119-106 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday afternoon in Orlando.

Jonas Valanciunas dominated as he notched his first career triple-double with 26 points, 19 rebounds, and 12 assists (more than doubling his previous career-high) in 33 minutes, while Rookie of the Year frontrunner Ja Morant chipped in a triple-double of his own with 12 points, 13 assists, and 10 rebounds to pull the young Grizzlies into postseason contention once again.

Despite an 0-4 start to the bubble and the loss of Jaren Jackson Jr. to a knee injury, Memphis managed to make it to the play-in series with a pair of wins in their final four games. Memphis always looked to have the toughest path in terms of schedule, but their finale being against Milwaukee may have actually played into their hands. The Bucks, without a suspended Giannis (who may have sat out, anyway), didn’t play any of their main rotation pieces more than 21 minutes, as Mike Budenholzer went deep into his bench against former assistant Taylor Jenkins.

The most intrigue for the Bucks was Khris Middleton’s 50/40/90 season hanging in the balance, as he needed two more makes than misses to find himself in the exclusive club. The All-Star got off to a sluggish start and finished with just 14 points on 5-for-13 shooting in 21 minutes, falling just shy of shooting 50 percent from the field on the season.

Memphis — and Phoenix, which won its final game to move to 8-0 in the bubble — will now be watching with great interest to see if the Blazers can beat the Nets on Thursday night. A Portland win means they take the 8-seed and Memphis will have to beat them twice this weekend. A Portland loss means Memphis is the 8-seed by virtue of a tiebreaker with Phoenix, and the Suns would need to move to 10-0 in the bubble by beating the Grizzlies twice. The expectation is that Portland will cruise to a win, but Memphis’ opponent today knows all too well what underestimating the shorthanded Nets can lead to.

The other team in the mix was the Spurs, but by virtue of the Suns and Grizzlies winning, and both teams owning a tiebreaker over San Antonio, no matter what they did against Utah their 22-year playoff streak would indeed be coming to an end — thus putting a halt to the longest streak in American pro sports.

The Phoenix Suns capped off their magical run in the NBA’s Orlando Bubble on Thursday afternoon with a 128-102 win over the Dallas Mavericks in their final seeding game. Phoenix was led by Devin Booker’s 27-point, 7-assist, 5-rebound outing, and with the win, they secured the distinction of being the only team to go 8-0 while in the Bubble.

The bad news is that while they took care of business in a way that even the most optimistic Suns fan could not have seen coming, their future is out of their own hands. Due to the 119-106 win by the Memphis Grizzlies over the Giannis Antetokounmpo-less Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday, Phoenix has to sit and wait with bated breath to see what happens in Thursday evening’s game between the scorching hot Portland Trail Blazers and the shorthanded Brooklyn Nets.

The Suns’ postseason prospects are dependent on the Nets knocking off the Blazers. This is a gigantic ask for Brooklyn, which have played well in the Bubble and boast a surprising 5-2 record but are tasked with figuring out a way to slow down Damian Lillard. The Blazers are also 5-2 in the Bubble, thanks in large part to the play of Lillard, who has been out of his mind and is the favorite to be named the MVP of the Bubble’s seeding games — he’s averaging 37 points and 9.3 assists in 41.4 minutes per game in the Bubble while connecting on 41.4 percent of his triples.

Still, anything can happen in that game (as the Bucks learned against Brooklyn recently), which tips off at 9 p.m. EST on TNT. Even if Portland wins, though, Phoenix can leave the Bubble with their heads held high. Again, absolutely no one could have seen them going 8-0 in seeding games. They were the most wonderfully cohesive team in the entire Bubble — Booker looked like he made the leap from an extremely good player on a middling team to a legitimate superstar. Deandre Ayton gave plenty of reminders of his considerable potential. The team’s role players were fantastic, whether it was Mikal Bridges flashing as much potential as any young 3-and-D wing in the league, Cam Johnson showing some scoring punch, Ricky Rubio providing his perpetually-steady hand in the backcourt, Dario Saric shining off the bench, or Cameron Payne providing surprisingly quality minutes after being a last-minute signing.

Two things that Phoenix has been missing for quite some time have been a solid foundation that the team can build on and the kind of stability that you need to build. Monty Williams, in his first year in charge, has done a wonderful job building a culture and getting buy-in from everyone, which includes a front office that hasn’t exactly established itself as one that consistently makes the best decisions. Add in what these players have shown in Orlando and it’s evident that something special is brewing in Phoenix.

It’s a bit unfortunate that we may not get to see if this group can get a shot at the most unlikely of playoff berths. The Suns are extremely fun, play hard, and have a sense of belief about them that would make them an absolutely wonderful squad to watch in the postseason. It all comes down to the Nets, but even if the Blazers come out on top, a mic’d up Ayton put things succinctly at the end of their win against the Mavs.

“A fourth season with all of us?” Ayton asked. “Aye, NBA, we’ll be back next year. We’ll be back. We proved ourselves, though. Put some respect on our names.”

Though summer isn’t technically over until September 22nd, we’re inundated with fall-spiced products beginning mid-August (and sometimes even in July). Honestly, we barely feel like summer even started. We certainly aren’t ready for the explosion of pumpkin spice that’s already filling the shelves at our local grocery stores. From candy to candles, it seems like everything is slathered in this overly-saccharine spiced flavor.

What’s the point of this lead-in?

It’s just to say that here at Uproxx, we prefer our spice to be of the rye variety and pretty much only in whiskey form (although we’ll munch on a loaf of good rye bread, too). Instead of falling for the siren song of pumpkin-spice while we’re still in the dog days of summer, we recommend you get yourself a nice bottle of rye whiskey and watch the sunset with a nice dram. It’s way more satisfying and not nearly so cliche.

To help you out, we decided listed some of our favorite summer-fall transition-y rye expressions below.

Basil Hayden’s 10- Year-Old Rye

ABV: 40%

Distillery Name: Jim Beam

Average Price: $56.99

The Story:

Released in May of 2020, this is one of the newest offerings from Jim Beam’s small-batch brands. Previously, the brand released Basil Hayden’s Dark Rye, but this is the first bottle with an age statement. This 80-proof rye was aged for ten years. While its complex and well-balanced, it’s easily sippable and can be enjoyed just as much by seasoned rye fans as those new to the style.

Tasting Notes:

The result of the ten years of maturation is a softening of the spicy rye, giving this offering a much richer, more approachable flavor. Before you even take a sip, you’re met with aromas of peppery rye, subtle toasted oak, and lingering vanilla. The first sip leads you into a symphony of sweet toffee, rich caramel, and warming rye spice. It’s all finished with a flourish of warming cinnamon and smoky wood.

Bottom Line:

This is a great rye for beginners — it’s smoother and more sippable than some of the higher rye offerings.

Old Forester Rye

ABV: 50%

Distillery Name: Old Forester

Average Price: $25.99

The Story:

Old Forester is a huge name in the bourbon world. The brand has been producing high-level bourbon or over 150 years. But, until last spring, it never branched out into rye whiskey. The brand likes to tout itself as the first bourbons to be bottled in a glass bottle. Obviously, they did that more than a century ago, but now they’ve made what they’re referring to as the first-ever “Kentucky straight rye whiskey”.

Tasting Notes:

Made using a recipe from 1940, this rye offering is made up of 65 percent rye, 20 percent malted barley, and 15 percent corn. The result is a whiskey with hints of dried orange peel and caramel on the nose. The first sip yields buttery toffee, subtle banana bread that leads into peppery spice, cinnamon, and various Christmas spices before ending in caramelized sugar and just a hint of rye pepper.

Bottom Line:

This is a complex, high-rye whiskey that should appeal equally to seasoned rye fans and newbies alike.

Michter’s 10-Year Single Barrel Rye

ABV: 46.4%

Distillery Name: Michter’s

Average Price: $149.99

The Story:

Back in July, Michter’s released its 10-Year Single Barrel Rye whiskey for 2020. The brand, more known for its bourbon, is only releasing this expression in limited quantities because of lack of supply due to the ongoing pandemic. This limited number of bottles makes this even more highly coveted than it normally would be. This “Kentucky-style” rye is unsurprisingly fairly high in the corn department and was aged for ten years in toasted, charred barrels.

Tasting Notes:

The result is a highly complex, one-of-a-kind bottle that you should definitely seek out while you still can. It all starts with the nose. Aromas of rye bread, charred oak, and rich caramel are highly nuanced. The first sip brings up images of vanilla bean ice cream, spicy cinnamon, subtle spices, and velvety clover honey. The finish is subtly dry with a long-lasting, warming hint of spicy pepper.

Bottom Line:

If you can get your hands on this bottle, definitely don’t waste it by mixing it. You spent enough on this whiskey that it should be sipped slowly on a cool evening.

Pikesville 6-Year-Old Straight Rye

ABV: 55%

Distillery Name: Heaven Hill

Average Price: $54.99

The Story:

In the 1800s there were two different versions of rye. The first was Pennsylvania Rye and the other was Maryland Rye. Pikesville is a Maryland-style Rye — a style known for its much milder, smoother whiskeys. Originally Pikesville was produced in the late 1800s until prohibition saw the closure of the distillery. After prohibition was repealed, Pikesville was the only brand of Maryland Rye to remain. Years later, this iconic, 110 proof, 6-year-old whiskey is now made in Kentucky by Heaven Hill.

Tasting Notes:

For a rye whiskey with only 51% rye content, this is a highly complex, well-rounded whiskey. Before you even take a sip, you’re met with just a whiff of peppery rye, dried fruits, and smoked cinnamon. The first sip adds caramelized sugar, vanilla, and dried orange peel into the equation. It all ends with toasted oak and malty chocolate and a pleasing hit of heat.

Bottom Line:

While this is definitely a great sipper, you can feel comfortable mixing this whiskey into your favorite rye-based cocktail.

Sagamore Straight Rye

ABV: 41.5%

Distillery Name: MGP/Sagamore

Average Price: $41.99

The Story:

Sagamore Spirits was officially launched back in 2016 and was named for a nearby thoroughbred horse racing farm. In the few years since, it has gained quite a following for its Maryland-style rye. Like many rye brands, Sagamore sources multiple rye mash bills from MGP before tirelessly blending them together to create the flavor they’re looking for. One mash bill is 95 percent rye, while the two others included are each 51 percent rye. They don’t let anyone in on the actual whiskeys they use and the amounts of each, but that’s all inside baseball anyway.

Tasting Notes:

While this whiskey definitely isn’t overpowered by its rye presence, peppery spice is present on the first nosing. This is followed by candied cherries, rich vanilla, and spicy cinnamon. The first sip brings robust, charred oak, dried orange peel, and sweet caramel. The finish is littered with hints of pepper and warming heat.

Bottom Line:

Pour a glass, drop in an ice cube, and sit back and sip on this high-rye whiskey while you sit near a large body of water.

Russell’s Reserve 6-Year Small Batch

ABV: 45%

Distillery Name: Wild Turkey

Average Price: $41.99

The Story:

Similar to Jim Beam’s small batch series, Russell’s Reserve (named for Jimmy Russell) is Wild Turkey’s higher-end brand. Well known for its bourbon, drinkers shouldn’t sleep on this 90-proof, small-batch rye that was aged for six years. It won a gold medal at the 2015 San Francisco World Spirits Competition for a reason. It’s known for its use of a single rye mashbill and the fact that it’s the only rye the brand makes with an age statement.

Tasting Notes:

Before taking a sip, it’s best to take in some of the whiskey’s aromas. The first sniff brings forth sticky toffee pudding, toasted wood, and just a wisp of peppery spice. Once you take a sip, you’ll be treated to rich vanilla, subtle cloves, cinnamon, and cooking spices along with honey sweetness. It all ends with a crescendo of chocolate truffles, caramel, and a pleasing hint of peppery heat.

Bottom Line:

Don’t waste this gem by using it as a mixer. It’s perfect for slow sipping while you grill up a nice, meaty steak.

As calls for racial justice escalated around the world this summer, one UK-based company that made statements regarding its role in systemic racism was Lloyd’s Of London, described as an insurance and reinsurance market formed by the Lloyd’s Act 1871. The market began as a shop where mariners and merchants would convene to secure insurance — including for slaves and slave ships. In June, Lloyd’s acknowledged these ties to the global slave trade and promised to make recompense. A month later, they received a list of demands from none other than T.I., whose plan was to hold the company accountable to its commitment to change.

Firing off — and sharing on his social media — an open letter to Lloyd’s with a list of ways to make restoration for its past actions, T.I. told the company “on behalf of ‘The Descendants’ of African Slaves,” that “we demand equitable financial consideration for the ‘shameful role’ they played in the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade.” Now, a little under a month removed from sending his open letter, T.I.’s Chief of Staff has received a response, sharing it via email with Uproxx.

“We cannot unfortunately undo the past,” it reads. “But we would like to play an active role in trying to level the playing field for Black and Minority Ethnic people in today’s world. On 10 June we announced an initial action plan that focuses on education, research and significant funding for charities and other organisations that promote opportunity and inclusion for Black and Minority Ethnic colleagues. There is much more to do and we will work with our Cultural Advisory Group to determine our longer term plans.”

The letter promises to update Lloyd’s websites as plans develop and offers links to the market’s action plan and advisory group.

Tom Cruise appears to have made it is mission to run in as many flicks as possible, including the Mission: Impossible franchise as seen above. Each Cruise sprint may be different from the last, although they all carry the same ferocity, and if you were wondering whether he’s got a rule about his running, you’d be correct. This story ends up being more flattering to Cruise than what Thandie Newton had to say about M:I 2, but yeah, Tom still comes off as totally intense. No surprise there.

Annabelle Wallis, who starred alongside Cruise in 2017’s The Mummy, spoke with Hollywood Reporter about her new movie, The Silencing (co-starring Nikolaj Coster-Waldau). In the process, Wallis (of course) discussed how often she’s asked about The Mummy, and she revealed how exactly she got Cruise to break his on-screen running rule — he prefers to go it alone — and allow her to sprint alongside him. This sounds like a lot of work, but her mission went as planned:

“I got to run on-screen with him, but he told me no at first. He said, ‘Nobody runs on-screen [with me],’ and I said, ‘But I’m a really good runner. So, I would time my treadmill so that he’d walk in and see me run. And then he added all these running scenes. So, that was it. It was, like, better than an Oscar. I was so happy! I was so happy that I got to run on-screen with Tom Cruise.”

And Wallis did a fine job at the task. Look at her go.

(Via Hollywood Reporter)