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Alex Moffat is returning to SNL this week for his fifth season and, well, he doesn’t quite know what to expect. He went as far to say he was writing down my questions for how the show will work during a pandemic so he can remember to ask them himself this week for his own knowledge. Even in a recent interview with Lorne Michaels, the attitude seems to be, “fingers crossed.” Though, Moffat says he’s being tested for Covid-19 every day and the plan, at least, is when it’s possible to do the show as at all normal, they are going to try. And it’s going to be quite a few weeks, as SNL, with the presidential debates and election all coming up, takes on five shows in a row without a break, which they’ve never done previously. And Moffat’s Eric Trump will sure to get some added attention as the real-life version is soon to be questioned by the Manhattan DA about the Trump Organization’s business dealings.

Moffat is also in a new film, The Opening Act, about the world of standup comedy in which he plays Chris, a, let’s say, spirited comic played in the vein of mid-2000s Dane Cook – a comparison Moffat says he didn’t think of before, but also doesn’t dispute.

Also, as it turns out, Moffat and I have a mutual friend in common and, without going into details, I do know Moffat has done some incredibly kind things for this friend who had a tough few months around the turn of the year. And having knowledge of all this, I wanted to make sure to point that out because we could all use more stories of kindness these days.

A mutual friend of ours said to thank you for the “pumpkin and pie.”

Oh, she did? My pleasure. Anything I can do to bring her things fresh from the farm.

So those are two separate things? It was not a pumpkin pie? It was a pumpkin and a pie?

Yes. A pumpkin, a fruit of the farm, and a pie.

I know they have had a pretty tough few months and she has told me about some of the stuff that you’ve done. And that is very, very thoughtful. It’s really nice to hear stuff like that.

Well … they’ve become good friends of my wife and me. We really love them.

So, the movie. What is that you’re doing?

[Laughs] “What is that?”

Well, because you’re playing a personality I haven’t really seen from you before. Even with you playing tons of different personalities on TV. It feels like this is like a Dane Cook mid-aughts kind of personality. Is that accurate?

That’s a fun comparison. Yeah. It was meant to be sort of a guy who maybe doesn’t always write the cleverist jokes, but kind of has a lot of zip and pizzazz on stage and kind of enjoys the extracurriculars of the job maybe even more than the job, or the art of standup. And, yeah, Dane Cook is a funny comparison. I think there are probably a lot of people in the biz who are like this character.

I can’t tell if you’re surprised by that comparison or not. Your tone sounds like you’re not surprised.

I’m not surprised. I honestly hadn’t thought of Dane Cook. I guess the character’s probably like an amalgam of … can I say the term fuck boy?

Yes.

I don’t know if that’s appropriate. But again, I was kind of looking at him more as just the guy who loves the nightlife, loves to boogie, and uses his stage presence and charms to kind of get by. Anyway, to answer your question. I’m sure Dane Cook was in the stew of characters in my head that I sort of based it off of. I didn’t necessarily base it off of any one person.

You should just say that’s the real you. Look, you love the nightlife and you love to boogie.

Oh yeah. I mean, where there’s a will, there’s a way.

This feels like it would have been a big summer for you. You are at that stage at SNL where you start showing up in a lot of movies. Did the pandemic derail anything for you? It had to, right?

Well, maybe. Honestly, I hadn’t thought of it a whole lot when everything kind of shut down and everything started happening socially. I don’t know, I just sort of bunkered in with my wife. The overwhelming feeling that I had over and over again this summer was like, “My God, we are very, very lucky in the grand scheme of things.” As far as like, would I have worked more this summer?

Well because of the show you have a limited window and I didn’t know if you had stuff lined up that fell through because of everything.

There were a few things that were either lined up or pending, but everything gets pushed. And anything that was sort of on the docket, as things move around less, maybe with my SNL schedule, a project that I would have gotten to be a part of, I might not be part of it anymore. But again, things move around so much. I’m sure the opposite will be true, too. And maybe something that was going to shoot last spring is going to shoot next summer? And it’s all so much up in the air that it’s hard for me to wrap my brain around what the summer would have looked like. You know what I mean?

Well, speaking of, you now go back to SNL. Do you even know how that works yet? Do you still show up Monday? Will meetings be remote?

These are great questions and I should write these down so that I can remember to ask them myself. I think that a lot of things are still coming together. I know that these are things that the producers have had endless conversations about. I get a lot of emails about COVID protocols and safety measures and new procedures that they’re putting in place. And it sounds like they’re doing everything they can to make sure this is as safe and smooth as possible next week. I mean, I think we’re going to going to be like any other first week, in the sense that we have a read through and they’re going to pick their favorite stuff.

I read Lorne say that he’s only allowed to have two or three people in his office now, which is obviously very different. That’s what I don’t understand. How does the Monday meeting work with two people in the room? Is it stay home and do that remotely?

Well, the first week’s schedule I think is a little bit shifted around. I mean, I think we’re doing the read-through a little bit earlier so we can kind of get ahead of it just a little bit, but yeah. I mean, I’m going to kind of show up ready to work and see where they tell me to stand and what to do.

Will you all be in the same room or do you not know yet?

I don’t totally know all the details and everything. It sounds like the goal, whenever possible, is to be in the same room whenever we can. We’re basically getting tested every day.

Oh wow.

Yeah.

That’s intense.

Yeah, my nostrils now, if they don’t get tickled every day, they’re longing for it. I think the idea is, whenever we can, to try to have some sense of doing it the usual way. And then obviously being as distanced and masked and as hand-sani’d as we possibly can. And as tested and as safe as we can, if that makes sense.

I was very impressed with the romantic comedy you filmed in your apartment for the at-home episode.

Well, thank you. Thank you. Thankfully I live with an entire movie crew. Everyone was happy to have something to do. And by an entire movie crew, I mean my wife, who now can say she’s done lighting, set design, cinematography, and directing. All of that for a romcom: a huge budget romcom I might add.

Your guy who just bought a boat character … do you know a guy with a boat and, if you do, do they call you and go, “This isn’t about me, right?”

[Laughs] I’ve had a few people talk about other people that they think it is, having no idea that they’re also a little inspiration. That’s another one where it’s not necessarily based off of one particular person. It’s some of the guys who I knew in college who may or may not have been on the lacrosse team. It is also based loosely on a dad of a girl I knew in college who once at a barbecue told me about all of the boats that he had. And I said, “Oh that’s quite a fleet you have.“ Add there was a long pause. And he said, “Well, if you live on the Bay, you got to have boats.” I was like, whoa, words to live by.

Have you been paying attention to Eric Trump’s woes? He’s going to have a big few weeks coming up.

A big few weeks?

Well, he’s being ordered to testify about fraud within the Trump company. So I feel like he’s going to be in the news a lot coming up.

Oh, wow. Yeah. That sounds like he will. I mean, as we all know, I think the whole gang there, whether in the family or just in the administration there, is a never-ending gift that keeps on giving to the comedy world, whether we like it or not.

I’m going with not.

Yeah, I hear you.

But Eric’s going to get the special spotlight.

He might just get a nice special spotlight. People text me pictures of him all the time. And a friend texted me a picture of him with his arm around the dude who just won the U.S. Open golf tournament. And they both of course were not wearing masks, looking not at all like there’s a pandemic and a lot of social unrest going on. And it’s like, nope, all we care about is that the U.S. Open winner is staying at Trump Westchester.

You can contact Mike Ryan directly on Twitter.

The Daily Show host Trevor Noah “never thought” he’d see a time when the United States president “would threaten not to accept an election defeat.” And I never thought the United States would have a president who spends 93 times more money on “hairstyling expenses” than he pays in federal income taxes. We were both wrong.

On Monday’s episode of The Daily Show, Noah discussed the New York Times exposé on the King of Debt’s taxes, and by discussed, I mean he’s pissed off. “Hold on, hold on. The president of the country almost never pays taxes? And when he does, he only pays $750?” he said. “Yo, that sh*t pisses me off. Because Trump is always out there like, ‘We’re building back our military.’ We? No, motherf*cker. We’re building back the military. You didn’t pay for shit. If you didn’t chip in, you don’t get to put your name on the card.”

Noah added that Trump paid $750 in taxes, compared to $130,000 in hush money for Stormy Daniels, “which means if the I.R.S. wants to get money from Trump, you guys know what you got to do.” The conversation then turned to Trump’s pricey haircare:

“Now it looks like two crimes might have been committed here: One is Trump’s tax evasion, and two is whoever swindled Trump into paying $70,000 for what they did to him. On the other hand, though, $70,000 for Trump’s hair might actually make sense. Because whoever did that needed to bend the law of physics, and I’m pretty sure that ain’t cheap.”

You can watch the clip above.

(Via Vanity Fair)

Now is a great time to be BTS. The K-pop mega-stars made history recently when “Dynamite” found its way to the top of the Hot 100 chart, they dropped a Tiny Desk performance, and the group members just got significantly more wealthy thanks to Big Hit Entertainment’s IPO. That all preceded another great week for the group, as they are set to take over The Tonight Show this week. They began last night, teaming up with Jimmy Fallon and The Roots to perform “Dynamite.”

The group sang the song over a partially beatboxed instrumental from Fallon and The Roots, which was fleshed out with other instrumentation to make for a satisfying alternate version of the song. Elsewhere, the group gave a new performance of “Idol,” which saw the group taking over a large outdoor space to sing and dance to the song for a web-exclusive video.

“Dynamite” spent its first two weeks on top of the Billboard Hot 100, but fell off thanks to Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s “WAP.” However, the group managed to return to No. 1 this week thanks to a batch of “Dynamite” remixes.

Watch BTS perform “Dynamite” and “Idol” above.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Former NBA player Delonte West has fallen on hard times in the recent past. The 37-year-old has spoken about a diagnosis of bipolar disorder and, amid various reports about West’s issues including photos of West seemingly panhandling in Texas, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is reportedly attempting to intervene to provide support.

TMZ reported on Monday that Cuban met with West in the Dallas area. ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reports that Cuban confirmed the meeting, indicating that the owner is “attempting to help the homeless former NBA player get his life back on track.”

West, who last played in the NBA during the 2011-12 season, concluded his tenure in the league with the Mavericks. The former St. Joseph’s guard appeared in NBA games across eight seasons.

As part of the TMZ report, Cuban has offered to help financially with West’s treatment at a drug rehabilitation facility, and a source told TMZ that West “now seems open to the idea.” That would be good news, at the very least, with many rooting for West to bounce back and get the assistance that he needs. It remains to be seen as to where this story will lead, but good on Cuban for lending a helping hand.

One week after fans started a petition earning over 15,000 signatures urging 21 Savage to drop his highly-anticipated album Savage Mode 2, the rapper is giving into pressure. With only five days notice, the rapper has announced the album will arrive this Friday.

21 Savage made the announcement via an ominous, Harry Potter-like trailer. The video depicts him in the studio with a voice-over by Morgan Freeman describing what exactly “savage mode” is: “Savage is defined as fierce, beastly, and untamed. Mode is defined as a way of operating or using the system. So, to be in ‘savage mode’ is to go hard, not allowing anything to stop or deter you from your mission. Basically, this means when someone is in savage mode, they are not to be f*cked with.”

21 Savage originally teased the upcoming record during his performance at The Shrine in LA last year in July. After paying respects to the late Nipsey Hussle, he excited fans by saying, “‘Savage Mode 2’ on the motherf*ckin way.” But after a year of silence, people were beginning to grow restless for the project — hence the petition for its release.

Watch 21 Savage’s Savage Mode 2 teaser above.

Savage Mode 2 is out 10/2 via Epic. Pre-order it here.

Nipsey Hussle is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Steven Soderbergh is no stranger to star-studded heist movies. After scoring two separate Best Director Oscar nominations in the same year — he won for Traffic, beating himself for Erin Brockovich — the acclaimed filmmaker immediately segued to lighter fare, bring a good chunk of Hollywood to 2001’s blockbuster remake Ocean’s Eleven. Even after dropping out of Hollywood’s studio system, he did another stacked cast heist picture, with 2017’s semi-self-funded Logan Lucky. And now he’s planning a kind of heist of his own: He’s going to see if he can film another one of these big name crime movies in the midst of a pandemic (while, of course, conforming to COVID-19 shooting regulations).

As per The Hollywood Reporter, Soderbergh just started production on No Sudden Move, a period movie about small-time crooks whose latest job goes awry, as these things tend to do. It’s a movie Soderbergh has had in the works for a while now, and he was set to start shooting last spring. That, of course, did not happen, and in the months of re-jiggering production that followed, he lost some big names, namely George Clooney, John Cena, and Sebastian Stan. He has retained some other famous faces: Don Cheadle, Benicio Del Toro, Amy Seimetz, and Jon Hamm.

And he’s gained some other stars. THR reports that the call sheet includes such luminaries as Kieran Culkin, David Harbour, Brendan Fraser, Bill Duke, and SMILF’s Frankie Shaw. Also on staff are Uncut Gems breakout Julia Fox and young A Quiet Place and Honey Boy actor Noah Jupe.

Here’s the plot, as per THR:

With a script by Ed Solomon, Sudden Move is set in 1955 Detroit and centers on a group of small-time criminals who are hired to steal what they think is a simple document. When their plan goes horribly wrong, their search for who hired them — and for what ultimate purpose — weaves them through all echelons of the race-torn, rapidly changing city.

The always busy Soderbergh was last seen with last year’s The Laundromat, another one with a who’s-who cast, including Meryl Streep doing double duty and Gary Oldman and Antonio Banderas as a pair of Greek Chorus hosts. Last week it was reported that The Knick, the turn-of-the-last-century hospital series he made mid-last decade, would be returning, but now in the hands of star André Holland and his Moonlight director Barry Jenkins.

(Via THR)

For his fourth single of the year, Omar Apollo takes his alt-pop sound in a different direction. Following the debut of his chilled-out track “Kamikaze” and the sultry single “Stayback,” thecorrido-style ballad “Dos Uno Nueve” finds Apollo paying homage to both his Mexican and Indianan roots.

Affectionately titled after Apollo’s Indiana zip code, “Dos Uno Nueve” features lightning-fast acoustic guitar picking and soulful delivery. Apollo sings of his past hardships and how they’ve informed his current success while also wondering about the personal growth that is still to come. “Quiero ganar mucho más zeros / Y disfrutar de lo que tengo,” he sings.

In a statement alongside the single, Apollo explains why he chose to pen the song about his home state: “’219′ is where I’m from and it will always have a place in my heart. Growing up, I dealt with a lot of obstacles that shaped my personality. My life is constantly changing; and as I’m adjusting to this new lifestyle of traveling, meeting people, and making music for a living, I’ll always love coming home to Indiana.”

Listen to “Dos Uno Nueve” above.

Omar Apollo is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The Toy Story movie franchise has millions of fans around the world, and the films have popularized iconic characters, bringing joy to the masses for more than two decades. With that in mind, Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard shed light on a new release coming Oct. 1 from Adidas, with his “Dame 7” shoes taking on a special Toy Story colorway inspired by the work of Buzz Lightyear.

As Lillard notes, this particular version will only be available in kids-only sizes and, while that is crucial to note, the target audience for Toy Story is a bit younger than the typical sneaker consumer. In addition to the new-look “Dame 7” issue, Adidas is also offering youth sizes on Donovan Mitchell’s “D.O.N. Issue #2” sneakers, inspired by another Toy Story character in Woody. There are more Toy Story-inspired releases as well, from sneakers to t-shirts and jerseys.

To top it all off, Lillard made sure to let the world know that his new shoes will glow in the dark.

Youth sizes will be priced at $100, with children’s sizes priced at $80 for the “Dame 7.” The “D.O.N. Issue #2” sneakers are priced at $90 for youth sizes and $75 for children’s sizes, to also be released in October.

There’s a trend of musicians partnering with shoe brands, like Travis Scott working with Nike, Kanye with Adidas, and J. Cole with Puma. Add Bad Bunny to the list. The Puerto Rican singer unveiled his own collection of footwear, soon to release a line of his very-own Crocs.

Bad Bunny’s eye-catching Crocs, which are apparently making a comeback, have a special feature. While at first glance the shoe boasts a stark white exterior in Crocs’ original design, his version are able to completely glow in dark when the lights are turned off. Of course, no pair of Crocs would be complete without their plastic accessories, Jibbitz, which Bad Bunny made sure to insert into his collection. The charms include stars, planets, as well as Bad Bunny’s signature logo.

In a statement about the collaboration, Bad Bunny said he’s been a “longtime fan” of the shoe brand: “I believe in being true and not placing limitations on myself, which is also something Crocs represents, and this is the message I always want to make sure I send out to my fans. As a longtime fan creating my own design for Crocs was a lot of fun. I hope they inspire others to have their own fun with their personal style and wearing what makes them happy.”

Check out photos of the Bad Bunny Crocs collaboration above.

The Bad Bunny x Crocs Classic Glow Clog hits online stores 9/29 at 12 p.m. EDT. Get them here.

Longbranch — the much-hyped bourbon collaboration between Oscar-winner Matthew McConaughey and Wild Turkey — was first released in May of 2018. At the time, it got some great buzz and solid reviews. But the whiskey​ has seen a recent spike in popularity thanks to a new advertising campaign (directed by and starring McConaughey) and the fact that quarantined, stir-crazy, election-stressed drinkers are looking for something unique to try outside of their standard bottles.

McConaughey’s expression definitely fits that bill. The Texas-born actor didn’t just slap his name on this whiskey, sip it in a commercial, grab his paycheck, and call it a day. His commitment to the craft of distilling and time spent with the Wild Turkey team has been heavily publicized. As has the Texas connection — the flavors of True Detective star’s home state are all over this expression.

While it was born as a Kentucky bourbon, Longbranch — “refined with Texas Mesquite and oak charcoals” — tastes like Texas in whiskey form. It’s also the first time in Master Distiller Eddie Russell’s career that he’s launched a bottle bearing someone else’s signature, thus signaling how involving McConaughey was in its creation. For those eager to test it, the expression is available nationwide and isn’t too difficult to find.

Check out our tasting notes, below.

ABV: 43%

Distillery: Wild Turkey

Price: $39.99

The Story:

Named for the close family friends that “form the longest branches of our family trees,” Longbranch is a bourbon to be shared with friends and family alike. As we pointed out above, McConaughey was very hands-on during the creation of this expression. He and Russell spent hours comparing notes, sampling, and testing various combinations before they found the right recipe.

To create the unique Texas/Kentucky combination, this whiskey was first filtered through American white oak charcoal before being filtered through Texas Mesquite wood-based charcoal. The bourbon is then aged for 8 years in charred oak barrels. The result is a mellow, easy-drinking bourbon that bridges the gap between smoky and sweet.

Tasting Notes:

This unique bourbon deserves to be nosed before you dive in and sip it. You’ll be met with aromas of subtle cinnamon spice, rich vanilla, and creamy caramel. The first sip yields hints of charred oak, butterscotch, brown sugar, and candied orange peel. The finish is long, warming, slightly dry, and filled with sticky toffee, sweet cream, and a perfect whiff of mesquite smoke at the very end.

Bottom Line:

While not a bad whiskey by any means, you should be aware that Longbranch is only $40 for a reason. It’s not an exquisite product — but it is a unique and enjoyable one. Mellow, smooth, easy to drink, and won’t break the bank.