The film and TV industry has been for the most part shut down for almost four months now, and given California’s recent spikes in cases that’s likely to remain so for a while still. But some talent has thought outside the box. Rian Johnson was able to direct a Pokemon Go commercial remotely. And, as per Deadline, the creator of Euphoria secretly made a movie with Zendaya and John David Washington, all while the pandemic raged.
It’s called Malcolm & Marie, and it doesn’t sound all that escapist. In fact, while its plot has not been revealed, Deadline claims it’s not unlike Marriage Story, Noah Baumbach’s harrowing divorce saga starring Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver. It was, in fact, Zendaya’s idea: The actress reportedly phoned her Euphoria creator, Sam Levinson, in mid-March, asking him to write a movie about the quarantine. Six days later he had it.
Most surprising of all: They didn’t film it at home, each actor staring into their webcam. The film was shot between June 17 and July 2 at the environmentally conscious, all-glass Caterpillar House in Carmel, CA, all while complying to WGA, DGA and SAG-AFTRA approvals and COVID-19 safety protocol. Cast and crew “were tested for COVID before working, wore protective gear, and stayed on a separate property to maintain the healthiest working environment possible.” What’s more:
Once cleared, production began with no more than 12 people on set at any given moment. Some of the precautions taken included temperature checks at the beginning and end of every day. Extra time was always allowed for the crew to sanitize the set and gear. No crew member could be in close contact with the actors without the proper personal protective equipment. Sets were pre-dressed well in advance to limit crews, and the director would check in on a video call in advance.
The full and extensive list of rules for shooting a movie during a pandemic can be read at Deadline. Meanwhile, what are the odds you’ll see Malcolm & Marie before you see another John David Washington movie, Tenet?
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina — the dark take on the Archie comic book series that also inspired a lighter ’90s series starring Melissa Joan Hart — has been cancelled, according to The Hollywood Reporter. It lasted four “parts,” rather than seasons, with the final batch of episodes still due at as-yet-revealed date later this year. (Part Three dropped earlier this year.)
The show, which bowed in October of 2018, starred Mad Men’s Kiernan Shipka a half-human, half-witch attending a high school. It was imagined as a kind of companion series to Riverdale, which took Archie itself and made it serious (and sexy). Where the earlier screen iteration, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, which ran from 1996 through 2003, was a straight-up sitcom (and even originated on ABC before moving to The WB), Shipka’s incarnation went to some dark places, including her wrestling with being the daughter of Satan.
As usual with Netflix, no reason was given for the cancellation. They don’t release data, unless said data is (they claim) off the charts, as with Bird Box and various Adam Sandler joints. In the meantime, at least fans suddenly won’t have any future Chilling Adventures in their lives; Part Four is still due at some time this calendar year. After that, pour one out.
The MLS Is Back Tournament began at Disney’s Wide World of Sports on Wednesday night with a game between Orlando City SC and Inter Miami, following the NWSL as the second team sports league to return to action in the United States.
While there’s concern about how well the proverbial bubble is doing at keeping players from contracting the virus after FC Dallas had to withdraw from the tournament and Nashville SC’s first game was postponed and their fate remains in question after nine positive tests, the tournament is moving forward as planned as of now. Prior to the first match, players from teams across the MLS joined Orlando SC and Inter Miami on the pitch for a Black Lives Matter demonstration, as Black players from around the league stood, fist raised, around the field as the players from the two squads getting set to play kneeled on the center circle.
MLS players from across the league stood together for a Black Lives Matter demonstration prior to Orlando City vs. Inter Miami. pic.twitter.com/4wszNbCUG3
On the video board behind the action, a graphic that simply read “#MLSIsBlack” was posted, turning their official slogan for the return of the league into a message about the importance of their Black players. It was a strong statement for the league to open with out of the gate and follows leagues from around the world that have held various demonstrations prior to games as sports have returned.
Of course, more important than a strong visual is that there are strong actions that follow, but it was a powerful statement that will hopefully lead to continued efforts by MLS.
The players that were a part of the demonstration represented the coalition Black Players for Change, which is partnered with the NFL’s Players Coalition in pushing for social change through humanitarian and educational efforts.
The MLS players originally announced their new effort on Juneteenth of this year. Their mission focuses not only on human rights and racial equality, but to eliminate racism from the game of soccer, which has been – and in many ways continues to be – plagued with systematic inequality around the world. The group has already secured $75,000 in charitable contribution commitments from MSLPA in support of the organization.
“We’re excited to formalize and announce our partnership with Players Coalition,” said Quincy Amarikwa, a co-founder of the newly-launched effort of MLS players. “Through this partnership, we see an opportunity to create a path that brings all players across all sports leagues together in our fight to overcome and move past the racial and discriminatory practices within our world..”
The group hopes to use their platform and voice to bring attention to issues of racism in the sport and beyond, and used Monday night’s opener on ESPN to make their strong statement.
Much like the NBA, the WNBA is preparing for an abbreviated season later this month at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. The WNBA season was originally supposed to begin in mid-May, but the COVID-19 pandemic delayed it indefinitely. In what’s affectionately being called the “Wubble,” players will embark on their shortened season with strict safety guidelines in hopes of preventing the spread of the disease that has infected more than 3 million people in the U.S.
Back in May, when there were no pro sports on television for the first time in many people’s lifetimes, ESPN got the novel idea to air an NBA 2K tournament featuring stars from around the league. On Wednesday, Aerial Powers of the Washington Mystics announced she was putting together her own NBA 2K tournament, Powerz Up, featuring several stars from around the WNBA.
“It’s an all female 2K tournament,” Powers said. “I have WNBA players in it, some pro 2K players in it, and of course, you know I gotta have the fans.”
Powers announced that the tournament will feature WNBA stars like Diamond DeShields and Brittney Griner, among others, as well as pro 2K players Chiquita Evans and Hazel Childress.
Powers has been streaming almost daily on Twitch and has been using the quarantine time to sharpen her skills and increase her presence in the gaming universe. In the video, she also hinted at a tournament that may take place while players are inside the Wubble in Florida.
The time has finally come for the Frotcast to finally discuss Hamilton, a play Matt has seen and loved and thus far failed to convince me to watch. That is… until now! So, is Hamilton the defining theatrical achievement of our times or some cheesy overhyped schoolhouse rock bullshit? You’ll have to listen to find out. No refunds.
Joining us in our discussion this week, we have Francesca Fiorentini, host of the Bitchuation Room, founder of Newsbroke on AJ+, and frequent guest on The Young Turks, who once, along with Matt once forced me to listen to the Hamilton soundtrack on our way to the Russian River in the back of Matt’s Honda Civic; and Andrew Law, aka IllyBocean on Twitter and cohost of the BoontaVista Podcast, who, like me, was a skeptical Hamilton virgin, only in his case has the added hurdle of being an Australian who wasn’t forcefed the Founding Fathers and Constitutional Convention in school. Will this make him love Hamilton more or less?
It’s a spirited discussion, and naturally, Matt turns in many analingus puns for his Hamilton parody about eating butt, Lumilton.
Hey, we’ve got lots of amazing bonus content, especially these past few weeks, including me and Matt reviewing The King Of Staten Island. Hear them right now by signing up to our Patreon, Patreon.com/Frotcast. You will absolutely love it. Your hair will grow back, your dog will come home, and your kids will start calling again. And again, no refunds.
EMAIL us at [email protected], leave us a voicemail at 415-275-0030.
The Brooklyn Nets are in Orlando for the NBA restart, but are without a number of their key players. Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant both quickly ruled out a bubble return from injury early in the hiatus, and Wilson Chandler announced his intentions to opt out of the restart, citing family reasons, last week.
Then, three players — Spencer Dinwiddie, DeAndre Jordan, and Taurean Prince — tested positive for COVID-19 over the past week and have been ruled out of the restart, leaving the Nets with a roster that looks almost nothing like the one they had when the hiatus arrived, much less the one they started the season with. Justin Anderson was the first substitute player the Nets signed, after starring in the G League this season, in hopes he can bring them some depth at forward, but still had three spots open for substitute signings.
On Wednesday, we learned one of those spots would go to veteran guard Jamal Crawford, who has not played since he was a reserve on the Suns a season ago.
Jamal Crawford has agreed to a deal with the Brooklyn Nets, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA@Stadium.
Crawford has been hoping to get a chance to play in his 20th season, but his lack of efficiency towards the end of his career coupled with his struggles on the defensive end were the chief reasons he had not gotten a call. The Nets, however, desperately need someone who can create on offense and there has never been a question of Crawford’s ability to do that. The former sixth man extraordinaire will look to give the Nets a much needed offensive boost in the bubble and prove he still belongs in the league.
The majority of WNBA players have made their way to Bradenton, Florida for the league’s 22-game season that hopes to start later this month, but there are a number of notable names that have opted out of this year’s season for various reasons.
Jonquel Jones, Natasha Cloud, Liz Cambage, Renee Montgomery, and others have all decided against going to IMG Academy for the WNBA season, with some citing health concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic while others are taking time away to focus on social justice reform. The reigning WNBA champion Washington Mystics are already without two key contributors in Cloud and LaToya Sanders, but may see their MVP Elena Delle Donne and former MVP and 7-time All-Star Tina Charles, who they traded for in April, also sit out.
The team announced both Delle Donne and Charles had not traveled with the team to Florida as they are awaiting results from a league medical evaluation to determine if they are medically excused from competing in the bubble. Delle Donne explained on Twitter that she is waiting to learn if her battle with Lyme disease puts her at high-risk for the virus.
Many of you know about my ongoing battle with Lyme Disease, and a compromised immune system. For now I’m following protocol and waiting for a risk assessment from the league medical panel. Missing my teammates but health and safety are the priority https://t.co/3oChtiaqXJ
As Kareem Copeland of the Washington Post notes, the key difference in being medically excused from playing is players that are excused not to play still get paid their salary, while those that opt out do not.
Remember, if they are determined to be high-risk, they can opt-out and still get paid. And Delle Donne has Lyme disease. https://t.co/yHKwCqSvzf
Delle Donne is coming off an historic season, in which she averaged 19.5 points and 8.2 rebounds while joining the 50/40/90 club with a preposterous 51.5/43.0/97.4 shooting split en route to a second career MVP award. Charles joined the Mystics from the Liberty in a draft night trade, coming off a season in which she averaged 16.9 points and 7.5 rebounds in her least effective and efficient season of her career, but hoped to bounce back in a big way with a Mystics team primed to compete for another title.
Losing Delle Donne and Charles would be an even bigger blow to the Mystics hopes of repeating as champions. Adding to the difficulty of the entire situation, training camp was hopefully to start on Friday, but any replacement players they would sign after getting results back would have to quarantine after arriving in Florida and further delay their time to try and put together a cohesive unit.
Back in May, word broke that, after a single season, Ruby Rose would be leaving her post as the star of DC’s CW show Batwoman. The reason for the actress’ decision was reportedly less than amicable, and although they would be replacing her with both a new actress and a new character, they wouldn’t be killing her off. As per EW, they’ve found the new Batwoman, and, like the casting of Rose, it’s another milestone.
Javicia Leslie, one of the stars of God Friended Me, will now lead the show, which will follow a character named Ryan Wilder, who’s described as “nothing like Kate Kane.” Here’s more from the official character description:
With no one in her life to keep her on track, Ryan spent years as a drug-runner, dodging the GCPD and masking her pain with bad habits. Today Ryan lives in her van with her plant. A girl who would steal milk for an alley cat and could also kill you with her bare hands, Ryan is the most dangerous type of fighter: highly skilled and wildly undisciplined. An out lesbian. Athletic. Raw. Passionate. Fallible. And very much not your stereotypical All-American hero.
When Rose was cast in the role, she became the first out LGBTQ+ protagonist in a superhero show. Leslie’s casting makes her the first black woman to assume such a role, and it sounds like they’ll be retaining the show’s queer aspect. In a statement, Leslie wrote, “I am extremely proud to be the first Black actress to play the iconic role of Batwoman on television, and as a bisexual woman, I am honored to join this groundbreaking show which has been such a trailblazer for the LGBTQ+ community.”
Two of Hamilton’s most beloved numbers are the Cabinet Battles between Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson. In Cabinet Battle #1, the issue on the table was Hamilton’s national financial plan. In Cabinet Battle #2, the issue was whether to provide France assistance in their revolutionary war.
But there was a third rap battle written for the show, which was cut due to time and because it didn’t actually move the plot along. The issue on the table for Cabinet Battle #3? Slavery.
Squeezing a founding father’s life and a huge chapter in American history into a 2.5 hour stage production with adequate character development, plot movement, musical flow, etc. is a herculean task, and Miranda has said he wrestled mightily with what to keep and what to cut. Slavery is obviously a huge issue, but since none of the founding fathers in the show actually did anything to end it, the light treatment makes sense from a plotline perspective.
From a historical perspective, however, the omission is glaring. Much can be said about how the men who founded the United States thought about and engaged with the institution of slavery—and how their beliefs and actions were often at odds with one another.
Jefferson called the slave trade an “assemblage of horrors,” and slavery itself a “moral depravity” and a “hideous blot,” yet he kept more than 600 men, women, and children enslaved in his lifetime and fathered six children with one of them.
Washington became increasingly anti-slavery in his later years and was the only slaveholding founding father to free his slaves—but he only did so in his will. (He also had false teeth that may have been made up of the teeth of enslaved people.)
Madison argued that slavery was incompatible with the values of the Revolution, but he himself enslaved people his entire life, even selling people for a profit.
Hamilton himself, though publicly against slavery, did nothing of consequence to change it.
All of these hypocrisies and contradictions are highlighted as these men debate the issue in Cabinet Battle #3. It’s too bad it didn’t make it into the final cut of the show, but it can be found on the Hamilton Mix Tape album. And someone made a nice animatic video for it, making it a bit clearer who is speaking (since the recording has Miranda rapping all the parts):
And there you have it. “Let’s hope the next generation thinks of something better.”
As much as many of us would love to see the slavery problem tackled more directly in Hamilton, the truth is that at that time and in that place and with those men, slavery wasn’t going anywhere. It was wrong and they knew it, but they benefited from it. It was a sin and they knew it, but like Hamilton with Mariah Reynolds, they didn’t say no to it. Instead, they chose to pass the ticking time bomb to their descendents.
Miranda explained Hamilton’s slavery complicity in an NPR interview last week. “Hamilton—although he voiced anti-slavery beliefs—remained complicit in the system. And other than calling out Jefferson on his hypocrisy with regards to slavery in Act 2, doesn’t really say much else over the course of Act 2. And I think that’s actually pretty honest. … He didn’t really do much about it after that.”
“None of them did. None of them did enough,” Miranda added. “And we say that, too, in the final moments of the song. So that hits differently now because we’re having a conversation, we’re having a real reckoning of how do you uproot an original sin.”
Here’s another video of the song with the lyrics and names to make it easier to follow:
The Hamilton Mixtape – Cabinet Battle 3 (Demo) Music Lyrics
A little more than three years ago, I premiered a track from Buffalo’s Del Paxton on this very site, calling the track and their LP All Day, Every Day, All Night a “record packed out with great hooks and even some surprises along the way.”
Now, after some time off, the trio is back with “September,” another welcome installment in the band’s ’90s-emo-inspired catalogue. To celebrate the new track, bassist/vocalist Zack Schoedel sat down to talk Forrest Gump, Saves The Day, and Breaking Bad tattoos in the latest Indie Mixtape 20 Q&A.
What are four words you would use to describe your music?
Light, refreshing, inspirational, uplifting
It’s 2050 and the world hasn’t ended and people are still listening to your music. How would you like it to be remembered?
It would be cool if people looking back on it from 2050 just assumed it was from the 1990’s and not 20-teens. This one thing might actually the determining factor in whether we consider ourselves to have been successful or not.
What’s your favorite city in the world to perform?
We’ve never toured outside the US. So in my imagination it would be Jakarta or Budapest. In reality, my favorite place to play has been right here at home in Buffalo, NY. But if that doesn’t count, I’ll say Brooklyn is my favorite place to play. RIP Suburbia.
Who’s the person who has most inspired your work, and why?
If Dylan and Greg could be made into one person, that hybrid of a person would be the one who has most inspired my work. But that probably doesn’t count for an answer either does it? If not, I’ll just say Bob Nanna.
Where did you eat the best meal of your life?
The name of the place escapes me but it was a Mexican place in Albuquerque, NM.
Believe it or not it was Marylin Manson and Alice Cooper co-headlining show in Buffalo. It was on a big outdoor stage by the harbor. I was actually working for the organizers of the show. I got to hang out on the other side of the barricade and was like 2 inches in front of Marilyn Manson while he did his insane thing. So I was standing in-between him and a sea of thousands of people. There were a lot of balloons and confetti.
What is the best outfit for performing and why?
Low cut jorts and a t-shirt. No shoes if possible. If shoes are necessary, no socks. Why? I don’t know. Why does the tide rise with the moon? Why does the rooster crow?
Who’s your favorite person to follow on Twitter and/or Instagram?
What’s your most frequently played song in the van on tour?
Probably Third Eye Blind – “Losing A Whole Year.” And just by virtue of it being the first track on the best rock album of all time
What’s the last thing you Googled?
Honestly it was “options bandcamp.” Our buddy Seth from Chicago has a solo project called Options and he released his 6th LP today called Wind’s Gonna Blow. I’ve been excited about it for a long time and my excitement was justified.
What album makes for the perfect gift?
Something that someone would never buy for themselves. So usually a very popular band and a very popular album everyone loves kind of half ironically. Dylan and I bought Greg Dookie on vinyl for his birthday one year.
Where’s the weirdest place you’ve ever crashed while on tour?
Many many years ago, long before the existence of this band, we drove to central coastal New Jersey to have a meeting with a record executive. We parked in a grocery store parking lot and slept in the van the night before. We woke up to people parking their cars and walking into the grocery store first thing in the morning. We then followed our mapquest directions to the palatial home of this record executive we believed held the key to our futures. It turns out he didn’t.
What’s the story behind your first or favorite tattoo?
I don’t have any tattoos but I keep thinking about getting a little alien guy giving a peace sign or an eight ball. Lately I’ve been thinking about getting a Breaking Bad tattoo as well.
What artists keep you from flipping the channel on the radio?
Santana feat. Rob Thomas is one of my favorite artists. That will usually keep me from touching the dial.
What’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you?
My parents raised me, which was very very nice of them. Believe me.
What’s one piece of advice you’d go back in time to give to your 18-year-old self?
Stop eating pizza every day.
What’s the last show you went to?
If memory serves, it was Taking Meds. They have a new EP coming out which is very exciting. One of my favorite bands.
What movie can you not resist watching when it’s on TV?
Forrest Gump. It’s always on TV.
What would you cook if Kanye were coming to your house for dinner?
If Kanye were coming over for dinner, I’d make a nice risotto or lentil stew.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
