“Harrison Ford” and “Billy Dee Williams” in Solo: A Star Wars Story, image via YouTube/Shamook Deepfake technologies have become increasingly common, and while their applications are almost entirely evil, every once in a while a person uses those programs for something trivial and fun. So it is with this latest deepfake by YouTuber Shamook, which answers the question: What if young Harrison Ford had played young Han Solo in the 2018 prequel Solo: A Star Wars Story? To be fair, it’s more of a partial answer. As creator Shamook acknowledges in a pinned note, the technology of faking voices is “still a way off from sounding really good.” So instead we get prequel actor Alden Ehrenreich’s voice coming from a de-aged Harrison Ford’s smirking lips. The video is only two m...
After more than a decade, Britney Spears is seeking to permanently break free from her father’s conservatorship. According to documents filed on Tuesday, the pop star officially asked the court to not allow her father, James Spears, to regain control over her life. From 2008 to 2019, James oversaw nearly every major aspect of his daughter’s existence — from personal matters like her relationships and health to financial affairs related to her career. The “Womanizer” singer was placed under such a conservatorship following a series of public meltdowns and hospitalizations. However, in recent years, many of Britney’s fans have called into question her father’s motives. Believing he and his team may have unfairly taken advantage of the conservatorship for their own personal benefit, they bega...
Ben Cross, the English actor best known for starring in Chariots of Fire, has died at the age of 72. Cross died in Vienna, Austria on Tuesday following a short illness, according to his representative and family members (via AP). A statement from his family called Cross a natural entertainer who “could sing anything” thanks to his vast musical knowledge. “He was a man who taught us to embrace our feelings, whatever they may be,” the statement continued. “We are grateful for the time we had with him. His spirit lives on in our hearts through his words, his music, and the love that we still feel.” Born in London in 1947, Cross entered the performing arts shortly after graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. He enjoyed a number of smaller roles early on, including a stint in 1977&...
Back in 1997, director Todd Haynes convinced a bunch of indie rock and punk pillars to join forces and soundtrack Velvet Goldmine, his 1998 homage to the glam-rock era. That supergroup was named Wylde Ratttz, and it consisted of The Stooges’ Ron Asheton, Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore and Steve Shelley, Mudhoney’s Mark Arm, The Stooges and Minutemen‘s Mike Watt, Sean Lennon, Don Fleming, and Jim Dunbar. Years later, it looks like one of the songs they recorded, a cover of The Stooges’ track “Fun House”, has just been finally unearthed for the first time, reports Spin. Wylde Ratttz uploaded their “Fun House” cover to Bandcamp to celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Stooges’ second album, Fun House. Their rendition features Asheton, Moore, Watt, Shelley, Arm, and saxophonist Sabir Mateen draw...
Another woman has accused Cuba Gooding Jr. of sexual misconduct. According to Page Six, a new lawsuit alleges that in 2013, Gooding lured a woman into a New York hotel room and raped her twice. The Academy Award-winning actor was previously arrested last summer, and is now standing trial for six misdemeanor sexual abuse counts following allegations made by three different women. One claims he squeezed her breast at the Moxy Hotel in Times Square; another that he engaged in forcible touching in a Manhattan nightclub; and a third, a server at the Tao Downtown restaurant, says he pinched her rear end. The newest accusations are even more serious. The woman, identified only as “Jane Doe,” claims to have met Gooding in the VIP section of a Greenwich Village club in August of 2013. Goo...
We’re under two weeks away from the much anticipated release of Bill & Ted Face the Music, which means it’s time for a most excellent promotional push from Orion Pictures. After moving up the VOD release date to August 28th and sharing a casting featurette, the studio has now delivered the very first clip from the threequel. Entitled simple “The Future,” the brief scene finds William “Bill” S. Preston, Esq. (Alex Winter) and Theodore “Ted” Logan (Keanu Reeves) meeting a new face from, well, the future. Kristen Schaal steps out of the egg-shaped time machine to introduce herself as Kelly, the daughter of Bill and Ted’s old friend Rufus. The character’s name is a most triumphant nod to the late, great Rufus actor George Carlin, whose actual daughter is also named Kelly. But the clip...
Open Mike Eagle has announced his first album in three years. Titled Anime, Trauma and Divorce, it’s expected see release this fall. Due out via his own AutoReverse Records label, the LP follows up on 2017’s Brick Body Kids Still Daydream. According to the 39-year-old rapper, it recounts the worst year of his entire life. “Before the world went to shit I was already in the middle of a few personal crisis,” OME explained in a statement. “Shit had gone haywire personally and professionally and my therapist had to remind me that I have an outlet to process some of my shit in rap music.” “So I made a bunch of painful rap songs and Jacknife Lee was kind enough to help me make good music out of them,” he continued. “Maybe it can help other people too. It probably won’t but maybe.” As noted, Jack...
It’s a daunting task for any drummer to take on the iconic Rush song “YYZ”, but 10-year-old prodigy Yoyoka does the late Neil Peart proud with a new cover of the instrumental track. The Japanese drumming sensation has been making waves for a few years now. Her cover of Rage Against the Machine’s “Bulls on Parade” has 2.6 million YouTube views, and she’s earned praise from such luminaries as Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith, KISS’ Gene Simmons, and RATM’s Brad Wilk, among others. Yoyoka has twice appeared on The Ellen Degeneres Show, and during her second visit received a surprise video message from Dave Grohl, who told her she was an “amazing” drummer. In her latest video, Yoyoka’s skills are on full display, as she plays her way through the Rush classic “YYZ”...
Travis Scott and Kid Cudi debuted their first-ever joint single “THE SCOTTS” on Fortnite this past April. For those who enjoyed the pair’s chemistry, get ready for plenty more: Scott has confirmed that a full collaborative album with Cudi is in the works. Scott revealed the exciting news in a new GQ profile. The rapper described the forthcoming material as “some fireness” and noted that a number of songs are already totally finished. One of those Cudi collabs was actually played aloud for GQ writer Gerrick D. Kennedy, and he called the untitled cut “the craziest thing” he’d heard during his entire time spent interviewing Scott. In addition to that joint record, Scott has a few other projects in various stages of development. Speaking about his first solo album since 2018’s Astrow...
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles is getting a remake. As Deadline reports, Paramount Pictures has commissioned a modern update of John Hughes’ 1987 holiday classic with stars Will Smith and Kevin Hart in the lead. Brooklyn 99 and Woke writer Aeysha Carr will pen the script and make her feature film screenwriting debut. Not surprisingly, both Smith and Hart will also serve as producers on the project via Westbrook Studios and Hartbeat Productions, respectively. The original film starred Steve Martin and the late John Candy as two unlikely bedfellows who are forced to rely on each other as they find a way home before the Thanksgiving holiday. At the center of it all is a gooey heart beating with teary drama. Whether or nor this remake will similarly bring us to tears remains to be seen. The j...