TV
James Brown Documentary from Mick Jagger and Questlove in the Works
A new James Brown documentary, produced by fellow musical legends Mick Jagger and Questlove, is set to premiere on A&E. Dubbed James Brown: Say It Loud, Jagger and Questlove will be joined by Black Thought in making the four-part documentary, which is directed by Deborah Riley Draper. The project is set to arrive in 2023 and will explore Brown’s legacy through never-before-seen archival footage and interviews with friends, family, and collaborators. Jagger said he was “thrilled” to produce the documentary in a statement, calling Brown “a brilliant performer who inspired me from the beginning and was deeply committed to the Civil Rights movement. I have always admired James and learned so much from him.” Advertisement Related Video “The life of James Brown is significant not only t...
Twisted Metal TV Series, Starring Anthony Mackie, Moving Ahead at Peacock
A live-action Twisted Metal TV series is moving ahead at Peacock. Based on the classic demolition derby video game, the series will star Anthony Mackie in the lead role as “John Doe.” The half-hour series, which Peacock bills as a “high-octane action comedy,” is based on an original story conceived by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (Deadpool, Zombieland). Per a logline provided by Peacock, the story follows a “motor-mouthed outsider [who is] offered a chance at a better life, but only if he can successfully deliver a mysterious package across a post-apocalyptic wasteland.” Related Video “With the help of a trigger-happy car thief, he’ll face savage marauders driving vehicles of destruction and other dangers of the open road, including a deranged clown who drives an all too familiar ice cream...
Aretha Franklin’s Granddaughter Auditioned for American Idol… and the Judges Said No???
Hey, not everyone pops out of the womb a star. Grace Franklin, the 15-year-old granddaughter of Aretha Franklin, appeared on American Idol on Sunday (February 27th), but didn’t quite have the same chops as her mythological elder to allow her to advance to the singing program. “I feel like people expect me to sing exactly like her, but I am my own artist and I have my own voice,” the young Franklin said in a pre-recorded clip prior to her audition. Unfortunately, judges Lionel Ritchie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan weren’t exactly impressed with the voice she offered. Franklin opened her audition with a Lauryn Hill-inspired cover of Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly,” but the performance proved more one-dimensional than the soulful original. “It was all just a little sleepy and subdued to me,...
Euphoria’s Season 2 Finale Was a Mess, and Not Even the Fun Kind
[Editor’s note: The following contains spoilers through the Season 2 finale of Euphoria, “All My Life, My Heart Has Yearned for a Thing I Cannot Name.”] Euphoria hive, this is a dark time. Today, we truly have no other choice but to put our eye gems away and ask ourselves — what was that?! The Euphoria Season 2 finale, which aired February 27th on HBO, finally brought this chaotic, discourse-filled era to a nearly disastrous close. The episode was a dumpster fire of pacing issues and lacked the signature style that makes the show fun to watch in the face of absurdity. It’s almost impressive that the hour managed to both be overstuffed and completely devoid of any cohesion at the same time. It was the epitome of, “Go girl, give us nothing.” Advertisement Related Video Since its return on Ja...
John Mulaney’s Fifth Go-Around as SNL Host Proves to Be a Good Variant
This weekend’s John Mulaney-hosted episode of Saturday Night Live felt more affected than usual by outside circumstances—and not, thankfully, in the sense that it featured topical yuks in a political cold-open sketch. On the contrary, the show opened on a surprisingly somber note with a performance from the Ukrainian Chorus Dumka of New York, singing the Ukraine national anthem. While sometimes SNL’s dips into sincerity can feel maudlin, this time it was a blessed relief that the show didn’t feel the need to drag out any “doddering Biden” or “crazy Putin” gags. If anyone was counting on Mulaney to lighten the mood, well, he did, but on his own terms, performing a stand-up monologue where he discussed his recent off-camera struggles with addiction. Mulaney’s showcase monologue displaced the...
LCD Soundsystem Become Guardian Angels for SNL: Watch
LCD Soundsystem swung by Studio 8H last night as the musical guest for Saturday Night Live. Watch the band’s performances below. Opposite host John Mulaney — who joined the illustrious Five Timers’ Club with his fifth hosting gig — the rockers took things all the way back to the mid-2000s with their musical numbers, performing “Thrills” and “Yr City’s a Sucker” from their 2005 debut album LCD Soundsystem. “I’m on fire/ Because you want me/ Because you want me/ But my desire/ Is going to crush me/ ‘Cause you are wired/ But I’m all chills/ ‘Cause you adore me/ You adore me,” vocalist James Murphy wailed on the former over his bandmates’ buzzing, cacophonous instrumentation. Advertisement Related Video That’s not all, though. Murphy and co. also took part in “Subway Churro,” arguably the most...
How Vikings: Valhalla Showrunner Jeb Stuart Went From Writing Die Hard to the Middle Ages
Jeb Stuart’s career has taken some twists and turns over the years, as he first established a name for himself writing a little film called Die Hard, following that feat up by working on Another 48 Hrs. and The Fugitive. But after stepping away from the business for personal reasons, Stuart has returned to writing for the screen. His current project is spearheading the new Netflix series Vikings: Valhalla, which has been greenlit for a three-season run, the first season of which has just premiered on the streaming service. Vikings: Valhalla is a continuation of fan-favorite historical epic Vikings, but set in a different period of time for Viking society with a brand new cast of characters — meaning that newcomers don’t have to have seen the original History Channel series, while fans of t...
Ukrainian Chorus Dumka of New York Performs During SNL’s Cold Open: Watch
Saturday Night Live opened this week’s episode with a performance of “Prayer for Ukraine” by the Ukrainian Chorus Dumka of New York. The performance was introduced by SNL cast members Cecily Strong and Kate McKinnon, and featured a table of candles that spelled out the name of Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv. Watch a replay of the emotional tribute below. According to an article published by The Ukrainian Weekly in 2019, the chorus was founded in 1949 as a way for Ukrainian immigrants to “preserve and cultivate the rich musical heritage of Ukraine.” “Prayer for Ukraine” performed by Ukrainian Chorus Dumka of New York pic.twitter.com/5pi2l1Olpx Advertisement Related Video — Saturday Night Live – SNL (@nbcsnl) February 27, 2022 Share this: [flexi-common-toolbar] [flexi-form class=”flexi_form_s...
Space Force Director Ken Kwapis on Making Changes For Season 2
Over the course of several decades, director Ken Kwapis has established a career working in both film and television, with plenty of feature work including Follow That Bird and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, but also notably directing the pilots for two truly game-changing series: The Larry Sanders Show and the American adaptation of The Office. It was the latter assignment which led to his most recent project: the second season of Space Force, created by The Office‘s Greg Daniels and Steve Carell. While the first season had plenty of charms, including a truly stacked comedy ensemble including Carell, John Malkovich, Ben Schwartz, Diana Silvers, Tawny Newsome, Jimmy O. Yang, and Don Lake, those involved have been open about knowing that the second season could improve on the first....
Amanda Bynes Files to End Conservatorship
After nine years, former child star Amanda Bynes has filed to end her conservatorship, People and Page Six report. Her mother is currently serving as her conservator. The onetime Nickelodeon standout lost full control of her personal, medical, and financial affairs in 2013 after she set a neighbor’s driveway on fire, in the process accidentally soaking her own dog in gasoline (the dog survived). She has also struggled with drugs, saying she began abusing Adderall after hearing it described as a “skinny pill,” as well as receiving treatment for bipolar disorder. In 2020, a judge ordered her into a psychiatric facility. Bynes had became engaged to a man named Paul Michael, whom she had met while in recovery, and after her parents refused to allow her to marry, Bynes ...
R.I.P. Sally Kellerman, M*A*S*H Star Dead at 84
Sally Kellerman, the veteran actress known for portraying U.S. Army Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan in Robert Altman’s 1970 film M*A*S*H, has died at age 84, Deadline reports. She passed away at an assisted living facility in Woodland Hills, California from complications of dementia. Born in Long Beach, California, Kellerman grew up in Los Angeles and attended Hollywood High School. Soon after, she studied acting at Los Angeles City College, where she performed in a stage production of Look Back in Anger alongside Jack Nicholson, Dean Stockwell, and Robert Blake. Kellerman is perhaps best known for her turn as Major Houlihan in M*A*S*H (the film, not the television series), though she also appeared in several other Altman films, Brewster McCloud, Welcome to LA, ...
Jean-Michel Basquiat Limited Series Starring Stephan James Being Developed
A new show about the life of Jean-Michel Basquiat is in the early stages of development. Per Variety, Stephan James (If Beale Street Could Talk) will take on the role of the late revolutionary artist in the limited series. The currently untitled project will be set in the art world of 1980s New York City, where Basquiat started out as a street graffiti artist before eventually becoming a cultural icon and central figure of the neo-expressionist movement. It will chart everything from his rise to fame to his close friendship with Andy Warhol and his tragic death at the age of 27 due to an accidental drug overdose. “I am thrilled to partner with Boat Rocker to bring to life the story of Jean-Michel Basquiat,” James said in a statement. “Jean-Michel is an artist I have long revered, and someo...
