Letter delivered 100 years later

Avid fans of the Dr. Seuss canon that were excited to bring one of the author’s most well-known characters to life in a new animated iteration, Scott Mosier and Yarrow Cheney set out on a long process of trial and error, seeking to bring a freshness to The Grinch . The third adaptation of a classic 1957 children’s book, Illumination Entertainment ’s latest would place Benedict Cumberbatch in the role of the iconic green curmudgeon, setting out to ruin Christmas for those pesky Whos of Whoville once and for all. Making his feature debut alongside veteran Cheney, Mosier had produced a 3D animated film in 2013— Free Birds , starring Woody Harrelson and Owen Wilson—getting a “crash course” in the form. So, when it came to The Grinch , the challenge wasn’t learning the ropes—it was taking a pre-existing world and fleshing its 60-something pages out, playing with story, character and world design where possible, while delivering fans a faithful adaptation of the story they … [Read more...] about With An Eye Toward International Audiences, ‘The Grinch’ Directors Seek The Essence Of A Seussian World

Shortly after 2014’s “Girl Crush” provided Little Big Town with their first taste of pop crossover stardom, the country group quietly released Wanderlust , a left-of-center Pharrell collaboration that drew from funk, R&B and dance music. Less than a year later, the vocal quartet is back with The Breaker , a back-to-basics country record that returns the spotlight to the group’s unmatched ability to transform subtle Nashville lyricism into major pop drama – this time with no small assist from songwriters like Taylor Swift and industry scribes like Lori McKenna and Natalie Hemby. Produced by Jay Joyce, who helmed 2014’s Pain Killer , the group’s Fleetwood Mac power harmonies return front and center, forming the emotional backbone of tearjerkers like “When Someone Stops Loving You” and “Better Man,” the Hot Country chart-topping showcase for lead singer Karen Fairchild. Elsewhere, crisp drums, light acoustic instrumentation and subtle synths decorate understated highlights … [Read more...] about Review: Little Big Town Explore Contemplative Country on ‘The Breaker’

This past October Neil Young sat down with Rolling Stone to discuss his Linc Volt Project and his future music plans, including his new Crazy Horse album Toast , his world tour and his endlessly delayed box set. Since our conversation we’ve learned that the planned January 27th release date is a “non-starter for certain” and it will be out “perhaps March or April.” We’ll believe it when we see it, but here is the music portion of the Q&A. On this tour you’ve played a few songs like “Time Fades Away” that you haven’t touched in decades. What drew you back to that material? What’s the status of your next album, Toast? Toast is done. It’s amazing listening experience. It was recorded in 5.1. It’s a mind blowing record, and I don’t think it’s a commercial record, but it’s great rock and roll, very moody, kind of jazzy. It was recorded in the same place where Coltrane was recorded, so there’s a lot of heavy stuff in there. All of the live ambiance for … [Read more...] about Neil Young: “There’ll Never Be Another Crazy Horse”

Daniel “Keemstar” Keem, the prominent YouTuber and creator, has celebrated the life and trailblazing work of Technoblade, the wildly popular Minecraft player who died at the age of 23 following a battle with cancer. Technoblade began uploading Minecraft videos to YouTube in 2013 and grew a dedicated audience over several years. But his profile really exploded around 2019 when he won several installments of “ Minecraft Monday,” a weekly tournament hosted by Keemstar. In a video message, Keemstar spoke about how “ Minecraft Monday” began as a joke among fans of the popular online tournaments he hosted for games that were considered more “legitimate” esports, such as Fortnite . The general attitude towards Minecraft at the time, Keemstar says, was that it “could never be considered an esport. From the outside looking in, the skill difference between the best player in the world and an average person playing the game, you’d think would be very, very slim.” … [Read more...] about Keemstar Honors Minecraft Trailblazer Technoblade: ‘An Absolute Legend’

Wildly popular Minecraft player Technoblade died Thursday at the age of 23 following a battle with cancer. Now, the video game that the young streamer devoted so much of his life to is paying tribute to the beloved figure. ”We have been trying to find the words, but all of us here at Minecraft are heartbroken over the loss of Technoblade,” the company wrote in a Twitter post Friday . ”He meant so much to our community and brought so much joy. He will be missed dearly.” Technoblade began uploading Minecraft videos to YouTube in 2013 and grew a dedicated audience over several years. But his profile really exploded around 2019 when he won several installments of “ Minecraft Monday,” a weekly tournament hosted by controversial streamer Keemstar. Technoblade revealed his cancer diagnosis in Aug. 2021. At the time, he said he’d been experiencing pain in his right arm, which he just assumed was from a stress injury tied to gaming. It was after his shoulder started … [Read more...] about Minecraft Pays Tribute to Trailblazing Streamer Technoblade: ‘He Meant So Much to Our Community’

Technoblade, a wildly popular Minecraft creator on YouTube with over 11 million subscribers, has died after a battle with cancer. He was 23. Technoblade’s family confirmed his death in a video shared on his YouTube page. In the clip, his father read a message Technoblade wrote before his death, in which the creator finally revealed his real first name, Alex — a long-kept secret amidst his massive popularity. In the letter, Alex thanked fans for all their support, especially for purchasing various memberships and merch over the past year, even if it seemed like he was selling out. He noted that the money from all that would be used to help send his siblings to college — “Well, if they want to,” he quipped. “I don’t want to put any dead brother peer pressure on them.” He added: “If I had another 100 lives, I think I would choose to be Technoblade again every single time because those were the happiest years of my life. I hope you guys enjoyed my content, and that I made … [Read more...] about Technoblade, Popular Minecraft Player and YouTube Creator, Dead at 23

When A League of Their Own hit theaters on July 1, 1992, it was up against a crowded slate of blockbusters, including Batman Returns , Lethal Weapon 3 , Patriot Games , and Universal Soldier , that were expected to linger around multiplexes all summer. But when Labor Day rolled around two months later, all those other movies had faded away, and A League of Their Own was still packing in crowds on its way toward a $107.5 million domestic gross. Love for the Penny Marshall-directed film about the World War II-era All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, staring Geena Davis , Lori Petty, Tom Hanks , Madonna , and Rosie O’Donnell, has only grown in the three decades that followed thanks to VHS rentals, DVD sales, and endless replays on cable television. It’s a rare movie that appeals to people across all age groups and demographics, and it revived interest in the half-forgotten AAGPBL. In honor of A League of Their Own ‘s 30th anniversary, we spoke with … [Read more...] about ‘There’s No Crying in Baseball!’: ‘A League of Their Own’ Turns 30

With Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse , their latest animated outing, producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller took a big swing, experimenting with bold formal choices to meet great power with great responsibility. The big screen debut of Miles Morales—an Afro-Latino teenager who dons the spidey suit, within a Marvel multiverse— Spider-Man would feature an unprecedented visual presentation befitting a truly groundbreaking character. Created in 2011 by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Sara Pichelli—and soon amassing a major fan following—Morales comes into his own in the fast-paced origin story, swinging through poignant family moments, rampant meta comedy, and various dimensions, coming face to face with a number of Spider-Men and Women, while combatting a dire threat to humanity. An endlessly innovative duo, Lord and Miller have always sought to raise the creative bar, demonstrating that there are few limitations to what is possible, when imagination is in no … [Read more...] about ‘Spider-Man’ Producers Phil Lord & Christopher Miller Bring Miles Morales To Big Screen In Spectacular Style

Soon after the draft of its decision stripping abortion rights got leaked, the Supreme Court resembled a fortress. The courthouse was ringed with eight-foot fencing and public streets and walkways near the grounds were closed to the public. There was thick irony in the fact that the high court justices had created a “buffer zone” to limit pro-abortion demonstrators from getting up-close-and-personal. The court has spent decades declaring broad buffer zones around abortion clinics unconstitutional, forcing patients to run an intimidating (and often abusive) gauntlet of anti-abortion protesters. This irony runs deeper still. The anti-abortion group Liberty Counsel jumpstarted the war on clinic buffer zones with a 1994 Supreme Court case, and continues to battle such restrictions as an intolerable infringement on First Amendment rights. The group has an outpost in Washington, D.C., but Americans cannot protest there either — because the Supreme Court buffer zone actually … [Read more...] about SCOTUS Buffer Zone Covers Group Fighting Buffer Zones at Abortion Clinics

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences CEO Dawn Hudson sent this letter to staff today informing them that Ric Robertson has stepped down as COO. Dear Staff, Many of you have asked me about Ric and what’s happening after his time off, and now I have your answer: After 32 years of dedicated service, and three months of rest and reflection, Ric has decided to transition from COO to a consulting role for the Academy. In his new role, Ric will focus on our show, and the Academy Awards rules and categories. The existing Academy leadership will continue to absorb Ric’s other responsibilities. It’s always hard when such a valued colleague takes a step back—especially Ric, who is so much a part of the fabric of this organization, and who helped build the Academy to be the great institution that it is. Ric has been a wonderful friend and partner to me these last couple of years. I know many of you share my feelings, and so I am delighted that he will continue to be involved … [Read more...] about Academy CEO Dawn Hudson On Ric Robertson Departure