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Snoop Dogg has a new partnership with Beyond Meat and Dunkin’, creating a presumably tasty(?) new sandwich. We’d be happy to try it, even though the last time we tried a Beyond Meat patty (through Grill’d) it wasn’t as impressive. What are your thoughts on Beyond Meat? You can probably get your hands on a patty in vegan shops in Melbourne, if you don’t want to go to a Grill’d. The ad has already helped raise Beyond Meat’s share price:
Beyond Meat, the plant-based “meat” company whose share price sank in the second half of last year, has this week been given a boost by the rapper Snoop Dogg. He now has his own sandwich — the terrifying-looking Beyond D-O-Double G Sandwich — at the American restaurant chain Dunkin’ (formerly Dunkin’ Donuts). It features Beyond’s “meat” sausage patty on a layer of egg, topped with American cheese and sandwiched between two halves of a glazed doughnut.
The company’s share price went up by more than 20 per cent on Monday with the arrival of this limited-edition heart attack on a plate. “Every dogg has his day, and now this dogg is getting his own donut sandwich,” the rapper wrote on Twitter.
Darkness by Eminem is a new song that tries to get into the mind of the Last Vegas shooter, including recreations of the mass shooting. Via Vox:
Eminem has continued his recent tradition of surprising fans with new album drops: Music to Be Murdered By, released Friday, is both a Hitchcock reference and a promise from the rap diva to slay. How well Eminem fulfills that promise is already a matter of heated debate — just as it was with his 2018 surprise album, Kamikaze — but there’s no denying Marshall Mathers makes an impact: Within 12 hours of its release, the album was reportedly charting at No. 1 on iTunes in 53 countries.
The breakout track from the 20-song album is “Darkness,” a harrowing, disturbing takedown of gun violence, framed through the point of view of the perpetrator of the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting, one of the worst mass shootings in modern US history.
The motives of the Las Vegas shooter remain a mystery, but in “Darkness,” Eminem paints a picture of an isolated man with mental illness, “loathing in Las Vegas” but emboldened by the failure of US gun control legislation:
I got ammo for all the hecklers, I’m armed to the teeth … Finger on the trigger, but I’m a licensed owner / with no prior convictions, so loss, the sky’s the limit
The track briefly includes reportedly recreated audio of gunfire and screaming crowds, and ends with an overlay of real news footage from the litany of mass shootings that have happened since the 2017 Las Vegas shooting. The accompanying music video further reenacts the Las Vegas shooter’s point of view (but not graphically) and ends with a call to register to vote to “help change gun laws in America.”
Jiang Ziya is a new upcoming film from the makers of Nezha, another great fantasy film that was going to be out on January 30th in Australia, but which has since been indefinitely delayed because of the Wuhan virus outbreak. In any regard, about the film:
The story follows Jiang Ziya, “a top commander in the divine army of the Kunlun Sect”, who “is victorious in the battle between the Heavenly powers and the Shang dynasty. Before he can ascend to his new position among the Gods, he is ordered to execute the Nine-Tailed Fox Demon who threatens the mortals’ very existence. But when the Fox Demon shows him the secret to her power, an innocent human girl, he is unable to complete his task resulting in his banishment to the mortal realm forever. Ten years later, atop the ruins of war, Jiang Ziya is again given a task that will bring him back to the Heavenly realm – execute the Nine Tail Fox Demon regardless if the innocent life is lost. Now Jiang Ziya must decide – follow the will of heaven or find his own path to becoming a true god. Jiang Ziya, also known as Legend of Deification.”
The Nike Chinese New Year ad is hilarious, playing on the hongbao tradition. A young girl keeps trying to escape her hongbao-giving aunt. Some context: hongbaos, or red packets, are lucky packets containing cash that are traditionally given out by married people to unmarried people during Chinese New Year (or for guests to give newly-married couples before their wedding dinner etc). Unmarried older people who are working may often try to give hongbaos anyway.
Daniel Craig vs James Bond — a hilarious Heineken ad wherein Daniel is mistaken for his most famous film character over and over. We’re not sure how useful the ad really is, given it’s supposedly meant to promote Heineken’s 0.0% non-alcoholic beer but doesn’t even mention it. It’s still a fun, beautifully-shot romp. Via FastCompany:
Heineken has been a major sponsor of Bond since 1997’s Tomorrow Never Dies, using a combination of not-so-subtle product placement and massive global marketing campaigns to make sure we all know that even though James Bond doesn’t always drink beer, when he does, he reaches for the familiar green bottle.
As brand movie partnerships go, it could be much worse. Heineken is like the Euro-Budweiser, not high-end enough to be totally convincing but ubiquitous enough to be believable. At least more than say, if Natty Light wanted to sponsor 007.
Hans Erik Tuijt, director of global Heineken sponsorships, says the long-time relationship has been a win for the brand, and it’s that consistency that has created a virtuous cycle. Every time the brand would sponsor another Bond film, the stronger its association with 007 would be to consumers. It may sound ridiculous that anyone would order a Heineken because a fictional secret agent does, but tell that to the martini and the Omega watch people.
Personally, for the “Mistaken as James Bond” ads in this line, we still prefer Piers Brosnan’s Visa ad from way back, with Zhang Ziyi:
Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner is a David Chang Netflix series which travels the world with his famous friends eating delicious food. It’s a fun watch, though we kinda prefer his previous series, Ugly Delicious. Via Eater:
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, David Chang’s latest Netflix series following last year’s Ugly Delicious, is several shows in one. It’s a buddy comedy, following the adventures of Chang and four famous friends (one per episode) as they eat their way through breakfast, lunch, and dinner in select cities around the world. It’s a talk show, with Chang making full use of the interviewing skills he’s honed on his podcast to get at the real version of celebrities used to hiding behind public personas. It’s a travel show that bears the obvious influence of Anthony Bourdain and his on-screen exploration of people, politics, and culture in destinations near and far. And throughout all of these different genres, the narrative device of mealtimes looms large; after all, Chang and co. are there to eat, and they eat a lot.
Which one of these distinct shows you’ll get in any given episode — or any given scene, for that matter — is wholly dependent on the precise mix of four separate elements: the relationship between Chang and his celebrity guest, the relationship between the guest and the audience, the relationship between the hosts and the location, and the relationship between the location and the audience.
The lead Birds of Prey single is out, and it looks great. For those unaware, this upcoming film is part of the DC universe…ish. Via Screenrant:
Harley Quinn originated on Batman: The Animated Series, voiced by Arleen Sorkin. Harley proved so popular, however, that she made the jump to the comics in 1993. She has since been adapted multiple times – most noticeably by Margot Robbie in 2016’s Suicide Squad and, recently, by Kaley Cuoco in DC Universe’s animated comedy series, Harley Quinn. Although Suicide Squad was met with an underwhelming reception, Robbie was widely praised for her performance. As such, a self-produced, more female-centric follow-up was greenlit. The second Birds of Prey trailer further emphasized that Harley will attempt to forge her own identity after parting ways with The Joker.
Ashfall is a Korean disaster film starring Lee Byung-hun and directed by Lee Hae-jun and Kim Byung-seo, about a volcano erupting. Via Variety:
South Korean disaster film “Ashfall” remained on top of the local box office in the first weekend of 2020. The CJ Entertainment release earned $4.25 million from 565,000 admissions between Friday and Sunday, accounting for 30% of the country’s total weekend box office. The volcano disaster flick has earned $54.1 million from 7.48 million admissions after three weekends on release.
Since its Dec. 26 release, costume drama “Forbidden Dream” has remained in second place for two weekends. The Lotte Cultureworks release earned $2.54 million between Friday and Sunday for a total of $11.4 million after two weekends on release. Starring Choi Min-shik (“Lucy”) and Hand Suk-kyu (“The Royal Taylor”), the Joseon dynasty-set period drama revolves around King Sejong and an inventor who develop a 20-year relationship while advancing the field of astronomy.
With an unusual Tuesday release, American action drama “Midway” debuted in second. It earned $4.97 million from 340,000 admissions over six days between Tuesday and Sunday.
Korean drama “Start-up” slipped to fourth place from the previous weekend’s third. The Next Entertainment World release added $2 million between Friday and Sunday to extend its three-weekend total to $22.0 million. Disney’s “Frozen 2” took fifth place, earning $846,000 over the weekend. The megahit animated feature has accumulated $97 million in Korea after seven weekends on release. In sixth place, Korean animation “The Haunted House: The Sky Ghost VS Jormungandr” earned $512,000 for a total of $5.47 million after three weekends.
What we’ve been watching: 1917, a film by the Skyfall director Sam Mendes. It’s a work of technical brilliance set in WW1. Via the Guardian:
For his latest movie – an awards-garlanded first world war drama that has already won best picture honours at the Golden Globes – Mendes has returned to the lure of the “one-shot” format, this time stretching it out to feature length. Like Hitchcock’s Rope or Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Birdman, 1917 uses several takes and set-ups, seamlessly conjoined to give the appearance of a continuous cinematic POV, albeit with periodic ellipses. The result is a populist, immersive drama that leads the viewer through the trenches and battlefields of northern France, as two young British soldiers attempt to make their way through enemy lines on 6 April 1917.
George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman are perfectly cast as Schofield and Blake, the lance corporals enlisted to venture into enemy territory with a message for fellow troops poised to launch a potentially catastrophic assault. The Germans have made a “strategic withdrawal”, suggesting that they are on the run. In fact they’re lying in wait, armed and ready to repel the planned British push. Together, these young soldiers must reach their comrades and halt the attack – a race against time and insurmountable odds.
Sony showed up at CES, Las Vegas’ annual tech extravaganza, with something unexpected — a gorgeous Sony electric car, the Vision-S. What? Via TIME:
The Vision-S, an electric concept car focused on “safety, entertainment, and adaptability,” incorporates Sony’s automotive-focused imaging technology, and is surrounded by an array of sensors Sony is calling the “Safety Cocoon,” which provides the Vision-S with a 360-degree view of its environment and any potential hazards. Of course, it makes sense when you remember Sony’s recent focus on the automotive industry, and former Sony chairman Kaz Hirai’s last CES, when he declared that the company would be “taking a leadership position” when it came to providing sensor technology to the automotive industry.