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Charli XCX helps 'SNL' go brat, pulling double duty as host and performer

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Charli XCX helps 'SNL' go brat, pulling double duty as host and performer

After a strange, dark turn last week, when Bill Burr hosted the post-presidential election episode of “Saturday Night Live,” the show bounced back by flexing its pop culture muscles.

By touching on politics only in the Trump meets Biden cold open and in a sketch about podcaster bros who get assigned Cabinet and ambassador positions by the president-elect, “SNL” instead went brat. The live pieces included snarky takes on the world of fashion, like the It Girl Thanksgiving special hosted by Marc Jacobs (Bowen Yang) and Julia Fox (Chloe Fineman); a “Wicked” audition reel that featured Charli doing very good Adele and Troye Sivan impressions; and an extended joke about people getting green paint on their bodies by making out with the lead actor from “Shrek the Musical.”

The show also returned with new versions of previous sketches, including a sequel to a bridesmaids song from the Ariana Grande episode, where the bride-to-be is now an expectant mom whose friends recount her babymoon trip. The other was another edition of a baking contest that featured a dirty turkey cake and one with a gaping orifice that spits stuffing. Marcello Hernández, who was in a lot of sketches this week, played an intense acting coach alongside star student Alyssa (Charli) in a class for commercial auditions.

Meanwhile, as musical guest, Charli performed “360,” introduced by the real Julia Fox, and “Sympathy Is a Knife,” introduced by Yang. A Please Don’t Destroy video promised in the opening credits was cut for time, but it was posted online and featured Charli with the Please Don’t Destroy guys in a “mean cute.”

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Dana Carvey continues his “SNL” 50th season residency, returning again as President Biden after a detour last week when he played Elon Musk. Trump (James Austin Johnson) and Biden meet in the Oval Office, as they in real life did this week, and even Trump seems to be surprised by his own friendly behavior. “Get a load of me,” he says, “instead of being rude and crazy like usual, I’m doing quiet and serene. Which in many ways is a lot scarier.” Trump complains about how much he hates the White House (“So many of the carpets are stinky and sticky at the same time.”) and about Elon Musk before a visit from his attorney general nominee, Rep. Matt Gaetz (Sarah Sherman). “We’ve got Elon and Matt Gaetz,” Trump says, “That’s an alien versus predator.” Alec Baldwin also returned to the show to play Health and Human Services nominee and former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who said he would protect “a woman’s right to give her child polio.” Trump asked Biden what he’ll do next. “I’ll do what every worn-down old guy does,” he replied, “I’m going to fight Jake Paul.”

Charli’s monologue referenced how she got started playing raves when she was 15 by telling her parents she had swim practice, “at 2 a.m. … In a warehouse full of gays.” She joked about thanking someone who’s been there for her throughout her career: Auto-Tune. And she welcomed former “SNL” cast member Kyle Mooney, whose directorial debut movie “Y2K” is out next month, to demonstrate what is and what isn’t brat. It turns out that Mooney naming Claritin as his favorite drug is not brat. She concluded by saying, “I”m not used to being out this early on a Saturday night!”

Best sketch of the night: What if Bernie Sanders and Adele starred in ‘Wicked’?

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Audition reel sketches are really just an excuse to let the cast trot out their best celebrity impressions, particularly Chloe Fineman, who figures heavily into this one for the movie adaptation of “Wicked.” She plays JoJo Siwa, Sydney Sweeney, Martha Stewart and Leslie Mann. Devon Walker portrays NFL star Shannon Sharpe and Carvey returns to play Al Pacino. Hernández, as Bad Bunny, refuses to do an English version of his audition and Sherman does a surprisingly good Bernie Sanders, complaining that the munchkins are living paycheck to paycheck. But it’s Charli who surprises with a spot-on Adele and Troye Sivan, who’s standing next to the “SNL” version of Charli, played by Yang.

Also good: Calling the cops on white people, Girl Scouts and even small dogs

It’s only been a little over a month since we got a new Lonely Island “SNL Digital Short,” “Sushi Glory Hole,” but now the team has returned with another song (album coming soon?) about a man who takes pleasure in calling the police over minor infractions. The very catchy song features Andy Samberg busting people who put trash in his recycle bin or trespass into his yard. The twist is that he calls the police on white people like Colin Jost. His wife (Charli) is just as vigilant and by the end of the video, a small bulldog has been handcuffed and a Girl Scout has gone to jail. Maybe it’s not as shocking or goes as hard as the “Sushi” song, but it’s still expertly performed and shot. And it’s not an Allstate commercial.

‘Weekend Update’ winner: This squirrel widow is absolutely nuts

Yang looked like he had a ton of fun playing Joe Exotic from “Tiger King,” who is seeking a pardon and a Cabinet position from Trump. But it was Sherman who gave a twitchy, hilarious performance as the widow of late internet celebrity P’Nut the Squirrel. Hazel (Nut, get it?) is devastated after her husband was euthanized, but longs for the touch of “Weekend Update” co-host Jost. Hazel’s giant tail keeps harassing him and she clacks her teeth, shakes as if frozen in front of an oncoming car, and makes more “nuts” puns than you might expect. A very fun bit from a very funny performer.

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Stagecoach 2026: How to watch Friday’s livestream with Cody Johnson, Ella Langley, Bailey Zimmerman

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Stagecoach 2026: How to watch Friday’s livestream with Cody Johnson, Ella Langley, Bailey Zimmerman

Choosin’ to stay home instead of trekking out to Indio for this weekend’s Stagecoach festival? Don’t worry, you’ll be able to listen to all the country music your heart desires. You can get your country heartbreak on with Ella Langley, Bailey Zimmerman and Cody Johnson, and then rock out with Counting Crows. If you prefer EDM, you can catch Diplo and Dillstradamus (Dillon Francis and Flosstradamus) as Friday’s closing acts.

The festival will be livestreamed on Amazon Music, Amazon Prime Video and Twitch beginning at 3 p.m. On Sirius XM’s The Highway (channel 56), you can listen to exclusive interviews and live performances along with a special edition of the Music Row Happy Hour. The station Y’Allternative will also be covering the festival on Friday evening.

Here are updated set times for the Stagecoach livestream Friday performances (times presented are PDT):

Channel 1

3:05 p.m. Noah Rinker; 3:25 p.m.; Adrien Nunez; 4 p.m. Ole 60; 4:25 p.m. Avery Anna; 5 p.m. Chase Rice; 5:55 p.m. Nate Smith; 6:50 p.m. Ella Langeley; 7:50 p.m. Bailey Zimmerman; 8:55 p.m. the Red Clay Strays; 10 p.m. Cody Johnson; 11:30 p.m. Diplo

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Channel 2

3:05 p.m. Neon Union; 3:25 p.m. Larkin Poe; 4 p.m. Marcus King Band; 4:50 p.m. Lyle Lovett; 5:35 p.m. BigXthaPlug; 6:30 p.m. Noah Cyrus; 7 p.m. Wynonna Judd; 8 p.m. Counting Crows; 8:50 p.m. Sam Barber; 10 p.m. Dan + Shay; 10:45 p.m. Diplo featuring Juicy J; 11:05 p.m. Rebecca Black; 11:45 p.m. Dillstradamus

Sirius XM Music Row Happy Hour

1 p.m. Avery Anna; 2 p.m. Nate Smith; 2:30 p.m. Josh Ross; 3 p.m. Cody Johnson; 3:30 p.m. Gabriella Rose; 5:15 p.m. Nate Smith; 7:50 p.m. Bailey Zimmerman; 9:30 p.m. Cody Johnson; 11 p.m. Diplo

Sirius XM Y’Allternative

5 p.m. Ole 60; 6 p.m. Larkin Poe; 7 p.m. Marcus King Band; 8 p.m. Sam Barber

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Movie Review: The Mortuary Assistant – HorrorFuel.com: Reviews, Ratings and Where to Watch the Best Horror Movies & TV Shows

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Movie Review: The Mortuary Assistant – HorrorFuel.com: Reviews, Ratings and Where to Watch the Best Horror Movies & TV Shows

Forget the “video game movie” curse; The Mortuary Assistant is a bone-chilling triumph that stands entirely on its own two feet. Starring Willa Holland (Arrow) as Rebecca Owens, the film follows a newly certified mortician whose “overtime shift” quickly devolves into a grueling battle for her soul.

What Makes It Work

The film expertly balances the stomach-churning procedural work of embalming with a spiraling demonic nightmare. Alongside a mysterious mentor played by Paul Sparks (Boardwalk Empire), Rebecca is forced to confront both ancient evils and her own buried traumas. And boy, does she have a lot of them.

Thanks to a full-scale, practical River Fields Mortuary set, the film drips with realism, like you can almost smell the rot and bloat of the bodies through the screen.

The skin effects are hauntingly accurate. The way the flesh moves during surgical scenes is so visceral. I’ve seen a lot of flesh wounds in horror films and in real life, and the bodies, skin, and organs. The Mortuary Assistant (especially in the opening scene) looks so real that I skipped supper after watching it. And that’s saying something. Your girl likes to eat.

Co-written by the game’s creator, Brian Clarke, the movie dives deeper into the demonic mythology. Whether you’ve seen every ending or don’t know a scalpel from a trocar, the story is perfectly self-contained. If you’ve never played the game, or played it a hundred times, the film works equally well, which is hard to do when it comes to game adaptations.

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Nailed It

This film does a lot of things right, but the isolation of the night shift is suffocating. Between the darkness of the hallways and the “residents” that refuse to stay still, the film delivers a relentlessly immersive experience. And thankfully, although this movie is filled with dark rooms and shadows, it’s easy to see every little thing. Don’t you hate it when a movie is so dark that you can’t see what’s happening? It’s one of my pet peeves.

The oh-so-awesome Jeremiah Kipp directs the film and has made something absolutely nightmare-inducing. Kipp recently joined us for an interview, took us inside the film, discussed its details and the game’s lore, and so much more. I urge you to check out our interview. He’s awesome!

The Verdict

This isn’t just a cash-grab; it’s a high-effort adaptation that respects the source material while elevating the horror genre. With incredible special effects and a powerhouse cast, it’s the kind of movie that will make you rethink working late ever again. Dropping on Friday the 13th, this is a must-watch for horror fans. It’s grisly, intelligent, and genuinely terrifying.

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Former Live Nation executive says he was fired after raising ‘financial misconduct’ concerns

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Former Live Nation executive says he was fired after raising ‘financial misconduct’ concerns

A former executive at Live Nation, the world’s largest live entertainment company, is suing the company, alleging that he was wrongfully terminated after he raised concerns about alleged financial misconduct and improper accounting practices.

Nicholas Rumanes alleges he was “fraudulently induced” in 2022 to leave a lucrative position as head of strategic development at a real estate investment trust to create a new role as executive vice president of development and business practice at Beverly Hills-based Live Nation.

In his new position, Rumanes said, he raised “serious and legitimate alarm” over the the company’s business practices.

As a result, he says, he was “unlawfully terminated,” according to the lawsuit filed Thursday in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

“Rumanes was, simply put, promised one job and forced to accept another. And then he was cut loose for insisting on doing that lesser job with integrity and honesty,” according to the lawsuit.

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He is seeking $35 million in damages.

Representatives for Live Nation were not immediately available for comment.

The lawsuit comes a week after a federal jury in Manhattan found that Live Nation and its Ticketmaster subsidiary had operated a monopoly over major concert venues, controlling 86% of the concert market.

Rumanes’ lawsuit describes a “culture of deception” at Live Nation, saying its “basic business model was to misstate and exaggerate financial figures in efforts to solicit and secure business.”

Such practices “spanned a wide spectrum of projects in what appeared to be a company-wide pattern of financial misrepresentation and misleading disclosures,” the lawsuit states.

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Rumanes says he received materials and documents that showed that the company inflated projected revenues across multiple venue development projects.

Additionally, Rumanes contends that the company violated a federal law that requires independent financial auditing and transparency and instead ran Live Nation “through a centralized, opaque structure” that enables it to “bypass oversight and internal checks and balances.”

In 2010, as a condition of the Live Nation-Ticketmaster merger, the newly formed company agreed to a consent decree with the government that prohibited the firm from threatening venues to use Ticketmaster. In 2019 the Justice Department found that the company had repeatedly breached the agreement, and it extended the decree.

Rumanes contends that he brought his concerns to the attention of the company’s management, but his warnings were “repeatedly ignored.”

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