Get a Sneak Peek at the New Footage from ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’ Extended Cut, Now in Theaters

Little did we know, when Spider-Man: Far From Home hit theaters back in June, that it may be the last we see of Tom Holland‘s Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But while the fate of our favorite webslinger hangs in the air in the aftermath of the messy Disney-Sony feud, we’re going to get four more minutes of Holland as Spider-Man in the MCU. Some of the four new minutes of unseen footage can be seen in the new Spider-Man Far From Home extended cut teaser below.

Spider-Man Far From Home Extended Cut Teaser

Celebrate the long weekend with the #SpiderManFarFromHome extended cut, in theaters everywhere including IMAX and additional large format: https://t.co/uWSFwjVzdQ ?? pic.twitter.com/eytWQWpmy7

— Spider-Man: Far From Home (@SpiderManMovie) August 29, 2019

The new teaser doesn’t show much, though it does give us a glimpse of the “new scenes and action sequences” promised with the Spider-Man: Far From Home extended cut. One scene includes Peter sending a small spider drone-bug from his backpack to crawl across a desk and press a button, while an extended cut of Spider-Man’s early fight in his Iron Spider suit is teased.

The extended cut of Spider-Man: Far From Home is playing in theaters through Labor Day, and features approximately four additional minutes of “never-before-seen action sequences.” The extended cut, which was announced earlier this month, is playing in theaters in the U.S. and Canada and will also be available in IMAX and large formats in select locations. On Thursday, the extended cut was released to 2,781 locations (233 IMAX and 200 large formats), according to Forbes, and expands today to 3,162 locations (233 IMAX and 200 large formats).

Sony is likely hoping for a box office boost from this Spider-Man: Far From Home re-release, boosting it further up the list of highest-earning films in U.S. history (at $380.2 million, it currently sits at No. 42). With this re-release, if public opinion hasn’t soured over the dissolution of the Sony-Marvel deal, it could push Spider-Man: Far From Home over films like  The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Transformers: Dark of the Moon and another 2019 Marvel film, Captain Marvel.

The Spider-Man: Far From Home extended cut is playing in theaters now.

Cool Posts From Around the Web:

Antonio Brown's Feet Are A Nightmare

Screenshot: Antonio Brown (Instagram)

Raiders wide receiver Antonio Brown visited a foot specialist over the weekend to address an injury that has kept him from participating in most of training camp. Thanks to Brown’s Instagram page, we have a pretty good idea of the specific nature of that injury.

Be warned that the following photo is pretty gross. I don’t even think Rex Ryan would enjoy looking at it:

It seems to me that Brown is wasting his time in seeing a specialist, because you don’t need to be a doctor to accurately diagnose a situation that includes missing a piece of skin the size of a damn tortilla chip from your left foot. In the medical field they call that “some real fucked up shit.”

Pro Cyclist Bjorg Lambrecht Dies After Crash During Race

Belgian professional cyclist Bjorg Lambrecht died this afternoon after he crashed during the third stage of the Tour de Pologne. The Lotto-Soudal rider was 22 years old.

Advertisement

The circumstances of Lambrecht’s fall aren’t clear: Early reports claimed he crashed into a concrete culvert, but race organizers said they don’t yet know exactly what caused the crash. The stage was a flat run across southern Poland from Chorzow to Zabrze, and organizers say Lambrecht was the only rider to fall on the “completely flat” road. Weather may have played a part, as it was quite rainy today. One anonymous rider reportedly said that Lambrecht had his hand raised calling for help shortly before he fell.

“We tried to give a heart massage just afterwards, then we called for a helicopter but his condition was so serious it wasn’t able to transport him,” race doctor Ryszard Wisniewski said. Lambrecht was taken to a hospital in an ambulance, where he did not survive emergency surgery.

Advertisement

Lambrecht was one of the most promising young riders in the world. He had just taken best young rider at the Critérium du Dauphiné, he once finished second behind Egan Bernal at the Tour de l’Avenir, and he came close to finishing on the podium of several prestigious one-day races this spring. Lotto-Soudal extended his professional contract in June, and he looked destined for a productive pro career. Lambrecht’s team is reportedly considering pulling out of the race, and Tour de Pologne organizers may cancel the last four stages, though Cycling News reports “it does seem that the race will continue for now.”

Let's Remember Some Vince Carter Draftmates

Photo: Jed Jacobsohn (Getty)

Vince Carter is reportedly running it back with the Atlanta Hawks. Holy moly! He’ll turn 43 before the all-star break. He has been on this Earth over twice as long as the Hawks’ stars, John Collins (21) and Trae Young (20). In his last season with Atlanta, gray-bearded Carter logged 18 minutes a night, which he mostly spent jacking up 4.2 threes a game, at a 39 percent clip, demonstrating the simplest way to extend a career. He can also still throw it down on occasion. And I bet he provides very solid Veteran Mentorship.

To put this longevity into perspective, let’s remember some guys from that 1998 draft class—most of whom were already washed a decade ago—right as Vince Carter prepares to collect low seven figures. In no particular order:

• Nazr Mohammed
• Cuttino Mobley
• Michael Doleac
• Al Harrington
• Jason Williams
• Championship-winning coach Tyronn Lue
• Ricky Davis
• Larry Hughes
  
• Jerome James
• Raef LaFrentz
• Robert “Tractor” Traylor (R.I.P.)
• Nets GM Sean Marks

Man, remember those guys? Whatever happened to those guys????

Who are some guys that you remember?

The Shelby GT500 Is Faster Than The McLaren F1 In One Weird Metric

Photo: Ford

The 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, with its supercharged V8 and 760 horsepower, is claimed to be faster from zero to 100 mph and back down to zero than the hallowed McLaren F1. It’s a silly metric that hardly anybody uses or is familiar with, but I guess faster is faster.

The McLaren F1 LM, which was a lightened, more powerful and aerodynamic version of the regular McLaren F1, achieved the 0-100-0 sprint in 11.5 seconds. The GT500 did it in a claimed 10.6 seconds, according to a Ford press release.

I think it’s safe to assume that you and I both are pretty familiar with reading zero to 60 times. It’s a metric everyone uses, so we have a pretty good grasp on where a car falls compared to everything else when we hear the number. But 0-100-0? Who even uses this? What’s the context, besides other stratospheric cars every so often?

Anyway this was achieved, reports the company, through the use of the car’s power, fat brakes (16.5-inch front rotors) and the dual-clutch system. Dual-clutch transmissions are generally said to help cars shift faster than humans can themselves, thus being integral in setting faster laptimes and acceleration sprints.

Advertisement

The GT500 will not have a manual option, which drew the ire of Mustang and Shelby fans. A Mustang with no manual? Feh! So, this 0-100-0 stunt feels a little like Ford trying to convince us the dual-clutch road was the right path.

But then I have to ask. Would you, a potential buyer, prefer being able to brag about a claimed statistic that is rarely used, or drop the statistic and row your own gears?

Zelda Fans Protest, Smash PS4 Over Very Similar Chinese Game

Image: Weibo (PTTWeb), ZhugeEX

Kotaku East

East is your slice of Asian internet culture, bringing you the latest talking points from Japan, Korea, China and beyond. Tune in every morning from 4am to 8am.

 

 

Open-world game Genshin Impact has been described as an anime Breath of the Wild. Some Zelda fans in China are not happy about it. At all.

The Chinese-developed RPG’s first gameplay footage was shown recently at the China Joy gaming expo.

As ZhugeEX and CCN report, the game has been called out for allegedly copying Breath of the Wild.

Advertisement

Via Twitter user Vivian.Ysy, here is a side-by-side comparison of in-game screenshots.

Image: Weibo

Advertisement

At China Joy, Zelda fans took photos of themselves holding their Switch consoles running Breath of the Wild flipping off the Genshin Impact display at the Sony booth. They’re upset that Sony would release such a similar-looking game.

Image: Weibo (PTTWeb), ZhugeEX

Advertisement

Image: Weibo (PTTWeb), ZhugeEX

Image: Weibo (PTTWeb), ZhugeEX

Advertisement

Image: Hachima (ZhugeEX)

Image: Weibo (PTTWeb), ZhugeEX

Advertisement

Screenshot: Weibo (PTTWeb), Image: ZhugeEX

“Despite this, we noted it was the most popular game at Sony China Joy booth with very long lines,” ZhugeEX tells Kotaku.

Advertisement

Still, as Hachima reports, one guy even destroyed his PS4 in protest.

Image: Weibo (PTTWeb), ZhugeEX

Advertisement

Image: Weibo (PTTWeb), ZhugeEX

Image: Weibo (PTTWeb), ZhugeEX

Advertisement

Cosplay protest was far less destructive.

Image: Weibo (PTTWeb), ZhugeEX

The Bruce Lee Fight in ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ Almost Ended Very Differently

As soon as Once Upon a Time in Hollywood hit theaters, it predictably became a lightning rod for controversy — a time-honored tradition for nearly every film directed by Quentin Tarantino. Some controversies were less valid than others, but one that hit particularly hard was a flashback sequence to a fight between Brad Pitt‘s aging stuntman Cliff Booth and martial arts icon Bruce Lee (Mike Moh).

The scene was criticized by members of the Asian-American community and by Lee’s daughter herself, who condemned the film for treating Lee “in the way that white Hollywood did when he was alive.” But it turns out that the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Bruce Lee scene had an alternate ending that would have been even more controversial.

Spoilers for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood below.

In a flashback sequence in which Cliff ponders why he has become a pariah in the stunt world, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood shows Lee boasting about his martial arts skills to a captive audience on the set of Green Hornet. Among that audience is Cliff, who scoffs at Lee’s claims and pokes fun at him. Incensed, Lee challenges Cliff to a fight, with Lee winning the first round before Cliff bests him in the second, damaging a car door in the process. The fight is broken up before a clear “winner” is declared, but according to stunt coordinator Robert Alonzo, the scene originally didn’t end there. Speaking with the Huffington Post, Alonzo revealed that the original scene ended with Cliff emerging as the clear winner. The Huffington Post writes:

Round 3 of the fight would have been a much longer battle in which both men kept going at each other, with Cliff eventually making what Alonzo called a “cheap-shot move” that put Bruce on his butt. But the point wasn’t to turn Bruce into the underdog, Alonzo told Tarantino. Rather, it was simply to “explain to the audience the level at which Cliff was [operating].” So Tarantino agreed to have the Green Hornet stunt coordinators break up the brawl before the third round, meaning no proper victor could be declared.

Seeing Bruce Lee reduced to being the butt of a joke in the film was difficult enough, but watching an extended version of that scene in order to show off Cliff Booth’s abilities would have been so much worse. The scene has been interpreted multiple ways since the film’s release: It was a misremembered tall tale that highlighted Cliff’s nature as an unreliable narrator; it was Tarantino’s way of “humanizing” a martial arts idol; it was the metaphorical face-off between old and new Hollywood.

But from what we’ve learned of the original scene, it seems like Tarantino’s intent was solely to take down a Hollywood icon while elevating his own fictional character so as to make the film’s violent third act more believable. And while I’m all for taking Hollywood icons down a peg, it plays differently when it’s Bruce Lee, a rare rising Chinese star at a time when Asian roles were still mostly exoticized or demonized — when they weren’t cartoonish caricatures. Lee himself was faced with years of discrimination, and didn’t achieve his current level of worldwide fame until after his death. In this brief scene in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood — notably the only speaking scene by a person of color in the film — Moh performs an admirable impression of Lee, but one that reads like a caricature because of the way that Cliff pokes fun at his exaggerated expressions and imitates his signature noises. It’s a scene that has rightfully earned criticism from the Asian-American community, who have only recently begun to see themselves properly represented onscreen — even if examples of yellowface were still abundant only three years ago. The original scene would have been criticized tenfold, something that Alonzon, who himself is Asian-American, was sensitive to, he told the Huffington Post:

“I know that Brad had expressed his concerns, and we all had concerns about Bruce losing. Especially for me, as someone who has looked up to Bruce Lee as an icon, not only in the martial-arts realm, but in the way he approached philosophy and life, to see your idol be beaten is very disheartening. It really pulled at certain emotional strings that can incite a little anger and frustration as to how he’s portrayed. … There’s a certain mythology and mysticism about who Bruce Lee is, which is understandable. Being an Asian American myself, I definitely related to how Bruce was a symbol of how Asians should be portrayed in movies, instead of the old Breakfast at Tiffany’s model that was really prevalent back in the day. … I had a difficult time choreographing a fight where he lost. Everyone involved was like, ‘How is this going to go over?’ Brad was very much against it. He was like, ‘It’s Bruce Lee, man!’”

Tarantino’s original version of the scene makes me wonder: Why Bruce Lee? Was it because he was the most significant martial arts star of the day? Was it because Tarantino famously idolizes him? Or was it just because he was super freaking strong? If Tarantino simply wanted a famous strongman celebrity for Cliff to take down to prove his absurd manliness, why not another action star? As the scene it, it feels like an uncomfortable jab at a human being who never got to see himself become an icon, or a joke.

Cool Posts From Around the Web:

The Bruce Lee Fight in ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ Almost Ended Very Differently

As soon as Once Upon a Time in Hollywood hit theaters, it predictably became a lightning rod for controversy — a time-honored tradition for nearly every film directed by Quentin Tarantino. Some controversies were less valid than others, but one that hit particularly hard was a flashback sequence to a fight between Brad Pitt‘s aging stuntman Cliff Booth and martial arts icon Bruce Lee (Mike Moh).

The scene was criticized by members of the Asian-American community and by Lee’s daughter herself, who condemned the film for treating Lee “in the way that white Hollywood did when he was alive.” But it turns out that the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Bruce Lee scene had an alternate ending that would have been even more controversial.

Spoilers for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood below.

In a flashback sequence in which Cliff ponders why he has become a pariah in the stunt world, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood shows Lee boasting about his martial arts skills to a captive audience on the set of Green Hornet. Among that audience is Cliff, who scoffs at Lee’s claims and pokes fun at him. Incensed, Lee challenges Cliff to a fight, with Lee winning the first round before Cliff bests him in the second, damaging a car door in the process. The fight is broken up before a clear “winner” is declared, but according to stunt coordinator Robert Alonzo, the scene originally didn’t end there. Speaking with the Huffington Post, Alonzo revealed that the original scene ended with Cliff emerging as the clear winner. The Huffington Post writes:

Round 3 of the fight would have been a much longer battle in which both men kept going at each other, with Cliff eventually making what Alonzo called a “cheap-shot move” that put Bruce on his butt. But the point wasn’t to turn Bruce into the underdog, Alonzo told Tarantino. Rather, it was simply to “explain to the audience the level at which Cliff was [operating].” So Tarantino agreed to have the Green Hornet stunt coordinators break up the brawl before the third round, meaning no proper victor could be declared.

Seeing Bruce Lee reduced to being the butt of a joke in the film was difficult enough, but watching an extended version of that scene in order to show off Cliff Booth’s abilities would have been so much worse. The scene has been interpreted multiple ways since the film’s release: It was a misremembered tall tale that highlighted Cliff’s nature as an unreliable narrator; it was Tarantino’s way of “humanizing” a martial arts idol; it was the metaphorical face-off between old and new Hollywood.

But from what we’ve learned of the original scene, it seems like Tarantino’s intent was solely to take down a Hollywood icon while elevating his own fictional character so as to make the film’s violent third act more believable. And while I’m all for taking Hollywood icons down a peg, it plays differently when it’s Bruce Lee, a rare rising Chinese star at a time when Asian roles were still mostly exoticized or demonized — when they weren’t cartoonish caricatures. Lee himself was faced with years of discrimination, and didn’t achieve his current level of worldwide fame until after his death. In this brief scene in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood — notably the only speaking scene by a person of color in the film — Moh performs an admirable impression of Lee, but one that reads like a caricature because of the way that Cliff pokes fun at his exaggerated expressions and imitates his signature noises. It’s a scene that has rightfully earned criticism from the Asian-American community, who have only recently begun to see themselves properly represented onscreen — even if examples of yellowface were still abundant only three years ago. The original scene would have been criticized tenfold, something that Alonzon, who himself is Asian-American, was sensitive to, he told the Huffington Post:

“I know that Brad had expressed his concerns, and we all had concerns about Bruce losing. Especially for me, as someone who has looked up to Bruce Lee as an icon, not only in the martial-arts realm, but in the way he approached philosophy and life, to see your idol be beaten is very disheartening. It really pulled at certain emotional strings that can incite a little anger and frustration as to how he’s portrayed. … There’s a certain mythology and mysticism about who Bruce Lee is, which is understandable. Being an Asian American myself, I definitely related to how Bruce was a symbol of how Asians should be portrayed in movies, instead of the old Breakfast at Tiffany’s model that was really prevalent back in the day. … I had a difficult time choreographing a fight where he lost. Everyone involved was like, ‘How is this going to go over?’ Brad was very much against it. He was like, ‘It’s Bruce Lee, man!’”

Tarantino’s original version of the scene makes me wonder: Why Bruce Lee? Was it because he was the most significant martial arts star of the day? Was it because Tarantino famously idolizes him? Or was it just because he was super freaking strong? If Tarantino simply wanted a famous strongman celebrity for Cliff to take down to prove his absurd manliness, why not another action star? As the scene it, it feels like an uncomfortable jab at a human being who never got to see himself become an icon, or a joke.

Cool Posts From Around the Web:

‘Dora and the Lost City of Gold’ Review: A Perfectly Pleasant If Unremarkable Family Adventure

At first blush, a feature film based on the Nick Jr. cartoon Dora the Explorer seems like a non-starter. The show, designed to help preschoolers grasp Spanish-language terms for English phrases, doesn’t scream out for the cinematic treatment, and definitely not the live-action feature treatment. Yet such a film now exists: Dora and the Lost City of Gold both manages to broadly acknowledge its inspiration while cutting its own path as a tween-friendly version of Indiana Jones. It’s a surprisingly funny blend of fish-out-of-water comedy and adventure, even if the familiarity is hard to ignore.

Outside of a brief prologue, the Dora we spend time with is no little kid — she’s a 16-year old who’s being unhappily uprooted from her home in the jungle by her loving parents (Eva Longoria and Michael Pena), who go off on a journey of their own as they encourage Dora to explore what it’s like to be an average high-schooler in Los Angeles. Dora’s expertise in the jungles of South America, though, leave her ill-equipped to handle the vagaries of high school. Her ebullient spirit is at odds with the dismissive nature of the average high-schooler, as represented by her cousin Diego (Jeff Wahlberg). However, she, Diego, and two other high-schoolers are soon abducted while on a field trip, forced by a series of treasure hunters to find a mythical city of gold…the same one her parents are searching for.

The signs of an unexpectedly goofy movie are present before you even meet Dora — after the studio logo, there’s a pre-title card warning that the film we’re about to see is mostly accurate, except for the implication that foxes like to swipe things. (Perhaps the strangest, most off-kilter casting choice here is a loopy-sounding Benicio del Toro as the sneaky Swiper.) Director James Bobin and co-writer Nicholas Stoller collaborated on the two Muppet movies of the 2010s, and a similar sense of wry charm is present through Dora and the Lost City of Gold. The film mostly sidesteps the way the TV series looks or sounds, but there are a couple of goofy, fourth-wall-breaking gags where Dora asks us to repeat certain phrases to no avail. And Dora’s struggles in the big city to balance her own jungle-driven savvy with, for example, the fact that no other high-schooler would bring a flare with them to class make for a good amount of humor.

Once the four kids are stuck in the jungle, they’re paired with the rubbery-faced Eugenio Derbez, as Alejandro, a linguistics professor with ties to Dora’s folks. Derbez’s shtick varies between seeming mildly funny and mildly exhausting; the few times he gets to do all the heavy lifting, the comedy feels a bit forced. (There’s one specific gag involving quicksand that, depending on your mileage, may make you laugh your head off, or may make you wish that the scene would just end.) As in the rest of the film, the charm largely lies with the younger actors. 

As the teenage Dora, Isabela Moner is the right mix of winning and a bit weird. Though the script (co-written by Stoller and Matthew Robinson) leads Dora to a predictable place of accepting herself for who she is even as she gains friends, Moner makes the journey feel less rote than unique. Wahlberg — who is Mark’s nephew — is a nice foil for Moner, as the teenage Diego can’t decide if he’s charmed or perpetually embarrassed by his enthusiastic cousin.

The fun of Dora and the Lost City of Gold lies in the journey, not the destination. Once the eponymous mysterious location is discovered, because of course it is, the film becomes a most remarkable riff on the Indiana Jones franchise. The phrase “most remarkable” here is meant to imply that Dora becomes either a loving homage or a straight-up rip-off of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. (Since both The Last Crusade and The Lost City of Gold were released by Paramount Pictures, I suppose we’ll stick with homage.) Fans of the third film in the Harrison Ford-led franchise will recognize…well, a lot of its climax here, down to similar punchlines even if the bad guys don’t meet deliciously nasty fates.

Dora and the Lost City of Gold is charming enough, even as its conclusion smacks of overfamiliarity. A live-action/CGI mix inspired by a preschool animated show doesn’t seem like the kind of movie that would even be remotely tolerable. Yet a winning lead performance, coupled with a slightly cheeky and anarchic storytelling style, are enough to withstand plotting that owes an unpayable debt to the most famous movie adventurer of the modern age. Dora and the Lost City of Gold has no right being as charming and fun as it is, but there’s nothing wrong with a pleasant surprise in the dog days of summer.

/Film Rating: 6 out of 10

Cool Posts From Around the Web:

Andy Serkis Closes Deal to Direct 'Venom 2' (Exclusive)

Serkis flew to Los Angeles the week of July 22 to meet with Sony brass on the project, and was one of several filmmakers in the mix for the job. This will be Serkis' third directorial effort, after the 2017 drama Breathe and last year's non-Disney take on the Rudyard Kipling stories, Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle, which ended up on Netflix after being made at Warner Bros.

Serkis rose to fame for his motion capture and performance capture acting work as Gollum in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy from 2002 to 2004. He cut his teeth with second unit directing by reteaming with Jackson for The Hobbit trilogy (2012-14). He played the villain Snoke in the recent Star Wars films, as well as bad guy Klaw in Marvel Studios' Black Panther. His expertise with CG and performance capture technology is one of the factors that landed him the Venom 2 gig.

Sony had no comment.

Kelly Marcel wrote the script for Venom 2. Ruben Fleischer helmed 2018's Venom, which starred Michelle Williams and featured a last-minute cameo by Woody Harrelson as chief Venom villain Cletus Kasady, aka Carnage. Serkis previously worked with Harrelson on 2017's War for the Planet of the Apes.

Shortly after the news broke, Serkis shared a post on his verified Instagram account.

"Verified It’s actually happening. I can feel it, the Symbiote has found a host in me, and I’m ready for the ride...Can’t wait," he wrote.

Serkis is repped by CAA and Principal Entertainment.

Zenit Supporters Unfurl Racist Banner To Protest The Signing Of A Black Player

Photo: Juan Manuel Serrano Arce (Getty Images)

During a match between Zenit St. Petersburg and FC Krasnodar, Zenit supporters revealed a banner with a message to those at the head of their club that read (roughly translated): “Thank you leadership for loyalty to traditions.” The sarcastic statement was made in response to the club signing ex-Barcelona midfielder Malcom on a transfer this week. Malcom is black and his signing apparently broke some sort of long-held tradition within the club to not recruit black players.

A very stupid explanation of the banner was posted online on a site dedicated to a section of the club’s supporters. It reads (as translated by The Sun):

We are not racist and for us the absence of black players is just an important tradition, emphasizing the identity of the club and nothing more.

We, as the northernmost club of the major European cities, have never been mentally connected with Africa, however, as with South America or Australia or Oceania.

We have absolutely nothing against the inhabitants of these and any other continents, but at the same time we want players who are close in spirit to speak for Zenit.

Now, Zenit black football players are being forced almost by force, and this causes only a backlash.

Let us be what we are.

In addition, we can not ignore the specifics of the Russian championship. Our country is dominated by tough, strong soccer in the fields, many of which leave much to be desired.

In addition, most of the championship takes place in fairly severe weather. Under these conditions it is quite difficult for technical players from warm countries to fully discover their football talent.

It is worth noting that the size of the banner was rather small compared to the significantly larger Tifo it was draped over, which shows that this opinion wasn’t exactly held by everyone in the stadium.

Advertisement

At the same time, this level of racism among Russian fans is not exactly a break from the norm, according to numerous player testimonials. When Brazilian forward Hulk played for Zenit, he said he encountered racism in every game he played. When Nigerian striker Osaze Odemwingie left Lokomotiv Moscow to go to West Brom, the fans put up a banner that said “Thanks West Brom” and included the image of a banana. When Yaya Toure started for Manchester City against CSKA Moskow, he was the victim of racist taunts. Not even Brazilian legend Roberto Carlos was immune as he had bananas thrown at him in multiple games he played in the country.

The list goes on and on and will continue to go down that direction until serious action is taken.

Alejandro Bedoya Scores Goal, Calls For Congress To "End Gun Violence"

During the goal celebration after he scored in today’s D.C. United-Philadelphia Union match, Union midfielder Alejandro Bedoya picked up a pitch-side microphone and said into it,“Hey Congress, do something, now! End gun violence!”:

Bedoya’s words came after a weekend that saw two deadly mass shootings, one in El Paso, Texas, in which 20 people were killed, and another in Dayton, Ohio, where nine people died.

Euphoria's season finale is structural chaos

Image: Euphoria (HBO)

TV Reviews

All of our TV reviews in one convenient place.

 

 

Those big school dances that are supposed to be a night to remember and the height of teenage fun and fantasy, in actuality, are pretty terrible. Euphoria doesn’t let its characters have very much fun at the dance that anchors its season finale at all (maybe Cassie and Lexi are the only ones genuinely enjoying themselves, and that probably has to do with the fact that they’re just sitting and watching everyone else). But the show almost leans too hard into its teen angst and turmoil here. In fact, it’s downright solipsistic. And much like the start of the series, this finale is just trying so hard to be dark and disturbing that it often does so at the expense of character development and telling a compelling story.

Advertisement

Euphoria’s season finale has the least amount of narration of any other episode of the show. Rue’s omniscient observations still come up from time to time, but for the most part, this finale doesn’t lean as much on the device, which helps make the story feel more present and alive. But Euphoria is still more obsessed with its own bells and whistles than it is with the actual storytelling. Even the montage of everyone getting ready for the dance is lengthy and pretty but not necessarily satisfying. And the voiceover of Rue’s mom’s letter on top doesn’t fit...at all.

Disconnect is a recurring problem in the season finale, which is the most disjointed the series has felt. I have my qualms with Rue’s voiceover, but at least it provides a clear throughline. The finale is a jumbled mess. It weaves between the dance in the present and flashbacks to the character’s weeks leading up to it. Nate and Maddy have another fight, break up, and Nate wins a football game. Cassie gets an abortion. Jules tells Rue about hooking up with Anna. These are all fine snapshots that bring the characters’ arcs to a head, but the episode jumps between present and past indiscriminately and without any sense of rhythm.

Advertisement

It’s especially confusing that a show so concerned with aesthetics and art housey direction can’t seem to find its rhythm or make sense of its own structure. Euphoria experiments with form, seen especially in the final sequence—a gorgeous but ultimately hollow choreographed number that turns Rue’s relapse into a twisted ballet—but sometimes that experimentation is erratic and indulgent. Sam Levinson’s direction has an eye, but it lacks skin. There’s no connective tissue outside of the stylization itself. And it isn’t enough to really hold a story together and make it feel lived in. The finale is visually immersive but too chaotic in its narrative for anything to stick.

And the finale tries so hard to wrap up so many storylines that it never really reaches a satisfying conclusion for any of them. Sure, not everything comes to a conclusion, but the finale does split time between pretty much every character so that it’s hard to really settle into any one of their arcs. Cassie’s abortion is almost like an afterthought, another instance of Euphoria merely trying to be provocative instead of actually saying anything. The figure skating sequence is another gorgeous but empty thing, and the way it’s spliced between other scenes that, again, don’t really thematically connect to it detracts from the impact.

Advertisement

Euphoria hasn’t been a complete misfire, and the finale, while structurally perplexing and leaving a lot to be desired, does include some of the show’s strengths. For starters, the performances—especially from the younger cast members—are superb. There’s some seriously impressive young talent at the heart of this show. In particular, Zendaya and Hunter Schafer so powerfully capture all the pinpricks and punches of Rue and Jules complicated romance and friendship. They’re soft and sweet with each other, but there’s also an underlying sadness.

The finale does touch on some of the more compelling recurring themes of the series, too. Teen love is one hell of a drug, and Euphoria is a razor’s edge in the way it explores that. Jules admits to Rue that she loves Anna but loves her, too, and it’s easy to believe both are true because Jules does feel so much all the time. Kat decides to plunge into love, too, although Kat’s presence in the finale feels a bit like an afterthought, too, and I don’t totally buy her sudden change of character, even if it does thankfully bring a dose of sweetness to the dance.

Advertisement

Maddy and Nate are still wrapped up in their toxic relationship, although the note they end on in this finale is hard to interpret, because it doesn’t really commit to one outcome or the other for them. Nate’s function in the episode in general is one of the hardest things to pin down. Nate has been one of the show’s Big Bads all season, but he’s often presented as a victim in the finale. Of course, complicating bad characters by showing the reasons why they’re bad can make for compelling storytelling, but here it’s not like Nate is suddenly becoming a more nuanced and interesting character. It feels too forced and underdeveloped. The finale drops a lot of the plot and character work it has been doing in favor of this experimental, fragmented form.

Just like much of this series has felt like a bunch of adults asking “did you KNOW that Gen Z teens do SO MUCH WILD STUFF?,” the finale often screams its themes. Being a teenager sucks. Love hurts. The theatrics and emotions of Euphoria are supersized. But the show simultaneously takes itself so seriously and sometimes gets lost in its own grandeur.

Advertisement

Stray observations

• I hope to see Hunter Schafer in a million more things. I find this cast incredible across the board, but she’s such a standout.
• Parents really do a number on their kids in this show, causing intentional and unintentional harm that really shapes them. That’s been another one of the series’ compelling themes, but the finale doesn’t deliver as hard there.
• I have a feeling that final sequence is going to be a polarizing love/hate situation for folks, and I just don’t think it worked! A lot of this show is pretty to look at, but at the end of the day what it is it actually doing?
• With a few exceptions—like Jules and Rue’s relationship—the characters on this show often just can’t seem to see beyond themselves, and maybe that’s slightly believable teen behavior, but it seems so extreme here and makes it hard to get invested in their stories.
• I love Fez, but his storyline here also feels like its wedged into an already overcrowded episode.

Advertisement

Who Said It: The El Paso Shooter or Fox News?

Screenshot: Fox News

When a white supremacist manifesto allegedly posted by the El Paso shooting suspect first began making the rounds on Saturday night, it was hard not to feel a sense of familiarity.

From a New York Times summary of the manifesto (emphasis mine):

It spoke of a “Hispanic invasion of Texas.” It detailed a plan to separate America into territories by race. It warned that white people were being replaced by foreigners.

Hey, where have I heard that kind of violent extremist talk before? Oh, that’s right: on Fox News, constantly.

A tiny, tiny sample follows. See if you can spot the pattern (emphasis mine throughout):

Tucker Carlson, 7/9/19: 

This cannot continue. It’s not sustainable. No country can import large numbers of people who hate it and survive. The Romans were the last to try that, with predictable results.

Advertisement

Laura Ingraham, 6/18/19 podcast:

No longer can they claim to be for border enforcement, or “Oh yeah, we’re for enforcing the border, oh yeah, we’re for—we’re for keeping the country safe. And oh yeah, we’re not for illegal immigration, we’re for legal immigration”— that’s what they used to say That’s what the Obama folks and the Clinton folks used to say, but no longer. No, you’re for replacing the current American population, or swamping the current American population, with a new population of people who are perhaps more hospitable to socialist ideals.

Advertisement

Tucker Carlson, 5/21/19: 

The American piñata has been getting pummeled for decades and now it has finally come apart. Our national wealth is up for grabs by whomever gets here first, and they are coming. Over just the past year, 1% of the entire population of the nation of Guatemala has moved to the United States. A Wall Street Journal piece last month described the plight of that country’s villages. Some of them are literally depopulating as people stream north to America’s generous welfare state. Meanwhile a new study from the Federation for Immigration Reform, FAIR, given exclusively to this show, shows the scale on which the United States is being plundered.

Advertisement

Tucker Carlson, 12/13/18:

Our leaders demand that you shut up and accept this. We have a moral obligation to admit the world’s poor, they tell us, even if it makes our own country poorer, and dirtier, and more divided. Immigration is a form of atonement.

Advertisement

Fox & Friends, 11/2/18:

When you see a lot of young men carrying the flag of their country to your country to break your laws, it looks a lot more like an invasion than anything else.

Advertisement

Laura Ingraham, 8/7/18:

In some parts of the country, it does seem like the America that we know and love doesn’t exist anymore. Massive demographic changes have been foisted on the American people, and they are changes that none of us ever voted for, and most of us don’t like.

Advertisement

I could go on. This is not some fringe ideology confined to the dark corners of the web. It’s being peddled constantly by some of our highest-profile media figures—oh, and by the president of the United States.

Kevin Conroy Will Finally Get to Play a Live-Action Bruce Wayne in CW's Crisis On Infinite Earths

Image: Warner Bros.

Old Bruce is coming back, and he’s being played by the only person who really should be playing him.

It’s a common fan request, the kind of thing Batman nerds have been dreaming of for years: Kevin Conroy, who has voiced the character in many fantastic animated iterations, should play him in live action. And since he’s a bit too old for the regular Batman, why not have him as the old version of Bruce Wayne he first performed in Batman Beyond?

Advertisement

The CW, for Crisis on Infinite Earths, the upcoming Arrowverse event that seems to be fanservice turned into a television event, has said: we hear you, and you’re valid, and here you go. Or, to put it another way: it was announced today, during a panel at the Television Critic Association’s summer event, that Kevin Conroy will appear on Crisis, playing an old Bruce Wayne. Heck. Yes.

Advertisement

It was also shared that, as Cress Williams recently confirmed, Black Lightning characters will be appearing in the crossover. Golly. This is going to be wild. Also, we might see Brandon Routh and Kevin Conroy interact as Superman and Batman, and even Burt Ward will be there. That’s going to be a lot to take in, and I’m here for it.

Advertisement

Crisis on Infinite Earths will take over the CW’s superhero shows next season. 

For more, make sure you’re following us on our new Instagram @io9dotcom.

Advertisement

Insiders Say Dominic Cummings Has Instilled a Culture Of Fear In Boris Johnson’s New Government

Tolga Akmen / AFP / Getty Images

Number 10 adviser Dominic Cummings arrives at Downing Street

When cabinet ministers’ special advisers received an email ordering them to attend a meeting with Dominic Cummings at 7:55am on Monday, some feared the worst.

Boris Johnson’s chief aide has moved to aggressively attempt to tackle the culture of leaking, disloyalty and laziness that he believes existed among government advisers during Theresa May’s premiership.

The “crackdown” — as it is being described by Number 10 officials — has left Whitehall aides in two minds. Several departmental advisers, known in Westminster as SpAds, welcomed the change, telling BuzzFeed News it was badly needed and had provided the government with energy and purpose. Others said it had instilled an atmosphere of fear and division that was sapping morale. Some worried that they could lose their jobs at any moment.

Many suspect Cummings has also sought to send a message to the EU via briefings to Whitehall aides that Johnson is serious in his determination to pursue a no deal Brexit if a new deal cannot be reached by October 31, and that Parliament cannot stop him from doing so. Some believe he is employing a Nixonian “madman strategy”: attempting to convince Brussels the new prime minister is hellbent on leaving at any cost, in the hope of securing a better deal.

One aide described Cummings’ no-nonsense interventions over the past two weeks as a “jihad on SpAds”. In an indication of how pervasive the language of violence is in Westminster, they were actually using the phrase as an endorsement of the new regime.

At Monday morning’s meeting, Cummings told the assembled aides that they were to produce a list of tasks for their departments to prepare for no deal, that it was time for them to “interrogate” their ministers and officials and raise any Brexit planning issues with Number 10 as soon as possible.

Wpa Pool / Getty Images

Prime minister Boris Johnson

Those present saw it as a message that they were expected to inform on any ministers or civil servants who were not fully behind Johnson’s Brexit policy. It was also seen as confirmation that Downing Street’s principal communications strategy will be to create a narrative at home and abroad that no deal is genuinely being considered as an option.

Cummings repeatedly railed against Philip Hammond and Greg Clark, two of the most senior Remain-voting ministers in May’s government, accusing them of blocking no deal preparations while in office and instructing those present that any repeat would not be tolerated. His words were an awkward moment for Clark’s former SpAd Will Holloway, who was sitting in the room after being kept on by another minister.

Cummings went on to warn aides — not for the first time — about leaks, telling them that he had been a SpAd himself at the Department for Education, that he knew how it worked and they should not take him for a fool.

He claimed journalists would eventually “rat out” any leakers to Downing Street, a prediction that has been taken with a bucket of salt by aides who know reporters would not reveal their sources. “Could have been done in an email,” one aide said following their earlier than usual start. Another remarked drily: "Vote Leave's Project Fear is on special advisers."

One reason for the nervousness among advisers is the high turnover of SpAds from the May government. May-era SpAds whose ministers were sacked in Johnson’s reshuffle automatically lost their jobs, as is standard practice, but more than 50% are not being retained in a significant changing of the guard.

Several who had hoped to join the new government under other ministers were vetoed by Downing Street. Depending on who you believe, their appointments were blocked either due to them not being considered appropriately supportive of the new government’s policy on no deal, or because Number 10 decided they were not competent or trustworthy enough to deserve new jobs.

Some advisers told BuzzFeed News that the hard line from Number 10 was creating a divide in the government between those perceived as loyal to Cummings and Vote Leave, and those who voted Remain. One aide said they hoped Downing Street could move beyond the Leave and Remain labels. Another aide, asked by BuzzFeed News if their job was secure, replied on WhatsApp with a gif of a frightened Spongebob Squarepants shivering in terror.

Giphy

A Number 10 insider confirmed the crackdown, explaining: “We don’t care how they voted. It’s whether you are good at what you do, willing to deliver and don’t leak just so you can feel like Mr/Mrs Big Time with a bunch of hacks.”

“Bet you wish Timmy was managing you now,” a former government aide joked of their ex-colleagues to BuzzFeed News, referring to May’s former chief of staff Nick Timothy, who was considered by departmental SpAds to be a hard taskmaster.

Other Whitehall officials told BuzzFeed News the new structure was a breath of fresh air. “I think those complaining don’t like change,” one said. “It got to the stage under May where SpAd meetings would often be cancelled, now they’re first thing Monday morning and last thing Friday night. I’ve seen more of some SpAds in two weeks than I have in the last four or five months.”

The official said that working with Cummings compared favourably compared to their time under May’s chief of staff Gavin Barwell. “It is a tougher regime but people are asking themselves: how on earth were we not working at this pace before? We’re in crisis mode, how is it that in the previous administration there wasn’t the same sense of urgency?” they said.

One aide said that at the moment, SpAds were “not getting to see thoughtful side” of Cummings, “only the hard edge”. Another departmental aide questioned whether the discipline would last. “It will be interesting to see how it will be in a few weeks,” they said.

An aide summed up the current feeling among colleagues who have not worked with him before, comparing the man who runs Johnson’s government to the ruthless Usual Suspects villain who inspired terror among his enemies.

“He’s like Keyser Soze,” they said. “There’s a whole myth about what he’s like. No one really knows what he’ll do. Will he sack you? Will he throw you out of a window? You never really know.”

It Appears Cara Delevingne And Ashley Benson Are NOT Married And I'm Sad

He said: "They were sure about what they are doing and they were sure about what they mean to each other. They were clearly devoted to each other and they had the biggest smiles on their faces. You could see that they were serious about what they were doing but having the most fun. They wanted it simple, quiet and easy."

Sunday Times Staff Say A Recent Column About The Problems With Unpaid Work Basically Describes Their Newsroom

In fact, the practice is remarkably formalised. The Sunday Times is hardly the only news outlet to get young journalists to do unpaid work experience in exchange for the notorious “exposure” or “a foot in the door” that they offer. But a source said the placements – management describes it as “shadowing” – are tracked in a spreadsheet circulated in order to track the names of the young, unpaid journalists who’ll be in the newsroom that week.

“But there is little active outreach or attempt to be meritocratic.”

"There are certain desks that are very privileged. You have to be privately and Oxbridge educated to secure work experience,” a Sunday Times source said. “Others aren't that bad per se, and are more just first come first served.

Former staffers have said that many of the conditions, drawbacks and consequences of unpaid work laid out in Gannon’s Sunday Times column are currently widespread in the Sunday Times newsroom.

“We were just laughing at the hypocrisy,” the journalist told BuzzFeed News. Asked whether the Sunday Times used unpaid workers, one journalist on the newspaper replied over text: “The Sunday Times certainly uses unpaid interns. Lots of them.”

The former Times staffer immediately copy-pasted the Sunday Times link to WhatsApp and shared it around to journalist friends.

Gannon’s column was titled, “Only rich kids can afford to take unpaid internships. How elitist is that?” and not only called out the practice of companies using unpaid workers and interns, but said the practice should be made illegal.

When columnist Emma Gannon posted her latest Sunday Times piece to Twitter yesterday, it immediately caught the eye of a former Times journalist.

URGENT looking for a work experience replacement to help out at The Sunday Times Style from 14th - 25th January. Email me @ roisin.kelly@sunday-times.co.uk xx

When the opportunities aren’t going to those with family-friend connections, management turn to tweeting call-outs with the offers. The tweets will also often include the #journorequest hash-tag in an effort to get the attention of young journalists on Twitter.

A Sunday Times journalist said those who show up in the newsroom for the work will often, unsurprisingly, have “establishment connections”.

Or, as Gannon wrote in her piece: “Unpaid internships put a harsh spotlight on a huge social mobility issue: the cost cuts out a huge number of people who simply cannot afford to work for nothing and are unable to enter certain industries. It is elitist.”

The journalist added: “I don't think it'd be possible for there to be a less meritocratic system in terms of internships – people use establishment connections to get their goddaughters two weeks on the features desk.”

In her column, Gannon continued: “There is an argument that interning isn’t ‘real’ work but, looking back, it most certainly was, and still is. These lower-down-the-food-chain jobs are important in keeping things ticking along.”

One journalist who did more than one unpaid Times placement spoke to BuzzFeed News about their experience. According to them, at the start of the week there’d be a group of them waiting in the lobby for the “tour and health and safety talk” for the building.

“I mainly did research tasks and they published a lot of my work,” they said. “Nothing was paid; no expenses, no canteen, no salary, and I worked 10am to 6pm.”

“I wasn’t given any money for any of my work that was published. They published both short and long pieces from those of us who did the placements.”

Gannon’s column also argued that if they’re not directly related to staff, those who end up in unpaid placements in London are the so-called “rich kids” who can do a week of full-time work without getting paid.

“My parents live near London, travel only cost about £10 a day and the value it’s added to my CV is so much more than that,” a young journalist who did more than one of the unpaid placements told BuzzFeed News.

“I’m by no means rich, but I am very aware that I am very lucky to have been in a position to have been able to do it and stay with my parents.”

The Times declined to answer questions on the record for this article, including saying how many unpaid journalists were working, or “shadowing”, at the Times or Sunday Times at any one time, and whether they would take the advice of the column and end the practice.

“You have the same type of middle-class white girls coming through all the time; it can make you despair about the whole industry,” one source said. “And yet, on the other hand, it’s good experience.”

Brody And Kaitlynn Jenner Had Been Hinting At Marriage Problems For Months Before Splitting

MTV

In his testimonial, Brody explained that he was out late for work. He said: "My job is at a nightclub, DJ'ing pretty much every single weekend. Sometimes the partying, it can be fun. When she goes out with her girlfriends and stays out late, I condone that. I think it's fine. But when I do it, it can be a problem for her."

Kim Kardashian Reveals Behind-The-Scenes Met Gala Video

Kevin Mazur / Getty Images

"I have never felt pain like that in my life," Kim said of the dress. "I’ll have to show you pictures of the aftermath when I took it off — the indentations on my back and my stomach."

This Week In Trailers: Hyperdrive, Empathy, Inc., Green Frontier, Adam, Coppers

Trailers are an under-appreciated art form insofar that many times they’re seen as vehicles for showing footage, explaining films away, or showing their hand about what moviegoers can expect. Foreign, domestic, independent, big budget: What better way to hone your skills as a thoughtful moviegoer than by deconstructing these little pieces of advertising?

This week, we delve into VR to become a better person, go into the jungle and find Nazis, find our newest game show obsession,  and listen to the narratives of retired police offers.

Empathy, Inc.

Director Yedidya Gorsetman is exploring some interesting territory by looking at how virtual reality could influence actual reality. All good sci-fi should explore some piece of what it means to be human, and with crafting immersive worlds in spaces where the only cost is headgear and a good computer, this is nothing new. However, it’s an indie with promise. The trailer is visually engaging, the pacing is perfect, the music is aurally on-point, and the pull-quotes makes this an intriguing option. You’ve got to root for the little train that could and hail the ambition that’s on display.

Coppers

Director Alan Zweig’s latest doesn’t ask a lot of the audience, but to have an entire trailer of voiceovers while we just watch our subjects in situ is a bold choice.

Award-winning documentarian Alan Zweig returns to the Festival with an honest, hard-hitting, and humane look at the careers of retired police officers, as described in their own words.

This is about as straight-forward as it gets when we break down what we’re gathered here to witness. That said, the subject matter is compelling and the verbatims that we hear are stark in their frankness and honesty. Police, cops, peace officers, their stock in the general public certainly isn’t as strong as it used to be. All that’s being asked is that we listen. 

Green Frontier

When you get a long, lingering look at an open chest cavity you can’t help be all-in. Here’s the synopsis

When a young Bogotá-based detective gets drawn into the jungle to investigate four femicides, she uncovers magic, Nazis and her own true origins.

I mean, how can you not be bowled over by the ideas being put forth and all the disparate things happening in such a short time frame? Flowers, vines, native peoples, flaming arrows, and beating hearts dripping with roots? All I can say is that this trailer positively slaps in how it presents an interesting quandary, a puzzle, and gives you none of the clues on how to solve it.

Hyperdrive

Many of you may be in post-Hobbs & Shaw mode and need to work out some of that excess testosterone.

Daring drivers from around the world test their limits in custom cars on the biggest, baddest automotive obstacle course ever built. In this new original Netflix competition series, driving prowess, mechanical ingenuity and emotional resilience will be tested in this open invitation, build and race tournament. Many will compete but there can only be one Hyperdrive champion.

If you like American Ninja Warrior you already get the production value and the setup. That being said, there is no possible way this becomes America’s latest obsession, but this looks fun and family-friendly. And that’s a one-two combo that could be good enough for dinner table viewing.

Nota bene: If you have any suggestions of trailers for possible inclusion in this column, even have a trailer of your own to pitch, please let me know by sending me a note at Christopher_Stipp@yahoo.com or look me up via Twitter at @Stipp

Cool Posts From Around the Web:

Bayern Munich Had No Answer For Jadon Sancho

Photo: Dean Mouhtaropoulos (Getty Images)

Super Cup matches are usually glorified friendlies—unless your team wins, then they’re vastly important—but they can still tell us something about the upcoming soccer season. This is doubly true when two bitter rivals battle over a trophy no one cares about, and so I’m prepared to declare Jadon Sancho the best player in Germany after he single-handedly steam-rolled Bayern Munich in the German Super Cup.

The Borussia Dortmund wonderkid has been unstoppable since cementing his spot in the starting XI, finishing with 12 goals and 14 assists in the Bundesliga last season. What he did to Bayern on Saturday was just plain rude, though. During a 20-minute stretch in the second half of the Super Cup, Sancho pulverized the Bavarian giants with two perfect solo runs on the counter-attack, resulting in an assist and a goal that gave Dortmund a win over their hated domestic rivals.

The run for the assist was more impressive, and it came first, so let’s start there. Taking the ball just past midfield, Sancho drove straight at the back-pedaling Bayern defense, dribbling past the corpse of Jérôme Boateng, before being four defenders collapsed on him at the top of the box. No matter, as Sancho slipped a nutmeg pass through Corentin Tolisso’s legs that found goal-scoring machine Paco Alcácer, who coolly slotted a low shot past Manuel Neuer:

Advertisement

The second Sancho moment came about 21 minutes later: he received a pass in almost the same area as the first, with acres of space in front of him and both Alcácer and Marco Reus driving alongside with him. The presence of those two goal-scorers drove Bayern defender Niklas Süle away from Sancho; this was a mistake, because the 19-year-old Englishman kept it, blasted a shot through Neuer’s legs, and essentially sealed up the tie for Dortmund:

Advertisement

Again, a Super Cup is not usually a great game from which to extrapolate any lasting assessments, but Saturday’s match was played at an intensity befitting a Bundesliga showdown between the two best teams in Germany. Bayern will surely rue all of their missed chances in front of goal, while the Black and Yellows will be thankful that their superstar youngster played as well as he ever has to bring the trophy back to Dortmund for the first time since 2012, when they also beat Bayern.

Dortmund will be looking to Sancho to help them win the Bundesliga this season, something they came agonizingly close to doing last year before collapsing at the end. Die Borussen have loaded up in hopes of bringing the challenge to Bayern’s door, but it sure looks like they’re ready to focus on Sancho as their superstar, particularly now that the Christian Pulisic show has moved to London. Sancho is young, but he is for real, and everyone should get on board now before one of the big teams in England comes knocking for the most exciting English talent in the world.

Save $50 On One Of the Prettiest Bluetooth Speakers Money Can Buy

Graphic: Shep McAllister

Best Tech Deals

The best tech deals from around the web, updated daily.

 

 

Owlee Scroll Bluetooth Speaker | $50 | Woot

There are a lot of Bluetooth speakers out there, and with few exceptions, they all...look like speakers. If you want a gadget that will complement your decor and look great on a shelf, the Owlee Scroll stands apart with its unique, leather-wrapped design.

Advertisement

It has a terrific review average on Amazon, where it normally sells for $100, but if you click through this link and add it to your cart, you’ll get it for $50 at checkout.

Additionally, Woot also has the Owlee Aviary wireless speaker for $70. It’s more geared to home listening rather than portability. But it’s attractive in its own right.

Save $10 On the Delightful Captain Toad Treasure Tracker For Switch

Screenshot: Amazon

Best Gaming Deals

The best deals on games, consoles, and gaming accessories from around the web, updated daily.

 

 

Captain Toad Treasure Tracker | $30 | Walmart

If you like Monument Valley, and you like Nintendo, you should grab Captain Toad Treasure Tracker for the Switch. Unlike most first party Nintendo games, this one’s only priced at $40 MSRP, which is a steal on its own, but it’s down to just $30 today at Walmart and Amazon.

Fill Your Digital Library With a Few Discounted Amazon Bestsellers

Graphic: Tercius Bufete

Best Media Deals

The best movie, ebook, and music deals from around the web, updated daily.

 

 

Best Seller Kindle Gold Box | Amazon

It’s Sunday which means Amazon’s running a sale on Kindle eBooks. This time around, you get to pick from over a dozen digital copies of bestsellers including The Hideaway, Calypso, Every Breath, Long Road to Mercy and more with prices starting at $1. I’ve included a few notable titles below, but go to the main page to see all of the options.

$4

Every Breath

13 bought by readers

GMG may get a commission

Buy now$2

The Hideaway

47 bought by readers

GMG may get a commission

Buy now$5

Calypso

242 bought by readers

GMG may get a commission

Buy now

Sunday's Best Deals: Razer Keyboard Eufy Robovacs, TP-Link Smart Plugs, and More

Best Deals of the Day

The best deals from around the web, updated daily.

 

 

A Kindle Bestseller sale, stainless steel steak knives, Captain Toad: Treasure Hunter, and Owlee Speakers lead off Sunday’s best deals from around the web.

Bookmark Kinja Deals and follow us on Twitter to never miss a deal.

Graphic: Tercius Bufete

Gear up for back-to-school with this discounted HP Omen gaming laptop. Use the coupon codes B2SSTACK5 and BTSSTACK10 to bring this OMEN Laptop 17t to a low $1080. Here you’ll get 16GB of RAM, a 17" 144Hz screen, and an Intel i7 processor.

Advertisement

If you’re looking for a solid gaming laptop, this is the lowest price we’ve seen on this particular model. Get yours before this discount goes away.

Photo: Amazon

Razer’s popular BlackWidow TE Chroma V2 keyboard is one of the few high-end gaming keyboards out there without a number pad, and it’s cheaper than ever today on Amazon.

Advertisement

This keyboard has every accoutrement a gamer could possibly want, including 16.8 million color customizable backlighting, fully programmable keys, 10 key rollover, a magnetic wrist rest, and a two year warranty. You even get to choose from three different types of key switches, though you should obviously get the obnoxious, clicky ones. The BlackWidow line has long been a reader favorite, and this model is the cream of the crop, especially if you prefer a keyboard with a smaller footprint.

Today’s $90 price (valid on all three versions) is up to $40 less than usual, and an all-time low.

Graphic: Shep McAllister

USB-C hubs get all the shine these days, but if your computer still has old school USB ports, it’s worth adding this four-port USB 3.0 hub to your bag for just $6. It couldn’t be simpler: it turns one port into four.

To get the deal, just clip the coupon on the page.

Graphic: Shep McAllister

There are a lot of Bluetooth speakers out there, and with few exceptions, they all...look like speakers. If you want a gadget that will complement your decor and look great on a shelf, the Owlee Scroll stands apart with its unique, leather-wrapped design.

Advertisement

It has a terrific review average on Amazon, where it normally sells for $100, but if you click through this link and add it to your cart, you’ll get it for $50 at checkout.

Additionally, Woot also has the Owlee Aviary wireless speaker for $70. It’s more geared to home listening rather than portability. But it’s attractive in its own right.

Graphic: Tercius Bufete

Alexa has basically become the operating system of the home, but you don’t actually need to buy an Amazon Echo to get in on the fun. The FABRIQ Bluetooth speaker has the full Alexa experience built in, and you can get it for just $40 today in three different colors, down from its usual $50.

Advertisement

The big downside here is that you have to press a button on FABRIQ to activate Alexa; you can’t wake it with your voice. But considering the Amazon Tap has the same limitation and costs $130, and the comparably priced Amazon Dot has a much quieter speaker, it’s tough to complain.

Perhaps the coolest feature though is the ability to connect up to 10 Fabriq speakers together over Wi-Fi for multi-room streaming, whether you’re playing audio over Bluetooth, or via a built-in Alexa music streaming app. That Sonos-like feature isn’t even available on the $180 Amazon Echo, so it’s a huge selling point.

Graphic: Tercius Bufete

Add two smart plugs to your smart home for a low $25. These plugs can work without a hub, and with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Microsoft Cortana for voice control. Better still, you can also schedule the plug to automatically switch on and off, which can be pretty eco-friendly.

Anker’s Eufy RoboVac line has been a hit with our readers (and with us!), to say the least, and some of the company’s latest models are down to the best prices we’ve seen today on Amazon.

The RoboVac 30 is the same size as the RoboVac 11s (which is to say, it’s very thin), but has stronger suction (1500Pa vs. 1300, and for comparison, the old RoboVac 10 only had 400), and includes guide strips that you can lay down anywhere in your home (like in front of cords on the ground) to warn the vacuum to steer clear.

Advertisement

It launched last summer $270, but this one-day deal brings it down to just $180, $20 off the best price we’ve ever seen.

Additionally, Amazon’s dropping the price on the RoboVac L70 Hybrid, their latest model. The big draw here is its ability to mop floors. This is the first discount we’ve seen on this $550 model. And just like the RoboVac 30, this price is only available today as part of Amazon Gold Box, meaning it’s only available today, or until sold out.

Graphic: Tercius Bufete

Save $50 on this Zinus 12-Inch memory foam mattress. With four layers of foam, this queen-sized, bed-in-a-box promises a better night’s sleep. This $230 price is one of the the lowest we’ve seen on year on this particular unit.

Advertisement

Just a heads up, this mattress will take 48 to 72 hours, to expand. So if you have a small apartment, it might be a little tricky since it won’t be ready on day one.

Graphic: Tercius Bufete

Right now, you can save big on this ZWILLING J.A. Henckels Steak Knife Set. The set includes 8 steak knives and a wooden box to store them in. Normally selling for $80, this current price is a bargain and $10 off the lowest price we’ve ever seen.

Graphic: Tercius Bufete

Run over to Woot to find a great deals on Men’s and Women’s Mizuno running shoes. These outdoor-ready, rubber sole sneakers are ready to help you achieve your running/fitness goals this summer.

These are the best prices we’ve seen in over a year. Be sure to pick up a pair quickly, before these prices are kicked to the curb.

Graphic: Chelsea Stone

It’s that time of year. Nordstrom’s Anniversary Sale—the biggest of just three big sales put on annually by the department store—has arrived, and so have all the deals you’ve been waiting for on a range of designer goods for men, women, and kids.

Advertisement

Load up on all the newest clothes, shoes, accessories, home goods, and beauty products for fall from your favorite brands, including Nike, Cole Haan, Madewell, The North Face, Patagonia, Topshop, and much more. There’s certainly a lot to sort through, which you should plan on doing ASAP; the best stuff always sells out first, after all.

Graphic: Chelsea Stone

Nordstrom Rack is firing up flash sales dedicated entirely to casual-cool brand Madewell’s men’s and women’s apparel (including plus sizes) and shoes. My own wardrobe is so filled with Madewell apparel that I am essentially a walking Madewell advertisement when I get dressed every day (but this is not an ad, I just really, really love Madewell), so trust me when I say that now’s your chance to buy scores of quality, stylish stuff that’s more than half-off its usual price.

Advertisement

A few of my favorite things on sale? A transitional fall sweater, this feminine peasant top; a versatile black jumpsuit; a wool-blend, leopard-print dress that’s ideal for fall and winter, the perfect guys’ henley, plus a lot of great jeans and tees. Please, for the love of God, hurry over to this sale; the best items are already selling out.

Graphic: Tercius Bufete

It’s Sunday which means Amazon’s running a sale on Kindle eBooks. This time around, you get to pick from over a dozen digital copies of bestsellers including The Hideaway, Calypso, Every Breath, Long Road to Mercy and more with prices starting at $1. I’ve included a few notable titles below, but go to the main page to see all of the options.

$5

Calypso

242 bought by readers

GMG may get a commission

Buy now$2

The Hideaway

47 bought by readers

GMG may get a commission

Buy now$4

Every Breath

13 bought by readers

GMG may get a commission

Buy now

Graphic: Shep McAllister

<Drives through your wall and screeches to a halt>

The Fast & Furious 8-movie collection is down to $30 today, the best price ever. That includes all eight films, a dedicated Blu-ray disc full of special features, and even digital copies.

Graphic: Ana Luisa Suarez

That Amazon gift card offer on Prime Day just wasn’t enticing enough for you, was it? If you’ve never bought an Amazon gift card on Amazon’s website before, you’re in luck. Yes, those of us who’ve picked up Amazon gift cards at the grocery store weren’t being dumb. Right now, when you buy $50 worth of Amazon gift cards, you’ll get a $15 credit to your Amazon account. It does not need to be one $50 gift card, you can get five $10 gift cards, 10 $5 gift cards, two $25 gift cards... you get the point. The gift cards just need to add up to $50 and need to be purchased in the same order.

In order to get your credit, you’ll need to use the promo code 19GIFTCARD or you can hit “apply code to your account” on the terms page for this promotion. The $15 credit will be applied to your account two to three days after the gift card or e-gift is sent. You can choose to set up an e-gift card delivery for a later date, it just needs to be sent by December 22, 2019.

Screenshot: Amazon

If you like Monument Valley, and you like Nintendo, you should grab Captain Toad Treasure Tracker for the Switch. Unlike most first party Nintendo games, this one’s only priced at $40 MSRP, which is a steal on its own, but it’s down to just $30 today at Walmart and Amazon.

Graphic: Shep McAllister

Update: For the same price, you can get the standard PS4 Slim but with an extra controller. So whether you want to go with a fancy special edition, or go in a purely utilitarian approach—you’ve got options.

Advertisement

The limited edition, steel black Days of Play PS4 Slim has been hard to find in stock since it was released. Now, not only does Walmart have it in stock, they actually have it at a $50 discount. It doesn’t come with any bundled games, but it does come with an awesome looking matching controller.

Graphic: Tercius Bufete

If you’re tired of Catan, and want to try a new board game that’ll let you relive the greed, and horribleness of Transatlantic trade, here’s your chance. Right now, you can add Splendor to your board game collection for a low $19.

$19

Splendor

420 bought by readers

GMG may get a commission

Buy now

Tech

Home

Lifestyle

Media

Gaming

Deals You May Have Missed

Screenshot: Twitch

If you’re an Amazon Prime member, you’re entitled to become a Twitch Prime member at no extra cost. And if you’re a Twitch Prime member, you can add the legendary Jim Brown to your Madden 20 Ultimate Team for free.

Advertisement

Even if you don’t have the game yet, or aren’t sure if you’re going to buy it, you can still add Jim Brown to your EA account now, and he’ll be available to your team if and when you do get the game.

Screenshot: Amazon

Fire Emblem: Three Houses seems to be the new must-own Switch game (editor’s note: there are too many must-own Switch games!), and even though it’s only been out for a week, you can get it for $10 off on Amazon right now. Tissues not included.

If Amazon’s recent acquisition of eero didn’t scare you off the pioneer in mesh networking, eBay has a number of them on sale.

Advertisement

Get an eero and two beacons for $199 (an $200 discount), or for the largest and most densely constructed houses, three full eero routers for $299 (a $200 discount). To be clear, If you live in a one bedroom apartment, you don’t need any of these, but if you find that a single router doesn’t get you a reliable Wi-Fi signal in every part of your house, mesh systems like these are a godsend.

Graphic: Shep McAllister

If size trumps features in your hierarchy of TV needs, this 65" Sceptre 4K TV is a steal for just $380, one of the best prices we’ve seen for a TV of this size. It doesn’t have smart apps or HDR, but what it does have is four HDMI ports, which is more than you get in a lot of high end TV sets.

Graphic: Tercius Bufete

Harman Kardon makes a lot of terrific audio products, and right now you can get this Onyx Studio 4 Portable Bluetooth Speaker for just $100. This speaker offers up room-filling sound and will last up to 8 hours of playtime unplugged. This current price is $70 off its regular going rate.

Photo: Amazon

The trick to crispy pizza crusts is a hot oven. Like, 700 or 800 degrees; hotter than any conventional oven in your kitchen could ever reach. Failing that, a good pizza steel can get you most of the way there at less insane temperatures.

Advertisement

This highly rated model from Fox Run is made from carbon steel, and includes holes along the bottom to encourage air circulation. It basically always sells for $15.45, but today on Amazon, it’s down under $14.

If you want to drink like Thor, you can get into his mindset when you wield Mjolnir. Now, we’re not talking the one that was forged in the heart of a dying star. This is a mini version of Thor’s hammer that you can use to crack open a beer. You can get an Avengers Bottle Openers, Thor’s Hammer in silver or bronze for $11 with the promo code KJBOPNR.

Advertisement

Using the same code, you can channel your inner Thanos with this Infinity Gauntlet bottle opener. 

Luggage gets all the attention, but if you ask me, the most important piece of travel gear you can own is a good toiletry kit. This one from Zero Grid is made from water-resistant ripstop nylon (which is just as important for keeping liquids in as it is keeping them out), and carries a 4.4 star review average. Get it for an all-time low $10 today with promo code 4XZWF9VL.

Your browser does not support HTML5 video tag.Click here to view original GIF

Love Alexa, and wish you could take her with you on your commute? Anker’s running the best deal ever on their hands-free, Alexa-enabled car charger today after you clip the $10 coupon and add promo code VAVALPE4.

You can check out my full impressions here, but the Roav VIVA from Anker does an admirable job of providing hands-free Alexa access while you’re driving, including turn-by-turn directions, your daily briefing, and even third party Alexa apps like Jeopardy. As befitting an Anker product, it’s also a dual port car charger, albeit an awkwardly designed one.

Graphic: Tercius Bufete

Get your shit together. Get it all together. All your shit. So it’s together... in these discounted eBags packing cubes. Choose from Peony or Aquamarine colors, but really, it doesn’t matter which you get since... well, they’re packing cubes. They’ll be inside your bag.

Advertisement

These are the lowest prices we’ve seen on these particular cubes. So get yours, and go away. (Like on vacation.)

Qi stands > Qi pads in almost every situation. This is not an opinion, and it’s not a debate. Anker’s highly rated PowerWave Qi stand is one of the most popular ones out there, and it’s down to $13 today after you clip the 10% coupon and add promo code AKA252401 at checkout. That’s good for the best price ever.

Advertisement

Just note that while this stand does support 10W charging for compatible Android phones, it doesn’t support 7.5W charging for iPhones; they’ll be limited to 5W.

Graphic: Shep McAllister

AirPower is officially dead, but this charging pad from Seneo looks like something that could have come out of Cupertino.

Advertisement

On one side of the sleek pad, you get a Qi charging pad capable of 7.5W iPhone charging, the fastest Apple supports (if you pair it with a Quick Charge wall adapter, not included). On the other, you’ll find a sleek passthrough slot and dock for your Apple Watch charger that props it up in nightstand mode.

Just use promo code FXP8HBAU at checkout to get it for $20, which would be a great price for a 7.5W Qi pad, even without the Apple Watch stand.

Graphic: Shep McAllister

The old 10.5" iPad Pro didn’t die; it was reincarnated as the second coming of the iPad Air. Offering iPad Pro-like performance in a form factor that some may prefer (if you’re loathe to give up TouchID, anyway), it’s Apple’s new Goldilocks iPad.

While we’ve seen bigger discounts on the latest iPad Pros, today’s $50 discount on every size and configuration is the best deal we’ve seen on this model to date. The savings are even available on the cellular models.

And if you missed it a few weeks ago, Apple’s official smart keyboard for this tablet is also half off.

Until very recently, USB-C Power Delivery battery packs were exclusively large. Like 20,000mAh or more, and a few pounds to boot. But if you don’t need that much power for a few hours on a plane, this pack from Xcentz is a svelte 5,000mAh, and only $11 today with promo code XCENTZ215.

Advertisement

To be clear, its USB-C PD port only outputs 18W, not the 30W or even 45W we’ve seen on larger packs. But I used a (10,000mAh) sample they sent with my Nintendo Switch on a flight recently, and it was fast enough to increase the charge level on my Nintendo Switch while playing Breath of the Wild, albeit not very quickly. It’ll also charge an iPhone at the maximum possible speed if you pair it with a USB-C to Lightning cable like this one.

Photo: Bizzy

If you like cold brew coffee, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of Bizzy, Amazon’s #1 seller of cold brew beans, concentrates, and ready-to-drink coffee. They sent me some to try out recently, and it was incredibly smooth and tasty. In fact, I readily admit that I enjoyed it more than my typical Amazon Fresh DIY cold brew.

Now, they’re giving our readers 15% off anything on their Amazon storefront (fulfilled by Amazon) with promo code BZYGIZMO. I just bought two bottles of Bizzy concentrate for just $16 with the code and a 5% Subscribe & Save discount, which works out to just $.50 per cup if you follow Bizzy’s suggested ratios. That’s about the same cost as my cheapo DIY solution, and it’s tastier while not requiring me to wash any dishes afterwards. Everybody wins!

Advertisement

If you prefer to have a little more control over your coffee, the code will also work on Bizzy beans (both whole and coarse ground) in a variety of roasts.

Photo: Sunday Scaries

Our readers have bought truckloads of Sunday Scaries CBD gummies, but today, you can save on their newest creation: Unicorn Jerky CBD Candy.

Advertisement

Each piece of Unicorn Jerky contains 10mg of calming CBD oil, the same as their gummies. At a starting price of $19 for a pack of 10 though (or $17 with promo code gizmodo10), it’s a less expensive way to get started.

The best part though? A dollar of every purchase goes towards The Trevor Project, which created and still operates the first national youth suicide hotline.

In a very short amount of time, Anker’s first foray into the dash cam market has spawned an entire line of products, and one of the company’s top-selling dash cams just got one of its best discounts ever.

Advertisement

The Roav DashCam A1 is mostly a spec-for-spec match for the original C1, though it operates in a slightly wider temperature range, and is designed more like a traditional action cam than a purpose-built dash cam. That makes it a little less sleek on your windshield, but allows you to tilt it left and right, rather than just up and down. It’s really a matter of personal preference, but any dash cam with Wi-Fi and Anker’s level of customer service for $43 (after clipping the $5 coupon and using code ROAV2242) is worth checking out, if you ask me. It normally sells for $56, so its list price already represents a significant discount, even before the coupon.

Photo: Olivers

Olivers makes some of our favorite men’s activewear that doesn’t necessarily look like activewear, and now you can remake your entire wardrobe (relatively) cheaply with their limited time Mystery Box promotion.

Advertisement

Available until 8/7, or until sold out, you can either spend $150 to get a box with $300 worth of Olivers gear, or $275 to get a box worth $600. You do get to pick your size, but you don’t get to pick the colors or contents of the box. You do, however, know that it will include some combination of the following:

It’s all good stuff, and you’ll never get it for this cheap by any other means! It’s not eligible for returns or exchanges, however, so you’ll have to decide if it’s worth the risk.

Image: Ulta

Whether there’s a new product you’ve been dying to try or you just ran out of your go-to cosmetics, there’s somehow always a good reason to buy more makeup—and today’s the day to do it. For one day only, Ulta is taking $10 off your makeup purchase (yes, any makeup) as long as you spend at least $35. Just use promo code MAKEUP10 to apply the discount to your Ulta haul and take advantage of this stunning offer.

Image: Forever 21

Forever 21 is already known for stylish, yet inexpensive clothes, but today, the brand is slashing prices even further by taking an extra 50% off sale items. Right now, select styles of sweaters, activewear, skirts, dresses and more are marked way down with promo code BYEBYE50—which means a good portion of the stock is under $10.

Advertisement

That’s not the only deal that Forever 21 has going on right now. If the sale rack isn’t calling your name, you can also get 30% off a regular price purchase of $40 or more with the promo code FRESHCLASS. Plus, you can get free express shipping on orders of $75 or more with promo code EXPSHIP. Sadly, these promo codes cannot all be combined, but they give you a few shopping options.

Image: Backcountry

If you’re big into camping, you’ll want to pitch a tent at Backcountry’s sale on camping gear, happening today only. Outdoor adventurers can save an additional 20% on tons of gear, including sleeping bags, packs, tents, and apparel. Many of the items included in the promotion are specifically for cold weather, which means the camping fun doesn’t need to end come fall. So stock up now, and start setting your sights on that campsite.

Graphic: Shep McAllister

Everyone has trouble getting to sleep every once in awhile, so even if you don’t consider yourself a bad sleeper, it’s not a bad idea to keep some melatonin gummies stocked in your medicine cabinet. We’ve reviewed these gummies from Natrol, and you can grab a jar of 90 of them for just $7 today, down from the usual $10.

Pro-tip: they work wonders for sleeping on a plane, and are worth the purchase for that alone.

Graphic: Tercius Bufete

Right now, Amazon’s shaving price on the Gillette Fusion Power 8-blade refill pack. While this current price is buck or two off the lowest price we’ve ever seen, you’ll get a $5 coupon applied to your first Subscribe & Save order. This is a great opportunity to save on stuff you need to buy anyway.

Graphic: Tercius Bufete

HyperX makes a lot of terrific, reader favorite gaming accessories, and today, Amazon’s cutting the price on a bunch of them. Choose from console accessories and headsets starting at $15. While these are mainly geared towards gamers, the headsets especially can improve your comfort and efficiency at work as well.

Advertisement

The HyperX CloudX headset is an especially terrific buy at $50. While it’s licensed for the Xbox, it can work on most gaming platforms and this current price matches the best we’ve ever seen.

Graphic: Chelsea Stone

There’s nothing like a cold treat on a hot day, and since many, many hot days are still on the way, you should start making your own homemade popsicles with this $8 set of ice pop molds. Let your creative juices flow as you create your own flavors (and avoid any unwanted artificial sugars or colors often added to traditional pops). Not to mention all the money you’ll save on ice cream this summer, and all the energy you’ll save from not chasing down the ice cream truck.

Graphic: Shep McAllister

Bissell makes everything from inexpensive basic vacuums, to the handy new Pet Stain Eraser handheld fabric cleaner, to Dyson-like cordless stick vacs, and you can save an extra 20% on all of it with eBay’s latest coupon.

Advertisement

Just use code JOYBISSELL at checkout to get 20% off orders of $25 or more from Bissell’s eBay storefront (maximum $50 discount). That means you can get a refurbished Pet Stain Eraser Deluxe for just $48, compared to buying it for $100 new on Amazon. Or a Bark Bath dog washing station for $64 brand new. Or a Bissell CrossWave vacuum/mop combo for $136 refurbished (compared to $270 new).

Those are just a few of our picks, but there’s a cleaning product for everyone in here, so it’s all worth a look.

Phillips’ insanely popular Wake-Up Light is here to change your life. Philips recently added a new high end model to the lineup, which means we’re starting to see some massive deals on the old top dog, the HF3520. Grab it right now on Amazon for $75, the best price they’ve ever listed.

Unlike an unsympathetic traditional alarm clock, the Philips Wake-Up Light eases you awake with a gradually-brightening light that simulates a natural sunrise, which is how humans are designed to wake up anyway. After the light gets you out of your REM cycle and ready to wake up, an audible alarm will finish the job at the time of your choosing. Plus, it also doubles as a very warm and pleasant reading light as you’re getting ready to go to sleep.

Graphic: Shep McAllister

With this set of five OXO Good Grips Pop Containers, the days of snacks going stale are no more. $40 is the best deal we’ve seen on this set since January, and it makes a great gift even if you don’t need it for yourself. They look a lot classier than chip clips, and you’re way less likely to lose them too.

Graphic: Chelsea Stone

I don’t really know why anyone would need 20 succulents, especially since I struggle to keep just one alive, but if you’re thumb is feeling extra green today, use it to buy this collection of 20 succulents from Amazon for just $26. You could fill every window sill in your home with a succulent, or just have extras on hand when you inevitably kill a few of them.

Graphic: Shep McAllister

Do you use paper towels? Laundry detergent? Ziploc bags? Assuming the answer is yes, you stand to save money from this limited time Amazon promotion. Just spend $50 on household essentials on this page, and you’ll get $15 off at checkout. Just make sure they’re all shipped and sold by Amazon.com directly to be eligible.

Advertisement

It’s similar to this Target promotion from earlier in the week, but it’s actually better since it’s a cash discount, rather than a gift card.

Graphic: Chelsea Stone

Backcountry’s biggest sale of the summer is on. Head over to the retailer’s Semi Annual Sale, since now’s your chance to save up to 50% on a wide range of gear and apparel for men, women, and kids. A bunch of your favorite brands are up for grabs, including Patagonia, Marmot, Columbia, prAna, Arc’teryx, and more, so be sure to stock up for any remaining summer adventures you’ll be embarking on—or any future fall and winter excursions. And just a heads up: Though this sale will last for the entire month of August, the most coveted items are sure to sell out quickly.

Graphic: Chelsea Stone

Nike is one of the most desirable workout-wear brands, though quality gear often comes at a price. But thanks to a deal Nike’s running through August 14, don’t sweat the cost of a new Nike wardrobe. Now, take $30 off orders of $150 or more with promo code PLAY30, and treat yourself to a new pair of cool sneakers, or just some new athletic apparel to make hitting the gym that much more exciting.

Graphic: Chelsea Stone

Zappos is kicking off August by discounting over 1,700 items from Nike—and it’s not just shoes. Tons of shorts, tees, sports bras, tanks, and more are on sale, along with loads of sneakers and sandals you’ll need this season. So run over to the retailer to take advantage of this sale now with promo code NIKESALE19; it will only last through Saturday.

Graphic: Chelsea Stone

A new season means it’s a good time time to upgrade your watches, bags, and other accessories, since all the past season stock is primed to go on sale. Fossil, a brand that’s had your back since practically the Jurassic Period, is coming through with a deal you’ll dig. Take an extra 30% off the retailer’s clearance items for men and women at Fossil’s End-of-Season Sale with promo code SUMMER, and score a set of deeply discounted styles that will never go extinct, trend-wise.

It’s an axe. It’s a saw. It’s cheaper than ever.

Off Grid Tools’ Survival Axe incorporates a 6" fold-out saw blade, a hammer head, hex sockets, a window breaker, a seatbelt cutter, and naturally, a bottle opener, all into one tool that looks like a prop from your favorite action movie. Today’s deal is the best we’ve ever seen, so grab one before they’re all chopped down.

Most coolers are designed to be carried maybe 10 minutes away from the trunk of your car, but Kawartha’s Cooler Bag is just what you need to carry some beers and snacks deep into the woods on your next hike.

The Cooler Bag is actually a dry bag with a removable, insulated insert that can hold ice and food. Our resident outdoorsman Zach has been using it for awhile, and has nothing but good things to say:

During my first test of this bag, I managed to pack in 18 already cold beers and a few frozen steaks, with ice filling in any remaining space. Packing this much does mean some of your goods won’t fit inside the cooler insert (a 12-pack alone easily will), but if you can still close the outer bag using the roll top, everything still stays pretty cold. So after a 7 hour drive to the trailhead, it was another 1.5 mile hike into camp. Though there’s no convenient way to take that much weight into a secluded site, along with your own gear, this bag makes it bearable. Like a duffel, you can sling it over your shoulder, or carry it by the side handle, which is helpful in distributing the burden of your beer across different muscle groups.

For a limited time, you can use promo code KINJADB50 to get the whole setup for just $36 ($24 + $12 shipping, I know, I know), which would be a decent price for a good dry bag by itself, let alone one that can keep your drinks cold for hours.

Graphic: Tercius Bufete

Pandemic, one of the best co-op board games ever, has a fancy 10th Anniversary Edition and it’s just $65 on Drop.

Advertisement

This particular model comes with a custom metal case and is few bucks off the lowest price we’ve ever seen. It’s currently on Amazon for $15 more. Of course, the O.G., non-special edition Pandemic is just $25 and just as fun, but it’s certainly not as impressive looking.

Graphic: Shep McAllister

Clear out a corner of your garage, because this Arcarde1Up 3/4 sized arcade cabinet is down to $165. It’s billed as the Asteroids cabinet, but it also includes Lunar Lander, Major Havoc, and Tempest, no quarters required.

Graphic: Tercius Bufete

Just in time for back-to-school shopping, the Nintendo Switch Lite is now available for pre-order. Choose form the Gray, yellow, turquoise, and Pokemon Limited Edition models for $200.

The Nintendo Switch Lite differs from the standard model in a few ways:

• Smaller Screen
• Handheld Only, Non-Detachable Joy-Con, Longer Battery Life
• Costs $100 less

The handhelds will ship in a little more than a month on September 20.

Praise the charging gods, you can actually buy certified third party USB-C to Lightning cables now, which allow you to use USB-C PD chargers to fast-charge modern iPhones from 0% to 50% in under 30 minutes.

Advertisement

Anker was (naturally) one of the first out of the gate with the new cables, and now, you can save $4 on the 6' version. Use promo code ANPL2CL6 to get a 6' PowerLine II cable for just $16. That’s $3 less than Apple charges for the equivalent 3' cable, and Anker’s are more durable, and include a lifetime warranty if it does ever wear out.

Graphic: Tercius Bufete

If you’re planning on hitting the gym, or a long run this summer, these $100 V-MODA BassFit in-ear wireless headphones are down to one of their lowest prices ever.

Advertisement

With an 11 hour battery life and multiple customization options, these wireless headphones are the perfect companion when you want to tune out the world and just have a great work out session. Full disclosure, these headphones emphasize bass quite a bit, so that may not be everyone’s cup of tea.

Graphic: Shep McAllister

If you’re running low on laundry detergent, or hell, even if you aren’t, you might as well grab 64 loads worth of Tide Original HE for $9 (after clipping the $3 coupon), complete with Prime shipping.

Graphic: Shep McAllister

Mrs. Meyer’s plant-based soap is normally priced at a premium, but with today’s deal on Amazon, it’s priced just right. Get a 33 ounce tub of the basil-scented hand soap for just $5, or about $1 less than usual. It’ll last you a long time, but hopefully not too long. Wash your hands, is what I’m saying.

Photo: Felix (( ( ( (Unsplash)

Go take a look at your international travel bucket list, because there’s a pretty good chance one of those destinations is included in Emirates’ big sale.

Advertisement

The best way to sort through the best deals is to select your departure airport from the dropdown menu on this page (13 U.S. airports are included), leave the destination blank, and hit search. You’ll then see a list of the best economy and business class fares, and you can also drill down on the available inventory with the search tools to only see fares for certain months, or in certain price ranges.

The cheapest flight we saw was from JFK to Milan for $449 roundtrip, but as you’d expect from Emirates, there are also lots of options to far-flung destinations in the middle east, Asia, and Africa as well.

These fares are available (while supplies last, obviously) until August 6, so I suggest finding a cheap flight you want now, and figuring out the rest of your vacation details later.

Photo: Waves

How many sunglasses have you lost to a good time in the ocean or lake? The glasses fall off of your head and just sink to the bottom before you even get a chance to flail around and save them. Don’t worry about that issue anymore, you can now get off 50% off Floating Sunglasses from Waves when you use the promo code KINJAFS50. These Waves sunglasses have polarized lenses, 100% UVA + UVB protection, lightweight construction, and are made from an unsinkable plastic.

Photo: Waves Gear

Since once-in-1,000-year heatwaves now seem to occur over large parts of the country every other Thursday or so, you need a water bottle that can keep your drink ice cold all day long, even in brutally hot conditions.

Advertisement

Waves Gear’s Forever Cold has been a popular option for years, because its double walled stainless steel construction can keep cold drinks cold for 24 hours straight, while still feeling comfortable to the touch on the outside. It’s certainly not the only water bottle like this, but it’s one of the few that goes the extra mile by including a double walled stainless steel cap as well. The plastic lid included with most steel bottles is, thermodynamically speaking, basically a gaping hole allowing environmental heat into your cold drink, and in my experience, the metal cap really does make a difference.

For a limited time, you can grab a 25 ounce Forever Cold in the color of your choice for $17, or a 34 ounce for $20. Just use promo code KINJAFC50 at checkout to save 50%.

Graphic: Shep McAllister

A guy could build his entire wardrobe at Perry Ellis. They offer everything from tees to suits, and if it’s in their sale section today, it’s an extra 50% off at checkout, plus you can score free shipping with promo code FREESHIPPING. We’re talking $11 belts, $15 tees, $40 watches, so load up!

Image: Chelsea Stone

Summer is here, so get outside! But first, stock up on tons of apparel and gear from Eddie Bauer. Right now, the brand’s entire clearance section is an extra 60% off with promo code EARLYBIRD. Plenty of shirts, shorts, hats, shoes, and much more are up for grabs, and if you spend $25 or more, you’ll automatically get free shipping. Guaranteed, you’ll find anything you might need to enjoy the nice weather in style.

Anker, makers of everything, built a pretty decent, super affordable gaming mouse and right now you can get it for even cheaper. The promo code ZMHO9TI8 knocks $5 off the Anker Gaming Mouse’s usual $16 sale price.

Advertisement

It has an ergonomic shape, RGB lighting, and programmable, super clicky buttons. For $11, you could do worse... a lot worse.

For everyone who already has a gaming mouse: This can be a solid backup or your travel one. For everyone who uses a Magic Mouse for work: Stop and buy this.

Graphic: Ana Luisa Suarez

Are you in need of a new backpack for hiking or biking? Or maybe you just need one to carry all your crap to and from work? Instead of spending full price, you can snag some discounts thanks to Timbuk2's End of Season Sale. During the sale, backpacks, messengers, travel bags, and more are up to 50% off. You can get an additional 10% off your order when you use the promo code EXTRA10. Just a heads up, there are no returns or exchanges on items bought during this sale, everything is marked final sale.

Image: Soko Glam

If you’re looking for an entry point into the ever-widening world of K-beauty, look no further than Soko Glam’s 20% off sale on Neogen Dermalogy, a cult-favorite brand that’s created a slew of natural, effective products you definitely should try.

Advertisement

Included among the deals are Neogen’s Real Fresh Foam Cleanser, a must-try for combination and acne prone skin that gets rid of impurities without being too drying, in gentle Green Tea, anti-aging Blueberry, and glow-promoting Cereal. Also, on sale: Neogen Bio-Peel Gauze Peeling in Lemon, Green Tea, and Wine (yes, wine for your face), a pack of pre-soaked, exfoliating pads that aren’t too harsh; the great-for-on-the-go Real Fresh Green Tea Cleansing Stick; and the redness-fighting Real Cica Pad. Plus, all orders of $100+ will receive a free full-size gift, so really, you and your skin can’t go wrong with any of these Neogen buys. Just be sure to use the promo code LOVE NEOGEN at check out to score the savings.

Your browser does not support HTML5 video tag.Click here to view original GIFGIF: The Claw

The Claw claims to be the world’s smallest multitool, and there’s really no reason to doubt it. Roughly the same length as a penny, the little piece of titanium can open bottles and paint cans, turn screws, wedge open key rings, remove staples, and most critically of all, open up boxes that you ordered from Kinja Deals. Get it for $15 today (down from $30), no promo code required.

Nearly two years after Moose Designs showed off its totally unique workstation bag, the company is back with a new, improved, and larger version that can be worn as a backpack, carried as a briefcase, or slung over your shoulder as a messenger bag.

Made from a water-resistant, slash-proof material, the Moose Backpack includes the same office-in-a-bag side panels that, to my knowledge, haven’t really been replicated by other bag manufacturers since the original Moose. Inside though, you obviously have a lot more space for things like camera gear (you can add $29 to your pledge for camera bag insert), clothes, charging accessories, or small things like pens and pencils that you can keep in water-resistant, removable compartments that attach to the inside with Velcro.

Advertisement

At a Super Earlybird price of $169, it’s not a cheap bag, but again, there’s nothing else quite like it, and if you do a lot of work in public places like coffee shops or airports, it could scratch just the right itch.

Photo: Huckberry

Flint and Tinder, the folks behind our readers’ favorite hoodie, also make some pretty killer swim trunks, and you can grab them on sale right now from Huckberry.

Advertisement

With 12% spandex sewn into the quick-drying polyester, the Breaker Trunks offer a four way stretch that keeps them comfortable and flexible despite their tight-ish, flattering fit. When dry, they look enough like regular shorts to wear around town, which is more than you can say for 99% of the swim trunks out there.

Graphic: Chelsea Stone

CBD is said to help with myriad problems, from anxiety to insomnia, so why not give Sunday Scaries a try. Right now, our readers can save 15% on two of the Dynamic Duo, featuring two of the CBD brand’s most popular products: Sunday Scaries OG Gummy Bears and Vegan AF Gum Drops.

Each bear and gum drop contains 10mg of CBD, so you always know how much you’re taking; that’s perfect for beginners. And bonus: They taste good! A one-time purchase of this bundle will set you back just $60, while a subscription (which you can cancel at any time) is just $49. Just use promo code DYNAMIC15 to get the discount, and finally chill out.

Graphic: Shep McAllister

Our readers’ favorite VPN recently raised prices for the first time ever, and the company’s best-value (and Kinja Deals-exclusive) three-year plan is available for $99.

Advertisement

Three year plans aren’t available to the general public at all, but if you click this link, you can get three years for $99, which works out to just $2.75 per month. While shorter plan lengths are available, none come close to the per-month pricing of this three-year membership. For example, the publicly available two-year plan costs about $84, and a month-to-month plan will set you back $10 per month.

If you subscribe to the three-year plan today, you’ll be able to continue to renew it at the same price for the life of your subscription, so this is a great chance to lock in a terrific deal.

Firstleaf is an online wine club that learns your preferences, offers tons of great wines from around the world, and most importantly, saves you money compared to buying from the store.

Advertisement

Every new Firstleaf member gets an introductory delivery with six bottles of wine for just $40 with free shipping, and every box thereafter includes six bottles for $80, plus $10 shipping. But if you use this link when you sign up, you’ll get FREE shipping on every box for your entire first year. That’ll save you over $100 if you get a new box every month. At the very least, you should send Mom the trial box for less than $7 per bottle. I mean, why wouldn’t you?