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‘Candyman’s Nia DaCosta becomes first Black woman to direct a #1 movie

August 31, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Nia DaCosta accomplished a major career milestone when her supernatural slasher flick Candyman bowed at number one in theaters over the weekend — she became the first Black woman to debut a film at number one at the domestic box office with a $22.4 million opening.

Deadline reports that DaCosta, who directed the “spiritual sequel” of the first Candyman movie, which came out in 1992, also grossed the second-highest opening over a three-day period for a Black female director. Ava DuVernay‘s 2018 film A Wrinkle in Time holds the top honor, with a $33.1 million opening weekend.

DaCosta, 31, co-wrote Candyman alongside Jordan Peele and Win Rosenfeld. The 2021 reboot is the first in the horror franchise’s nearly 30-year history to feature an all-Black main cast. Candyman is the second film DaCosta’s directed, behind her 2018 debut, Little Woods.

Now, DaCosta is onto her next big project — the Captain Marvel sequel, The Marvels, which is due out November 11, 2022.

Candyman — which stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Teyonah Parris and Colman Domingo — is in theaters now.

The Police’s Andy Summers says he’s writing a “weird but commercial” screenplay

August 31, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Andy Summers released his first book of fiction, Fretted and Moaning: Short Stories, earlier this month, but the Police guitarist already is working on another writing project.

“I came up with this crazy idea…I’m in the middle of a screenplay now,” Summers tells ABC Audio. “It’s weird, but it’s also commercial. I think it can have legs. I’m working on it…trying. You know, we’ll see where it all goes.”

While he thinks his film idea has a lot of potential, the 78-year-old Rock & Roll Hall of Famer says he realizes that it may be a challenge to get the project produced.

“I mean, to get anything made in life…a record, a song recorded, a film, a book, it’s incredibly difficult, ’cause generally you’re dealing with people in the business who don’t get it,” he maintains. “They always want it to be like something else, or they go, ‘Well, it’s this. It’s one of these things.’ But no, it’s not. It’s original.”

Summers says working on the screenplay has been similar to writing his short-stories collection in that he’ll often reach a point where he runs out of ideas.

Andy explains that when he hits that point, “[Y]ou go and do something else…make a fried egg in your kitchen or something, [and then suddenly a new idea]…just like appears. You have to trust that process that…the neurons are doing something up there that you don’t know about. And it suddenly just springs out.”

Fretted and Moaning can be ordered now at AndySummersBook.com. Summers also is preparing to release a new instrumental solo album called Harmonics of the Night in October.

‘Candyman’s Nia DaCosta becomes first Black woman to direct a no. 1 movie

August 31, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Nia DaCosta accomplished a major career milestone when her supernatural slasher Candyman bowed at number one in theaters over the weekend — she became the first Black woman to debut a film at number one at the domestic box office.

Candyman crushed the weekend box office with a $22.4 million opening.

Deadline reports that DaCosta, who directed the “spiritual sequel” of the first Candyman movie — which came out in 1992 — also grossed the second-highest opening over a three-day period for a Black female director. Ava DuVernay‘s 2018 film A Wrinkle in Time holds the top honor with a $33.1 million opening weekend.

DaCosta, 31, co-wrote Candyman alongside Jordan Peele and Win Rosenfeld. The 2021 reboot is the first in the horror franchise’s nearly 30-year history to feature an all-Black main cast.

Candyman is the second film she’s directed, behind her 2018 debut Little Woods.

Now, DaCosta is onto her next big project — the Captain Marvel sequel, The Marvels, which is due out November 11, 2022.

Candyman — which stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Teyonah Parris and Colman Domingo — is in theaters now.

Add These Foods To Your Diet To Avoid Alzheimer’s!

August 31, 2021 by John Tesh

Here’s some great news: Alzheimer’s is an illness that can be avoided by making lifestyle changes! And the earlier we start, the better. That’s according to Dr. Richard Isaacson, director of the Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic at Cornell University Medical College.

In fact, Dr. Isaacson says that anyone under 40 can practically guarantee a dementia-free old age by staying mentally and physically active, reducing their stress, and making these dietary changes:

#1: Cut out processed foods. Every time we eat something that spikes blood glucose levels – like fast food and refined carbs – our hippocampus takes a hit. And that’s a big deal because that’s the area of the brain responsible for memory and spatial navigation.

This next tip cuts the risk of dementia by 35%: Fill half your plate with vegetables – especially dark, leafy greens. Because studies show a vegetable-rich diet prevents the inflammation that’s associated with cognitive decline.

Another anti-Alzheimer’s tip: Eat cold-water fish twice a week. It boosts blood flow to the brain, and reduces plaque buildup, a top cause of Alzheimer’s.

Finally: Dr. Isaacson says we should eat berries 3 times a week, and enjoying a square of dark chocolate every day. In studies, doing that delayed cognitive decline in seniors. It’s down to the flavonoids in chocolate and berries that keep brain cells functioning normally.

How To Stop Your Relationship Fights

August 31, 2021 by John Tesh

Those little fights and squabbles you have with your spouse add up… and break down your relationship. That’s according to relationship therapist Ester Perel. She says, recurring jabs for, say, not doing the dishes, or mini-arguments about things like your work hours, can create a tear in your bond that grows over time. Perel calls bickering “low-impact warfare.” Because couples who bicker all the time can stay together a long time, because they’re not having giant, blow-up screaming matches. But after a while, that tear in the fabric of the relationship gets so big it can’t be repaired. So why do couples do it?

First, they have a negativity bias. So instead of seeing what their partner does RIGHT, they’re hyper-aware of everything they do wrong.

Also, the person who picks on their partner may do it because, deep-down, they feel they care more about the relationship than their partner does.

Plus, when people are feeling vulnerable, they may go on the attack to mask it. Because anger is easier to express than hurt.

So Perel tells her clients to keep a log of things their partners do RIGHT on a weekly basis, things that make them feel cared about. Because seeing how much your partner does for you can help change your thinking.

Your Dog Is A Great Judge Of Character!

August 31, 2021 by John Tesh

Wouldn’t it be great to know which people are untrustworthy and mean? Well, DOGS have that innate instinct! According to the journal Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, scientists have a better understanding of how dogs sense characteristics like meanness and trustworthiness.

Basically, scientists staged a bunch of scenarios where dogs witnessed volunteers either being helpful – like, helping a stranger open a jar – or totally UNhelpful. Then, the same volunteers offered dogs a treat.

Time and time again, dogs were significantly more likely to ACCEPT the treat if it was being offered by a volunteer who had been helpful! But if dogs saw people being unhelpful, they usually IGNORED the treats – and refused to interact with the volunteers in any way!

Researchers say this proves dogs have incredible perception when it comes to kindness and trustworthiness. So, if your dog doesn’t like someone, you may want to take their word – or instinct – for it!

The Rolling Stones post video tribute to Charlie Watts

August 30, 2021 by WDNY Radio

The Rolling Stones have posted a video montage on their social media sites paying tribute to their longtime drummer, Charlie Watts, who died Tuesday, August 24, at age 80.

The two-minute clip, which is soundtracked to the 1973 Stones song “If You Can’t Rock Me,” features a variety of archival photos and film and video segments from throughout Watts’ long career with the band.

The homage also includes a clip of an interview with Charlie in which he recalls what he thought when he was asked to join The Stones.

“[T]hey talked in terms of a band, a commitment in other words,” Watts said. “[I thought,] ‘Oh, this will go on for a year, and next year fold up.'”

The video also features a clip of Mick Jagger introducing Watts to the audience as “the Wembley whammer” during a show at London’s Wembley Stadium. The tribute ends with a photo that Keith Richards posted on his own social media pages after Charlie’s death, showing a photo of Watts’ drum kit and a sign hanging from it that reads, “Closed — Please Call Again.”

All three surviving current Stones members — Jagger, Richards and Ronnie Wood — posted photographic tributes to Watts following his passing. Ex-Stones bassist Bill Wyman posted his own homage to his former band mate on his official website that reads, “Charlie, you were like a brother to me. In the band and in life. Rest in peace.”

As previously reported, The Stones are planning to move forward with their 2021 U.S. tour with veteran session drummer Steve Jordan standing in for Watts, which was arranged prior to Watts’ passing. The trek kicks off September 26 in St. Louis.

pic.twitter.com/K6OKExXBED

— The Rolling Stones (@RollingStones) August 27, 2021

Swizz Beatz brings the R&B/hip-hop flava to the new ‘Queens’ TV series

August 30, 2021 by WDNY Radio

After writing and producing hits for a who’s who of hip-hop and R&B artists, including his wife, Alicia Keys, Beyoncé and Jay-Z, Swizz Beatz says he loved working as executive music producer of Queens, a new ABC TV series about four women in their 40s attempting to live their careers as ’90s music stars.

The show stars Brandy, Eve, Naturi Naughton and actress Nadine Velazquez. Swizz, who wrote and produced Eve’s 1999 top-10 single “Gotta Man,” says he loved reuniting with her on the project.

“Eve is my sister,” the Grammy winner tells Billboard. “So the idea of being able to sonically revisit the ’90s where we started and create a strong sound was a win-win.”

Swizz Beatz began working on the music for the show six months ago with six writers, focusing on music with a ’90s theme.

“You definitely have to catch your flow and move like clockwork,” says Swizz of working on the project.

The 42-year-old rapper/writer/producer created the Verzuz battles with Timbaland, and he says their success shows how the wide appeal of music from the ’90s is.

“A lot of people like to put an age limit on our culture’s music; if you’re 30, you’re old and it’s over,” Swizz says. “This is while many non-African American acts are still making albums and doing tours. Verzuz has shown that it’s not about age. That great, timeless music is about what you bring as a creative — and the access you have to get out in front of people’s faces.”

Queens will premiere Tuesday, October 19, at 10 p.m. ET on ABC.

“Nah WE tweakin”: Lil Nas X hangs with skateboarder Tony Hawk after viral post

August 30, 2021 by WDNY Radio

After going viral for his comments about pro skateboarder Tony Hawk‘s blood-infused skateboard, Lil Nas X is showing there’s no hard feelings between the two.

In a post on social media Monday, Lil Nas shared photos of him posing with Hawk and holding the limited-edition board. He also shared a TikTok video where he’s seemingly about to perform some skateboarding tricks on the half pipe. But before he begins, the clip does a quick edit so that it’s Hawk who’s actually performing the stunts.

As for where the initial drama started, after Lil Nas caught wind that Hawk was releasing the blood board, he compared the public’s reaction to his own release of the infamous Satan Shoes, which contained a drop of human blood.

“Now that tony hawk has released skateboards with his blood painted on them, and there was no public outrage, are y’all ready to admit y’all were never actually upset over the blood in the shoes? and maybe u were mad for some other reason?” he tweeted last week.

Lil Nas also replied to a post about Hawk on Instagram, writing, “nah he tweakin” — which in turn blew up on social media.

In reference to that, Lil Nas captioned his new posts with Hawk, “nah WE tweakin.”

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The late Pop Smoke and Smokey Robinson to be honored at the annual Songs of Hope gala

August 30, 2021 by WDNY Radio

A late hip-hop star, and a Motown icon, will be recognized at this year’s Songs of Hope virtual gala.

Pop Smoke, who died at the age of 20 from gunshot wounds in a home invasion in 2020, will be honored with the Voice of Hope award, according to Variety. In July, Faith became his second posthumous #1 album on the Billboard 200 chart. The five-time Billboard Music Award winner is also featured on “Tell the Vision” on Kanye West‘s new Donda album.

Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Smokey Robinson will receive the Clive Davis Legend in Songwriting award. Jimmy Jam will co-host the event, which will stream September 30 at 6:30 p.m. PT.

The Songs of Hope gala was canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic. In 2019, The-Dream received the Warner Chappell Music Beacon of Excellence award. SZA was honored with the inaugural She is the Music award in 2018.

The Songs of Hope gala raises money for the City of Hope’s mission to eliminate cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases.

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