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The Most Brutal Parts of ‘Creed III’ Are Outside the Boxing Ring

This is a preview of our pop culture newsletter The Daily Beast’s Obsessed, written by editor Kevin Fallon. To receive the full newsletter in your inbox each week, this week. (Watch it here.)

Season 1 of the musical comedy starred Cecily Strong and Keegan-Michael Key as a couple who stumble upon a fantasy town in which all the residents act as if they’re in a classic Hollywood musical. The likes of Kristin Chenoweth, Alan Cumming, Ariana DeBose, and Aaron Tveit played characters inspired by Oklahoma!, The Music Man, and, of course, Brigadoon, complete with original music and big production numbers that pay homage to those shows.

Season 2 will take place in a new world called “Schmicago,” where everyone seems trapped in the edgier era of musicals from the ’60s and ’70s. To celebrate the trailer, as we wait with giddy anticipation for the premiere in April, here’s a running list of every time I shrieked, clapped, and cheered with glee while watching it:

First, there were the sound effects of medical equipment being used in the intro to recreate the opening pops and squishes from Chicago’s “Cell Block Tango.”

Then, there was this exchange from the leads lamenting that they couldn’t return to Schmigadoon. Key: “Maybe it’s one of those places you only go once and never return.” Strong: “Oh, like SoulCycle.”

Then came the parade of theater vets spoofing iconic Broadway characters, songs, and shows: The Pippin hands when Titus Burgess’ character is introduced, along with the “at one point, a lot of musicals had narrators” line. Dove Cameron sporting a Sally Bowles/Velma Kelly bob. The Sweet Charity “Big Spender” reference. Shots of Cumming and Chenoweth doing Mrs. Lovett and the demon barber from Sweeney Todd! DeBose doing the Emcee from Cabaret! Strong doing the Chorus Line headshots reveal!

I just about lost it when my beloved Tveit shouted, “Who wants to get naked?” in the Hair homage, followed quickly by footage of Jane Krakowski doing her version of Billy Flynn from Chicago, which is just about the best casting I’ve ever seen. Her splits on the jury box alone!

Please join me in watching this teaser once an hour until the new season premieres on April 5.

Posting This Just Because

It should be fairly obvious the level of disgust and outrage that I—a rational and compassionate human being and not a putrid monster with all the enlightenment and class of a sentient porta-potty—feel over the spate of drag ban and anti-trans legislation sweeping the country.

So here is what RuPaul had to say about it:

“Hey, look over there! A classic distraction technique, distracting us away from the real issues that they were voted into office to focus on: jobs, healthcare, keeping our children safe from harm at their own school. But we know that bullies are incompetent at solving real issues. They look for easy targets so they can give the impression of being effective. They think our love, our light, our laughter and our joy are signs of weakness. But they’re wrong because that is our strength… Drag queens are the Marines of the queer movement… Don’t get it twisted and don’t be distracted. Register to vote so we can get these stunt queens out of office and put some smart people with real solutions into government.”

Here’s a link, too, that you might want to click on.

Just Cancel the Oscars at This Point

Todd Phillips and Joaquin Phoenix, you will pay for your crimes.

What to watch this week:

Ted Lasso: Just let yourself enjoy a nice thing. (Wed. on Apple TV+)

The Oscars: I haven’t spent the last four months never sleeping and constantly working just for you not to watch the Oscars. (Sun. on ABC)

You: The final twist in the new season finale still has me laughing. (Now on Netflix)

What to skip this week:

Scream VI: I don’t need a movie to remind me that the New York subway is a horror show. (Now in theaters)

Champions: An impressive new level of schmaltz discovered! (Now in theaters)

Newsletter

March 2023
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