Latest news with #Can'tStop
Toronto Sun
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Toronto Sun
Diddy's ex says he was violent, forced sex encounter before 2024 public apology
Published Jun 09, 2025 • 4 minute read FILE - Sean "Diddy" Combs appears at the premiere of "Can't Stop, Won't Stop: A Bad Boy Story" on June 21, 2017, in Beverly Hills, Calif. Photo by Chris Pizzello / Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account NEW YORK — Sean 'Diddy' Combs forced his ex-girlfriend to have a 'freak-off'-style sexual encounter with a male sex worker last year after chasing her around her California home, putting her in a chokehold, punching her in the face and kicking down doors, the woman testified Monday. Testifying for a third day under the pseudonym 'Jane,' the woman said Combs erupted after she accused him of cheating on her. After beating her, Jane said, Combs invited a sex worker over, gave her an ecstasy pill and told her: 'You're not going to ruin my night like this.' Jane, whose injuries included a black eye and welts on her forehead, said she'd planned June 18, 2024, as as a romantic night with Combs, but now remembers it 'a very terrible day.' Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. It's also one of the more recent examples of Combs acting violently toward a woman while seeking to fulfil his sexual desires – happening amid the federal investigation that led to his arrest last September. Combs has pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking and racketeering charges that could put him in prison for life. As Jane left the witness stand Monday, she told jurors: 'I just pray for his continued healing.' The couple broke up after Combs' arrest, but she said he still pays her rent. Read More Just a few weeks after Jane alleges Combs beat her, he publicly stated that he was 'committed to being a better man every day' after video leaked of him attacking his former longtime girlfriend Cassie, the R&B singer whose real name is Casandra Ventura, at a Los Angeles hotel in 2016. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Associated Press doesn't name alleged victims of sexual abuse without their consent unless they have shared their identities publicly, as Cassie has. Jane's testimony is expected to fill the bulk of the trial's fifth week, as prosecutors move closer to the end of their presentation before the defence gets its turn. Jane, who faces questioning Tuesday from Combs' lawyers, said the rapper and entrepreneur followed her to a bathroom and kicked the door 'literally off the hinges' after she shoved his head into a countertop, hurled glasses and candles at him and screamed, 'I hate you.' After moving to a locked closet, Jane said she tried to run away, but Combs kicked her in the thigh and knocked her to the ground. He then lifted her up by the neck and put her in a chokehold, she said, telling jurors: 'I couldn't breathe.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Jane said she then ran about six blocks and hid behind a wall for what she estimated was about two hours. When she figured things had calmed down, she said, she walked back to the home — but Combs was still around, walking toward her in the street. Jane said she retreated to a guest bedroom and then ran into the backyard, curling into a ball on the ground as she implored Combs to leave. He refused, she said, and 'started punching my head, he started kicking me.' Eventually, she said, 'he grabs me by my arm or my hair and starts dragging me back to the house.' RECOMMENDED VIDEO Combs then followed her to the shower, she said, and smacked her in the face so hard she lost her balance and fell to the floor. Jane said she was exhausted, but Combs insisted on inviting over a male sex worker and told her to put some makeup on and adjust her hair to hide her injuries. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'I don't want to, I don't want to,' Jane recalled saying, to which she said Combs forcefully replied: 'Then is this coercion?' Also Monday, Jane said she told Combs that she cried for three days and felt nauseated after reading Cassie's November 2023 lawsuit against him, which described having hundreds of drug-fueled 'freak-off' sex marathons with Combs and male sex workers. Jane, who referred to similar encounters with Combs as 'debauchery' and 'hotel nights,' said she felt like she was 'reading my own sexual trauma' as she read the lawsuit, which Combs settled within a day for $20 million. She said it followed her experience with the Bad Boy Records founder 'word for word, exactly my experience.' Cassie dated Combs for more than a decade and testified that she engaged in weekly 'freak-offs,' many lasting several for days. She said Combs often watched or filmed the sessions. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Jane read aloud for the jury hundreds of text messages, including some in which she complained that Combs seemed to be forcing her into sex marathons by threatening to take away her home. She pleaded with him to recognize the damage the encounters were doing, writing: 'I am not an animal.' EDITOR'S NOTE: This story includes discussion of sexual violence. If you or someone you know needs help, please call 1-800-656-4673 in the U.S. Love concerts, but can't make it to the venue? Stream live shows and events from your couch with VEEPS, a music-first streaming service now operating in Canada. Click here for an introductory offer of 30% off. Explore upcoming concerts and the extensive archive of past performances! Toronto Blue Jays Olympics Columnists Ontario Canada
New York Post
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
What do tickets cost to see Dave Matthews Band live in 2025?
Vivid Seats is the New York Post's official ticketing partner. We may receive revenue from this partnership for sharing this content and/or when you make a purchase. Featured pricing is subject to change. Dave Matthews Band 'Can't Stop.' Fresh off a two-night stint headlining at Brazil's Best of Blues and Rock Festival, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers have returned stateside. Starting June 11, the 'Ants Marching' rockers resume their summer 2025 tour that will send them to stadiums, arenas, amphitheaters, performing arts centers and pavilions all over North America from June through August. Advertisement That includes a trio of New York and New Jersey stops. First up, the roots-y jam band extraordinaires are slated to pop into Long Island's Jones Beach Theater on Wednesday, June 11. After that, Dave and co. 'march' into Saratoga Springs for a pair of shows at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center on Friday, July 18 and Saturday, July 19. Finally, they'll wrap the NY/NJ portion of their trek Camden, NJ's Freedom Mortgage Pavilion on Friday, July 25 and Saturday, July 26. Per usual, the band likes to keep 'Daveheads' on their toes and mix things up at all shows. Based on our findings at Set List FM, their recent cover-heavy gig at New Jersey's PNC Bank Arts Center was completely different from their Maryland Merriweather Post Pavilion show. There's no constant either; some audiences will get 'Ants Marching' while others are treated to 'Crash Into Me.' Advertisement Sound exciting? If you want to see Dave Matthews Band live at one of their remaining summer gigs, tickets are available for all upcoming shows. At the time of publication, the lowest price we could find on seats for any one show was $28 including fees on Vivid Seats. Other single shows have tickets starting anywhere from $41 to $190.84 including fees. Advertisement For more information, our team has everything you need to know and more about Dave Matthews Band's summer 2025 tour below. All prices listed above are subject to fluctuation. Dave Matthews Band tour schedule 2025 A complete calendar including all tour dates, venues and links to buy tickets can be found below. Dave Matthews Band tour dates Ticket prices start at June 11 at the Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, NY $41 (fees included) June 13 at the Riverbend Music Center in Cincinnati, OH $66.62 (fees included) June 14 at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in St. Louis, MO $83.33 (fees included) June 20 at the Credit One Stadium in Charleston, SC $94 (fees included) June 21 at the Credit One Stadium in Charleston, SC $112 (fees included) June 24 at the Coca-Cola Amphitheater in Birmingham, AL $140 (fees included) June 25 at the Ameris Bank Amphitheatre in Alpharetta, GA $98 (fees included) June 27-28 at the Huntington Bank Pavilion in Chicago, IL Two-day passes $171 (fees included) June 27 at the Huntington Bank Pavilion in Chicago, IL $87 (fees included) June 28 at the Huntington Bank Pavilion in Chicago, IL $87 (fees included) July 8 at the Budweiser Stage in Toronto, ON, CA $28 (fees included) July 9 at the Pine Knob Music Theatre in Clarkston, MI $70.89 (fees included) July 11-12 at the Ruoff Music Center in Noblesville, IN Two-day passes $170.51 (fees included) July 11 at the Ruoff Music Center in Noblesville, IN $83.13 (fees included) July 12 at the Ruoff Music Center in Noblesville, IN $81.20 (fees included) July 15 at the Allianz Amphitheater in Richmond, VA $237.07 (fees included) July 16 at the Allianz Amphitheater in Richmond, VA $190.84 (fees included) July 18-19 at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, NY Two-day passes $174.31 (fees included) July 18 at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, NY $81.70 (fees included) July 19 at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, NY $174.31 (fees included) July 22-23 at the BankNH Pavilion in Gilford, NH Two-day passes $187.18 (fees included) July 22 at the BankNH Pavilion in Gilford, NH $100.49 (fees included) July 23 at the BankNH Pavilion in Gilford, NH $99.49 (fees included) July 25 at the Freedom Mortgage Pavilion in Camden, NJ Two-day passes $163.81 (fees included) July 25 at the Freedom Mortgage Pavilion in Camden, NJ $87.83 (fees included) July 26 at the Freedom Mortgage Pavilion in Camden, NJ $86.79 (fees included) Aug. 1 at the Wildlands Festival in Gallatin Gateway, MT Single-day passes with Lukas Nelson and Molly Tuttle $323.22 (fees included) Aug. 2 at the Wildlands Festival in Gallatin Gateway, MT Single-day passes with Lukas Nelson and Molly Tuttle $499.56 (fees included) Aug. 22 at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, CA $127 (fees included) Aug. 23 at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, CA $56.12 (fees included) Aug. 26 at the Harveys Outdoor Arena in Lake Tahoe, NV $110 (fees included) Aug. 29 at the Gorge Amphitheatre in George, WA Three-day passes $257.82 (fees included) Aug. 29 at the Gorge Amphitheatre in George, WA with Kaleo and Southern Avenue $78.96 (fees included) Aug. 30 at the Gorge Amphitheatre in George, WA with Bela Fleck and The Flecktones and Oskar and Julia $67.21 (fees included) Aug. 31 at the Gorge Amphitheatre in George, WA with Goose and Louis Cato $91.28 (fees included) Advertisement (Note: The New York Post confirmed all above prices at the publication time. All prices are in US dollars, subject to fluctuation and, if it isn't noted, will include additional fees at checkout.) Vivid Seats is a verified secondary market ticketing platform, and prices may be higher or lower than face value, depending on demand. They offer a 100% buyer guarantee that states your transaction will be safe and secure and your tickets will be delivered prior to the event. Still curious about Vivid Seats? You can find an article from their team about why the company is legit here. Dave Matthews Band set list While DMB doesn't adhere to a strict set list, we can let you know what they played at a recent show on their summer run. Courtesy of Set List FM, here's what Dave and co. played — including a few surprising covers as mentioned earlier — on June 3 at Holmdel, NJ's PNC Bank Arts Center. 01.) 'What You Are' 02.) 'Cornbread' 03.) 'Grace Is Gone' 04.) 'Too Much' 05.) 'Word Up!' (Cameo cover) 06.) 'Walk Around the Moon' 07.) 'Raven' 08.) 'Don't Drink the Water' 09.) 'Let's Dance' (David Bowie cover) 10.) 'Crush' 11.) 'Dive In' Advertisement 12.) 'Drunken Soldier' 13.) 'Pig' 14.) 'Ants Marching' 15.) 'Typical Situation' 16.) 'Warehouse' 17.) 'Tripping Billies' Encore 18.) 'Peace on Earth' 19.) 'Grey Street' Dave Matthews Band new music In May 2023, Dave Matthews Band dropped their tenth studio album 'Walk Around The Moon.' Over 12 tracks, DMB delivers their trademark bluesy, folksy, rock sound along with a few new flourishes. Advertisement Personally, we're partial to the album's title track, the deceptively simple 'The Ocean and the Butterfly' and the rowdy, rollicking barnstorming good time of a song 'After Everything.' To hear the expansive record for yourself, click here. Huge rock tours in 2025 This year is shaping up to be one of the best for live music we've ever seen. As evidence, here are just five huge acts you won't want to miss these next few months. Advertisement • Phish • Goo Goo Dolls • Blues Traveler with Gin Blossoms • Oasis Advertisement • Goose Who else is hittin' the road? Check out our list of all the biggest concert tours in 2025 to find the show for you. This article was written by Matt Levy, New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
How ‘Love, Death and Robots' Season 4 Made the Ultimate Cute Little Guy
Season 4 of 'Love, Death and Robots,' Netflix's adult animated anthology, offers several delights. These include the live-action apocalyptic comedy, 'Golgotha,' from creator Tim Miller, and executive producer David Fincher's 'Can't Stop' music video, with the Red Hot Chili Peppers recreating their iconic 2003 performance at Slane Castle, Ireland, as CG string puppets. But the biggest delight is the emotionally stirring 'Spider Rose,' helmed by series supervising director Jennifer Yuh Nelson ('Pop Squad' and 'Kill Team Kill'), which occupies the same cyberpunk universe as Season 3's 'Swarm.' Both are adapted from Bruce Sterling short stories about human survival on an asteroid mining operation dominated by competing factions: the genetically-engineered Shapers and the cybernetic Mechanists. More from IndieWire The First-Dayers of 'The Pitt' Highlight the Need for More Portrayals of Competent Young Professionals 'Arco' Review: France's Answer to Studio Ghibli Offers an Emotional Sci-Fi Epic In 'Spider Rose,' the grieving titular Mechanist (voiced by Emily O'Brien and mo-capped by Miller's Blur Studio) plots her revenge against the Shaper who murdered her husband. However, that means bartering with the large reptilian Investors, who loan her a cute alien pet she calls Nosy. It is through Nosy that she rediscovers her lost humanity. ' I love the story because of the emotions, and the idea that this woman has ruined herself in her grief and trying to find her way back has quite a steep price,' Yuh Nelson told IndieWire. 'I think that that sort of emotional journey is interesting to me, and also how to show that visually.' Although 'Spider Rose' was always on 'the writer's wall,' it never made the cut until this season, when Yuh Nelson found the right empathetic through line. But, of course, there's more than meets the eye to Nosy. He's not mischievous, like a Gremlin, but there's a definite edge to him. The trick was not overdoing it so that he still looked appealing. 'I love the design process of trying to find something that would make you feel so sympathetic to it,' said Yuh Nelson. Blur Studio provided the effective key frame character animation. But instead of opting for a typical space monkey, Yuh Nelson was drawn to something much more cuddly. 'To me, its purpose was to try and become closer to [Spider Rose],' she said. 'But we actually had designs where it was very monkey-like with long, spindly limbs, and it crossed the threshold towards creepy rather than empathetic. So I tried to push it a little bit towards bush baby because that reminds me of cuddly.' But they made Nosy multifaceted because he appears in two stages: slimy and furry. 'We looked at adorable pet frogs from Japan mixed in with French bulldogs for the first stage because they have those adorable butts and that waddle to them,' said Yuh Nelson. 'But the second stage was bush baby.' This enabled Spider Rose to become more attached to Nosy. They play games and she holds it tenderly. 'You know how certain creatures camouflage so other creatures won't eat them? In this case, it's kind of flipped,' continued Yuh Nelson. 'The idea is that creatures will do things to survive by developing these visual defense mechanisms to be more adorable.' You could say that 'Spider Rose' represents the Season 4 poster child of 'Love, Death + Robots' in the way it embodies all three parts. 'I don't know if it's an entry drug for 'LDR' because there is a lot of violence,' Yuh Nelson said. 'Usually, if people haven't seen the show before, we recommend that they watch one of the comedies first. In the case of 'Spider Rose,' there's an entire world involved. And we really wanted to make this one like a tentpole: a moment that's lush and emotional, that's gonna really reflect the level of the story.' 'Love, Death, and Robots' is streaming on Netflix. Best of IndieWire The 19 Best Thrillers Streaming on Netflix in May, from 'Fair Play' to 'Emily the Criminal' Martin Scorsese's Favorite Movies: 86 Films the Director Wants You to See Christopher Nolan's Favorite Movies: 44 Films the Director Wants You to See
Los Angeles Times
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Why David Fincher turned the Red Hot Chili Peppers into string puppets
Chad Smith remembers the night in 2003 when the Red Hot Chili Peppers played for an audience of 80,000 or so amid the rolling hills of the Irish countryside. After a somewhat fallow period in the mid-'90s, the veteran Los Angeles alt-rock band resurged with 1999's eight-times-platinum 'Californication' and its 2002 follow-up, 'By the Way,' which spawned the chart-topping single 'Can't Stop.' To mark the moment, the Chili Peppers brought a crew to document their performance at Slane Castle, where they headlined a full day of music that also included sets by Foo Fighters and Queens of the Stone Age, for an eventual concert movie. 'Everything's filmed now, but back then it was a big shoot,' Smith, the band's drummer, recently recalled. 'You can get a little self-conscious. At the beginning, I f— something up — nothing nobody would know, but we would know — and Flea kind of looked at me,' he said of the Chili Peppers' bassist. 'We gave each other this 'Oh s—' look. We laughed it off, and I don't think I thought about it after that because the crowd was so engaged. The energy was incredible.' Twenty-two years later, the Chili Peppers are bringing that 2003 gig to screens again — only this time they're string puppets. 'Can't Stop' is director David Fincher's re-creation of the band's rendition of that tune at Slane Castle. Part of the just-released fourth season of the Emmy-winning Netflix anthology series 'Love, Death + Robots,' the animated short film depicts the Chili Peppers — Smith, Flea, singer Anthony Kiedis and guitarist John Frusciante — as dangling marionettes onstage before a veritable sea of the same. As the band rides the song's slinky punk-funk groove, we see Flea bust out some of his signature moves and Kiedis swipe a fan's cellphone for a selfie; at one point, a group of women in the crowd even flash their breasts at the frontman. The puppets aren't real — the entire six-minute episode was computer-generated. But the way they move looks astoundingly lifelike, not least when one fan's lighter accidentally sets another fan's wires on fire. So why did Fincher, the A-list filmmaker behind 'Fight Club' and 'The Social Network,' put his considerable resources to work to make 'Can't Stop'? 'A perfectly reasonable inquiry,' the director said with a laugh. 'First and foremost, I'll say I've always wanted a Flea bobblehead — it started with that. But really, you know, sometimes there's just stuff you want to see.' Fincher, 62, grew up loving Gerry Anderson's 'Thunderbirds' series featuring his so-called Supermarionation style of puppetry enhanced by electronics. But the Chili Peppers project also represents a return to Fincher's roots in music video: Before he made his feature debut with 1992's 'Alien 3,' he directed era-defining clips including Paula Abdul's 'Straight Up,' Madonna's 'Express Yourself' and 'Vogue' and George Michael's 'Freedom! '90.' (Fincher's last big music video gig was Justin Timberlake's 'Suit & Tie' in 2013.) In addition to 'Thunderbirds,' he wanted 'Can't Stop' to evoke the '80s work of early MTV auteurs like Wayne Isham and Russell Mulcahy — 'that throw 24 cameras at Duran Duran aesthetic,' as he put it. Fincher said he knew his puppet concept would require 'a band you can identify just from their movement,' which seems like a fair way to describe the Chili Peppers. He recalled first encountering the band around 1983 — 'I think it was with Martha Davis at the Palladium?' he said — and was struck by a sense of mischief that reminded him of the 'elfin villains' from the old Rankin/Bass TV specials. 'I feel like Finch got the spirit of me,' said Flea, 62, who's known the director socially for years. The bassist remembered discussing 'Can't Stop' with Fincher at a mutual friend's house before they shot it: 'I was talking about how I still jump around onstage and my body still works really good. But I used to dive and do a somersault while I was playing bass — like dive onto my head. And now I'm scared to do it.' He laughed. 'Some old man thing had happened where I'm scared to dive onto my face now. Finch went, 'Well, Puppet Flea can do it.'' After doing a day of motion capture with the band at a studio in the Valley, Fincher and a crew of animators from Culver City's Blur Studio spent about 13 months working on 'Can't Stop.' Fincher said the hard part was giving the marionettes a feeling of suspension. 'With the mo cap, you're capturing the action of a character who has self-determination,' he said, referring to a human Chili Pepper, 'then you're applying that to an object that has no self-determination,' meaning a puppet controlled by an unseen handler. 'It's so much trickier than it looks. But that was kind of the fun, you know? I mean, not for me,' he added with a laugh. Asked if the production involved any use of AI, Fincher said it didn't. 'It's Blur — it's a point of pride for them,' he said. But he also shrugged off the idea that that question has become a kind of purity test for filmmakers. 'For the next couple of months, maybe it'll be an interesting sort of gotcha,' he said. 'But I can't imagine 10 years from now that people will have the same [view]. Nonlinear editing changed the world for about six weeks, and then we all took it for granted. 'I don't look at it as necessarily cheating at this point,' he continued. 'I think there are a lot of things that AI can do — matte edges and roto work and that kind of stuff. I don't think that's going to fundamentally ruin what is intimate and personal about filmmaking, which is that we're playing dress-up and hoping not to be caught out.' As he reportedly works on an English-language version of 'Squid Game' and a sequel to Quentin Tarantino's 'Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood,' did making 'Can't Stop' lead Fincher to ponder the state of the music video now that MTV is no longer in the business of showcasing the form? 'Well, the audience that MTV aggregated — in retrospect, that was time and a place,' he said. 'Remember, the Beatles were making music videos — they just called it 'Help!' There was no invention at all on MTV's part. 'What I do miss about that — and I don't think we'll ever see it again — was that I was 22 years old and I would sketch on a napkin: This is kind of the idea of what we want to do. And four days later, $125,000 would be sent to the company that you were working with and you'd go off and make a video. You'd shoot the thing in a week, and then it would be on the air three weeks after that. 'You make a television commercial now and there's quite literally 19 people in folding chairs, all with their own 100-inch monitor in the back. The world has changed.' He laughed. 'I started my professional career asking for forgiveness rather than permission, and it's been very difficult to go the other direction.'
Forbes
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
One Of The Best Netflix Shows Ever Made Returns Today For A Wild New Season
Love, Death + Robots One of the very best Netflix shows returns today with ten new episodes, or rather ten new shorts each telling its very own, very peculiar story. Love, Death + Robots features some of the best, most unique animation of any TV series out there. The sci-fi series has given us everything from mutant super-soldiers to all-out war between a farmer and an army of rats. Space exploration, time travel, talking cats and inquisitive robots all make up the various stories of the first three season. This new season is comprised of ten episodes, all of which drop today, spanning T-Rex gladiators, household appliances in a search for work-life balance, and aliens, demons, Nazi demons and lots more. Including, yes, more talking cats. It's like an obsession at this point. This show may as well be called Love, Death + Cats. The animation varies wildly from one episode to the next, with different teams of animators and writers working on each (very short) short. Some are adaptations of science-fiction stories. One even has live-action featuring the always hilarious Rhys Darby (pictured above). In Season 4, expect more off-the-wall storytelling, a bunch of celebrities lending their voices – and sometimes faces – to the characters, and even some musical performances. Love, Death + Robots is created by Tim Miller and executive produced by David Fincher, who also directs the first Season 4 episode, 'Can't Stop', which features the band Red Hot Chili Peppers. 'Our hope is that people begin to understand that this is a boundary-less sandbox,' said Fincher. 'You know, we want to be able to play. We just want to be able to surprise people and show them stuff that hopefully scares them, or gives them the giggles: eye candy worth 11 minutes or six minutes of their time.' The show isn't just bringing in popular 90s bands. It's taking a crack at the younger audience by giving YouTuber MrBeast a major role in one of the episodes. Other stars include John Oliver, Amy Sedaris, Kevin Hart and more. Here are the synopses for each of the ten episodes. Can't Stop Synopsis: A unique take on the Red Hot Chili Peppers' legendary 2003 performance at Slane Castle, Ireland, with band members Anthony Kiedis, Flea, Chad Smith, and John Frusciante recreated as string-puppets. Directed by David Fincher, who originally made his name with music videos in the 1980s and early '90s, before segueing into unforgettable feature films. Animation Studio: Blur StudioVoice Cast: Anthony Kiedis, Flea, John Frusciante, Chad Smith Close Encounters Of The Mini Kind Synopsis: Tiny terror is unleashed in this mini alien apocalypse as directors Robert Bisi and Andy Lyon pay loving tribute to classic sci-fi stories of alien invasion and human stupidity using tilt-shift techniques that make the end of the world look almost cute. Animation Studio: BUCK Spider Rose Synopsis: A return to the fantastic cyberpunk universe of 'Swarm' (Vol. 3), created by visionary sci-fi author Bruce Sterling and directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson. On a remote asteroid mining operation, a grieving Mechanist gets a new companion and has a chance to avenge herself against the Shaper assassin who killed her husband. Animation Studio: Blur StudioVoice Cast: Emily O'Brien, Feodor Chin, Piotr Michael & Sumalee Montano 400 Boys Synopsis: In a post-apocalyptic city where warring gangs follow a bushido-like code of honor, a new gang, the 400 Boys, forces them to unite. A blend of beauty and brutality from Canadian director Robert Valley, whose LDR episode 'Ice' won the Emmy for Outstanding Short Form Animation. Animation Studio: Passion AnimationVoice Cast: John Boyega, Ed Skrein, Sienna King, Dwane Walcott, Rahul Kohli, Pamela Nomvete & Amar Chadha-Patel The Other Large Thing Synopsis: From the mind of prolific writer John Scalzi comes the story of a cat who plans world domination. Sanchez, as his puny human 'pets' know him, is helped by a new robotic butler (voiced by Last Week Tonight host John Oliver) who can hack into the World Wide Web and is eager to help his new master. Animation Studio: AGBOVoice Cast: Chris Parnell, John Oliver, Fred Tatasciore & Rachel Kimsey Golgotha Synopsis: In a rare live-action entry in Love, Death + Robots, a conscientious vicar – played by Rhys Darby, (What We Do In The Shadows) – plays host to an emissary of an alien race who believes their messiah has been reborn on earth… as a dolphin. So, uh… yeah, Dolphin-Jesus. Directed by Tim Miller. Animation Studio: Luma Pictures (VFX)Voice Cast: Rhys Darby, Moe Daniels, Graham McTavish, Phil Morris, Michelle Lukes & Matthew Waterson The Screaming of the Tyrannosaur On a space station orbiting Jupiter, decadent aristocrats gather to witness a brutal contest of genetically modified gladiators — fierce combatants riding deadly, engineered dinosaurs. A tale of visceral violence and unlikely emotion, directed by Tim Miller, based on a short story by Stant Litore. Animation Studio: Blur StudioVoice Cast: MrBeast & Bai Ling How Zeke Got Religion B-17 Flying Fortress Liberty Belle has the oddest mission of World War Two: a journey into occupied France to bomb a church before the Nazis can raise an ancient evil. John McNichol's short story of blood, fallen archangels, occult magic, and ultraviolence is directed by Diego Porral (lead animator on previous LDR classic 'Kill Team Kill'). Animation Studio: TitmouseVoice Cast: Keston John, Braden Lynch, Roger Craig Smith, Gary Furlong, Bruce Thomas, Andrew Morgado & Scott Whyte Smart Appliances, Stupid Owners From an angry toothbrush to an overworked smart showerhead and an intelligent toilet, various household appliances divulge tales of bemusement, scorn, and wonder about their human owners. Directed by Patrick Osborne, of Vol. 3 favorite 'Three Robots: Exit Strategies.' Animation Studio: Aaron Sims Creative Voice Cast: Melissa Villaseñor, Ronny Chieng, Amy Sedaris, Kevin Hart, Josh Brener, Nat Faxon, Niecy Nash-Betts & Brett Goldstein For He Can Creep London, 1757. A poet confined to an insane asylum believes Satan wants him to write a verse that will end the world. And the only thing standing between him and the Prince of Darkness (voiced by Dan Stevens) is his cat, Jeoffry. Emily Dean directs this wildly inventive period adaptation of Siobhan Carroll's short story. Animation Studio: Polygon Pictures Inc. Voice Cast: Dan Stevens, JB Blanc, Jim Broadbent, Nika Futterman, Jane Leeves & Dave B. Mitchell These all sound pretty great, and I'm excited to dive headfirst into the new season this weekend. Some of these animation studios, like Titmouse, have produced some of my favorite animated series. Titmouse animates the wonderful Legend Of Vox Machina, for instance, which you can (and should) watch on Prime Video. Blur Studio has worked on all kinds of things, including the 'Heaven and Hell" sequence from South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (which remains one of the greatest musicals of all time). What's your favorite Love, Death + Cats … er … Robots short? Let me know on Twitter, Instagram, Bluesky or Facebook. Also be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel and follow me here on this blog. Sign up for my newsletter for more reviews and commentary on entertainment and culture.
