It's hard to believe that we are already in April, and the first Friday Five of the month hits some springtime classics while looking forward to the summer ahead. Whether you want to watch basketball, a Netflix comedy, or daydream about summer days at bars and movie theaters, King Penguin's got you covered.
Russell Westbrook Poster Dunk
We’re always on the lookout for potential Dunk of the Year candidates, and this week Russell Westbrook threw his hat in the ring by absolutely obliterating Bismack Biyombo on Tuesday night. Russ set the internet ablaze with his poster finish, reminding everyone that even if he isn’t winning MVPs, he’s still a freak athlete. You have to admire the audacity (and sheer ability) necessary to take off from where he does, especially for a point guard of Westbrook’s size. Anthony Edwards has largely dominated the Dunk of the Year conversation so far, and has even been included in a Friday Five in the past. But this week, Westbrook was the one that gave us a highlight we can’t stop watching.
UCLA Final Four Run
Speaking of Russ, the UCLA Bruins are in the Final Four for the first time since Westbrook and Kevin Love were suiting up in the blue and gold. March Madness wraps up on Monday, but until then, it’s still the talk of the sports world. And this year, UCLA is the Cinderella Story that everyone can root for. The Bruins are tied for the lowest seed to ever make the Final Four, matching teams like 2006’s George Mason and 2017’s Loyola Chicago. Even more surprising, they were on a four game losing streak before sneaking into one of the tournament’s play-in games, UCLA doesn’t play the prettiest brand of basketball, but unless your team is playing (or you have money on the game), it’s always fun to pull for the underdog. And on Saturday, UCLA is running into an absolute buzzsaw in the top overall seed, Gonzaga. The Zags are putting together one of the most dominant college basketball seasons ever, which make Saturday’s game worth watching even more. Whether or not UCLA’s miracle run can keep going, we’re probably witnessing history.
Bad Trip
If you’ve had your fill of basketball, Netflix (as always) has you covered, this week with Eric Andre’s new project Bad Trip. Andre is known for his shocking, raunchy humor, as well as his daring pranks, and this movie has all of it. Comedians Lil Rel Howery and Tiffany Haddish also help carry the load, and prove more-than-capable of keeping up with Andre’s antics. Bad Trip shares some DNA with the Borat movies, and as an audience member you’re never quite sure who is in on the bit. But one thing is for sure: this movie will leave you speechless, either from laughing too hard or from shock. It’s certainly not something to watch with the whole family, but that didn’t stop it from making it to Number One on Netflix’s rankings this week. So if you’re looking for some good, dumb, R-rated laughs, look no further than Bad Trip.
Wrath Of Man Trailer
It’s almost summer blockbuster season, which means we are starting to get trailers for the action-packed popcorn flicks that dominate theaters this time of year. And this week, we got a trailer drop from one of our favorite directors: Guy Ritchie. Ritchie is known for his highly stylized action movies, and Wrath of Man looks no different. Jason Statham going scorched earth to find the bank robbers who murdered his son? Take our money. The trailer makes incredible use of Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues,” amidst all the action, and we could play it on repeat just for that needle drop alone. And the action in the trailer alone is stunning and well choreographed, so we can’t wait to see it play out on (hopefully) the big screen. Ritchie’s last film, The Gentleman, was one of the last things we got to see in theaters last year, so it is fitting that we get another one to open things back up. The real question is, could this be the first thing to make two separate Friday Fives? We’ll have to wait until May to find out.
Lads At The Pub
The weather is warming up, things are beginning to open, and anticipation is growing for a summer where we can go out to bars with friends again. And no video keys up our excitement more than the “Lads on Tour.” While we aren’t particularly active on TikTok, this video has continuously resurfaced into our social media feeds every time there’s a bit of good news in the world. And every time it is in our feed, we have to watch it and throw it a “Like.” It’s wholesome, hopeful, and very accurately portrays how a whole bar can get in on a catchy song at the end of a night. We will never again be able to hear “Truly, Madly, Deeply” without thinking of the Hooligans cover, but we aren’t complaining. While most memes get run into the ground, this one just seems to get better and better as time goes on. It’s only a matter of time until we get to have our pub reunions for real, but until then, we’ve got the lads on TikTok.