Jamie Foxx, Snoop Dogg Join Forces to Slay Vampires in 'Day Shift'

They say religion is the opiate of the masses. That may be true, but if so, entertainment is not far behind, and movies are perhaps its most effective delivery method.

There are likely several reasons "Top Gun: Maverick" clocked a billion dollars at the box office 36 years after the original, but one of them is surely the collective need for a break from reality.

In a world where global warming, class wars, political unrest and a persistent pandemic have made life — less than optimal— sometimes 120 minutes in a fantasy world is the perfect prescription for the new-millennium blues.

With that in mind, the mad doctors at Netflix may have stumbled onto this summer's best remedy for that ailment with their latest offer.

Combining the talents of two of hip-hop and R&Bs finest, "Day Shift" is a modern-day take on the vampire genre that looks better than it has any right to be if the final cut lives up to the action-packed trailer.

Tha Dogg gone Vampire Huntin. #DayShift out on @netflix August 12th 👏🏿👏🏿🍿 pic.twitter.com/lfF0F9rL8n

— Snoop Dogg (@SnoopDogg) July 11, 2022

Rap legend Snoop Dogg and Oscar-winning actor Jamie Foxx, who has also been nominated for eight Grammys for his musical contribution and won one, portray unionized vampire hunters in the tale. It's a twist that Starbucks' corporate is sure to hate but it provides context for the motivation of Foxx's character, who has fallen out of favor with the union and is doing jobs on the side when not cleaning pools to make ends meet. The duo is joined by Dave Franco in a role that plays to his talents as a straight-man and comic relief.

Netflix boasts the film is “from the people who taught John Wick how to kick ass" in the trailer, and the movie does have strong ties to the highly praised action trilogy.

Director JJ Perry was a second unit director and stunt coordinator whose previous credits include the John Wick franchise, and the movie was adapted from an original script by Tyler Tice that has been revised by Shay Hatten ("John Wick: Chapter 3- Parabellum" and "John Wick: Chapter 4").

Check out the synopsis below and watch the official trailer.

Day Shift tells the story of longtime vampire hunter Bud Jablonski (Jamie Foxx), a man whose relationship with his wife (Meagan Good) and daughter (Zion Broadnax) is somewhat strained because of his secret line of work. While Bud’s family generally goes with the story that he works as a pool cleaner, in reality, he’s one of the many vampire hunters operating around the world to take out the blood-sucking ghouls for sizable bounties. Unlike Bud, who somehow managed to get himself booted from the union in the past, hunters like Big John Elliott (Snoop Dogg) count on their membership to get paid and stay involved in the larger fight against evil.

Keke Palmer Teams up With McDonald's to Surprise Future Black Leaders With $220,000

Keke Palmer (center) strikes a pose with the Future 22 leaders.

Keke Palmer continues to champion black business owners, entrepreneurship and leadership.

Just months after partnering with Amazon to support Black women business owners in honor of Women’s History Month, the 28-year-old singer and actress recently teamed up with McDonald's to recognize future Black leaders who are affecting change in their communities.

As the spokesperson for Future 22, a program designed to honor 22 visionaries who are “shattering ceilings and breaking barriers to create meaningful change in communities across the country” according to the company, Palmer surprised the group with checks for $10,000 apiece at last weekend’s ESSENCE Festival of Culture in New Orleans.

Palmer, who got her start as a child actress before transitioning into more mature roles and adding a burgeoning singing career to her portfolio, said in a statement that it was an honor to celebrate the leaders.

“They are creating bright futures for themselves and the next generation – and, really, all of us – and the excitement on their faces during the McDonald's surprise gave me joy," she said.

The recipients of the cash were varied and included everyone from a STEM educator who is leveling the playing field for Black and brown children in computer science to a financial literacy champion who is bridging the financial gap in inner cities, according to McDonald’s.

Palmer also participated in a fireside chat with the Future 22 leaders moderated by McDonald's Senior Director of Cultural Engagement, Elizabeth Campbell. She provided tips on staying true to one's mission, finding balance while changing the world and paving the way for others, among other topics.

"This year's Essence Fest theme was Black Joy, and we couldn't wait to celebrate all 22 leaders and bring them to New Orleans, in honor of their accomplishments," said Campbell of the event.”

She added, “It was more special than imagined, representing our commitment to feeding and fostering the communities we serve."

Derek Chauvin sentenced to just over 20 years for violating George Floyd's federal civil rights

Photo Credit: Minnesota Department of Corrections

The former Minneapolis police officer who kneeled on a handcuffed Black man's neck for more than nine minutes while he was lying in the street struggling to breathe was sentenced to over 20 years in federal prison today.

Senior US District Court Judge Paul Magnuson sentenced Derek Chauvin, 46, to 252 months in prison with credit for time served for depriving George Floyd Jr., and a then 14-year-old boy of their constitutional rights.

The 46-year-old died pinned under three Minneapolis officers after telling them, "I can't breathe," more than 20 times. His May 2020 death, captured on video, sparked protests around the country against racial injustice and police brutality.

Chauvin was already sentenced to 22 and a half years in June 2021 on state charges of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for his role in Floyd's death. US attorneys asked the court for Chauvin's sentence to run concurrently with his state sentence.

#DerekChauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted last year of murdering #GeorgeFloyd, was sentenced to 20 years in prison Thursday on a separate federal charge that he violated Floyd’s civil rights when he pressed his knees into the man’s neck. pic.twitter.com/nVQ2hZo0WM

— Gerald A. Griggs (@AttorneyGriggs) July 7, 2022

Chauvin could have faced up to life in prison if convicted of depriving Floyd of his civil rights. He instead pleaded guilty in December as part of an agreement with prosecutors, which capped the potential sentence at 25 years.

In the plea agreement, Chauvin admitted that his willful use of unreasonable force resulted in Floyd’s bodily injury and death because his actions impaired his ability to obtain and maintain sufficient oxygen to sustain life. Chauvin also pleaded guilty to willfully depriving a then-14-year-old child of his constitutional right to be free from the use of unreasonable force by a police officer, resulting in the child’s bodily injury.

"This sentence should send a strong message that the Justice Department stands ready to prosecute law enforcement officers who use deadly force without basis," said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division of the ruling. "While no amount of prison time can reverse the tragic consequences of Derek Chauvin’s violent actions, we hope that this sentence provides some small measure of justice for the families and communities impacted.”

U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger for the District of Minnesota added, "Chauvin's actions constituted a grave abuse of police authority and a clear violation of these individuals’ civil rights. To the victims, their families, and to the broader community: although the harm that Chauvin caused will never be erased, today’s sentence of more than 20 years in prison represents a measure of justice and accountability.”

Chauvin will be transferred from solitary confinement at Minnesota's only maximum-security prison to a federal prison, where he will serve both sentences.

Three other former Minneapolis police officers involved in the incident – Tou Thao, J. Alexander Keung and Thomas Lane – were convicted in February of federal civil rights charges in Floyd's death.

Thao, Kueng and Lane were charged with depriving Floyd of his civil rights while acting under government authority and failing to provide Floyd with medical care. Thao and Kueng faced an additional count for failing to stop Chauvin from initiating the actions which caused Floyd’s death.

Under federal guidelines, the trio could face life in prison or even the death penalty at sentencing.