This Week in Pop Culture: #BeyDay, A Daring Rib Rescue, Wes Craven Will Haunt Us Forever, and More

Dear reader! We find ourselves on a Friday afternoon before Labor Day weekend, perched on the precipice of three long days of freedom, cookouts and massive block parties.

You're not doing any actual work, are you? Of course not. So there's no time like the present to catch up on what you missed this week in pop culture.

1. American hero Robert Wright ran back into a burning building in Fresno, after making sure his family was okay, to save a rack of barbecued ribs.

“First thing, I got my kids, and I thought about my ribs. Like, I didn’t want my ribs to burn and stuff because I take pride in what I do, man,” said the West Oakland native and instantaneous worldwide role model. Something to think about at your BBQs this weekend.

2. Director/writer/producer/man responsible for all your childhood nightmares Wes Craven died this week at the age of 76.

Here's a great video essay from RogerEbert.com, featuring audio of Craven speaking about his work and, naturally, what the filmmaker wanted on his gravestone.

3. Today, Sept. 4th, is Beyoncé's birthday, otherwise known as #BeyDay, and the Internet is celebrating as only the Internet can: with photos, gifs, and think pieces until the end of time. 

Beyoncé returned the favor by releasing this super-heavy, slowed down remix of "Crazy In Love" -- which is apparently on the Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack, but that's not her fault. It's an interesting sound for her and the lyrics take on a new desperation. But we're not gonna lie, Jay-Z's chinchilla line really makes this song. Compare and contrast:

https://play.spotify.com/album/1JSCfr9YFx7SAP8sAYS5vx

4. The soundtrack to Angus, a severely underrated coming-of-age film, will be re-issued on vinyl for its 20th anniversary.

This is excellent news for me and the maybe 100 or so other people in the world who firmly believe this to be one of the best soundtracks of all time. The thing is perfect. I have said this elsewhere. Tilt, the Muffs, Weezer when they were not-annoying, one of the most underrated Green Day gems from back when they were not-annoying: it's just the sweetest gut-punch combination of adolescent '90s angst, hope and heartache. It also has this excellent version of Love Spit Love's "Am I Wrong?" with high school marching band horns and drums mixed in. Have I mentioned this album is underrated?

5. Indie-pop duo Diet Cig, who are from New York but recently signed to Oakland/Portland label Father/Daughter records, are playing the Hemlock Tavern tomorrow night.

But if you can't make that, they'll be at Different Fur studios in the Mission tonight for free at 7pm. Here's a fun dancy video from this year's Over Easy:

6. This here is an oral history of pie fights. 

Happy long weekend!