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Why We Love This Deal

Most outdoor patio furniture is surprisingly generic. That is to say that there’s largely no Patagonia or Craftsman in the outdoor furniture world, and if you’re concerned about long-lasting quality, you might be worried about what to expect from a brand with little to no reputational value on the line. If this sounds like you, or you just want a premium outdoor furniture set, check out this Better Homes & Gardens set. The Brookbury lives up to the brand’s reputation and is on sale for Labor Day at Walmart.

The Better Homes & Gardens Brookbury 4-Piece Outdoor Patio Set is currently $697, a $100 discount from its recent $797 price and a full $200 down from what Better Homes & Gardens displayed it costing in March. Though the cost is significantly higher than typical 4-piece outdoor furniture sets at Walmart, its 7-seat design built with 3M Scotchgard cushioning makes it more akin to a premium-tier 8-piece set.

Better Homes & Gardens Brookbury 4-Piece Outdoor Patio Set, $697 (was $797) at Walmart

What Shoppers Should Know

• Seats: 7 people on couch plus 2 on the ottoman
• Color Options: 3
• Includes: 7-seat L-shaped sectional sofa, table, storage ottoman, 2 x storage covers
• Best Use Case: This is a great set for large families and those who host get-togethers.

This is a very large set, including one of those L-shaped couches that people love so much for family gatherings and parties. A large wood-topped table and a sitting ottoman with a spacious storage area underneath complete the set marvelously. Though the set is water- and fade-resistant, a pair of included furniture covers will keep it looking pristine over the winter.

What makes this set worth it, in addition to its large size, is the 3-year limited warranty-backed 3M Scotchgard Protector. On the exterior, it provides the previously mentioned water and fade resistance (plus some stain-resisting power for our wine- and food-loving friends) while the interior is filled with a strong and supportive foam. On the Venn diagram that sorts outdoor furniture into “looks” versus “function,” this Better Homes & Gardens set fits firmly in the football-shaped wedge in between.

It’s also worth noting that this set has three different color options, each with a different wicker stain and an aesthetically matching cushion cover. The terracotta version will absolutely pop if you have any potted plants outside, but if you’re going for that easy-breezy coastal style, the white wicker and blue cushion style is going to exceed all expectations.

Related: Walmart Is Selling a $19 Patio Rug That’s Waterproof and Never Fades

What Shoppers Are Saying

One shopper said, “The quality is amazing, it’s sturdy, and looks great!”

And because winter will be here before you know it, another shopper said, “The cover is a great bonus, and it is easy to put on and take off when needed.”

The Better Homes & Gardens Brookbury 4-Piece Outdoor Patio Set is currently $697, which is actually $200 less than those buying this very same set in the spring would have paid for it.

Shop More Deals

• Better Homes & Gardens Juliet Outdoor Loveseat Set, $598 (was $798) at Walmart
• Better Homes & Gardens Vista Outdoor Dining Table, $197 (was $347) at Walmart
• Better Homes & Gardens Ventura 2-Piece Outdoor Wicker Chat Chair Set, $247 (was $397) at Walmart

By the mid-1950s, Gary Cooper was already one of Hollywood’s most recognizable Western stars. But Vera Cruz gave him a very different kind of role.

The 1954 film, directed by Robert Aldrich and co-starring Burt Lancaster, is a darker, more cynical Western filled with mercenaries, double-crosses, and shifting alliances. It was also a movie that helped influence the Westerns that followed, including the work of filmmakers such as Sergio Leone.

StudioBinder now includes Vera Cruz on its list of the greatest Western movies of all time, highlighting the film’s importance to the genre.

But there’s an interesting twist to Cooper’s casting: According to Western historian Jeff Arnold, writer Borden Chase reportedly wrote the story with John Wayne in mind, presumably for the role that Cooper eventually played.

John Wayne Was Reportedly Considered for Gary Cooper’s Role

Vera Cruz follows former Confederate soldier Benjamin Trane, played by Cooper, who travels to Mexico after the Civil War and becomes involved with gunslinger Joe Erin, played by Lancaster.

The two men are hired to escort a countess to the port city of Veracruz, but their plans change dramatically after they discover that the stagecoach they’re protecting contains millions of dollars in gold.

The story was written by Borden Chase, whose previous Western credits included Red River, Winchester ’73, and Bend of the River. According to Jeff Arnold’s research, Chase wrote Vera Cruz with John Wayne in mind, apparently envisioning him for the part that ultimately went to Cooper.

Cooper’s casting turned out to be particularly interesting because the character was considerably different from the traditional Western hero. Benjamin Trane isn’t exactly a straightforward gunslinger. He’s surrounded by characters motivated by money, power, and self-interest, giving the movie a much more cynical tone than many earlier Westerns.

Clark Gable Had a Warning for Gary Cooper

Cooper also received an unusual piece of advice before making the movie.

According to IMDb’s production trivia, Clark Gable warned Cooper against working with Lancaster after seeing the younger actor in From Here to Eternity.

“That young guy will blow you off the screen,” Gable reportedly told him.

The warning is particularly funny in retrospect because Lancaster and Cooper wound up sharing the screen brilliantly. Lancaster’s Joe Erin is deliberately more flamboyant and openly ruthless, while Cooper plays Trane with the restrained style that had become his trademark.

‘Vera Cruz’ Still Has a 93% on Rotten Tomatoes

The movie’s reputation has held up remarkably well.

Vera Cruz currently has a 93% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes from 14 critics, while its Popcornmeter score sits at 69% from more than 1,000 audience ratings.

The film was also a significant commercial success when it was released. Jeff Arnold reports that it was made for an estimated $1.25 million and ultimately grossed around $9 million.

More than 70 years later, Vera Cruz remains an important piece of Western history. It brought together two major stars, challenged some of the genre’s traditional ideas about heroes and villains, and helped lay the groundwork for the darker, more cynical Westerns that followed.

And considering Chase reportedly envisioned John Wayne in Cooper’s role, it’s one of those Hollywood what-ifs that makes an already fascinating classic even more interesting.

Some movie performances are so closely associated with a character that it’s nearly impossible to imagine anyone else playing the part. Bill Murray’s Dr. Peter Venkman is one of them.

The 1984 comedy, which has only become more beloved with age, nearly featured Robin Williams in Murray’s iconic role. ScreenRant lists Williams among the actors who were considered for major roles in the original Ghostbusters, offering a fascinating glimpse at what might have been.

Robin Williams Was Considered for Peter Venkman

Murray ultimately became the face of Ghostbusters as Venkman, the wisecracking paranormal investigator who approaches ghost hunting with considerably more skepticism than his colleagues.

But he wasn’t the only major comedian considered for the role.

According to ScreenRant, Robin Williams was considered for Peter Venkman, along with Tom Hanks. Both were already established comedic performers who could have brought very different energy to the character.

It’s particularly easy to imagine how Williams might have approached the part. His rapid-fire delivery and manic comedic style could have made Venkman a substantially different character from Murray’s famously laid-back, deadpan version.

Instead, Murray got the role, and his performance became one of the defining elements of the movie.

Rotten Tomatoes currently gives Ghostbusters a 95% Tomatometer score, with the site’s critics consensus specifically highlighting Murray’s deadpan performance alongside the film’s blend of comedy and special effects. Rotten Tomatoes also lists Ghostbusters as Murray’s highest-rated performance.

‘Ghostbusters’ Has Only Gotten Better With Time

Released June 8, 1984, Ghostbusters follows Venkman, Ray Stantz, Egon Spengler, and Winston Zeddemore as they launch a paranormal investigation business in New York City. What begins as a quirky attempt to make money quickly becomes much more serious when the team discovers a supernatural threat capable of unleashing destruction on the city.

The movie was already a major success when it arrived in theaters, but its reputation has endured for more than four decades. Collider recently included Ghostbusters among classic comedies that have aged particularly well, pointing to the film’s lasting appeal as audiences continue to revisit it.

And there’s plenty of evidence that the movie’s reputation hasn’t faded. Ghostbusters has a 7.8/10 rating on IMDb from nearly 500,000 users, while Rotten Tomatoes has collected more than 250,000 audience ratings.

The film was also selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2015, cementing its place in American movie history.

By 1984, Tina Turner was already well on her way to being the “Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll.” However, there was still one big accomplishment missing from her resume.

Turner, then 44, had never recorded a No. 1 single, but on Sept. 1, 1984, that all changed. Forty-two years ago today, “What’s Love Got to Do with It,” Turner’s signature song, topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

‘Love’ leaves lasting legacy

“What’s Love Got to Do with It” debuted on the Hot 100 on May 19, 1984. It hit No. 1 on the first day of September and remained there for three weeks before being replaced by John Waite’s “Missing You.”

Following the success of “What’s Love Got to Do with It,” two others songs from Turner’s Private Dancer album–“Private Dancer” and “Better Be Good to Me”–went on to crack the top 10. The rock legend also reached No. 2 in 1985 with “”We Don’t Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)” from the Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome soundtrack and in 1986 with “Typical Male.”

Overall, “What’s Love Got to Do with It” sold more than two million copies worldwide and has regularly appeared on lists of the greatest songs both of the 1980s and all time.

A triumph for Tina

Turner’s career began in the 1960s alongside her husband as the Ike & Tina Turner duo. However, while the pair had plenty of musical success, their relationship was tumultuous and Ike was abusive.

By the 1980s, Turner’s marriage was over, and she had the chance to reinvent herself personally and professionally. “What’s Love Got to Do with It” played a major role in helping her become a superstar and cement her status as a musical icon.

In 2010, Rolling Stone ranked Turner the No. 63 artist of all time.

“The story of Tina’s rise and fall with Ike Turner is well-known. You can see what it was like in the movie What’s Love Got to Do With It. But I believe it’s time to put the Ike story to rest,” singer Janet Jackson told the publication for its ranking list.

“The truth is that when Tina came back in the Eighties, she became much bigger than she was the first time around. Tina’s story is not one of victimhood but one of incredible triumph.”

The Legend of Zelda may be a, well, legendary franchise, but there are some games that get more shine than others. Breath of the Wild and Ocarina of Time are more well-known than, let’s say, Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages.

With dozens of games in the series, not every title gets the credit it deserves. Here are three Legend of Zelda games that are incredible experiences, but they get lost in the shuffle when discussing Hyrule as a whole.

The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (2004)

The Minish Cap gets a fair amount of praise when talking about Game Boy Advance games, but not a lot of credit when stacked up agains the rest of the franchise. This game’s art style has aged tremendously, with bright colors and crisp sprites that bring Link and his adventures to life in a way that is truly timeless. It’s not the longest game, but maybe that’s a good thing nowadays with so many open world adventures and 80-hour slogs on consoles.

The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (2007)

Phantom Hourglass is one of the most innovative games in Nintendo history. This isn’t hyperboly. You just had to be there when the Nintendo DS came out in the mid-2000s and developers went too far out of their way to craft gimmicks that would show off the consoles duel-screens and touch controls. Phantom Hourglass was one of the only games that utilized the hardware to enhance the game instead of getting distracted by it.

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom (2024)

Echoes of Wisdom is the most recent Zelda game, so how can it be a forgotten classic already? Because discourse still surrounds Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. Echoes of Wisdom harkens back to the top-down roots that made Zelda what it truly is, and many fans let it slip by without even trying it at the end of the Switch’s lifespan.

With fall just around the corner, it’s not out of left field to assume that snow isn’t terribly far behind it.

AccuWeather’s Earliest First Snow Map of the US

Recently, AccuWeather shared a map on its social media, featuring dates for the “earliest first snow ever recorded” in cities across the US. Per the media company, its team created the map by collating data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

In addition to sharing the map on Instagram, AccuWeather posted a list of each city and dates for the earliest first snowfall of its respective year:

• Albuquerque, NM: October 5, 2004⁣
• Baltimore: October 10, 1979⁣
• Bismarck, ND: September 16, 1965⁣
• Boston: October 10, 1979⁣
• Buffalo, NY: October 6, 1991⁣
• Burlington, VT: September 30, 1992⁣
• Charleston, SC: December 11, 1958⁣
• Chicago: October 23, 1929⁣
• Cleveland: October 2, 1974⁣
• Dallas: November 13, 1976⁣
• Denver: September 3, 1961⁣
• Detroit: October 12, 2006⁣
• Flagstaff, AZ: September 19, 1965⁣
• Great Falls, MT: September 10, 1921⁣
• International Falls, MN: September 14, 1964⁣
• Jackson, WY: September 13, 1970⁣
• Lake Tahoe, CA: September 11, 1952⁣
• Marquette, MI: September 19, 1956⁣
• Memphis, TN: November 2, 1951⁣
• Minneapolis: October 24, 1985⁣
• Nashville: October 31, 1993⁣
• New York: October 15, 1876⁣
• Omaha, NE: October 9, 1970⁣
• Pittsburgh: October 8, 1972⁣
• Portland, ME: October 10, 1969⁣
• Portland, OR: October 5, 1950⁣
• Raleigh, NC: November 6, 1953⁣
• Rapid City, SD: September 13, 1970⁣
• Salt Lake City: September 17, 1965⁣
• Seattle: October 27, 1971⁣
• St. Louis: November 3, 1997⁣
• Washington, D.C.: October 10, 1979⁣
• Wichita, KS: October 22, 1996

Interestingly, no cities are on record as having received their first snow before September. Considering how hot it still is for most of the country in early September, Denver getting snow on Sept. 3 is mind-boggling. Of course, this year’s El Niño, which will most likely develop into a “super” El Niño later this fall, will undoubtedly affect when each state gets its first snowfall. Temperatures for September are already predicted to be above average for most of the US. We could see a later-than-normal first snow this year.

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Tupac Shakur was shot on the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada on September 7, 1996. 30 years later, some justice has been served.

A jury in Nevada has found Duane “Keff D” Davis guilty of first-degree murder. Davis, now 63, was previously the leader of a gang in Compton.

Once the verdict was read, Davis wasted no time saying, “I would like to appeal this matter.” Most appeals take at least a year, and there is no guarantee that anything will change. Davis will be held until sentencing on October 13. Because of the severity of the charge, life in prison is still on the table. Judge Carli Kierny will decide the sentence.

Davis was arrested in Las Vegas in late 2023. He pleaded not guilty to one count of murder with use of a deadly weapon.

Despite how high-profile the case is, jurors took less than three hours to deliberate before returning a verdict on Monday. Although there is no set average for jury deliberation times, more intense cases like this can often result in longer deliberations, as true crime enthusiasts have seen recently with the Lindsay Clancy case, which has gone on for 17 hours as of August 31. However, Davis’ case has been pretty cut-and-dry.

Davis admitted that he was in the Cadillac where the shots originated during the drive-by, something he has admitted publicly in both interviews and his own memoir, Compton Street Legend.

The closing arguments were heard earlier on Monday. The trial lasted three weeks.

Francis Ford Coppola is Hollywood royalty on the filmmaker front (Megalopolis is a mad fever dream we all had, right?). From The Godfather and The Conversation to The Outsiders and Bram Stoker’s Dracula, the famed writer-director had some heavy hitters in his heyday.

‘Apocalypse Now’ Is One of Francis Ford Coppola’s Best Works

However, one film is widely regarded as Coppola’s magnum opus: Apocalypse Now. The anti-war film was loosely inspired by Joseph Conrad‘s 1899 novella, Heart of Darkness. For the uninitiated, the movie follows a US Army officer serving in Vietnam who’s “tasked with assassinating a renegade Special Forces Colonel who sees himself as a god.”

Apocalypse Now boasts a star-studded cast, including Marlon Brando as Colonel Kurtz, Robert Duvall as Lt. Colonel Kilgore, Martin Sheen as Captain Willard, Frederic Forrest as Chef, Albert Hall as Chief, Sam Bottoms as Lance, Laurence Fishburne as Clean (credited as Larry Fishburne), Dennis Hopper as Photo Journalist, and Harrison Ford as Colonel.

Coppola directed from a script he co-wrote with John Milius. Interestingly, George Lucas and Steven Spielberg encouraged Milius to write a Vietnam War movie while the latter worked as Coppola’s assistant on The Rain People in 1967.

The movie premiered on Aug. 15, 1979, in only three theaters in North America that were equipped to play the 70 mm film with stereo surround sound. While Apocalypse Now received mixed reviews at the time of its release, retrospectives have painted it in a better light.

Empire ranked it at No. 20 on its list of “The 301 Greatest Movies of All Time” in 2014, while The Guardian declared it “the best action and war film of all time” in 2010. On Rotten Tomatoes, Apocalypse Now boasts 91% on the Tomatometer and 94% on the Popcornmeter.

Stream ‘Apocalypse Now’ for Free

And if you’re champing at the bit to watch Apocalypse Now, specifically the Redux (an extended version that has 49 minutes of cut scenes from the original), you can stream it for free with ads on Fandango.

A Las Vegas jury took less than three hours to convict Duane “Keffe D” Davis of first-degree murder on August 31, nearly 30 years after Tupac Shakur was killed in a 1996 drive-by shooting.

Davis, 63, was found guilty of orchestrating the attack as a leader of the South Side Compton Crips. But the case against him wasn’t built on new forensic evidence or a surprise witness … it was built largely on a book he wrote himself.

Keffe D’s Memoir About the Tupac Shakur Murder

In 2019, Davis co-authored a tell-all memoir called Compton Street Legend, laying out his account of the night Tupac was killed. In it, he placed himself in the car during the shooting and named his nephew, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, as the triggerman. Anderson, who was never charged, died in an unrelated shooting in 1998.

The book wasn’t Davis’s first time discussing his role. Years earlier, in 2008 and 2009, he’d given confidential proffer sessions to the LAPD, telling investigators, “I sang because they promised I would not be prosecuted.”

That immunity was conditioned on the conversations staying private. Once Davis started talking publicly — through the memoir, and later through an appearance on BET’s Death Row Chronicles — prosecutors argued the deal no longer applied. As the chief deputy district attorney on the case put it: “Had he decided to never write the book, he would not, probably, have ever been prosecuted.”

Davis Said He Made Everything Up

By the time the case reached trial this year, Davis changed his story. He told FOX5 Vegas that he hadn’t actually written Compton Street Legend at all: “I did not write that book. A ghostwriter wrote that,” adding that it had been “fictionalized to make a profit.” He also claimed his 2008 statements to the LAPD weren’t a real confession, saying his lawyer had handed him “a script to read” for that interview too.

The judge wasn’t convinced either version should be kept from the jury. Both the memoir and the police interviews were ruled admissible, and jurors ultimately convicted Davis on both first-degree murder with a deadly weapon and a gang enhancement.

Kendrick Lamar just broke his own record. “luther” spent a record 23 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, passing the 22-week mark his own “Not Like Us” set — and BMI just named him its 2026 R&B/Hip-Hop Songwriter of the Year for it.

For anyone who thought “Not Like Us” was just a diss moment, they missed the point. Kendrick Lamar turned battle rap into a cultural anthem, with its cadence and language escaping hip-hop and showing up everywhere from schools to churches. Then he performed it at the Super Bowl—the Super Bowl.

For those of us who respect battle rap as one of hip-hop’s purest forms, watching that energy command America’s biggest stage felt revolutionary.

Kendrick Lamar’s Versatility Is the Real Flex

I respected Kendrick early because his flow and delivery didn’t sound like any West Coast rapper I had heard before. He was immediately set apart. I’m not a Kendrick superfan, either. I admire the craft and, maybe even more, his refusal to fit inside whatever box the music industry builds for him.

His versatility is just as powerful as his voice, and that’s where his victory lives.

We had gotten used to battle Kendrick and reflective Kendrick when “luther” arrived with SZA and completely changed the temperature. It reminded me of hearing Tupac make “I Get Around” and “Keep Ya Head Up.” Wait—this is the same dude?

Kendrick had already shown vulnerability on records like “Mother I Sober,” but “luther” brought warmth and romance without sacrificing his identity.

The song, built around Luther Vandross and Cheryl Lynn’s version of “If This World Were Mine,” became another example of a catalog that refuses to stay in one lane.

Kendrick Lamar Is Breaking Kendrick Lamar’s Records

Now the numbers are catching up with the argument.

That BMI honor didn’t come from “luther” alone. Lamar earned it for co-writing six of the previous year’s most-performed songs — proof the run extends well past one record-breaking single.

Whether Kendrick is No. 1 on your personal rapper list almost doesn’t matter anymore. The respect is undeniable.

Streams and trophies can measure popularity. Kendrick’s best work reaches for something bigger: social value, conversation and the pulse of the culture. At his best, he doesn’t feel like simply a rapper. He feels like a great American writer who happens to rap.

And every time we think Kendrick Lamar has reached his ceiling, K. Dot builds another floor.

Related: Snoop Dogg Biopic ‘Snoop’ Cast, Tupac Role & 2027 Release Date

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