Apple has expanded into everything from phones to streamers to watches, but one market they haven’t tried to seize is cars. It’s not been for lack of trying. There’s been speculation that they’d try to crash the automotive industry for years. But now, according to CNBC, they’re close to making that threat a reality.
The news network reports that the tech giant is close to a deal with Hyundai-Kia to manufacture their own line of autonomous electric vehicles — called, for now, of course, the “Apple Car” — at a Kia warehouse in Georgia. By “autonomous electric vehicle,” they of course mean a driverless car — an ever-dodgy technological prospect that is nonetheless a priority at Tesla, who, it looks like, may become their main competitors.
As per CNBC:
“’The first Apple Cars will not be designed to have a driver,’” said one source with knowledge of the current plan. ‘These will be autonomous, electric vehicles designed to operate without a driver and focused on the last mile.’ That could mean Apple cars, at least initially, could focus on package food delivery operations and firms incorporating robotaxis.”
Should the deal pan out, the Apple Car could go into production in 2024, though that may be pushed back. There’s also the possibility they could wind up inking with another automotive manufacturer. In other words, you have a bit longer to become comfortable with a world with cars rolling around amongst us, without people driving them.
Forget the typical lede, we want to say, right away: you definitely shouldn’t use whiskey to warm up if you find yourself stuck in a garage, un-insulated attic, or icy backyard during a freezing cold day. Period. Sure, the premise is perfect for a buddy comedy or classic sitcom and it might make you feel warm briefly, but it definitely won’t prevent you from getting frostbite.
When we talk about whiskey’s warming effect, we mean in normal, everyday cold situations — when a little buzz isn’t going to lead to catastrophe. Seriously, we can’t state that clearly enough.
With that disclaimer out of the way, we have to admit: the “Kentucky hug” that comes with a high proof bourbon and the overall flush that a smoky dram of Scotch whisky delivers feels quite pleasant this time of year. Gets the blood flowing and helps you appreciate a nice crackling fire. So we reached out to twenty bartenders and asked them which whiskeys they’ll be drinking to warm up this month, as the snow piles up and the windchill makes our heads ache.
Teeling Single Malt Irish Whiskey
Teeling
Una Green, USBG bartender in Los Angeles
Teeling Single Malt is really cool because it’s an expression that took the Master Distiller 27 attempts and nine months’ worth of blending to get dialed in. He blended a mixture of barrels including sherry, port, Madeira, white burgundy, and cabernet sauvignon.
The flavors are warming — with baking spice, cherry pie, cooked blackberries, cloves, honey, and black pepper, all wrapped up with notes of aromatic plums.
Aaron Melendrez, bartender and marketing specialist for Flying Embers in Los Angeles
Redemption Rye Rum Cask Finish has a warm finish with the perfect amount of fruit, cinnamon, molasses, and vanilla. It’s sure you warm you up on the coldest winter evening.
n February, I really enjoy the subtle heat and spice that a rye whiskey tends to carry with it. That being said, Whistle Pig 10-year rye is of the top tier to enjoy this winter. It’s best sipped neat or on the rocks where the caramel notes can be appreciated, it also holds well in a black walnut Manhattan.
Rabbit Hole Dareringer straight bourbon whiskey, finished in PX sherry casks. I had the ability to visit the distillery when I was in Colorado Springs and their products are fantastic, but this sherry cask truly became a sanctified marriage.
I can’t help but smile when I think of the flavors and how they fit the month of February.
Andy Printy, beverage director at Chao Baan in St. Louis
If you’re feeling a bit chilly, Four Roses Small Batch Select is the space heater for your soul. Rocking out at 104 proof, it drinks much more comfortably than it suggests. The nose is dark fruit and oak, the palate is leather, rich lumber, and riddled with flashes of vanilla and cherry. It’s full-bodied and finishes with just a touch of heat and barrel tannin.
Cristina Suarez, beverage manager at KUSH Hospitality Group in Miami
Hibiki Japanese Harmony Whisky has that cozy up in sweats feeling for me. I’d throw a little pour of this in a hot tea to relax by the fire. But it works just as well as a sipper with a single ice cube. Either way, you’ll be warm once that glass is empty.
Jennifer Jackson-Keating mixologist at Sneaky Tiki in Pensacola, Florida
Jack Daniels. Jack Daniels is America. It’s what we all snuck a sip of as a kid or smelled on our grandfather’s breath at family gatherings. It’s the most mixable whiskey on the market, you can find it in every liquor store guaranteed, and it is at an affordable price point for most people.
What flavors make it great? The wood and the charcoal. It goes down smooth with the hint of campfire from the charcoal finish. Nothing makes me warmer and want to slide my chair a little closer to the fire than the one and only Old Number 7- Jack Daniels.
The newest release from the new rye kids on the block in Baltimore, Sagamore has a calvados finished juice at a tickle over 100 proof that is redolent of the essence of winter.
Baked apple, toasted oak, and honeyed spice with a punchy finish made for dragging an old-fashioned sip on and on, or an aromatic toddy, or just sipping neat by a fireside.
Michele Gargiulo. Front of house manager and sommelier at Hampton’s Restaurant in Sumter, South Carolina
Angel’s Envy Rye. This is the winter drink of all winter drinks. It is finished in rum casks, which leave the rye not spicy as most, but warm and smooth. It smells like sugar cookies, maple syrup, and Christmas time on the nose. The flavor is outstanding, and I always need to remind myself that it is 100 proof while drinking it — to make sure I don’t overdo it.
The best way to warm up this winter is to grab yourself a nice Scotch and drink it up neat. Bruichladdich The Classic Laddie is perfect. This beautiful Scotch hits the spot in every way. The amazing sea salt like flavors with a hint of vanilla smoothness makes for a perfect drink by the campfire on a cold February’s eve.
Mark Phelan, director of beverage operations at 16” on Center in Chicago
Starward Nova Single Malt Australian Whisky is a terrific winter sipper. It is a younger whisky but aged entirely in Australian red wine barrels. The result is a unique, lively sip with a rich, funky, tannic finish that warms and delights.
Rabbit Hole’s Founder’s Collection Boxergrail is a great option with its high proof, enticing nuances, and rich texture. It is the perfect indulgence for all whiskey lovers this winter. The experience begins with citrus and spice, is heightened by bright floral notes, and develops to a creamy, vanilla finish with a hint of nuttiness.
I recommend serving neat or over ice, as this whiskey really sings on its own.
Sarah Rexwinkle, key bartender at The Grand Marlin in Pensacola, Florida
When it comes to finding a superior whiskey to warm you up on a cold winter’s night, I personally go with Stagg Jr. The high proof of this Kentucky straight bourbon will send warmth straight to your bones.
The rich, sweet, chocolate and brown sugar flavors create a nice balance with the bold spices and smokiness.
Todd Johnston, beverage director and sommelier at Marsh House in Nashville
Old Soul Bourbon from the Cathead Distillery had a limited release of a 15-year expression that I think is delicious. It has some of the same fruity brightness that you get from the entry-level Old Soul Bourbon but with a bit more oxidative spice and roundness to make it an easy slow-sipper.
For a simple winter warmer, I’d go with the classic Old Soul.
Nathaniel Meyers, mixologist at Sear + Sea in Orlando
The best whiskey to warm you up this winter would be Bulleit 10-year bourbon. As one of my favorite bourbons, this whiskey has deep rich tones with just the right amount of burn when going down that is sure to give you that all-around warmth during even the coldest of winter nights.
Easy selection right here — Elijah Craig Rye. Some of us don’t have an endless budget, so a modestly priced rye works wonderfully for the everyday sipper. What flavors make it great? Honey and baking spices combined with touches of complimentary white pepper, creating a round, soft mouthfeel.
James E Pepper 1776 Rye Whiskey. It’s like a liquid dessert with tasting notes such as creme brulee and butter. The pepper isn’t just part of the name either. The high rye presence rounds out the sweetness with a nice spice that opens up really well with ice or water.
Don’t try to warm up with whiskey unless you’re already inside. But if the outside time is done, the Redbreast Lustau is like a great big whiskey hug. Absolutely lovely, rich, and warm on the palate.
The sherry finish on this one is exquisitely well integrated into the malt.
Jerry Skakun, bartender at Cucina Enoteca in Newport Beach, California
I personally love a good single malt and to this day, hands down, one of my absolute go-to’s would have to be Oban 14-year. To me, it is very well balanced and offers all five flavor elements. — salty, sweet, sour, bitter, umami. The salty and umami profile can be seen in notes of seaweed. The sweet element can be noticed with the choice of malts used and also dark dried fruit components. Bitter flavor profiles can be common in most whiskies towards the finish or on the nose. It also has a great story about two brothers who curated this beverage.
Anything with a story feels nice during this “gather ’round the fire” time of year.
Last season, the conversation in the Western Conference was almost wholly focused, at least when it came to “who will win the West,” on the two Los Angeles squads, the Lakers and Clippers, once they assembled superteams in the offseason.
The Lakers had brought in Anthony Davis to play with LeBron James and the Clippers had landed Kawhi Leonard in free agency and Paul George via trade. All season felt like a build to an inevitable conference finals showdown, one that never came after the Clippers blew a 3-1 series lead to the Nuggets in the semis, while the Lakers went on to win the championship in the Bubble. The in-town rivalry between the two teams never felt greater than last season, as during the Lakers dominance, the Clippers were never a threat and once they became one, it was as the Lakers fell to general irrelevance in terms of championship contention.
The animosity between the two teams was apparent, and it stemmed from a variety of things. There were the Clippers billboards touting Kawhi as the new King of L.A. and plenty of trash talk back and forth, but according to Jared Dudley’s new book about the Lakers’ Bubble experience titled “Inside the NBA Bubble: A Championship Season Under Quarantine,” it was Paul George’s boasting about being on that same level as LeBron, Davis, and Kawhi, that irked the Lakers as a team, via Silver Screen & Roll.
We hear some of those guys talking about how they’re the team to beat in LA. It’s fine if Kawhi says stuff like that. He’s defending a championship. We don’t trip if someone like Patrick Beverley is talking trash; that’s how he feeds his family. We get it. We respect the hustle. But we think it’s disrespectful for Paul George, who hasn’t won, to put himself on the level of Bron and AD. This motivates us. When we see those guys around the compound, we don’t really kick it with them. The one exception of course is Markieff, whose twin brother, Marcus, is on the Clippers. This probably keeps tensions from boiling over.
George rather famously struggled in the Bubble playoffs, and for whatever reason seems to elicit extremely strong opinions, particularly from those attached to the Lakers. The feeling that he hasn’t earned that position in the same way Kawhi has through winning is certainly understandable, but it’s rather fascinating that the Lakers would take his personal belief that he’s a superstar in the league as an affront and disrespectful.
In any case, this season is setting up to once again be a showdown between the two L.A. squads in the West, although Denver and Utah are certainly worthy contenders as well, and after the disappointment of not getting a series to settle things a year ago, maybe this year we can see it in action. There’s clearly plenty of motivation on both sides, as the Lakers want to assert and prove their dominance, while the Clippers and George want to show they belong in those conversations.
The Golden Globe nominations were announced Wednesday morning, and while there were some unfortunatesnubs, at least they got something right: Borat Subsequent Moviefilm received two nominations, one for Best Picture (Musical or Comedy) and one for Maria Bakalova, its epically game and brave co-star. When Baron Cohen took to Twitter to celebrate, he made sure to not only single out Bakalova but also another of the film’s big names: Rudy Giuliani.
Wawaweewah! I’m shocked and humbled to be nominated for 3 Golden Globes, and congratulations to the incredible @MariaBakalova96 too!
We’re so honoured–and just in case we don’t win any, I’ve already hired Rudy Giuliani to contest the results. pic.twitter.com/CSligPsmI8
“Wawaweewah! I’m shocked and humbled to be nominated for 3 Golden Globes, and congratulations to the incredible @MariaBakalova96 too!” Baron Cohen wrote. “We’re so honoured–and just in case we don’t win any, I’ve already hired Rudy Giuliani to contest the results.”
The newly former president’s personal attorney, of course, had a very momentous last few months. And the nightmare really began when journalists finally got to see the Borat sequel in October, where they discovered a shocking scene in which Giuliani gets a little fresh with Bakalova’s Tutar — who’s supposed to be 15-years-old — and even unzips his pants with a camera catching it all.
It was just the beginning of Giuliani’s problems. After the election, only two weeks after Borat 2 dropped, the former NYC mayor was involved in such instant classic flubs as the disastrous “Four Seasons Total Landscaping” press conference and another in which black goo melted down his head. And while he continues to spout baseless accusations of voter fraud, he can’t defend his Trump because he, too, is under investigation over early January’s failed MAGA coup.
Meanwhile, congrats to Bakalova, who’s been raking in end-of-year awards, and to Baron Cohen, who was also Golden Globe nominated for his turn as Abby Hoffman in The Trial of the Chicago 7. And good luck to Giuliani, who many never get back the reputation he once had before he got involved with Donald Trump.
My first experience of Jerrod Carmichael, probably at least a decade ago now, was watching him captivate a small, not particularly great audience I’d just bombed in while doing virtually none of the things you’d normally expect a comic working an audience to do. He didn’t shout, he wasn’t animated, he didn’t ask them tons of questions to create “energy” or “participation”; he was just an odd, sort of cerebral guy in a hoodie leaning against the back wall of the stage sharing a series of goofy, semi-surreal thoughts. He created a quiet kind of “anti-stage presence” that didn’t feel like shtick.
Carmichael’s directorial debut, On The Count Of Three, premiering at Sundance this week, is a lot like my memory of watching him perform: thoughtful, surprising, surreal, depressive in an oddly optimistic way, and above all a unique vibe that’s not easy to forget. Whereas every actor seems to make their directing debut with some unbearably bleak festival slog (“it’s about a family struggling to come to grips with personal tragedy”), On The Count Of Three takes ironic juxtapositions to their most absurd degree, in an 84-minute film about suicidal best friends that somehow seems breezy.
With a script by Ari Katcher and Ryan Welch (alums of Ramy and The Carmichael Show), Carmichael plays Val, opposite the underrated and suddenly ubiquitous Christopher Abbot as Kevin, two best friends who have made a suicide pact of sorts. If that sounds bleak, well, it sort of is, but it’s also liberating. Val and Kevin can live this day like it’s their last day on Earth, because it is. On The Count Of Three becomes a sort of dystopian road trip buddy movie, the whole thing living in that brief, unique window where tragedy becomes opportunity.
The gag is that Val, in coming to depression later in life, is being a suicide poseur. I don’t want to spoil much more of it than that, and I probably don’t need to. You’ve seen a road movie before; the main characters go on quests and meet people from their pasts and present (Tiffany Haddish, JB Smoove, Henry Winkler). Having seen one or two other movies recently with very similar structures (shooting in a pandemic may dictate this kind of episodic structure), what separates On The Count Of Three from the others is that the people they meet never seem like opportunities for “funny cameos.” In fact, it seems like the script took pains to imagine the least funny issues they could — depression, suicide, domestic violence — and tried to fit them all into a movie that’s funny without being expressly comedic. That it allows situations to play out naturally, in a more character-driven fashion, rather than as transparent excuses for jokes, is probably why it’s actually able to find the humor.
The ending may not land as hard as the film was building it up to, but it’s an enjoyable, singularly off-beat ride with some of the best use of Papa Roach since Silicon Valley. I’m trying and failing to remember a scene this year that has made me laugh as hard as Jerrod Carmichael trying to commit suicide in the bathroom of a mulch factory while Travis Tritt’s “It’s A Great Day To Be Alive” blares over the sound system. On The Count Of Three is the rare enjoyable suicide movie because at its heart, it understands that while depression and suicidal ideation are very sad, they’re also kind of corny.
‘On The Count Of Three’ debuted at Sundance this week.Vince Mancini is onTwitter. You can access his archive of reviewshere.
With the trial of R. Kelly set for September 2021, one of his associates has tapped out, according to law digest Courthouse News. Richard Arline Jr., a longtime friend of Kelly’s, pled guilty to charges of bribery today, admitting that he offered one of Kelly’s alleged victims money to drop a claim against him. Arline was was of three men indicted last August on charges of extorting or intimidating victims of Kelly’s alleged sex ring. Arline entered his plea via video conference.
One of the victims, a woman who was 17 at the time Arline tried to pay her off to prevent her from coming forward with her sexual relationship with Kelly, recorded phone calls last May and June between herself and Arline. On the tapes, Arline is heard proposing to send the woman $500,000 in exchange for her ceasing cooperation with the authorities, with the woman rejecting his proposal and demanding $1 million within 24 hours. In one call, Arline requests the woman destroy evidence including iPads and video that could be used against Kelly.
In a short statement, Arline admitted, “I knew what I did was wrong, and I’m sorry.” He’s set to be sentenced in June. While there’s no mandatory minimum for federal bribery, the maximum sentence is 15 years. The two other men charged alongside him, Kelly’s manager Donnell Russell and Michael Williams, were charged with posting nude photographs of one victim to Facebook and YouTube and setting a rental SUV on fire after sending threats to other victims.
The 2020 NFL Draft featured a wide receiver class that has the potential to be historically good. No one is a better example of this than Cincinnati Bengals pass catcher Tee Higgins. Following a productive collegiate career at Clemson, Higgins declared for the Draft, and while a big-bodied receiver with sure hands and the ability to run crisp routes would normally hear his name called pretty quickly compared to the rest of his class, Higgins went with the first pick of the second round, the seventh receiver to go in the Draft.
He managed to have a better rookie year than most of the names called ahead of him. Higgins reeled in 67 balls for 908 yards and five touchdowns for the Bengals this season, leading his team in yards and touchdowns and sitting second only to Tyler Boyd in receptions. The future looks bright in Cincinnati with Heisman winner Joe Burrow under center, and it’s not hard to imagine a scenario where Higgins turns into his favorite target.
On Wednesday, Uproxx Sports caught up with Higgins to discuss the Super Bowl, his rookie year, The Office, and more.
What are you most looking forward to on Sunday?
I think I have the Chiefs winning.
Really? Why the Chiefs?
I mean, Pat and this offense has been hot. They’re lethal right now. And you got guys like Tyreek, you got guys like Mecole, Sammy, Le’Veon, Clyde. They’re deep, and the way they attack, the way their offense … they’ve been unstoppable this season.
I’m glad you said that because I want to ask you about the pass catchers in this game. As a receiver, it has to be fun knowing you’re going to be tuning in to watch guys on both teams who are almost guaranteed to make something happen, right?
Yeah, yeah.
Of the number of guys, who do you like watching the most and why?
I like watching all these guys, but the guy I watch the most is definitely Mike Evans. He’s a big guy like me, and I really see how he goes about and how he plays his game and the way he attacks the ball in the air. So, that’s one guy that I’m really excited to watch.
You just had a fantastic rookie season, I know you just kind of touched on this, but what can you take from a guy like Mike and apply it to your game going forward?
The way he comes off press against the DB, the way he attacks the ball, runs his routes versus certain coverages and stuff like that.
Let’s talk about your rookie year, where were you happy with how you performed and what do you plan on focusing on this offseason?
I was happy with how I performed this season. My physical side of the game is one thing I’m definitely focused on this offseason.
You got to spend this year around one of the best to do it in A.J. Green, what was the biggest thing you learned being around someone like him every day?
Just how he goes about his self everyday. How he takes it so serious, how he takes care of his body. There’s things that I learned and things that I’ll definitely use during my career in the NFL.
You’re a fascinating guy because you, over the last two years, caught passes from two of the best quarterbacks I’ve ever seen in Trevor [Lawrence] and Joe. Where are the areas, on and off the field, where they’re the most similar?
I’d say on the field, they’re both really focused, really take their game to the next level. Off the field, they’re both locked in when they’re watching film on the opponent. So I feel like those are the two areas where they really can compare.
What do you have going on with Panini?
I’m here doing a Panini event. They’ve been treating me well, these guys are unbelievable and just being able to see my face on a card has been a dream come true.
I know you’re new to the NFL, but you’ve played a ton of football over the years. Is there one moment from your career you want to be on a trading card?
My first 100-yard game, it was against the Colts. That definitely would be a big moment.
You keep the ball from that game or anything like that?
I actually didn’t keep that ball, but my first touchdown against the Eagles, I kept that ball.
Two final questions: I know you can really hoop, and I know you were the Mr. Tennessee basketball runner-up back in the day. Have you played with the rest of the Bengals and are you the best basketball player on the team?
I haven’t played with them yet because of COVID protocols, but I’m really looking forward to it. As of now, I think I am the best player on the team.
Last one, you asked for Netflix recommendations on Twitter recently and made clear that you don’t like The Office. I’m also not someone who’s big into The Office, why are you not a big fan of it?
After being arrested for his clear and heavily photographed participation in the attack on the U.S. Capitol building, Jacob Angeli Chansley (a.k.a. the “QAnon Shaman“) has reportedly lost over 20 pounds while refusing to eat the food at a Washington, D.C. prison because it’s not organic. His lawyer claims Chansley hasn’t eaten for a week and filed an emergency motion in federal court on Wednesday demanding that Chansley be served only organic food in accordance with his “religious beliefs” or be immediately released. Via The Hill:
“Based on Mr. Jacob Chansley’s shamanic belief system and way of life, non-organic food, which contains unnatural chemicals, would act as an ‘object intrusion’ onto his body and cause serious illness if he were to eat it,” attorney Albert Watkins wrote.
Watkins told the court that he has had no success persuading D.C. corrections officials to provide his client with organic food.
If this story sounds familiar, it’s because Chansley made a similar demand for organic food when he was first arrested in his home state of Arizona less than a week after the Capitol riot. A judge ultimately granted his request and ordered the state to conform to the QAnon Shaman’s diet. Since then, Chansley has been transferred to the Washington, D.C. facility, where he’s getting exactly what he wants again.
On Wednesday afternoon, a federal judge has reportedly ordered that D.C. facility must serve Chansley food that is labeled “USDA organic.” According to Vice, the judge was convinced by Chansley’s lawyer claims that his client’s “shamanistic belief system” is a sincere religion. So, he’s 2-0 on this request.
Does Bliss take place in some quasi-futuristic alternate dimension or in the contemporary world? This is the central question of the film, if not for ourselves. Coming to Amazon Prime February 5th from writer-director Mike Cahill, Bliss stars Owen Wilson and Salma Hayek as a couple who have either discovered the portal to a telekinetic utopia or are circling an increasingly hallucinogenic drain. It’s an exquisite mindfuck that manages to synthesize every fantasy of Elon Musk-style techno futurism into a story about… well, if I told you exactly what it was about, it might spoil the ending.
We open on Greg, played by Owen Wilson, who works at an odd little firm called Technical Difficulties, which feels straight out of Her or a Charlie Kaufman script, where dutiful workers spend all day answering phones and saying variations on the same script: “I’m sorry to hear you’re having technical difficulties…”
We meet him just as he’s clearly about to be fired, on account of he’s been spending his days staring out the window, making detailed drawings of the dream house he sees in his recurrent fantasies instead of answering the phone and apologizing to strangers. He gets a temporary reprieve and heads to a bar across the street where he meets Isabel (Salma Hayek), who seems to be telekinetic. “My powers don’t work on you; you’re a real person,” she tells Greg in surprise, while dimming lights with her fingers and moving other patrons around like chess pieces on a touch screen.
We spend basically the entirety of the rest of the movie living in Greg’s red pill/blue pill moment, on whether to believe that there is some utopian future from whence Isabel came and that this dingy, polluted, graffiti-covered late-capitalist jungle world where Greg’s children still live is just a simulation, or whether it’s the utopia itself that’s a figment of his mind.
The beauty of Bliss isn’t so much the answer to this question, but the way Cahill manages to weave in basically every Silicon Valley vision of glorious future. Automation, asteroid mining, and gene replacement basically end suffering as we know it, and reality, the shitty one, actually might be a simulation, just like Elon says. Of course! Finally an answer to why a just God would allow such suffering and why my back always hurts.
Bliss‘s “cool future world” feels like an obvious parody of tech utopianism, but strange doings are also afoot in shitty dystopia. Things appear and disappear, Greg’s co-workers seem both predatory and cult-like, and their business model is something out of Kafka or Catch 22. They compete with workers in India and China to be the best at reading rote corporate apologies.
Greg’s competing visions of reality are reflections of how we see our own. Are good times just a few tweaks away, or are we on a fast-track to total entropy? It wouldn’t be so easy for Greg to believe that there’s a “real” world out there somewhere in which smart people have solved things like pollution, homelessness, and mass inequality if his regular world didn’t seem so capricious and shitty.
Cahill is so effective at blurring the lines and making both “realities” feel equally plausible that it’s hard not to feel your own reality attenuating as you watch it. Owen Wilson and Salma Hayek, something of an odd couple on paper, are also perfectly cast. Who better than Owen Wilson to play a guy who’s alternately disheveled and sort of losing it; and contented by his worry-free life of endless leisure? Who better than Salma Hayek to play a woman who is either Owen Wilson’s tragic pseudo-homeless siren, or his ground-breaking co-guinea pig in building a glorious future? Certainly, Isabel is intended as Greg’s Eve, but at this point Bible symbolism is the least interesting part of any decent story.
In the end, it all turns out to be a grand metaphor. It’s an elegant one, and it makes perfect sense (sorry to play coy, I’m trying not to ruin it for you), but maybe that’s the problem. I’m sure I’d be furious with a non-ending, but the way Bliss wraps up in a neat little bow also doesn’t feel quite right for a movie that messes with your own sense of reality. Sometimes a metaphor turns out to be more interesting than the thing it was attempting to explain. That might be the best kind.
‘Bliss’ is available on Amazon Prime February 5th. Vince Mancini is onTwitter. You can access his archive of reviewshere.
Welcome to SNX DLX! This week we’ve hit a bit of a lull, as the big sneaker brands hold back for their special Valentine’s Day weekend drops next week. But if pink and red colorways aren’t your thing, you’ll find plenty this week that will satiate your appetite for sneakers.
This week, Adidas delivers two collaborative collections, and Nike drops some great colorways of the Air Jordan 5 and high top Dunk — the latter via a hyped-up collaboration with AMBUSH. Adidas is also dropping a pretty sick Setsubun inspired ZX pack that is definitely worth your time but just missed out on nabbing that top-five spot on our list.
On the apparel end, we’ve got new drops from TOMBOGO, Rip N Repair, and a Brain Dead x NTS linkup that should have you all geared up for the late winter/ early spring season. Let’s dive in!
Adidas AriZona Iced Tea Superstar Pack
Adidas
AriZona — yes, the iced tea brand — is building up quite the roster of dope sneakers with Adidas. Joining the Continental 80, Yung-1, and Vulc silhouettes, AriZona is now taking a crack at the Superstar, bringing their iconic can designs to this classic Adidas shoe.
The full pack consists of four colorways, including the beloved cherry-blossom design from their Honey Green Tea.
The Adidas ARIZONA Superstars are set to drop on February 4th for a retail price of $100. Pick up a pair at Adidas.
AdidasAdidasAdidas
AMBUSH x Nike Dunk High Cosmic Fuchsia
Nike
If you don’t already have Japanese streetwear label AMBUSH on your radar, remedy that immediately. Dropping in a fresh Fuchsia colorway, this Dunk High designed by AMBUSH founder Yoon Ahn reimagines the shape of the classic basketball silhouette and adds some depth to the upper’s paneling and swoosh. The results are a design that feels like it’s jumping out of us — this Dunk’s got movement!
Truly next level design work here, easily an early highlight of the year.
The AMBUSH x Nike Dunk High Cosmic Fuchsia is set to drop on February 4th for a retail price of $180. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.
NikeNike
Pharrell x Adidas NMD Hu Cream
Adidas
Admittedly, Pharrell doesn’t get a lot of love from us here at SNX. There is often something Dr. Seussian about his sneaker designs — and not in a good way — but this Cream iteration of the NMD Hu is just speaking to us right now for whatever reason. This design is just so damn clean, with a knitted ribbed upper on a BOOST midsole with tasteful pink and blue accents.
The Pharrell x Adidas NMD Hu Cream is set to drop on February 5th for a retail price of $220. Pick up a pair via the Adidas CONFIRMED app or at Billionaire Boys Club.
Adidas
New Balance 237
New Balance
New Balance always looks their best when they’re kept simple. The 237 is a solid, ‘70s runner design, it doesn’t get much simpler than that, but NB went ahead and added some flash with a color-block colorway of red, green, blue, white, and tan, using primary colors to do all the heavy lifting with this design.
It’s fun without being too out there. We love it!
The New Balance 237 is set to drop on February 6th for a retail price of $85. Pick up a pair at the New Balance webstore.
New Balance
Air Jordan 5 Anthracite
Nike
This moody iteration of the AJ 5 features reflective material across the tongue and quarter panel and sports a mixed suede, leather, textile, and translucent upper. The look has a deeply industrial vibe to it, this is definitely the most post-apocalyptic a pair of Jordans has ever looked.
The Air Jordan 5 Anthracite is set to drop on February 6th for a retail price of $190. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app or select Nike retailers like Foot Locker.
Nike
Rip N Repair Exotic Imports Collection
Los Angeles label Rip N Repair has just dropped Delivery 1 of their SS21 collection, dubbed “Exotic Imports.” The collection features street racing-inspired streetwear essentials including heavyweight hoodies, t-shirts, long sleeves, and crewnecks with race car graphics. Highlights of the collection include the Kim’s Autobody graphic which is shared amongst the t-shirts, crewnecks, and long sleeves.
The Rip N Repair Exotic Imports Collection is out now. Shop the collection at the Rip N Repair webstore.
TOMBOGO Comfort Zone
TOMBOGO
If you’re still deep into cozy winter vibes, you’re going to want to scoop up TOMBOGO’s latest collection. Dubbed Comfort Zone, this collection has all the fleece you could ever want, on jackets, pants, bucket hats, pants that turn into cargo shorts, you name it!
Comfort Zone takes 2020’s quarantine as a direct inspiration with this collection of ultra-cozy fits, which look ideal for winter mornings at the campground. When someone makes a movie about the pandemic, the most fashionable characters will be rocking TOMBOGO.
TOMBOGO’s Comfort Zone collection is out now at the TOMBOGO webstore.
TombogoTombogo
NTS x Brain Dead Collection
Brain Dead
NTS and Brain Dead are linking up for yet another capsule collection, this time consisting of spring streetwear essentials like pants, hoodies, long-sleeves, and t-shirts. The fits are clean and simple here, utilizing Brain Dead and NTS branding via minimalist graphics and understated colorways.
The Collection also features a translucent grey Nalgene with dual branding, which is pretty dope. That bottle plus some TOMBOGO fleece and we just put together your next winter cabin fit.
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