Month: July 2022

While it has been a few years since JID released his last album, that doesn’t mean he hasn’t had more than enough material to satisfy hungry fans at festivals like Governor’s Ball and Coachella. But the one song that’s really set the crowds off is “Stick,” from Dreamville’s DJ Drama collaboration D-Day: A Gangsta Grillz Mixtape, which also features Dreamville team captain J. Cole, rising newcomer Kenny Mason, and the controversial Sheck Wes, fresh off a stint playing ball overseas. The raucous festival favorite now gets a swaggering video loaded with enough firearms to make an NRA PSA.

As JID’s promotion machine has spun up throughout the year, fans have become ever more convinced that he’s got a new album on the way. His reputation has also grown with each rapid-fire verse he’s laid down — so much so, that he’s convinced that a lot of bigger rap artists are afraid to collaborate with him. Fortunately, that paranoia hasn’t extended to names like 21 Savage, who teamed up with JID on his single “Surround Sound,” Denzel Curry, who put JID on his new album, or Dot Da Genius, who matched both Denzel and JID up with Kid Cudi on his own new single “Talk About Me.” Meanwhile, pop acts like John Legend and Imagine Dragons have been more than happy to secure his services — which may have helped him stand out even more.

Watch Dreamville’s “Stick” video featuring J. Cole, JID, Kenny Mason, and Sheck Wes above.

One reason people are attracted to college football is how it incorporates unique things you don’t get in other sports. Things like rivalry trophies do not exist in, say, the NFL, and in recent years, teams have been looking for ways to celebrate cool stuff that happens on the field, with the most prominent example of this idea coming when the Miami Hurricanes adopted the turnover chain, a gigantic, 10-karat gold chain that was meant to reward defensive players for being aggressive in forcing fumbles and interceptions.

But apparently, all good things must come to an end. New Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal told college football reporter Brett McMurphy that the turnover chain is going away next season.

Cristobal, who played his college ball at Miami and came to his alma mater after serving as the head coach at Oregon, expanded on this and explained at ACC media days why the team is going in a different direction. Per ESPN:

“Certainly history is history, and whether it’s positive, whether it’s inconsequential, whatever it may be, it’s still history and part of your program,” Cristobal said. “We’re just moving in a direction that right now doesn’t involve it. That’s really the best way to address it.”

…

“We just really focus on getting better as a program and have focused on technique, fundamentals, regimentation, academics, strength and conditioning, sports science, community service,” he said. “That’s what the focus has been on.”

Goodbye to the turnover chain, which was extremely cool.

As if you needed another reason to drink tequila this summer, July 24th is National Tequila Day. While we celebrate this agave-based, Mexican spirit every day of the year, this Sunday is the one day of the year that’s all about tequila. Drink it neat, on the rocks, paired with lime and salt, or any way you like it. Just enjoy nuanced and delicious tequila this Sunday.

Whether you enjoy blanco, joven, reposado, añejo, or extra añejo, a well-made tequila cocktail is always a good call as the weather heats up. And while there’s no disputing the refreshing nature of a classic ranch water and the zesty flavor of a margarita, we suggest you try something a little more exciting this year.

To help you out, we asked a handful of well-known bartenders to tell us their picks for the best, most exciting tequila cocktails to celebrate National Tequila Day. Keep scrolling to see all of the sweet agave, fruity, and fresh cocktails. Though be warned, a few of these take some serious skill and bespoke ingredients. Choose your at-home tequila cocktail to try wisely!

Black Magic

“Black Magic is the perfect drink for a tequila lover who loves a tequila mule but wants to take it to the next level. This drink is both refreshing and sweet (with the muddled blackberries) but also offers that little bite everyone loves from the ginger beer. The look alone is IG ready.” – Matthew Cato, bartender at The London West Hollywood in West Hollywood, California

Recipe:

• 1.5 oz. Don Julio Reposado
• 1 oz. lemon juice
• .5 oz. Luxardo Marachino Liquor
• 1 oz. Turbinado simple syrup
• 8 blackberries
• 2 oz. ginger beer
• 1 dash saline

Preparation:

In a pint glass, add blackberries and muddle completely. Add spirits and the rest of the ingredients, except the ginger beer. Add ice, and shake hard for 10 seconds. Double strain into Collins glass, and add ginger beer. Garnish with two skewered blackberries.

El Jardinero

“This cocktail was inspired by the farmers’ intense desire of creating a cocktail that is as healthy and equally tasty with a kick.” – Fernando Velazques, bartender at Kimpton Surfcomber’s High Tide Beach Bar & Grill in Miami Beach, Florida

Recipe:

• 1.5 oz. Casamigos Reposado Tequila
• 0.5 oz. Cointreau
• 1 oz. lime juice
• 0.75 oz. simple syrup
• red bell pepper
• Serrano pepper
• cucumber
• spicy rim

Preparation:

Muddle slices of peppers and cucumber in a shaker. Add all ingredients and ice, shake, and pour over ice in a rocks glass with the spicy salty rim.

Hot Lava

“The Hot Lava is in essence a spicy margarita that incorporates the classic Asian flavor combination of nuttiness and spice. The seasoning comes from a very specific Pasilla Chili distillate made by our friends at Empirical Spirits, as well as a bit of hot honey, everyone’s current favorite topping. This is rounded out with fresh pineapple for brightness and a bit of Spanish vermouth for texture and depth.” – Will Krepop, bartender at Wiggle Room in New York City

Recipe:

• 1 oz. Blanco tequila
• .5 oz. Mata Bianco Vermouth (Spanish Vermouth)
• .5 oz. Empirical Spirits Ayuuk (Pasilla Chili Distillate)
• 3 dashes toasted sesame tincture
• .75 oz. pineapple juice
• .5 oz. lime juice
• .5 oz. salted hot honey syrup

Preparation:

Shake all ingredients vigorously in a shaker. Strain into a chilled glass. Enjoy.

Cyan-Siam

“Sweet, sour, spicy, and bitter with a hint of salinity, this cocktail is a clarified milk punch, using coconut milk to create a mild coconut flavor while remaining light and easy to drink.” – Shawn Miller, beverage director at Forsythia in Philadelphia

Recipe:

• 4.5 oz. tequila
• 2 oz. Cynar
• 1 oz. green Thai curry tincture (.5 oz. green curry paste soaked in 1.5 oz. vodka overnight and strained)
• 1 oz. lime juice
• 1 oz. simple syrup
• 1 oz. chai tea

Preparation:

Mix all ingredients, then add two ounces of coconut milk. The mixture will immediately curdle. Let sit for twenty minutes then strain through cheesecloth, then a coffee filter. Served chilled over ice. It makes three cocktails, but the recipe can be multiplied to make a larger batch.

Red Hot Mama

“Whenever I think of tequila cocktails, my mind almost immediately goes to spicy. I love drinking tequila cocktails and enjoy it even more if it makes me sweat in the heat of summer. I’m excited to be working with a variety of pepper we grow here on Hermitage Farm. I challenge myself to use the same pepper for a drink in different ways (like pickles, infusions, salts, and syrup) to highlight the different textures and spice levels that pepper has. The Red Hot Mama has a surprising texture from the piquillo juice.” -Miranda Densford, beverage director at Barn8 Restaurant and Bourbon Bar in Goshen, Kentucky

Recipe:

• 1.5 oz. Fresno pepper-infused Tres Agaves Blanco Tequila
• 1 oz. fresh charred piquillo juice
• .75 oz. ounce lime juice
• .5 oz ginger syrup*

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake to chill and dilute. Serve over Kentucky Straight Ice, or a large ice cube, in a rocks glass. Garnish with a thinly sliced tomatillo and pickled Fresno pepper.

• *Ginger Syrup ingredients:
• 1 large ginger root (peeled and chopped finely)
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup water

Preparation:

Warm the water and add sugar. Stir until dissolved. Add ginger and syrup into a blender and blend until smooth. Let sit for 1 hour and strain.

PaLima

“The Paloma is a staple tequila cocktail. It’s refreshing and incredibly tasty. This simple three-ingredient cocktail is a must-have, especially on hot summer days. Delicious and easy to make, it’s a no-brainer. The key here is quality tequila and mixers with fresh pressed juice to give it the bright and balanced flavor that has made this cocktail a true classic and has upheld the test of time. The classic calls for tequila, lime juice, and grapefruit soda. This version, the PaLima, inverts the ingredients using fresh grapefruit juice and lime soda instead.” – Bryan Canales, bartender at Baby Jane in Miami

Recipe:

• 1.5 oz. Tequila Ocho Plata
• 1 oz. fresh pink grapefruit juice
• Top w/ Lime Jarritos

Preparation:

Rim the glass, if desired, with salt or spice blend of choice. Build inside of a high ball or Collins glass over ice beginning with the grapefruit juice, Tequila Ocho Plata, and finish by topping it off with Jarritos Lime Soda. Garnish with grapefruit wheel inside of cocktail and a lime wedge on the side.

Wana Bana

“This cocktail features the most famous Mexican spirit, tequila, but infused with lemongrass that adds an exponential flavor. We also add freshly pureed guanabana, a tropical fruit that carries the creaminess of banana with the kick of citrus. The combination is fresh, lightly floral, and very smooth.” – Joshua Monaghan, bartender Zapote Bar at Rosewood Mayakoba in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico

Recipe:

• .5 oz. lemon juice
• 1 oz. Soursop Purée
• 1 teaspoon agave syrup
• 2 oz. Wana Bana Batch (Cointreau, Tío Pepe, and peach liquor)
• Garnish: pasilla chili salt, small dry apricot, mint

Preparation:

Pour all ingredients into a shaker with ice and shake vigorously to incorporate ingredients. Add the pasilla chili salt to the rim of a small old-fashioned glass filled with ice, then strain in the cocktail. Garnish with the dried apricot and mint.

Watermelon Del Sol Margarita

“We came up with the Casa Del Sol Watermelon Margarita as an ode to summer. Fresh, vibrant, and refreshing, with the vanilla and sweet tobacco aromas of Casa del Sol Reposado tequila, this combination makes for a delicious cocktail that is best sipped at the Golden Hour.” – Chef Manuel Trevino, vice president of culinary for Rosa Mexicano in New York City

Recipe:

• 2 oz. Casa del sol Reposado Tequila
• 2 cubed 2-inch squares of fresh watermelon
• 2 pieces of fresh mint
• 1.5 oz. organic agave nectar
• 1.5 oz. freshly squeezed lime juice

Preparation:

Build a cocktail inside a shaker tin. First, muddle the mint and fresh watermelon together. Build the cocktail over ice with all mixed ingredients and shake vigorously. Pour it over fresh ice and enjoy.

La Mariposa

“Our La Mariposa is both complex and refreshing at the same time. The combination of stone fruit and tequila works incredibly well and is all tied together with a little earthiness from the mezcal.” – Adam Montgomerie, bar manager at Hawksmoor in New York City

Recipe:

• 2 dashes of saline solution (10:1)
• 1 teaspoon of Empirical The Plum I Suppose
• .25 oz. sugar syrup (2:1)
• .5 oz. lime acid blend*
• .5 oz. Merlet Apricot Liqueur
• .5 oz. Del Maguay Vida Mezcal
• 1.25 oz. Olmeca Altos Blanco Tequila
• 1.5 o.z Fever Tree Tonic Water
• 3 oz. club soda

Preparation:

Build all ingredients in a highball glass over a single spear of ice and garnish with a lime wedge.

*lime acid blend recipe:

• .5 grams of kosher salt
• 2 grams of ascorbic acid
• 8 grams of malic acid
• 20 grams of citric acid
• 500 grams of water

Preparation:

Mix ingredients together and stir until dissolved. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one month.

Zona del Este

“This variation on an Eastside is the perfect summer refresher to enjoy for National Tequila Day. The light barrel notes of the Izo Cristalino tequila are complemented by the cucumber and mint. If you are looking to stay hydrated, this is the perfect tipple to sip by the pool or at your backyard fiesta.” – Joree Weatherly, IZO Spirits Mixologist for Huntress in San Diego

Recipe:

• 2 oz. IZO Cristalino Tequila
• .75 oz. lemon
• .75 oz. honey syrup
• muddled cucumber and mint

Preparation:

Add ingredients to shaker tin, muddle, add ice, shake, and fine strain into a coupe. Garnish with cucumber.

El Rey

“The name was chosen after Jose Alfredo Jimenez, an iconic mariachi composer and singer that was named “El Rey” (the King) of the Mexican song. He was known for spending his time at the cantina drinking tequila, singing, and writing songs. The cantina is where he found his inspiration, so El Rey was the first cocktail that we created for our nightclub.” – Luis Fernando Garcia, mixologist at Costa Palmas Nightclub in La Rubera, Mexico

Recipe:

• 2 oz. Santanera blanco añejado
• 1 oz. Antica Formula Vermouth
• 2 dashes of Angostura Bitters
• 1 bar spoon Luxardo syrup
• 3 pieces of pink peppercorn
• 1 Luxardo cherry

Preparation:

Add all ingredients to an ice-filled mixing glass. Stir until combined. Strain into a chilled glass. Garnish with a Luxardo cherry.

Sun Clap

“The star of this cocktail is the Chinola passion fruit liqueur. It mixes perfectly with the tequila and the pineapple sage juice adds just another tropical element that makes this drink a crowd pleaser.” – Aura Cocina in Brooklyn, New York

Recipe:

• 1 oz. Chinola Liqueur
• 1.75 oz. EL Tesoro Tequila Blanco
• 1 oz. fresh pineapple sage juice*
• .75 oz. turmeric honey syrup**
• .75 oz. fresh lemon juice
• pineapple wedge

*Infuse fresh pineapple juice with fresh sage for three hours; refrigerate and strain before serving.
**Add a dash of turmeric powder to honey syrup and stir until well blended.

Preparation:

Pour Chinola, tequila, pineapple sage juice, turmeric honey, and lime into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake and strain into a wine glass and fill with ice. Garnish with a fresh pineapple wedge.

Lucy Liu

“At Sama Street we are always looking for new ways to put Asian ingredients in cocktails in interesting ways. We draw inspiration from our travels and experiences and sometimes even from our guests. The original idea for our Lucy Liu cocktail came from one of our regulars, Isabella. Growing up Filipino, she always loved drinking lychee with coconut. We decided to use a pina colada template to showcase these flavors. Swapping the pineapple for lychee juice keeps the Lucy Liu super light and refreshing. We use a combination of Filipino rum, which gives a great vanilla note, and a blanco tequila that has been fat washed with chili oil. The resulting drink is refreshing, creamy, and has a little kick. Perfect for hot summer afternoons.” – David Muhs, head bartender at Sama Street in Brooklyn, New York

Recipe:

• 1.5 oz. chili oil washed blanco tequila* (or 1.5 oz. blanco tequila and 5 dashes of a chili tincture)
• .5 oz. Filipino rum (preferably Don Papa)
• 2 oz. lychee juice
• .5 oz. fresh lime juice
• 1 oz. Cream of Coconut

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients into a shaker and shake until chilled, strain into a hurricane glass, and top with crushed ice. Garnish with an Orchid.

*Chili Oil Washed Blanco Tequila preparation:

Combine three ounces of Chili Oil, one broken dried Puya Chili, one broken dried Thai Chili, and one liter of blanco tequila in a container. Let sit at room temperature for two hours while stirring occasionally. Freeze for 24 hours so that the chili oil freezes solid over the tequila. Remove the layer of chili oil from the top of the tequila and strain the tequila before using it.

Billie Eilish shocked the world today when she surprise-released a pair of new songs, “TV” (which she debuted live last month) and “The 30th.” After the tunes dropped (on a double-single dubbed Guitar Songs), Eilish explained what made her want to release them how she did.

Speaking with BBC Radio 1’s Clara Amfo, Eilish said, “We wrote these songs recently and we were kinda sitting on them, just had written them. And there was just this moment where I was sitting and I was like, ‘Can we just put these out? Like, why are we not just putting these out?’ You know? I think when you get bigger and more eyes on you and whatever, it’s like… a release is so much more pressure and so much more build-up and it’s gotta be a whole strategy and this and that. And I just was like, ‘I don’t… I just want these to be out.’ So literally from then on, it was just like, ‘OK, well, let’s do ’em live, let’s do ’em on this tour, like the old days, and just do a song that’s not out and just have it be like a sweet, intimate fan moment during the show.’ We haven’t done that in, like, years, and so I was like, ‘Let’s just do what we used to do.’”

That echoes the statement Eilish shared alongside the new songs, writing, “Finneas and I really wanted these to be yours as soon as possible. So here they are!! Performing ‘TV’ on tour was such a highlight for us too, so we took the audio from the first night we played it in Manchester and put it in the song. I get shivers every time I hear it. Hope you love the songs and thank you for letting us share our music with you.”

Stream Guitar Songs below.

Ethel Cain‘s colossal debut Preacher’s Daughter immediately proved her as one of the most fascinating rising pop stars at the moment. She’s quickly gained a big, devoted following, and now she’s blessing them with a video for her much-loved track “American Teenager.”

“I was lucky enough to spend the weekend with one of my favorite people Silken Weinberg, who flew down to Florida and spent a couple days with me in my hometown, running around getting sunburnt and riding bikes to the high school football field in town,” Cain said about the video. “I dug my mom’s old cheerleading uniform out of the closet for the occasion. Looking at old pictures of my mom when she was my age cheering on that same football field was a huge inspiration when I was writing the song, so it only felt correct to play in her footsteps for the video. We shot it on the same camera we shot the ‘God’s Country’ video on, trying to avoid any strict rules and just have a good time and shoot what felt natural and true to the essence of the song.”

In the caption of the video on YouTube, Cain added in parentheses that she wanted to pay homage to “to the gods of midwest emo. American Football forever!”

Watch the video above.

Great news for anyone who loves some 19th-century gossip! The mysterious Lady Whistledown and her readers are gearing up for the third season of Bridgerton, which just began in London.

In a new video posted on Netflix’s social channels, the cast is seen preparing to film the highly-anticipated third season of the hit drama. Despite the monumental temperatures across the pond, the cast is decked out in their era-appropriate hairstyles, and each of them holds up three fingers to signify the upcoming third season.

The upcoming season will center on Penelope (played by the iconic Nicola Coughlin) and her love story with Colin (played by Luke Newton). Of course, she is also keeping a very monumental secret regarding the elusive Lady Whistledown…what could go wrong here?

Amongst the familiar faces are three new gentlemen who are probably competing to win the hearts of this season’s most eligible ladies (it is the 1800s, after all). The three new characters will include Harry Dankworth, a good-looking but painfully dim-witted character portrayed by James Phoon. According to People, what Dankworth “lacks in wit and intelligence, he more than makes up for with seriously good looks.”

Lord Debling on the other hand will play a mysterious new man with “unusual” interests, whatever that can possibly mean during the Regency era. Debling will be portrayed by The Crown’s Sam Phillips. Finally, Daniel Francis will play newcomer Marcus Anderson, the charismatic new character who “lights up any room he enters.”

With all of these new characters come new drama and conflict, but more importantly, great monologues about the power of love and all that good stuff, with some period-specific costumes. It should be the event of the season!

(Via People)

It’s impossible – and frankly, irresponsible — to imagine the John Wick franchise without Keanu Reeves. But as we learned yesterday, the dog-loving assassin was originally written for an elderly actor. Someone like Clint Eastwood was the top choice, but producer Basil Iwanyk eventually realized, “I’m not sure how I put this movie together. But the tone of the script for John Wick was subversive and really fun. It has a very clear emotional through line and a great premise for an action movie.”

It was a great premise for three action movies, actually. And soon, four.

Lionsgate has revealed the first look at John Wick: Chapter 4, the direct sequel to 2019’s John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum. The photo shows Reeves dressed in black and surrounded by candles, because his name is John Wick and candles have wicks, you see. There’s no reported budget for John Wick: Chapter 4, but if it’s $75 million, like Chapter 3, at least $20 million was spent on candles. Honestly? It was worth every cent.

John Wick: Chapter 4, which also stars Laurence Fishburne, Ian McShane, Lance Reddick, Rina Sawayama, Donnie Yen, Shamier Anderson, Bill Skarsgård, Hiroyuki Sanada, Scott Adkins, Clancy Brown, and hopefully the return of the Tick Tock Man, Jason Mantzoukas, opens on March 24, 2023.

Each week our staff of film and TV experts surveys the entertainment landscape to select the ten best new/newish shows available for you to stream at home. We put a lot of thought into our selections, and our debates on what to include and what not to include can sometimes get a little heated and feelings may get hurt, but so be it, this is an important service for you, our readers. With that said, here are our selections for this week.

Get more streaming recommendations with our weekly What To Watch newsletter.

10. (tie) For All Mankind (Apple TV Plus)

What we have here is an alternate history situation, one where the space race of the 1960s didn’t end, thanks in large part to Russia beating America to a handful of important achievements. The show is now in season three, so there’s plenty for you to dive into if you want, which you probably should, in part due to a bunch of space cowboys doing cool space cowboy things, and in part because all your television-obsessed friends won’t stop talking about it. Win-win. Watch it on Apple TV Plus.

10. Loot (Apple TV Plus)

One of the biggest problems with television these days is that there are not enough shows that star Maya Rudolph. That’s why it is nice to have Loot, an Apple series that stars Rudolph as a billionaire who learns how the rest of the world lives. It’s a good start. Maya Rudolph is the best. Watch it on Apple TV Plus.

9. Moonhaven (AMC Plus)

Good news for mankind: this show takes place 100 years from now when the Moon hosts a utopian colony. The bad news, though, is that there are shadowy forces at work and a conspiracy and a murder and all that jazz. So an intrepid pilot teams up with a detective, and we’ve got a sci-fi procedural vibe going on, which will hopefully be able to vanquish the evil at work. Emma McDonald, Dominic Monaghan, and Joe Manganiello star, but try not to think too hard about that Magic Mike XXL convenience store scene while you’re enjoying this gorgeous-looking show about the very fate of civilization. Watch it on AMC Plus.

8. Black Bird (Apple TV Plus)

There are a couple of reasons to watch Apple TV+ latest original, the prison drama Black Bird. First, it marks one of Ray Liotta’s final performances on-screen – here he plays a decorated cop who’s “not mad, just disappointed” that his son has followed in the footsteps of the criminals he once hunted. Second, it gives Taron Egerton, the guy who should’ve won that Oscar for a musical biopic about a Queer British icon, a chance to showcase his chops – the serious kind. Third, it’s based on an unbelievably true story about a guy named Jimmy Keene who wiped clean his 10-year sentence behind bars by getting reassigned to a maximum-security prison, buddying up to a criminally-insane serial killer, and eliciting a confession from the guy so that law enforcement could pin down all of his victims. Personally, we’d take the decade of commissary snacks and toilet paper rationing. Watch it on Apple TV Plus.

7. Everything’s Trash (Freeform/Hulu)

Phoebe Robinson gets the showcase she’s needed and deserved for a long time with this one, a show about a brash semi-famous podcaster who gets roped into running her brother’s political campaign. Robinson knows a little something about podcasting from her run as a co-host of 2 Dope Queens, so one assumes there is gold to be mined there. This one is cool on a number of levels. Watch it on Hulu.

6. Stranger Things 4 (Netflix)

The second chunk of the fourth season of Stranger Things doesn’t have the same hefty episode count as the first but it is still, in a word, epic. And that’s not because of its cinematic runtimes. Well, not entirely. It is partially due to the cinematic runtimes. But all those minutes are packed with all of the 80s nostalgia, Dungeons and Dragons references, demonic possessions, prison breaks, rink parties, and secret government experiments you could ask for. Who knows what song from the 1980s it will rocket to the top of the charts next. But, no matter what takes place (or who doesn’t make it out alive?), the joy of this season is watching the rest of these weirdos and misfits band together to save each other … and themselves. Watch it on Netflix.

5. The Last Movie Stars (HBO Max)

Through an examination of recovered tapes made for an abandoned memoir and conversations with many of his own contemporaries, Ethan Hawke explores the life, career, and 50-year marriage of iconic actors Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. Having spoken briefly with Hawke about the project a few months ago (and about Newman’s late career brilliance), it’s clear that this will read as a passion project from the ever-busy and intellectually curious actor/storyteller. Watch it on HBO Max.

4. Rap Sh!t (HBO Max)

Rap Sh!t is the latest show from issa Rae and, as such and as you expect, it is extremely good and extremely on-point. The story follows to estranged Miami high school students who reunite to form a rap group, and is just littered with everything you’d expect to see given that description, as well as a fair amount you probably did not expect to see. It’s a good time. Get in there. Watch it on HBO Max.

3. The Rehearsal (HBO Max)

Nathan Fielder is back with another show that toes the line between awkward and brilliant. His first go-round was Nathan for You, the Comedy Central series where he “helped” people “fix” their businesses. Now he’s got this project, in which he “helps” people plan out conversations and various personal interactions in very, very deep detail. It’s a lot and it’s hard to explain on paper (please do imagine Nathan Fielder pitching this to a confused HBO executive), but it also sounds like a perfectly imagined Nathan Fielder show. Worth a shot. Watch it on HBO Max

2. What We Do in the Shadows (FX/Hulu)

The good news here is that the vampires are back. The bad is that… well, there’s not really any bad news. How could there be? This show remains relentlessly fun and silly in a way that almost feels like they’re getting away with something, like someone in charge stopped paying attention and they’re just running wild in their own little sandbox. This is, to be clear, a compliment of the highest order. One of our best shows is back and still humming along in peak form. This is worth celebrating. Watch it on FX/Hulu.

1. Better Call Saul (AMC Plus)

There’s so much we know and so much we don’t know about what’s on the other side of Better Call Saul‘s finale. So much anxiety over what happens to Kim Wexler and, ultimately, what happens to Jimmy/Saul after the events of Breaking Bad. But as the season premiere demonstrated, the thrill is in the journey (with surprising turns, masterful storytelling, and gripping visuals), not just in the destination, meaning sit back, relax, and try and enjoy the shooting star that is this all-time best series’ final notes. Watch it on AMC Plus.

Each week our staff of film and TV experts surveys the entertainment landscape to select the ten best new/newish movies available for you to stream at home. We put a lot of thought into our selections, and our debates on what to include and what not to include can sometimes get a little heated and feelings may get hurt, but so be it, this is an important service for you, our readers. With that said, here are our selections for this week.

10. (tie) On the Count of Three (VOD)

Jerrod Carmichael is having a moment, garnering all the praise for his revealing and powerful HBO special (Rothaniel, watch it again!), a great turn as SNL host, and now, for the release of his festival fave narrative directorial debut, On The Count Of Three. But, of course, you knew Carmichael was a force from his previous specials and The Carmichael Show. You’re just happy to see everyone else catch up and, with this film, get the chance to see Carmichael flex his dramatic muscles opposite Christopher Abbott as two friends trying to get the most out of the last moments before they execute each other as a part of a suicide pact. Track it down on your VOD service of choice.

10. (tie) Ambulance (Peacock)

Ambulance has everything you could want in an action movie: frenetic pacing, adrenaline-soaked chase scenes, Michael Bay doing everything at once, hot explosive nonsense, Jake Gyllenhaal as a villainous psychopath with crazy eyes, an ambulance, etc. It’s basically perfect, if this is the type of thing you’re looking for, which you probably are on a Friday or Saturday night. Make some popcorn or order a pizza and get in there. Watch it on Peacock.

10. (tie) Cha Cha Real Smooth (Apple TV Plus)

Everybody clap your hands for Cha Cha Real Smooth, the second feature from writer and director Cooper Raiff. He also stars in the comedy-drama as a recent college graduate with an aimless life until he finds a job (bar/bat mitzvah “party starter”) and friends (a suburban mom played by Dakota Johnson and her autistic teenage daughter). It sounds like Indie Movie Trope Overload, but Cha Cha Real Smooth is a real charmer, with a heartfelt performance from Johnson. Watch it on Apple TV Plus.

10. (tie) Fire Island (Hulu)

Bowen Yang may be the best talent to emerge from Saturday Night Live in years – a fact underscored by the recent departure of comedy greats like Kate McKinnon and Aidy Bryant – but he’s not the only reason this sweet and silly gay romcom works. A BIG reason, sure, but not the only one. There’s also Margaret Cho playing a loopy lesbian house mom, a setting that allows a group of Queer misfits to find a sense of belonging amidst MDMA hazes and pulse-pounding raves, and a central love story that borrows from the period romance wellspring of one Jane Austen. It’s a booze-infused Pride & Prejudice in short swim trunks for the gays and the theys, but the fact that it works so damn well is also proof that the romcom genre should be welcoming more Queer and minority romantic leads into its ranks. Watch it on Hulu.

9. The Sea Beast (Netflix)

“A little girl boards a boat captained by a legendary hunter of sea monsters” is a plot that could work for almost any genre of movie, from action to horror to, apparently, in this case, a cute animated movie for kids. Netflix doesn’t have the track record of, say, a Disney/Pixar operation when it comes to these things, but they sure do appear to be trying. Sea monsters are a decent place to start. Watch it on Netflix.

8. Hustle (Netflix)

Adam Sandler plays a scout for the Philadelphia 76ers who discovers a raw but promising player in Spain. Hijinks ensue. Kind of. It’s more of a dramedy than, say, Jack & Jill, but it’s still Sandler doing his thing. Basketball fans will no doubt be just as interested in the action as they will be picking out all the cameos by NBA stars. It looks like a good time. Watch it on Netflix.

7. Jerry and Marge Go Large (Paramount Plus)

Bryan Cranston and Annette Bening play a married couple who discover a loophole in the state lottery and use it to win millions and millions of dollars. There should be more movies like this. Hundreds of them, probably. But this is a good start. Watch it on Paramount Plus.

6. The Man From Toronto (Netflix)

Kevin Hart, Woody Harrelson, and Kaley Cuoco team up for a comedy about mistaken identity and assassins and probably a few other things, but mostly those. The fuller description looks like this: A loser from Pennsylvania wakes up on vacation and is somehow assumed to be a world-famous contract killer. Hijinks, presumably, ensue. Watch it on Netflix.

5. Don’t Make Me Go (Amazon Prime)

Though we get distracted by countless other pursuits, true connection with the ones we love stands as our ultimate pursuit, weighted by its impact and the clock that ticks loudly, making it impossible for us to ignore. Don’t Make Me Go is the kind of movie that takes those truths head on, blessing us with the always delightful John Cho as a father faced with his own mortality and the incomplete task of connecting with raising his teenage daughter; something he tries to do with the tried and true diversion of a long road trip. Watch it on Amazon Prime.

4. Beavis and Butt-Head Do The Universe (Paramount Plus)

Beavis and Butt-head debuted on MTV something like 30 years ago and is still, somehow, against truly staggering odds, still going strong, with this movie sending them to the cosmos and other projects in the works down the line, too. It’s good news, to be sure, but please do imagine telling someone from like 1997 that these two would still be around in 2022 and would be going to space. It would be almost as shocking as the thing where time travel was apparently invented. Watch it on Paramount Plus.

3. Anything’s Possible (Amazon Prime)

Billy Porter directs a sweet coming-of-age story centered around a trans high school senior named Kelsa who is attempting to navigate… well, all of that. It’s all very sweet and very heartfelt and very Gen Z and it could make for some nice weekend movie if you’re feeling up for a little cry. Who isn’t, sometimes, you know? Watch it on Amazon Prime.

2. The Bob’s Burgers Movie (Hulu)

Bob’s Burgers creator Loren Bouchard insisted on The Bob’s Burgers Movie getting a theatrical release instead of being plopped directly on streaming. He was right to do so: The Bob’s Burgers Movie is, like the show itself, an absolute delight with lovely animation, fun fan service, and catchy songs (it’s also Disney’s first hand-drawn 2D animated movie in over a decade). If you didn’t catch it in theaters, however, you can now enjoy “Sunny Side Up Summer” at home. Might I suggest pairing it with an Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weenie Yellow Polka-Dot Zucchini Burger. Watch it on Hulu.

1. The Gray Man (Netflix)

The Gray Man is: Trash-staches. Ryan Gosling as a himbo assassin. Psychotic Chris Evans. A spy thriller. An on-the-run adventure. Trains. Butt-shots. Ana de Armas with a bob cut. And action courtesy of the Russo brothers. In other words, The Gray Man is a hell of a good time and a worthy blockbuster movie night for those wanting to stay on the couch. Watch it on Netflix.

The hashtag #BoycottWalgreens is going around Twitter after the company’s questionable practices when it comes to distributing birth control methods got called out by angry customers online.

Earlier this month, a woman named Jessica Pentz tried to purchase condoms at a Walgreens location in Wisconsin but was refused by a male employee who told Pentz he couldn’t sell her the condoms because it went against his religious beliefs. Pentz’s partner shared the strange interaction on Twitter which has since prompted more people to come forward with their own stories of Walgreens employees refusing to issue medication and forms of birth control because of their “faith.”

One Twitter user shared that the chain had sent her a box filled with baby formula after she purchased a pregnancy test. In her post, she shared that the test was taken at the request of her doctor but noted that she bought the test with her Walgreen’s rewards card which meant the company must be selling her information to Enfamil, the makers of the formula box. Even more disturbing, the box came free of charge during a national formula shortage that’s hitting low-income mothers hard.

Another Walgreens customer posted a TikTok video claiming that the pharmacist on duty — a woman with “two crosses hanging from her neck” — refused to fill her prescription for birth control despite having refills approved by her doctor’s office. The young woman was reportedly told she had no refills left, then told her birth control was delayed, then told it was out of stock. Walgreens spokesperson Kris Lathan told Newsweek that instances of employees denying medications and other products to customers based on their religious beliefs are “very rare” but that the company supports employees exercising their “religious freedoms.”

“Our policies are designed to ensure we meet the needs of our patients and customers while respecting the religious and moral beliefs of our team members,” he said.

The company also has a history of donating hundreds of thousands of dollars to organizations that are infringing on people’s moral beliefs — just not the ones they support. Walgreens has given nearly half a million dollars to anti-abortion groups. They’ve also bankrolled 11 members of the Sedition Caucus — the Congressmen who refused to certify President Joe Biden’s 2020 election win. It seems fairly clear where their priorities lie, especially in the wake of the Supreme Court’s Roe reversal.

(Via PopSugar & Newsweek)