Ever since Desus and Mero parted ways and effectively ended their acclaimed Showtime series, fans have been asking questions. The comedy duo started working together in 2013 before landing a series on Vice three years later, then moved to Showtime in 2019. After four seasons, the pair decided to end their partnership, though it doesn’t seem like there is a ton of bad blood between them (probably).
Mero stopped by the Dan Le Batard show, where he addressed the rumors as to why the Showtime show ended. “It was more produced [than Vice] but at the same time, this is a show that doesn’t need that much. The heart and soul of the show is the banter and the POV, the back and forth.”
Over the summer, Desus and Mero made headlines when they announced that they would be embarking on other projects. Many thought that this was because of personal beef between the two, but Mero says it was because of the studio.
“It was more produced but at the same time, this is a show that doesn’t need that much. The heart and soul of the show is the banter and the POV.” – @THEKIDMERO on the differences between his old show – Desus and Mero – at Showtime, compared to Vice and why it felt different. pic.twitter.com/TKn11BHFHT
“Vice was like Sarah Lawrence compared to some ivy league school,” Mero said that the two companies were so drastically different, that it was harder to control where their show was going. “Vice was a very small crew. If I had any issues, I could go, literally, it was three floors. Vice was a totally different kind of setup and workflow. When you get to the big machine, people wanna put their fingerprints on stuff.”
This is the explanation that we could expect coming from two former best friends who seemingly had a falling out. At the end of the day, Mero said the direction of the show was just out of their hands. “It’s above me. I was just the guy on the show.” Still, it’s a shame we won’t get any more videos of Mero crushing apples with his bare hands.
Here’s an inspiring story for the masses: scandal-plagued actress Lori Loughlin got a job. Loughlin, who broke out in the 1990s on the family sitcom Full House was sentenced to two months in prison back in 2020 as a result of the 2019 college admissions scandal. In 2020, Loughlin pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud. But against all odds, she’s acting again. Deadlinereports that Loughlin has been cast as the lead in Fall Into Winter, a romantic comedy for Great American Family. The film starts shooting next month and is expected to come out in January 2023, which is depressingly soon.
Here’s a description of Fall Into Winter, in case you are curious but not curious enough to sit through the motion picture: Loughlin plays Keely, a woman who is floored when her brother sells her family-owned candy shop to her nemesis. Now entwined, the two have to adjust to change and work out their differences. Fall Into Winter isn’t Loughlin’s first acting gig since coming out of prison. She reprised the role of Abigail Stanton in a Christmas special for the series When Hope Calls for the Hallmark Channel last year.
“Lori is a genre-defining star that I have had the honor to call a close friend and collaborator for more than 15 years,” said Bill Abbott, President and CEO of Great American Media, per Deadline. “We have a shared vision for creating meaningful and memorable movies that resonate with our passionate fans, and I look forward to welcoming her back to Great American Family to anchor our 2023 winter programming slate.”
It’s unclear why or how Loughlin is genre-defying, except maybe the fact that she is the only known Hallmark star who conspired to get her daughters into college using illegal tactics and served time in prison for it.
Alex Jones is back in court for yet another defamation lawsuit from Sandy Hook parents, and as before, he’s proving to be his own worst enemy. On Thursday, Jones was grilled by the plaintiff’s team for calling the judge a “tyrant” and giving her laser eyes in a recent video. Keep in mind, the judge in question was sitting directly next to Jones, who went back and forth between being smugly proud of himself and blaming others for the video.
“Ever since this trial started, you’ve been calling it a kangaroo court yourself, right? And you’ve called this judge a tyrant, correct?” the plaintiff’s attorney asked Jones who responded, “Only when they act like it.” However, the InfoWars host was not willing to take the fall for the laser eyes image that ran on his show. Apparently, mock images is where Jones draws the line?
“One way that you’ve been conveying to your audience that Judge Bellis has been acting like a tyrant is by showing her with lasers coming out of her eyes, right? You know you did that?” asked Mattei.
“I didn’t direct that, the first time I saw it was in court,” said Jones.
Jones’ case was not helped when the image was shown to the entire courtroom baring the InfoWars logo. But at this point, the conspiracy monger is fully committed to turning the entire trial into a circus. Previously, Jones appeared outside the courtroom and screamed at reporters by accusing them of being part of a corporatist media plot to make it look he profited off from his Sandy Hook theories more than he did. Perhaps, later, Jones can give them all laser eyes.
Hollywood likes to think that it has moved past treating women terribly since the MeToo movement in 2017, but that continues to be far from the truth. It turns out that one movement did not stop all men from being a bit gross. Actor and director Bryce Dallas Howard revealed in an interview with Metrothat she was asked to lose weight for her role in Jurassic World: Dominion.Howard told Metro that her weight was a topic of discussion amongst studio executives, but that director Colin Trevorrow stepped in and shut down the conversation over whether or not a person should lose weight for a dumb dinosaur movie.
“What being in this third film allowed, how do I say this, how do I say this, how do I say this…[I’ve] been asked to not use my natural body in cinema,” Howard told Metro. “On the third movie, it was actually because there were so many women cast, it was something that Colin felt very strongly about in terms of protecting me…because the conversation came up again, ‘We need to ask Bryce to lose weight.’”
“[Trevorrow] was like, ‘There are lots of different kinds of women on this planet and there are lots of different kinds of women in our film,’” Howard said. “I got to do so many stunts that wouldn’t have been possible if I had been dieting. I’m really thrilled [at] all the action I got to do, and I got to do it with my body, she was at her maximum strength, and I hope it is just yet another indication of what’s possible.”
Now, you’d think an advertisement for Confess, Fletch would write itself. Something along the lines of, “From the director who brought you Superbad and Adventureland, and Jon Hamm, the co-star of the biggest movie of the year, comes … Fletch!” But, no, there’s been almost no marketing for Confess, Fletch at all. Which is surprising for a few reasons. But, mostly, because Fletch is a character that filmmakers have been trying to get back into theaters for over 30 years, and until now, failing. And, also, this is a movie that critics love, currently sitting at 85 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Yet, I still see an occasional tweet like, “Wait, there’s a new Fletch movie out?” (Look, this is my job and even I didn’t realize until right before this interview with Mottola that Confess, Fletch was actually in movie theaters and not only a digital download.) So, what gives?
As you’ll read ahead, Greg Mottola pulled off somewhat of a miracle to get Confess, Fletch even made. But even he doesn’t quite understand what’s going on right now with the lack of marketing. Even more frustrating, this was exactly the movie he wanted to make and the reviews are great … yet people don’t even seem to realize they can go to a movie theater right now and watch it. Anyway, he hopes you, somehow, get the word that it’s out there and, the people who have seen it seem to be enjoying it.
So what is going on here?
You didn’t notice the zero marketing?
Oh, I did notice the zero marketing. Coupled with all the positive reviews, I don’t understand.
It’s weird.
Yes, it is.
I’m not going to lie. It’s pretty weird. I’ll try and explain from my side of things, what’s going on: Basically, the project started with Jon Hamm coming to me and saying Miramax has the rights to all the books except the first one. Unbeknownst to Miramax, Jon, when he saw the first one back in the day, he went to read the book it was based on because he loved it so much and then found out, oh, there’s more than one. And he, according to him, stole them – whatever copies there were from a Walden Books at a mall. A shoplifter.
In the meantime, even before Jon had approached me, a writer, Zev Borow, had been hired to adapt Confess, Fletch, which Jon thought was the most interesting one to try and crack. So I said, I’m into it – then turned in a script that felt like a really, really great, funny script for Chevy Chase, but not for Jon. Zev loves the original Fletch and he really just, I think, wrote his fan fiction of the Fletch script. And while it had a lot of really good stuff in it, it didn’t really have the tone that Jon and I had been talking about. So I took over the script, and brought in characters and elements from the book, and tried to turn it more into this kind of comedy of manners – very talky, verbal comedy – as opposed to the more straightforward slapstick comedy and all the other things. I was very intentionally not putting in the things that I see a lot of in comedy today, which is a lot of pop culture references.
So, I finished a draft, and Bill Block at Miramax has been the champion of this project since the beginning. I don’t blame anything about the release of this movie on him. He’s tried everything he could try. Basically, he said, “Up to a certain amount of money, I can fully finance this film,” but it was the kind of amount of money that would mean 27 days of shooting, which seemed especially challenging. So we looked for partners on the movie, and everyone passed. Everyone said, “I don’t know that this kind of comedy works in this day and age.” They just had a kind of like, “Who’s Fletch? I don’t think anyone cares anymore.”
So, basically, what we did is John gave back 60 percent of his salary to the budget. I gave back some of my salary, not as much as Jon because he’s richer than me and I’ve got three kids. And we bought three more days of shooting. We got it up to 30 days in Boston and one day in Rome. And we said, fuck it, we’re insane, we’re dumb. We’re going to make this movie. And then Miramax really supported us, creatively. They didn’t fight us on people we wanted to cast.
It seems like you made the movie you wanted to make, too.
I really did make the movie I wanted to make. Basically, Bill Block was like, “If you can get in for this number, I’m going to let you guys do your thing.” So, we finished it and Bill shopped it around to a lot of different people, studios, and streamers … and nobody wanted it.
There’s so much stuff out there, yet no one would want the movie people have been trying to get made for 25 years?
It was depressing.
And now no one wants it. How is this possible?
It was really depressing. I was kind of like, yeah, I think we actually cracked it. I wanted it to feel a little more adult and a little more character dialogue driven, which is just something I love. And I see a lot of things that make me laugh, but often take place purely in comedy worlds. And I thought, well, let’s do the thing that movies institute, which is to straddle a genre…and try and find an interesting tone for it.
I spent a lot of time wondering, should I approach Chevy Chase to be in it? I spent time with Chevy, we did a table read. This is logically the time to ask the man to show up. And then talking about it with Jon, we just felt, ultimately, it just seemed like it was going to make it harder for it to be its own thing. If there are too many Easter eggs, if there are too many links? And I’m also personally a little tired of movies that rely too heavily on nostalgia. Plus, there wasn’t a great role for him. We didn’t want to just walk through the movie and distract everyone. If I wanted him to be in it, I wanted to give him something really good to do. And the only other challenge, which you may or may not know of, is that the beloved character of Flynn who’s in the novel? The rights were separated by the estate. Miramax would have had to pay more money for us to have included the Flynn character because he’s in a series of other books.
What a wild web you’ve got yourself involved in, just trying to make a nice Fletch movie.
I really feel like, yeah, it was really threading the needle, trying to make this thing work. And yeah, Jon and I were like, I think there’s an audience for this. And then we were told no, we don’t think so. We got a lot of, yeah, in a different time, a couple of years ago we would’ve bought this, but we’re making our own stuff and we don’t need it. And believe me, I’m glad Paramount’s doing something with the movie, because I really didn’t know what was going to happen. And I thought most likely we would go straight to streaming no matter what, because there are so few movies, like medium small comedies in theaters anyway.
Still, you’d think maybe a couple of commercials might help.
I have encountered millennials and younger who don’t know what Fletch is.
They didn’t know Maverick (from Top Gun) before this year either.
Our aerial photography wasn’t quite as impressive. We did make the film for a number, and all in, it was a $20 million film. Enough money that Miramax obviously wanted to make it back, but there was a road they could have taken of going to selling rights around the world, and letting a smaller company distribute it. And it turned into this sort of hybrid token theatrical distribution with no real support. And on demand at the same time. And I don’t know yet, but I think on-demand is going okay, and then it will be on Showtime. So I really feel like this is a product of: nobody knows what works at the moment and they’re trying stuff out, but it is very weird for me.
In about a year everyone will have seen this movie. It’s getting word of mouth.
Yeah. My wife, she’s been keeping me from Twitter because she doesn’t want me to get obsessed, but she’s looking and she keeps sending me the nice ones. And she’s getting the same way as you’re saying. She’s like, “What the hell is going on?” Yeah, it makes me sad. It makes me sad about what we’re going to get to see in movie theaters. Because I have nothing against superhero movies, tent-pole films. They’re great. They’re fucking great. I just want the rest of the stuff we use to have, too. And that’s my frustration as a movie lover. And I love art house films probably more than anything. If I could get someone to give me money for one I wrote that I’d love to make, hopefully, I’ll get that distributed by an A24. But it’s just … it’s weird. It’s sort of the middle ground of Hollywood. When the blockbuster was sold out, you’d go to another screen at the multiplex and see this and go, “Oh, I’m glad I saw that.”
It’s really interesting to hear you talk about this because you always hear that they don’t make movies for this budget anymore. And it’s like, well, what if they did? And you’re kind of telling the experience of, okay, we did and here’s how it works and it’s not pleasant.
Yeah, it’s not. I really don’t have any issue with my distributor. I think they can’t see a way around how to make that profitable as a theatrical experience, without just spending more money to buy it to box office. That doesn’t make sense.
But there haven’t really been movies. So, Confess, Fletch coming out in mid-August would’ve been perfect with the campaign to be like, “Hey, from the director of Adventureland and Superbad, and one of the stars of the biggest movie of the year… now he’s Fletch!” I don’t understand why that’s so hard.
Yeah. I can’t really argue with that. It felt a little, at the various junctures we were trying to show in the script or the movie, it was kind of like, yeah, too late. The window for that is closed. And it was like, yeah, but the window for entertainment hasn’t closed. Is that not still a thing?
So what happens now?
Yeah. I don’t either. Bill Block, once again, he’s been really loyal to this. He’s actually hired me to write a sequel. Will it ever get made? I’m not sure.
Okay, that’s a positive sign that, at least in the early stages, he’s interested.
He loves the movie and he’s the one who said, from the beginning, people will want this. And then he was in the same boat as the rest of us. Why don’t they seem to agree with us?
With the positive reviews for this one, maybe the next one will get some promotion?
Yeah, I know. Or maybe it will end up on a streamer, but at least promoted on a streamer with publicity.
Which one are you writing next?
Fletch’s Fortune. And Fletch’s Fortune all takes place at a journalism conference, so I’ve got lots of ideas how to bring that into all the insane worlds of today.
Well, I’m glad you’re not the only one baffled by what’s going on here. I have no stake in this, and I’m like, what is going on here?
Well, so you’re the first person I talked to since it was “released.” I was told I bet you’re going to get questions about this, about how it got released. I’m like, yeah, I’m going to tell the truth.
You are test subject A on how to release a mid-budget, IP-driven movie in 2022, and it’s hard.
Yeah. Or how not to do it.
‘Confess, Fletch’ is currently in theaters and streaming via VOD. You can contact Mike Ryan directly on Twitter.
Sauvignon Blanc may not have been the first wine you ever tried but it’s likely one of your go-to grapes now – and it’s not really surprising as to why. Crisp, refreshing, and — let’s face it — extremely fun to say, this native French variety plays a massive role in a handful of regions’ white wine productions, from the Loire Valley to New Zealand and beyond. And really, what’s not to love? Known for its bright, fruit-driven flavor profiles laden with zippy acidity, Sauvignon Blanc is the perfect pick for pairing with fresh salads, cheeses, and a variety of happy hour snacks (yes, even those “hard to pair” vegetables everyone talks about).
However, in the world of affordable Sauvignon Blanc—and really affordable wine in general—not all wines are created equal. Many affordable wines, particularly those beneath the $12-$15 price point, are crafted using mass-produced winemaking techniques and subpar fruit, both of which seriously impact the final quality in the bottle. On the bright side, there are plenty of delicious, hidden value gems to be found.
Ready to up your game without breaking the bank? Dive into our list of the 10 best Sauvignon Blancs under $20 right now. All options below are available in retail shops across the United States, as well as via major online retailers (think Wine.com) for delivery. Your palate (and wallet) will thank us later.
Never had a Chilean Sauvignon Blanc before? Truthfully, there aren’t a ton that we’d recommend, though Lapostolle is a pleasant exception. Founded in 1994 by Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle (yes, of the same family behind Grand Marnier) and her husband, this pioneering estate has paved the way for organic, site-specific farming in Chile’s Apalta Valley.
Clearly, the founder’s family is no stranger to the fine wine and booze biz, though this South American venture is their first in the southern hemisphere.
Tasting Notes:
Two words: savory and citrus. A pale yellow-green in the glass, this highly aromatic wine bursts with flavors of lemon, grapefruit, and hints of savory spice (tarragon, oregano) and a touch of grass – the blend here is technically Sauvignon Blanc dominant at 85%, with Sémillon and Sauvignon Gris rounding out the last 15%.
Bottom Line:
In a sea of mass-produced Chilean Sauvignon Blanc, this value-driven bottle absolutely shines – and female winemaker Andrea León is a total badass.
Sauvignon Blanc lovers are likely no strangers to the Loire Valley. Home to some of the world’s most prestigious and age-worthy expressions of the grape (hello, Sancerre), this northwesterly French wine region is beloved by long-standing critics and novice consumers alike Domaine de la Chaise’s Touraine-based roots date back to 1850. Today, the estate is spearheaded by Christophe Davault, who manages the property’s 57 hectares of vines. The estate is best known for its affordable, vibrant wines that seriously deliver on the quality-to-price spectrum.
Tasting Notes:
Contrary to the grassy notes commonly found in Sauvignon Blanc, this fruit-driven expression from Domaine de la Chaise is all things passion fruit, apricot, white peach, and hints of apricot. Sip with white fish or poultry for a tasty dinnertime pairing.
Bottom Line:
While you’re not going to find Sancerre at the sub-$20 price point, looking to well-made expressions of Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley—specifically Touraine—offer a great alternative.
New Zealand and Sauvignon Blanc go hand in hand. Based in Marlborough, Mohua was founded in 2009 and remains owned and operated by the same family today. All wines are produced on the country’s South Island from sustainably-farmed fruit. The project is named for New Zealand’s beloved Mohua bird, which is only found in remote areas of the country’s rainforests; the winery prides itself on its role in aiding the species’ conservation.
Tasting Notes:
If tropical and juicy AF is your vibe, then this affordable Sauvignon Blanc is for you. The wine is all things pineapple, dried mango, and guava, with hints of lemon-lime and grass streaking through on the finish.
Bottom Line:
New Zealand’s reputation for cheap, mass-produced Sauvignon Blanc isn’t entirely inaccurate – though the country is peppered with hidden gems (like this one from Mohua) that are worth seeking out.
Located not too far from Domaine de la Chaise, the Domaine de la Rochette winery is a fourth-generation winery focused on sustainably-farmed wines from local Loire Valley varieties. Now spearheaded by Vincent Leclair, the estate comprises 50 hectares of vineyards and has completely eschewed the use of insecticides (some of the plots are organically farmed). The winery was one of the first twelve in the region to bottle under the recently added Chenonceaux appellation (established in 2011) and is known for its fresh, steel-vinified wines that overdeliver for the price point.
Tasting Notes:
Prefer your Sauvignon Blanc on the more herbaceous side of things? Then this ripe and floral-tinged expression from Touraine is for you. Expect flavors of tropical fruits, pithy citrus, and freshly cut grass to lead to a lingering, acid-forward finish.
Bottom Line:
Leclair explained to his distributor, David Bowler, that Sauvignon Blanc from Touraine can actually be more approachable than that of Sancerre, as the climate is warmer and yields are generally lower. We say taste and see for yourself!
Domaine Tariquet is located in Gascony, otherwise known as the capital of Cognac and Armagnac. Founded in 1912, the estate has been in the Grassa family for over 20 years, who sustainably manage their vineyards and produce wines exclusively from estate-grown fruit. The winery’s ideal location benefits from an oceanic climate and well-draining soils, which provide an optimal home for cultivating Sauvignon Blanc. Additionally, the estate rarely bottles their wines over a 12% ABV mark, and closes all wines with easy–to-open screwcap closures.
Tasting Notes:
Herbal, herbal, herbal. This savory, food-friendly Sauvignon Blanc is perfect for those seeking a food-friendly, saline-tinged expression of the grape. Expect flavors of green apple, underripe melon, and a hint of crushed stones to lead to a briny, palate-cleansing finish.
Bottom Line:
France’s South West area is generally regarded for its Cognac and Armagnac productions, though its frequently overlooked wine scene is definitely worth discovering – especially if zesty Sauvignon Blanc or boisterous red blends are your vibe.
Delicious, well-made natural wine for under $20? Sign us up. Founded by Iowa native Chris Christiansen, this Sebastopol-based project produces wines from sustainably-farmed fruit across northern California. Winemaking is minimal intervention, with only native yeasts and minimal SO2 used.
As an African American vintner, in addition to making world-class wine, Chris works tirelessly to promote inclusion and diversity throughout the wine industry. He also offers mentorship opportunities at his winery. Fun fact: Chris’ overarching brand, called Bodkin Wines, is named after a battle from the Hundred Years War.
Tasting Notes:
Honeyed and smooth is the name of the game here. Flavors of tropical fruits, guava, grilled peaches, and a hint of banana lead to a soft-yet-thirst-quneching finish.
Bottom Line:
Natural wine is a whole beast to break down, but in short, finding one of this quality at such a price point is a serious win-win. We wouldn’t be surprised if this wine jumps in price soon – justifiably so, given the juice inside the bottle.
Born at the Serestin Estate in Marlborough, New Zealand, MOMO is all about making personality-forward wines that are bright, vibrant, and crafted with minimal intervention. Winemaker Tamra Kelly-Washington has been at the helm of production since 2018 and continues to carry on the tradition and sustainability-focused mentality of founder Michael Seresin.
All fruit at MOMO is cultivated under organic and biodynamic farming principles.
Tasting Notes:
Think of MOMO Sauvignon Blanc as the Goldilocks expression of the grape, it strikes the perfect balance between juicy, herbaceous, and fruit-forward. Exotic fruit flavors coupled with notes of kiwi, lemongrass, and savory herbs lead to a ripe and punchy finish.
In short, it’s just right.
Bottom Line:
Seresin is one of the most highly regarded producers in all of New Zealand. Momo means “offspring” in the local Maori language, hence the name behind this second-label project from this top-notch New Zealand based winery. The wine is bright, zesty, and incredibly easy to drink.
Based in—you guessed it, Marlborough, New Zealand—Nautilus has been pioneering the country’s quality-focused wine scene since 1985. At the time, only about 80 wineries existed in the country – a number which has since grown by nearly tenfold today. All fruit at Nautilus comes from sun-drenched vineyards on the country’s South Island, which are rooted in alluvial soils along the Wairau River.
Winemaker Clive Jones has been spearheading winemaking since 1998, with the country’s signature Sauvignon Blanc at the foundation of the winery’s production.
Tasting Notes:
Grapefruit, smoke, and fleshy stone fruit collide in this concentrated, mouth-watering wine from Nautilus. Unlike the expressions above, the smoky undertones found in this wine give it a savory push, which finishes long and strong thanks to the wine’s ample amounts of acidity.
Bottom Line:
Leave all of the “Bays” (Oyster, Cloudy, etc.) behind and stick with Nautilus’ Sauvignon Blanc. It’s way cheaper, tastier, and provides 1,000 times more quality for the price.
Francois Chidaine is undeniably one of the most talented white wine producers in all of France. Although generally better known for his Chenin-based wines from Montlouis and Vouvray, this Loire-based vigneron’s Sauvignon Blanc is equally worth discovering. Chidaine’s Sauvignon Blanc comes from the low-yielding vines in Chissay-en-Touraine and Saint-Julien-de-Chédon, two villages located less than seven miles away from the estate’s home in Montlouis, as well as purchased fruit from other trusted growers.
Chidaine uses native yeasts for fermentation and fully embraces lees aging, which adds texture and weight to the wine’s body.
Tasting Notes:
Forget the grass. This Sauvignon Blanc is ripe, concentrated, and all about the fruit. Flavors of stone fruit, citrus, grapefruit rind, and crushed rocks lead to an impressively long and zingy finish. Sip it with goat cheese for an out-of-this-world pairing.
Bottom Line:
We said it before and we’ll say it again – you won’t find Sancerre for less than 20 bucks, though well-made wines from Touraine are a seriously value-driven alternative. Blind taste your Sancerre-loving friends on this entry-level bottle from Chidaine; we guarantee at least a few will be convinced.
Elizabeth Spencer is the brainchild of Elizabeth Pressler and Spencer Graham, two California-based wine industry employees whose passion dates back to the early 90s. After enjoying wine together for a number of years, the pair finally began crafting their own bottles in 1998, founded the brand the following year, and started selling to the masses in 2000. Self-proclaimed “partners in life and partners in wine,” this dynamic duo produces pure and precise wines rooted in balance. Best of all, between the two of them, the pair has produced wines from every AVA in Napa Valley, rendering them experts in northern California viticulture.
Tasting Notes:
Vibrant, tangy, and unbelievably balanced – no wonder this wine scored our top spot! Expect flavors of grapefruit, gooseberry, peach skin, passionfruit, and a hint of white flowers to lead to a complex and satisfying finish. Fruit comes from three organically-farmed vineyard sites and is vinified entirely in steel so as to preserve freshness, then lees aged to add texture to the wine’s final body.
Bottom Line:
Elizabeth Spencer is nothing short of brilliant. Old vines, lees aging, and meticulous attention to vinification are just a few reasons that this wine garnered our number 1 spot.
Oh, and did we mention the actually-in-balance alcohol level? This is a true gem and an absolute diamond for the price.
Ever since Nintendo announced that Chris Pratt will voice Mario in a still-untitled Mario movie, fans of the video game franchise and/or Italian plumbers in general have been worried. Will Chris Pratt mimic the let’s a-go enthusiasm of Mario in the games, or will he sound like, well, Chris Pratt? Which is to say: Garfield.
The Parks and Recreation star claims that his Mario voice is “unlike anything you’ve ever heard,” while producer Chris Melandandri thinks the negative response to Pratt’s casting will “evaporate” once people heard it. We’ll find out soon enough: the Mario movie teaser trailer will premiere at New York Comic Con on October 6th.
Join us October 6th at 4pm ET for the teaser trailer premiere of Nintendo & Illumination’s upcoming Super Mario Bros. film, releasing April 7, 2023. pic.twitter.com/1jEFnlvCnU
You think the response to the original Sonic design was ugly? Just wait if Pratt’s Mario voice doesn’t go over well. Maybe he nails it, who knows, but it’s also not too late to cast Matt Berry… in every movie, actually, but let’s stick with the Mushroom Kingdom for now.
The Mario movie, which also stars Anya Taylor-Joy as Peach, Charlie Day as Luigi, Jack Black as Bowser, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong, Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong, Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek, and Charles Martinet (the one true Mario voice actor) in an undisclosed role, opens on April 7, 2023.
In July, Rico Nasty unveiled her explosive new album Las Ruinas to follow up her critically-acclaimed debut Nightmare Vacation which arrived in 2020. Las Ruinas arrived after she rolled out infectious singles like “Blow Me,” “Intrusive,” and “Black Punk,” which quickly built up the anticipation for the record. Today, she’s back to share the eerie music video for the track “Gotsta Get Paid.”
The chaotic video watches Nasty as she walks through different landscapes. At one point, she’s at the top of a cliff overlooking an unreal mountain range; at another, she’s dancing in the sunlit woods. It’s trippy and includes scenes with lots of fire and ice, which sums up the eclectic nature of her sound as she skids between hyperpop, hip-hop, and punk unpredictably.
Since releasing Las Ruinas, Nasty was on Megan Thee Stallion’s new album Traumazine for the song “Scary,” which came out last month when Megan dropped the LP with no warning. Shortly before Las Ruinas was unleashed, Nasty was also recruited by Fred Again for a remix of his track “Jungle.”
Check out the video for “Gotsta Get Paid” above.
Rico Nasty is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Earlier this week, a hip-hop fan page resurfaced a meme about Iggy’s infamous 2013 Sway In The Morning freestyle, which still gets her ridiculed online from time to time. At the time, Iggy was under fire for accusations of cultural appropriation — remember when that was a thing? — due to her Southern American rap accent clashing with her Australian origins, but she also made some missteps when she went to perform her rhymes in live venues. The result was a plethora of memes making fun of her being “unable” to rap, including the video posted on Twitter.
“Never forget when John from Tennessee violated Iggy Azalea’s freestyle,” read the caption, as the video inserts a caller’s blunt review: “That sh*t was trash!” yells “John from Tennessee.” “Get the f*ck off the airwaves!” However, Iggy saw the tweet and had some thoughts of her own. While she admitted that the lackluster freestyle was indeed “trash,” she reminded the original poster (and anyone following) that the video itself is edited, noting, “John from Tennessee has never called me.” So, where did the call come from? “The call was to Lil Debbie if anyone’s curious about who John called or where this originated,” she informed. So, the case appears to be “right sentiment, wrong white girl.”
The call was to lil Debbie if anyones curious about who John called or where this originated.
Lil Debbie herself chimed in, apparently unhappy that Iggy added that tidbit to reiterate the caller’s point: “Yea he called in for me but you’re right he could’ve called in for that verse you spit,” she sniped. For what it’s worth, it doesn’t seem like either of them is dwelling on the call; while Iggy said it doesn’t bother her because “it never happened,” both women have continued with their careers and seem to be doing alright with the fanbases that they have cultivated, even if their viral hit days appear to be (mostly) behind them.
Yea he called in for me but you’re right he could’ve called in for that verse you spit.
Same because it’s always to shit on me but it doesn’t upset me because it never actually happened so why would I care? Lmaoooooo https://t.co/wnBsyyZe0P
In the United States, we enjoy the right to peacefully assemble and protest under the First Amendment. In Russia, however, there’s no such thing. That’s why outspoken Putin critic Alexei Nalvany has been poisoned and imprisoned for years under Putin’s regime, and it’s related to how the Kremlin recently brought down the hammer on local (St. Petersburg-area) officials, who wanted to overthrow the Russian president over his imperialistic Ukraine war that’s sending Russia down the tubes. Yet after Putin announced his call-up of 300,000 reservists (since so many of his troops have either been killed or self-injured in Ukraine), citizens didn’t take this news sitting down.
Protesters flocked to the streets in Moscow, St. Petersberg, and many smaller cities. Law enforcement arrested them in droves, and some of them reportedly received even worse news upon arrival at police stations. As one woman relayed to The Moscow Times, she and her husband were arrested following their participation in an anti-war protest, and in the process, she observed how the detained men received draft papers from a recruiting officer on the scene:
“There was a military recruiting officer who gave the detained men draft notifications,” she told The Moscow Times.
“When the first person was asked to go to a separate room, we did not understand what was going on — but when he returned with a draft slip, we just started crying.”
The move is tantamount to a death sentence, given how ill-prepared Russia’s initial troops were for battle in Ukraine. The situation has only grown worse, with apparent video footage showing called-up reservists lined up to fly away from their homes.
There’s no possible way that these men are trained up for war, and as it turns out, a decent chunk of them don’t want to fight for Putin’s cause. As one Russian sergeant told The Guardian, he received the call and immediately decided to leave the country. He leaves his wife (who will soon give birth) behind, and he purchased a one-way ticket to a southern border city. From there, he planned to drive into Kazakhstan within hours. “I have no idea when I’ll step foot in Russia again,” he declared, given that he’d face jail for evading the call-up. Still, he preferred to take that risk rather than “letting Putin turn me into a killer in a war that I want no part in.”
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hahahahaha 
