The Sacramento Kings and their vast, innovative offense are one of the most dazzling nightly watches around the Association. De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis are playing like All-Stars. Kevin Huerter is en fuego. Keegan Murray and Harrison Barnes flank that trio with complementary scoring on the wings. The ball, flowing through Sabonis as the hub, pings across the floor. They race up the court at every chance.
And when they turn to the bench, there is Malik Monk to continue the waves of electricity. After a stellar year with the Los Angeles Lakers, Monk ventured northward to join Fox, his former collegiate teammate, in Sacramento. He was one of the NBA’s most prolific reserves in 2021-22 and has expanded upon that this season to fortify the Kings’ attack.
Through 23 games, the Arkansas native is averaging 14.8 points (60.3 percent true shooting), 4.1 assists, and 2.3 rebounds. He’s shooting a career-high 60.5 percent on two-pointers (6.5 points above league average, the best mark of his career). Despite playing 5.6 fewer minutes per game than last year, his 14.8 points eclipse his mark from 2021-22 by a full point. Per 100 possessions, he’s averaging a career-high 30.9 points. With some help from Davion Mitchell, he’s piloting Sacramento’s bench unit and doing it damn well.
The biggest differentiator between Monk as a Laker and Monk as a King is the level of responsibility he holds. His usage rate has swelled from 19.4 percent to 26.5 percent. Per 36 minutes, his touches are up from 58 to 65.1. He’s gone from largely being deployed as a multifaceted scorer to a legitimate secondary creator. He’s showcasing substantial strides in his playmaking — his assist rate is a career-high 27.5 percent (14.3 percent in 2021-22).
His chemistry with Sabonis, both in handoffs and angle pick-and-rolls, is palpable. Monk pitches punctual pocket passes, flicks wraparound feeds from either hand, and is fluent delivering reads off a live dribble. He’s a genuinely reliable facilitator nowadays rather than being a pure scorer with noteworthy flashes of playmaking.
Back in 2020-21, his final season with the Charlotte Hornets, Monk discovered the outside shooting stroke that made him such a coveted prospect and drilled 40.1 percent of his long balls. But to that point, ventures inside the arc he remained precarious. He was a career 47.3 percent two-point scorer, including 47.1 percent that year.
The past two seasons, Monk has remedied those concerns, especially this season. He’s washed away the finishing woes of his Charlotte tenure, cognizant of how to mitigate the shortcomings of his spindly frame, while also being tasked to engineer those chances less often. This year, he’s shooting a career-high 69 percent at the rim (79th percentile among wings).
Whether it’s leveraging his slippery handle into vigorous downhill forays or migrating off the ball, Monk is a constant source of paint pressure. He trampolines off the ground and is stupendously flexible. The way he either plows through or gyrates around rim protectors is uncanny. His solace in busy spaces enables him to thrive as a slasher. He hosts a flying trapeze show at the basket. There’s a vibe of controlled chaos in all he does, but it routinely results in profitable conclusions for the Kings.
Monk’s interior opportunities are derived from the stress he inflicts beyond the arc. While his 35.6 percent clip is only a hair above league average (35.5 percent), his volume and malleability paint him as a clearly high-value gunner. He’s adept on the move, will launch in the face of lively closeouts, and hoists 12 threes per 100 possessions.
Sacramento is sixth in three-point rate, and Monk’s a prominent component of that. The release is picturesque and snappy. He’s been particularly lethal on catch-and-shoots, canning 38.6 percent of his 83 looks. If the ball swings his way with an advantage, he will relish it.
When the Kings acquired Sabonis last winter, they had a vision for an elite offense. At that moment, though, they didn’t roster the personnel to actualize it. The offseason additions of Huerter, Murray, and Monk helped manifest the vision. They want Sabonis as the interior nucleus, a screening and DHO waterhole functioning in tandem with various ball-handlers and dangerous off-ball shooters. Versatility and spacing around the Lithuanian are paramount.
Monk is exactly that. He’ll commandeer some possessions and is simultaneously equipped to slide away from the action, capitalizing on whatever his teammates cook up. The Kings are scoring 114 points per 100 possessions when he’s on the hardwood. He ranks 51st in Offensive Estimated Plus-Minus (plus-1.8).
Sacramento’s stellar starting backcourt limits his minutes, but he’s been absurdly productive when he plays. Per 36 minutes, he’s averaging 23.6 points and 6.6 assists. He’s one of the league’s top reserves and might be its most impactful through early December. At the very least, he’s probably elicited the most joyful viewing experience of the bunch, flourishing as he further expands his game.
Still only 24, the bench might not suffice for him in the coming seasons. For now, however, it’s proving to be the ideal spot. He’s enjoying a feature role and helping extinguish the Kings’ 17-year playoff drought behind a vivacious offensive identity, one that he brightly amplifies.
The best new hip-hop this week includes albums, videos, and songs from A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, Mount Westmore, and more.
There is no question, this week’s new music Friday belongs to SZA and her long-awaited return in S.O.S., but that doesn’t mean there’s no new hip-hop to look forward to this weekend. In fact, depending on your taste, there might be too much good stuff (shout-out to AMPM) this close to the end of the year.
Here is the best of hip-hop this week ending December 9, 2022.
Albums/EPs/Mixtapes
A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie — Me Vs. Myself
A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie
After pushing his album back — allegedly to duck Drake and 21 Savage, whose Her Loss was guaranteed to be a No. 1 — A Boogie returned with his fourth full-length project on Atlantic Records. Led by “B.R.O (Better Ride Out)” featuring Roddy Ricch, the album is a solid entry to his catalog.
Kamaiyah — Keep It Lit
Kamaiyah
Yaya is enjoying being independent and the freedom it gives her to release what she wants when she wants. Case in point: this seven-song EP, her second this year, continues her consistent tradition of turnt-up, Bay Area anthems.
Kool G Rap — Last Of A Dying Breed
Kool G Rap
The Queens rap legend is 30-plus years deep into his career, but you won’t find a speck of rust on him — especially not in his set, his first since 2017. He raises up a few youngbloods and reunites with some of his fellow pioneers (Grandmaster Caz!), but he remains the star of the show.
Mount Westmore — Snoop Cube 40 Short
Mount Westmore
Although the California supergroup ostensibly made its debut earlier this year with the NFT-only Bad MFs, they couldn’t just leave their fanbase hanging. Rather than chasing trends, they stick to their guns, and the album is all the better for it.
Stalley — Somebody Up There Loves Me
Stalley
I promise this isn’t meant to be hate, but I cannot for the life of me understand how rap fans just moved on from Stalley right as he got really good at rapping. He’s in a good groove now, and hopefully, the casual consistency of his independent releases will start garnering some of the buzz he genuinely deserves. Maybe this will be the one to do it.
Xian Bell — Crenshaw At Midnight
Xian Bell
The Los Angeles rapper/singer firmly established himself with some standout appearances on projects from the likes of Reason, Jayson Cash, and Katori Walker (the two former both appear here), but on his latest solo release, he makes himself the focus — and really earns that attention.
Singles/Videos
Meek Mill — “Don’t Give Up On Me” Feat. Fridayy
Well, this is a departure. Although Meek has been in mixtape mode lately, here, he slows it down a whole bunch for a ruminative track that works despite being way outside his usual wheelhouse.
Smoke DZA & Girl Talk — “Season”
Building on the chemistry from their April collaboration Full Court Press (which featured Wiz Khalifa and Big KRIT), Girl Talk teams up with Harlemite Smoke DZA once again for an upbeat, loft party-ready single that promises more gold from their partnership.
Tiron & Ayomari — “More Than Like”
Here’s a name we haven’t seen in quite some time. Once upon a time, Tiron & Ayomari were blog rap mainstays whose every release was met with excitement thanks to their willingness to experiment and get vulnerable. Times have changed, but fortunately, their chemistry remains as potent as ever.
Wynne — “Glass Slipper Flows”
Portland upstart Wynne takes a step into a new lane, grabbing a beat that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Drake album, and goes for broke, detailing her mindset as her profile gets higher on the back of relentless independent hustle.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Argentina are moving on to the World Cup semifinal. After a shocking end to regulation in which the Netherlands drew level with essentially the final kick of injury time, neither side were able to find a breakthrough in extra time, setting up penalties in which a pair of players, Emiliano and Lisandro Martínez, were the heroes.
The Netherlands sent their captain, Virgil van Dijk, up first. The Liverpool star was unable to beat Emiliano Martínez, however, as the Argentinian goalkeeper who is known for his ability to stop penalties came up huge. Argentina’s response was a good one, with Lionel Messi stepping up to the spot and coolly slotting one past Andries Noppert.
With the Dutch behind the 8-ball, Steven Berghuis went first in the second round of penalties. But once again, Martínez was the hero and denied his effort.
Teun Koopmeiners became the first Dutch player to beat Martínez, who didn’t even dive to try to stop his effort. But Gonzalo Montiel was able to respond, as Noppert guessed incorrectly to put the Argentinians up, 3-1.
The heroics of Wout Weghorst, who scored twice to force extra time, put the Netherlands into this position, and Martínez was unable to stop his penalty. This meant that Enzo Fernández stepped up with a chance to put Argentina into the semis, but after a long run-up, he put the ball wide.
This put the weight of the world onto Lautaro Martínez, who would put Argentina through if he successfully converted. The Inter Milan forward was cool, calm, and collected, and even if Noppert guessed right, he had no shot of stopping the perfectly-placed penalty.
Now, the Argentinians are moving on to face Croatia in the semifinal on Tuesday.
For a 2004 teen movie about bullies, Mean Girls has had a substantial impact on the world. That idea alone is pretty funny considering that the movie was originally based on a self-help book aimed at parents who don’t understand how their teens work. But then it became a hit movie and helped launch the careers of Rachel McAdams and Amanda Seyfried, and subsequently became the first great movie of the MySpace age, where you could share gifs of your favorite teen idols saying “get in loser, we’re going shopping” and everyone would just accept that.
The movie spawned a (bad) sequel, and while rumors of a potential reunion with the original cast have been shot down, there is one part of Mean Girls that is stronger than ever, and those are the Broadway fans! The musical adaptation of Mean Girls became a smash in 2017, so now they are making a movie based on the Broadway musical based on the movie that was inspired by the book. And a lot of people are both excited and out of breath after reading the news.
i’m going to throw up the mean girls movie musical will be my joker
The cast will include Angourie Rice as Cady, Auli’i Cravalho as Janis, Jaquel Spivey and Reneé Rapp. Rapp previously starred as the queen bee Regina George in the Broadway adaptation. Tina Fey will also return to write the script, with Lorne Michaels back to produce the film, which will head to Paramount+.
Even though this isn’t exactly the reboot fans were hoping for, any chance to make Fetch happen is welcome.
After nearly a year of not releasing new music of her own, Paloma Mami returned with her single “Síntomas De Soltera.” In the celebratory music video that was released today (December 9), the Chilean-American singer teamed up with Pailita and El Jordan 23.
Last year, Mami released her debut album Sueños De Dalí without any features. The LP featured her hits like “For Ya” and “Religiosa.” Outside of that, Mami only featured on other artists’ songs this past year. She jumped on the remix of “Ultra Solo” by fellow Chilean acts Polimá Westcoast and Pailita. Feid and De La Ghetto rounded out that global smash. Mami also featured on Junior H’s song “Veneno” from his Contingente album. Now she’s back with “Síntomas De Soltera.”
“Coming back after almost a year of not releasing music feels like a new beginning for me,” Mami said in a statement. “The way I’ve approached my music right now is very different than it was two years ago. I’m experimenting a bit with this new album, with the lyrics, and the flows, but it still feels very me and very Mami.”
For “Síntomas De Soltera,” Mami teamed up once again with Pailita and another rising Chilean act, El Jordan 23. While lyrically cutting an ex-lover down to size, she celebrates living the single life. The kiss-off anthem blends reggaeton beats with the alternative edge that Mami brings to the genre. She holds her own alongside Pailita and El Jordan 23 with her fierce flow. Mami makes a triumphant comeback with the empowering club banger. In the video, she dons a pink wig and parties with her collaborators in a warehouse.
Surprise album releases have become pretty commonplace in the streaming era, but music fans were still baffled — and somewhat appalled — to see a new album from incarcerated R&B star R. Kelly on their streaming apps this morning. Furthermore, its title, I Admit It, raised more than a few eyebrows, considering he was convicted of both sex trafficking in New York and child porn in Chicago. So, how did a new R. Kelly album end up on streaming?
R Kelly dropped an album from prison. The last 3 tracks are titled “I Admit it (I Did it)”. In part 2 he says he admits he fucks w/ the younger ladies but it being pedophilia is yal opinions, not fact. & he shouldn’t be in jail based on yal opinions.
Billboard did a little digging and discovered that, although the credits appear to cite Sony Music’s Legacy Recordings as the responsible party, the label said that it was not involved at all. Sources at Legacy were conducting their own investigation with Apple, Spotify, and the rest of the streamers to figure out how the album was delivered.
An R. Kelly album in 2022 is nuts. Checking for it is nuts. It being titled “I Admit It” is nuts. https://t.co/2ECZSRBmmu
R. Kelly singing about his love for young women and not understanding how he’s a pedophile on a surprise released album while in prison for years of sex crimes against young women is certainly something. https://t.co/K5go1Ys5WN
Apparently, the actual upload seems to have come from Ingrooves, a distributor under the Universal Music Group umbrella. Ingrooves says that is “severing a relationship” with a label called Real Talk Entertainment, which released the album under a supposed subsidiary called Legacy Recordings — i.e. the same name as Sony’s imprint. This seems like a little sneaky maneuvering on behalf of whoever actually uploaded the album to make it seem like a legit release.
R. Kelly is a narcissist, a sexual predator, and pedophile….. and still releasing albums…from jailpic.twitter.com/vEOJ7K2G5H
Sony, which dropped R. Kelly after the Lifetime docuseries Surviving R. Kelly spurred the #MuteRKelly movement, still owns his Zomba/Jive and RCA catalog of early recordings. Meanwhile, R. Kelly’s reps told Variety today that I Admit It, named for Kelly’s 20-minute 2018 track in which he admits to very little, was not uploaded by him. It looks like this might be another case of rogue fans or scammers uploading a fake album and trying to profit from the resulting publicity. Since the album has been removed from DSPs, it doesn’t look like a winning strategy at all.
We’re deep into the holiday shopping season and by now you’ve probably already picked up gifts for the gym rat, the world traveler, and big nerd in your family or friend circle. Now it’s time to pick up that gift for that person in your life who prefers to end the day with a nice slow sip of the good stuff.
If you follow the world of spirits closely, you’re probably aware that the two agave-based spirits are having a bit of a moment right now and that’s because there have never been more great brands and labels producing mezcal and tequila as there are right now. So don’t beat yourself up if your last trip to the spirits aisle left you scratching your head about all these brands you’ve never heard of. Instead, let us help you out by pointing you toward some seriously great bottles that are sure to make great gifts plus a few tequila/mezcal-specific bar accessories that’ll up anyone’s mixologist game.
If you’re looking for other spirits outside of the agave-based as well as other kits and gear that the alcohol aficionado in your life would love, be sure to hit up our Ultimate Spirits Gift Guide for 2022. For now, let’s dive into 2022’s most gift-worthy bottles and accessories.
If you’re not a hardcore tequila drinker, you’re probably totally unaware that tequila has its very own glass designed specifically to enhance the experience of slow sipping expensive aged expressions. Tequila glasses resemble champagne flutes and are designed to deliver the tequila evenly across the palate while allowing for the aromas to tantalize the nose giving a tasting experience that a shot glass just can’t match.
This two-glass set by Riedel is made from machine-blown crystal and carries just over six ounces. The tequila drinker in your life can now share a sip of the good stuff with their favorite person, which will hopefully be you!
Just like tequila has a specialty glass for slow sipping, so does mezcal — it’s known as the copita. Like the tequila glass, the copita is engineered with the aroma of the spirit in mind with a wide shape that helps to aerate the spirit and open up its flavors and scent. This four-glass set by Glassique Cadeau is made from hand-blown glass, which might not be traditional (copitas are traditionally made of clay) but allow the liquid to show through and come packaged together in a reusable storage box, making each pour feel like an event when you bring the set out alongside a great bottle.
A dedicated salt rimmer is the sort of bar tool that most people won’t be willing to shell out cash for but is insanely useful. Generally, a plate covered in salt will get you by, but a proper salt rimmer features a circular shape that will allow for a better and less wasteful distribution of salt. You can generally pick these up at any big box liquor store but what makes this one by Geiseralie special is that it’s equal parts function and fashion.
Featuring a solid wood build, this rimmer features precision grooves made for trapping liquid to keep it from spreading and making a mess and sports a removable lid that also acts as a cutting board for limes. It’s the tool the drinker in your life needs, even if he or she doesn’t know it yet.
This juicer is easier than a hand juicer and can handle bigger citrus. Sure, a hand juicer might do the trick with limes, but if your giftee loves tequila they probably really love palomas. And the best palomas come from hand juicing the grapefruit — that’s just not up for debate.
I personally own this juicer and it’s just so… easy: to squeeze, to clean, and to look at. Yes, there are slightly more compact products out there, but this one looks the coolest. And in the world of bar-based gifts, that certainly counts for something. – Steve Bramucci, Editor
Hailing from the famed Tequila Los Abuelos distillery (NOM 1493) Fortaleza is a near-perfect reposado tequila and will have even the most snobbish tequila sippers in your life wide-eyed with excitement about taking that first sip. Fortaleza uses traditional stone and brick ovens to roast their pinas before stone-crushing them the old-fashioned way.
Each lot is then individually aged in American Oak for seven months for a smooth and mellow texture and flavor.
Tasting Notes:
Well balanced between the bright and herbaceous characteristics of agave and the sweetened round qualities of American oak barrel aging, Fortaleza’s Reposado features an ever-shifting bouquet of flavors. On the onset, you get a vanilla smoothness with a hint of stone fruit and citrus with a subtle spicy earthy cinnamon spike on the aftertaste.
The Bottom Line:
Simply one of the finest reposado tequilas you and your loved ones will ever drink. A shocking value for the price.
Jose Cuervo gets a lot of justified criticism, their baseline of tequilas is straight-up gross but the Reserva De la Familia line is something else entirely. This top-of-the-line series of expressions from Jose Cuervo follows the handcrafted techniques of the brand’s original master distiller and is produced from hand-harvested agave planted on the Cuervo estate’s richest volcanic soil.
Each bottle is numbered, dated, and wax sealed, also by hand. It’s a craft tequila in every step of its process, and the un-aged Platino is the perfect introduction to this underrated subset of the brand.
Tasting Notes:
Incredibly bright and vegetal as it first hits the palette but it almost immediately settles into a supremely smooth and oily mouthfeel. Notes of pineapple, pear and bell pepper tickle the taste buds before finishing with a bright citrus finish. It’s the perfect tequila for the agave fan who loves cocktails.
The Bottom Line:
Bright and floral, Jose Cuervo’s Reserva de la Familia will elevate any cocktail from great to astounding.
Aside from its absolutely beautiful bottle, Mijenta’s reposado is a multi-award winning tequila, scoring a 99 at Tasting Panel, the Master Award at the 2022 Tequila and Mezcal Masters, and a gold medal from Tequila aficionado in 2021. This small batch spirit is aged for six months in American white oak, French oak, and French acacia casks via specifications from the famed tequila maestro Ana Maria Romero, resulting in an ultra-smooth and flavorful reposado that is among the best in this price range.
Tasting Notes:
Vanilla and honey dominate the nose and pull you in for a sip that takes your palette on a journey through roasted agave, floral honey, and a fruity medley of flavors that seems to shift with every drink. Mijenta never gets boring and you’ll find yourself reaching for another drink just to pin down the flavors until your glass is empty and you’re reaching for another pour.
The Bottom Line:
A small batch tequila with a bottle and liquid that is as beautiful to look at as it is to drink.
Siempre’s entire line of expressions is pretty solid but this special Exclusivo Vivo bottle is on a whole other level of craft. Made from 100% Blue Weber agave from Arandas Jalisco, this plata tequila is made from agave cooked in stone brick ovens and goes through an open-air fermentation process following a traditional Peruvian method of distillation that utilizes fermented aguamiel (agave sap) with living yeast. The liquid is limited to just 9,000 bottles and was made in partnership with Master Tequileros Sergio Cruz and Adam Fodor.
Tasting Notes:
Noticeably peppery with a heavy cracked peppercorn flavor with hints of fresh citrus, apple skin, and mango. For a plata is goes down incredibly smooth with a supple buttery mouthfeel.
The Bottom Line:
Siempre’s finest tequila by a mile. A lot of care and craft goes into this bottle and it’s something that seasoned tequila drinkers will be able to pick up on at first sip.
Kendall Jenner’s 818 tequila was already raising the bar for celebrity-owned tequila brands, but with Eight Reserve they’ve proven they are amongst the best of tequila brands, period, celebrity or otherwise. Not only is Eight Reserve a premium blend of añejo and extra añejo tequila, but it comes in a conversation-starting unique bottle shape that might not win you over visually but certainly will once you give it that first pour.
Tasting Notes:
Dangerously easy to drink, Eight Reserve is a wince-free ultra smooth aged tequila that has all the complexity sought after by tequila snobs without anything that would push away more casual drinkers. The initial taste brings together vanilla, cinnamon, chocolate, and cardamom in near equal balance before introducing subtle notes of fresh orange rind, butterscotch, and crushed raspberries.
The Bottom Line:
Simply the finest celebrity tequila brand in the business, Eight Reserve will appeal to the Kardashian/Jenner-obsessed people in your family and friend circle, as well as the hardcore tequila snobs.
In truth, you could just buy a bottle of Herradura’s regular Extra Añejo expression and still make the tequila drinker in your life happy, but you might as well go all out and reach for the Selección Suprema line, which kicks things up a considerable degree, from great to astounding.
Aged for 49 months in American White oak barrels, this extra añejo expression has scored 25 different gold spirit tasting awards across various respected competitions, and for good reason. It is simply one of the finest aged tequilas on the market right now.
Tasting Notes:
Floral honey greets you and quickly shifts to heavy notes of cooked agave, caramelized butterscotch, and earthy molasses with a luxurious oaky finish that stains the palette in the best way. It’s so good you can still taste it after you exhale.
The Bottom Line:
A super smooth luxurious premium aged tequila for the biggest agave snob in your life.
Great, gift-worthy Mezcal is generally pretty pricey, which is what makes Montelobos Espadín so special, it’s great mezcal at a budget price. Made from organic espadín agave from Oaxaca, Montelobos is born from organic agave roasted in underground fire pits and small batch distilled.
Tasting Notes:
A distinct chocolate flavor dominates this mezcal with a mouthwatering savory aftertaste and a smokey finish that burns in the best way.
The Bottom Line:
An affordable bottle that punches well above its weight and serves as a great introduction to mezcal.
Made strictly from espandincillo agave from Michoacán, La Luna recently took home awards from the SF Spirits Competition for best Mezcal. La Luna puts this particular expression through a slow roasting clay pot distilled process that keeps the flavors bright, present, and a bit fiery,
Tasting Notes:
Citrus-y with a dark edge to it, this Espandincillo mixes heavy smokey almost charcoal-esque notes with a blood orange flavors with a roasted agave finish.
The Bottom Line:
Not for the faint of heart, La Luna’s Espandincillo is perfect for people who love the smokier qualities of mezcal.
One of my favorite mezcals of the year, Amarás Cupreata is made from wild cupreata agave from Tixtla Guerrero grown to 13 years of maturity. Cupreata is a rarer form of agave, so if you’re buying for a seasoned mezcal drinker they’ll definitely appreciate the more unique aspects of this highly floral mezcal.
Last year the mezcal took home the best in show at San Francisco’s World Spirits Competition.
Tasting Notes:
The most fragrant mezcal you’ll ever come across, this cupreata features a balance of vanilla and roasted agave notes with some hints of mango and banana leaf with a smooth cocoa finish.
The Bottom Line:
A truly unique mezcal for the drinker who thinks they’ve tasted it all.
Just as we shouted out the best celebrity-owned tequila brand, we have to give flowers to the best celebrity-owned mezcal brand out there, Dos Hombres, the perfect bottle for the Breaking Bad nerd in your life. Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul’s mezcal brand is made from a blend of espadín agave hand-selected from the Oaxacan hillsides before being roasted in earthen pits in a four-day baking process.
Walter White and Jesse Pinkman made some of the most artisanal meth ever and thankfully that attention to craft has translated into the real world as this legal drug.
Tasting Notes:
Sweet and inviting on the nose with a people-pleasing blend of mango, apple, and caramel on the palate with a distinct burning finish.
The Bottom Line:
The perfect bottle for the Breaking Bad and Mezcal nerd in your life. For the right person, it’s like a two-in-one gift!
While all of the bottles we’ve chosen for this list are truly gift-worthy in the flavor department, Agua Mágica is the only one with a bottle that looks the part. Made from a mix of espadín and the rarer tobalá agave sourced from Oaxaca, Agua Mágica sports a sweet people-pleasing flavor that has enough complexity to wow seasoned mezcal drinkers but is inviting enough for beginners dipping their toes in the spirit for the first time.
Tasting Notes:
Herbaceous and grassy, this mezcal has notes of cherry and almond with a luxurious mouthfeel and a sweet finish. If you like your mezcal to burn, look elsewhere, this comes across as much more buttery, floral, and mouthwatering than your typical bottle of mezcal.
The Bottom Line:
Sweet, smooth, and bright, this is the best choice for drinkers who love mezcal but aren’t completely sold on the smokey attributes.
Two years after it launched in May 2020, HBO Max experienced a meteoric rise thanks to the pandemic and AT&T’s strategy of making the platform a success by dumping a whole bunch of money into it. There was also the highly controversial decision to release Warner Bros. entire 2021 film slate on HBO Max on the same day as theaters. While that cost the studio its longtime working relationship with director Christopher Nolan, the streaming platform grew in prominence thanks to its deep bench of Warner Bros. content.
And then the merger happened.
Following the creation of Warner Bros. Discovery in the Summer of 2022, the newly formed media conglomerate quickly got to work reassessing the streaming strategy for HBO Max and the new executive team did not like what it saw. After pulling the plug on Batgirl for a tax break, WB Discovery started sacrificing titles left and right as people freaked out about their favorite shows. While some popular series like Harley Quinn were safe, others were not.
Raised by Wolves Made for Love Time Traveler’s Wife Close Enough Gordita Chronicles Little Ellen Strange Adventures Batman: Caped Crusader Demimonde Legendary FBOY Island Sweet Life: Los Angeles
WB Discovery also axed several films heading for the platform, including Batgirl, which did not sit well with Brendan Fraser, who already filmed his role as the Batman villain Firefly. You can see the list of canceled HBO Max movies below:
Batgirl Scoob!: Holiday Haunt Wonder Twins Merry Little Batman The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie Bye Bye Bunny: A Looney Tunes Musical Did I Do That to the Holidays: A Steve Urkel Story The Amazing World of Gumball: The Movie
Following Batgirl‘s cancelation, Fraser did not mince words that he was disappointed with WB Discovery and will only work with “trusted filmmakers” instead of streaming platforms from here on out.
Argentina and the Netherlands played on Friday with a spot in the World Cup semifinal on the line. It was a tense affair between two sides with aspirations of winning the whole thing, and in the waning moments of regulation, a brawl nearly broke out between the teams after Argentinian midfielder Leandro Paredes kicked the ball directly into the Dutch bench.
It looked like Argentina was sitting pretty after Lionel Messi converted a penalty in the 73rd minute to give them a two-goal lead. But 10 minutes later, the Netherlands put a scare into them when a Wout Weghorst headed effort found the back of the net.
The goal put the wind in the Dutch sails, while Argentina started to hold on for dear life. And right as the game entered its 89th minute, tensions between the two teams came awfully close to boiling over. Argentinian midfielder Leandro Paredes came flying in while Dutch defender Nathan Aké carried the ball up the pitch and committed a challenge that earned him a yellow card.
And then, Paredes escalated things by hoofing the ball directly into the Netherlands’ bench. A number of Dutch players sprinted onto the pitch, while Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk came sprinting in and laid Paredes out.
Ultimately, all of Argentina’s efforts to see out the game were for naught, as Weghorst scored a second with essentially the last kick of regulation to send the game into extra time.
James Cameron is the mastermind behind Avatar, but it’s not him alone.
The director shares a co-writing credit on Avatar: The Way of Water, the movie that will make you “sh*t yourself with your mouth wide open,” with Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver and a story-by credit with Jaffa, Silver, Josh Friedman, and Shane Salerno. That’s a lot of cooks in the (Satu’li Canteen) kitchen, and the recipe is 800 pages long.
“I set down and just made a bunch of notes for six months. Literally, just every day sitting at my desk, talking about the world, the characters, trying to fill in what happened the day after Jake woke up in a Na’vi body, and just was carrying the story forward. I knew I had certain goals in mind,” Cameron told Screenrant about working on the sequel to the highest-grossing movie of all-time. On his first day of colloborating with the other writers, “I plopped down 800 pages of notes, single spaced,” he said. His message to them:
“Do your homework, and then we’ll talk.”
If James Cameron was a substitute teacher, he would not be the kind of sub who puts on a movie and calls it a day. Unless the movie was Avatar, of course.
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