Month: October 2023

Mezcal is the smoky progenitor of tequila. The agave-based spirit has a deep history across what’s now Mexico and America’s Southwest (where it is slowly making a comeback among the Mescalero Apache). In modern times, mezcal is the artisanal or hand-made cousin to the much more industrialized tequila (for the most part). It’s also just a different beast, thanks to a deeply hewn earthiness and smokiness, and it’s on the rise as people look for bolder flavors in their drinks.

Have you tried a mezcal Negroni yet? They’re awesome.

Today, it’s time for a double-blind taste test of some smooth and super smoky mezcals. I have a few shelves of mezcal and asked my very helpful wife to grab bottles that weren’t aged or flavored and catalog and pour them. I ended up with eight clear pours of very bold mezcal on the panel.

That makes our lineup today the following bottles of smoky mezcal:

• Lobos 1707 Mezcal Artesanal
• Mezcal Amarás Cupreata Mezcal Artesanal
• Mezcal Ilegal Joven Special Edition
• Bosscal Joven Mezcal Artesanal
• Gracias a Dios Mezcal Artesanal Espadin Joven
• La Tierra De Acre Cenizo Mezcal Artesanal
• Mezcal Los Siete Misterios Arroqueño Mezcal Joven
• Mezcal Verde Momento Mezcal Artesanal Joven

After tasting these mezcals, I ranked them based on overall quality and flavor. As an international spirits judge, I’ve judged a lot of agave-based spirits over the years. I keep things straightforward by looking at the quality of the base spirit and then the depth, balance, and overall enjoyable flavor of the spirit on the senses. In short, I was looking for good-tasting, well-made mezcal. The specifics about how the mezcal was made weren’t a factor as I had no idea what was in those glasses as I tasted them.

Let’s dive in!

• The Absolute Best Tequilas Under $100, Ranked
• The Best Tequilas You Can Find For Under $30, Ranked
• The Absolute Best Tequilas Under $50, Ranked
• Every Bottle From The Core Line Of Don Julio Tequila, Blind Tasted And Ranked
• The Best Añejo Tequilas On Earth, According To The ‘Oscars Of Alcohol’

Part 1 — The Mezcal Double-Blind Tasting

Taste 1

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Light notes of fireplace embers draw you in on the nose with a sense of white pepper, roasted agave, dark red wine, and a whisper of cacao nibs.

Palate: There’s almost a woody earthiness to the palate with a good dose of sweet fireplace smoke cut with caramelized agave over more of that cacao.

Finish: The end is sweetly spicy with a good sense of smoky agave next to smoldering cinnamon and clove.

Initial Thoughts:

This feels like classic mezcal from top to bottom — sweetly smoky, spicy, and very earthy.

Taste 2

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose opens with a super earthy note that’s almost on fire with smoke as dried red chili, rich cacao, and old leather drive the nose toward a sense of dried pumpkin and the ends of cigarettes.

Palate: Roasting herbs and very black pepper pops on the palate as intense fireplace smoke drives the taste toward very dry chili pepper, black pepper, and caramelized agave with a soft creaminess.

Finish: That creaminess delivers more red and black spices (yes, burnt) on the finish with a sense of more of that smoldering black earth and a hint of pine-y tobacco leather pouches.

Initial Thoughts:

This is complex and bold with a delightfully soft mouthfeel. That creaminess goes a long way to making this a really enjoyable pour of mezcal.

Taste 3

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose is fruity and lightly smoked with a good sense of peppery agave and pepper over flutters of apple cores, smoked orange, and maybe even some lavender.

Palate: That light floral note pops on the palate as caramelized pears and orange pith drive the taste toward light moments of butterscotch, smoldering black dirt, and a creamy nuttiness.

Finish: That creaminess drives the finish with a nice dose of nutty depth, more of that firey caramelized yet peppery agave, and plenty of orchard fruits and dark citrus.

Initial Thoughts:

This is another one that really stretches out for a great finish with that creamy texture. There’s a lot to like here.

Taste 4

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Burnt orange peels and thin smoke lead to a moment of melon skins, old firewood, and soft black potting soil on the nose.

Palate: The orange mounts on the palate with a dose of peppery spice, smoky vanilla, and touches of peppery agave cut with citrus.

Finish: The citrus really mounts on the finish with a light sense of that smoky vanilla.

Initial Thoughts:

This is very light and smoky but sort of peters out at the end.

Taste 5

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose on this one smells exactly like a caipirinha — lime, sugar, and white booze — with a hint of pepperiness and smoke.

Palate: The light smokiness continues on the palate with more of the caipirinha vibes before dry smoke arrives with a light sense of agave and dirt.

Finish: Smoky agave and black pepper drive the dry finish toward a hint of raw sugar.

Initial Thoughts:

This was so different that I’m not sure what to make of it. It was much closer to a cachaça on the nose and palate with a hint of smoke.

Taste 6

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose opens with a sense of smokiness that leans toward fresh tires (like a hardcore peated Islay whisky) next to hints of dry red chili and black pepper over caramelized agave.

Palate: Those sharp spiciness notes drive the palate toward deep and dirty earthiness, more peppery smoke, and a dash of creaminess.

Finish: The creaminess takes on the black pepper and smoky dirt/tires on the finish with a bold sense of firey agave.

Initial Thoughts:

The nose on this was a lot to get past. There was a good flavor profile that leans heavily smoked/earthy and was saved by a touch of creamy mouthfeel.

Taste 7

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Lime leaves and dried sage drive the nose toward grapefruit pith and mild earthiness with a good dose of pepper and smoky agace stems.

Palate: The citrus and herbal vibes mount on the palate as notes of burnt sugar and old lemon tea leaves lead to a bitter sense of burnt citrus tobacco.

Finish: Notes of black pepper and smoked dirt drive the finish toward a moment of pine-laced honey and more smoked black pepper.

Initial Thoughts:

This is sharp (peppery) and earthy yet balanced in just the right ways with citrus and sweetness.

Taste 8

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Floral tea leaves and dry mint open the nose toward sweet fireplace smoke that’s almost like fresh tires next to a garden store.

Palate: Roasted agave and white pepper open the palate toward notes of caramel cut with earthy citrus pith and hints of dark spice barks.

Finish: The sweetness drives the smoky and earthy finish toward more white pepper and roasted agave with a nice sense of soft smoldering firewood.

Initial Thoughts:

This was nice. It wasn’t a “wow” pour but very much felt like a good standard mezcal.

Part 2 — The Mezcal Ranking

8. Gracias a Dios Mezcal Artesanal Espadin Joven — Taste 5

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $34

The Mezcal:

This mezcal from NOM-0223x is made by Mezcalero Oscar Hernandez from eight-year-old Espadin agave. The Oaxacan spirit is copper pot distilled, proofed, and bottled.

Bottom Line:

This straight-up felt more like a cachaça than a mezcal, especially on the nose. That’s not a bad thing but felt off compared to the rest of the pours on this list. If those flavor notes are what you’re looking for, then go for it!

7. Bosscal Joven Mezcal Artesanal — Taste 4

ABV: 42%

Average Price: $46

The Mezcal:

This mezcal from NOM-D248G is made with 100% organic products and no “chemical additives”. The agave is the Cenzio variety that’s distilled in steel stills before a short rest before proofing and bottling.

Bottom Line:

This was very much in the average column. It’s fine but very light. If you’re a beginner looking to dip your toes into this world, this might be a safe place to start.

6. La Tierra De Acre Cenizo Mezcal Artesanal — Taste 6

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $46

The Mezcal:

This mezcal is made at the Acre Baja Resort in San José del Cabo, Mexico. The mezcal in the bottle is made with Cenizo agave that’s anywhere from eight to 14 years old when harvested. After hand-grinding, long fermentation, and copper pot distilling, the mezcal rests for a short spell in vats before proofing and bottling.

Bottom Line:

The nose on this one was intense. It’ll be a lot to get past. If you do get past it, there’s a wealth of deep and classic mezcal smoky notes to enjoy. My advice is to pour this one over a big rock to calm that nose down and go from there.

5. Mezcal Verde Momento Mezcal Artesanal Joven — Taste 8

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $34

The Mezcal:

This Oaxacan mezcal is made with eight-year-old Espasin agave. The agave is slow-roasted and ground with old-school Egyptian stone mills before fermenting in old pine vats and copper pot distillation. The fresh mezcal is then left to rest for a moment before bottling with a touch of local water.

Bottom Line:

This was a very easy drinking experience with mezcal notes that went beyond just “peppery” or “smoky” with a pleasant floral tough and well-layered sweetness that added to the overall experience. I can see this working really well over some rocks as a sipper or in a cocktail.

4. Lobos 1707 Mezcal Artesanal — Taste 1

ABV: 42%

Average Price: $59

The Mezcal:

This mezcal — part of LeBron James’ brand of tequilas — is made the old-school way. Old Espadin agave, open roasting in an Oaxacan firepit, Egyptian stone mill grinding, copper pot stills, and slow cooking times throughout. The mezcal is then rested in Spanish Pedro Ximénez sherry casks for a short spell before batching, proofing, and bottling.

Bottom Line:

This had a nice depth and nuance to it that made it very enjoyable as a sipper. I can also see this working wonders in cocktails where mezcal is the star of the show.

3. Mezcal Los Siete Misterios Arroqueño Mezcal Joven — Taste 7

ABV: 49%

Average Price: $153

The Mezcal:

This mezcal from NOM-1053X uses very old Arroqueño agave (some plants are up to 25 years old when harvested). The slow-roasted hearts are hand-ground before open fermentation then clay pot distillation. After a very short rest, the mezcal is just cut with local water and bottled as-is.

Bottom Line:

This was the easiest sipping mezcal on the panel. It had a nice balance of classic notes you want in your mezcal. It’s classic.

2. Mezcal Ilegal Joven Special Edition — Taste 3

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $45

The Mezcal:

“No celebrities, just damn good mezcal” is the slogan of Ilegal Mezcal. That’s … refreshing. The actual mezcal in the bottle is made from Espadin agave in Oaxaca with copper and steel stills. The mezcal rests for a moment before proofing and bottling.

Bottom Line:

This was pretty damn good mezcal. It had a nice balance of fruitiness, smokiness, and creaminess that really helped it shine brightly on this panel. This felt like a well-rounded sipper that’d shine over some rocks with a twist of lime.

1. Mezcal Amarás Cupreata Mezcal Artesanal — Taste 2

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $71

The Mezcal:

This mezcal is made with Cupreata agave that’s at least 13 years old. The hearts are slow-roasted in old stone ovens before Egytpitan mill grinding and fermenting in old pine tanks. After running through a copper pot still, the hot juice rests for a moment before proofing and bottling.

Bottom Line:

The creaminess of this pour really propelled it to the top of the panel. That soft mouthfeel was the perfect delivery system for deep, dark, and earthy mezcal notes that went hard but felt approachable. I can see sipping this over a big ice cube any day of the week.

Part 3 — Final Thoughts on the Mezcals

This panel of mezcals went from “that’s fine” to “I can see sipping this all the time” very quickly. For the absolute best overall experience, I’d focus on the top two bottles. The creaminess really helps those mezcals shine. That said, any of the top four are going to work well. I’d play around with numbers three and four more in cocktails but they’d work as slow sippers over ice any time too.

In the end, go back through the tasting notes and find one that speaks to you. Hit that price link and give it a try. It’ll be a smoky adventure that may well introduce you to a whole new world of fun, vibrant, and very earthy spirits.

For months, Drake has been teasing his new album For All The Dogs. He’s made announcements on his tour, he shared the single “Slime You Out” with SZA after pushing the album back, and today, he released the timestamp freestyle, “8AM In Charlotte.” With all that, anticipation is at a fever pitch for the project. Only one question truly remains:

What Time Will Drake’s ‘For All The Dogs’ Come Out?

Usually, this wouldn’t be a question: Most artists and labels are pretty good about getting their projects to DSPs well before midnight on New Music Friday, allowing them to be promptly launched as the clocks switch over on the east coast.

However, Drake isn’t most artists. In addition to his proclivity for pushing his deadlines to the absolute last second — sometimes literally — he’s one of the few artists on the planet who can get away with dropping new albums and songs without any previous promotion and still be reasonably assured of a massive response from listeners.

Especially with an album like For All The Dogs, which Drake has already pushed back before, there’s always a chance he won’t make it as the clock strikes 12. On the other hand, he’s never actually missed a deadline, even if he gets close, so it’s probably safe to assume that midnight will be the magic hour — or, as he likes to call it, the Scary Hour.

Simone Biles has done it yet again, clinching her 20th gold medal at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championship and leading the U.S. women’s team to their historic 7th consecutive victory.

There is no question that Simone Biles is the greatest gymnast that has ever set foot on the mat. Her domination in the sport has been unparalleled, and she has earned every bit of praise she has received as a gymnast.

However, there’s a solid argument to be made that she isn’t just the GOAT of gymnastics, but truly the greatest athlete of all time. Yes, I know, it’s a subjective title, comparing sports is like comparing apples and oranges and people will argue about who deserves that title the most. But hear me out before putting Michael Jordan or Muhammad Ali or Jim Thorpe up against the 4-foot 8-inch wonder that is Simone Biles.

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Here are 5 reasons she deserves the GOAT title:

1. She has dominated her sport with the winningest record of all time

This is the easy argument, of course, and one that could be used for any athlete who holds the most gold medals and the most medals overall in their sport. Let’s just see this as the foundation of the GOAT house that Simone built.

Biles has now won 26 world championship medals (20 gold, three silver and three bronze) and seven Olympic medals. That puts her at the top of women’s gymnastics historical record and has her tied with Belarus’ Vitaly Scherbo for most gymnastics medals, male or female, earned on the world stage.

2. She can do things no one else in her sport can do

There’s winning championships, and then there’s pushing your sport forward by inventing new moves or succeeding in feats no one has ever attempted, much less achieved, before.

Biles has done that, not once, not twice, not thrice, but a whopping five times. This single gymnast has five official moves named after her in the international rule book (one on balance beam, two on floor exercise and two on vault). She is pushing the boundaries of the sport like no one else ever has.

Every sport has had individuals who excel at a unique skill. Many of those individuals aren’t also world champions. Most of them don’t have multiple moves that bear their name because no one else has ever done them. Biles has done it all.

3. She stands out as an individual competitor and as a team leader

Gymnastics is both an individual sport and a team sport, and Biles has proven her skills in both. As an individual competitor, obviously, Biles is No. 1. But she has also led the U.S. Women’s Gymnastics team to victory time and time again.

Biles’ teammates praised her leadership skills after she backed out of the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 (which we’ll get to in a moment). Though she was no longer competing herself, she stood on the sidelines and became her teammates’ best cheerleader. Her teammates and coaches said that meant the world, and Biles’ unwavering encouragement and support for her fellow gymnasts helped propel them to their own medal-winning performances.

To be able to dominate at the highest level as an individual and be an effective team leader is the mark of an exceptional athlete. Biles does both and makes it look easy.

4. She faced a devastating setback in her sport and came back on top

It’s not easy to maintain the status of being “the best” at a sport. Being the best and then having a major setback disrupt your career is even more difficult. Overcoming that setback and returning not only to a high level of competition but jumping back up to the very top is something only GOATs do.

Biles did it. After getting the dreaded “twisties” at the Tokyo Olympics, Biles did the right thing and dropped out of the competition. (The twisties cause a gymnast to lose their sense of place in the air, creating both a frustrating and incredibly dangerous situation.) She could have called it quits then and no one would have blamed her.

But she didn’t. She came back. And unlike some other star athletes who have pushed past their prime and lost some of their competitive edge, Biles is slaying once again, winning world titles like she was born for it.

She balances it with wisdom, but her competitive spirit is unstoppable.

5. She is well past retirement age and still dominating in her sport

Biles is 26 years old, which isn’t old by most measures, but she’s a bit of a grandma in the world of gymnastics. The average age for elite female gymnasts to retire is 22. There are other competitive gymnasts who are older than Biles, but they aren’t up there on the world championship podium with her. The main reason gymnasts retire so early is the wear and tear gymnastics puts on their bodies. Biles continually pushes her body to do what no one else can do, and she’s still going strong.

Her ability is unparalleled but her longevity is equally impressive. Peak time varies by sport, of course, but for a gymnast to be this dominant for this long is an incredible accomplishment.

Honorable mention: She’s a woman in a GOAT field filled with men

Should being a female athlete make a difference? Well, the International Certification of Excellence in Fitness (ICEF) seems to think so, since they made a list of the 10 Greatest Athletes of All Time and there’s not a single female on it.

As the ICEF’s Top 10 list unwittingly demonstrates, male athletes are automatically thought of as better athletes than women, no matter the variables, which is silly. No one is putting Babe Ruth up against Muhammad Ali as having the same or even similar skills, so why are there no women at all on this list?

I’d put Simone Biles up against any of these 10 men for all-time athlete GOAT. Yes, even Michael Jordan, who holds the top spot. He holds records in his sport. He pushed the boundaries of basketball. He was an individual standout and a good team player. He overcame setbacks (more in his personal life than the sport itself, but still) and he came out of retirement twice to keep playing. Heck, he was even famous for defying gravity. Simone Biles has done all of that on a global level—and on a beam 4 inches wide.

No one can argue with a straight face that gymnastics is an easy sport—the years of intense training and discipline and the combination of strength, agility, flexibility, gracefulness and body control elite gymnastics requires are utterly bonkers. Arguably, gymnastics requires more athleticism than many other sports, so Simone Biles’ total domination of the sport for this long at this level certainly qualifies her for GOAT status—not just among gymnasts, but among all athletes of all time.

Even if you’ve been living in a time capsule and think Hanson is the newest boyband on the block, you’ve likely still heard about Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner’s divorce. Jonas has been in the public eye since the age of 15 as part of his band he shares with his brothers, aptly named Jonas Brothers. And Turner catapulted to fame playing Sansa Stark on the massive hit show “Game of Thrones” when she was also just 15.

Throughout their relationship the two worked hard to keep things extremely private and positive, so these stories portraying Turner as a party girl absent mom and Jonas as super-dad were shocking.

Enter Robin Rambles, a TikTokker and huge Jonas Brothers fan. She noticed the discrepancy in coverage, Jonas’s slow response time and fans insisting the pop star is misogynist. The makings of a PR nightmare, and Robin has a solution. Giving Jonas the opportunity to pay off her car.

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I mean it’s really a small ask when you think about it. He’s a millionaire with a PR problem and she’s a hundred-aire every couple of weeks on payday. Jonas paying off her car would be good PR for him and a smart financial decision for her. Win-win. I’m personally rooting for Robin in this divorce, which is why Upworthy talked to her to find out more about what prompted this hilarious plea.

“It was a mixture of things that prompted the actual video. Like I had just paid my car payment and I had also just gone to a Jonas Brothers concert last week and the price of the ticket was very similar to the price of my car payment,” Robin laughs. “And I was like, you know what, Joe should pay this for me. Like ‘you owe me. I sat through a pitchy concert.'”

“I was like, ‘I’m mad about patriarchy, I’m mad about rich people being rich, I’m mad about paying for my car payment.’ It was a beautiful storm of just me…being mad.”

In fact, after the original story that prompted the misogyny claims was published, Robin and her friend seriously contemplated going to the Jonas Brothers’ concert dressed as Sansa Stark. That would’ve taken trolling someone to a new level, likely a hilarious level for everyone but Jonas.

Since she’s such a long time big fan of the boyband, Robin settled on simply asking Jonas the small favor of paying off her car loan in exchange for positive headlines. Honestly, it seems like a sweet deal being that she says there’s only about $11K left on her loan and according to Robin, he’s likely paying over $10K for his PR firm.

Either way, divorces are painful no matter who you are, so maybe Jonas will come across Robin’s video and at the very least get a good laugh out of it. Bonus points and guaranteed character redeeming headlines if he actually follows through on paying off her car.

Watch Robin’s amusing PR offer below:

@robinrambles

dear Joe Jonas,

Many people don’t like small talk because it forces them to have conversations about trivial topics such as the weather, what they saw on TV the night before, or their weekend plans. Other people don’t like it because it causes them anxiety to talk with someone they may not know well.

Either way, research shows that small talk actually is a big deal. Julia Korn at Forbes says that small talk enables us to find common ground and shared interests, build muscles to overcome social discomfort, and lays the groundwork for transitioning into more serious, deeper topics.

It also makes us feel good. Studies show that a quick exchange with a barista while getting coffee can result in feelings of belonging and increased happiness.

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So, how can we get more out of small talk and make it more comfortable? Stanford lecturer, podcast host, and communication expert Matt Abrahams told CNBC that one small phrase does both, “Tell me more.” He learned the phrase’s value by listening to his mother, who had “impressive interpersonal skills.”

“Her favorite phrase was ‘Tell me more,’ and it happens to be one that people who are good at small talk always use,” Abrahams wrote.

The Stanford expert says that the simple phrase works because it is a “support response” that encourages what the speaker is saying instead of being a “shift response” that brings the conversation back to you.

Suppose you’re talking to someone at a party who’s complaining about a lousy dinner they had at a local steakhouse. “The steak was overcooked, and the service was terrible,” they tell you. A proper support response could be, “Tell me more about the service” or “What else didn’t you like about the dinner?”

“Comments like these give your partner permission to expand on what they said or provide deeper insight,” Abrahams wrote.

On the other hand, a shift response that brings the conversation back to you would be something like, “I once had a bad dinner at a steakhouse…” and then you told that story. People who overuse the shift response are often seen as self-centered or the type of folks who have to make everything about themselves.

That’s a rather annoying personality trait that doesn’t make people a lot of friends or an enjoyable person to work with in the office.

Support responses such as “Tell me more” or “What happened next” are a great way to guarantee that you follow another proven conversation strategy, the 43:57 rule. A marketing whiz over at Gong.io took a deep dive into 25,537 sales calls with the help of AI and discovered a cool tidbit: sales went through the roof when the salesperson chatted 43% of the time and lent an ear for 57%. They’ve dubbed it the “43:57 rule.”

Now, while this gem of wisdom came from business calls, think about our daily chats with friends. It’s all about tuning in and showing you care about what the other person has to say. Everyone loves to feel heard and valued.

In the end, the trick to being a great conversationalist isn’t all about being witty, charming, or informed but simply knowing how to listen.

Now that summer is out of the way, we can all agree that the time for superhero movies, brilliant marketing tactics, and a bunch of men just talking for three hours is over, and the real season of cinema is here: horror movie season. You can get your fair share of horror movies in the subsection of random streaming services, but if you want the real deal, you must go to the best source: Shudder.

The streamer exclusively has horror content, so it’s hard to weed out the good (Evil Dead II) from the bad (the live-action Chucky series!!). Of course, there are so many subgenres that can be explored. Do you want demons? Blood? Nic Cage in a chainsaw match? There’s something for everyone, here. Here are the best 30 horror movies on the service so you can really live up Halloween season. Then we can finally start watching Krampus for the holidays.

Color Out of Space

Year: 2020
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Madeleine Arthur, Joely Richardson
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: 110 minutes
Director: Richard Stanley
Trailer: Watch here

Based on the H.P. Lovecraft story of the same name, a small family begins to experience a major vibe shift when a meteorite lands in the front yard and begins to omit a strange color. Soon, everything becomes dreamlike, and everyone is confused. There is a classic Nic Cage freakout, a Tommy Chong cameo, some extremely colorful moments, and then it gets even weirder.

Watch it on Shudder

Bad Things

Year: 2023
Cast: Gayle Rankin, Hari Nef, Molly Ringwald
Rating: NR
Runtime: 87 minutes
Director: Stewart Thorndike
Trailer: Watch here

If you’ve ever watched The Shining and thought, “This is good, but it would be better if they were all gay,” then this is the movie for you! A group of friends spend a weekend in an abandoned and haunted hotel where nothing could possibly go wrong! Soon, the group becomes consumed by various figures in the hotel before turning on one another. Plus, Molly Ringwald.

Watch it on Shudder

Possession

Year: 1983
Cast: Isabelle Adjani, Sam Neill
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: 124 minutes
Director: Andrzej Zulawski
Trailer:Watch here

Mark, portrayed by Sam Neill, comes home from work to find that his wife Anna is acting peculiarly and wants a divorce. Soon, Anna’s weirdness descends into pure madness and Mark starts to lose himself, and the two out-weird each other. It’s a movie so outlandish it was originally banned from theaters after its initial release in 1981, and now you can watch is on Shudder. Isn’t the internet amazing?

Watch it on Shudder

Tammy and the T-Rex

Year: 1994
Cast: Denise Richards, Paul Walker
Rating: TV-14
Runtime: 90 minutes
Director: Stewart Raffill
Trailer:Watch here

This is definitely not a movie that many would consider “good,” although it is quite a bizarre experience that makes you feel like a different person after watching it. Denise Richards, in her first starring role, plays Tammy, whose new boyfriend Michael, played by Paul Walker, suffers a fatal accident. Luckily for her, they can still hook up his brain to an animatronic T-rex so they can still hang out. This movie was only made because a man had an animatronic T-rex and offered it to director Stewart Raffill, who then wrote the story in one week. It definitely shows.

Watch it on Shudder

Mad God

Year: 2022
Cast: Alex Cox, Niketa Roman
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 85 minutes
Director: Phil Tippett
Trailer: Watch here

There is no cohesive way to describe this movie, so here is how it was made. Director Phil Tippett, a visual effects supervisor who worked on Jurassic Park, Return of the Jedi, and Robocop, began making a stop-motion animated nightmare about traveling through the underworld sometime in the year 1990. Whilst making the film, Tippett suffered from a “huge mental breakdown” and he was subsequently hospitalized. It was finally released in 2022 for your viewing pleasure, so after all this trouble, you might as well just watch it.

Watch it on Shudder

Prisoners of the Ghostland

Year: 2021
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Bill Moseley
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: 105 minutes
Director: Sion Soto
Trailer: Watch here

Once again, Nic Cage proves that he is meant to be covered in blood splatters in a horror movie. Cage plays a rugged bank robber who is tasked with a mission to find the governor’s granddaughter who has run away. If he doesn’t find her in five days, his specially-made suit will self-destruct. It’s just weird enough to work.

Watch it on Shudder

Who Invited Them

Year: 2022
Cast: Ryan Hansen, Melissa Tang
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: 80 minutes
Director: Duncan Birmingham
Trailer: Watch here

An extremely weird couple shows up to a housewarming party, but the owners are too polite to make them leave, and chaos ensues. It’s a little wacky, very silly, and will make you rethink hanging out with your new neighbors.

Watch it on Shudder

Evil Dead II

Year: 1987
Cast: Bruce Campbell
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: 84 minutes
Director: Sam Raimi
Trailer: Watch here

Before Sam Raimi was creating multiverses and superhero backstories, he was just a man with a sick dream: to terrify audiences with a creepy little book. While The Evil Dead was a masterpiece in its own right, its sequel retools the original and expands on the weirdness of Ash (Bruce Campbell) who keeps finding himself in painful/sometimes hilarious supernatural experiences. Plus he’s a bit of a goof!

Watch it on Shudder

The Babadook

Year: 2014
Cast: Essie Davis, Noah Wiseman
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: 93 minutes
Director: Jennifer Kent
Trailer: Watch here

If you can put aside your pre-conceived notions about Mr. Babadook aside, he is a very frightening figure (before he was a meme). The creature shows up in Amelia’s house after the death of her husband, all thanks to a chilling kids’ book that taunts her and her son.

Watch it on Shudder

The Invitation

Year: 2016
Cast: Logan Marshall-Green, Tammy Blanchard
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: 100 minutes
Director: Karyn Kusama
Trailer: Watch here

At a slow-burning housewarming party, Will reunites with his ex, Eden, who seems to be acting strangely. Over the course of the night, Will becomes increasingly skeptical that Eden might be a part of something larger and potentially harmful, but everyone else thinks it’s all in his head. Who turns out to be right? There’s a lot more here than it seems.

Watch it on Shudder

Mandy

Year: 2018
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Andrea Riseborough
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: 121 minutes
Director: Panos Cosmatos
Trailer: Watch here

Once again, this movie highlights Cage’s ability to slowly descend into horrific madness while covered in blood. This time, Cage goes on a murderous rampage after a vicious cult targets his wife, Mandy. Through some vibrant imagery and an intense musical score, Cage must find the men who took Mandy. No spoilers here, but just imagine what it would look like if Nic Cage was coming at you with a chainsaw! That’s what this movie feels like. Only it just gets weirder and weirder.

Watch it on Shudder

Resurrection

Year: 2022
Cast: Rebecca Hall, Tim Roth
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: 104 minutes
Director: Andrew Semans
Trailer:Watch here

This extremely unsettling psychological thriller might trigger a panic attack, but you’ll also be able to experience Rebecca Hall’s superb acting, so there is a good give and take. A woman is stalked by a figure from her past who begins to taunt her with memories of their former life together… but things get even more deranged when she begins to let him in again.

Watch it on Shudder

The Seed

Year: 2022
Cast: Chelsea Edge, Lucy Martin
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: 91 minutes
Director: Sam Walker
Trailer: Watch here

This is a silly one for sure, but there’s a weirdo little alien who is also kinda cute so it makes it worth it. A group of influencer friends spend a weekend away in a remote house, but a strange creature shows up and begins to complicate things. It’s campy and weird and will be one of those movies that all the teens are raving about in about 30 years when influencers become a relic of the 2020s.

Watch it on Shudder

Q – The Winged Serpent

Year: 1982
Cast: Michael Moriarty, David Carradine
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: 93 minutes
Director: Larry Cohen
Trailer: Watch here

If monster movies are up your alley, this one will be your go-to. For centuries a giant dragon named Q has lived in the upper deck of the Chrysler Building, and he is undisturbed until one man stumbles across his nest and subsequently and unintentionally lets Q lose on the demonic world of New York City. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll never look at the NYC skyline the same way.

Watch it on Shudder

The Last Drive-In With Joe Bob Briggs: Exorcist III

Year: 2019
Cast: Joe Bob Briggs
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: 183 minutes
Trailer: Watch here

Okay, so you’ve probably seen The Exorcist III (the best of the series), but have you watched it with an old man from Texas who gives his own out-of-pocket commentary? That’s the beauty of The Last Drive-In With Joe Bob Briggs. During every “commercial break,” Briggs breaks down the movie and gives intel on what makes the film so iconic, while lamenting the creepiness of it all. The best part about watching horror movies is watching with your friends anyway. Joe Bob is your friend now.

Watch it on Shudder

Gwen

Year: 2019
Cast: Eleanor Worthington-Cox, Richard Harrington
Rating: TV-14
Runtime: 84 minutes
Director: William McGregor
Trailer: Watch here

For fans of The Witch and people who just love anxiety. Gwen is a young girl who must care for her sick mother while also dealing with some mysterious and unsettling forces that are plaguing the town and Gwen’s suffering family. It’s disturbing but the acting and cinematography makes for a perfectly unsettling feature.

Watch it on Shudder

Spirit Halloween

Year: 2022
Cast: Donovan Colan, Jaiden J. Smith, Christopher Lloyd
Rating: TV-14
Runtime: 81 minutes
Director: David Poag
Trailer: Watch here

Not every horror movie needs to bring up some deep-rooted trauma! Sometimes, it’s enough to just watch a bunch of pre-teens learn the wonders of Halloween by locking themselves into a Spirit Halloween overnight. It’s not that deep, but it’s a perfect movie to have on in the background while you’re carving pumpkins and snacking on Kit-Kats because you’re an adult!

Watch it on Shudder

Attachment

Year: 2022
Cast: Josephine Park, Ellie Kendrick
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: 105 minutes
Director: Garbiel Bier Gislason
Trailer:Watch here

Attachment follows a young couple, Maja and Leah, who move in with Leah’s overbearing and cold mother who watches over them like a hawk. While attempting to learn about Leah’s family and culture, Maja accidentally uncovers some hidden secrets and potentially dangerous spirits that are living in the shadows of their home.

Watch it on Shudder

Tenebrae

Year: 1982
Cast: Anthony Franciosa, Giuliano Gemma
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: 110 minutes
Director: Dario Argento
Trailer: Watch here

The master of horror himself Dario Argento based this film on a real-life fan who was a little too obsessed with Argento’s horror films. The movie follows a novelist named Peter Neal who learns that a serial killer has been inspired by his novels, Neal sets out to try and solve the next one before it happens again.

Watch it on Shudder

Summer Of ’84

Year: 2022
Cast: Josephine Park, Ellie Kendrick
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: 105 minutes
Director: Garbiel Bier Gislason
Trailer:Watch here

Major Stranger Things vibes with this one, but it works for a reason! A group of teens set out to uncover the truth behind a series of missing boys in their hometown and begin to suspect that the police are in on it.

Watch it on Shudder

Skinamarink

Year: 2023
Cast: Lucas Paul, Dali Rose Tetreault,
Rating: TV-14
Runtime: 100 minutes
Director: Kyle Edward Ball
Trailer: Watch here

This polarizing movie might creep you out or put you to sleep, depending on what you’re going for. Two siblings wake up in the middle of the night to learn that their father is missing and all of the windows and doors in their house are mysteriously gone. In normal little kid fashion, the two then camp out in the living room, but something else might be lurking in the house watching them. It feels like a bad dream that you can’t wake up from.

Watch it on Shudder

In Their Skin

Year: 2012
Cast: Lucas Paul, Dali Rose Tetreault,
Rating: TV-14
Runtime: 100 minutes
Director: Kyle Edward Ball
Trailer:Watch here

A classic home invasion thriller takes a unique turn when a small family (Selma Blair and James D’arcy) is targeted by a murderous group who intends to steal their lives, identity AND their vacation house.

Watch it on Shudder

Perfect Blue

Year: 1997
Cast: Junko Iwao, Rika Matsumoto,
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: 81 minutes
Director: Satoshi Kon
Trailer:Watch here

In this animated thriller, beloved pop star Mima decides to pursue acting and lands a role in a popular TV series. As Mima gets more famous, people close to her end up mysteriously dying and Mima’s reality and fictional life begin to blend together into some beautifully horrific visions that have her questioning her surroundings.

Watch it on Shudder

Halloween

Year: 1978
Cast: Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Pleasence,
Rating: NR
Runtime: 90 minutes
Director: John Carpenter
Trailer:Watch here

You’ve probably seen this classic horror film (or at least heard the iconic score before) but now is the time to check in on the humble beginnings of Michael Myers. After murdering his sister as a child, Myers was sent to prison for 15 years, only to be released on Halloween night when all hell starts to breaks loose.

Watch it on Shudder

Phenomena

Year: 1985
Cast: Jennifer Connelly, Donald Pleasence
Rating: NR
Runtime: 110 minutes
Director: Dario Argento
Trailer:Watch here

A young woman named Jennifer gets sent to a boarding school and accidentally witnesses a horrible murder while sleepwalking. Combining the three scariest things (sleepwalking, murder, and Italian directors) Jennifer is haunted by visions of the murder and learns that she might have a psychic ability that could help her catch the killer.

Watch it on Shudder

Watcher

Year: 2022
Cast: Maika Monroe, Karl Glusman,
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: 91 minutes
Director: Chloe Okuno
Trailer:Watch here

Maika Monroe starred in 2014’s It Follows, so you might go into this film feeling unsettled at the sight of her anyway. It’s a great way to set the tone! A young actress moves to a new city with her boyfriend and begins to notice a mysterious man watching her, but others around her believe it’s all in her head. This is why wall-sized windows are never a good idea!

Watch it on Shudder

Prom Night

Year: 1980
Cast: Jamie Lee Curtis, Leslie Nielsen
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: 92 minutes
Director: Paul Lynch
Trailer:Watch here

Prom night is the best night of the worst years of your life (high school) so it only makes sense to have a horror movie take place on that coveted evening. A group of friends is taunted by a violent killer who vows to get revenge… just before the prom king and queen are announced. Plus you have the original scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis, so it has all of the elements of a perfect slasher.

Watch it on Shudder

Deadstream

Year: 2022
Cast: Joseph Winter
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: 89 minutes
Director: Joseph Winter
Trailer:Watch here

A washed-up influencer takes a solo trip to a haunted house in order to get back some followers in this “found footage” comedy-horror. What’s scarier, a haunted house or a man asking you to “like, comment, and subscribe” to his antics? You decide.

Watch it on Shudder

The Visitor

Year: 1979
Cast: Mel Ferrer, Glenn Ford, John Huston
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: 104 minutes
Director: Guilio Paradisi
Trailer:Watch here

This dazzling yet bizarre sci-fi horror was long out of print until a decade ago when it was re-released and restored for modern audiences. The Visitorcenters on a young girl who might seem like an innocent pre-teen, but she actually is the incarnation of an evil spirit and must be stopped. This is also what it feels like to be a pre-teen, so the horrors are very real.

Watch it on Shudder

Hounds of Love

Year: 2017
Cast: Emma Booth, Ashleigh Cummings
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: 108 minutes
Director: Ben Young
Trailer:Watch here

This is a disturbing retelling of the real-life Moorhouse Murders that took place in Perth in 1986. A young couple kidnaps a teenager named Vicki Maloney, and Vicki quickly learns that the only way she has a chance at survival is by driving a wedge in between the married couple and turn them against each other.

Watch it on Shudder

On Wednesday, Amazon announced the end of its live streaming audio service Amp. According to Bloomberg, the service was launched in May 2022 as a competitor for chat apps like Clubhouse and Twitter’s Spaces feature (both of which have also since shut down), while CNBC reports the decision was made in the wake of a “sweeping review” of Amazon’s expenses by Amazon CEO Andy Jassy. Per Business Insider, Amp had failed to meet internal goals for months.

Is Nicki Minaj’s Queen Radio Canceled Due To Amp’s End?

Amp, which operated a bit like its competitors but allowed users to play licensed music and take “callers” while on the air, thus encouraging a “radio show” style format, had hip-hop stars like Big Boi, Joe Budden, Nicki Minaj, and Pusha T as part of its launch and their shows and events were expected to draw plenty of users. However, that is clearly not how it turned out. As an Amazon spokesperson said in a statement, “We’ve made the difficult decision to close Amp. We learned a lot about how live music communities interact in the process, which we are bringing to bear as we build new fan experiences at scale in Amazon Music.”

As far as what happens to those shows now that Amp is shuttering, that remains to be seen. Amazon Music currently hosts its own exclusive podcasts, so it’s possible that it’ll fold shows like Queen Radio into its existing lineup and simply stream them from that platform instead. Like Spotify, which also shuttered its own Clubhouse clone earlier this year, Amazon has been increasing its focus on traditional podcasts, so if the Amp shows can be suitably revamped to fit the format, it’s entirely possible that Queen Radio will return in some form before long.

After eight years as a fan-favorite correspondent, Roy Wood Jr. is leaving The Daily Show. Despite calls for the comedian to take over the top spot after Trevor Noah stepped down late last year, Comedy Central has been in no rush to fill the position as it has worked through a series of guest hosts, including Wood. With an offer not being extended for the top gig, Wood has made the decision to step away and focus on the next steps in his career.

“I can’t come up with Plan B while still working with Plan A,” Wood told NPR while making it clear that he doesn’t want to work for The Daily Show while waiting for someone else to become the host. “The job of correspondent…it’s not really one where you can juggle multiple things. [And] I think eight years is a good run.”

Wood did make it clear that doesn’t hold a grudge against Comedy Central, and he would, of course, still be open to the hosting job if the network approached him with it.

“If you’re offered the chance to host The Daily Show at any point in your life… you have to stop for a second and consider that,” Wood said. “The next question becomes, ‘What does The Daily Show look like in 2024? And what does late night look like in 2024?’”

He elaborated further on his decision to leave in a post on Twitter/X this afternoon.

Wood’s departure leaves The Daily Show in an interesting bind as it continues to struggle with finding a new host. For a while, former correspondent Hasan Minhaj seemed like the top contender, and even Wood agreed that Minhaj has what Comedy Central is looking for.

“I think Hasan checks a lot of boxes that the network would want and people would want,” Wood told NPR. “Hasan’s young, he’s global and he has the political I.Q.”

But Minhaj’s chances went out the window last month when a New Yorker expose revealed he embellished certain anecdotes about his life, including one where his family was mailed anthrax, which didn’t happen. Shortly after the piece hit, Variety reported that Comedy Central was going back to “square one” in the search for a new host and would look “beyond” Minhaj for a candidate.

Who that candidate might be is anybody’s guess at this point.

(Via NPR, Variety)

As Loki gets ready to make his glorious return in Season 2 of his reality-breaking Marvel series, the Trickster God has his hands full right out of the gate. The first season ended with Loki returning to the Time Variance Authority, or TVA, after Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) made the calamitous decision to murder He Who Remains (Jonathan Majors), a Kang variant who was preventing the Sacred Timeline from falling into chaos.

However, when Loki returned, his partner Mobius (Owen Wilson) had no idea who he is, and judging by the newest sneak peak from Marvel, that situation doesn’t look like it’s improving anytime soon. In the clip, Loki fans can see what happens immediately after the Season 1 end scene, and clearly, the TVA doesn’t react well to a stranger suddenly appearing in their facility with dire warnings about an evil mastermind who’s been controlling everything from behind a storm at the end of time. They didn’t like that.

Here’s the official synopsis:

Loki Season 2 picks up in the aftermath of the shocking season finale when Loki finds himself in a battle for the soul of the Time Variance Authority. Along with Mobius, Hunter B-15 and a team of new and returning characters, Loki navigates an ever-expanding and increasingly dangerous multiverse in search of Sylvie, Judge Renslayer, Miss Minutes and the truth of what it means to possess free will and glorious purpose.

Loki Season 2 premieres October 5 at 9 ET/6 PT on Disney+.

Mr. The Bear himself Jeremy Allen White might have wrapped up season two of the hit culinary horror-drama (it’s too scary for some of us who are afraid of fine dining), but he’s just getting ready to promote his next project, the wrestling drama The Iron Claw.

The movie was given the all-clear to go ahead after reaching an interim agreement with SAG-AFTRA, which means the A24 film is all set to hit theaters this winter. Here is everything we know so far about the upcoming film, which is based on a very real family.

Plot

The film will chronicle the infamous Von Erich family of wrestlers and their tragic story. Fritz Von Erich became an AWA Heavyweight Champion in the 60s before having six (!!!) boys–five of whom became (or attempted to become) professional wrestlers throughout the 80s. While the bunch became successful inside the ring, the family suffered a series of tragic losses and accidents, and were often dubbed as “cursed.”

Cast

Zac Efron will star as Kevin, the eldest Von Erich brother. Harris Dickinson will portray David Von Erich, while Jeremy Allen White will take on Kerry Von Erich, and Holt McCallany will portray the father Frtiz. Lily James, Maura Tierney, Stanley Simons and Maxwell Jacob Friedman also star.

Release Date

The movie is set to hit theaters on December 22, 2023. As with other A24 films, it is expected to debut on streaming after a theatrical release, and potentially on Paramount+.

Trailer

No trailer has been released yet, though Efron released a first look on his Instagram. Filming took place last fall, so we should be getting some jacked-up footage soon.