Category: News

December is the perfect time to celebrate the holiday season, and what’s a better way to do that then watch a movie about two hot actors on a boat in Australia? It’s the season of giving.

Anyone But You follows Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell in a classic tale of enemies who have to pretend to date for some undisputable reason. Surely nothing can go wrong here! Here is the official synopsis: “In the edgy comedy Anyone But You, Bea (Sydney Sweeney) and Ben (Glen Powell) look like the perfect couple, but after an amazing first date something happens that turns their fiery hot attraction ice cold – until they find themselves unexpectedly thrust together at a destination wedding in Australia. So they do what any two mature adults would do: pretend to be a couple.”

The movie isnt on streaming yet, so if you want to check out the Shakespearean tale, you’ll have to head to theaters. The movie hit cinemas on December 22nd, and you can check showtimes via Fandango.

Anyone But You doesn’t have an official streaming release date, but it should ne noted that Sony’s other romcom No Hard Feelings hit the streamer after four months, so we will likely see it on Netflix sometime in the Spring.

Following The Bear Season 1, most of the show’s viewers would agree that Cousin Richie wasn’t the most enjoyable part of the show by far. Sure, he could get stabbed in the butt and walk it off, but he was also an annoyance and a miserable human being who was generally miserable for other characters to be around. In Season 2, however, Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s menace to Chef society became the surprise ace in the hole.

As my colleague Jason Tabrys discussed, Ritchie’s “true GOAT moment” arrived in the season finale, wherein Ritchie has gained enough foresight and professional redemption to see how Carmy’s obsessions are also his downfall. Richie Wears. Suits. Now. He was also able to pull the kitchen into being a well-oiled machine in the space of 15 minutes on friends and family night. Meanwhile, Carmy was languishing in the refrigerator, not even able to inwardly appreciate that he had provided enough guidance (and sources for such) to his fellow Chefs that they could keep the fires going amid disaster.

The character growth that Richie experienced in “Forks” is what made this turnaround possible, and that’s why Season 2, Episode 7 is my favorite TV episode of the year. And I’m not alone, although plenty of other The Bear-heads would prefer the nightmare Christmas episode, “Fishes,” which was adorned with endless cameos and painted an exquisitely painful portrait of why the Berzatto siblings ended up, well, the way that they did.

And sure, Succession and Reservation Dogs fired out strong competition, but man, The Bear inspired the most lively conversation on Twitter.

Richie’s character growth (and that Taylor Swift scene) was beautiful for the audience to witness, but no one was more surprised than Richie himself. That’s a recipe for good TV.

Also, there’s the “mental health” aspect to consider when deciding what to rewatch, “Forks” or “Fishes.” No contest there, really.

And the debate continues:

The Bear‘s first two seasons are available to stream on Hulu.

Zack Snyder drops the first installment in his massive sci-fi epic, Rebel Moon, on Netflix this week, and already, the question on everyone’s mind is will Part One – A Child of Fire get a director’s cut. The answer is yes, of course, this is Zack Snyder we’re talking about.

During his time in the DC Extended Universe, Snyder delivered director’s cuts for both Batman v Superman and Justice League that fans and even critics agreed were far superior than the theatrical versions. (Snyder also released a massive “Ultimate Cut” for Watchmen that ran nearly four hours long.) However, this time around, a director’s cut for Rebel Moon was always part of the plan.

Snyder revealed the existence of a Rebel Moon director’s cut back in August and has since likened the experience to The Lord of the Rings: Extended Editions. He also praised Netflix for giving him the freedom to expand on his burgeoning sci-fi epic.

“This was the first time I had ever been able to make a movie and plan for that,” Snyder told Entertainment Weekly. “The cut was not me fighting with them like, ‘Okay, you won’t do what I want. Can I at least release it on DVD?’ It was us going together.”

According to Snyder, the Rebel Moon director’s cut will be an hour longer. “It’s not just slightly different or a little bit more,” he said. “There are big chunks of the movie that are different.”

The director’s cut for the first Rebel Moon will reportedly arrive on Netflix some time before the release of Part Two – The Scargiver, which will also get its own director’s cut because, again, Zack Snyder is gonna Zack Snyder.

Here’s the official synopsis for A Child of Fire:

When a peaceful colony on the edge of a galaxy finds itself threatened by the armies of a tyrannical ruling force, Kora (Sofia Boutella), a mysterious stranger living among the villagers, becomes their best hope for survival. Tasked with finding trained fighters who will unite with her in making an impossible stand against the Mother World, Kora assembles a small band of warriors — outsiders, insurgents, peasants and orphans of war from different worlds who share a common need for redemption and revenge.

As the shadow of an entire Realm bears down on the unlikeliest of moons, a battle over the fate of a galaxy is waged, and in the process, a new army of heroes is formed.

Rebel Moon: Part One – A Child of Fire starts streaming Thursday, December 21 at 10 p.m. ET on Netflix.

Mariah Carey wrapped her Merry Christmas One And All! Tour at New York City’s Madison Square Garden on Sunday, December 17, and while she humbly resists being known as the “Queen Of Christmas,” the annual evidence is too overwhelming to ignore. This week, “All I Want For Christmas Is You” has returned to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. And last week, Carey visited The White House to make sure its “festive decor” was up to snuff.

“Last week I had the pleasure of meeting President [Joe] Biden & Vice President [Kamala] Harris at the White House to ring in the holiday season!” Carey captioned an Instagram carousel. “While there, we got to see all the festive decor and spread some cheer!”

In one photo, Carey is standing with US President Joe Biden and her 12-year-old twins, Moroccan and Monroe, in The Oval Office. Carey posed for a photo with President Biden as well as one with Vice President Harris and Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff. Of course, there are photos of Carey inspecting The White House’s Christmas tree, as the Queen Of Christmas should.

The Library Of Congress’ official X (formerly Twitter) account also posted that Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” has been inducted into the 2023 National Recording Registry, a selection that was previously announced in April.

“.@MariahCarey stopped by the Library last week for a tour & to receive a certificate from Santa that commemorates the induction of ‘All I Want For Christmas is You’ in the 2023 #NatRecRegistry. Congratulations & Merry Christmas, Mariah!” the post reads.

See both posts below.

Nicki Minaj answered some fan questions on Twitter, particularly if she would ever jump into the studio to collaborate with Taylor Swift. The answer was, obviously, yes, as Minaj didn’t hesitate to shower Swift with praise.

She responded that she would love to work with her “in a heartbeat.”

“The QUEEN TAYLOR DESERVES!!!! PERIOD!!!!!” Minaj wrote in a separate tweet. “She takes months & years off then comes back with great music & fans who’ll never leave her!!!!”

“The point is that we have something to aspire to as we watch the SAG QUEEN Taylor & the swifties & Republic Records,” she added, as she also discussed her own vinyl sales.

Except for a brief 2015 feud, Swift and Minaj have been longtime friends. When the rapper dropped her song “Super Bass” years ago, as she was just getting started, Swift gave it a boost in listeners by promoting it.

A few months ago, fans had speculated if the two were actually working on music together for Swift’s 1989 (Taylor’s Version). The theories started after Swift included the word “Sagittarius” in her puzzle on Google, which was tied to the album. Considering the two both share the same star sign, it seemed like a possibility.

“That’s my favorite Sagittarius over there,” Swift also described about Minaj at this year’s Video Music Awards.

Check out Minaj’s recent tweets about her love for Swift above.

YouTube released its list of the most-viewed artists for 2023, and Peso Pluma took this year’s top spot. The musician gained over 8.5 billion views on his music videos across the globe.

“I feel humble and grateful that my music has made it to the top spot on YouTube,” Peso Pluma told The Hollywood Reporter. “A huge thank you to my musicians and team, my fans, everyone at YouTube and all the people who have made this project possible.”

Two of his songs, “Ella Baila Sola” (feat. Eslabón Armado) and “La Bebe (Remix)” (feat. Yng Lvcas), placed in third and fourth on YouTube’s Top 10 Songs in the US for 2023 as well.

According to the publication, “Ella Baila Sola” got a significant boost through TikTok. It broke a ton of records, too. Peso Pluma’s hit became the first regional Mexican song to make it in the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 4 on the chart. It also spent 19 weeks on the Hot Latin Songs Chart and is certified 21x Platinum — amounting to 1.26 million in units.

As for the other artists rounding out YouTube’s most-viewed list this year, YoungBoy Never Broke Again, Drake, Bad Bunny, and Taylor Swift were the rest of the Top 5.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce have each been showered with cheers (and boos) at countless stadiums in their respective careers, but Kelce was still giddy as a schoolboy when discussing how New England Patriots fans erupted for Swift on Sunday, December 17. The galactic pop star was at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts to support Kelce as his Kansas City Chiefs beat the Pats, 27-17. As is the case everywhere she goes, Swift became the main attraction.

“They showed Taylor at the game,” the All-Pro Chiefs tight end said on this week’s episode of his New Heights podcast with his brother, Philadelphia Eagles All-Pro center Jason Kelce. “You don’t see an entire home team’s fan base go insane for somebody wearing the opposite team’s colors — just shows you how amazing that girl is.”

The two-time Super Bowl champion continued, “They went absolutely insane when they showed Taylor on the screen, yes. There might have been a few Brads and Chads that were booing, but for the most part, everybody was f*cking screaming their tail off for her. And yeah, I was trying to keep it cool. I was like, ‘Don’t show your cards. Don’t show your cards.’ It was fun, man.”

Swifties already know, but for the uninitiated: Kelce didn’t randomly select the names Brad and Chad to represent losers wasting their breath booing Taylor Swift, who is objectively winning at life. Earlier this month, Time revealed Swift as its 2023 Person Of The Year, and in the accompanying profile, Swift commented on the frenzy surrounding every Chiefs game she’s attended since September 24.

“I don’t know how they know what suite I’m in,” Swift said. “There’s a camera, like, a half-mile away, and you don’t know where it is, and you have no idea when the camera is putting you in the broadcast, so I don’t know if I’m being shown 17 times or once.” She added, “I’m just there to support Travis. I have no awareness of if I’m being shown too much and pissing off a few dads, Brads, and Chads.”

Watch the New Heights episode above. (The Taylor talk begins around the 38-minute mark.)

During the Second Golden Age Of Drew Barrymore Romcoms (2004-2009), there was one Adam Sandler classic (before he tapped into his dramatic side) called 50 First Dates which features Barrymore playing a woman whose memory resets every morning. Through a series of manipulative tactics, slapstick jokes, and a Sean Astin cameo, Sandler gets her to fall in love with him every day. It’s what you would expect. But one of the main plot points of the movie revolves around it taking place in Hawaii, which is why Jason Momoa is getting involved.

Momoa stopped by Drew Barrymore’s talk show/therapy session to regretfully promote his new film Aquaman: The Lost Kingdom when he mentioned that he would love to star in a remake of the movie, which would probably not hold up very well today.

When Barrymore asked which of her movies he would want to star in if he had a choice. “If you were to do a romantic comedy, is there a film — let’s just play a game — is there a rom-com you would ever remake?” Barrymore asked. Momoa replied, “Yeah, maybe 50 More Dates.”

Momoa elaborated, “You need to come back to the islands and meet a Hawaiian man,” he said, to which Barrymore enthusiastically agreed. She asked who he would cast alongside him, and he mysteriously and annoyingly diverted the question. “Well, there’s someone out there, I don’t know if I want to say it but there’s someone out there,” he said. He’s gotta keep the people guessing somehow.

It seems like Momoa might be trying to divert attention away from the disappointing Aquaman reviews. Rumor has it there is a lot of pee over there.

(Via Decider)

What’s the best bourbon for an old fashioned cocktail? It’s a question as old as time — well… at least it feels like one. And important, too. The quality of bourbon swings drastically — the taste even more so. There are a ton of variables that can make or break a simple and classic old fashioned cocktail. So let’s take a look at which bourbon you should be using to make the best old fashioned possible.

For this exercise, I had to dial in the parameters pretty severely. First and foremost, I couldn’t stack the deck. I know I can make an amazing old fashioned with, say, a Michter’s 10-Year Single Barrel Bourbon or E.H. Taylor Single Barrel Bourbon or Knob Creek 18-Year-Old Bourbon. But those bottles are highly allocated and very price-inflated. So I’ve specifically chosen great bourbons that are ~generally available~ at good liquor stores, in the same price range ($30-$45), very close in ABV (45%-50%), and all classic corn/rye/malted barley Kentucky straight bourbons. There are no special finishing barrels, high or low ABVs, crafty grain bombs, sneaky sourced barrels, wheated bourbons, or random single barrels.

I picked bourbons that I 100% know make a great cocktail and will not overpower with something different in the base.

• Eagle Rare Aged 10 Years Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — 45% ABV, $45
• Michter’s US*1 Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — 45.7% ABV, $44
• Four Roses Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — 45% ABV, $30
• Heaven Hill Bottled-In-Bond Aged 7 Years Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — 50% ABV, $47

Next, I kept the recipe identical for each old fashioned I made. The same sugar base, the same number of dashes of bitters, the same orange oils expressed over the top, the same cherry on top, and the same ice for each one. That way there’s no variation besides the bourbon base. It’s the only way to know which bourbon shines the brightest in this cocktail application.

Lastly, all four bourbon old fashioneds were mixed individually but tasted at the same time. As I made the drinks, I kept them in the freezer to preserve them until the tasting. All things being equal, I was truly able to taste and judge these old fashioneds against each other in the best environment. So let’s dive in!

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Part 1 — The Bourbon Old Fashioned Cocktail Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. bourbon whiskey (plus a splash)
• 3 dashes of Angostura Bitters
• 1 barspoon raw sugar
• 1 barspoon mineral water
• 1 orange peel
• 1 cherry
• Ice + Large cube for service

What You’ll Need:

• Lowball glass
• Mixing glass
• Cocktail strainer
• Barspoon
• Fruit peeler

Method:

• Prechill your glass in the freezer.
• Add the sugar, water, and bitters to the mixing jug and give it a pre-mix with the spoon until the sugar dissolves.
• Add the bourbon and stir it for ten or so seconds to dissolve the sugar.
• Add a big handful of ice to the mixing glass and stir for about 20-ish seconds or until the mixing glass is ice-cold to touch.
• Fetch the glass from the freezer, add the large cube, and strain the cocktail into the glass.
• Express the oils from the orange peel over the cocktail and run the peel around the rim of the glass. Twist the peel and drop it into the ice cube.
• Drop in a cherry and serve.

Part 2 — The Bourbon Old Fashioned Tasting

4. Four Roses Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (Taste 3)

Tasting Notes:

The old fashioned had a nice and fruity nose with a lot of orange with a botanical spice bark vibe. The taste was very easy-going. The bourbon was there but the sweetness seemed to be more present. The spice of the bitters was also dialed back with a fruitier vibe (thanks to the bourbon). The end was very short and the drink sort of disappeared.

Bottom Line:

This was the lightest old fashioned on the tasting panel. It just didn’t have the same bite as the other four. Saying that now, that might actually be what some people are looking for, but I wanted more. This also just didn’t really have a finish.

3. Michter’s US*1 Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (Taste 2)

Tasting Notes:

There was a nice mix of classic old fashioned notes on the nose — bitters, orange, cherry, whiskey. The palate had a nice sense of woody whiskey with a hint of sweet oak and soft sweet winter spice barks. The end was shorter. It just sort of faded away and left you with a woody/sweet vibe.

Bottom Line:

This was a perfectly fine old fashioned. It was short and sweet, which is kind of what most people want from a cocktail like this. The bourbon came through with a nice woody spice that was mellowed by the sugars. I would drink this again if it was handed to me.

2. Heaven Hill Bottled-In-Bond Aged 7 Years Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (Taste 4)

Tasting Notes:

This had a nice boldness to the nose with stewed cherry, a hint of dark chocolate, and dark winter spices with a touch of nuttiness. The taste was bold as well with clear notes of brandied cherries, bright orange oils, botanical spice barks, and deep creamy bourbon. The end lasted a bit and had a nice woody tobacco spice to it with a cherry edge.

Bottom Line:

This a very good old fashioned (the finish isn’t quite as good as the next entry). The overall vibe here was deeply classic and bold old fashioned with a great profile that’s fun and vibrant.

1. Eagle Rare Aged 10 Years Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (Taste 1)

Tasting Notes:

The nose on this one is big with notes of dark cherry pie, orange zest, and dark chocolate all rolled into a winter spice cake with nuts, butter, and a dark earthiness. The palate is a quintessential old fashioned vibe with a deep cherry and dark orange supported by a creamy nuttiness, soft pipe tobacco, and fall leaves next to an old rickhouse on a cold winter’s day. The finish lingered on the senses with a spiced tobacco bite, soft vanilla buttercream, and deep orange cake with plenty of cherry, walnut, and raisin.

Bottom Line:

This is a great old fashioned. It had the clearest flavor profile by far. And then the finish blew the rest of the bourbons out of the water. This old fashioned stuck with you for a minute and juked and jolted around the senses in all the right ways. A delicious cocktail.

Part 3 — Final Thoughts on the Best Bourbon for an Old Fashioned

Eagle Rare 10-Year Bourbon is the clear winner for a deeply tasty old fashioned. It just wasn’t close when it came to nuance and depth of flavor with a clear sense of all the elements working in unison.

That all said, if you’re looking for an easy and classic old fashioned, the Heaven Hill BiB version is very good too. If you looking for a woodier version, then try the Michter’s, and if you want super easy, sweet, and fruity, go with the Four Roses.

All that said, if you want the best… it’s Eagle Rare all day.

Wait, drop that Chewy Bar! Spit out that Quaker cereal!

The Quaker Oats Company has just recalled a bunch of products. Okay, sorry, we may have oversold the danger you’re in, but we’re approaching the holiday weekend and we don’t want you to spend it sick to your stomach. You’re welcome.

Quaker Oats has just announced a voluntary recall of its granola bars and granola-based cereals due to a potential Salmonella contamination. The products in question include a variety of different granola bar products under the “Chewy” name, including those found in variety packs, and certain Quaker Oats cereals that have been sold at big box stores throughout all 50 states across the country, including Puerto Rico, Guam, and Spain.

All of the products have “Best By” dates in 2024, so if you’ve picked up any of these Quaker products in your most recent market run, you should dispose of them ASAP.

Luckily, Quaker has not received any confirmed reports of illness related to the products in the recall yet, so don’t make yourself the first.

The full list of products is below, if you’d like to see more specifics regarding the dates or need a visual of the products in question, be sure to hit up Quaker’s press release here.

• Quaker Big Chewy Bars Chocolate Chip
• Quaker Big Chewy Bars Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip
• Quaker Big Chewy Bars Variety Pack
• Quaker Chewy Bars and Dipps Variety Pack
• Quaker Chewy Bars Chocolate Chip,
• Quaker Chewy Bars Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
• Quaker Chewy Bars Chocolate Chip Holiday Minis
• Quaker Chewy Bars Chocolate Chip Spring Minis
• Quaker Chewy Bars Chocolate Chip Valentine Minis
• Quaker Chewy Bars Dark Chocolate Chunk
• Quaker Chewy Bars Chocolate Chunk
• Quaker Chewy Bars Less Sugar Chocolate Chip
• Quaker Chewy Bars Less Sugar Cookies& Cream
• Quaker Chewy Bars Less Sugar Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip
• Quaker Chewy Bars Less Sugar Variety
• Quaker Chewy Bars Oatmeal Raisin
• Quaker Chew Bars Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip
• Quaker Chewy Bars S’Mores
• Quaker Chewy Bars Variety Pack
• Quaker Chew Dipps Chocolate Chip
• Quaker Chewy Dipps Peanut Butter
• Quaker Chewy Dipps Variety Pack
• Quaker Chewy Mini Dipps Birthday Blast
• Quaker Chewy Mini Dipps Summer Night S’mores
• Quaker Puffed Granola Apple Cinnamon Cereal
• Quaker Puffed Granola Blueberry Vanilla Cereal
• Quaker Simply Granola Oats, Honey & Almonds Cerael
• Quaker Simply Granola Oats, Honey, Raisins & Almonds Cereal
• Quaker Protein Granola Oats, Chocolate & Almonds Flavor
• Quaker Chocolatey Favorites Snack Mix
• Quaker on the Go Snack Mix
• Frito-Lay Snacks Variety Pack With Quaker Chewy
• Frito-Lay Chips and Quaker Chewy Granola Bars Variety Pack
• Crunchy & Chewy Snacks, Frito-Lay Chips, Cookies, Nuts and Quaker Chewy Bars Variety Pack
• Lunch Box Mix, Frito-Lay Chips, Cookies, and Quaker Chewy Bars Variety Pack
• Frito-Lay Popped & Baked Smartfood, SunChips, and Quaker Chewy Granola Bars Variety Pack
• Tasty Snacks, Frito-Lay Chips, Nuts, Cookies and Quaker Chewy Bars Variety Pack
• Ultimate Flavor Snack Care Package, Variety Assortment of Chips, Cookies, Crackers, and More.