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It’s okay if you want to laugh at the prospect of paying — gulp — $250 for a single bottle of bourbon. It’s a crazy price point in a world where plenty of very good cask strength, bottled in bond, special oak finished, and even single barrel bourbon whiskeys cost less than 50 or 60 bucks. But… don’t be a spoilsport now. You already clicked, after all.

Look, expensive bourbon is expensive for a good reason (usually). We’re talking about special one-off limited edition bourbons, old barrels that somehow lasted longer than expected and actually taste amazing, and special blended bourbons that highlight something that we may never see again from a brand or blender. This isn’t about average bourbon whiskey, this is about the exceptional stuff that lives up to the hype. And it doesn’t matter if it’s Supreme sweatshirts, Air Jordan 1’s, or early 1960s Fenders, “exceptional” and “rare” paired together surely means that more cash is necessary for entry.

To that end, I’ve listed 12 expensive bourbon whiskeys that are actually worth their hefty price tags, between $200 and $250. But be warned with whiskey this rare, availability and pricing are going to vary — sometimes dramatically. In general, I’ve included bottles that you can actually find depending on where you live. When it comes to the prices, some of these are new enough releases that you’ll still be able to find them at MSRP (manufacturer’s suggested retail price) in some markets and at distillery bottle shops (always try there first!). On the flip side, some of these are so allocated that you just won’t be able to find them without a markup unless you are really deep in the industry and know where and when to look — cough, cough, Blatnon’s, cough, cough.

Basically, the access to these bottles all just depends. I know that’s an unsatisfying answer but that’s just how it is. How hard do you want to search and hustle? Do you have some relationships in the industry? For instance, you can get the Wild Turkey bottle on this list in Texas at MSRP pretty easily. That same bottle is nowhere to be found in Kentucky — where it’s bloody made — not even at the bottle shop at the distillery. But again, for true aficionados, this is all part of the fun.

Good luck out there, folks.

• The 100 Best Bourbon Whiskeys Of 2022, Ranked
• Our Head Drinks Critic Reveals The Expensive Bourbons He *Won’t* Pay Above Retail For
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• The Absolute Best Bourbons Between $20-$30, Ranked

12. Angel’s Envy Cellar Collection Kentucky Straight Bourbon Finished in Tawny Port Casks

ABV: 55.8%

Average Price: $224

The Whiskey:

This new limited edition whiskey has a small 5,400-bottle run and that’s it. Master Distiller Lincoln Henderson built this whiskey from 10-year-old bourbon barrels. Once batched, that whiskey was filled in old tawny port barrels for a final 10-month rest. Finally, those barrels were batched and bottled 100% as-is at cask strength.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Leathery dates and prunes mingle with a hint of black tea and cinnamon bark next to cranberry compote cut with orange rinds and clove with a hint of salinity lurking underneath.

Palate: Toasted almond mixes with a sense of clove-studded oranges and black peppercorns soaked in prune juice with a hint of apricot jam over warm and buttery buttermilk biscuits with a hint of raisin.

Finish: That raisin takes on a hint of rum as sweet cedar layers with rich and chewy cherry tobacco next to a dash more of that woody winter spice and dark dried fruit.

Bottom Line:

Angel’s Envy really shines brightest with their cask strength releases. Look, I dig their standard port-finished stuff for mixing cocktails, but it’s these special, longer-aged whiskeys that shine a spotlight on how great the team over at Angel’s Envy really is. This is a great sipper that just keeps going with classic, wintry bourbon flavor notes. Over ice, it takes on a buttercream creaminess with a marzipan vibe that’s luscious.

Buy this if you’re an Angel’s Envy fan who wants to take that adoration to the next level.

11. Booker’s 2022-03 “Kentucky Tea Batch” Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 63.25%

Average Price: $229

The Whiskey:

This Booker’s is a nod to “Kentucky Tea” which isn’t tea at all. It’s when you add a little whiskey to a glass of water and then that looks like tea. The juice in this case is a blend of bourbon barrels from seven locations across six different warehouses. The final product was bottled without any fussing at cask strength.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a clear sense of sour cherry and vanilla cookies on the nose with a supporting cast of dark tobacco packed into old cedar boxes with a rough and worn leatheriness tying everything together.

Palate: The palate opens with a vanilla white cake frosted with cherry and chocolate — a bit like a Black Forest cake — that leads to orange oils, clove, and old pine boards with a touch of sap.

Finish: The end has a fruitiness that leans towards a spicy star fruit with a fresh vibe next to light pear tobacco with a pine humidor edge.

Bottom Line:

Father and son team Fred and Freddie Noe out at Beam really have been killing these Booker’s blends lately (they’ve always been good really). This pushes the classic Kentucky bourbon vibes to 11 while staying as approachable as possible. Delicious is the only thing you need to know. So if you want a classic and wonderfully warm Kentucky hug via a soft vanilla/chocolate/cherry softness, this is it.

10. Wyoming Whiskey The Ten Anniversary Edition

ABV: 51.7%

Average Price: $249

The Whiskey:

This is a low-corn bourbon made with a mash of 68% corn, 20% rye, and 12% malted barley that’s left to rest for 10 long years. The barrels were hand-selected by Master Distiller and legend Steve Nally and Master Blender and Master Distiller Nancy Fraley, giving the final product some serious pedigree for the whiskey nerds.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This leans into classic bourbon notes of black cherry, sticky toffee pudding, pecan pie, and marmalade before veering toward dried ancho chili powder and a touch of pistachio and honey.

Palate: That dark cherry turns syrupy before maple sap kicks in with a sense of toasted marshmallow, creamed honey, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and blueberry pie with a big dollop of bourbon vanilla ice cream.

Finish: The end has a sense of sweet potato pie covered in candied pecans next to toasted oak that’s been dipped in cherry tobacco.

Bottom Line:

This melds classic and new very well. The chili spiciness takes the more standard bourbon notes somewhere deeper and a little more vibrant while the sweetness is like your childhood rendered in whiskey warmth. If you’re looking for a masterfully built craft whiskey that tastes essential, add this one to your collection.

9. Widow Jane The Vaults Aged 14 Years A Blend of Straight Bourbon Whiskeys 2022 Release

ABV: 49.5%

Average Price: $229

The Whiskey:

This sourced New York whiskey is made from 14 to 19-year-old barrels from Tennessee and Indiana. Those barrels were sent out to Brooklyn and blended and then re-barreled into Missouri Ozark casks that were air-seasoned for three years before they were coopered and charred. Finally, the whiskey was blended in a small batch and bottled as-is without filtering but was cut with limestone mineral water from the Rosendale Mines in New York.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a mild sense of graininess on the nose with a hint of vanilla wafer honey sandwiches with mild winter spices — woody cinnamon, allspice, star anise — next to a hint of sweet tobacco layers of cherry and apple pie filling.

Palate: The palate has a very Tennessee vibe with soft bran muffins next to vanilla wafers layered with nougat and cinnamon with a hint of root beer cut with cherry syrup.

Finish: The end has a mild chocolate milk powder feel next to old oak, worn leather, and root beer-laced tobacco leaves.

Bottom Line:

There’s a gentle beauty to this whiskey that really shines through. It’s subtle yet succinct. Then is a masterclass in blending and proofing.

8. Remus Gatsby Reserve 15 Year Old Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 48.9%

Average Price: $229

The Whiskey:

From the newly minted Ross & Squibb Distillery (formerly just MGP of Indiana), this whiskey combines barrels that were filled in 2005 and 2006. Those carefully selected barrels were small batched into this fine whiskey. The final blend was bottled as-is at cask strength.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose on this is classic old-school bourbon with dark dried cherry and cranberry next to caramelized pecans inside a waffle, soft leatheriness, and rich maple syrup cut with lush vanilla and subtle woody tobacco spiciness.

Palate: The palate leans into brandied cherries with a hint of blueberry syrup next to leathery notes of tobacco and dark berries with a hint of woodiness that leads to huckleberries and mulled wine spices.

Finish: The end has a lovely softness that leans into apple-cider-soaked cinnamon sticks, singed cherry bark, and pipe tobacco loaded into an old oak barrel.

Bottom Line:

This is MGP of Indiana absolutely flexing with their own barrels (which are usually used for tons of sourced labels). The berry fruitiness is front and center and makes total sense with the subtler bourbon vibes. This is the bottle you get when you’re hankering for a dark berry-forward bourbon that creates a soft and beautiful harmonization with classic bourbon tones.

7. Barrell Craft Spirits Gray Label Bourbon Cask Strength 15 Years

ABV: 52.5%

Average Price: $249

The Whiskey:

Barrell Craft Spirits is another craft blendery that’s sourcing some of the best barrels in the game and expertly marrying them. This expression blends 15-year-old bourbon from Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee into a final product that reaches new heights for blended bourbon.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This is obviously a Tennessee whiskey from the jump, with honey-dipped Graham Crackers next to cherry Necco Wafers and vanilla wafers with a hint of nougat, pear candy, and a minor salted note.

Palate: The taste is cherry-forward with a mix of berry multivitamins next to woody winter spice, wet brown sugar, and Earl Grey tea bags.

Finish: The end leans into the blackness of that tea with a hint of salted dark chocolate next to figs mixed with pinenuts and dosed in olive oil and orange oils with a hint of old pine boards and woody pear tobacco lurking at the very end.

Bottom Line:

This is another masterclass in blending. The palate just keeps going on this one, especially when you add some water or a rock and the creaminess comes forward. This is the whiskey your pour when you’re looking for something new and fascinating.

6. Blanton’s Straight From The Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 65.15%

Average Price: $249

The Whiskey:

Blanton’s is “The Original Single Barrel” bourbon, and this expression is the purest form of that whiskey. The whiskey in this case is from the barrels that need no cutting with water and are excellent as-is, straight from the barrel. All the barrels will come from Warehouse H (where Elmer T. Lee stored his private stash of barrels back in the day) and arrive with varying proofs. The through-line is the excellent taste of that single, unadulterated barrel in each sip.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose is full of very bespoke dark chocolate-covered salted hard caramel toffees encrusted with almonds and pecans — the kind you get from a chocolate shop that imports their goodies from somewhere like Belgium.

Palate: The nutty toffee carries through into the taste as oily vanilla pods mingle with cedar boxes of dried tobacco leaves and a touch of floral honey.

Finish: The end is very long and lingers in your senses, with a hot buzzing that subtly fades through all that sweetness.

Bottom Line:

Standard Blanton’s is a delicious whiskey that is proofed way down (93-proof to be exact). The whiskey simply shines more brightly at cask strength. If you’re even remotely attracted to standard Blanton’s, then it’s time to graduate to this.

5. Garrison Bros. Cowboy Bourbon Texas Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 67.4%

Average Price: $239

The Whiskey:

Cowboy Bourbon is Garrison Brother’s signature bottle of whiskey. This year’s release was made from 118 hand-selected 25-gallon barrels, aged between eight and nine years. Master Distiller Donnis Todd went through all of their small-format barrels over the course of the year to find a dozen or so that he thought met the high standards of Cowboy Bourbon without filtering or cutting with water. That makes this a very as-is representation of what makes Garrison Bros. special.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose opens with a rush of sharp cinnamon bark wrapped up with old saddle leather, freshly fried apple fritters, walnuts, old cedar bark braids twisted up with dried wild sage, and a hint of dried yellow mustard flowers with an underlying sense of maple syrup over pecan waffles.

Palate: The palate leans into the spice with a hint of allspice and ginger next to apple pie filling with walnuts, brandy-soaked raisins, and plenty of brown sugar next, next to spiced Christmas cake dipped in dark chocolate sauce.

Finish: The end takes its time and meanders through salted caramel, stewed plums with star anise and sharp cinnamon, a hint of vanilla Dr. Pepper, and a mild sense of chocolate-cinnamon-spiced chewing tobacco buzziness with a warming Texas hug that’s part Hot Tamales and part chili-spiced green tea.

Bottom Line:

This might well be the best whiskey from Texas right now. I’ll leave it at that.

4. Sweetens Cove 22 Tennessee Blended Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 57%

Average Price: $200

The Whiskey:

This brand-new whiskey from Tennessee is a serious blend. The blend is made with a mix of five-, six-, eight, and 10-year-old bourbons. That whiskey then goes into Speyside Scotch whisky casks for a final rest before blending and bottling with a tiny drop of proofing water.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Leathery raisins and cranberries mingle with marmalade and sweet cedar next to a hint of clove tobacco and some old boot leather and vanilla buttercream.

Palate: Cinnamon toast and tart apple pies with plenty of cinnamon and walnuts mix with a touch of smoldering cedar bark and allspice on the palate.

Finish: That singed vibe applies to vanilla pods as dark berries and old dry tobacco dominate the finish with a hint of sweet cedar and soft vanilla cream drizzled with salted toffee.

Bottom Line:

This is a fantastic Tennessee whiskey blend. It runs deep and offers exacting flavor notes that feel right on your senses.

3. Jim Beam Lineage Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey A Father And Son Collaboration

ABV: 55%

Average Price: $250

The Whiskey:

This whiskey was released for the struggling travel retail market late last year. The whiskey in the bespoke bottle is a 15-year-old classic Beam bourbon that was aged on specific ricks in Warehouse K (the most famed warehouse on the Clermont, Kentucky campus). Father and son Fred and Freddie Noe both selected the barrels to make this blend and released it almost completely as-is with just a drop of that soft Kentucky limestone water.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose is classic from the jump with a soft caramel candy with vanilla buttercream frosting over spiced choco-cherry cake, a touch of clove-studded burnt orange rind, and soft marzipan with a hint of old oak cellars.

Palate: The palate is lush with a sense of Black Forest cake — stewed cherries, vanilla cream, moist chocolate cake, dry dark chocolate shavings — next to a bunch of woody and barky winter spices with a hint of hazelnut and burnt orange.

Finish: The end leans ever-so-slightly into old cedar bark and rich spiced cherry tobacco layered with dark chocolate-covered espresso beans and a hint of sharp mint and maybe some more of that clove.

Bottom Line:

This is one of the best Beam products there is. You can even get it at the distillery (and travel retail) right now. If you’re in any way a fan of Knob Creek, Booker’s, or Basil Hayden, then this is a no-brainer buy.

2. Russell’s Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Single Rickhouse Limited Release Rickhouse Collection Camp Nelson C

ABV: 56.2%

Average Price: $249

The Whiskey:

All of Wild Turkey’s bourbon is made from the same mash of 75% corn, 13% rye, and 12% malted barley. Comparatively, Turkey uses less rye and more barley than your average bourbon. These barrels were loaded into Rickhouse C in Camp Nelson and left alone on floors three and four for years (those are the central floors of the seven-story rickhouse). As the rickhouse was falling apart and it became clear it was beyond repair (nearly hundred-year-old structures tend to do that), the Russell crew started tasting whiskey to see what they could do with it. 72 barrels rose to the surface with a parallel flavor structure that became this whiskey, which was bottled completely as-is without filtration or proofing.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose is super supple with a soft marzipan fondant that leads to mince meat pies with plenty of rum-raisin, brown sugar, and mild cinnamon/nutmeg/clove spice with a thin layer of powdered sugar frosting over the buttery crust. The nose also has a sense of brandy butter with a hint of salted caramel and vanilla taffy next to a faint whisper of apple fritters.

Palate: The palate is lush and silky with rich buttery toffee rolled in roasted almonds and coconut and dipped in dark and creamy chocolate sauce with plenty of orange zest and flakes of salt. The mid-palate leans into cinnamon bark, allspice berries, and freshly ground nutmeg next to tart apple pies loaded with pecans.

Finish: The mid-palate stays silken as mild hints of soft cedar bark mingle with cardamon pods and more of the nutmeg (almost like eggnog) and maybe a hint of dried mint. The finish circles back around the brandy butter, rum-raisin, and powdered sugar frosting for a sweet and luxurious end.

Bottom Line:

This is an excellent Wild Turkey offering. It is a little dessert-forward, but I dig that when paired with the classic Wild Turkey spiciness. Overall, if you’re looking for a special one-off Wild Turkey product, then this is a must-buy.

1. Booker’s 2022-04 “Pinkie’s Batch” Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 61.2%

Average Price: $249

The Whiskey:

The last batch of Booker’s of 2022 is a nod to Booker Noe’s father, Pinkie Noe. The whiskey in the bottle was created from barrels from the middle/sweet spot of four warehouses. The average age of the batch ended up being 6 years, 10 months, and 10 days old when it was bottled entirely as-is.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This is full of dark brown sugar vanilla pods and winter spices that start to lean toward chili and cumin and then a sense of a well-seasoned pork butt before it goes into the smoker — it’s kind of like raw leather.

Palate: The palate is classic bourbon with a rich vanilla white cake frosted with buttercream next to bold dark cherry, woody notes of dry reeds, and salted caramel with a twinge of orange oils.

Finish: The end has a mild sense of tangerine flesh and star fruit that leads back to warm ABVs and dark winter spices layered into fresh tobacco and old cedar bark.

Bottom Line:

Yup, I’m putting another Booker’s on this list, it’s that good. This one, however, is so unique. Where the “Kentucky Tea” batch was classic up and down the flavor profile, this is a flex that leans toward backyard barbecue notes. This is like hanging out at a 4th of July pig roast with a great classic glass of whiskey in your hand while someone smokes a good cigar in the distance and the kids run through the sprinklers.

It’s a … vibe. And that’s the little something extra you expect at this price point.

Chris Pine has a whole lot of love for his latest film, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. While the actor is no stranger to playing brash adventure heroes thanks to his role as Captain James Kirk in the latest Star Trek films, there’s just something special about D&D that Pine can’t stop revisiting. Namely, that it’s a stark contrast to the real world, which has been pretty crappy lately.

“I’ve seen this film probably more than I’ve seen many of my other films because I love watching it with an audience,” Pine told Variety at the Hollywood premiere. “To come out and see audience’s faces, you see exactly what cinema should do, which is people are, like, alive. They want to talk about it. They’re in a great mood. The world is so sh*tty so why not use this vehicle — big budget cinema — to make people feel better.”

Pine plays the dashing rogue Edgin in the film, and he was particularly drawn to the ’80s vibes that came with the role:

“I’m an ‘80s baby. So all of my references were ‘80s. So this movie to me was like ‘Goonies,’ ‘NeverEnding Story,’ it was a bit of ‘Indiana Jones.’ Fast forward, and maybe it’s a bit of ‘Pirates.’ All kind of mashed together with his big heart. That really more than anything is what I loved about it. I felt like it was just really honest, it was sweet.”

According to Pine, movies could use a little more sweet, presumably to make up for the aforementioned sh*tty-ness.

“Sweet has gotten a bad rap,” Pine told Variety. “Everything’s got to be really cool nowadays, and I’m really over cool. I think cool is super boring. I want something that’s genuine.”

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves rolls into theaters on March 31.

(Via Variety)

Broadcasters who have to report on tragedies as they are happening have a tough job. On the one hand, they have to maintain their professionalism and inform the public of what’s happening in a factual way. On the other hand, they’re still human and sometimes humanity trumps the traditional perception of what’s “professional.”

Such was the case for WTVA meteorologist Matt Laubhan, who found himself live on the air staring at a radar scan of a deadly tornado as it moved towards the small town of Amory, Mississippi. He, more than anyone, understood the severity of the situation, and he did his best to convey that to his viewers.

“This is a strong, life-threatening tornado that’s going to move either extremely close to Amory or in through the northern part of the city of Amory.”

He added, “Y’all trust me too much,” explaining that people sometimes take his predictions of where the tornado will go as hard fact, but the reality is that tornados can change directions at any time. “So Amory, we need to be in our tornado safe place,” he said.

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Just after he told people they needed to be in their shelters, a new scan came in that clearly affected him.

“North side of Amory, this is coming in,” he said. And then the reality of how strong the tornado was clearly hit. “Oh, man,” he said, leaning down on the table with his hand over his mouth. After a deep breath, he stood and said a brief prayer—”Dear Jesus, please help them. Amen.”—before continuing to explain where the tornado looked like it was going to track.

Watch the emotional moment:

Laubham shared with CNN Business what moved him to pray on live TV.

“I can’t say that I was intending on praying,” he said. “It was kind of a situation where we knew that something extremely bad was happening, and we knew that it was possible, maybe even probable, that people were being hurt and about to die. I’m very rarely at a loss for words, and I was feeling a little bit overwhelmed, honestly. And it just kind of came out.”

He added that many people who were watching live have told him his spontaneous prayer helped them to “realize the seriousness of the situation.”

After one commenter on Twitter said that the meteorologist “should have been focused 100% on his weatherman job at that point,” others chimed in to support Laubhan’s display of compassion and humanity—including many who are not people of faith themselves.

“I’m not a believer. He’s just having a human reaction,” wrote one person. “There’s nothing else he could’ve done in that moment. Let him cope how he can. From the short clip it seems he takes his job incredibly seriously. The two seconds it took to say that are inconsequential.”

“It’s his genuine human reaction to what he knows is going to be a horrible event,” wrote another. “He’s warned people, can physically do no more, so he draws on his faith. I don’t pray, exactly, because I don’t believe in Micromanager God, but I do think positivity helps even if only the doer.”

“I’m not a believer but positive vibes are positive vibes,” wrote another. “It was well meant. Give him a break, people.”

“Not religious but I found this very touching and showing true concern for people,” shared another.

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— (@)

Resident Leah Ann Hubbard told The Independent how helpful Laubhan’s reporting was as she prepared for the tornado.

“Everybody watches him around here to find out if they need to shelter for a tornado,” she said, adding that his urgency made her think, “Hmmm, maybe we should take this seriously, maybe we should really get prepared.” She pulled out her mattress and hid in the bathtub with her two dogs.

“The last thing I heard him say was, ‘Debris is 7,000 feet in the air,’ and then the lights go off, the phone service dies, and you’re in the dark with the dogs,” she said.

Hubbard’s description of feeling helpless as the tornado raged over her town seems to reflect what Laubham experienced as he saw the tornado bearing down on the radar.

“You know that there is a monster swirling over your house and over your town, and there’s nothing you can do. And you’re just praying for yourself and for everybody else,” she told The Independent.

As one person wrote about the tornado and Laubhan’s reaction, “There’s tornadoes and then there’s tornadoes. Some will take the roof off your house and some will take your town off the map. This was the latter. He knew in that moment that in a few minutes, that town would no longer exist.”

The town of Amory was hit hard, but the next-day footage from Rolling Fork, a few hours away from Amory, is utterly apocalyptic. The rare, long-track tornado path stretched across western Mississippi through the night of March 24, 2023, killing 25 people and injuring dozens of others.

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Seeing the aftermath from this storm system, it’s clear why Matt Laubham took a moment to pray for those in the tornado’s path. When a storm is that powerful, there’s really nothing else anyone can do, and his moment of genuine care and concern for his fellow humans was deeply appreciated.

It’s always a treat when Nicolas Cage has a movie coming out, not just because he is a talented actor, but because he has very little filter when it comes to the wild stuff he says while out and about during a press cycle. So when there is a Reddit AMA scheduled with the actor, you know it’s going to be filled with absurd anecdotes mixed with thoughtful movie critiques. And that’s exactly what happened with Cage’s latest AMA alongside his Renfield costar Nicholas Hoult.

One of the questions involved another universally loved actor, Keanu Reeves. One fan asked Cage for his favorite Reeves movie, and he had a surprising reply (no, it isn’t The Watcher). “Well…Keanu kicked my ass at billiards one night. He came up to my house on his motorcycle, and he was making these impossible shots,” Cage explained. It seems like Reeves might have hustled Cage, just a little. “He said ‘Now I dunno if I can get that shot or this shot’ and he made every single shot.”

It’s not surprising that Reeves would be good at these things, as he notoriously became “too good” at performing car stunts. That seems threatening to Cage, who is also good at car stunts…in his own way. He continued, “So I have mixed emotions about the skill that Keanu has because he completely dominated me at pool.” Maybe he didn’t watch the behind-the-scenes feature from Point Break where it became apparent that Reeves is a bit of a professional when it comes to pool. Maybe he’s not a real fan, then.

So what is Cage’s favorite Keanu Reeves movie? Cage is a fan of the older stuff, “I like some of the early stuff like Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. I thought he was great in River’s Edge. He was just great in that movie.” Maybe if Cage explored the John Wick universe he would find that he has a lot in common with his characters. They both went on a horrendous rampage when their beloved pets were killed, so they should have stuff to talk about.

Hoult, on the other hand, had a simpler answer to the question: “I liked the first John Wick. Speed as well.” And both the Nicks are correct! Nothing about Speed 2, though.

(Via Reddit)

In John Wick, Keanu Reeves, as the titular assassin, says 484 words, 13 of which are “I’m going to kill Theon Greyjoy for what you did to my dog.” That’s how I remember it, at least. It’s been awhile since I’ve watched the movie.

As the sequels have gone by, John Wick has gotten less chatty, and it’s not like he was Lorelai Gilmore to begin with. In John Wick: Chapter 4, he’s down to 380 words. His longest “speech” in the film, according to the Wall Street Journal: “You and I left a good life behind a long time ago, my friend.” For that one sentence, Reeves got paid $552,622. Honestly? Worth every penny.

“Keanu Reeves said just 380 words in John Wick: Chapter 4, and he reportedly made $15 million. Trusting reports of his pay, that’s $39,473 per word,” Morning Brew tweeted. Emphasis on the “reportedly” with Reeves’ salary, but it’s hard to imagine him making anything less considering he’s the face of a franchise that gets bigger with every installment.

Reeves also played every part in Chapter 4, at least in pre-production.

Script meetings for Chapter 4 were the opposite of pithy. Mr. Stahelski and Mr. Reeves, the main architects of the movies, presided over writing sessions running nine hours or longer. “Keanu would do all the characters. He was a one-man show,” recalled Michael Finch, who wrote the screenplay with Mr. Hatten.

If Keanu Reeves wants to do a one-man show that recreates the plot of the John Wick franchise, I would pay $39,473 for a ticket.

(Via Wall Street Journal)

When the entertainment history books are written, 2023 might very well go down as the Year of Harrison Ford. In addition to dusting off his iconic brown fedora and bullwhip to play Indiana Jones for the fifth time, the Oscar-nominated actor has been popping up all over your TV — first alongside Helen Mirren in the Yellowstone prequel 1923, then opposite Jason Segel in the Apple TV+ series Shrinking, which is the brainchild of Segel and Ted Lasso co-creators Bill Lawrence and Brett Goldstein.

Shrinking has been a hit with critics and viewers alike, as its Rotten Tomatoes’ scores attest (it currently holds an 81 percent rating with critics and a slightly higher 86 percent with audiences). But has it done well enough to earn it a second season? The answer is a resounding: yes!

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Apple TV+ does not make its viewer stats public, but they’ve apparently been strong enough to earn the freshman series a second go at it. Which is very good news for the trio of co-creators, who — back in January — shared that they have a three-season plan for the series with THR’s TV’s Top 5 podcast.

Though the first season of Shrinking has yet to conclude, Apple TV+ execs were excited to share the early renewal news.

“We have loved the engaging, touching and hilarious world of Shrinking since the beginning, and it has been wonderful to watch as audiences around the world continue to connect with these big-hearted characters,” Matt Cherniss, Apple TV+’s head of programming, shared. “We can’t wait for viewers to experience what the cast and creative team have for season two.”

(Via The Hollywood Reporter)

Saturday Night Live has announced the next round of hosts, and it’s a killer line-up. Abbott Elementary star and creator Quinta Brunson will kick things off this Saturday followed by SNL alum Molly Shannon and Blonde star Ana de Armas.

Brunson is, of course, riding high from the award-winning success of her sitcom. Shannon is currently in theaters with the Florence Pugh-starring film, A Good Person, and she’ll next be seen in the third season of The Other Two on HBO Max. De Armas will be on hand to promote Apple TV’s Ghosted starring her Knives Out co-star Chris Evans.

Here’s the official line-up:

April 1 – Quinta Brunson with Lil Yachty
April 8 – Molly Shannon with Jonas Brothers
April 15 – Ana de Armas with Karol G

While this is Shannon’s second time hosting at her old stomping grounds, it is the first time for both Brunson and de Armas. As for their musical quests, Lil Yachty will be performing from his new album “Let’s Start Here,” The Jonas Brothers will be performing from their new album with the super-original title of “The Album,” and Karol G will be performing from her all-Spanish album “Mañana Será Bonito.”

Saturday Night Live airs Saturday on NBC with new episodes live-streaming on Peacock.

(Via Saturday Night Live on Twitter)

Rick Astley has to be the luckiest ’80s musician on the planet. The whole “Rickrolling” phenomenon has given his hit song “Never Gonna Give You Up” a reach far beyond its natural life span, and kept the guy a household name far longer than he probably would have been.

(For those who are unfamiliar, Rickrolling is when you make someone think they’re being sent to a website, but the link goes to Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up” video instead as a joke. It’s a silly viral bait-and-switch gag that’s been going since 2006.)

But what people may not realize, because his most famous song has become an internet joke, is that Rick Astley is actually a really freaking great musician. The man can saaaang and it seems he’s only gotten better with age.

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If you were to choose the most unlikely combo of musical mashups, it might just be Rick Astley and Foo Fighters. Right? Like who would put them together?

Oddly enough, they put themselves together in 2017, when Foo Fighters brought Astley on stage during a concert to sing “Never Gonna Give You Up.” Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl even created his own Rickroll-inspired meme, the Dave G’Roll, with the band’s song “Best of You.” So there’s a history there.

But nothing has been more surprising than hearing Rick Astley do an acoustic cover of Foo Fighters’ “Everlong.” It’s so good. Like, so good.

Not to knock Rick Astley of the 1980s, but that strangely deep voice on a young man was sort of his signature thing. Ergo, you’d think it would be easy to recognize Astley’s voice no matter what he was singing. But you’d be wrong. If you close your eyes and listen to this, you’d likely never guess it was Rick Astley.

Maybe it’s because the song itself isn’t something you expect from the “Never Gonna Give You Up” guy. Maybe it’s because you had no idea that Rick Astley was still making music. Who knows. All I know is that my jaw dropped watching him knock out an awesome version of a grungey rock song with just his voice and acoustic guitar.

Seriously, that was amazing, right? Even hardcore Foo Fighters fans gave Astley props in the comments:

“As a huge Foo Fighters fan, all I can say is this cover didn’t let me down.”

“Tbh I could listen to a whole album of Rick Astley doing grunge covers.”

“Are you kidding me?????? That voice from the 80’s… And one of the greatest numbers of all times…. Didn’t think you could pull that of…. But you did….. Respect to you Rick.”

And, of course, some had to make jokes:

“I love this cover. It feels like the singer is never going to give you up or never gonna let you down. He doesn’t run around and desert you. He will never make you cry and never say goodbye. He doesn’t tell a lie and hurt you. I think that is special.”

“This guy should stop making memes and stick to music! He’s got talent!”

“I’m glad he’s never given up. This did not let me down.”

But this comment perhaps best summed up what most of us walked away thinking:

“God now I feel bad that we’ve ridden on Rick Rolling for so long that we missed the part where Rick Astley is actually a badass musician…”

This article first appeared on 4.4.22.

Reading is a fundamental tool of learning for most people, which is why it’s one of the first things kids learn in school and why nations set literacy goals.

But even those of us who are able to read fluently might sometimes struggle with the act of reading itself. Perhaps we don’t read as quickly as we wish we could or maybe our minds wander as our eyes move across the words. Sometimes we get to the end of a paragraph and realize we didn’t retain anything we just read.

People with focus or attention issues can struggle with reading, despite having no actual reading disabilities. It can be extremely frustrating to want to read something and have no issues with understanding the material, yet be unable to keep your mind engaged with the text long enough to get “into” what you’re reading.

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But what if there were a font that could help you stay focused? That could help you not only read faster but better retain what you’ve just read?

That’s what the creators of Bionic Reading claim is possible with their font tool.”Bionic Reading revises texts so that the most concise parts of words are highlighted,” the Swiss company’s website reads. “This guides the eye over the text and the brain remembers previously learned words more quickly.”

Give it a try:

The gist is that our eyes don’t need to focus on the entire word because our brains can fill in the rest for us. By bolding the first part of the word, we’re more quickly able to move from word to word.

“Bionic Reading aims to play a supporting role in the absorption of volume text,” states the website. “We see technological progress as an opportunity for all those who want to increase the pleasure of reading in a noisy and hectic world in a focused way and without distraction.”

While there are no studies cited on this method of reading, there are plenty of anecdotes about it being helpful. The example shared by @WhattheADHD on Twitter got people’s attention and many people responded with enthusiasm at how much easier the bionic reading text was for them to read.

“This is amazing! I have ADHD and I didn’t even realize that I was having trouble fixating when I read,” wrote one person. “My eye latches right on to the bold face. Can’t wait to try reading a book again. It’s been all audiobooks for a while.”

“It’s incredible how reading this feels like finally unlocking 100% of your brain,” wrote another.

However, not everyone was impressed or thrilled with the sample. Some people said that they had a harder time reading the bionic text or that it distracted or slowed them down. Both positive and negative responses came from a diverse pool of people. Some who described themselves as neurodivergent said that they loved it and some said it was harder. The same went for people who said they were neurotypical, so it’s hard to say who this tool may specifically help the most. Everyone’s brains work differently, and different people will find different things helpful.

Bionic reading might be a game-changer for some, but it’s not the only tool of its kind. There are speed-reading programs that train you to stop reading each word and allow your brain to read visually instead of auditorily. There are also various methods of making reading easier by adjusting how your eyes move across the text.

For instance, check out this “space reading” technique:

Bionic Reading has a free text converter on its website that you can use to try out its font changes. A YouTube clip from the company also shows possibilities for how the font can be adjusted to individual preferences, making more or less of the initial letters bolded.

And again, if this doesn’t work for you, then it’s probably not made for you. For people who struggle with reading, something like Bionic Reading could make a huge difference.

Three cheers for technology being used to help people overcome difficulties and make learning easier and more efficient.

This article originally appeared on 5.30.22.

Lately, there has been a lot of talk about method acting, what it is, and why everyone seems to be all frazzled by it. There are many different types of acting styles from the Jeremy Strong-type, to the “send your co-stars a series of disturbing packages” type that Jared Leto is so used to. But then there is Nic Cage.

Cage has been in over 100 movies throughout his very diverse career, even playing himself at one point, so he’s not one to just phone it in. His latest film Renfield follows Cage as Dracula, who is accompanied by his long-time servant Renfield, who is trying to make his own way in the vampire world. In order to really stay in the zone, director Chris Mckay said that Cage was always on point as Dracula, even when the cameras weren’t rolling.

McKay told Insider, “Whatever scene we did, [Cage] would still be 100% living in that attitude after we stopped shooting,” the director explained, adding that Cage’s character was often present in between shoots. “So if he’s a little frosty in the scene he’s going to have a little bit of that between takes. But still up for whatever we were doing.” What do you think a “frosty” Nic Cage would be like?! Probably something like this.

It might seem a little stressful to have Dracula breathing down your neck all day, but McKay said that it was more of a logistical choice than a methodic one. “You also have to remember, he’s covered head to toe in Dracula makeup and costume, so it’s a different thing,” McKay said. “Sometimes he couldn’t even bend his body very much because he’s got a whole body appliance on. So he’s Dracula whether he wants to be Dracula or not.” He opted to be Dracula a lot, it seems.

Cage even said he would be open to revisiting the character after Renfield debuts. As long as his method of acting doesn’t involve actually drinking people’s blood, it should be fine.

(Via Insider)