From Bad Bunny to BTS, we’re in a golden era of global sounds dominating American culture. There’s never been a more diverse moment in pop music, but it is always important to remember that the artists involved in this movement are not a monolith. They all represent their own paths, their own narratives, and their own ambitions. Even in the K-pop world, the swoony funk-pop of recent BTS hits has a very different appeal than the more cutesy bubblegum of Twice, who in turn stand apart from the fierce confidence of Blackpink. It’s easy for casual music listeners to lump them all together, but on Saturday night at Los Angeles’ Banc Of California Stadium, Blackpink demonstrated themselves to be a singular talent that can’t easily be boxed in.
For one, Blackpink’s music and aesthetic is less defined by K-pop as many of their peers. While their affiliation with YG Entertainment as well as their formation and years of training follow the same path as many of their K-pop counterparts, at this point, their interests seem to be more about putting their own spin on an American representation of pop, rather than the other way around. This puts the four women — Lisa, Jennie, Rosé, and Jisoo — in a unique position, where they can push boundaries and forge their own path in both their music and the way that music is portrayed. On Saturday night, that included everything from all four artists having a twerking competition to Lisa showing off her pole dancing skills. It was hardly R-rated, but definitely stood in contrast to their more all-ages-appropriate contemporaries.
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Their push for Western appeal has been a smashing success. After being the first female K-pop group to perform at Coachella in 2019, they’ve found themselves playing at this year’s VMAs, covering Rolling Stone, and with their recently released Born Pink, topping the Billboard 200 chart. Saturday night was another milestone that the women noted: their first US stadium gig. The quartet was emotional throughout the set when they’d reflect on their journey, so much so that Jisoo had to turn to her native Korean to properly express herself. But with the expert choreography, pyrotechnics, and a guest appearance from Camila Cabello (performing her own “Liar” with Jisoo), Blackpink proved more than up for the task.
Whereas many K-pop groups feature more members than you can count on one hand, the focused nature of Blackpink (much like one of their inspirations 2NE1) allows for each of the women to hold their own in the spotlight and stand apart. Jennie has been maybe the most visible presence in American culture so far, something that will only increase when she appears with The Weeknd in HBO’s The Idol, where Jisoo holds the distinction of being the member who has yet to release a solo single yet — and feels most rooted in Korean heritage. But live, it is Lisa and Rosé who are the biggest standouts. Lisa’s dancing skills impress in their ease, with the Thai singer/rapper able to hold her beaming smile while making the moves look effortless. Rosé, on the other hand, was clearly the strongest vocalist of the bunch, oftentimes handling the reaching pre-choruses before the entire group would join in for a refrain. While no one wants to think about an eventual breakup, there is already movement from most to have their own solo careers, and all seem to have their own unique formula that could find standalone success.
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But the best moments of the performance were when their camaraderie showed. During a between-song banter session, the four women strolled from one side of their stadium-spanning stage to the other, seemingly offering an off-the-cuff acapella version of the just performed “Typa Girl.” It was playful and kind of snowballed on itself, with Blackpink laughing through it and eventually noting “I just love that song.” And in the encore, the carefully scripted performance became loose, with the stars galloping around the stage with cameras following them, playing both to the audience in front of them and those watching on the massive screen. The strongest songs, including “How You Like That,” “Heartbreak Girls,” and “As If It’s Your Last” all went over perfectly, but it was often these moments between the songs and outside the choreographed perfection that best brought their fans into their world.
With these being the final dates of a relatively brief American tour, Blackpink could still find more peaks to hit in their continued quest for world domination. They still haven’t landed that ubiquitous smash hit in America or Grammys success or many of the other benchmarks that come with the level they are operating on. The ingredients are there, though. It all feels inevitable.
That’s where I come in. Below, I’m calling out 20 great Scotch whiskies across several categories that I think are worth tracking down this week. These are the bottles that you can pair meals with, enjoy as easy sippers after a long day, or mix into great cocktails. There’s true flexibility in the whiskies listed below.
I’m also ranking these according to their flavor profiles (nose, taste, and finish). Just to be clear, this is about that profile more than the utility of the actual bottle ranked. That means that all 20 of these whiskies are great for neat sipping, on-the-rocks imbibing, or mixing up highballs and/or cocktails. Versatility is the keyword for these Scotch whiskies.
Moreover, you should be able to find all of these in a good liquor store at a price under $100. Okay, let’s dive in and find you a great Scotch whisky to bring to your Thanksgiving table/weekend/parties!
Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Scotch Whisky Posts of The Last Six Months
The bulbous bottle from The Glenrothes is all about the sherry. The expression spends an undisclosed amount of years in first-fill sherry casks. When those barrels are just right, the whisky is then batched and vatted before being proofed down only slightly.
Tasting Notes:
The nose bursts forth with butterscotch. Once that fades, hints of worn leather, orange peels, and nutmeg mix underneath that butterscotch nose. The palate is nutmeg-forward with a spicy orange zest kissed with dark chocolate and vanilla. The end feels a bit like eggnog laced with orange zest and vanilla with a spicy warmth.
Bottom Line:
This is a great entry point, especially if you’re bringing a bottle of scotch to a table full of bourbon drinkers. That spicy orange chocolate nutmeg vibe will be very familiar.
This blended malt leans into apples as a predominant flavor note of sweet Scotch whisky. The juice in the bottle is a blend of 39% Linkwood single malt aged in ex-bourbon barrels, 20% Clynelish single malt also aged in ex-bourbon barrels, and Benrinnes single malt from ex-bourbon barrels. The following 8% is a single malt from a distillery in the town of Aberlour (not the distillery) that is aged in ex-sherry butts with two percent from a Highland malt blend that is aged in custom-built and toasted French oak barrels, and the final 2% from a peated malt from Caol Ila that matured in ex-bourbon casks.
Tasting Notes:
Naturally, apples burst forth on the nose with tart, sweet, and juicy notes next to a soft pear vibe, lemon and lime zest, a touch of sweet pineapple, and a soft echo of dry but fragrant Earl Grey tea leaves. The palate leans into fresh ginger soaking in a pot of floral honey next to minor notes of fresh strawberry shortcake with a soft vanilla sponge cake, fresh berries, and a dollop of vanilla-laced whipped cream. The finish leans into a light white floral note while the pear and apple return with a ripeness that feels like they’re fresh off the vine and a final note of lightly spiced malts with a whisper of applewood smoke.
Bottom Line:
This is like a holiday fruit basket in drink form. The pears, pineapple, apples, ginger, and deep vanilla all feel like something bright on a rainy day. Make sure to add a little water or a rock if you want to get into some creamy brandy butter vibes with a tropical fruit pie feel.
Glenmorangie has finally made this a regular drop on the North American market. The juice is made from Highland barley grown exclusively on the 440-acre Cadboll Estate, which surrounds the distillery. The juice is then filled into French casks which held Muscat and Sémillon wines. It’s then left alone for 15 years to mature. Finally, those barrels are batched and brought down to a low 86 proof with local highland spring water.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a sense of buttered scones with lemon curd next to a good dose of vanilla and a touch of savory herbs on the nose. The palate really holds onto that biscuity nature while adding in a caramel candy note next to a bit of butter with a white sugar cube vibe. That lemon comes back on the short finish with hints of old straw and strawberry jam while the savory edge sneaks back in with a hint of lightly spiced tobacco leaf.
Bottom Line:
That hint of savory herbs and spiced tobacco feels very turkey brine adjacent with the citrus providing a nice counterbalance as a pairing whisky.
This Highland malt is the cornerstone of the much-beloved Dewar’s Blended Scotch. This whisky is a very accessible single malt that spends 12 years resting in various casks before it’s married and proofed down and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
The heart of the nose is in the mingling of pear and honey with a hint of Christmas spice, especially nutmeg. The palate expands on that with a lush maltiness, creamy vanilla, mild spice, and more of that honey and orchard fruit. The end gets slightly nutty and bitter with a little water as the honey, fruit, and spice linger on the senses.
Bottom Line:
Nutmeg, honey, nuttiness all add up to a great holiday pour of whisky. That said, this works wonders in simple cocktails too, especially if you’re mixing up a highball or old fashioned.
This is the first Soil Association-certified organic single malt from Scotland. The mash is made from organic Scottish barley. That juice was then filled into new American oak barrels for a long rest. When those barrels hit the right mark, they were batched, proofed, and bottled without chill filtration.
Tasting Notes:
This opens with a fascinating mix of bran muffins cut with rich vanilla and lemon oils next to dry ramen packs, softly stewed brown beans, and apple-cider-infused malts with a hint of cumin, cardamon, and cinnamon that’s almost garam masala. The palate leans into the spiced malts with an undercurrent of rich toffee, gingerbread, vanilla cream, and salted banana chips with a light flutter of sage and thyme. The end has a soft espresso cream vibe next to black licorice and dry chocolate crumbles.
Bottom Line:
This is funky and fun with a good dose of holiday spices and savory green herbs. Then that bitter espresso vibe hits at the end, creating a little more depth that feels like a great digestif pour.
This Highland whisky is a gateway whisky that feels like a classic. The juice is aged in ex-bourbon for nearly a decade. The whisky is then transferred to former sherry casks for that crucial finishing touch of maturation for around three years. It’s then proofed down to a very accessible 80 proof.
Tasting Notes:
Oranges studded with cloves mingle with a deep dark chocolate foundation and a hint of eggnog creaminess and spiciness. The palate goes even deeper on the orange and spice as heavy vanilla arrives — the husks, seeds, and oils are all present. The end is fairly succinct and touches back on the chocolate with a bitter mocha-coffee vibe and more vanilla.
Bottom Line:
This is a great and easy pour. It’s a crowd-pleaser that leans into holiday spirits with a nice and creamy chocolate base, especially over a rock or two.
Revival 15 takes its sherried nature very seriously. The juice is aged in a combination of Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry casks for 15 long years. Those casks are married and this whisky is brought down to a very easy-drinking 92 proof with that soft Highland water.
Tasting Notes:
Dark berry brambles with tart and sweet fruit, stems, thorns, and even a little black dirt draw you in on the nose with a hint of walnut shell and cherry pie. The palate is a creamy-yet-bitter dark chocolate orange that leads toward a semi-savory fig countered by ripe apricot. The chocolate comes back with cinnamon spice and more dark berries and walnut at the end.
Bottom Line:
There’s a nice sense of figgy pudding with plenty of dark winter spices that help this malt shine this time of year. I like this in a simple cocktail (like a Rob Roy) but it also shines on a rock with that water opening up a level of creaminess with the chocolate.
This is the whisky that launched the “double aging” trend back in 1982. This unpeated single malt spends 12 years mellowing in ex-bourbon casks before it’s transferred to ex-sherry casks for a final maturation of nine months. Finally, the whisky is vatted in a “tun” where it rests for three to four months before proofing and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Soft and floral honey mix with a hint of vanilla extract, sweet red berries, and wine-soaked oak. The palate meanders through light touches of marzipan with a hint of cinnamon and fields of plum trees with a whisper of tree bark and leather lurking in the background. The finish lets the spicy malt kick in with a dose of hot cinnamon and honey tobacco.
Bottom Line:
This is another essential pour of easy-going whisky. I do tend to pour this more for cocktails (it’s great in a penicillin) than sippers, but it really works well either way.
This old-school brand just expanded into 18-year territory this year for the U.S. market. The juice is made from malts and grain whiskies mostly pulled from the famed Cragganmore distillery. Those whiskies are vatted/batched, proofed, and bottled in this old-school stubby bottle.
Tasting Notes:
Dark and meaty dates and figs are countered by a hint of vanilla cream, woody cinnamon, and … I want to say … oyster or clam shell. The palate is a classic malty experience with a touch of sage over caramelized root vegetables with a touch of vanilla cake filled with spicy stewed plums. The end has a mild woodiness that’s attached to the spices with a hint of oak and mustiness.
Bottom Line:
This really leans into a big old roasted dinner with all those caramelized root veg, savory herbs, woody spices, and meaty dried fruit tasting notes. This is also an easy-to-drink whisky that’s pretty much perfect over some rocks.
The heart of Dewar’s is Aberfeldy whisky. This blend is a testament to Master Blender Stephanie MacLeod’s prowess in bringing good whisky together to make great whisky. The juices are aged for 18 long years in American oak before they’re vatted into a large oak tun and allowed to rest before proofing and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
There’s that signature Aberfeldy honey on the nose with hints of almonds, stone fruits, and red berries next to a hint of dried leather, Christmas spices, and maybe even some tobacco leaf. The palate dials all of this in with a marzipan vibe next to floral honey, bruised apricot skins, and dark chocolate-covered red berries with a hint of tartness and bitterness. The end is soft, silky, and brings a final bite of sweet oak with a slight tobacco chew layered with dark chocolate and marzipan.
Bottom Line:
I like this poured over some spicy holiday cake to give it a much-needed kick. It’s also great as an accompaniment to that spiced cake thanks to that deeply holiday-themed flavor profile.
This Speyside single malt is aged in ex-Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez sherry casks for, you guessed it, 15 years. Those barrels are selected for their distinct flavor profile and vatted, proofed, and bottled without filtering.
Tasting Notes:
Apple juice slowly boils down to a cinnamon-spiced apple sauce on the nose as a hint of dry firewood sneaks in. The palate is part warm malts and part sweet orchard fruit with a hint of burnt orange and more dry wood. The end is light but carries a hint of warm spice and sweet fruits.
Bottom Line:
This feels like an easy win if you’re looking for a crowd-pleaser whisky. There’s a nice spiced apple cider feel that’s very seasonally apt.
The Beast of Dufftown hails from a tiny yet beloved Speyside distillery. The actual whisky is also made on their smallest still, nicknamed “Wee Witchie.” That juice then goes into ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks for 12 years. Finally, those whiskies are married, proofed, and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
This is subtle yet engaging with a nose of almost burnt toffee next to bright red berries, mild spice, hints of oak, and a bit of cedar. The palate leans into the berries by becoming jammy with more of that toffee and a mild sense of spicy tobacco arriving late. The end is long-ish with a plummy chew next to that tobacco and malty spice.
Bottom Line:
That hint of berry and toffee help this one stand out as a truly great workhorse whisky. It’s great over some rocks, neat, or in a cocktail, especially something easy like a hot toddy or Godfather.
Chivas 18 is the brand’s signature higher-end blend. The juice is built around a specially made Strathisla 18 single malt. That juice is supported by 20 other single malts from around Scotland with various casking processes.
Tasting Notes:
This smells like classic “Scotch” from the first sniff thanks to layers of creamy dark chocolate, dried tart berries, buttery toffee, and a sense of marzipan just kissed with rose water and orange oils. The palate has a mild old leatheriness that leads to dried roses, salted dark chocolate bars, and smoked cranberry next to a whisper of raspberry vanilla cake. The end has a hint of dry and almost woody florals and winter spices next to smoked berries and dry cedar bark.
Bottom Line:
This is the quintessential on-the-rocks brand and pour. It’s also one of the most accessible drams on the list thanks to an easy-going nature and deep flavor profile that’s never taxing.
A’bunadh (ah-boon-arh) means “the original” in Gaelic and the juice in this Highland bottle represents that for Aberlour. The whisky is matured in old Oloroso sherry casks exclusively. The juice then goes into the bottle at cask strength, unfussed with.
Tasting Notes:
That sherry plumminess is evident right up top, with hints of bright orange oils, clumps of dark chocolate, honey, and nuts, and a hint of oak. The taste shines with notes of dark, ripe cherries, prunes, more bright orange zest, dark chocolate, and a good measure of svelte vanilla. The slow finish leaves you with a creamy mouthfeel next to bitter chocolate next to sweet cherries and plums, all of which lead towards a warming spice on the tongue at the end.
Bottom Line:
This is the pour that’ll get your palate ready for the holidays. This is truly Christmas in a glass, which, let’s be honest, Thanksgiving is just a practice run for food and drink wise.
Cragganmore is an iconic Scottish distillery. The whisky is matured in sherry casks for 12 years. It’s then transferred into American oak casks that held port for a final maturation phase before proofing and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Fennel leads to dried fruits — sultanas, prunes, dried fig — and fresh apples on the nose with a hint of tartness and skin. The taste, on the other hand, leans into sweet oak, pear candies, fresh figs, and a softness that’s almost hard to believe. The end is full of sweet fruits — think ripe pears, green tomatoes, and star fruit — and has just the right touches of soft oak, oily vanilla, and savory green herbs as it fades towards a final note of wet wicker right after a rain storm.
Bottom Line:
This really pops as a great pairing whisky thanks to those funky and fresh herbal notes. Then the dried and green fruits kick in offering a wonderful balance of texture and flavor.
This Campbelltown whisky is a rarity, like most whiskies from the tiny region. After an initial maturation, the whisky spends a final 12 months maturing in 30 percent Pedro Ximenez sherry butts and 70 percent heavily charred American oak before bottling truly as-is — no proofing, no filtering, no coloring.
Tasting Notes:
The nose on this is thick with a lot of savory fruit — figs, squash — next to sweet oranges, overripe pineapple, and robust but fresh florals. On the palate, that floral nature takes in a nasturtium vibe with a layer of spice next to a thin line of saltwater taffy wax paper wrappers, rum-soaked cinnamon sticks, and a thin layer of creamy vanilla. The end has a vibe that’s kind of like malt-soaked tropical fruit next to spicy vanilla pudding with a whisper of singed apple bark lurking in the background.
Bottom Line:
There’s a lovely fruitiness that plays into cinnamon and orange on this one. It’s subtle but delivers a great balance of maltiness and whisky vibes. Make sure to add some water or a rock to bring about a sort of pineapple upside-down cake vibe with a creamy brandy butter vanilla feel.
This is a quintessential Islay peaty whisky. The juice is aged in a combo of Pedro Ximénez, charred virgin oak, and ex-bourbon casks before being married and rested again in Ardbeg’s bespoke oak “Gathering Vat,” allowing the whiskies to really meld into a cohesive pour.
Tasting Notes:
Slow-smoked peaches mingle with soft cherrywood and a bundle of smoky savory herbs — sage, rosemary, ramps — on the nose. The palate is soft and buttery with a sweet burnt toffee vibe next to nutmeg, walnut, Earl Grey, and maybe a touch of woody maple syrup. The end takes its time and meanders through salted black licorice, wild florals, more singed savory herbs, and a hint of black-pepper-covered brisket fat that’s been heavily smoked over sea-soaked driftwood.
Bottom Line:
Smoky savory herbs are where it’s at when pairing with a big roasted meal. This feels like the first no-brainer whisky that might be a little off-putting to the uninitiated. Ardbeg does not skimp on the peat. You’ve been warned. That said, if someone is smoking or frying a turkey this week, this is the perfect pairing bottle.
This is one of the most awarded single malts ever. The juice is matured in ex-bourbon casks in Talisker’s warehouse which is literally feet away from the sea. The subtly peated malts take on a real seaside feel as those years tick past, creating a whisky that will not disappoint.
Tasting Notes:
The nose opens with this soft sense of pitted orchard fruits next to a thin line of beach campfire smoke far off in the distance with a hint of minerality and bright spiced malts. The palate has a hint of an oyster shell that leads to dried pears and apricot with a hint of warmth and spice malt next to dry sweetgrass. The end is full of lightly smoked plums with a touch of cardamom and cinnamon next to sea salt and a final whiff of that beach campfire way down the beach somewhere.
Bottom Line:
This feels like the ultimate whisky for every part of the week, party, day, meal, or whenever. It’s so easy-going as a whisky while offering something unique and satisfying. And it kind of pairs with any flavor profile from oyster shooters to herb-heavy slow-roasted meats, to nutty and spicy desserts.
This is a great gateway to both Oban and scotch, in general, to have on hand. The juice is classically made and then matured in the Oban storehouses for 14 long years — all within a stone’s throw of the sea. The whisky barrels are then blended and proofed by Oban’s tiny distillery team (only seven people work there) before bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Citrus, salt, and a billow of peat smoke open this one up in classic fashion on the nose. That citrus carries on as a foundation for mild spices on the palate as a note of honey, hints of pears, and plummy dried fruits mingle on the tongue. The oak spice and extremely mild peat smoke meet at the end with a slight malty sweetness as the sip fades.
Bottom Line:
This is a lovely “wake up the senses” pour of whisky thanks to the citrus and honey on the palate. It’s bright and inviting while leading to darker dried fruits and spices. It’s also delicious over a rock, which opens up a creamed sort of lemon meringue pie and orange marmalade on creamed scones vibe.
Johnnie Walker’s Green Label is a solidly crafted whisky that highlights Diageo’s fine stable of distilleries across Scotland. The juice is a pure malt or blended malt, meaning that only single malt whisky is in the mix (no grain whisky). In this case, the primary whiskies are a minimum of 15 years old, from Talisker, Caol Ila, Cragganmore, and Linkwood.
Tasting Notes:
Soft notes of cedar dance with hints of black pepper, vanilla pods, and bright fruit with a wisp of green grass in the background. The palate really delivers on that soft cedar woodiness while edging towards a spice-laden tropical fruit brightness. The finish is dialed in with hints of cedar, spice, and fruit leading toward a briny billow of smoke at the very end.
Bottom Line:
If there was only one bottle on this list that hit every mark perfectly for Thanksgiving week, it’d be this. Everything is here on the nose — palate, and finish. It’s amazingly well-priced. And you should be able to find this one pretty easily. And it’s f*cking delicious Scotch whisky.
The performance was animated and full of fire — literal fire — while frontman Dan Reynolds ran around the stage in an impassioned sweat. The song came out last year, attached to the League Of Legends-inspired animated Netflix series Arcane.
“Enemy” followed the release of the two-part album Mercury — Acts 1 & 2. About the LP, Reynolds told Uproxx, “We went into it not knowing it was going to be two albums. We sat down with Rick Rubin who produced it and went through a lot of demos that I had worked on over the previous years.” He added, “There were two prevalent themes that Rick had pointed out. I dealt with quite a bit of loss. I lost quite a few people in my life. Then there was also really a prevalent theme of, ‘and then what?’ Post grief and seeing the world differently, we really felt like we couldn’t tell that in one album properly, and so, it was Rick’s idea actually to do two records.”
Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields is in the midst of one of the more impressive rushing stretches by a quarterback in NFL history. Fields is averaging 106.7 rushing yards per game over the last six contests, helping to spur Chicago’s offense into a much more competitive place in recent weeks. That included an 18-carry, 85-yard showing against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday and, while the Bears fell short by a 27-24 margin, Fields was the clear centerpiece of the offense with his multi-faceted abilities.
However, there is potential downside to leaning so heavily on a quarterback in the ground game, and Fields reportedly suffered a left shoulder dislocation during the Week 11 matchup. Fields apparently played through the injury late in the game, and he is being described as “day-to-day” by the team before a Week 12 matchup against the Jets.
#Bears QB Justin Fields suffered a left shoulder dislocation, sources say, a painful injury he somehow played through on Sunday. Coach Matt Eberflus described Fields as “day-to-day.” His status for this Sunday is still to be determined.
The actual incident in which Fields injured the shoulder is unclear, though he took a variety of shots against Atlanta’s defense, but he was clearly ailing after landing awkwardly on his left shoulder on the sidelines late in the fourth quarter.
In a league intent on protecting the quarterback, it’s startling that a flag wasn’t thrown here pic.twitter.com/BJ5obSi2w7
People keep on saying Fields injured his shoulder on the slide. Did on the run towards the sideline. Can tell he was laboring running to the sideline. Hamstring was bothering him. He landed on his shoulder out of bounds.pic.twitter.com/abh95wluKg
For Chicago, there has to be some level of long-term consideration with how to handle Fields. In short, the Bears are 3-8 and, even with improvement lately, Chicago’s 2022 prospects are not terribly encouraging. It will be interesting to see what kind of caution is in place when evaluating Fields for Week 12 in particular, but he certainly showed some toughness in playing through a pretty painful injury.
Quentin Tarantino doesn’t have another movie out, and he may not be long for the profession. But he did recently publish his first book of film criticism. You know what that means: He’s doing another round of press, spouting off his wacky hot takes. Some of them aren’t that wacky: Maybe Once Upon a Time in Hollywood really is his best film, as he believes. He’s also telling some inside baseball stories he may not have told before — like that time he went hunting with some of the biggest filmmakers in the business.
“I went duck hunting with Spielberg once,” Tarantino told Howard Stern. “I was the new kid in town, and they were all really impressed with Pulp Fiction.”
Spielberg wasn’t the only walking through the woods with him, carrying firearms. So was the NRA’s most famous filmmaker member, John Milius, responsible for Conan the Barbarian, Red Dawn, and some of the better lines in movies like Dirty Harry and Apocalypse Now. Also there was Robert Zemeckis, who had his own film that year: Forrest Gump. The two were in tight competition for a number of Oscars, including Best Picture. In fact, that’s exactly why Spielberg invited them both out to go duck hunting.
“You and Bob Zemeckis are gonna be in competition the whole rest of this year, so before the competition starts it might be nice to all go off and do something together,” Spielberg told him, as Tarantino recalled. They had a good time, and Spielberg even pulled him aside to offer some industry advice.
“He’s talking to me very pragmatically. We’re walking through a forest and … he’s like, ‘So, here’s what’s going to happen at the Oscars,’” Tarantino recalled. “I think it’s gonna be Bob who wins Best Picture … and Best Director … but I do think you’ll win Best Original Screenplay.’ And then he stopped, turned around and looked at me, and said, ‘Second movie. Little gold man. Not too bad.’”
That’s exactly what happened, although over the years Pulp Fiction has been the one with the better rep, prompting its star, Tom Hanks, to mount a defense.
Tarantino’s book Cinema Speculation, which mostly finds him analyzing ‘70s cinema, is available for sale now. You can watch the clip below.
Pop royalty Pink paid a heartwarming tribute to fellow music icon Olivia Newton-John at the 2022 American Music Awards, which aired this past Sunday, Nov. 20.
Newton-John, who led a lustrous career—including winning 10 AMAs herself—as well as a life dedicated to philanthropy, died of breast cancer at the age of 73 in August of this year. Though Newton-John had a wide variety of beloved hits throughout the years, Pink chose to sing arguably one of her biggest hits of all time, “Hopelessly Devoted to You.”
The “So What” singer revealed in an Entertainment Weekly exclusive that her daughter, who had just done a school production of “Grease,” helped her learn the movie musical’s hit song and do it justice.
The coaching paid off. Her distinct rock-‘n’-roll rasp fit surprisingly well into a song written for Newton-John’s more dreamy, ethereal tone. As she sang, images celebrating the late singer’s life filled the stage. Unsurprisingly, audiences were moved by the powerhouse performance.
“I’m pretty sure @olivianj is looking down from heaven and just thrilled ❤️ ❤️bravo!!,” one person commented on Twitter.
Earlier this year—following Newton-John’s passing—Pink shared a black-and-white photo the two took together, praising her as “kindness personified.” Though they had only met a small handful of times, Pink regarded her as “one of the loveliest, kindest, light from within human beings I have ever met.”
Newton-John was (and still is) exactly that to so many people. She might be gone, but leaves behind an abundant source of inspiration, especially when it comes to acting with compassion.
Thank you Pink for honoring her memory in such a beautiful way!
Thanks to our close evolutionary proximity and Jane Goodall’s years of field research, humans have an intense fascination with chimpanzees. They are clearly not us, yet they are clearly similar to us in many ways, and a viral video from Sedgwick County Zoo beautifully highlights that connection.
Mahale is a 28-year-old chimpanzee who recently gave birth to a baby at Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita, Kansas. According to KSAT News, her labor stalled, which necessitated an emergency C-section. As a result, Mahale and her baby were separated for two days while she started her recovery and her baby received oxygen.
Unlike humans, chimps don’t have the language and cognitive abilities to understand what’s happening in such a situation. It must have been a confusing experience for Mahale, who had already given birth to two babies prior, to find herself no longer pregnant but not having her baby with her.
So when the two were finally reunited, it was a moment to remember.
At first, Mahale doesn’t appear to know her baby is there. Then he lifts up a tiny little hand and all her mama instincts kicked into high gear. Watch:
The sweet moment brought people to tears and quickly went viral. The way she scoops him right up? Every mama felt that.
The wee one was named Kucheza, which is Swahili for “play.”
The keeper cam shows the two have been inseparable since then, cuddling, nursing and grooming as they enjoy their “babymoon” together.
“Mahale is THE MOST amazing mama,” shared the zoo. “She hasn’t put baby down since she first picked him up yesterday morning and the two are IN LOVE.
The zoo has been posting regular updates on its Facebook page, with photos and videos of Kucheza and Mahale.
The reunion video has more than 30,000 comments from people who were moved by the mother’s reaction to seeing her baby.
“Oh my goodness!! Sobbing!! The way she sees that little hand and rushes to hold her baby!! So beautiful!! Thank you for sharing,” wrote one person.
“Aw man, I remember seeing my baby for the first time after waking up from an emergency c section,” shared another. “I just started to cry and held him to my face. This is so sweet.”
“Thanks so much to our dedicated keepers and staff for 48 hours of hard work to make this birth possible,” wrote another. “We appreciate each of you so much. Also a heartfelt thank you to the Wichita doctors that attended to momma’s surgery. We are blessed!”
The zoo has used the viral opportunity to share ways people can help the world’s chimpanzee population.
“The whole world has fallen in love with Mahale and Kucheza, after catching a glimpse of their emotional reunion,” the zoo shared on its Facebook page. “Chimpanzees in AZA-accredited institutions like Sedgwick County Zoo receive the highest level of care to meet their physical, emotional, and social needs – including the life-saving decision to deliver Kucheza via emergency C-section.
“All of the animals in our care serve as important ambassadors for their species. Mahale and Kucheza have reminded us all that chimpanzees are smart, charismatic, and amazing animals. And they need our help! Small actions – like recycling your old cell phones and using only sustainably-sourced (certified) palm oil and paper products – can help save chimpanzees like Mahale and Kucheza in the wild.”
The Sedgwick County Zoo website shares ways people can make a difference in chimpanzee conservation here.
Dapper Day is an unofficial themed day at Disneyland where people come to enjoy the magic in style. The day is celebrated by park guests twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall, by dressing up in vintage clothing reminiscent of when the park opened in 1955.
On November 6, one guest at the park’s cosplay outfit was so convincing that cast members at the park did a double-take. Bill Burns and his wife Jane dressed up as Walt and Lillian Disney and Bill looked so much like Uncle Walt that he caused a stir among park employees.
Bill later told Good Morning America that park employees were saying, “Walt is in the park” when he arrived. For many, it must have been like seeing a ghost, because Bill has an uncanny resemblance to Disney with his mustache and period-perfect suit.
A magical moment was caught on camera when Bill, as Walt, was seen interacting with a cast member dressed as Mickey Mouse. “Mickey stops and literally is staring,” Bill told Good Morning America. “And then Mickey snapped out of it and you saw the hug. And that hug was a long hug as hugs go for the characters. It was extremely genuine. The cast member was stunned.”
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Bill’s appearance at the park is about a lot more than wowing people with his resemblance to Disney. He wants to inspire people in the same way the park’s creator has.
He got into cosplay with his wife back in 2014 but things changed after he was diagnosed with Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia, a rare form of cancer. While undergoing chemotherapy he realized he could help uplift others through his hobby.
“While I was sitting in the chair for many hours I thought ‘if I make it through this, I’m going to do everything I can with this hobby to try to influence people and inspire them’.” He went on to say, “Life does go on and you can spread that life and that joy to many other people who are suffering through this.”
Chadwick Boseman, who died of colon cancer in 2020, had a big influence on Bill’s decision to inspire others. He told Good Morning America that “during the movies he was going through treatment and he kept going. He was going to inspire people and show them that even though your time is limited … you can spread inspiration. That made a huge impact on me. Because that’s what I want to do. I’m hoping I can just do a fraction of what he did.”
Seeing Walt Disney return to Disneyland for a day does conjure up feelings of magic and inspiration. The idea that the man who created Mickey Mouse and Disneyland would return to his creation, 56 years after his death, is pretty touching. Would he like how the park has changed? Would he know what “Star Wars” is about? Would he scoff at the prices?
Bill also gave us a great reminder of the power that Walt Disney has had over our imaginations and culture. He’s also a wonderful embodiment of his spirit. It’s easy to forget that among all of the other iconic Disney entertainment, it all started with one man’s vision—and that vision still inspires so much wonder and magic.
Emily In Paris became a runaway hit for Netflix as the pandemic began. In retrospect, this shouldn’t be too surprising because creator Darren Star (to paraphrase a certain Carrie Bradshaw tagline) knows good (soap-operatic) TV. At least, he knows what will hit with the masses, and that includes not only Sex and the City but his earlier hits like Melrose Place. He’s still got the golden primetime-style touch, but time of day doesn’t really matter when it comes to streaming. Also, France is arguably in “primetime” while we’re all doing the midday thing in the U.S., but regardless, it’s hard to argue that this show found an enormous audience.
Despite the backlash over Emily’s cultural awkwardness (she doesn’t even speak French), Netflix swiftly greenlit the show for three more seasons. We’re sitting on the brink of Season 3, so let’s prepare for what’s to come next.
In other words, it’s prediction time with some speculation (based upon released stills), especially about this dual source of relationship drama:
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– Who will Emily end up dating this season? For two seasons, Emily (Lily Collins) and hot chef Gabriel (Lucas Bravo) have been doing the will-they-or-won’t-they routine. They slept together towards the end of Season 1, and then Emily got with Alfie (Lucien Laviscount) while Gabriel also danced around Camille (Camille Rabat), who ended up discovering the incriminating, unwashed skillet with marks that identified back to Gabriel. Skillet drama! Just when it seemed that the stars lined up for Emily and Gabriel, though, the Season 2 finale put Camille back in the running, for better or worse (for Camille).
This season, Lucien Laviscount returns, as the below still indicates (did he decide not to leave Paris?), so get ready for more puppy dog eyes from Gabriel. And if it keeps going that way, so be it. Dude, you had your chance.
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– Meanwhile, back on the job…
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This is where things grow even more complicated. Gabriel either enjoys sitting at a boardroom table, or he might need marketing for his restaurant, as this still suggests. Very interesting!
Netflix
As well, there’s the overriding question of whether Sylvie will actually leave Savoir, which is sure how it felt like things were going last time the show dropped a season. And if Sylvie leaves, does that mean that Luc (Bruno Gouery) and Julien (Samuel Arnold) will head out with her? Perhaps. Expect to see Madeline Wheeler (Kate Walsh) back in action after losing her year in Paris due to pregnancy. A lot has happened since that first season! We do know that Emily’s having a ball, so expect her to wanna stick this one out. After all, Emily in Chicago probably wouldn’t be much of a hit for Netflix.
It took 13 years but the first — of four, or maybe two — Avatar sequel is actually coming out in a few weeks. It looks like a good chunk of it is underwater, with actors actually holding their breath for Guinness-breaking amounts of time. It’s also really, really long — longer, even, than the 2009 original, which was pretty long, too. One exec thought it was too long, and he made the mistake of telling director James Cameron.
In a new interview with GQ (in a bit teased out by Variety), Cameron recalled the time he “said something I’ve never said to anybody else in the business.” What did he say? Well, said exec returned from a pre-release screening of the film with a “stricken cancer-diagnosis expression.” His beef was that 162 minutes was too long, arguing that it needed fewer minutes. But Cameron wasn’t budging.
”I think this movie is going to make all the f*cking money,” he recalls telling the unnamed exec. “And when it does, it’s going to be too late for you to love the film. The time for you to love the movie is today. So I’m not asking you to say something that you don’t feel, but just know that I will always know that no matter how complimentary you are about the movie in the future when it makes all the money.”
Cameron stressed that he really did say “all the money.” He then doubled down on his warning. “I said, ‘You can’t come back to me and compliment the film or chum along and say, ‘Look what we did together. You won’t be able to do that,’” he recalls. “At that point, that particular studio executive flipped out and went bug shit on me. And I told him to get the f*ck out of my office. And that’s where it was left.”
Maybe Avatar didn’t make all the money, but it remains, nearly 15 years later, the highest-grossing movie ever (not adjusted for inflation). That’s nothing to sneeze at. And now Cameron’s going Titanic-long with the belated sequel.
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