Category: News

Each week our staff of film and TV experts surveys the entertainment landscape to select the ten best new/newish movies available for you to stream at home. We put a lot of thought into our selections, and our debates on what to include and what not to include can sometimes get a little heated and feelings may get hurt, but so be it, this is an important service for you, our readers. With that said, here are our selections for this week.

10. (tie) Pinocchio (Disney Plus)

Disney continues its efforts to remake its iconic back catalog of animated treasures, bringing them to new audiences through live-action, big-budget adaptations. Thus far, the results have been mixed, but also highly profitable, so here we go again with Pinocchio. In their favor, a lead performance from Tom Hanks as Geppetto and the guiding hand of Robert Zemeckis as director and co-writer (with Chris Weitz). Zemeckis is, of course, a trailblazer when it comes to storytelling through a heavily CG-influenced lens, which is required here to bring the tale of a marionette turned real live boy to life. But the challenge is in doing that while maintaining the soul of a fable that is imprinted on so many of us from previous adaptations and, of course, Disney’s 1940-made gem which still looks fantastic despite being more than 80 years old. Basically, the degree of difficulty is high here and audiences are likely to be unforgiving if this impressive creative team either veers too far from the much-beloved classic or feels too much like a carbon copy. Watch it on Disney Plus.

10. (tie) The Munsters (Netflix)

Well, look at this. Rob Zombie made a reboot of The Munsters in hyper-saturated technicolor. In 2022. And you can just click on it and watch it. That’s a kind of wild thing to wrap your head around if you think about it a lot. Thinking is hard, though. Maybe just stick to the clicking. Watch it on Netflix.

10. (tie) Elvis (HBO Max)

Baz Lurhman’s Elvis biopic is trash. Beautiful, glorious trash. The kind you leave out on your front porch for your neighbors to marvel at in grotesque disbelief. It’s hip-gyrating, finger-thrusting, sweat-pouring theatrics packaged in lush cinematography, contained in a classic underdog story that reaffirms everything you thought you knew about the King of Rock and Roll, and then adds some weird personal fodder that makes you question everything you thought you knew about the King of Rock and Roll. Austin Butler is mesmerizing, and so is whatever the hell Tom Hanks is doing in this thing. Enjoy it for what it is – a beautifully-shot fever dream filled with some great tunes. Watch it on HBO Max.

9. Thor: Love and Thunder (Disney Plus)

Thor is back once again and he brought some new friends with him. Natalie Portman, to be specific. Which is fun. This follow-up to the also-fun Ragnarok has made the move from theaters to streaming and into your living rooms. That’s another fun thing. It is almost unreasonable how good Chris Hemsworth is in these movies. You should not be allowed to look like that and be that funny. Someone should make a rule about it. Until then… watch it on Disney Plus.

8. Meet Cute (Peacock)

What do we have here? Well, Kaley Cuoco, for one, in a Groundhog Day-style situation that sees her living the same date over and over again, in a good way, thanks to a magical tanning booth. We’ve also got Pete Davidson doing his whole thing and tiny rips in the space-time continuum and little changes in the past causing big ripples in the future, kind of like if you crossed Back to the Future with Palm Springs. That’s a good place to start from. Watch it on Peacock.

7. Confess, Fletch (VOD)

For years, the mythical list of failed reboot attempts stood out as the most interesting thing about the Fletch franchise, but here comes Jon Hamm to wash it all away in his highest-profile bet since Mad Men. Does it work? It all depends on your expectations. If you’re expecting a film in the same key as the Chevy Chase-starring original, you may be (slightly) disappointed, but for fans of the novels, Hamm will deliver as a breezily sarcastic former investigative journalist on the trail of some stolen art while trying to beat a murder rap. This is especially true when playing with other funny people such as Barb & Star‘s Annie Mumolo, former Mad Men co-star John Slattery, and Daily Show correspondent Roy Wood Jr, who finally gets an opportunity worthy of his talents. Watch it on your VOD outlet of choice.

6. Blonde (Netflix)

You have undoubtedly heard about Blonde. The fictionalized take on the life of Marilyn Monroe has flooded the news cycle for months now, partially because of its NC-17 rating, partially because of the truly wild swings it takes in its storytelling, and partially because the performance by Ana de Armas is drawing rave reviews. Is the movie good, though? Hmm. That’s just as divisive. It sure is a lot, in a bunch of ways, if that counts for anything. Watch it on Netflix.

5. Hocus Pocus 2 (Disney Plus)

Oh look! Another glorious sequel. Fans have been clamoring for a followup to this spooky childhood classic for so long that, now that it’s finally here, there’s some understandable apprehension. Can it capture the magic (pun intended) of its predecessor? Will the surprise musical numbers go as hard? Will Disney allow more tongue-in-cheek one liners about Satanic worship and child cannibalism to flourish (because we really need to hear Sarah Jessica Parker confirm she smells children, just one more time)? We don’t have all the answers but it’s never a bad thing when Bette Midler, Parker, and Kathy Najimy get together on screen. And we wouldn’t be caught dead talking smack about the Sanderson sisters. Watch it on Disney Plus.

4. Do Revenge (Netflix)

A revenge fantasy set in an impossibly luxurious school where impossibly rich kids trade impossibly sharp and smart barbs, Do Revenge is not to be believed as a real slice of teenage life, but it is to be enjoyed. A lot. Led by Maya Hawke and Camila Mendes, Do Revenge is the perfect mean-teen movie, giving us all the fun and fierce cross of Mean Girls, Clueless, Heathers, 10 Things I Hate About You, Cruel Intentions, and Throw Momma From The Train (!?) that we didn’t know we needed, but we so, so did. Watch it on Netflix.

3. Luckiest Girl Alive (Netflix)

Mila Kunis stars in this adaptation of Jessica Knoll’s bestselling novel that will remind people of a glossier version of Gillian Flynn’s Dark Places. The story follows a writer (Ani) who happened to survive a mass killing at her high school. Naturally, some PTSD is involved, and a documentary filmmaker surfaces some memories that would best be forgotten. In the end, some dark truths might shake up her whole world even more, and here’s a bonus: Scoot McNairy’s along for the horrific ride. Watch it on Netflix.

2. The Redeem Team (Netflix)

So here’s what happened. The Dream Team took the world by storm at the 1992 Olympics, with Magic and Michael and Larry and a slew of other Hall of Famers coming together to win gold in almost hilariously dominant fashion. Then, over the next 15 years, playing for USA Basketball became less appealing and things all got weird. Until, that is, 2008, when everyone from LeBron James to Dwyane Wade to Kobe Bryant had enough and got the band together for what became known as The Redeem Team. Now, 14 years after that, there’s a documentary about it. Feels like a must-watch for hoops fans. At least a should-watch. So… watch it on Netflix.

1. Hellraiser (Hulu)

You are probably at least a little familiar with Hellraiser, the 1987 horror classic directed by Clive Barker. It’s been depicted on the screen in one way or another 11 times now, so that feels like a pretty safe assumption. The 11th and most recent version comes to Hulu and stars Odessa A’zion and Jamie Clayton. The official description goes something like this: “A young woman struggling with addiction comes into possession of an ancient puzzle box, unaware that its purpose is to summon the Cenobites, a group of sadistic supernatural beings from another dimension.” It is always a bummer when that happens. Watch it on Hulu.

Each week our staff of film and TV experts surveys the entertainment landscape to select the ten best new/newish shows available for you to stream at home. We put a lot of thought into our selections, and our debates on what to include and what not to include can sometimes get a little heated and feelings may get hurt, but so be it, this is an important service for you, our readers. With that said, here are our selections for this week.

Get more streaming recommendations with our weekly What To Watch newsletter.

10. (tie) She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (Disney Plus)

Alison Brie didn’t get to portray this “Allison Brie type” role, but hey, we’re getting Orphan Black‘s Tatiana Maslany, who has so much fun relishing this role. She’s smart and silly and she Hulks out like a pro while also being the MCU’s very green attorney for superheroes. Expect a lot of cameos, and Mark Ruffalo is on hand as Bruce Banner. There’s no word on whether we’ll eventually see the Hulk Butt like we received in Thor: Ragnarok. Admit it, that’s on your wishlist, too. Watch it on Disney Plus.

10. Hasan Minhaj: The King’s Jester (Netflix)

According to Hasan Minhaj, the soul of his howlingly funny and revelatory new Netflix comedy special, The King’s Jester, came from a prompt from his director (and Patriot Act co-creator) Prashanth Venkataramanujam: “I just need you to bleed on the page. Anything that you’re too humiliated or scared to talk about, you should talk about it.” And he did. Packed with self-aware observations about his teen years, fertility struggle, time on Patriot Act, and how the show’s success and his “clout-chasing” collided with his family life, Minhaj showcases a level of vulnerability that many comics promise but never deliver on. It’s bold, visually compelling, and funny as hell. Watch it on Netflix.

10. (tie) Welcome to Wrexham (FX/Hulu)

Welcome to Wrexham is like Ted Lasso, if Ted Lasso was about Deadpool and Mac from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia buying a soccer team. Other than that, it’s identical. The documentary series follows Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney as they purchase and help run the Wrexham A.F.C. football club. Welcome to Wrexham looks sweet and sincere, which is a nice change of pace from getting mad at [your favorite sports team here] blowing it AGAIN. Watch it on FX/Hulu.

9. Reboot (Hulu)

A comedy all-star team of Judy Greer, Keegan Michael Key, Johnny Knoxville, Rachel Bloom, and Paul Reiser come together to gently mock the reboot gold rush and the entertainment industry, providing a Larry Sanders-y kind of inside baseball show that benefits from the presence of Modern Family co-creator Steven Levitan and Party Down mastermind John Enbom. Did we mention Judy Greer? The legend that is Judy Greer grows as she totally steals these early episodes as an actress turned duchess turned actress trying to stave off Hollywood irrelevancy, which is something that could never happen to the real Judy Greer because she is an American treasure. But acting! Watch it on Hulu.

8. The Patient (FX/Hulu)

Steve Carell is back on television once again, this time not so much to make you laugh as to… well, creep you out. He plays a therapist who is held captive by a serial killer who desperately wants help curing his murderous urges. It does not exactly sound like light/fun viewing but it does sound intriguing. And it’s from the creator of The Americans. And he has a pretty righteous beard going on. While we cannot in good faith support kidnapping Steve Carell and holding him hostage in real life, this all could be worth checking out. Watch it on Hulu.

7. Atlanta (FX/Hulu)

Atlanta is back — and back in Atlanta — for one last ride after a season-long jaunt to Europe. It’s kind of remarkable that this show has even existed. In a good way. It’s strange and silly, thoughtful and artistic, and not really like anything else out there. Donald Glover was a star before any of this got underway, but it’s made the rest of the main cast stars, too. That’s kind of cool. Get in there and appreciate this show while we still have it. You could be waiting a long time for anything even remotely similar. Watch it on FX/Hulu.

6. Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Amazon Prime)

Jeff Bezos is finally getting his version of Game of Thrones, and this even more enormously expensive franchise looks to be worth the price tag to bring J.R.R. Tolkien’s fabled Second Age to the screen. A young Galadriel will be one of the bigger highlights of this series’ exploration of relative peace that’s shattered when evil reemerges. Expect stunning visuals that leap from the Misty Mountains to an island setting to majestic forests. Between this and House of the Dragon, we’re sure getting our fill of epic fantasy shows these days. Watch it on Amazon Prime.

5. Andor (Disney Plus)

George Lucas has frequently insisted that, like Wu-Tang Clan, Star Wars is for the children. But Andor sure looks like it’s geared more towards adults. The Rogue One prequel starring Diego Luna, reprising his role as Cassian Andor, is gritty, mature, and other words you use to describe movies and TV shows that aren’t messing around. And with this being the first Disney-era Star Wars show to be filmed in real-life locations, Andor isn’t messing around. Watch it on Disney Plus.

4. Interview With the Vampire (AMC Plus)

You’ve surely seen the 1990s movie starring Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, and Kirsten Dunst, and now, Anne Rice’s most popular gothic novel gets the small-screen adaptation. Great news: this version is better than the film for several reasons. Jacob Anderson of Game of Thrones gives us a very different Louis while Sam Reid swaggers about as Lestat de Lioncourt, and Claudia’s story gets expanded with Bailey Bass giving us a brazen and tragic performance and a secondary narrative framing device. The leading duo takes their sexual tension out of the closet, too, which adds a lot of layers (and fun) to this update. Watch it on AMC Plus.

3. The Midnight Club (Netflix)

Mike Flanagan might be the king of Halloween-streaming programming, given his success with The Haunting Of Hill House (and its followup), along with the more recent Midnight Mass. This series gears itself toward a younger crowd as it adapts Christopher Pike’s novel about a hospice for terminal teens. They form an organization devoted to telling scary stories at night, and there’s a twist: they all take a pact to send messages from the grave, if they go before the rest. Sadly, there will be no vampirish Hamish Linklater here, but hopefully, the show can do penance for this venial sin. Watch it on Netflix.

2. Abbott Elementary (Hulu)

The first season of Abbott Elementary was a feel-good network sitcom that caught a massive wave of popularity and won a bunch of Emmys in a time when feel-good network sitcoms are kind of not supposed to do that. Credit for this goes to creator and star Quinta Brunson, who realized that an underfunded inner-city public school was exactly the right place to show us people with good hearts working inside a system that can be cold. Kind of like Parks and Recreation but in Philadelphia. The second season is underway and does not appear to be missing a beat. This is basically a miracle, all around. Watch it on Hulu.

1. House of the Dragon (HBO Max)

Game Of Thrones seems like the easiest greenlight in the world. How could a sister project miss even with the mixed reception to the original’s finale? But House Of The Dragon is the second attempt (with one pilot failing to generate a series order) and it starts with one particular question hanging over its head: was it the world or the characters that inhabited it that made the original so widely adored? We’re about to find out as a new creative team tries to walk a line between old and new, creating fresh stories with a ring of familiarity. On their side: dragons, face-smashing combat, and Matt Smith’s good kinda bad energy. Watch it on HBO Max.

After everyone (especially Bob Hoskins) hated 1993’s Super Mario Bros, there wasn’t a live-action movie based on a Nintendo property until 2019’s Detective Pikachu. That one people actually liked, but the real test comes next with The Super Mario Bros. Movie. It didn’t get off to a good start, based on the negative reaction to Chris Pratt as the voice of Mario, but the much-anticipated trailer was released today, and it looks pretty dang fun.

You can watch it above.

The trailer begins with Bowser (voiced by Jack Black) facing off against some penguins and stealing their star. “I finally found it,” he says. “Now, who’s gonna stop me?” The action then cuts to the Mushroom Kingdom, where Mario — sounding exactly like Andy Dwyer and Star-Lord and what’s-his-face from Jurassic World and… — seems confused by what he’s seeing. He also seems surprised by Toad (Keegan-Michael Key), but Toad knows who he is. Maybe Mario isn’t from the Mushroom Kingdom in the movie, but rather, like, New Donk City and this is his first time there? That would explain a lot.

We’ll have to wait until the next trailer to find out. For now, at least we know Jack Black makes for a great Bowser — and Luigi (Charlie Day) is a coward, as he should be.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which also stars Anya Taylor-Joy as Peach, Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong, Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong, Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek, and Charles Martinet (the GOAT Mario voice) in an undisclosed role, opens on April 7, 2023.

It’s officially Pappy Season! Sazerac just announced that the new 2022 line of Van Winkle whiskeys are being released throughout October. And this year, there are more bottles hitting the shelves than last year. With the fresh news, I decided it was high time to re-taste and re-rank the six core bottles of Pappy Van Winkle, to give you an idea of which bottles you should be chasing.

Before we dive in, let’s get a little background here. This year’s release marks the 20th anniversary of Sazerac moving the Van Winkle portfolio of wheated bourbons and one rye to the Buffalo Trace Distillery. That means that the 20-year-old expression of Pappy is pretty much only sourced from the new distillery now (old stock from the Stitzel-Weller distillery — where Pappy was born — is almost gone, folks). There’s also more Pappy hitting shelves this year for two reasons. First, Buffalo Trace started shifting some effort to putting down more barrels ten years ago and they’re reaping those benefits this year for the first time. Second, Buffalo Trace said it got a “higher yield” from barrel to bottle this year. While that doesn’t mean the market is suddenly going to be flooded with bottles of Pappy, it does mean there’s a tad more to temp you out there.

Lastly, we have to talk about price. Like Blanton’s (also from Buffalo Trace), this whiskey is rarely going to be available at MSRP (manufacturer’s suggested retail price). I’ve included Sazerac’s MSRP for each bottle to give you an idea of where these bottles would usually fall on the liquor store shelf. I’ve also included retail prices if you want to pay those hefty markups. My suggestion, find a great whiskey bar and get a pour there first. It’ll still be silly expensive but it’ll at least give you an idea of what you’re in for when you pay those insane markups.

Okay, let’s jump in and rank some Pappy!

Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Bourbon Posts Of The Last Six Months

• We Blind Tasted A Whole Bunch Of $30-60 Bourbons To See If Any Could Beat Weller
• We Put A Whole Bunch Of Bourbons To A Giant Blind Test And Discovered Some Absolute Gems
• We Blind Tasted Classic Bourbons And Were Shocked By The Winner
• The Best-Known Basic Bottles Of Bourbon, Blind Tasted And Ranked
• All The Double Gold-Winning Straight Bourbons From This Year’s San Francisco World Spirits Competition

6. Van Winkle Special Reserve 12-Year-Old

ABV: 45.2%

MSRP: $79.99

Average Price: $2,000

The Whiskey:

This is an interesting wheated bourbon. The “Lot B” moniker means that these barrels were tested at 12 years and marked for “Van Winkle” batching, which means they weren’t going in the right direction to be batched into the “Pappy Van Winkle” line with more aging (which is 15 years and older). So instead of aging further, the barrels are set aside, batched, and cut with that soft Kentucky limestone water to bring them down to a manageable 90.4 proof, then bottled.

Tasting Notes:

The nose opens with a throughline of a caramel apple with a slightly tart edge, sourdough apple malt doughnuts dusted with cinnamon and brown sugar, and a braid of old dry sweetgrass, cedar bark, worn leather, and dry tobacco leaves. The palate adds some walnuts to apple pie filling with a hint of rum-raisin sneaking next to vanilla malts, salted caramel, and a dash of eggnog spice. The end leans into the dried fruit and spent vanilla pods with a sweet sense of cinnamon and apple-spiced tobacco leaves folded up with old leather and cedar with a whisper of dark chocolate bitterness behind it all.

Bottom Line:

Look, this ranking is about which bottle really stands out. I’ve never been a huge fan of this one mostly because it feels the most classic without adding that extra layer of “wow” to the mix. It’s great but not something you dream about.

Honestly? This feels like an $80 to $100 bottle of really good bourbon. You don’t have to pay the markup to get something at this level.

5. Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 23 Year

ABV: 47.8%

MSRP: $299.99

Average Price: $5,156

The Whiskey:

This expression spends a long 23 years resting in new American oak, partially at the Stitzel-Weller Distillery and partially at Buffalo Trace. Not every one of those Stitzel-Weller barrels makes the final cut but most do. Only the “honey barrels” — the best of the best — are selected for marrying, proofing, and bottling for this very limited release.

Tasting Notes:

The nose opens in a fresh apple orchard on a sunny day fall with tart apples handing low and taking on a hint of fermentation next to a jar of dark cherry spiced with cinnamon bark and cedar, old sheets of leather, and a hint of vanilla pudding powder mixed with dark and waxy cacao nibs. The palate really leans into the bitterness and waxiness of those cacao nibs while layering old and dry tobacco leaves, shards of nut brittle, woody cinnamon sticks soaked in apple cider, and a mix of dried cherries, figs, and dated mashed into tobacco and cedar bark and buried in rich black potting soil. The end leans into that old leather, wood, and dirt with a sense of old cellars and cobwebs next to cherry and cinnamon bark.

Bottom Line:

This feels a little too old. It gets very dry and bitter on the back end, which happens with bourbon that spends over 20 years in oak. That said, a lot of folks love that vibe. If that’s your sense for bourbon, then you’ll love this. For me, I need a rock to calm that dry bitterness down and let the fatty creaminess come to the surface with a vanilla pudding, dark chocolate sauce, and salted caramel vibe with moist marzipan at the center.

4. Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year

ABV: 53.5%

MSRP: $69.99

Average Price: $1,799

The Whiskey:

This is basically Pappy at ten years old but not “technically” Pappy (as mentioned above, this is still a “Van Winkle” expression). Semantics aside, this is the same wheated juice that hits its prime at ten years instead of 12 or 15 or 20. The main difference here — besides the younger age — is the proof. This goes into the bottle with only a touch of water, keeping it far closer to barrel-proof at 107 proof.

Tasting Notes:

The nose opens with a sense of rum-raisin folded into a honey-nut creamy fudge cluster with pecans and walnuts and dusted with powdered sugar, sweet cinnamon, and orange zest. The palate leans into salted caramel with vanilla cream next to stewed apples with maple doughnut frosting and a twinge of old dates soaked in black tea. The end has a moment of black pepperiness before heading toward woody winter spices, old piles of orchard wood with a hint of black mold, and soft leaves of chewy tobacco laced with dark chocolate, salted caramel, and marzipan.

Bottom Line:

I really like this one. It punches way above its ten-year-old vibes and just hits so goddamn delicious from top to bottom. When you sip this, you get it — immediately. You understand why there’s so much hype.

If this was still 70 bucks a bottle, it’d be the best value in bourbon of all time — which I guess is why we are where we are with the price these days.

3. Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye 13 Years Old

ABV: 47.8%

MSRP: $119.99

Average Price: $2,399

The Whiskey:

This is the only non-bourbon whiskey in the Van Winkle line, obviously. While we don’t know the exact mash bill, Buffalo Trace does use a rye mash bill that’s very low-rye (how low we’ll never know, but it’s way closer to 51 percent … I heard somewhere). Either way, the juice is then barreled and allowed to mellow for 13 years before batching, proofing, and bottling.

Tasting Notes:

Imagine old rye crusts with a hint of caraway spiked with red peppercorns next to rich salted caramel apples and plenty of Christmas spices layered into a sticky toffee pudding all wrapped up in old worn leather with hints of fatty nuts and dried fruits on the nose. The pepperiness mellows quickly as powdery white pepper leads to a soft vanilla cream pie cut with bitter orange zest, dark chocolate flakes, and a hint of salted black licorice. The end pops with sharp anise and clove next to a fleeting sense of mint chocolate chip tobacco folded up with that old leather and plenty of soft cedar.

Bottom Line:

This is subtle and delicious rye. It’s a little dry on the end but it works with the flavor profile here. If you want to be really cheeky, make your next Manhattan with this. It’ll be phenomenal (and honestly wouldn’t be that big of a deal… if this was still only $120).

2. Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Year

ABV: 53.5%

MSRP: $119.99

Average Price: $2,999

The Whiskey:

This is where the “Pappy Van Winkle” line starts in earnest. The juice in this expression is pulled from barrels that are at least 15 years old. Once batched, the whiskey is just touched with water to bring it down to a sturdy 107-proof.

Tasting Notes:

The nose opens with freshly fried sourdough fritters dusted with ground almonds, sharp cinnamon, cloves, orange zest, burnt sugars, and maple frosting with a hint of old vanilla pods next to soft figs. The palate leans into rich toffee with a sense of minced meat pies covered in powdered sugar frosting right next to sticky toffee pudding with salted caramel, orange zest, and tons of brown wintry spice countered by a moment of sour mulled red wine cut with dark maple syrup. The end has a soft cedar vibe that leads to vanilla and dark cherry tobacco leaves and a hint of pine next to old white moss.

Bottom Line:

This has a beautiful balance of a great dessert with just the right amount of earthiness to really shine. It’s just delicious. I almost ranked it first but the next pour just hits that little bit harder.

1. Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 20 Year

ABV: 45.2%

MSRP: $199.99

Average Price: $4,099

The Whiskey:

This is the Pappy that made “Pappy” what it is today. The wheated bourbon rests for 20 long years without any meddling. The barrels that actually make it to the 20-year mark are batched and that juice is then proofed down before bottling.

Tasting Notes:

Moist and spicy Christmas cake brims with walnuts and pecans, dried fruit and candied fruits, and dark molasses sweetness next to woody cinnamon bark, clove berries, star anise, and a hint of salted black licorice as soft woody maple syrup hint at a sourdough pancake griddled with brown butter on the nose. The palate adds in a sweet sense of vanilla creaminess with soft apple pie filling before heavily roasted chocolate-covered espresso beans pop in with a touch of bitter orange. The end combines all of that toward an old tobacco pipe that’s burnt a century’s worth of rich tobacco flavored with all of the above.

Bottom Line:

This is the sweet spot for Pappy Van Winkle. This just slaps. It’s also one of those sips where you immediately think, “Oh, I get it now. This is f*cking spectacular.” All the hype suddenly makes sense.

If you try or try to buy one Pappy this year, make it the 20. It’s the best. Though the 15 is damn close this year.

It’s not enough that a baby was recently named “Korn,” but the Bakersfield metal band is even getting covered by rapper Danny Brown these days. Brown covered Korn’s staple, “Freak On A Leash” on stage last year, which now also happens to be the name of singer Jonathan Davis’ new pet products company. That’s right, Davis announced the company’s launch in an Instagram post, saying that Freak On A Leash’s, “Premium products are created for all, paying homage to the horror and rock music we love.”

So where can a Korn enthusiast purchase these Freak On A Leash products, you might be asking? Well, it doesn’t officially launch until October 28th and there’s a countdown on the website. But if you’re planning on attending the Aftershock Music Festival in Sacramento this weekend, Davis and Freak On A Leash have partnered with the fest and Take Me Home Dog Rescue for an early merch drop. Davis indicated on Instagram, “The first 100 fans attending the festival to purchase Freak On A Leash merch will receive a wristband to meet me in person.” How’s that for marketing??

Davis added, “This first collection, designed exclusively by me, contains all custom products made with high-quality gunmetal hardware, leather, nylon, and plushies that will set your pet apart from the pack.” Sounds like Freak On A Leash will easily be the most “heavy metal” pet brand of them all. In the meantime, it looks like the Korn singer could be using his new pup, Dante, as a model for the line:

Korn is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

James Earl Jones has one of the most recognizable voices in the entertainment industry and has for decades. Most of us probably heard that deep, resonant voice first as Darth Vader in “Star Wars,” or perhaps Mufasa in “The Lion King,” but just one or two words are enough to say, “Oh, that’s definitely James Earl Jones.”

Jones has been acting on stage and in film since the 1960s. He also has the distinction of being the first celebrity guest to be invited to “Sesame Street” during the show’s debut season in 1969.

According to Muppet Wiki, clips of Jones counting to 10 and reciting the alphabet were included in unbroadcast pilot episodes and also included in one of the first official television episodes. Funnily enough, Jones originally didn’t think the show would last, as he thought kids would be terrified of the muppets. Clearly, that turned out not to be the case.

Jones’ alphabet recitation served as a test for the “Sesame Street” pedagogical model, which was meant to inspire interaction from kids rather than just passive absorption. Though to the untrained eye, Jones’ slow recitation of the ABCs may seem either plodding or bizarrely hypnotic, there’s a purpose to the way it’s presented.

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As education researcher and Children’s Television Workshop consultant Gerald S. Lesser describes the video, “Mr. Jones’ recitation of the alphabet takes a full minute and a half. He stares compellingly at the camera. At the time the sequence was made, his head was shaved for his role of Jack Johnson in “The Great White Hope,” and it gleams in the close-up. His immense hollow voice booms the letter names ominously. His lip movements are so exaggerated that they can easily be read without the sounds.”

The letter is shown on the screen a second or so before Jones says the name of the letter, and there is a pause after he says each one. This pattern allows kids to say the name of the letter if they recognize it and then have the name reinforced by Jones. If kids don’t know it, they repeat it after him. For kids who are more visual or who have auditory processing issues, seeing the letter displayed and seeing Jones’ clear mouth movements as he slowly says each letter are helpful learning aids.

Lesser and other researchers coined the term “James Earl Jones effect” for how the learning process played out.

Jones’ alphabet segment may have helped prove the effectiveness of “Sesame Street”‘s educational model, but it’s also just mesmerizing to watch. When he gets to “J” and the facial expressions really kick in? Priceless.

Watch and enjoy:

Rootin’ tootin’ Lauren Boebert might not have a guaranteed path to reelection in her Colorado district. This pressure arrives not too long after the Rifle Republican lawmaker dealt with a lot of drama regarding her husband allegedly freaking their neighbors out and when her Shooter’s Grill restaurant lost its lease and had to close its doors. That joint grew infamous for Boebert’s encouragement of servers to carry guns on their person while doling out burgers, so it’s tied to her public image, but so is her combative nature, which recently reared its head in a congressional primary debate.

As ex-federal prosecutor Ron Filipkowski posted on Twitter, the below clip shows how Boebert kicked off that mid-September event (where she was challenged by Democratic opponent Adam Frisch) by growing contentious with the moderator.

Rolling Stone reported that the crowd booed Boebert as well. She reportedly spent plenty of time attacking House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and in an odd twist, Boebert declared that the biggest weakness is D.C. “is that there’s not enough of me.”

As stated above, D.C. might have had enough of Boebert if her constituents lean the way that a new poll suggests. Axios reveals that the “little known” Frisch is right behind her and has effectively achieved a statistical tie with his opponent:

Boebert received support from 47% of likely voters, while Democrat Adam Frisch landed at 45% — making the race a statistical tie within the ±4.4 percentage point margin of error.

The survey, taken Sept. 29–Oct. 2 by Keating Research, a Democratic firm and one of the most accurate pollsters in Colorado, represents a 5-point swing toward Frisch. In July, Boebert held a 49%-42% advantage.

From there, Axios notes that Boebert’s district generally leans red, but unaffiliated voters (in general) tend to shy away from her right-wing, gun-loving, Christian-nationalist stances. Those midterms land on November 8, so we won’t have to wait long to find out who pulls off this close competition.

(Via Axios)

The second matchup between the presumed top-2 picks in the 2023 NBA Draft will not be as enthralling of a showdown as their first. Victor Wembanyama of Metropolitans 92 and Scoot Henderson of the G League Ignite team went head-to-head on Thursday afternoon in Nevada, but during the first quarter of action, Henderson went down with an injury that led to him getting ruled out for the remainder of the game.

Henderson got switched onto Wembanyama after the big man came off of the screen and the pair bumped knees with one another. While Wembanyama hit the deck, Henderson was visibly uncomfortable after the incident which led to him drawing a foul.

Henderson left the game right after this happened, and while he was able to return to the bench to watch the rest of the festivities, the Ignite eventually determined that he would not be able to return to the game after hurting his knee.

During their first matchup on Tuesday night, Henderson, a 6’2 guard from Georgia, showed why he is viewed as one of the most promising backcourt prospects in recent memory. While Wembanyama is believed to be the clear-cut frontrunner to go No. 1 overall in 2023, Henderson went for 28 points on 11-for-21 shooting with nine assists, five rebounds, two steals, and two turnovers in a win.

Ariana Grande and Christina Aguilera have a ton of fans; Between them, they have seven No. 1 albums, eleven No. 1 singles, 35 Grammy nominations (with seven wins), and millions of albums sold. Music lovers might be surprised to hear, though, that among their fans is a 53-year-old man named Shawn Crahan. Crahan is also known as Clown, and he co-founded Slipknot, the long-running metal band that doesn’t have much to do with pop music, back in 1995, and is the group’s only remaining original member.

In a recent interview with The Independent, the drummer was asked about what music he’s listening to and he responded, “That’s always a loaded question. My hardcore fans are gonna hate me for what I say. Well, not hate me, but they’re gonna be upset: I’m listening to a lot of Ariana Grande, some Christina Aguilera. I have a real love of pop.”

While Slipknot doesn’t really have any ties to the world of pop music, they frequently achieve pop-like levels of success. Their past three albums topped the US charts, while the ones before those managed peaks at Nos. 2, 3, and 51. They also frequently top the US rock charts with songs like “Wait And Bleed,” “Spit It Out,” and “Duality.” Furthermore, they picked up a Grammy in 2006, when “Before I Forget” won Best Metal Performance.

Slipknot is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Making good on a campaign promise, President Joe Biden has announced that he will be pardoning all federal charges for simple marijuana possession, and he’s urging governors across the country to do the same. Biden announced the sweeping move on Twitter where he also announced his intentions to no longer consider weed the same schedule of drug as heroin.

“As I’ve said before, no one should be in jail just for using or possessing marijuana,” Biden said on Thursday. “Today, I’m taking steps to end our failed approach.”

The president, who has been on a hot streak following a recent trip to Florida, laid out his plan for rectifying America’s erroneous treatment of marijuana offenders:

First: I’m pardoning all prior federal offenses of simple marijuana possession. There are thousands of people who were previously convicted of simple possession who may be denied employment, housing, or educational opportunities as a result. My pardon will remove this burden.

Second: I’m calling on governors to pardon simple state marijuana possession offenses. Just as no one should be in a federal prison solely for possessing marijuana, no one should be in a local jail or state prison for that reason, either.

Third: We classify marijuana at the same level as heroin – and more serious than fentanyl. It makes no sense. I’m asking @SecBecerra and the Attorney General to initiate the process of reviewing how marijuana is scheduled under federal law.

Biden ended his remarks by noting the racial disparity in how marijuana crimes were prosecuted, which will end on his watch. “Sending people to jail for possessing marijuana has upended too many lives – for conduct that is legal in many states,” Biden said. “That’s before you address the clear racial disparities around prosecution and conviction. Today, we begin to right these wrongs.”

Following the announcement, Twitter exploded with reactions to the sweeping pardon, which not for nothing, backed up the president’s claim that “Nobody f*cks with a Biden.”

You can see reactions to Biden’s pardon for marijuana possession below:

Of course, this monumental decision now begs a very important question:

(Via President Biden on Twitter)