Category: News

Last Updated: December 30th

Nothing gets your blood pumping like a good action movie, and whether you prefer CGI-filled spectacles, meticulously-crafted fight sequences, or just a bunch of things going “Boom!” Netflix’s film library has got you covered. Here are the 20 best action movies on Netflix streaming right now, so grab some popcorn and enjoy.

1. Casino Royale (2006)

Run Time: 144 min | IMDb: 8/10

Casino Royale marks Daniel Craig’s first James Bond entry, but he plays the suave MI6 agent like he’s been doing it for decades. The film gives fans of the spy franchise a soft reset, as we’re introduced to the new Bond when he sets off on his first mission as 007. Bond’s tasked with catching a private banker funding terrorist operations by beating him in a high-stakes game of poker in Montenegro, and he’s joined by Vesper Lynd (a terrific Eva Green), an MI6 accountant with a secret that threatens to derail the mission and may cost Bond his life.

2. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)

Run Time: 127 min | IMDb: 8.2/10

Set fives years after Temple of Doom, The Last Crusade marks Indiana Jones’ journey to rescue and reunite with his estranged father, a historian who goes missing after searching for the Holy Grail. Harrison Ford returns to play the swashbuckling archeologist while Sean Connery — most famous for his role as James Bond at the time — plays Indy’s absentee father. Most of the fun in this film can be chalked up to the pair’s chemistry. Indy and his dad don’t get along and their bickering, even as they’re avoiding assassins and tracking down ancient relics, is played up for laughs, rightly so.

3. Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World (2010)

Run Time: 112 min | IMDb: 7.5/10

Edgar Wright’s 2010 action comedy about a hapless boy, who must defeat evil ex-boyfriends in order to win the hand of the girl he loves, is a fast-paced ride that bombards the senses. Michael Cera plays a loveable goof in the titular hero, a young man enamored with a woman named Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). In order to be with his lady love, Scott takes on her exes (six guys, one girl) that challenge him to truly strange contests. The film is a cinematic mash-up of Japanese anime and gamer culture, intended for the crowd who grew up on Nintendo and comic books, but it brings plenty of overall laughs all the same.

4. The Town (2010)

Run Time: 125 min | IMDb: 7.5/10

Ben Affleck writes, directs, and stars in this gritty heist film set in his hometown of Boston. Affleck plays Doug, a master thief planning his greatest, and last heist who becomes distracted by a romantic relationship with a bank manager he met on his last job (Rebecca Hall). As Doug and his crew orchestrate a heist involving Red Sox stadium, a dogged FBI agent played by Jon Hamm closes in.

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5. Extraction (2020)

Run Time: 116 min | IMDb: 6.8/10

Chris Hemsworth gets back in the action with this Russo brothers-produced crime flick about a black market mercenary who accepts a deadly mission that throws him into the chaotic underworld of weapons dealers and drug traffickers. Hemsworth’s antihero type doesn’t mind doing bad sh*t for good money, but when he sells his skills to an imprisoned international crime lord who tasks him with rescuing his kidnapped son, the job quickly spirals into a life-threatening race against the clock. There’s a reason we dubbed this movie a “smorgasbord of pure ass-kicking” guys. Trust us, the fight sequences are insane.

6. Snowpiercer (2013)

Run Time: 126 min | IMDb: 7.1/10

Chris Evans stars in this sci-fi thriller from auteur Bong Joon-ho. The film, set years into the future following a devastating ice age caused by mankind, follows Evans’ Curtis who lives in poverty on a train that continuously circles the Earth and contains all that remains of human life. Curtis is part of the “scum” that the people relegated to the back of the train while the “elite” enjoy the privilege of wealth and status that comes with living in the front. Curtis sparks a rebellion that ends in bloodshed and a devastating reveal when he makes it to the train’s engine room and discovers just how the elite have been fueling their operation. It’s a dark, grimy action piece that should give fans a new appreciation for Evans’ talent.

7. Kung Fu Hustle (2004)

Run Time: 99 min | IMDb: 7.8/10

The early aughts action-comedy borrows elements from famous Kung Fu films of the ’70s and pairs them with a completely ridiculous plot and some impressive cartoon-style fight sequences to produce a wholly original flick that we guarantee you’ll marvel at. The film follows the exploits of two friends, Sing and Bone, who impersonate gang members in the hopes of joining a gang themselves and inadvertently strike up a gang war that nearly destroys the slums of the city. Of course, the real draw here is the absurdist, over-the-top comedy that takes place during some of the film’s biggest action sequences. It’s laugh-out-loud funny, but only if you check your brain at the door.

8. Total Recall (1990)

Run Time: 113 min | IMDb: 7.5/10

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sharon Stone star in this 90s sci-fi flick set in 2084 that follows a construction worker named Quaid (Schwarzenegger) who begins having disturbing, memory-like dreams of an alternate life in which he was a spy sent to retrieve a dangerous weapon from colonized Mars. Stone plays Lori, his “wife” who reveals herself to be an agent as well, sent to monitor Quaid who purposefully wiped his memories of the mission to protect the planet’s people. There’s plenty of space travel, explosion, and twisted mind games in this one, but good luck figuring out if it’s all real or just Quaid’s imagination.

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9. Django Unchained (2012)

Run Time: 164 min | IMDb: 8.4/10

Another Quentin Tarantino classic, this violent visit back in time to America’s era of slavery carries major Western vibes and gives Lenoard DiCaprio a refreshing turn as the film’s big bad, a plantation owner named Calvin Candie. Tarantino favorite Christoph Waltz plays a German bounty hunter who teams up with Jamie Foxx’s Django, a former slave looking to free his wife (Kerry Washington) from Candie’s clutches. There’s a lot of gore and uncomfortable dialogue and over-the-top action, really, everything you’d expect, but DiCaprio, Waltz, and Foxx make it all worth it.

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10. Troy (2004)

Run Time: 303 min | IMDb: 7.2/10

This Eric Bana and Brad Pitt starring epic reinvents an infamous Greek tale. The Battle of Troy began because some spoiled-ass dude (Orlando Bloom in this one) decided to run away with another man’s wife. Helen of Troy was supposedly the most gorgeous woman to ever exist, but let’s be real, men will jump at any excuse to fight in leather skirts with swords. The story’s a bit meh, but watching Pitt slash his way through enemies and take on Bana in an emotionally-charged showdown makes it worth it.

11. V For Vendetta (2005)

Run Time: 132 min | IMDb: 8.2/10
This comic book-inspired dystopian drama is about more than just mind-blowing fight sequences and compared to some others on this list, the action isn’t as prevalent. Natalie Portman and Hugo Weaving are trying to incite a rebellion against a fascist authoritarian regime, so clearly, they’re going to need more than car chases and shootouts to get the job done. But when the action does come — normally from Weaving’s V, an acrobatically-gifted anarchist with dreams of toppling a corrupt government by way of bombing Parliament — it’s some of the best you’ll see on screen.

12. Ip Man (2008)

Run Time: 106 min | IMDb: 8/10

In a town filled with aspiring martial artists, the best of the best is Ip Man, a father and husband who just wants to keep his quiet way of life even in the midst of the Japanese occupation of China. In discovering that sometimes fighting is the only way to keep the peace, Ip inspires many by taking a stand during war-torn times. As a subtle reflection on war mixed with a healthy dose of fast-paced, mesmerizing combat, Ip Man is actually based on the real life of Yip Man, the grand master who trained Bruce Lee.

13. Jurassic Park (1993)

Run Time: 127 min | IMDb: 8.1/10

The theme song. The dinosaurs. And Jeff Goldblum. Just a few reasons why this sci-fi flick kicks-ass decades after it hit theaters. Steven Spielberg’s adventure epic imagines a different kind of amusement park, one where dinosaurs are the main attraction. Of course, before opening to the public, the billionaire investor of said park invites archeologists and scientists to evaluate how safe it is — for the cloned creatures and future human guests. The answer: not very. There’s a reason this film spawned a hugely successful franchise. In terms of world-building, it just doesn’t get any better.

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14. The Old Guard (2020)

Run Time: 125 min | IMDb: 6.7/10

Charlize Theron leads the cast of this inventive take on the traditional comic book movie. She plays an ancient, immortal warrior named Andy who leads a group of mercenaries that have been operating in the shadows for centuries. When the head of a Big Pharma company learns of their existence, he tries to weaponize their ability to cheat death, which causes big problems for the group and its newest member, a former Marine questioning her unique gifts.

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15. Defiance (2008)

Run Time: 137 min | IMDb: 7.2/10

Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber, and Jamie Bell star in this war drama based on a true story about a trio of brothers who lead a group of Jewish refugees to freedom during World War II. The Bieliski brothers rescue Jews from the Ghetto before they’re sent to concentration camps, fleeing deep into the Belarussian forests as the Nazi’s invade Eastern Europe. Craig’s Tuvia builds a community there, teaching the people how to fight and survive while Shreiber’s Zus joins a group of Russian resistance fighters. Their harrowing journey to freedom doesn’t happen until the end of the film, but it’s worth sticking around to see.

16. Triple Frontier (2019)

Run Time: 125 min | IMDb: 6.5/10

Ben Affleck, Oscar Isaac, Charlie Hunnam, Garrett Hedlund, and Pedro Pascal play a group a former special ops bros who reunite to take down an infamous cartel kingpin and steal his profits in the process. Isaac and Affleck look to be the leaders of the team, two men fed up with risking their necks for a country that doesn’t look after them once they’re back on home soil, and Isaac’s A Most Violent Year director J.C. Chandor is at the helm, which means a couple of plot twists and some high stakes action are in store.

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17. Pineapple Express (2008)

Run Time: 111 min | IMDb: 7/10

Seth Rogen and James Franco star in this comedy about a process server and his drug dealer, who go on the run from a couple of hitmen. Rogen plays Dale, a 25-year-old slacker who witnesses a murder and is hunted (along with his drug dealer Saul, played by Franco) by a drug lord intent on silencing him before he can go to the police. The two get into all kinds of messes involving Asian mobsters, barn explosions, and nursing homes.

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18. Back To The Future (1985)

Run Time: 116 min | IMDb: 8.5/10

This iconic ’80s comedy franchise might have wrongly-assumed we’d have flying cars, hoverboards, and self-tying shoes by now, but it got a lot of other tech predictions right. Still, that’s not what makes this film a classic. Christopher Lloyd playing a brilliant-but-eccentric scientist, Michael J. Fox playing a smart-mouthed teenager who can time-travel, and a brilliantly-funny script from director Robert Zemeckis. That’s what makes this comedy a classic.

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19. Hardcore Henry (2015)

Run Time: 96 min | IMDb: 6.7/10

Sure, the plot of Hardcore Henry sounds like a Nicolas Cage-endorsed B-list action flick, but it makes this list because it takes its stale premise and ramps things up a notch by giving the audience a front-row seat to the action. The film is shot entirely from a first-person perspective using some GoPro cameras rigged to the main actor’s body, which means, like Henry, you’re kicking ass and taking names for a majority of the film simply by watching. It’s a weird experience but a revolutionary one.

20. Haywire (2011)

Run Time: 93 min | IMDb: 5.8/10

There’s a plot to Haywire, one that focuses on a black ops super soldier, set up by her organization, who goes on a revenge mission that ends in chaos and bloodshed. But really, the only thing you need to know about this movie is that it’s a showcase for Gina Carano to kick the wimpy a**es of various bad guys played by Michael Fassbender, Ewan McGregor, and Channing Tatum.

Recent Changes Through December 2020:
Added: Jurassic Park, Back To The Future
Removed: A Knight’s Tale, Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse

Welcome to the final SNX of 2020! Last week we took a bit of a break, but we’re back this week, albeit in a shortened, more snack-sized form. If you’re on the hunt for fresh fits, you’re going to have to wait until we’re in 2021, as pretty much every apparel brand worth shopping is on a holiday hiatus right now. But don’t worry, the sneakers are still dropping steady, which means there are plenty of kicks to throw some of that sweet holiday gift money down on.

This week, rather than relying on mostly retail releases, we’re turning a stronger eye towards the aftermarket to help you scoop up some of the best under the radar sneakers that have dropped in the final days of 2020. We’ll be back next week with the regular SNX DLX offerings, but for now, enjoy this SNX-mini.

Nike Kobe 6 Protro Grinch

The Nike Kobe 6 Protro “Grinch” was last week’s big release, and while it wasn’t hyped enough to be deserving of its own post — and not a personal favorite by any means — we recognize that this colorway isn’t without a devoted fan base. This colorway, which combines green apple, volt, and black originally debuted back in 2011 and has always been one of the Kobe 6’s most iconic dressings.

This iteration of the Grinch features modern tech enhancements, offering a comfier fit and a springier bounce. The Grinch sold out nearly instantly, but several pairs are hanging around on aftermarket sites like StockX for a price that isn’t that far above retail.

Shop the Nike Kobe 6 Protro Grinch at StockX.

Nike Space Hippie 03 Healing Jade

We included Nike’s new eco-conscious Space Hippie line on our best sneakers of 2020 list, so we’re happy to see the 03 silhouette kicking off 2021 strong with this dope Healing Jade colorway. This colorway is giving off serious Yeezy vibes with a mix of earthy grey and green tones, and a crater speckled algae toned midsole. Easily the best Space Hippie colorway yet.

The Nike Space Hippie 03 in Healing Jade is set to drop on January 1st for a retail price of $180. Pick up a pair through the Nike SNKRS app.

Titan x Air Jordan 23/35

Nike linked up with Manila-based retailer Titan for an extra regal take on the Air Jordan 23 and 35 silhouettes this week, adding the label’s iconic lightning bolt imagery to two of Air Jordan’s least appreciated silhouettes. Of the two we’re digging on the 23 a little more, thanks to its detail-rich design and lightning bolt stitch pattern, but the 35 isn’t without its merits, looking like something straight out of a modern art museum.

The Titan Air Jordan 23 and 35 are set to drop on December 29th for a retail price of $180 and $200 respectively. Pick up a pair at Titan on aftermarket sites like StockX.

UNDEFEATED Nike Air Max 97

West Coast retailer UNDEFEATED managed to slip this release out before year’s end and we can’t for the life of us figure out what the rush was for. Three years back, during the Air Max 97’s 20th Anniversary, UNDEFEATED dropped three highly coveted colorways of the silhouette (one of which was a ComplexCon exclusive) and this is the first refresh since then, offering Militia Green and Black/Volt iterations that rival the original.

It feels like it should be a big event, UNDEFEATED could’ve held off until 2021 and had more eyes on this update. Which only makes us more curious about what they have in store for next year.

The UNDEFEATED Nike Air Max 97 is out now for a retail price of $180. Pick up a pair at StockX.

Air Jordan 11 Adapt

Nike decided to cap off 2020 with a tech-focused, forward-thinking smart shoe. At $500 a pair, we can’t say if these things will ever really take off but we’re all for the advancement of sneaker technology. The 11 Adapt features smartphone controlled power lacing with FitAdapt technology, ensuring every pair fits like a glove and conforms to your oddly shaped foot.

The AJ 11 Adapt features a lightweight leather and carbon fiber upper, giving you a little piece of the past and future.

The Air Jordan 11 adapt is out now for a retail price of $500. Pick up a pair through the Nike SNKRS app or on the aftermarket.

Adidas Harden Vol. 5 Futurenatural

With the new partnership between Jerry Lorenzo’s Fear of God and Adidas, it’s looking like the three stripes is trying to up its court presence this decade and here to lend an assist is James Harden’s fifth silhouette with the brand, the Futurenatural.

Designed to boost foot control on the court, this tech-focused design features a lightweight textile upper, a Boost midsole, and a funky colorway that truly looks unlike anything to hit the court so far. Here is to hoping Adidas can put up a good fight against Nike with some dope court looks this decade.

The Adidas Harden Vol. 5 Futurenatural is set to drop on January 4th for a retail price of $130. Pick up a pair through the Adidas webstore.

No one — apart from perhaps ever-gullible Maine Senator Susan Collins — expected Donald Trump to bow gracefully. A peaceful transition to his successor, Joe Biden, was never in the cards, and he’s spent the last near-two months making baseless accusations of voter fraud, whipping up his gullible base, and generally making a fool of himself. (Or getting made a fool of by his supposed allies.) The outgoing president has regularly clung to ridiculous conspiracy theories, and late Tuesday night was no exception.

His latest easily debunked nonsense involved Georgia, as it often does these days, namely Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, one of many officials who have refused to overturn the state’s election in his favor. In a tweet that, as of this writing, remains live and unflagged, Trump went after both Raffensperger and Governor Brian Kemp, calling them “a complete disaster” (singular) who “don’t have a clue, or worse.”

He then singled out Raffensperger, hitting him with a bizarre accusation: “Now it turns out that Brad R’s brother works for China, and they definitely don’t want ‘Trump’. So disgusting!” (The quotation marks around his own name were the cherry on top.)

The claim was so outrageous that even far-right site Gateway Pundit removed an article parroting it. Meanwhile, fact-checkers went to work on it, and it took more than one to sort this one out. First Georgia reporter Stephen Fowler deduced that Trump was likely referring to a man whose last name is Raffensperger, and who is CTO for a subsidiary of the conglomerate Huawei. Only problem: That person is not Brad Raffensperger’s brother.

Tireless CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale swooped in next. Initially he claimed that the secretary of state didn’t even have a brother, making the lie even more Trumpian. Dale later added a correction, saying he actually does have a brother (plus a few sisters), but he does not work for China.

In any case, Trump only has a few more weeks in office — and, from the sounds of it, he may only have a few more weeks with a Twitter account.

(Via The Daily Beast)

Best Leftovers Ever! (Netflix series) — In case you need some inspiration to dig all those frozen leftovers out of your freezer for a greater purpose, the so-called “kings & queens of leftover cooking” will make magic happen in this competitive series. There’s a monetary prize up for grabs in this ultimate food makeover series with host Jackie Tohn and judges David So and Rosemary Shrager proving that the unappetizing can be transformed into a masterpiece. Maybe? Why not.

Equinox (Netflix series) — This unsettling show begins in 2020 with the protagonist, Astrid, suffering terrible nightmares sourcing back to her 1999-focused childhood, in which her sister disappeared, along with a group of other graduating students. Those dreams coincide with the death of a survivor, and Astrid digs into the fate of the students, and of course, she uncovers an even darker truth than she expected.

In case you missed these recent picks:

The Midnight Sky (Netflix film) — George Clooney’s got a Netflix movie, y’all. He’s also got a David Letterman beard while playing a cancer-afflicted, lonely scientist in the Arctic who’s also struggling to survive on post-apocalyptic Earth while attempting to help save some astronauts. The screenplay hails from The Revenant‘s Mark L. Smith, so The Revenant + Gravity? That sounds epic, Oscar-y, and like a different kind of late-December movie than we’re used to from Netflix (Bright, Bird Box, 6 Underground). Let’s hope we don’t see any angry (polar) bears entering the equation.

The Stand: Premiere (CBS All Access) — Constant Readers will appreciate this fresh take on Stephen King’s epic novel, which is widely regarded as one of the greatest post-apocalyptic works of fiction. Those who are afraid of checking into pandemic land can rest assured that the show feels like an unlikely antidote to the hellish things that humanity has seen this year. The show also goes non-linear in order to avoid wading through the superflu like the book did, since this isn’t really a “pandemic” story but one about the rebuilding of society and the archetypal battle between good and evil.

The Flight Attendant (HBO Max series) — It’s Season 1 finale time, y’all, so who’s the murderer? Kaley Cuoco busts away from the The Big Bang Theory with a fun flight of (darkly comedic) fancy. She plays portrays an airline stewardess whose international jet-setting lifestyle includes falling into bed in various countries with various handsome men. During the course of one particularly fateful encounter, Cassie wakes up next to the dead body of a one-night stand. She spends the rest of the series attempting to clean sh*t up. It is such a blast, truly.

I just enjoyed one of the best whiskeys of 2020 with only two days left in the year. My tasting came far too late to make my Best Bottles of 2020 list, though it was featured on Chris Osburn’s Canadian Whiskeys You Should Know list back in October.

There are a couple of reasons I didn’t try Alberta Premium Cask Strength Rye in 2020. But before we get into that, I’m going to spoil my own article: This is a goddamn delightful dram that reaches the vaulted heights of Buffalo Trace’s Antique Collection Sazerac and Michter’s 10-Year Rye. It’s that special and the adoration it’s received in whiskey competition circles and among reviewers feels much deserved.

So why are we only talking about it now? Well, it’s kind of complicated and not the whisky’s fault.

The biggest reason this whisky expression lost a lot of its momentum in 2020 was due to Jim Murray getting dethroned as the be-all-and-end-all of whisky reviewers. Murray was called out by Scottish whisky expert and writer Becky Paskin for using sexist language in his reviews in the 2021 version of the Jim Murray Whisky Bible. That fallout jumpstarted a conversation about female and BIPOC representation in the spirits world, which pushed the need for systemic change to the forefront. In the months that followed, the industry has shown movement in a positive direction with regards to the concerns of Paskin and other underrepresented voices.

What was lost in that vital conversation was the whisky that Murray called the “World Whisky of the Year” (the reviewer’s top prize), Alberta Premium Cask Strength Rye. But Murray isn’t the only whisky expert singing the praises of this expression. It’s won Double Gold awards and reviews have been almost universally positive. The whisky stands alone as a great dram of 2020. Even if it didn’t get the typical Murray Bible Bump.

So why are we talking about it now? One, Alberta Distillers (Beam Suntory) just released a limited supply of the bottles on the U.S. market a couple of weeks ago. Two, since this bottle didn’t get the astronomical level of coverage it would have typically gotten (due to collateral damage from Murray’s downfall), you can actually get a bottle for only $10 over MSRP right now (though it’s already trending much higher than that). And three, my personal bottle cleared customs (I live in Germany) right around Christmastime.

My taster has been sitting on my shelf for more than a week (I taste a lot of whiskey for work and I still haven’t gotten to a fair few, sorry), so as 2020 winds down I figured it was time to break it out and see what all the fuss was about. Here’s what I thought.

Alberta Premium Cask Strength Rye

ABV: 65.1%
Average Price: $80 to $250 ($70 MSRP)

The Whisky:

This whisky from Calgary, Alberta utilizes the craggy peaks and vast plains of that province in every drop of the final expression. The rye comes from the Alberta prairies for the 100 percent rye mash bill. The grist (milled rye grains) is then married with Rocky Mountain glacial water for fermentation. The spirit is then barrelled and left to mature for an undisclosed amount of time.

The results are blended and bottled with zero fussing at cask strength, giving this whisky a real depth and sense of those chilly plains, mountains, and barrels from Alberta.

Tasting Notes:

The nose is complicated in a good way. There’s a sense of Red Vines for a moment that leads towards a cedar bark woodiness full of rich vanilla and a slight whisper of cherry deep in the background. The palate delivers on the warmth of the cedar while the vanilla edges towards a creamy pudding texture, making this almost velvety smooth. The fruit gets a bit darker and tarter, leaning away from the sweetness as buttery toffee arrives next to more cedar and some serious spice with a little note of buttery shortbread lurking underneath. That spice leans both towards freshly cracked black pepper and powdery chili powder with a touch of dark chocolate when a little water is added.

The finish is long-ish and comes to a fine point. There’s a real sense of that cedar, spice, and vanilla that lasts the longest. But, as the sip almost completely fades away, you get this tiny moment of savory fruit sort of halfway between a melon and pumpkin. There’s exactly zero alcohol heat despite the very high ABVs, which is kind of amazing.

Bottom Line:

I’m looking forward to drinking more of this throughout 2021. It really does live up to the reviews and awards it’s been getting. I’m also looking forward to making a Manhattan with this thanks to the high ABVs. Snag a bottle now and enjoy it while ringing in the new year!

Anthony Hopkins is not only one of our finest actors — he also has a side hustle dropping charmingly eccentric videos on his Twitter feed. But on Tuesday he did more than do strange dances or play the piano with his cat. The Oscar-winner dropped a video of him ringing in a major accomplishment: 45 years of sobriety.

Hopkins began by acknowledging the end of an historically rough year, one “full of grief and sadness for many, many, many people.” But even 2020 had its share of up moments, including, for him, this anniversary.

“Forty-five years ago today, I had a wake-up call,” Hopkins said. “I was headed for disaster, I was drinking myself to death. I’m not preachy, but I got a message, a little thought that said, ‘Do you want to live or die?’ And I said, ‘I want to live.’ And suddenly the relief came and my life has been amazing.”

Of course, sobriety can be difficult. “I have my off days and sometimes little bits of doubt and all that,” Hopkins acknowledged before adding a note of positivity. “All in all, I say hang in there. Today is the tomorrow you were so worried about yesterday. Young people, don’t give up. Just keep in there. Keep fighting. Be bold. Mighty forces will come to your aid. That’s sustained me through my life.”

Hopkins then wished everyone a Happy New Year: “This is going to be the best year.”

Hopkins’ video was met with cheers, from fans and fellow entertainers.

Let us offer our own congratulations, king.

For nearly two decades, the Kings have wandered aimlessly through the Western Conference, enduring a playoff drought that currently stands at 14 straight seasons. Worse yet, there’s rarely been real reason for optimism in Sacramento. Rebuilds have sputtered out before they ever got a chance to get going. Coaches came and went, while young players hardly showed any consistency or promise for the future. For a while there was a big question if the team would even stay in town. Two years ago, that started to change, and this year’s group has jumped out to a 3-1 start and recaptured the energy and thrill that made them everyone’s favorite late-night watch in 2018.

It all starts with the stream of energy that De’Aaron Fox leaves in his wake propelling them to turn every game into a match of will and athletic prowess. Sometimes, it hardly feels like basketball, the score taken more by bodies strewn about than baskets made.After signing a five-year, $195 million extension this fall, Fox has been solid and efficient on offense, leading the team with 20.8 points and 6.8 assists per game, but his real value has come on defense, where he’s averaging a steal and a block per game and leads the league in loose balls recovered with eight.

When the best player competes and puts his body on the line on both ends on a nightly basis the way Fox does, that sort of infectious energy makes a team a nightly pain to deal with and gives them a puncher’s chance at winning every game. Nothing embodied that more than his chasedown block in Sacramento’s ridiculous overtime win over Denver last week.

But the real treat of the season so far has been Tyrese Haliburton, who on draft night was already being called a steal and has proven those insta-takers correct already.

With a few minutes to go in the Kings’ breakout win over Denver on Tuesday night, Haliburton reared up and let it fly from nearly halfcourt, a shot that the unwritten rules of basketball state is not one most players are ever allowed to take. Damian Lillard and Steph Curry earned the right to try it; Haliburton only just turned pro. Maybe it’s the Kings or maybe it’s an underdog story like Haliburton’s, but there was something about that shot that felt like a fairytale. Those stories are about overcoming odds, wanting it more, and being heroic. As he pulled up over Nikola Jokic for the dagger three, Haliburton seemed to charge up on all the negativity directed toward the Kings, his draft stock, and their chances this season and turn it into kinetic energy — and a win.

How this man fell to 12th in a weak draft is beyond understanding, as he’s already earned a spot in the crunch time rotation and the team is simply better when he’s in the game. It’s early, but the Kings have so far been 15.4 points better per 100 possessions with Haliburton on the floor, and his energy and versatility on defense has been particularly impactful.

When Haliburton is out there, Kings coach Luke Walton likes to deploy multiple ball-handler lineups that stretch the defense thin and turbo-charge the team’s transition scoring. That’s possible in large part because Haliburton is 6-5 with a 6-8 wingspan, can defend multiple positions and is already excellent as a team defender.

Most surprisingly, Haliburton started the season 8-16 from deep despite a strange set shot that looks more like a catapult than a professional basketball player’s shooting form. While he was efficient from deep in two seasons at Iowa State, it was an open question whether he could get his shot off against NBA defenses. He’s answered that question with a simple “yes” so far and talked his talk online a bit, too.

A lot of Haliburton’s success so far is a testament to his teammates. Don’t forget that Haliburton reportedly wanted to end up in Sacramento on draft night. The rookie stepped onto a roster with size at every position, a hard-nosed edge to it, and enough veteran consistency to make them competitive on a night to night basis.

The perennially underrated Harrison Barnes remains one of the only players in the NBA who can credibly play both forward spots offensively and defensively and is averaging nearly four assists a game early in the season. Despite his reputation as a shooting specialist, Buddy Hield plays with a unique, chest-first physicality that makes him a handful, even if he hasn’t rounded out his game quite the way we’d all have hoped after his incredible senior season at Oklahoma.

Third-year man Marvin Bagley is back healthy and is seeking to find his footing in the rotation. It’s maybe not a great sign that Sacramento still often has to play him with another center like Richaun Holmes, though a Haliburton/Hield/Cory Joseph/Barnes/Bagley lineup is plus-19.4 across 31 possessions so far this season, per Cleaning the Glass. As with many perimeter-oriented big men entering the NBA these days, at some point we just need to see Bagley impact the game in the paint. There’s a version of him that is so good as a rebounder, finisher and shot creator offensively that his defensive limitations are livable, but right now he’s yet to show his best on a consistent basis. That, hopefully, means there’s more to tap into and if he can fulfill that potential, the Kings could get even more fun.

When the Kings let Bogdan Bogdanovic go this offseason, getting nothing in return for the restricted free agent, there was a concern they would slip back into irrelevance in a stacked Western Conference, but through a week of play they’ve been anything but.

While this NBA season may have some qualities that plant it firmly on the bizarro world the Kings have often occupied this century, perhaps it provides exactly the conditions Sacramento needed to thrive. Who wins in the NBA night to night so far in the first week of the season has seemed to derive from who came more prepared to play. That bodes well for the Kings, who for whatever their faults, have guys like Fox, Haliburton, Holmes and Hield who come ready to punch their opponent in the face every night. While it can sometimes bring games into a state of chaos, it’s been a whole lot of fun to watch so far, with the possibility of more to come.

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There aren’t many people quite like San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle on or off the football field. When he suits up and heads onto the gridiron, Kittle is simultaneously the perfect modern tight end — an extra offensive lineman who also has soft hands and can run routs like a slot receiver — with one heck of a mean streak and someone whose joy for the game radiates through the television screen.

Off of it, Kittle can’t help but come across as someone who has a whole lot of fun doing, well, everything. The latest example of this came when he and his wife, Claire, teamed up with Zenni to drop an eyewear collection inspired by a number of things close to them — the frames include names like “Hawkeyes” (the pair met when both were students at the University of Iowa) and “The People’s Phrase” (George, a well-documented wrestling fan, was given the nickname “The People’s Titan” by none other than Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson).

Uproxx Sports caught up with Claire and George via Zoom from their temporary home in Glendale, where the Niners have been situated due to the COVID-19 pandemic, to discuss the line, their love of glasses, life in Arizona, and professional wrestling.

How’d you two get involved with Zenni, and is teaming up on something like this common for you, or was this unique for the project you have going on with them?

Claire: Well, he worked with Zenni last year and they are a sponsor of the 49ers, so that’s kind of how the relationship started. Super organically, and then from his relationship with them last year, this kind of ballooned our collection/collaboration together.

George: It’s really our first thing that we got to work on together to this scale, which has been really fun, from the starting process, talking about what we wanted to do, and then going through a whole bunch of frames, lenses, the whole shebang — bunch of categories and getting to pick out our favorites and then seeing Zenni help us turn those sketches or those ideas into real glasses. From the pair that I’m wearing, to the pair of she’s wearing, they got these done and it’s just really fun to be able to see that and be able to do that with my wife.

So, then just a general question, why glasses?

George: Well, me and Claire, when it comes to like marketing and stuff, we try to be as authentic as possible, so to only do things that we use on a daily basis or that we support. Sunglasses are something I wear to every single football game. I wear them every time I drive to work. She wears them everyday she drives, and it just seemed like an obvious choice and it was an obvious decision when we wanted to work together. And like Claire said, it was organic through the Niners and it was awesome. We jumped at the opportunity, because like I said, I wear glasses almost every single day, so I might as well have some fun with it.

Claire: Yeah, and it’s just an easy, fun accessory that can change an outfit completely. So if I’m in the stands watching him, I want to have different glasses every single game. So, if I create the frame, but I love the frame so much and then I’m working on my computer at home, I want to have the blue light [blockers] inside. So then I need the Zenni pair in the sun, and then in front of the computer for the blue light blockers. So that was kind of fun, too.

Having fashionable glasses, is this something that’s always been an interest for both of you individually, or are you like me where for the longest time you were like, “Okay, these cost 10 bucks for the frames, I just need them to see. I’ll go with those”?

George: Well, luckily for me, I don’t have to wear prescription glasses. So that’s always been nice for me, but I’ve always worn sunglasses, really my whole life. And circular glasses are something that I’ve been a huge fan of, you can’t really go wrong with aviators. So it just was like, it made sense, like, “Hey, you want to make sunglasses?” And I was like, “Yeah. Why would I not want to make sunglasses? That sounds like a blast.”

Claire: Everybody loves sunglasses. There’s not one person who doesn’t love sunglasses.

George: I mean, how many pairs of sunglasses have you lost and had to get more?

Claire: And it’s always a happy experience when you have to go shopping for more.

That’s why I always go with cheap sunglasses, because I know that within a week it’s going to be like, “Oh, I lost another pair. I have to go end up getting a new pair.” Coming into this project, did you guys have some sort of vision of what you wanted it to be or was it really just, “We’ll start with a blank canvas, let it all play out and see what ends up happening?”

George: I think it was a little bit of both. They definitely helped us with some guidance. They said to us, “Hey, these are very popular frames that you see sells very well. These are maybe not so popular frames.” They kind of let us go through all those, even have our own ideas with it.

Claire: They gave us all of the intel, and they allowed us to be creative. Like George, he loves the circle sunglasses, or just frames. Not everybody loves those, particularly me. Those don’t look the best on me. So I was like, “No.”

George: I think they look great on you honey.

Claire: Thank you. I don’t want anything to do with those. I like the big, the loud, the statement ones. He does too. So they listened to both of our loud voices and created these awesome glasses for people.

In a video before the Super Bowl, George, you were asked how you would describe yourself and you said “goofy with a little bit of chaos.” Are there any frames in this collection that you think kind of sum that up?

George: Oh, wow. Yeah, I do think that. What’s awesome is you can combine any frame that we make with any lens color, which is really cool. We have one called The People’s Frames. I was lucky enough to get The People’s Titan’s nickname from The Rock, and so I use a little bit on the sunglasses, and it’s all tortoise, kind of like Clarie’s, just different shape, and you can put in whether you want it to be the blocks, which is the blue light blockers, or a nice light tint, or the dark sunglasses. You can kind of be loud with it, because I think the tortoise kind of goes with everything if you want it to be sneaky, in my opinion, or you can put some bright frames on there and kind of be loud and say whatever you want to say with them. So I think those are some of my favorite ones. Claire, do you have any favorite ones?

Claire: I mean, I love all of them because we created them. These I have on are the Travelers. So this is the lighter tortoise, and I love that, but my favorite ones are called Lettey, which is my nickname he gave me, and those would be goofy with a little bit of chaos if that’s what we want to talk about. They’re just loud spotted and you can get them in three different variation colors, of the frame I believe. These are just cool. If anybody walked by you and you’re wearing these, if they’d be like, “Yeah, I’ve never seen those before. I love it. Go you. Way to be bold.”

So I’m interested, generally, in the world of fashion. As you two — you’ve grown up, you’ve gotten out of college, into the NFL, whatever else you all have going on in the spotlight, all those sorts of things — have you noticed your sense of style changing over the last couple of years of your life as you’ve been afforded opportunities to explore things a little bit more?

George: Well now I’d say one of my biggest things is I don’t wear $15 jeans and shirts sadly, which is what I used to always wear.

Claire: He still does on occasion.

George: When she’s not around, I do, but I mean, one of the biggest things for me was I became kind of a sneakerhead two years ago. Or, I like sneakers, I should say that. My collection of sneakers has definitely increased tenfold and I’ve gone from wearing Metcons with my going out outfits … I actually have a pair of shoes that looks good.

Claire: Because you care more.

George: I definitely care more, not wearing an outfit every single day that says “I Love Football” on it.

Claire: He’s matured in the fashion world. That’s what we’ll will say.

George: I’m learning.

Claire: As have I. I think we all have, as we grow up, right? You figure out what you like and what looks good on you, so.

So do you guys have any aspirations of finding ways to team up and create things, whether it’s in fashion, whether it’s outside of fashion, whether it’s Zenni, whether it’s anything more broadly. This is a really big question, but just anything under the umbrella of Georgia and Claire work together to do stuff?

Claire: Yeah. We’d love to.

George: A hundred percent. It’s been fun just being with Claire. We try to, whether it’s an issue or whether we’re problem solving, something like that, we always tried to attack it together. We try to bounce ideas off each other, and we agree on a lot of things. We don’t agree on some things, which is totally fine, but at the end of the day, when we get stuff done together, it’s really fun to take a step back and say, “Hey, that was us.” And we really like that. So yeah, moving forward, we’d love to work with other brands or create other things. At the same time, I think we’re trying to figure it out as we go, too, which is kind of a fun of it, because we’re figuring out together at the same time.

Claire: And keep it completely organic. Like we said before, something that really speaks to both of us, not just one of us, but I think in even all other marketing things that we’ve been involved in as a family, it’s been very collaborative, right? So I feel more comfortable when I’m with him and he feels more comfortable when he’s with me, and we know the other ones in the room, regardless of if it’s just him answering questions. And then for example, he maybe would get sent some photos after a photoshoot and he’ll be like, “Well, which one do you think is the best?”

George: Oh, she picks the photo. I’ve learned that.

Claire: And then I’ll give him five reasons why this one’s better than that one and why he should give this one a chance because of marketing standpoint.

George: Or she just doesn’t give me any reasons. And she goes, “This one.” I say “Yes.”

At a certain point, you were just like, “I’m doing it.”

George: Let’s go. Let’s ride.

Claire: It’s just fun. We just have fun with

You’re now the Glendale San Francisco 49ers. How’s that been for both of you, having to uproot head down to Arizona and get settled in a new place, especially in the face of everything else that’s going on right now, just personally with you guys and with this weird NFL season and everything else that’s happening?

George: It’s been different, because we got the notification that we weren’t allowed to play in Santa Clara anymore last Saturday, I think it was, and so the team was boarded on a plane to L.A. and I was at my apartment and I was going to watch the game from there because I didn’t travel, but getting that news, you’re kind of like, “Well, alright, well what are the options?” And you kind of brainstorm, you don’t really know, and they got back the next two days later and we had a whole game plan and it was cool just to see. I think the organization’s done a great job with how 2020, this whole season itself, has gone from the protocols to try to keep everybody safe, and they’ve done a fantastic job in this one as well moving an entire franchise, and given 24, 36 hours heads up and they moved us into an entirely new place.

And so it’s been, and it’s been great being in Arizona. Weather is fantastic, which is awesome. And what is a fun fact is, I mean, we got to get an Airbnb house in a place that we might not ever lived, but we’ll be here for probably three to four weeks, and it’s just been kind of fun. And I don’t know, for her, she had to pack up an entire apartment and put in a car and drive down here. So that’s just a kudos to her for being on top of all her stuff.

And then last question, totally out of left field, George, you mentioned The People’s Frames. What is the greatest wrestling match of all time?

George: The greatest wrestling match? Light versus darkness, man. Shawn Michaels versus The Undertaker. I know it’s tough for me. I’m late to the party when it comes to WWE, I’m super late. I watched The Rock growing up, and Stone Cold a little bit, but I really got into it halfway through college, and then I just was kind of a junkie for four or five years. I don’t know if it was my midlife crisis, but.

There’s so many great matches, but that one was really fun to see, because I think Shawn Michaels as a performer is just exhilarating. I wish I could see him. I wish I would have been more aware and been able to watch him in his prime because that was as fun. So, but the fact that I have the WWE Network so I can go back and watch that stuff. It’s really fun.

“I’m born [sic] in Boston. It was literally the first thing that I told my husband.” Those exact words came out of Hilaria Baldwin’s mouth in response to people accusing her of pretending to be Spanish. She made the statement in this Instagram video (shortly after the 5:00 min mark). In that video, Mrs. Baldwin also stated, “Yes, I am a white girl” and clarified that her actual name is Hillary. This strange mess is precisely the reason why people are revisiting an interview that her husband, Alec Baldwin, gave to David Letterman in 2013.

In the below video, Alec related a story about her wife being on the phone with her hairdresser. During the anecdote, he mimicked an accent and then declared, “My wife is from Spain.” He added, “I don’t mean to be racist when I put that accent on, by the way.”

It’s another bizarre turn in what might be an intricate long game for the social media influencer, or as a Twitter user judged it, a “decade long grift where she impersonates a Spanish person.” Many people have noted that Hilaria slips in and out between using Spanish and American accents, although she usually sticks with the former while in public view. One of the weirdest details, though, involves Hilaria “forgetting” the English word for “cucumber” in the midst of an interview.

Well, the issue clearly isn’t over on either side of this discussion. Hilaria has gone on the defense in a fresh New York Times interview, pointing blame at the press for her current situation and claiming that she was never misled anyone regarding her heritage. She rationalized how she previously told followers that she was “going home” to Spain and didn’t feel that this was a lie because that’s where her parents lived. The NYT points out that Hilaria never mentioned her family in her wedding announcement, but Hilaria made a pretty big deal in her Instagram video about how 40 or so family members flew over from Spain to attend the NYC wedding. And the Daily Mail has published details about the ceremony, including how Alec and Hilaria said “Sí” as part of their vows, which were read in both Spanish and English.

Then there’s this excerpt from the New York Times, which referred to a Twitter user who agreed to an interview on the condition of anonymity:

She said that Ms. Baldwin’s American upbringing was an open secret among many people in New York and she just decided to make it less secret. “We’re all bored and it’s just seemed so strange to me that no one had ever come out and said it, especially for someone who gets so much media attention,” said the woman, who was granted anonymity by The New York Times because she said she was scared that Mr. Baldwin, who agreed to take an anger management course in 2019 in order to dispose of charges after a fight with a man over a parking spot and has been arrested, escorted from a plane and suspended from a job as an MSNBC host, all in the last decade, would punch her. (A spokeswoman for Mr. Baldwin declined to comment.)

In the aforementioned Instagram video, Hilaria explained that she’s raising her children as bilingual, and “I identify more as Hilaria because that’s what my family calls me.” She added, “Yes, I am a white girl, let’s be very clear that Europe has a lot of white people in there. My family is white. Ethnically, I am a mix of many many many things.”

What a strange story, all of it. As of now, Alec Baldwin has also not commented upon his resurfaced Letterman appearance, though that might be coming.

(Via New York Times & Daily Mail)

If you want to start an argument, tell a hip-hop fan who you think the best rapper of all time is. Everybody has a different pick in this endless debate that has raged on for about as long as rappers have existed, but Eminem, who himself is the GOAT in the eyes of many, has a different take on it.

Speaking with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe about his “At Home With” playlist, he declared that his best rapper of all time is… nobody, because the evolution of hip-hop has spawned different rappers who have vastly different skill sets. So, in his eyes, there isn’t one single “best” rapper. Em said:

“When people compare, when they try to compare eras… hip-hop’s went through too many different transitions for anyone really to be the best rapper of all time, because rap has went through transitions, it’s evolved. Now people are doing things with flows that I never could have seen happening. But at the same time, rappers from that [golden age] era meant so much more to that era, just because there were so many innovators and there were so many rappers.”

He also downplayed his own influence, telling Lowe, “I know I’ve been around for a minute, but I don’t feel like, honestly, in my heart of hearts, I don’t feel like anything I did, anything I’ve done up to this point, is more influential than they were to their era. You know what I’m saying? To me, I will never mean more than they meant to their era. A lot of times, when people ask me what my top favorite rappers are, I don’t even know how to answer that, because there’s so many rappers that have been so great and still are great. And by the way, I think Rakim probably is still great. I haven’t heard anything he’s working on lately, but I guarantee you he ain’t lost that sh*t, because that kind of sh*t don’t go away. It just doesn’t.”

Elsewhere in the interview, he name-drops everybody from Ice Cube to Run DMC to Nas, so check out the full conversation above.