Previously on the Ins and Outs of All Elite Wrestling Dynamite: An injured Dr. Britt Baker DMD showed us why she’s a “roll model,” Cody Rhodes managed to retain the TNT Championship despite headbutting a wall, and Orange Cassidy declared himself the Baddest Man On The Planet.

If you’d like to keep up with this column and its thinly veiled Best and Worst format, you can keep tabs on the Ins and Outs of AEW Dynamite tag page. You can keep track of all things All Elite here.

Follow With Spandex on Twitter and Facebook. You can also follow me on Twitter, where everything and everyone is terrible.

And now, the Ins and Outs of All Elite Wrestling Dynamite for June 10, 2020.

All In: Blood Oranges

There are probably more important moments to talk about from this week’s Dynamite, but I want to lead with Orange Cassidy scoring the win for his team in a six-man tag against the Inner Circle and being beaten within an inch of his life by Chris Jericho and a gigantic bad of oranges from under the ring. So many questions. So many.

Jericho returns to commentary this week, which is a great idea beyond AEW suddenly having a four-man announce booth. It’s also worth noting that it makes an announce team of four white guys, including a 68-year old, a 62-year old, and a 49-year old. I know they don’t want to send any of them to the unemployment line considering that Jim Ross is a wrestling legend, Tony Schiavone is an all-time great as well, and Excalibur’s the only guy out there trying to accurately call matches, but I think All Elite could really benefit from either rotating the crew around on a weekly basis, or just cutting their losses and deciding who should permanently call what. I personally loved the Jericho and Schiavone team, but nobody in wrestling history’s a better straight man than JR. Certainly not among people who are still around. I think it’ll be easier when the inevitable AEW Thunder starts up and you can spread them out a little more.

I’m way off track. The important thing here is that Chris Jericho beat down Orange Cassidy with a bag of oranges like the world’s biggest asshole, and I love it. Leave it to Chris Jericho to decide a man named “orange” should get hit with oranges. If QT Marshall doesn’t get concussed by a bushel of apples sometime soon, what are we even doing here? Jericho vs. Cassidy is exactly the kind of feud we need in wrestling right now to make us smile, and I hope they lean into the “Blood Orange” thing and give Orange a violent, rage-fueled alter-ego a la Kishin Liger. My only disappointment is that he bled blood instead of juice.

Side note: Jericho watching Jake Hager fight Orange Cassidy and say it looks like Hager’s beating up the 15-year old version of himself is his new funniest commentary moment. How is that even possible on the same episode where he declared, “He’s the butcher for a reason. He cuts meat!”

All In: For The Record

Me watching The Revival win a 10-minute tag team match on Wednesday night prime-time cable television using nothing but teamwork, timing, and rigid rule-following.

I missed you guys so much. Supplementary Bests also go to FTR hitting a spike piledriver in front of both Tully Blanchard and Arn Anderson, the Shatter Machine being renamed to the WILDLY superior “Goodnight Express” — that should just be their team name, for real — and the post-match interaction with the Elite, wherein Hangman Page’s beautiful country ass shows up dressed like a picnic and ready to drink.

The former Revival being faces because they love wrestling and respect the rules, the Bucks being heels because they’re flamboyant and self-obsessed — just listen to them talk about solely carrying tag team wrestling for the past 15 years and how they’re the best tag team in AEW despite never being tag champs here and losing in the first round of the title tournament — Kenny Omega being helpfully oblivious as always, and Hangman Page being the only guy in that circle of friends who understands the dynamics. That’s a good blueprint for a killer triple threat Tag Team Championship match that subverts our modern expectations of heels and faces and continues slowly, slowly returning AEW to its upright and locked position. Team “rules are cool and The Elite is secretly evil” represent.

All Out: Elitism

Speaking of The Elite being (barely) secretly evil, boo to former hair collecting cultist Brandi Rhodes for suggesting Allie shouldn’t be allowed to wear a Nightmare Family jacket. You guys have given your dog a dozen t-shirts, QT Marshall’s girlfriend can wear your colors whether she’s secretly plotting to kidnap him and chop him up into little pieces or not.

All In: Here He Is, Doing Everything He Can

One of this week’s best developments is skateboarding legend Tony Hawk going from “famous person who noticed what you were doing because you had a skateboard” to “famous person doing a cameo on the wrestling show in support of the skateboarding wrestler.” The next step is figuring out how to get Darby Allin into the Tony Hawk Pro Skater remake as a hidden character.

If nothing else, Darby should discover a hidden VHS tape the next time he considers jumping off something high and hurting himself.

Okay, the next next time.

All In: Joey Janela And Sonny Kiss Are Officially A Tag Team

Tag team name, “Sonny Boy.”

Janela and Kiss are great on Dark, but I’m relieved to see them not only address their on-screen character histories (through Janela wondering how he went from main-eventing to oblivion, which is a valid question), but get to do it on Dynamite proper. I’m very ready for actual weekly Sonny Kiss content, especially if they go full Raven and Kanyon with it and have them hang out in a gated community and do fashion shows.

All IN: Britt Baker, A Wrestler For Our Times

“Let’s talk about struggles. I have probably the most struggles!” I can’t get enough of Dr. Britt Baker as White Privelige: The Wrestler. Fucking hilarious.

All In: Cult Cabana

There’s a good story happening here with Matt Hardy trying to appeal to Sammy Guevara’s better nature by comparing his career to Sammy’s, and putting him over as a guy who keeps getting knocked down, but keeps getting back up. I’m telling you, in addition to The Elite being secret heels, The Inner Circle are secret babyfaces. Except for Hager. Hager’s character could be “volunteers every weekend at the children’s hospital” and I’d watch him like, I hate your guts, Hager.

Yes, there’s a good story happening, but let’s talk about how Colt Cabana might actually end up successfully recruited by the Dark Order. Sadly one of our readers beat me to the joke about how if he put on the mask he’d be “45,” but it’s too funny to leave out. Honestly all I want from Colt Cabana in AEW is for him to join this incel cult and reboot his podcast as a pro-Dark Order conspiracy theories show. That’s basically what Chris Jericho’s doing already.

Also On This Episode

Party At The Turner Mansion

Cody Rhodes defending the TNT Championship against Marq Quen wasn’t the total banger I wanted it to be, but that’s to be expected when you consider Quen hasn’t wrestled a singles match in like three years. It’s still really good, though, and Quen got a HUGE spotlight in which to shine even if the winner was never in doubt. I still appreciate Cody winning some of his matches with secondary moves and basic submission holds, like here, when he counters a moonsault into an ankle lock and then transitions to a sort of ankle lock with his feet. It was more or less a “deathlock” without anything being locked.

The thing that takes the match from “All In” to “Also On This Episode,” however, is Jake Hager. That’s Cody’s TNT Championship opponent for Fyter Fest, and if Cody can get even a watchable match out of Hager at this point I’ll consider him a miracle worker. Even the match with Dustin went too long and found a way to involve nagging conservative wives and forced kissing. I just kinda wish that if they’re that into keeping Jack Swagger on the roster they’d keep him as a completely silent third man in trios matches and stop trying to make him happen as a singles star. There’s a shit-ton of men and women on the AEW roster who are fighting desperately for a spot on the show, and fucking Jake Hager gets repeated main events and title opportunities despite his matches being about as entertaining as a colostomy. It’s just frustrating is all, especially after having watched the same shit happen in WWE and Lucha Underground.

Whom Is Greater And Whiter?

I could go the rest of my life never hearing Bill Ass refer to himself as a, “great white,” but points to MJF for the line, “I’m shocked you’re not too busy trying to get another one of your scumbag talentless sons a job here.” I’m telling you, as soon as they abandon Maxwell’s apparent desire to be the heeliest heel that ever heeled and aiming his venom at the company’s other bad guys, they’re going to have a dangerously over “hero” (so to speak) on their hands. Although frankly I’d cheer a dirty pile of laundry if it was positioned against Billy Gunn.

HIDDEN MACHINES

Jon Moxley gets jumped by Brian Cage because he wisely thought he’d be safe turning his back to a huge, empty parking lot while Cage’s manager got really close to his face and distracted him. I feel like you probably should’ve seen that coming, man. Cage finishes sending the mechanical message by bodyslamming Mox into the back windshield of a Chevy Cruze with “AEW” license plates. Did they buy a whole car just to break part of it? Between this and FTR’s entrance truck, AEW really wants us to buy Chevrolet® brand automobiles.

Penelope Ford Has Pinned The Women’s Champion!

You’ve got to think that puts her in line for a possible future title opportunity, Corey.

I probably like Penelope Ford more than most people who do what I do for a living and am happy to see someone new being positioned to challenge for the AEW Women’s Championship, but I’m still patiently waiting for the women’s division to get a few more character pieces and operate beyond the rankings system that rarely seems to inform any of the matches are stories. MJF was right when he talked about how he’s been undefeated for ages and has been the number one contender for three straight weeks but hasn’t gotten a shot at either of the singles championships. Jungle Boy and Marq Quen are getting those matches instead. I’m not saying we should be listening to MJF, but it continues to be absurd to have rankings, brag about how your rankings matter, and then only bring them up when you don’t have any better ideas. People are still mostly just getting title shots by decree, or like we see here, pinning the champ in non-title matches.

Shida vs. Ford will be a nice little program while Britt Baker heals up and prepares for her inevitable run as AEW’s first Women’s Champion with a character beyond [*waves*] or [*screams*]. Not that I don’t love Hikaru Shida, because I do. She’s just about what happens in the ring, and very rarely what happens outside of it. Ford’s character is just “wears sunglasses, constantly cheats for her significant other,” which Kip Sabian also uses when the roles are reversed. The matches are good, I’m just confident enough in AEW’s ability to learn and grow that I don’t want to sit here typing abject praise and imply that “good” is all it can be. Maybe I should. Promotions seem to like that in their critics. Have you heard about The Greatest Match Ever, happening this Sunday?

All In: Top 10 Comments Of The Week

Mr. Bliss

If Colt does join the Dark Order, does he become 45?

editor’s note:

Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer

A dejected Colt Cabana watches the monitor in Mr Brodie Lee’s office as his Chevy Cruze gets vandalized

Jae-Su

Watching the Misery Index is a firm Jake Hager.

HVO-Jetfuel

I’m liking Taz and Cage as the Earth-2 versions of Heyman and Lesnar

AshBlue

Please let that Sonny/Janela bit turn out like the time Wayne Brady picked up Dave Chapelle.

Daniel Valentin

Cody’s chyron is in the TNT title’s colors.

I swear, there must be a guy in the AEW payroll whose job is simply to think up tiny details that make the show more awesome.

AddMayne

me watching FTR matches

Endy_Mion

Missed opportunity for Mox to recruit FTR in his war against Cage. If anything, they know how to Shatter, Machine.

JayBone2

Colt is easily swayed by those with a certain cult of personality.

The Real Birdman

Private Hardy was right there, Schiavone

That about wraps it up for this week’s column. Dynamite continues to put out good effort after good effort at a time when they could be doing nothing (or, as WWE is doing, next to it), and I want to reiterate that any criticisms I’m levying here are done with great love for an attempt at WCW Monday Nitro 2020 and the hope that a positive, communicative fandom can help mold it into something approaching a perfect weekly wrestling show. Or we just complain our way into being ignored like 99.9% of The Internet and they do whatever they wanna do. Worst case scenario, maybe we get fewer Jack Swagger pay-per-view matches.

Thanks for reading about Dynamite! Leave us a comment below, give the column a share on social media, and make sure you’re here next week. See you then!

In the summer of 2019, Dixie Chicks stirred up hope that they would have a new album out by the end of that year. Fans know that this did not come to pass, but that disappointment was short-lived, as Gaslighter was then given a May 1 release date. Again, that date was not met, as the trio delayed the album due to the coronavirus pandemic. That delay did not come with a new release date, but finally, the group has offered one with a fun announcement.

Taking to Instagram, the group shared a trio of images of their heads edited onto the bodies of figure skaters. All three are wearing sashes, and together, they read, “July 17, 2020.” The background of all images also features the album’s title, Gaslighter, repeated. The group also shared a combined version of the images on Twitter.

The delay of Gaslighter earlier this year came just days before its scheduled release. Still, fans shouldn’t mind waiting a bit longer, as they’ve already been patient for a while now. It’s been a long time since a Dixie Chicks album was given to the world, as their most recent full-length effort is Taking The Long Way, which dropped way back in 2006.

It was only a few years ago that Pete Davidson was playing unnamed characters in other’s people romantic-comedies — now he’s a legit leading man.

Following his underrated performance in Big Time Adolescence, the SNL star is New York royalty in The King of Staten Island (out Friday), Judd Apatow’s first film in five years. Davidson was also cast in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, which finished shooting before the global shut-down, although it’s still unknown who he’s playing.

The comedian didn’t give anything away while promoting The King of Staten Island, but he did drop some hints. “I was in a big, uncomfortable costume,” he told Yahoo!. “I think that would be a big difference. I got to hold Glocks and stuff like that.” Hm, so he’s in a comic book movie playing someone in a costume with weapons. That narrows it down to basically everyone but Harley Quinn (she’s taken) and Joker (tried that already).

“[The King of Staten Island and The Suicide Squad] were both really fun to work with, everybody was really open and honest and the cast and crew was just so much fun”

The Suicide Squad, which also stars Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, Viola Davis, Joel Kinnaman, Jai Courtney, Nathan Fillion, Storm Reid, and Taika Waititi (pretty good cast you got there), is scheduled to come out on August 6, 2021.

(Via Yahoo!)

Shortly after the bombshell dropped that HBO Max will officially Release the Snyder Cut of Justice League, news broke that Henry Cavill will return as Superman in future DC Comics films. Considering the actor played a surprise part in the Snyder Cut announcement by showing up to chat with fans during the quarantine watch party for Man of Steel, it certainly seemed like Cavill was returning to the fold.

However, news of Cavill’s return was already tempered by Deadline‘s initial report that he would not be starring in Man of Steel 2, but would merely be filming cameos in yet-to-be determined DCEU films. Another bigger, wetter blanket arrived just a few days later when sources for The Hollywood Reporter said that Cavill is “not in any negotiations for any cameo,” which began raising the question of whether he’s even returning as Superman at all.

And now to complicate the matter even further, there is a report from Heroic Hollywood that throws even more cold water on the Cavill situation. According to their sources, Warner Bros. is not prioritizing Man of Steel 2 because of its deal with J.J. Abrams, which has long been rumored to involve him putting his own take on a Superman film.

“If your plan is to attract an A-list filmmaker like J.J. Abrams to direct such property, like Superman, they’re going to demand they cast who they want in the title role,” the insider said.

While this information makes the prospect of Cavill fulfilling his dream of starring in Man of Steel 2 look even dimmer, the likelihood of future cameos might not be completely off the table. The actor told Men’s Health back in January that he’s “not given up on the role.” Whether that means he’s willing to settle for brief appearances in the Shazam and Aquaman sequels is up in the air.

(Via Heroic Hollywood)

K-pop supergroup BTS has taken the world by storm. BTS became the first K-pop group to ever go Platinum in the US earlier this year and their influence is far-reaching. The group has garnered an “army” of fans which recently matched a $1 million donation to Black Lives Matter, even persuading John Cena to do the same. Now, BTS are catering to other factions of their global audience and recording their second Japanese language album.

BTS announced the record Map Of The Soul: Journey Thursday. The album is a collection of songs from their most recent effort, Map Of The Soul: 7, which the group re-recorded in Japanese. The album boasts two original Japenese tracks as well, “Stay Gold” and “Your Eyes Tell.” The record marks the second Japanese language record from the Korean boyband following their 2018 effort Face Yourself.

Check out BTS’ Map Of The Soul: Journey album artwork and tracklist below.

1.. “Intro: Calling”
2. “Stay Gold”
3. “Boy With Luv (Japanese Version)”
4. “Make It Right (Japanese Version)”
5. “Dionysus (Japanese Version)”
6. “IDOL (Japanese Version)”
7. “Airplane Pt.2 (Japanese Version)”
8. “Fake Love (Japanese Version)”
9. “Black Swan (Japanese Version)”
10. “On (Japanese Version)”
11. “Lights”
12. “Your Eyes Tell”
13. “Outro: The Journey”

Map Of The Soul: Journey is out 7/14 via Big Hit Entertainment. Pre-order it here.

Following the success of The Last Dance, ESPN’s 10-part docuseries on Michael Jordan and the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls, questions have popped up about which basketball legend would get some sort of similar treatment. We already know that a project based on Kobe Bryant is being kicked around, and on Thursday, we learned that another Los Angeles Lakers legend will get the documentary treatment sometime in the future.

According to a release, Magic Johnson will be at the center of a documentary that’s slated for release sometime in 2021. The project, which is being put together by XTR, H.wood Media, NSV, and Delirio Films, promises to have “unprecedented access” into the life of Johnson, who has been among the sport’s most prominent personalities from the moment he entranced basketball fans during his time at Michigan State.

“Growing up, we viewed Magic Johnson not only as an NBA Legend, but as a man who transcended the sport and became one of the most celebrated and accomplished businessmen of our lifetime,” Jordan Fudge and Jeremy Allen of NSV said in a statement. “We are honored that we are able to assist in bringing to life the story of a man who has opened so many doors and inspired millions.”

Johnson, of course, has received acclaim for more than just his career on the court, where he has the distinction of being one of the greatest players to ever live. He’s had a lucrative post-playing career as a businessman, while he’s used his experience as a person living with HIV to advocate for those who battle the virus. There is no word on a release date or a title for the project.

NASCAR’s only black driver, Bubba Wallace, told CNN on Monday that the league should ban the Confederate flag. “No one should feel uncomfortable when they come to a NASCAR race,” he said. “So it starts with Confederate flags. Get them out of here. They have no place for them.”

Wallace drives the No. 43 car with Richard Petty Motorsports.

On Wednesday, NASCAR released a statement saying that it had banned the flag. It’s believed that Wallace’s statement pushed NASCAR to finally do what it had been considering for years.

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“The presence of the Confederate flag at NASCAR events runs contrary to our commitment to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for all fans, our competitors and our industry,” it wrote.

“Bringing people together around a love for racing and the community it creates is what makes fans and sport special, the statement continued, “The display of the Confederate flag will be prohibited from all NASCAR events and properties.”

The ban comes a few days after the sport had a dramatic display of solidarity with the black community.

On Sunday, during its pre-race routine at Atlanta Motor Speedway, drivers stopped their cars on the track for a statement by president Steve Phelps who called upon Americans to listen to black people’s calls for change after the death of George Floyd.

He also said, “Our sport must do better. Our country must do better.”

During the race Wallace wore a shirt that said “I can’t breathe” and had “Black Lives Matter” painted on his car.

“Our team brought that idea to me and I jumped all over it,” Wallace said according to Sports Illustrated. “Why not dive in straight to the root and put #BlackLivesMatter on the car?”

Wallace’s stance on the flag and willingness to stand for racial justice in NASCAR is a bold statement to say the least. NASCAR is a favorite sport among American conservatives in the south and the flag is a familiar site at NASCAR races, dotting the infield atop RVs or being waved by fans in the grandstands.

The 26-year-old Alabama native wasn’t always bothered by the sight of the flags but had a chance of heart.

“What I’m chasing is checkered flags, and that was kind of my narrative,” Wallace said, “but diving more into it and educating myself, people feel uncomfortable with that, people talk about that — that’s the first thing they bring up.”

For the past five years, the sport has had an uncomfortable relationship with the flag. It called for fans to stop beginning it to events in 2015 after a after a white supremacist murdered nine black people at a Charleston church in 2015.

But the request did little to limit its presence.

Before Wednesday’s race, Wallace said NASCAR made the right call.

“Bravo,” he said while clapping. “Props to NASCAR and everybody involved,” he said. “There’s a lot of emotions on the racetrack and off the racetrack that are riding with us. Tonight is something special. Today has been special. Hats off to NASCAR.”

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Last Updated: June 11th

There’s nothing better than bingeing some good scary movies on Netflix on a dark, stormy night. From ghosts to vampires and zombies just about every morbid fantasy that your demented mind can conjure has representation. We’ve watched the best horror movies on Netflix streaming right now, and here they are, in their beastly, blood-curdling glory. It’s perfect for that late night movie binge to keep you wide awake all the way through 2020.

Related: The Best Thrillers On Netflix Right Now

It Comes At Night (2017)

Run Time: 86 min | IMDb: 7.4/10

Writer/director Trey Edward Shults followed up his unnerving family portrait in 2015’s Krisha with a look at another family under the most desperate of circumstances. After an unknown illness has wiped out most of civilization, a number of threats — both seen and unseen — come for a family held up in their home out in the wilderness. It’s a subtle, dream-like tale that stars Joel Edgerton and Christopher Abbot as two patriarchs intent on keeping their families safe, no matter the cost.

Add To Netflix Queue

The Silence of The Lambs (1991)

Run Time: 118 min | IMDb: 8.6/10

Hannibal Lecter is one of horror’s most iconic characters, but it’s a testament to the creepiness of Anthony Hopkins in a leather muzzle that, no matter how many times the film gets quoted, hearing him tell Clarice Starling he’s having an old friend for dinner still sends chills up our spines. Jodie Foster plays the FBI agent tasked with catching another serial killer with Lecter’s same M.O. and she does it by striking up unnerving conversations with the guy, but Hopkins is the real star here, playing Lecter with a restrained insanity that makes his small talk of enjoying human liver with fava beans so much more nightmarish.

As Above So Below (2014)

Run Time: 93 min | IMDb: 6.2/10

Before Ben Feldman played a lovable know-it-all on Superstore, the guy was surviving a terror-filled jaunt through the catacombs of Paris in this horror movie. Feldman plays George, a reluctant sidekick to Scarlett (Perdita Weeks), a young alchemy scholar and his former girlfriend. Scarlett convinces George a few others to venture into the famous Paris underground in order to find the fabled philosopher’s stone (Harry Potter kids should know all about this thing, we’re not explaining it here). What they find instead is basically Dante’s Inferno come to life as they face down cults, demons, ghosts, and all manner of horrific beings. Let this be a warning, children: Nothing good happens this far below street level. Nothing.

The Perfection (2018)

Run Time: 90 min | IMDb: 6.1/10

Allison Williams, who’s become something of a scream queen after her work in Get Out, continues her horror track record with this thriller about a gifted musician who befriends the talented student who replaced her. Strange happenings begin to occur, events that sabotage the young girl, but as terrifying as this story is, there’s absolutely no way you’ll be able to predict its ending.

Cloverfield (2008)

Run Time: 85 min | IMDb: 7/10

Disappointing sequels aside, the original installment in J.J. Abrams’ Cloverfield trilogy remains one of the greatest works of found-footage in the history of film. Most of that is because the narrative style lends itself to the tension, chaos, and horror of fleeing a monster destroying New York City. The film follows a group of friends caught in the bedlam after a Godzilla-like creature begins attacking the Big Apple. While trying to save each other and make it out of the city before the bombs drop, the friends document their journey. The directing by Matt Reeves is superb, almost too good, because you often feel a part fo the action, for better and worse.

Murder Party (2007)

Run Time: 120 min | IMDb: 5.9/10

Jeremy Saulnier is someone who knows how to make a story of thrilling and brutal violence. Director of Blue Ruin and Green Room, he manages to make his stories gripping and tense with slight touches of offbeat humor. Well, for his first feature, that offbeat humor is just as extreme as the violence. An awkward guy finds an invite to a random Halloween party and decides to attend, unbeknownst to him that he’ll be the murdered main attraction for a group of eccentric artists. It’s a slow build toward its inevitably over-the-top and bloody conclusion, but it’s a fun ride for a low-budget gory comedy.

The Ritual (2017)

Run Time: 94 min | IMDb: 6.3/10

This Netflix nightmare follows a group of friends who venture into the Scandinavian wilderness in order to honor their recently-murdered brother. The guys, Luke (Rafe Spall), Phil (Arsher Ali), Hutch (Robert James-Collier), and Dom (Sam Troughton) are forced to take a different path from the one planned, a mistake that leads them to cults and sacrificial offerings and an ancient being who prefers to stake its prey. The scenery is gorgeous, the chemistry of the cast is spot on, and the premise — how these men confront their fears and failures thanks to a supernatural being — starts out promising, though it could’ve delivered a better ending.

Sinister (2012)

Run Time: 110 min | IMDb: 6.8/10

Ethan Hawkes plays a washed-up true-crime writer in this grisly flick filled with occult deities and possessed children. Hawke’s Ellison Oswalt moves his family to a home whose last residents all hanged themselves in order to uncover the reason for the killings and who was behind them. Unfortunately for Ellison, supernatural forces seem to be at play and he finds a box of snuff films, all depicting gruesome murders across decades, all featuring families who moved into the house. The movie combines the best of the horror genre — creepy kids, weird home videos, demons, etc — and Hawke does a good job of playing a father desperate to save his family from the mess he made.

The Girl With All The Gifts (2016)

Run Time: 111 min | IMDb: 6.6/10

Despite a cast that includes Gemma Arterton, Paddy Considine, and Glenn Close, this unusual, post-apocalyptic film got a bit overlooked during its brief theatrical release. It’s best enjoyed without knowing too much of the plot. Suffice it to say that Melanie (Sennia Nanua), the girl of the title, isn’t quite what she seems, and there’s a reason that she, and others her age, are kept in a secure military facility. But the best trick of the film, thanks in large part to Nanua’s winning performance, is the way its innovations go beyond just putting twists on a familiar genre and, instead, making us question where our sympathies ought to lie.

Add to Netflix Queue

Green Room (2015)

Run Time: 95 min | IMDb: 7/10

When a punk rock group accidentally witnesses the aftermath of a murder, they are forced to fight for their lives by the owner of a Nazi bar (Patrick Stewart) and his team. It’s an extremely brutal and violent story, much like the first two features from director Jeremy Saulnier (Blue Ruin and Murder Party), but this one is made even tenser by its claustrophobic cat-and-cornered-mouse nature. Once the impending danger kicks in, it doesn’t let up until the very end, driven heavily by Stewart playing against type as a harsh, unforgiving, violent character.

The Witch (2016)

Run Time: 92 min | IMDb: 6.8/10

Robert Eggers’ Sundance hit attracted some of the oddest complaints directed at any film in recent years when some disgruntled audience members suggested it wasn’t scary enough. Maybe they were watching a different movie? Set in colonial New England, the austere film follows a family outcast from their strict religious community and trying to make it on their own at the edge of some deep, dark woods. It essentially takes the witch-fearing folklore of the era at face value, watching the family disintegrate under the insidious influence of a nearby witch. It’s a slow-burn horror movie, light on shocks, heavy on unease, and thematically rich in ways that only become apparent later.

Insidious (2010)

Run Time: 103 min | IMDb: 6.9/10

Patrick Wilson stars as the father of a little boy trapped in a coma who’s been possessed by evil spirits. Rose Byrne plays his wife, and while the story itself is a bit muddled, the premise is solid nightmare fuel. Really, is there anything more terrifying than a demon child?

Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil (2010)

Run Time: 88 min | IMDb: 7.6/10

This indie comedy quickly became a cult classic, turning familiar scary movie tropes on their heads in bloody and hilarious ways. Alan Tudyk and Tyler Labine star as two bumbling-yet-well-meaning hillbillies who get pulled into a nightmare scenario when a group of horny coeds think they’re trying to kill them. In a series of events that escalates in violence, Tucker and Dale try to do the right thing while managing to stay alive in the process. As one of the best horror comedies, it’s a hidden gem waiting to be discovered by those looking for off-the-beaten-path hilarity.

Shutter (2004)

Run Time: 97 min | IMDb: 7.1/10

This Thai horror film follows a young man named Tun and his girlfriend, Jane, who accidentally run over a young woman after a party and are haunted by her spirit. Hauntings and horror go hand-in-hand, but this film digs deeper into the supernatural trope by revealing a surprising, gruesome connection between the woman’s ghost and the film’s protagonist. We won’t spoil anything here, but let’s just say there’s a reason this death follows this guy wherever he goes.

Candyman (1992)

Hush (2016)

Run Time: 81 min | IMDb: 6.6/10

Mike Flanagan, who directed Oculus and Ouija: Origin of Evil, expertly directs this simple tale of a deaf woman being menaced by a masked (and later unmasked) killer in her remote home. This is nothing you haven’t seen before, but Flanagan brings real panache and visual energy to a film that could have easily felt redundant in the hands of a lesser filmmaker.

Add To Netflix Queue

The Autopsy Of Jane Doe (2016)

Run Time: 86 min | IMDb: 6.8/10

Succession’s Brian Cox and Emile Hirsch star in this horror mystery about a father-son coroner team attempting to identify a Jane Doe who was harboring all kinds of dark secrets. When a corpse is brought into a small-town coroner’s lab, he and his son begin to experience supernatural phenomena. Tommy (Cox) and Austin (Hirsch) try to escape the lab but quickly realize that they’re dealing with something far more dangerous than a dead body while demonic spirits, old curses, and witches come to life.

Child’s Play (1988)

Run Time: 87 min | IMDb: 6.6/10

Tom Holland’s ’80s horror flick managed to take a benign children’s toy and transform it into a waking nightmare. The film stars Catherine Hicks as Karen Barclay, a single mother who gifts her son Andy a doll he’s been wanting. Unfortunately for Andy, that doll is possessed by the soul of a serial killer and very quickly, Chucky then begins to wreak havoc on the family.

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Gerald’s Game (2017)

Run Time: 103 min | IMDb: 6.7/10

Stephen King’s 1992 novel transpires mostly in one isolated lake house’s bedroom where its protagonist, Jessie, lies bound to a bed after her husband dies in the midst of a sex game. That makes it a tough story to film, which may explain why it took 25 years to get turned into a movie. But the wait was worth it: director Mike Flanagan delivers a resourceful, disturbing adaptation anchored by a great Carla Gugino performance (with some fine supporting work from Bruce Greenwood). Forced to find a way out of her situation, while confronting her own past, Gugino’s Jessie is made to go to extremes, which leads to, among other things, one of the squirmiest scenes in recent memory.

Under the Shadow (2016)

Run Time: 84 min | IMDb: 6.9/10

This Iranian horror flick manages to tie in relevant world events with a darker story of demonic possession. The film follows Shideh, a former medical student and mother trapped in her home during the bombings of Tehran with her daughter, Dorsa. The pair are soon haunted by a djinn, a malevolent spirit who can possess a human by taking what’s most important to them. For Dorsa, it’s her doll, for Shideh, it’s a medical textbook her dead mother gave her. The two fight to survive the bombs and this evil spirit, and you’ll be fighting to get to sleep after the nightmares from this one begin

Veronica (2017)

Run Time: 105 min | IMDb: 6.2/10

After losing her father, young Veronica (Sandra Escacena) and two classmates attempt to contact the other side with a Ouija board during a solar eclipse. Something more sinister breaks through, though, as Veronica is haunted by a dark presence everywhere she goes. Veronica excels phenomenally in the cliche horror bits every viewer has seen a thousand times over, such as mishandled Ouija use, frightening entities that only the protagonist is privy to, and twisted dreams. Based on a true story, the film relies on the strong performance of newcomer Escacena, highlighted by her haunting expressions of terror and anguish.

Life After Beth (2014)

Run Time: 89 min | IMDb: 5.6/10

Aubrey Plaza and Dane DeHaan star in this horror comedy about a guy named Zach, who’s mourning the loss of his girlfriend, only to discover she’s come back to life. Plaza stars as Beth, the dead girl revived, who begins exhibiting strange behavior, eventually going into full-blown zombie mode while her devoted boyfriend Zach (DeHaan) tries to manage her mood swings and her pesky craving for human flesh. John C. Reilly and Molly Shannon play Beth’s parents, who hilariously try to cover-up their daughter’s current undead state, and though things go off the rails in the final act, watching Plaza play a moody, angst-ridden walking corpse is one hell of a good time, even if it does give you nightmares.

The Evil Dead (1981)

Run Time: 85 min | IMDb: 7.5/10

This ’80s Sam Raimi creation launched the director’s career and has since become a cult classic. The story follows a group of college students vacationing in an isolated cabin in a remote wooded area when they find an audio tape that somehow releases a legion of demons and spirits. Most of the group suffer varying degrees of possession which leads to gory mayhem (hence the film’s NC-17 rating).

Creep (2014)

Run Time: 82 min | IMDb: 6.3/10

One of the better found-footage movies to come down the pike in Paranormal Activity‘s wake is this creepy gem about a videographer (director Patrick Brice) who answers a strange Craigslist ad from a man (Mark Duplass) who requests to be followed around with a camera for 24 hours. There are a few points late in the narrative where suspension of disbelief becomes an issue (a not-atypical problem for the genre), but if you can look past that, you’ll be treated to a very scary turn by Duplass and a supremely-unnerving epilogue.

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Creep 2 (2017)

Run Time: 80 min | IMDb: 6.4/10

(Spoilers for Creep🙂 What could have very well been a stand-alone character exploration in 2014’s Creep is heightened in Creep 2, which sees Mark Duplass’ chameleon-like killer seeking a different kind of self-portrait. Burned out on his string of murders, Aaron reaches out to a woman who’s looking for her own kind of story by meeting and filming the lonely people she meets online. Instead of a wolf-in-sheep’s-clothing path the killer normally follows, he tells the woman what he is off-the-bat and what he wants: An ending to his journey. With all his cards (seemingly) on the table — and her hiding some of her own — it’s an even more fascinating tale than the original.

Train To Busan (2016)

Run Time: 118 min | IMDb: 7.5/10

Zombie movies have been done to death, brought back to life, and repeated a few more times. But that doesn’t mean there still aren’t entertaining stories to be found in the genre. Train To Busan doesn’t bring anything exceptionally original to the walking undead, but it’s no less of a thrilling ride. An overworked dad is riding the rails with his neglected daughter when a Z-word outbreak strikes, causing savagery from corpse and living alike. Its fast-moving, contorted foes are genuinely freaky in the movie’s cramped setting, making the story feel like a zombified Snowpiercer. It’s a fun action flick with a slightly heavy-handed but solid emotional core that’s unsurprisingly getting an English remake.

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The Invitation (2016)

Run Time: 100 min | IMDb: 6.7/10

After back-to-back big studio bombs, Karyn Kusama returned to her scrappy indie roots with this contained, brilliantly suspenseful study of the darkness that can arise when people don’t allow themselves to feel. The Invitation isn’t a perfect film, but Kusama does a lot with the scant resources she had to play with here, and you have to appreciate her willingness to tackle grief so directly in a genre that tends to have little time for genuine human emotion.

The Bar (2017)

Run Time: 102 min | IMDb: 6.4/10

A varied group of people is stuck in a bar after a man is gunned down outside. As the paranoia spreads and they turn on one another, they discover a mysterious sickness could be the culprit. It’s a bottle-type plot that has been done before — locking a bunch of frenzied folks in a cage and let instincts take their course — but this Spanish horror comedy injects its own dark humor and keeps the answers to a minimum, making an entertaining story that unfortunately favors the “dark” over the “comedy” in its final act.

The Ring (2002)

Run Time: 115 min | IMDb: 7.1/10

Naomi Watts stars in this horror mystery from director Gore Verbinski, playing a journalist who investigates a videotape that seemingly causes the death of anyone who watches it. Watts plays Rachel, whose sister dies exactly one week after watching a mysterious video. When Rachel watches the same video and begins to experience paranormal hauntings, she uncovers the terrible family secret fueling the horrible deaths. It’ll make you swear off VHS players for life.

Apostle (2018)

Run Time: 130 min | IMDb: 6.3/10

A man (Legion‘s Dan Stevens) travels to an island to infiltrate a brutal cult in the hopes of saving his kidnapped sister. As the group’s leaders close in on discovering his identity, the dark secrets of the island start to present themselves. Written and directed by The Raid: Redemption director Gareth Evans, Apostle is a tense, beautifully shot thriller that doesn’t even seem like a horror film from the get-go. Stevens provides another icy, powerful performance alongside Michael Sheen’s turn as the leader of the harsh cult. It’s certainly a highlight among the Netflix original films.

Recent Changes Through June 2020:
Removed: Rampant, Final Destination
Added: The Silence of the Lambs, Cloverfield

Refreshment is the name of the game when it comes to summer cocktails. The season of tan lines (you can still get tan in your back yard!) and fresh limes leaves no room for anything heavy. That’s why lighter spirits like vodka, gin, rum, and tequila reign supreme from June to September (although we never really put away the whiskey).

Another key to mixing up the right, fresh, seasonal cocktails is simplicity.

“Keep summer simple,” says Piero Procida, bartender at The London West Hollywood in Los Angeles. “It is hot outside, so naturally you want something refreshing but also light and easy to make where simple ingredients can speak for themselves. Do not overwhelm your drinks with heavy ingredients or too much sugar.”

Vance Henderson, ambassador at Hendrick’s Gin enjoys a fresh take on the classic gin rickey this time of year.

“My current go-to refreshing summer cocktail is actually a modern classic I created,” he says. “It brings together the iconic gin rickey and my affinity for rosé wine. It’s called the ‘Rickey Rosé’ — easy-to-make, light, crisp and refreshing.”

In an effort to keep things light and simple, we’ve enlisted the help of some of our favorite bartenders. They were kind enough to give us their picks for the most refreshing cocktails to drink in summer 2020. Did a few still go to the whiskey well? You’d better believe it.

Mint Julep

Hay Culham, beverage manager at Bonsai at Hilton Pensacola Beach in Pensacola, Florida

I love a good mojito or mint julep in the summer. They are refreshing and help cool you down. The mint julep does better closer to sunset as it is much stronger. This is also the time of day I’m more likely to enjoy a cocktail anyway. Who says you can’t drink bourbon in the summer?

Whisky Highball

Anna Mains, brand ambassador at Monkey Shoulder

During the summer months, I enjoy whisky highballs. For a classic whisky highball, I suggest using Monkey Shoulder. The bubbles from the soda really make the orange, vanilla, and ginger notes in Monkey Shoulder sing. Highballs are low calorie, and keep you hydrated, which helps prevent hangovers. Now that’s refreshing.

Piña Colada

Gravy Thomas, global advocacy and ambassador community manager at William Grant & Sons

There’s nothing quite like a piña colada during the hot days in summer. Pineapple and rum are always a good mix. I like adding some coconut cream in there too to add in a bit of complexity. Our piña colada recipe has the power to transport you right to the beaches of the Caribbean.

Gin Rickey

Jessie Smyth, bar director at Genever in Los Angeles

I like to take the formula for a rickey — 2 oz base spirit, 1/2 oz citrus, (maybe a splash of a sweetener) lots of ice and a top off with bubbles — and then have some fun with it. Use whatever citrus you have on hand (Meyer lemons, key limes, grapefruit, kumquat, mandarins) and your favorite bubbles (whether it be Topo Chico, Q Elderflower Tonic, or Prosecco) and maybe add some fresh herbs and… voila!

Refreshing, hydrating, cooling- the perfect combination for poolside sipping.

Paper Plane

Samara Rivers, founder of the Black Bourbon Society

My favorite summer classic cocktail is a Paper Plane. It’s a touch of sweet and sour, perfectly balanced, and has an amazing color. It’s absolutely perfect for summer.

Mojito

Piero Procida, bartender at The London West Hollywood in Los Angeles

Mojitos are my choice when it comes to summer drinks. Too simple you say? Well, it’s all about simplicity in summer and believe it or not people consistently mess up such an easy drink to make by not following the exact recipe or by using incorrect measurements. It can be such a delicious drink if made with patience. There are just a few rules to follow: Do not free-pour. Do not muddle the mint leaves to oblivion so they get stuck in your straw. Just 4 – 5 leaves lightly muddled will do just fine. No need for the whole mint tree. Use just a dash of soda water and do not use ice that is going to melt quickly and water down the drink. Traditionally a white rum is the best to use if you want to be as authentic as possible and make sure you only use freshly squeezed lime juice.

Margarita

Lenny Eckstein, co-founder and head distiller of Deerhammer Distilling Company in Buena Vista, Colorado

It’s hard to go wrong with a margarita. Scratch that… it’s super easy to go wrong with a margarita but made well with fresh ingredients and infused with some creativity there are some amazing variations that play perfectly in the summer. I’m a fan of swapping out the tequila for whiskey and mixing in some muddled mint. We make such a variation in our distillery tasting room called the “Margarito” and it has been our best-selling cocktail for years.

Gin & Soda

Ryan Negley, whiskey fellow at Boulder Spirits in Boulder, Colorado

I like to think of myself as a year-round whiskey drinker, which I am, but gin certainly has my heart when it’s shorts weather. Honestly, I don’t much care for tonic, so gin & soda is my go-to. Toss in an herb from the garden to add a little freshness and then get back to lounging.

Paloma

Hayden Miller, head bartender at Bodega Taqueria y Tequila in Miami

You can’t go wrong with a classic paloma. The grapefruit, soda, and lime are really refreshing but the tartness keeps you revisiting for another sip.

Writer’s Pick:

Negroni

In our opinion, there is no more refreshing cocktail than the classic negroni. Made with Campari, vermouth, and gin (with an orange twist), this iconic Italian staple is perfectly suited for sunny, hot summer days spent on a deck or patio overlooking a large body of water (a lake will do just fine).