Halsey made her runway debut at this year’s Paris Fashion Week by walking in the Pressiat show. Wearing in a lacy black dress with fun cutouts, she accessorized the outfit with a spiky bracelet and some rockstar-inspired eye makeup.
“I walked PFW for the first time today with @pressiat_ and it was terrifying and amazing!!!!” Halsey captioned the slideshow of pics. “Thank you Vincent for having me, and congratulations to you and team on such a stunning collection and iconic show!”
The pop star has worked with Pressiat previously, as the fashion brand styled Halsey in their FW22 skirt and corset for the 2022 Grammy Awards. The look gave a similar gothic energy.
Post-runway, it also seems Halsey is still soaking in the Parisian vibes. In another new Instagram post, they put on a blonde wig and a leather jumpsuit for some truly fiery pics outside of a sex shop and posing on a motorcycle, Barb Wire style. “Nous allons la monter,” they captioned, which translates to, “We’re going to ride it.”
Fans also thought it was giving the vibes of another movie set in the City Of Lights, as one commented on Instagram, “OKAAAAAY IRMA VEP,” referencing the 1996 film.
According to TMZ, Travis has been accused of assault by the sound engineer of New York City nightclub Nebula, who says the Houston rapper punched him before trashing a bunch of equipment. The alleged victim says that after an initial disagreement, Scott punched him in the left side of his face and then damaged some speakers and video screens — about $12,000 worth of damage.
Even before the Astroworld disaster, Travis Scott has had a history of legal troubles from some of his over-the-top behavior. In 2015, he was arrested for disorderly conduct after telling fans at Lollapalooza to jump the barricades in front of the stage. Another arrest for inciting a riot came in 2017 after a show in Arkansas that got a little too rowdy. This was after a prior arrest for the same offense earlier that year for encouraging a fan at a New York show to jump from a balcony, injuring themselves in the process.
Travis was in New York Tuesday night (February 28) to support his Cactus Jack artist Don Toliver at a concert. His own next show will be this weekend at — where else? — Rolling Loud Los Angeles.
Pairing a great movie with a great whiskey takes a little time and effort. Are you looking to match the vibe of the whiskey with the feel of the film? Or are you looking to match the taste of the whiskey — mellow, bombastic, murky, dark, bright, etc. — with the mood of the film? Maybe you just want to drink a good whiskey with a good movie and call it day. That’s cool too.
To help you pick the perfect whiskey/movie combo, we reached out to some stonecold experts in both fields — the hosts of the delightful Film & Whiskey Podcast. Bob Book and Brad Gee are over 300 episodes deep in their endeavor to watch the great films of cinema and pair those movies with the great whiskeys of the world. Over the course of all those film and whiskey reviews, Bob and Brad have sparred, commiserated, and found some deep truths about both cinema and whiskey.
If there are better experts for this whiskey and film pairing exercise, we couldn’t find them. These two are stone-cold pros.
Bob and Brad were kind enough to each call out five of their absolute favorite films that they’ve reviewed with five of their favorite whiskeys, creating a solid list of 10 movies paired with 10 whiskeys. The movies might surprise you and the whiskeys might too but this is a good list, folks. Read through, find a film to watch, and then hit those price links to pair it with the perfect dram.
Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Bourbon Posts Of The Last Six Months
This is the quintessential American musical, and one of the most visually striking films to come out of Hollywood. New York looks almost nothing like the bold, elevated hues of the buildings and streetlights in this movie, but the use of color — Jets dressed in cool blues and khakis, Sharks dressed in bold purples and reds — helps sell the story of two diametrically-opposed and misunderstood groups of tightly-wound teens and the doomed romance at their center.
The Whiskey:
It may not embody the San Juan Hill of early-60s Manhattan, but Rye & Sons has a distinct NYC flair thanks to Andre Hueston Mack, the acclaimed sommelier behind the brand. Released as a partnership with Sean Josephs of Pinhook, this no-frills brand focuses on being accessible and approachable. A 60% rye, 20% corn, and 20% barley mash bill give this one just enough spice to satisfy rye whiskey drinkers, making it a perfect “gateway” into rye for the beginner.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: A shape-shifter in the glass, this one starts with bright notes of green apple, cantaloupe, and pineapple before settling into a brown sugar bomb with hints of orange and peppermint.
Palate: Pleasant caramel sweetness with pops of black pepper.
Finish: Warm baking spices like cinnamon add some nuance to the caramel finish.
Why It’s the Perfect Pairing:
Like the kids of ‘West Side Story,’ Rye & Sons isn’t interested in passing itself off as something different. It’s affordable, it’s uncomplicated, and it’s fundamentally for the people. When it comes to the everyday consumer, you won’t find a better value in American whiskey.
‘E.T.’ might be the best coming-of-age movie ever made, and one that I find more richness and depth in every time I return to it. E.T., the character, serves as a perfect stand-in for whatever screenwriter Melissa Matheson needs it to be: in some scenes, E.T. is a metaphor for the boy Elliott, and in others, for the father who walked out on the family. E.T. brings hope to a broken home, and the final message he leaves with Elliott — “I’ll be right here” — is exactly what he needs to hear to accept and process loss.
The Whiskey:
Penderyn, one of the few Welsh distilleries, is quietly putting out some of the most consistent and notable whisky in the U.K. This single malt is aged in ex-bourbon barrels before being finished in ruby port casks.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Dried cherries, dark chocolate, and a surprising amount of spicy pepper settle into subtle peach.
Palate: Like a boozy parfait, this has layers of black cherry, peach, and fresh yogurt with a drizzle of raw honey. It’s an incredibly creamy mouthfeel.
Finish: Soft oak with lingering honey and unripe cherry.
Why It’s the Perfect Pairing:
Spielberg may have made his masterpiece here, and the Penderyn is a great partner to it: underappreciated, with much more nuance than they get credit for. At their cores, both the movie and the whiskey are fundamentally sweet, but there’s more depth to be found the longer you sit with them.
Ron Howard is one of the great Hollywood directors, but he’s too often considered a Spielberg knockoff. While Howard is known for similarly uplifting material, the difference in Howard’s films is that the stakes are often considerably lower, but no less noble in their depiction of heroism. Even ‘Apollo 13’ essentially boils down to a story of a core NASA team trying to ensure three men get home safely, perfectly capturing Howard’s bent towards everyday heroes who achieve small victories over incredible odds through acts of endurance.
Also, it’s just a technically perfect film without an ounce of fat.
The Whiskey:
Packaged in a distinctive and squat black bottle, The Sexton looks at first like it might be trying to separate itself from its shelf mates through marketing. But this single malt is a brilliant entry point into Irish whiskey. Soft and sweet with a nice layer of spice and none of the bittering or astringent qualities of other lower-shelf Irish whiskeys.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Pear and peach soften a fairly standard Irish pot still nose.
Palate: Fruit sweetness and honey carry across the palate, covering a subtly smoky and grain-forward malt.
Finish: Medium, with a touch of bitterness added to the honeyed cereal taste, along with some fig.
Why It’s the Perfect Pairing:
To underestimate either of these is to do them both a disservice. The Sexton is every bit as satisfying as the flagship offerings of much larger Irish whiskey distillers but feels like it has to work twice as hard to get out of their (deservedly) long shadows. Likewise, ‘Apollo 13’ is remembered as simply a pretty good Spielberg knockoff. In reality, this is one of the best “dad movie” combos ever. They’re down-the-middle and entertaining, a perfect way to spend a channel-surfing Saturday afternoon.
It’s a testament to Pixar that we could make a compelling “best Pixar movie” argument for about 75% of their films. For me, though, nothing tops 2017’s ‘Coco,’ a movie about family, loss, and memory with an emphasis on responsibility to others that undercuts so many “me-first” Disney heroes.
The Whiskey:
When I moved to Kentucky in 2014, the first stop I made on the Bourbon Trail was Woodford Reserve. New to the world of whiskey and not sure if I even liked it, something changed the moment my lips touched the tiny plastic sample cup of Double Oaked. Woodford Reserve Bourbon finished in a second new charred oak barrel, it’s significantly richer and darker in color than standard Woodford.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The barrel char is evident but not overwhelming. Tons of vanilla and bonfire-toasted marshmallow.
Palate: Not as sweet as the nose lets on. Ethanol-forward, but vanilla underlies everything else on the palate. A deeper, darker experience overall than expected.
Finish: Long-lasting with just a pop of barrel char, a pleasant if generic sweetness, and warmth without the burn. The finish is where this whiskey shines.
Why It’s the Perfect Pairing:
One of my fondest whiskey-related memories was telling then-Master Distiller Chris Morris that Woodford Double Oaked was “the whiskey that made me fall in love with whiskey.” Drinking this bourbon is a walk down memory lane for me, and like ‘Coco,’ it reminds me of the things worth remembering.
The epitome of 1940s film noir, this hard-boiled story of a femme fatale and the dope who falls for her is still the genre’s best example in large part due to its pitch-perfect dialogue. Billy Wilder and cinematographer John F. Seitz essentially invented the noir look — moody, high-contrast shadows at extreme angles reminiscent of German expressionism. And if that’s not enough for you, it’s got an all-time supporting performance from cinema’s favorite wiseguy, Edward G. Robinson.
The Whiskey:
Named after the loch from which Ardbeg draws its water, Uigeadail is a high-proof peated scotch finished in sherry casks. Its potency works in its favor, this is by far our favorite offering from the distillery and the lack of dilution means that more subtle scents and flavors remain.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Look, it’s a peated scotch, but behind that is a much softer, fresh, and floral sweetgrass scent with citrus, stone fruit, and black coffee.
Palate: Honey sweetness up front with clove on the mid-palate. The peat bursts forth at the back of the palate but isn’t overwhelming.
Finish: Dark-roast coffee and smoke linger with orange and honey. The final impression is a sweetness that’s not always present in heavily-peated scotch.
Why It’s the Perfect Pairing:
When you watch a film noir, you want a whiskey with some bite to it. Something that feels appropriate for a smoke-filled room playing host to an illicit love affair and a series of double-crosses. Ardbeg Uigeadail is, quite simply, the most well-rounded peated scotch we’ve ever tried. The more subtle floral notes complement the peat smoke, but the high proof gives it the appropriate prickliness for a hard-edged movie like this.
This is one of those classics that I watched as a kid, was worried that it would not stand up to scrutiny as an adult, and then was blown away by how much I still loved it. Carey Grant and Audrey Hepburn’s chemistry makes you wish that they had done 10 more films together, and Henry Mancini’s score drives you forward through the mystery and intrigue. ‘Charade’ is the last great film of the Golden Age of Hollywood, and you should check it out immediately.
The Whiskey:
Talisker 10 is a 92-proof Island Single Malt Whisky from Diageo’s Classic malt lineup. This whiskey is the Isle of Skye’s premiere single malt, and it packs a fruit and peat-filled punch.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Soft peat, bits of brine, and caramel mix with leather, tobacco, and a hint of green apple.
Palate: Savory flavors of leather, tobacco, peat, and oak are balanced with a backend of crisp apple and pear.
Finish: Strong peat finish with oak, saline, and marshmallow.
Why It’s the Perfect Pairing:
Just like Carey Grant’s transatlantic accent, Talisker 10 is something brought to the U.S. that is impeccably unique and hard to replicate. It’s not hard to imagine the well-traveled Peter Joshua (Grant) enjoying a glass of scotch on his holiday to Switzerland. So to get in the mood for this Euro-centered film, Talisker 10 would be a perfect pour.
‘Shaun of the Dead,’ on the surface, should not be as incredible as it is. What starts out as farcical British comedy about the end of the world due to zombie stuff ends up tugging on the heartstrings as a strange coming-of-age story for millennials (like most millennials, his adventure into adulthood comes in his mid-thirties). Don’t miss Bill Nighy’s performance, which comes out of nowhere to make you cry about halfway through the film.
The Whisky:
Nomad Outland Whisky is an 82.6-proof blended Scotch whisky. From the Speyside region, this blend of 30 malt whiskies is aged in Scotland for six years and then spends its final year in Jerez, Spain, finishing in old Pedro Ximenez casks.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Exotic nose of grape, cinnamon, cherry, and flurries of orange creamsicle.
Palate: Delightfully rich, the palate is a mixture of cherry cordial, brown sugar, and barley.
Finish: Grainier on the finish, you get lots of barley with a mixture of fresh orange and grape drink.
Why It’s the Perfect Pairing:
If I am going to be blunt, I did not think that either of these offerings would hold my attention, yet somehow, they both ended up being incredible! ‘Shaun of the Dead’ is potently funny but has a technical brilliance to the camerawork and writing that helps it transcend surface-level analysis. Nomad Outland is a low-priced (~$35) blended scotch that is a perfect introduction to scotch for a bourbon lover who is looking for a sweet experience.
Is the film or the whiskey perfect? Nope, but they are a heck of a lot better than I thought they would be.
‘The Matrix’ might be the perfect sci-fi film. From the nearly non-stop action to the long-winded explanations of how the world works, ‘The Matrix’ simply checks every single science fiction box and does it spectacularly. The opening scene sets the stage for a wild ride into the unknown, and never lets up until the credits roll.
The Whiskey:
Rebel 100 is a 100-proof straight bourbon whiskey from Lux Row Distillers. This high-wheat bourbon is one of the greatest values on the market with an incredible amount of flavor for a $20-ish price tag.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Soft nose of corn, ethanol, caramel, and vanilla.
Palate: Pleasant mouthfeel with lots of vanilla and wheat mixed with bits of caramel.
Finish: Vanilla and oak linger with cherry cordial coming to mind.
Why It’s the Perfect Pairing:
Rebel 100 is one of the most unexpectedly great values in the world of whiskey, packing incredible wheated bourbon flavors into a bottle that will cost you next to nothing. When ‘The Matrix’ came out, it was an absolutely revolutionary movie that made over 6.5 times its budget back at the box office, proving that you do not need to blow out the spending to create movie magic. Rebel 100 does the same thing, making them a perfect (and affordable) pairing for an enjoyable evening.
‘When Harry Met Sally…’ is one of the best-written and smoothest romantic comedies ever put to screen. The chemistry between Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan is dynamite, the supporting cast is impeccable, and it contains one of the most perfectly timed comedic scenes in film history. It’s easily my favorite romantic comedy to date.
The Whiskey:
Old Forester 1910 is a 93-proof straight bourbon whiskey that has undergone a second barreling in a lightly toasted, heavily charred barrel. The result is a rich and smooth experience that lingers on the palate for quite some time.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Beautifully attenuated vanilla pairs with a smattering of nuttiness and caramel.
Palate: Creamy caramel mix with oak and a bit of hazelnut.
Finish: Rich oak, old leather, and soft notes of hazelnut and caramel.
Why It’s the Perfect Pairing:
Old Forester 1910 is a delectable experience from start to finish, and it is one that you want to keep coming back to, and ‘When Harry Met Sally…’ is an absolute treat of a film that is incredibly easy to watch at least once a year. Neither the film nor the whiskey has a low point, which means that this is a pairing that I will be enjoying for years to come.
‘Fargo’ may not be the greatest movie we have ever reviewed, but it is definitely one of the movies that I constantly want to go back to. One of William H. Macy’s finest performances is somehow overshadowed by Frances McDormand as Marge Gunderson, the quietly confident sheriff of a tiny Minnesotan town that explodes into chaos when some two-bit crooks come into town. Hilarities and violence ensue, as one would expect from a good Coen Brothers film, easily making this my favorite of their filmography.
The Whiskey:
Found North Batch 002 is a 128.4-proof Ccask strength whisky from the blenders at Found North. Nick and Zach Taylor are blending geniuses, importing Canadian whiskies with crazy age statements and blending them into staggeringly good juice. Courageously, they moved their whiskey from being able to be called a rye into just being a “Cask Strength Whisky” because they knew that it would diminish the flavor to do so. In their words, they “bottled this black sheep as is.”
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Complex nose of green apple, fresh sweet corn, brown sugar, vanilla, and sweet mint.
Palate: Warm brown sugar starts us off and the high viscosity coats your mouth with a caramel and toasted marshmallow flavor that turns into a nice tart green apple on the back end.
Finish: Spice bomb to finish, the rich flavors on the palate transform into black pepper, oak, and tobacco.
Why It’s the Perfect Pairing:
‘Fargo’ and Found North Batch 002 are both born out of an experience in the frigid north and force you to contemplate life as you know it. Will you be content with who you are, or will you strive to become something you are not? The blenders at Found North knew that they could make a more marketable whisky, but chose to perfect the flavor instead, and would fit right into Marge Gunderson’s view on how the world should work.
The Weeknd’s breakout role in the HBO series The Idol, might not have been quite the creative environment parties were looking for. The “Die For You” singer may have broken several streaming records, including becoming the first artist to cross the 100 million monthly listeners metric; however, according to reports, his television and film career could be off to a rocky start.
The recording artist, real name Abel Makkonen Tesfaye joined forces with Reza Fahim and Euphoria creator Sam Levinson to bring, in the network’s words, the “sleaziest love story in all of Hollywood” to light. While the show, slated to be released later this year, has recently undergone a “new creative direction,” Rolling Stone reports that the pivot wasn’t received well by cast and crew members.
According to Rolling Stone, the Oscar-nominated singer was not pleased that his co-star Lily-Rose Depp’s character received a bulk of the plot’s attention. As a result, allegedly, Tesfaye championed a major behind-the-scenes narrative shift to drop the story’s “feminist lens.”
A source told RS, “It was like the Weeknd wanted one show that was all about him — Sam was on board with that.” This could have supposedly played a part in director Amy Seimetz’s exit from the series back in April 2022. Another source shared, “What I signed up for was a dark satire of fame and the fame model in the 21st century,” but since the changes, “It went from satire to the thing it was satirizing.”
“It was like, ‘What is this? What am I reading here,’” said the source adding, “It was like sexual torture porn.”
The source shared that although Seimetz’s version would have contained sex scenes and nudity, production sources claim Levinson dramatically ramped up the explicit content with Tesfaye’s full support after taking over as director.
The outlet reached out to both Levinson and Tesfaye for comment. However, neither answered the request. On the other hand, Depp did provide a statement to Rolling Stone, in which she specifically sings the praises of Levinson. “[Levinson is] the best director,” said Depp before adding that she “felt more supported or respected in a creative space, my input, and opinions more valued.”
Despite the anonymous reports shared with RS, HBO shared in a statement, “the creative team has been committed to creating a safe, collaborative, and mutually respectful working environment, and last year, the team made creative changes they felt were in the best interest of both the production and the cast and crew.”
Nearly two years ago, Bryan Danielson turned the wrestling world on its head when he became the latest WWE superstar to jump to AEW. His arrival signaled an opportunity to become the face of the company, and it’s one that remains top of mind as he approaches another shot at the promotion’s biggest prize on Sunday. Danielson will hit the squared circle in the main event of AEW Revolution, where he’ll face Maxwell Jacob Friedman with the opportunity to ascend to the top of the company.
“The AEW World Championship is the centerpiece of the promotion,” Danielson tells Uproxx Sports. “You can’t say that about every wrestling company in the world, but you can say that about AEW. That’s why guys like Jon Moxley have been considered the man in AEW for the last couple years, Kenny (Omega), a little bit after that. When you’re the champion, you’re the one in charge of carrying the company. And it would be … for really the first time since I was in Ring of Honor that I’d get the opportunity to do that.
Danielson views it as a privilege to be the face of a promotion, even if he understands there’s an inherent challenge which comes from having that much responsibility. When Danielson was in WWE, he main evented WrestleMania 30 and won the World Heavyweight Championship in one of the best examples in wrestling history of an individual’s undeniable popularity with the fans serving as a springboard to the title.
But despite that, Danielson recalls, he “was never the guy” in WWE.
“After WrestleMania 30, when I had won the championship and just main evented WrestleMania, they had a meeting with me where it was like, ‘Okay, what we’d really like is to do is to set this other guy up to be the guy,’” he says. “I think the phrase was the next John Cena. And I was like, ‘I would like to be the next John Cena,’ (and they said) nobody can be John Cena.
“I literally just main evented WrestleMania, and you’re already telling me directly — and I actually appreciated that — that you don’t see me as the guy,” he continues. “That’s good for me because (I knew) this is what I have to overcome if I want to be that. I never got there in WWE as far as being the company’s guy. When Ric Flair talked about to be the man, you gotta beat the man. In AEW, that’s really how it is. To be the man, you’ve gotta be the AEW World Champion.”
Danielson’s decision to go to AEW involved much more than simply becoming the face of a promotion. He jokes about being the “best first match wrestler in the history of WWE” — Rey Mysterio is, in his eyes, the exception — and he loved the opportunities he was afforded, specifically calling back to his program with Drew Gulak. But he saw more main event opportunities in AEW, the latest being his program with the controversial MJF.
“Everybody unanimously agrees that he is an asshole,” Danielson says with a laugh when describing his working relationship with the champ. “So, you have to deal with that. But I’m ok with people being assholes. The one thing I want out of people is to put effort and thought into it. And MJF is very thoughtful and he loves wrestling.”
Outside of main eventing another show for AEW, Danielson points to the opportunities to work with emerging talent and pass knowledge to the next generation as a source of joy for him in AEW and a factor in his decision to join the company.
He sees individuals like Darby Allin, Wardlow, FTR, the Young Bucks, and Dante Martin as folks he’d love to get in the ring with. Backstage, there are plenty who stop by to seek advice when he’s watching the show on a monitor — Danielson identifies Wheeler Yuta and Daniel Garcia as the ones who are most often reaching out for mentorship.
With a heavy mix of young talent and veterans — Danielson makes it a point to call out Blade as a veteran leader no one talks about — the locker room is a blend of lightheartedness and “very good, serious conversations” about shared experiences, mental health, and how to navigate life on the road.
Part of that shared knowledge includes what it takes to rise to the top of a promotion — his championship run at WrestleMania 30 is a perfect example. Should the stars align, he sees Wardlow, Hangman Page, Ricky Starks, and Garcia as talents who could eventually reach the level of global superstardom these days associated with the likes of Roman Reigns and Kenny Omega.
“Where I got to in wrestling is partially because of working hard and being good at what I do, but also it’s a lot of luck, too — luck in not getting injuries, luck in being at the right place at the right time,” Danielson says. “I felt like I’ve wrestled people who, if things fell into the same place, same kind of positions that I’ve been, could have been just as successful, if not more successful. And they never got those things right. And so, wrestling is not like basketball where if you score 25 points a game, somebody’s gonna put you on their team in the NBA. Wrestling’s not like that. In wrestling, it’s not always the cream rises to the top. So, that’s all of that to say with the right bit of luck, any of those guys could do it.”
Danielson compares his love for professional wrestling to an artistic expression, like gardening, pottery, or playing music. It’s a release that gives him a feeling of freedom, and it’s something he wants to do as long as he possibly can. But of course, Danielson’s life has changed considerably over the years, which in turn means wrestling is no longer his top priority.
“You have to be smart because, MJF cut a promo on me last week saying you’re not gonna be able to hold your children or play with your kids and all that kind of stuff,” Danielson says. “And one of my things that I’m very diligent with is working with neurologists to keep an eye on how I am physically, from a brain perspective, at all times. I’m constantly getting checkups on it. My number one priority, more so than wrestling, is my family.”
Keeping his health top of mind, Danielson believes his decision to join AEW allowed him to very easily change his in-ring style and extend his wrestling career.
“(WWE) hires these enormous humans, and then you get somebody like me, who is 5’8, two inches below average height, I think, for an American male. But you take me and then automatically, part of my role is to go in there as an underdog and get bumped around,” Danielson says. “In AEW, the hiring practices aren’t necessarily that we’ve got to get all these big guys. It’s most people my size, some a little bigger, some a little smaller, but what that does is it allows me to do more mat wrestling, more hard-hitting stuff. For example, if you look at some of the people from a longevity perspective to do really well in Japan, they do hard shots, but they’re not taking these huge bumps, the stuff that really wrecks your neck. I’ve cut some of the stuff that literally I just can’t do anymore, like springboard dives in to the crowd.”
On the subject of Japan, Danielson would love to return to the country and wrestle, particularly if it would involve the opportunity to compete in the upcoming G1 Climax tournament. He’d need an extended break from AEW, though, and understands why his pursuit of the title might make that untenable.
“I don’t know because that requires Tony (Khan) to allow me to be off of TV for four weeks or whatever,” Danielson says. “You have to look at it from a Tony investment point of view, right? Does he really want somebody like me who is older to go through that many hard matches, be off of TV for four weeks, and potentially get injured? Probably not.
“Although, I do have a dream that me, Mox and Claudio [Castagnoli] and maybe Eddie Kingston, just so we have somebody to pick on, would all be able to go do one G1 together, because that would be just so much fun,” he continues. “To go do those incredible matches, but do it with your friends so that you all have this experience together. I think that would be incredible. Now, if you’re asking me if Tony is going to let me go do a G1 and is it a smart move for him? Probably not, but the odds of him letting me do it, I would say a 33 percent chance. The odds of him letting me, Mox, and Claudio all be gone for a month off of TV, an astronomically small percentage, but I haven’t even talked to him about it. So maybe with this interview he’ll see it.”
For now, Danielson will focus on the job at hand: winning the belt from MJF on Sunday, and just maybe becoming the next face of AEW in the process.
A spokesman for Marjorie Taylor Greene really did not appreciate the congresswoman getting fact checked for her false remarks about President Joe Biden. After watching a women testify in Congress about both of her sons dying of a fentanyl overdose, Greene lashed out at Biden and blamed his drug policies for their deaths.
“Listen to this mother, who lost two children to fentanyl poisoning, tell the truth about both of her son’s murders because of the Biden administrations refusal to secure our border and stop the Cartel’s from murdering Americans everyday by Chinese fentanyl,” Greene tweeted along with a video of the woman’s testimony.
There was just one small problem with Greene’s rant: Both men died in July 2020 when Donald Trump was president. Whoops! When CNN fact checker Daniel Dale attempted to get a comment from Greene’s office on her now-debunked tweet, he was cursed out by a spokesman.
I asked Greene’s office last night about her tweet blaming the Biden administration for these deaths in 2020 under Trump. Spokesman Nick Dyer responded by saying lots of people have died from drugs under Biden and “do you think they give a fuck about your bullshit fact checking?” https://t.co/BwKCM5TYjc
“I asked Greene’s office last night about her tweet blaming the Biden administration for these deaths in 2020 under Trump,” Dale tweeted. “Spokesman Nick Dyer responded by saying lots of people have died from drugs under Biden and ‘do you think they give a f*ck about your bullsh*t fact checking?’”
Dale also attempted to get a comment on Greene’s recent accusations of election fraud and received another profane answer.
“I also gave Greene congressional spokesman Nick Dyer an opportunity to comment regarding Greene’s multiple false claims yesterday about the 2020 election, such as the lies that Trump won Georgia and that there were thousands of dead voters there,” Dale wrote. “His response: “F*ck off.’”
Last week we blind-taste tested some of our favorite fast food French fries (guess who won), which resulted in a handful of emails from people telling me that “seasoned fries” are superior to the classic salted variety. I’m not sure that I completely agree with that assessment — salted fries walked so seasoned fries could run and there is a reason there are more salted fries out there than seasoned — but there is no doubt that the curly and seasoned type can be as good and in some cases better than plain old salted.
So who makes the best? Because I will use any excuse to eat fries for work, I knew I had to find out. So we’re back it, blind taste testing the best curly/seasoned fries in the fast food universe in search of the most flavorful. Our seasoned/curly fries today come from Arby’s, Carl’s Jr., Jack in the Box, Popeyes, and Rally’s. But before we get into all of that, allow me this mini-rant:
We need a better name out there than “seasoned fries.” The category of seasoned fries is a weird one, it consists of fries of many different shapes, from curly to waffle to straight, all battered in some way with a mix of spices that can include paprika, black pepper, garlic, and onion powder. But aren’t all French fries, even the salted ones, seasoned? We should call them something else, like “zesty fries,” or “fun fries, “or hell make them all curly — we just want some consistency here!
Is this going to stop us from eating them? Absolutely not. Does this matter to anyone who isn’t a food writer? Probably not. Okay, I’ll shut up, let’s eat some fries.
PART I — Methodology
Dane Rivera
This was the hardest fast food blind taste test I’ve embarked on so far. When I tasted burgers, chicken sandwiches, and salted French fries blind it was incredibly convenient. Almost all of the fast food joints selected were relatively close to one another. For this one… they weren’t. Four of them were close enough but Rally’s, which I knew I had to include considering not many chains sell seasoned fries to begin with, was completely out of the way. So I had my girlfriend head out to Rally’s while I scooped up the other four (three of which were on the same street).
By the time we arrived back home with the fries, 30 minutes had passed (and she arrived about 8 minutes before I did), much longer than I wanted. I’m sure time is going to have an effect on at least some of these fries. But luckily we hit up all of these fast food restaurants at 10:30 AM, a time more likely to have hot fresh fries. as most restaurants were switching over from breakfast or barely opening their doors. Each seasoned French fry order was lukewarm to hot. I would’ve preferred to have them all piping hot but this was the best I could do.
As with my other blind taste tests, I wore a blindfold for this test but I have to admit, given all the different shapes, it was pretty easy to pick out Carl’s Jr’s waffle fries from the lineup. As for the others, I tried to grab a sizable handful so I wouldn’t focus too much on the shape. Here is how it went down.
PART II — The Taste Test
Taste 1
Ashley Garcia
A great balance between onion, garlic, and fluffy and buttery potato. The breading the fries are dusted in here comes across as light and not overly distracting. It has crunch but isn’t so crispy that you can’t taste any of the actual potato. A great start!
Taste 2
Ashley Garcia
With a softer chew than Taste 1, this fry is a lot less crispy but the flavor is on point. I’m getting more prominent black pepper notes which are mingling with garlic powder in a really nice way. There is a sort of smokey aftertaste to this fry. I’m liking this one a lot, it presents all the flavors as a journey though I wish it was just a bit more crispy.
Great flavor; a so-so mouthfeel.
Taste 3
Ashley Garcia
Heavy on the breading here, this fry is the crispiest so far, by a lot. I’m not tasting a lot of potato here, but I’m getting a strong blend of spices. Garlic and pepper dominate, with a sort of lingering oniony aftertaste. They’re incredibly addicting, but they come across as a bit over-fried to me.
Taste 4
Ashley Garcia
This is without a doubt the waffle fry, it is by far the softest of all of the Tastings so far. The flavor leans more on onion here, I’m getting prominent spice from the blend of onion and black pepper with a hint of garlic on the backend and a whole lot of potato flavor. The potato itself is a bit bland once I make it past the seasoned outer layer.
I love the flavors here, but I think it needs a touch of salt to really elevate it. I can’t believe I’m writing “needs more salt” about fast food fries.
Taste 5
Ashley Garcia
Awful. Stale, oily, and dirty tasting. While the fries are warm, they taste stale and old, like they’ve been sitting under a heat lamp for too long. They have a rancid flavor to them that makes them nearly inedible.
I’ve never hated a fry more. I never even thought it was possible to hate fries this much.
PART III — The Ranking
5. Rally’s — Seasoned Fries (Taste 5)
Ashley Garcia
I know there are a lot of Rally’s fans out there but I have to ask — what happened to your taste buds? Seriously, did you consume so many Mother Crunchers and Big Bufords that you’ve burned off your flavor receptors? Because these are the worst fries I’ve ever eaten in my life, and yet they’re cited as a favorite of so many.
Now granted, I might’ve just gotten a bad batch, but I’ve had these fries before, and even at their best they’ve always tasted a bit dirty — like the oil wasn’t changed out in the year that I’m eating them in. Rally’s may have the best names for their sandwiches, but they need some serious quality control.
The Bottom Line:
If you want the worst seasoned fries ever, go to Rally’s.
Arby’s is often cited as having the best curly fries, if not the best fries, in all of fast food and I get it, but I don’t agree. Call me crazy but I like my seasoned fries to taste at least somewhat like potatoes, and these just don’t. They’re overly battered to the point that all I can taste here is the seasoning.
I’ll give you the flavor — it is an amazing blend of spices, but at the end of the day I’m just not getting enough potato in the mix, and I need that.
The Bottom Line:
If you like heavily battered and seasoned fries, Arby’s might just be your favorite, but if you want seasoned fries that have a great balance between breading, flavors, and fluffy potato, these are going to miss the mark.
Carl’s Jr has the opposite problem from Arby’s, there is simply too much potato here and not enough of that seasoned goodness. Yes, I’m the Goldilocks of seasoned fries, I’m looking for something that has balance, something that is just right. Talk all the trash on Goldilock’s you want for breaking into some bear’s home and messing with a bunch of shit that wasn’t hers, but the girl knew her porridge!
Carl’s Jr.’s Waffle Fries are off balance, there is so much potato here that it actually needs seasoning, and for a category of fries that has ‘seasoned’ right in the name, that means this misses the mark and must leave this blind tasting with a bronze medal. Luckily, this is easily remedied, just sprinkle some salt or dip these fries in some sauce and you’ll instantly solve all the problems this potato-heavy fry presents while elevating the flavor.
Unfortunately for Carl’s Jr, this wasn’t a best-dipped fries blind taste test.
The Bottom Line:
You’re going to feel like these fries are missing a bit of something, whether that’s salt or sauce will be up to your personal tastes. But because of that, this one lands in third place for us.
The biggest surprise in this blind taste test and last week’s salted fries taste test is the power of Jack in the Box. As a whole, I consider JiB to be bottom-tier fast food but whatever they’re doing with the fries, they’re doing it right. Jack in the Box’s Curly Fries are amazing, they’re lightly battered, heavily seasoned, and have a great mix of natural potato flavor (or as natural as processed frozen fries can be) and black pepper, onion, and garlic flavors.
I was very close to giving this one the number one spot, but our actual number had a better overall flavor to my palate.
The Bottom Line:
Deliciously balanced and very crispy. Jack in the Box’s Curly Fries are nearly perfect. Nearly.
I have to say it was incredibly close between our number one and number two picks, but I have to give the top spot to Popeyes. I’m sure both JiB and Popeyes are using the cheapest oil they can find to fries these fries in, but Popeyes comes across as less greasy and puts the focus on where it matters, the seasoning. I’m getting garlic, black pepper, onion powder, and a smokey paprika top note that just makes these fries a bit more flavorful than the other four.
I’d say their weakest aspect is that they aren’t very crispy, they’re almost soft, but the flavor more than makes up for it. Is that because it’s fried in the same oil as their chicken? Maybe, I’m not sure, but I do know that I couldn’t stop eating these fries and that’s the sign of a true winner.
The Bottom Line:
They’re still not quite perfect but they’re closer to perfection than our number two choice. While I wish the fries were crispier and provided a better mouthfeel, from a flavor perspective this was the clear winner. The big question is, how does this stack up to our number one choice from last week’s tasting? We’ll have to find out!
Is Chris Pratt’s Mario voice in The Super Mario Bros. Movie“unlike anything you’ve ever heard”? I mean, I’ve never heard Andy Dwyer say the word “mushroom” with a cartoonishly exaggerted Italian accent before, so, yes, technically. But there’s still a lot of skepticism over whether Pratt was the right choice to play Nintendo’s most popular character.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie filmmakers do not share that concern, however. “For us, it made total sense,” co-director Aaron Horvath told Total Film. “He’s really good at playing a blue-collar hero with a ton of heart. For the way that Mario is characterized in our film, he’s perfect for it.”
Horvath described The Super Mario Bros. Movie as “a bit of an origin tale. It’s the story of Mario becoming Super Mario.” He continued, “When you play the game, if you don’t give up, Mario will succeed. So we transferred that player experience from the game to a characteristic that [movie] Mario would have.” Unless you’re like me and rage-quit Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels, in which case Mario will not succeed. He’s still out there somewhere, trying to advance past world seven. Poor pixelated guy.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which also features the less controversial casting of Charlie Day as Luigi, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Jack Black as Bowser, Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong, and Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek, comes out on April 5th, two days earlier than expected.
Kodak Black is reportedly set to enter a drug rehabilitation facility in Broward County, according to Rolling Stone. The order comes from Judge Barbara Duffy, who apparently made the ruling this past Tuesday (February 28) after Kodak allegedly tested positive for fentanyl in a drug test. According to the report, the test results were revealed as Kodak was awaiting trial for charges relating to drug trafficking.
Duffy’s order holds that Kodak is allowed to remain free until March 7, which is when he is set to perform at Rolling Loud Los Angeles.
The “Super Gremlin” hitmaker’s first arrest for drug trafficking charges dates back to July 2022, when he was arrested in relation to his drug trafficking charges during a traffic stop in Fort Lauderdale. 31 oxycodone pills were found in his vehicle, along with nearly $75,000 in cash.
He was later released on a $75,000 bond and charged with a felony one charge of trafficking oxycodone, along with a lesser charge of possession of a controlled substance. At the time, Kodak pleaded not guilty to the drug trafficking charge.
According to the Associated Press, Duffy was heard telling Kodak “You better get it together” during his court appearance this week.
Kodak Black is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
HBO’s upcoming series The Idol is already proving to be one of the most talked about series of 2023, despite not having an actual premiere date. However, the Sam Levinson and Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye-created series seems to be proving rather chaotic and disastrous behind the scenes, not unlike the second season of Levinson’s teen drama, Euphoria.
Last April, the show was reported to go into an overhaul, with Levinson taking over as the show’s director, in place of Amy Seimetz, who was originally set to direct the series.
According to several anonymous sources, who spoke to Rolling Stone, Levinson ramped up the sexual content during the overhaul.
According to Rolling Stone:
“At various points, Levinson’s scripts contained disturbing sexual and physically violent scenes between [Lily Rose] Depp and Tesfaye’s characters, three sources familiar with the matter claim. In one draft episode, there allegedly was a scene where Tesfaye bashes in Depp’s face, and her character smiles and asks to be beaten more, giving Tesfaye an erection. (This scene was never shot, the source says.) Another proposed scenario was for Depp to carry an egg in her vagina and if she dropped or cracked the egg, Tesfaye’s character would refuse to “rape” her — which sent Depp’s character into a spiral, begging him to ‘rape’ her because she believed he was the key to her success. (This scene also was not filmed because production couldn’t find a way to realistically shoot the scene without having Depp physically insert the egg, another source explains.)”
Another source claimed that while The Idol was supposed to explore and satirize the dark side of 21st-century stardom, the show lost its original messaging amid the overhaul.
“It was a show about a woman who was finding herself sexually, turned into a show about a man who gets to abuse this woman and she loves it,” said the source.
At the time of writing, it is unclear which scenes will make it into the final show, as many of the sources say that scripts were being changed and rewritten daily. According to one source, Levinson had stopped turning in scripts to the higher-ups at HBO at one point during production.
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