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The $30 to $40 range for a bottle of bourbon is the real sweet spot. You’re well under $50 per bottle. The price range is pretty average, so you’ll be able to find the bottles. And there are just a ton of great bourbons priced in this range.

That said, there are also a lot of mediocre bottles. That’s where we come in. I’m here to guide your hand when reaching for a great bottle of bourbon under $40 at your local liquor store. To that end, I’m calling out 15 bourbons — all under $40 — that are pretty damn great.

Most of the bottles below could be priced at $60, $70, or over $90 per bottle and most people wouldn’t blink an eye. They’re that tasty. That said, I did rank them against one another — some of them simply have more depth and beauty. So read through my tasting notes, find the bourbon or bourbons that speak to you, and then hit that price link to snag a bottle of your own.

• The 100 Best Bourbon Whiskeys Of 2023, Ranked
• The ‘Smoothest’ Bourbons Under $100, Blind Tasted And Ranked
• The Best Bourbons Under $100 For Thanksgiving Dinner, Ranked
• The Absolute Best Bottle Of Whiskey From Each Of The 50 States
• The Best Mainstream Bourbons Under $40, Blind Tasted And Ranked

15. George Dickel Bourbon Whisky Aged 8 Years

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $31

The Whisky:

The whisky in the bottle is the same Dickel Tennessee whiskey but pulled from barrels that leaned more into classic bourbon flavor notes instead of Dickel’s iconic Tennessee whisky notes. The barrels are a minimum of eight years old before they’re vatted. The whiskey is then cut down to a manageable 90-proof and bottled.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This nose is classic, with rich vanilla next to dry spicy tobacco leaves next to apple hand pies with sugar icing made with plenty of dark spices and butter.

Palate: The palate has a bran vibe that hints at a white Necco Wafer with a ripe white peach fresh off the tree with a hint of ginger bite to it.

Finish: The end circles back around to a vanilla wafer with nutmeg, orange zest, and a twinge of dark chocolate sauce leading to a dry and slightly molded wicker chair sitting in the sun.

Bottom Line:

People like to rag on Dickel for being an inferior whisky. It’s a complaint from a different era. Dickel has been producing some of the best juice out of Kentucky for a while now and this bottle is proof positive of that brilliance. This is simply whisky at first glance that goes beyond the average if you give it a moment to bloom via a tasty cocktail or a few rocks in a glass.

14. Woodinville Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $35

The Whiskey:

This much-lauded bourbon is Woodinville’s touchstone expression. The whiskey is made with those same family farm grains. The hot juice spends years in the toasted and heavily charred barrels maturing until it’s just right (around five years in total). The results are batched and proofed down with local water to a very welcoming 90 proof.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: You’re greeted with a thick vanilla pudding with caramel candy and a cedar box full of dark spices.

Palate: The caramel thickens to a buttery and rich toffee with notes of dark chocolate peeking in next to more of those woody spices and a vanilla oil velvetiness.

Finish: The end is long and embraces the sweeter edges of the vanilla pudding while allowing the spice to warm the senses.

Bottom Line:

This is really solid craft bourbon that’s best used as a building block for cocktails. I would lean floral and citrus-forward with the cocktails — think spring and summer sippers.

13. High West Bourbon A Blend of Straight Bourbon Whiskeys

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $33

The Whiskey:

High West Bourbon is quickly becoming one of the most sought-after sourced whiskeys. The whiskey in the bottle is a blend of two to 13-year-old barrels rendered from high-rye and low-rye mashes alongside undisclosed whiskeys, some of which are sourced from MGP.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a hint of funk on the nose that leads to raw leather, vanilla pudding, and buttered sweetcorn.

Palate: The taste is soft and velvety with a touch of nougat next to quickbread biscuits with plenty of butter and vanilla-laced honey.

Finish: The finish dries out toward vanilla pods and cedar bark with a hint of apple chips with a flake of Kosher salt.

Bottom Line:

This Utah-meets-Indiana whiskey is a solid choice for any home bar cart, especially if you’re looking for a great cocktail base. The flavor notes are classic with a deep sense of grains, vanilla, and savoriness.

12. Woodford Reserve Bourbon Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 45.2%

Average Price: $31

The Whiskey:

This is the entry point to Woodford Reserve. The mash bill mixes 18% rye with plenty of corn and malted barley. After triple distilling on pot stills the whiskey is blended with column-distilled whiskey. The bourbon then rests for six to seven years before barrels are pulled for blending, proofing, and bottling.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s that classic note of bourbon vanilla up top but it doesn’t overwhelm the notes of dark chocolate oranges, dried fruits, spicy tobacco, and a distant wisp of fresh mint.

Palate: A lovely toffee richness creates a well-rounded mouthfeel as notes of spicy and chewy tobacco mingle with dark chocolate dust, more orange oils, and a touch of cinnamon sticks.

Finish: The end is pure velvet, lingers for just the right amount of time, and brings the whole sip together.

Bottom Line:

This is an essential gateway bourbon. The flavors are pure classic bourbon with a lean toward spicy tobacco and dark fruit, all of which work wonders in whiskey-forward cocktails.

11. 1792 Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 49.3%

Average Price: $37

The Whiskey:

This whiskey from Sazerac’s other Kentucky distillery of note (they own both Buffalo Trace and Barton’s 1792 distilleries) is a bit of a hidden gem. As with all Sazerac products, there’s a lot of secrecy around what the actual mash bill is, aging times, and so forth. It is likely a high-rye mash that’s aged over five years.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Salted caramel and apple pies lead the nose with a nice dose of nuttiness, winter spices, and eggnog creaminess with a butter vanilla underbelly.

Palate: Bruised peaches with clove and nutmeg drive the palate toward woody orchard barks, rich toffee, and a sense of vanilla cake with cardamom icing.

Finish: The end is softly full of woody cedar bark, cream soda, and apple-cinnamon tobacco.

Bottom Line:

You’ll have to keep your eye out for these as special releases at your local liquor store. When they do drop, buy as many as they’ll let you. This is an enjoyable bourbon with killer classic notes that are soft and inviting, making this a great on-the-rocks sipper or base for your favorite whiskey cocktail.

10. Penelope Bourbon Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $35

The Whiskey:

Standard Penelope Bourbon is a great place to start with the brand’s ever-expanding line. This expression is an MGP four-grain bourbon that’s aged a minimum of two years before vatting, proofing, and bottling.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This whiskey opens with a nose full of wet yellow masa next to a buttery Graham cracker crust holding a light vanilla pudding that’s countered by a note of red chili spice and a touch of cinnamon.

Palate: The taste is very soft and touches on stewed raisins, more of that vanilla, sweet oak, and some orange.

Finish: The softness leans back into that wet masa while the finish smooths out with vanilla before ending on that chili pepper spice.

Bottom Line:

This doesn’t have any business tasting this refined for a two-year-old product. The spice and creamy grains mellow massively over some ice or in a cocktail (think citrus or fruit-focused).

9. Remus Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 47%

Average Price: $34

The Whiskey:

This is the entry-point bottle to the beloved Remus Reserve yearly releases. The whiskey is MGP’s bourbon (from the Ross & Squibb branded distillery) but they don’t let us know the mash bill or how long these barrels age before they go into the batch.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose is full of berry brambles heavy with sweet, tart, and dark berries, thorny stems, green leaves, and even a little dark soil next to Cherry Coke with a hint of spicy and a touch of sweet oak.

Palate: The cherry morphs into a syrupy and spicy cherry pie with a lard crust next to hints of vanilla pudding, brittle toffee, and more of that soft and sweet oak.

Finish: The finish is short and sweet and highlights that cherry while layering in new leather, more oak, and nice and lush vanilla cream.

Bottom Line:

This is just good bourbon through and through. It’s a great example of the high-quality juice MGP of Indiana has always been producing. Overall, get this to make some killer at-home cocktails for any season.

8. Starlight Distillery Carl T. Huber’s Signature Indiana Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $34

The Whiskey:

This crafty Southern Indiana whiskey is made with a high-corn mash bill in a tiny farm distillery. The hot juice is aged on-site among the apple and peach orchards for at least four or five years before it’s batched, proofed, and bottled as-is.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose opens with a mild sense of sweet orchard fruits next to buttered cornbread with a hint of green chili pepper, touches of vanilla oils, and a hint of orange zest.

Palate: The palate has a sweet grits vibe with a buttery underpinning that leads to vanilla cake, caramel frosting, and a twinge of marshmallow sweetness countered by woody spice and orchard tree bark.

Finish: The woody spice leads to a finish full of eggnog creaminess and a hint of burnt orange by way of cinnamon sticks with a whisper of apple cider to them.

Bottom Line:

Sticking with Indiana, this farm-to-table whiskey is a hidden gem. The whiskey works wonders in any form of cocktail (it shines with berry and fruit-forward applications) while also working as a great table whiskey for easy everyday sipping over some ice.

7. Old Bardstown Estate Bottled 101 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 50.5%

Average Price: $36

The Whiskey:

Since this is a Willett product, we can also assume this is good ol’ Heaven Hill whiskey. We do know that this is a “small batch” and from barrels that are a minimum of four years old (some say as old as ten). But that’s about it.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The whiskey opens with a note of wintry plum pudding next to an oatmeal cookie, a hint of worn leather, and dried mint leaves.

Palate: The palate luxuriates in vanilla-laced pancakes dripping with real maple syrup, a touch of orange zest, and a little more of that leather next to a mild spicy tobacco leaf.

Finish: That tobacco leaf attaches to a woodiness that’s almost wet like cordwood as the vanilla smoothes out the finish and leaves you with a smooth menthol tobacco vibe.

Bottom Line:

This is a great bottle to grab when you can’t find a green foil Willett. It’s made by the same family and has a very high quality through and through. I’d still lean toward mixing up great whiskey-forward cocktails with this one, but you can 100% sip this over a big rock and be pretty happy about it.

6. Jack Daniel’s Bonded Tennessee Whiskey

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $30

The Whiskey:

This whiskey is made from Jack’s classic mash of 80% corn, 12% barley, and 8% rye before it’s twice distilled and run through Jack’s long Lincoln County sugar maple charcoal filtration process. The spirit then goes into the barrel for at least four years — per bonded law — before it’s batched, cut down with a little water, and bottled.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose draws you in with Cherry Jolly Ranchers next to sweet cedar bark braided with old strands of leather and orange-laced tobacco leaves with a hint of vanilla wafer and general “health food store” vibes underneath it all.

Palate: The palate feels like warm apple pie on a sunny day with the best vanilla ice cream on top as layers of eggnog nutmeg and creaminess move toward a Cream of Wheat vibe.

Finish: Some apple wood chips for a smoker and a hint of almond shells pop on the finish.

Bottom Line:

This is another whiskey that is helping completely change the way people think about Tennessee whiskey (and Jack Daniel’s in general). This higher-proof Jack is perfect for mixing cocktails of any variety. It’s also attuned enough to work as an everyday table sipper over some good ice.

Hell, you can throw this into some Coke and be pretty stoked about it too. That’s versatility.

5. Legent Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 47%

Average Price: $39

The Whiskey:

This bottle from Beam Suntory marries Kentucky bourbon, California wine, and Japanese whisky blending in one bottle. Legent is classic Kentucky bourbon made by bourbon legend Fred Noe at Beam that’s finished in both French oak that held red wine and Spanish sherry casks. The whiskey is then blended by whisky-blending legend Shinji Fukuyo at Suntory.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Plummy puddings with hints of nuts mingle with vinous berries, oaky spice, and a good dose of vanilla and toffee on the nose.

Palate: The palate expands on the spice with more barky cinnamon and dusting of nutmeg while the oak becomes sweeter and the fruit becomes dried and sweet.

Finish: The finish is jammy yet light with plenty of fruit, spice, and oak lingering on the senses.

Bottom Line:

This is where we get into the clear sippers. Yes, this makes an amazing Manhattan, but a pour of this over a single rock is a sipper’s delight.

4. Evan Williams Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 43.3%

Average Price: $38

The Whiskey:

This is Heaven Hill’s hand-selected single barrel Evan Williams expression. The whiskey is from a single barrel, labeled with its distillation year, proofed just above 86, and bottled as is.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This has a nice nose full of woody cherry and salted caramel with a tart apple edge and a soft leatheriness.

Palate: The palate feels and tastes “classic” with notes of wintry spices (eggnog especially) with a lush creaminess supported by soft vanilla, a hint of orange zest, and plenty of spicy cherry tobacco.

Finish: The end is supple with a hint of tart apple tobacco with a light caramel candy finish.

Bottom Line:

Look, I know this is a cliché. But if you buy only one Evan Williams, make it this one. This is a great whiskey for a great price. Yes, it’s Kentucky exclusive now but it’s worth picking up a case when you come to visit the Bourbon Trail in 2024.

3. Coopers’ Craft Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 100-Proof Barrel Reserve

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $31

The Whiskey:

This whiskey is from Brown-Forman (which also makes Jack Daniels, Old Forester, King of Kentucky, and Woodford Reserve in the U.S.). The Kentucky-distilled juice is aged in special oak barrels that are chiseled before charring to create more surface space for carbon filtering and aging in the barrel. The best barrels were then batched, slightly proofed with that Kentucky limestone water, and bottled.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a sense of old oak and almost smoldering cinnamon bark on the nose with a hint of apple/pear cider cut with orange oils and a whisper of vanilla-nougat wafers.

Palate: That apple/pear cider vibe dominated the start of the palate with a Martinelli’s cider sweetness next to clove buds and more cinnamon bark, a light sense of vanilla cake, and burnt orange.

Finish: The cinnamon attaches to the apple/pear cider on the finish with a fleeting sense of sweet oak and old evergreen pitch and an echo of orange tobacco.

Bottom Line:

This is one of those whiskeys that surprise you from nose to finish. It’s really freaking good, especially at this price point. It could easily beat some $50 bourbons in a blind (not all, but some for sure). It’s also a nice sipper over a rock or a great base for any whiskey-forward cocktail.

2. Green River Kentucky Straight Wheated Bourbon Sour Mash Whiskey

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $36

The Whiskey:

This 2023 release from Bardstown Bourbon Company’s Green River distillery is a wheated classic. The whiskey in the bottle is made from a mash bill (recipe) of 70% Kentucky-grown corn, 21% wheat, and 9% malted 6-Row barley. That whiskey then spends four to six years mellowing before batching, proofing, and bottling as-is.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This pops on the nose with rich caramel next to soft roasted peach and apricot next to a rush of cinnamon bark and nutmeg with a creamy vibe.

Palate: Toffee drives the palate toward Nutella and honey over buttermilk biscuits with an apple/pear tobacco aura that leads to a soft orange.

Finish: The end is rich and full of stewed fruits — peach, pear, orange, raisins — and a mild sense of oaky spice and a mild graininess.

Bottom Line:

This is the best candidate for an old fashioned on the list. It just works in the cocktail better than most others (even at higher price points). It’s also a mighty fine sipper over some rocks.

1. Russell’s Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 10 Years Old

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $37

The Whiskey:

This small-batch expression is hand-selected by both Jimmy and Eddie Russell (the father and son team behind all of Wild Turkey’s line). The duo picks out ten-year-old barrels that hit just the right spot in both flavor and texture then small-batch them into this tasty bourbon.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This is a classic bourbon nose with clear notes of spiced cherry cola, lush vanilla, salted caramel, and soft oak next to almost botanical winter spices.

Palate: The taste delivers with more lush vanilla next to spice barks, soft cedar, and deeply dark and red fruit with a whisper of smudged sweet sage.

Finish: The end dives into a dark spiced cherry vibe next to soft and luxurious vanilla, tempered oak, and a mild sense of just “bourbon.”

Bottom Line:

This is the best whiskey at this price point… kind of by far. This is deep, nuanced, and still very approachable. It’s also quintessential Kentucky bourbon with a deep cherry spice and gentle Kentucky hug on the end. Mix it into a great cocktail or sip it over rocks, either way, you’ll be in for a treat.

Adolescence is a harrowing time for body image and self-esteem all around, but few milestones are as universally daunting as finding a prom dress. Whether it’s due to budget constraints, not being able to find a dress that fits, or both, what should be a fun event is often viscerally dreaded.

This was certainly the case for Summer Lucille. Lucille told Today.com that growing up, “if you weren’t skinny, there weren’t many options, and it was devastating for me because I’ve always loved fashion.”

She recalled, “I went to my prom looking like a church lady in a suit dress with a jacket because it was the only thing that fit. It was a very sad period in my life.”

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Wanting to ensure a more positive experience for others, Lucille opened up her plus-size-only dress shop, Juicy Body Goddess, in 2016. The boutique, based in North Carolina, features mostly Lucille’s own designs of formal dresses up to a size 6X.

Juicy Body Goddess really started gaining traction when Lucille set up a TikTok account sharing truly joyful interactions with customers as they try on different styles.

Besides having an eye for fashion, Lucille is a masterful hype woman, making others feel beautiful with her enthusiastic, heartfelt praises. She clearly loves what she does. Here’s one of many, many examples:

@juicybodygoddess I had to get her number so she can model🤩 #plussizefashion #plussizeboutique #birthday #plussizetiktok #juicybodygoddess ♬ original sound – JuicyBodyGoddess

Juicy Goddess’s TikTok presence is how 18-year-old Elyse Monroe found out about the store. Monroe and her family drove nearly six hours for a consultation, determined to find the perfect dress.

Lucille shared with People that Monroe was initially “nervous and shy,” but after trying on a sparkly, form-fitting purple gown, everything changed.

“When she got into that purple dress, she lit up,” Lucille told People.

There was still a budget problem, however. Monroe’s family could only afford to pay $400. The dress was $700.

Thankfully, Lucille had one more surprise up her sleeve.

A now viral TikTok video shows the Monroe family approach the register, asking how much the dress would cost.

Lucille can be heard saying, “This dress is $700…but it’s free.”

Yeah, as you can probably expect, this leaves the teen and her family a bit emotional. Watch below:

@juicybodygoddess I didn’t cry until I did edit #plussize #plussizetiktok #juicybodygoddess #plussizefashion ♬ original sound – JuicyBodyGoddess

The video has had an overwhelming number of responses. Many commiserated with their own painful prom memories and applauded Lucille for her generosity. Some were even inspired to perform their own act of kindness by donating. Lucille told People that since posting the video, there has been $12,000 worth of gift card purchases. Yowza.

This is such an amazing example of what can happen when we celebrate uniqueness, spread generosity, and prioritize making everyone feel worthy of praise.

If you’d like to purchase a gift card from Juicy Body Goddess, click here. Or, if you wanna just follow along on some gorgeous fittings, you can find the Juicy Body Goddess TikTok here.

This article originally appeared on 3.15.23

Godzilla has been out and about these days. He recently appeared on AppleTV+’s monster show Monarch and he will team up with his frenemy King Kong later this year. So he’s got a lot on his plate, not even accounting for Godzilla Minus One, the latest blockbuster to feature the big guy. It wouldn’t be surprising if he showed up on The Masked Singer at some point.

Godzillas Minus One was released in December and just became one of the highest-grossing Japanese language films in domestic box office history, all thanks to the destructive lizard. The film just crossed over the $100 million mark after making history as the most successful debut ever for a Japanese live-action film at the domestic box office. It also recently became the sixth-biggest live-action foreign-language film of all time domestically, so the pressure is on this monster to keep doing monster things.

The film is a new take on the classic monster tale, which takes place in post-war Japan. Godzilla Minus One has been such a hit with audiences, a black-and-white version is hitting theaters later this month.

Director, writer, and VFX supervisor Takashi Yamazaki said that this is a new way for fans to see the film in a different light. “I was very happy that the North American audience embraced Godzilla Minus One,” said Yamazaki . “And now I am very pleased to be able to release a black-and-white version for North America as well. Godzilla Minus One/Minus Color will bring a new and visceral experience to audiences.”

Godzilla Minus One/Minus Color will be in U.S. theaters on Friday, Jan. 26.

Remember when a lot of people got mad at director Zack Snyder for having Batman fire a gun and kill people in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice? Now imagine the discourse if Batman got Superman’s girlfriend knocked up.

Variety reports that around 10 years ago, the Rebel Moon filmmaker developed “a storyline for the DC Extended Universe that involved Bruce Wayne impregnating Lois Lane.” Snyder’s idea, which sounds like it would have been for Justice League, also involved Ben Affleck’s the Dark Knight dying and Lois raising their child with Clark Kent. Yay for non-traditional families! But Warner Bros. and DC Studios said, uh, nope to Snyder’s pitch, correctly deeming it “super creepy.”

The report came in a story about Batman and Superman joining the Steamboat Willie version of Mickey Mouse in the public domain.

The DC characters are the next major expirations looming on the horizon. Superman and Lois Lane will enter the public domain in 2034, followed by Batman in 2035, the Joker in 2036 and Wonder Woman in 2037.

No one, not even the Clown Prince of Crime himself, is ready for the Joker to be in the public domain. He’s too twisted! You think Minions and Shrek memes are everywhere? Just wait.

(Via Variety)

Pitchfork has been a consistent presence in the lives of many music fans, as the website launched in 1996 and has long been one of the most popular music journalism brands. (They also launched the annual Pitchfork Music Festival in 2006.) The publication has undergone some changes along the way, though, most notably being sold to Condé Nast (which also owns publications like Vogue, The New Yorker, GQ, Vanity Fair, Wired, and more) in 2015. Now, it looks like another new era at Pitchfork has just begun.

What’s happening with Pitchfork and GQ?

In a tweet on January 17, media reporter Max Tani shared a note sent by Condé Nast management to staff. The message indicates that Pitchfork will have some sort of merger with GQ. It also says that some Pitchfork employees are no longer with the company effective today (January 17), apparently including Puja Patel, who was the site’s editor in chief.

The message — signed by Anna Wintour, Condé Nast’s chief content officer and global editorial director of Vogue — reads:

“Dear all,

Today we are evolving our Pitchfork team structure by bringing the team into the GQ organization. This decision was made after a careful evaluation of Pitchfork’s performance and what we believe is the best path forward for the brand so that our coverage of music can continue to thrive within the company. Both Pitchfork and GQ have unique and valuable ways that they approach music journalism, and we are excited for the new possibilities together.

With these organizational changes, some of our Pitchfork colleagues will be leaving the company today. I want to thank Puja for her leadership of the title over the last five years. She has been a wonderful colleague and advocate for the brand, and I’m grateful for her and the team’s many contributions.

Members of the Pitchfork team will hear more about their reporting structure in meetings this week. There are no additional changes at this time as we focus on our internal team structure and operations. We will of course keep this team updated first when any new decisions are made about the transition.

Anna.”

As Variety reports, features editor Jill Mapes is among those no longer with Pitchfork, as Mapes revealed on X (formerly Twitter). Variety also notes, “A rep for Condé Nast did not have information on how many Pitchfork staffers are being let go.” Associate news director Evan Minsker also revealed he was laid off.

Meanwhile, Tani noted in response to a question about Pitchfork’s future, “Pitchfork is going to continue publishing, but future seems unclear medium/long term. I’m told this was a business side decision, advertising is stronger at other Conde brands like GQ. But don’t have much more info yet…”

Officially, there has been no announcement about specifically how Pitchfork will exist and operate going forward.

Six men have been convicted of murdering Chicago rapper FBG Duck in 2020, according to The Chicago Sun-Times. The jury came to the conclusion after two days of deliberations, determining that the six men — members of the O Block set of the Black Disciples gang associated with rappers like Chief Keef and King Von — were all guilty of at least one count.

The six men, Charles “C Murda” Liggins, Kenneth “Kenny Mac” Roberson, Tacarlos “Los” Offerd, Christopher “C Thang” Thomas, Ralph “Teezy” Turpin, and Marcus “Muwop” Smart, were accused of shooting Duck (real name Carlton Weekly) outside a clothing store in August 2020, hitting Duck’s girlfriend and another bystander. The shooting was prompted by a series of diss tracks exchanged between Duck, representing the Tookaville set of the Gangster Disciples, and Von, who prosecutors say put a bounty on Duck before his own death in Atlanta that autumn. (Two years later, another member of FBG, FBG Cash, was also shot and killed in Chicago.)

Five of the defendants were identified from surveillance footage and tracked through the shooting through city surveillance cameras, while shell casings found in one of Roberson’s car tied the vehicle to the scene. One other defendant, Ezell Rawls, killed himself during the investigation. Although defense lawyers argued that the evidence was slim and circumstantial, the evidence presented was convincing enough for the jury.

Richard Simmons isn’t wasting any time distancing himself from The Court Jester, a new biopic about his life starring Pauly Shore. A teaser for the film was released on Wednesday, and within hours, a rep for Simmons made it clear to TMZ that the fitness guru did not authorize the production:

We’re told Pauly and Richard’s team spoke last year about PS portraying him in a film, but Richard’s people told the comedian the timing wasn’t right for Richard to get on board.

We already knew Pauly didn’t have RS’ blessing for this project — something Pauly really sought — and now … we know Richard’s position hasn’t changed, though his rep says there will come a time when Richard wants to tell his story. Pauly’s thing just ain’t it, though.

The Hollywood Reporter recently confirmed that The Court Jester will screen at Sundance this week on January 19. From there, the film will reportedly be available on YouTube.

“I’m really excited about sharing Richard Simmons’ life with the world. We all need this biopic now more than ever,” Shore said in a statement. “Simmons represented mental health, getting people in shape and being his authentic silly self! Whenever he was on TV you could never take your eyes off of him and he brought such a joy to his appearances that represented nothing but a good time.”

You can watch the teaser for The Court Jester below:

(Via TMZ, The Hollywood Reporter)

On Wednesday, the NBA announced the game between the Warriors and Jazz in Salt Lake City had been postponed after a medical emergency involving Golden State Warriors assistant coach Dejan Milojevic. While the details of what happened were sparse, things were serious enough that the league viewed this as a necessary move.

The National Basketball Association game scheduled for tonight between the Golden State Warriors and Utah Jazz has been postponed due to a medical emergency in the Warriors family. The date for the rescheduled game will be announced at a later time.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, Milojevic suffered a “sudden and serious health issue” while at a restaurant with some players and coaches from the Warriors. Several hours later, Wojnarowski and Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report announced that Milojevic died at age 46.

TMZ confirmed the news, saying that Milojevic passed away in the aftermath of a medical emergency. And not long after, the team released a statement saying that Milojevic suffered a heart attack, with Kerr saying the organization is “absolutely devastated.”

Milojevic joined the Warriors as an assistant coach in 2021, and previously served as head coach of Serbian team Mega, where he coached Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic in the early days of his career. Milojevic had a 15-year playing career in Europe prior to becoming a coach.

This almost wasn’t going to happen in theaters. The Bikeriders, a star-studded biker drama that looks like Martin Scorsese helming Sons of Anarchy, had a setback last year on the way to theaters. Disney/20th Century pictures decided to pull back on its release plan, but fortunately, Focus Features saw the value in bringing this film to the big screen.

This year, Tom Hardy and Austin Butler will join many more rough-riding actors (who you know and love) while roaring through cities and cornfields. Let’s get down to some finer details about this movie.

Plot

The Bikeriders takes its name and inspiration from photojournalist Danny Lyon’s stunning, same-named black-and-white photography book, which he gestated during and after his time with a real-life biker club in the 1960s.

The film revolves around an ensemble cast led by two Oscar nominees, Hardy (as Johnny), the mentor of Austin Butler’s up-and-comer Benny. Jodie Comer steps in as Benny’s Old Lady, Kathy, as their lives revolve around a Chicago-based meeting of the rumbles over the course of a decade. Naturally, the bike will transform from being an idealistic group of outsiders to a more 1%-focused outlaw gang, and I can’t wait to see Hardy lose his sh*t over it.

Biker soap operas are a mood, as the kids say, and Butler recently revealed (while speaking to Josh Brolin for Interview magazine), that one of the greatest parts of this project was Tom Hardy being a total hoot:

“[T]here’s an intimate sensitivity to The Bikeriders. It’s the roaring engines and the smell of grease that we got to be around. It was nice to go to something that felt more independent and play in that space for a bit. But one of the things I was thinking about earlier, when you were talking about that relaxation on set, was that Tom Hardy surprised me. I pictured him to be this grizzly bear, always serious. And really, he’s one of the funniest people I’ve ever met. He’d be joking around until action is called, and then go into being the most intense guy I’d ever seen.”

Will this eventually be an awards-circuit film? Don’t count on it. TheInSneider previously relayed how the film went over well in festival format, but executives decided that a commercial focus would be better. So, it should be fun, which we need more of in theaters.

Cast

In addition to Hardy, Butler, and Comer, The Bikeriders stars Norman Reedus (as Funny Sonny), who already spends much of his own time zooming around on a bike, even with the likes of Happy Keanu Reeves. The film also features Boyd Holbrook, Michael Shannon, Damon Herriman, Karl Glusman, Beau Knapp, Mike Fast, Toby Wallace, and Happy Anderson.

Release Date

Six months later than its planned Disney release date, Focus Features will drop The Bikeriders into theaters on June 21, 2024. Given that superheroes will almost certainly not be dominating the box office this summer, these can be moviegoers’ antiheroes, and you know what? It’s about damn time. Let’s ride, y’all.

Trailer

Below, you can see Jodie Comer wash away the last of Villanelle while falling for semi-greasy Butler.

Shygirl is taking us out to the dancefloor. Today (January 17), the ethereal recording artist has announced her new project, Club Shy, set to arrive next month.

Club Shy will feature Shygirl tapping into her affinity for club music and EDM. Ahead of the project’s release, Shygirl has shared her new single, the transcendental “Tell Me,” which features production by Boys Noize.

On “Tell Me,” Shygirl falls into a hypnotic state, as she finds love in the club.

“Tell me what you want, I can read it on your face / Eyes write the words that you wanna say / I’m watchin’ your mouth, keep it movin’, babe / One step closer, you’re gettin’ into me,” sings Shygirl on the chorus.

Club Shy features addition contributions by SG Lewis, Karma Kid, and Sega Bodega, as well as vocals by Kingdom, Empress Of, and Cosha. The project was inspired by Shygirl’s nightlife experiences in East London, Los Angeles, Brazil, Chicago, and New York City.

You can see the Club Shy tracklist below.

Shygirl’s Club Shy tracklist

1. “4eva” Feat. Empress Of & Kingdom
2. “F@k€” Feat. Kingdom
3. “Thicc” Feat. Cosha
4. “Mute” Feat. Lolo Zouai
5. “Tell Me” Feat. Boys Noize
6. “Mr. Useless” Feat. SG Lewis

Club Shy is out 2/9 via Because Music. Find more information here.