It’s been seven long years since Taco Bell discontinued the fan-favorite Volcano Menu and now, for a limited time, it’s back at Taco Bell restaurants nationwide. This is big news for Taco Bell fans, so far this year we’ve been treated to the return of the Enchirito, the California Crunchwrap, and wings, and it doesn’t seem like Taco Bell is stopping anytime soon as next month the Beefy Crunch Burrito returns.
Any of these returning favorites have the chance to become a permanent menu option if they’re popular enough (like the Mexican Pizza) but they’re only available for a limited time as of now. So if you ride hard for that Volcano Menu, jump on it!
If you’re less familiar with what’s on the Volcano Menu let us fill you in. The full menu consists of three different options, the Volcano Burrito, Volcano Taco, and an order of Lava Sauce for extra dipping. We picked up the full menu — which is conveniently available as a combo option — and taste-tested the whole thing to help break down what to order and what to skip. Let’s dive in starting with the lesser of the two.
The Volcano Burrito
Dane Rivera
Thoughts and Tasting Notes
I recognize that it’s not normal to rank a burrito above a taco, but this is Taco Bell baby, the burritos are barely passable. The Volcano Burrito is loaded up with double beef, sour cream, tortilla strips, Taco Bell’s three cheese blend, and a healthy injection of Lava Sauce wrapped in a flour tortilla.
The tortilla is soft and sweaty with a gummy undercooked texture. The rice is dry, the beef is zesty-yet-greasy-as-hell, the sour cream is more wet mouth texture than flavor. In short, the creamy nutty cheese and spicy salty Lava Sauce do all the heavy lifting.
The Lava Sauce is the real star of the show here, it’s an alternate take on Taco Bell’s nacho cheese sauce with a spicy component that provides a slowly building heat that starts to radiate off your palate as you make your way through the burrito. It gives the illusion that this burrito is better than it is because it’s addicting to eat, but the individual parts of it are seriously lacking.
The Bottom Line:
Skip the Volcano Burrito entirely. If you like Taco Bell burritos, you’ll probably like this, but if you have good taste in burritos this will seem like an insult to the very concept.
The Volcano Taco
Dane Rivera
Thoughts and Tasting Notes
Now this is where it’s at! We’ve ranked Taco Bell’s menu in the past and without a doubt, the taco is the best thing on the menu, so this takes Taco Bell’s best food and elevates it to new heights. I say all of this even after I received a broken ass taco, which means as I ate this thing I got Lava Sauce all over my hands. That made me mad, but not mad enough to slight this delicious dish.
The OG Taco, the Doritos Locos, the Double Decker, and any other variation Taco Bell has ever done to its taco… none of them top the Volcano Taco. This is hands down, the best taco and therefore the best single menu item on the entire Taco Bell menu.
The meat is zesty and flavorful and the cheesy mild spice of the Lava Sauce helps to make the meat come across as substantially more savory. The lettuce and cheese are throwaway elements, they don’t really factor into the flavor too much, but they add a nice textural element that compliments the crunchy shell.
Yes, the shell is red, but that’s just for show as far as I can tell. It works, I think it adds a nice appeal to the taco that sets it apart from Taco Bell’s OG shell.
The Bottom Line:
A can’t-miss Taco Bell menu item and the best current dish on the menu. The Volcano Taco is absolutely worth a trip to Taco Bell this month, get it while you can!
Victor Wembanyama has spent the last month getting acquainted with the NBA media machine. As soon as his French league season ended, he jumped into pre-Draft media mode, doing a number of sitdowns for TV and print as he tried to let NBA fans get to know him a bit better.
“In the past month, I think basketball wasn’t even 50% of my schedule. I can’t stand it. I know it’s a special moment in my life, but I’m glad it’s over. I just wanna hoop.”
Victor Wembanyama on the media tour and being able to focus on basketball now.
Like any good San Antonio Spurs star, Wembanyama understands the necessity of doing media but isn’t looking to stay in the spotlight off the court. When asked what comes next for him between Summer League and training camp, he noted his excitement for a few months where he gets to “disappear from the media.”
“As I’m not playing in the World Cup, I got 2-3 great months that are coming and they’re gonna change my life. I’m probably gonna disappear from the media for the next [few] months, honestly.”
Victor Wembanyama on what the rest of his offseason looks like
Wembanyama has said he wants to learn from the great Tim Duncan, and it seems he’s already taking some cues from the Hall of Famer as to how to live your life off the court outside of the tabloids and headlines. He learned the hard way this past week that even if you’re not directly involved in a scandal, your mere presence can thrust you into all kinds of conversation. That seemed to be enough for the young star, and he’ll happily head back to Texas and figure out his next steps before going off the map for a bit prior to the season.
Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie is also everywhere in 2023, despite the fact its theatrical release isn’t until July 21. It was inevitable that Ice Spice and Barbie would collide in dominant ubiquity. Ice Spice teamed up with Nicki Minaj and Aqua for “Barbie World,” which debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 last week.
“I was like, ‘Greta, how are we going to incorporate this song? We can’t do a Barbie movie and not have a nod to Aqua’s ‘Barbie Girl.’ It has to be in there,’” Margot Robbie told Rolling Stonefor a feature published in late June. “And [Greta] was like, ‘Don’t worry, we’re going to find a cool way to incorporate it.’”
Robbie continued, “And then, when she was like, ‘Guess who’s going to do the remix of Aqua’s ‘Barbie Girl’? Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice.’ I was like, ‘Together? Are you joking?!’ I just knew immediately that all my girlfriends were going to lose their minds.”
The Greta Gerwig-directed film will enjoy its long-awaited theatrical release on July 21, but tear ducts were activated today, July 10, when Eilish posted a Barbie teaser that features the first snippet of “What Was I Made For.”
Melancholy keys underpin footage of Margot Robbie’s Barbie and Ryan Gosling’s Ken. As a single tear falls down Robbie’s cheek, Eilish’s trademark ethereal voice sings, “What was I made for?”
“absolutely over the MOOOOON excited for you to see this,” Eilish captioned the Instagram video alongside an abundance of see-n0-evil monkey emojis, pink bow emojis, and crying emojis.
Eilish and Finneas attended the Barbie premiere in Los Angeles on Sunday, July 9, and gave insight into the origin of “What Was I Made For.”
“I was just really intrigued in general. Before even thinking about making a song, I was like, ‘Ooh, I wanna see! I wanna be part of this!’” Eilish told The Hollywood Reporter.
Finneas added, “The movie was so great, and we’re big fans of Greta and have been forever, so we figured it probably would be, but then it really was. We were super inspired to write a song.”
With Variety, Eilish said, “Throughout the movie, there’s some really moving stuff. And then, toward the end, there’s a couples scenes — there’s one scene, in particular, that really had me and Finneas … choked up. Really, really choked up. It was just really beautiful and touching, and I resonated a lot with it in my own stupid ways.”
Watch the clips below.
Billie Eilish & Finneas tell The Hollywood Reporter on the pink carpet of the #Barbie World Premiere that they felt “inspired” to write a song after watching the film pic.twitter.com/nXgi0LINL0
Broccoli City Festival returns this weekend with a lineup featuring Lil Uzi Vert, Brent Faiyaz, Jazmine Sullivan, Kodak Black, City Girls, GloRilla, and more. Billed to take over the RFK Festival Grounds in Washington, DC on July 15th and 16th, the long-running festival is celebrating a decade in existence. With the festival just days away, there’s no better time to plan out your visit and the set times have been released via the festival’s official app.
However, if you can’t get the app for whatever reason, Uproxx has you covered. You can find the set times for both stages and both days below.
W.L. Weller Wheated Bourbon — or just “Weller” — is one of the most sought-after bourbons on the market today. But as with all bourbon brands, there isn’t just one expression sitting on liquor store shelves. In this case, there are eight. That’s a lot of variation. Add in that Weller tends to be inflated price-wise and you have the perfect storm of limited whiskey and high prices that can be cause for pause.
To be clear: It’s okay to be wary about buying bottles of bourbon that cost hundreds even thousands of dollars per bottle. It’s also okay to seek advice before doing so. That’s… sorta why I have a job.
I’m very aware of every expression of Weller, its strengths and weaknesses. I’ve tasted all the expressions year after year. Hell, I’ve picked single barrels of Weller for special releases. Moreover, I actually really like this brand. So I’m going to rank all eight expressions of Weller to give you a chance to understand what you’re getting into before you pull that trigger on a bottle (that may be significantly marked up).
Before I do that, let’s get some foundational information out of the way. Weller is a wheated bourbon made at the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky. Buffalo Trace doesn’t release its mash bills (grain recipes). So we don’t know exactly how much wheat is in that mash bill, but it’s likely around 15% give or take. The rest of the mash is made up of corn and malted barley mixed with local water and a proprietary yeast strain. That sour mash is twice distilled and goes into new oak barrels where it rests in Buffalo Trace’s old red brick warehouses until it’s just right.
What we do know is that W.L. Weller Wheated Bourbon and the Pappy Van Winkle line have the same mash bill and are aged in the same warehouses at Buffalo Trace. Blenders go through those barrels and sort them based on the flavor profile expressed in each barrel. For instance, if a 12-year-old barrel has a Weller profile, that barrel will go into a Weller 12-Year batch. If the 12-year-old barrel next to that barrel has a Van Winkle “Lot B” 12-Year profile, it’ll go into a batch of Pappy “Lot B”. It’s not a matter of one being better than the other. It’s simply a matter of which barrel suits which profile. The actual whiskey and aging are otherwise identical.
Lastly, you can’t talk about Weller and not talk about price. These whiskeys are priced at $29-$99 at MSRP (manufacturer’s suggested retail price). But you will rarely find these bottles at those prices. Only three expressions — Special Reserve, Antique 107, and 12-Year — are on a regular release schedule throughout the year. The remaining expressions are released yearly and that’s it.
You can still find both Special Reserve and Antique 107 on shelves at or near their MSRPs — if you know where and when to look. The rest of the lineup is going to be marked up at every liquor store and/or only available to loyal customers or via lottery. Think of rare Weller like Rolexes, Jordan 1s, or Supreme gear — the premium versions are going to be nearly impossible to find at their real prices but pretty easily available on secondary markets at much higher prices. To that end, I’ve linked to real-world prices for these bottles and not a fantasy MSRP price (with the exception of Special Reserve and Antique 107).
Okay, let’s dive in and rank some tasty Weller Wheated Bourbon!
Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Bourbon Posts Of The Last Six Months
This is the entry point to Weller. It’s a standard large-batched bourbon. The age of the barrels on this blend is also unknown. Overall, we know this is a classic wheated bourbon, and … that’s about it.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a sense of old oak next to sweet cherries, vanilla cookies, and that Buffalo Trace leathery vibe with a hint of spiced tobacco lurking underneath.
Palate: The palate has a sharp texture before malted vanilla ice cream over a hot apple pie cut with brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, and walnuts next to Frosted Raisin Bran takes over.
Finish: The end adds sweet cherry to the tart apple and layers it into a light tobacco leaf with a mild sense of old musty barrel warehouses with a hint of fall leaves outside but fades super fast.
Bottom Line:
This is perfectly fine $30 bourbon. I keep one on the shelf as an example pour — as in, “Here’s what basic Weller tastes like…” — but I rarely use it for anything else.
7. Daniel Weller Emmer Wheat Recipe Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
We finally have a brand-new Weller release from Buffalo Trace (at an incredible cost). The whiskey in the bottle is an experimental wheated bourbon made from Emmer wheat (an ancient Egyptian strain). That whiskey is then left alone to mature for 12 years before batching, proofing, and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is very grainy with a sense of sourdough rye that hasn’t been baked yet next to Nutella, fresh orange zest, and salted caramel with a hint of marzipan.
Palate: Bright orchard fruits pop on the palate as fresh honeycombs (with a hint of earthiness) vibe with more marzipan, deep sourdough bread notes, and a good bit of old oak in old rickhouses just kissed with falling leaves and soft rain.
Finish: Leatheriness comes through on the finish with more of that oak and warehouse vibe next to orchard bark, dark winter spice, and creamy honey kissed with rum raisin but then kind of just disappears.
Bottom Line:
I’m still super on the fence about this one. On the one hand, it feels like it’s chasing the craft bourbon boom with that grainy nose and profile. That feels silly, in that chasing trends is the antithesis of timelessness, which is the whole damn point of Weller. Then, on the other hand, this is tasty once you get passed that bold grain-forward nose.
Is it a good example of Weller though? Does that even matter in an “experimental” expression? I just don’t know yet. One thing I do know is that this isn’t basic. It’s special. Hence, it’s not last on this ranking.
6. Weller The Original Wheated Bourbon C.Y.P.B. Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
A few years back, Buffalo Trace asked hardcore Weller fans to “Craft Your Perfect Bourbon”. C.Y.P.B. was born when fans chose their favorite bourbon recipe, proof, warehouse location, and age on the Buffalo Trace website. A consensus shook out with wheated bourbon aged on the highest warehouse floors for eight years that’s then bottled at 95 proof. From that, a new whiskey was born and is now released yearly.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Expect a nose full of dried orange peels and dry tobacco leaves braided with dry cedar bark next to a creamy vanilla sauce just touched with poppy seeds and a faint hint of real and spicy root beer laced with dark cherries.
Palate: The palate has a mild spicy warmth that leads to a salted caramel sweetness with an echo of tart apple skins before the dark cherry kicks in with a mix of winter spices and lush marzipan covered in creamy dark chocolate.
Finish: The end leans into a lightly spiced (think cinnamon, allspice, and maybe some licorice) chewing tobacco with a layer of dark cacao or almond adding a dryness to the finish.
Bottom Line:
This can be hit-and-miss depending on which vintage you come across. I really like 2020 and 2021 but was a bit underwhelmed by 2022’s release. My advice is to seek these out at whiskey bars and sample a few vintages before committing to a bottle. There’s greatness here, you just have to do the work to find it.
5. Weller The Original Wheated Bourbon Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Weller Single Barrel gets a lot of hype because people tend to think of it as an alt-Pappy Single Barrel. Again, Weller and Pappy are two different beasts. That aside, the juice in play here is pulled from single barrels that hit a perfect Weller profile when proofed down to 86-proof for this as-is yearly drop.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: A bowl of fresh sour cherries just hit with salt and fresh mint mingles with a lush vanilla foundation and a hint of cedar and maybe some winter spice on the nose.
Palate: The palate amps up those winter spices with a good hit of nutmeg, cinnamon, and clove with a creamy eggnog mouthfeel before a hint of barely bitter dark-chocolate-covered espresso beans link to a whisper of white pepper.
Finish: The end layers the nutmeg and creamy eggnog into a chewy tobacco leaf and then folds that into a dry pine box.
Bottom Line:
This expression is divisive. I really don’t care for the low proof. It’s almost like a watered-down version of Blanton’s sometimes — to me. That said, this is probably the most drinkable whiskey on the list because of that low proof. Even a noobie should be able to enjoy this neat without a hint of burn or roughness. That’s enticing.
If you’re looking to ease your way into Weller, this is where to start.
4. Weller The Original Wheated Bourbon Full Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
This expression is a marriage of some serious barrels of unknown age. That vatted whiskey goes into the bottle at “full proof” which is not “barrel proof.” The “full proof” this refers to is the proof of the hot juice when it goes into the barrel for aging. That whiskey will come out of the barrel somewhere around 57% but not right at it. So there may be a little proofing water involved. Hence, it is always 114 proof and not 114.7 one year and 113.1 the next year or 115.9 the year after that.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Ripe and sour cherries lead the way with a thick vanilla underbelly, a hint of salted caramel, and woody cinnamon next to whole nutmeg bulbs on the nose with this slight echo of almost singed cherry bark.
Palate: The palate leans into the sharpness of the cinnamon and the lushness of the vanilla as a foundation as layers of buttery caramel cake frosting with a hint of sassafras and licorice next to dry cedar bark braids with a thin line of sweet grass and a whisper of sourdough fritters.
Finish: The end leans into creamy brandy butter cut with dark-chocolate-covered dried sour cherries sprinkled with salt and rolled in fresh tobacco leaves and stacked next to orange-laced marzipan in an old and slightly sweet cedar box.
Bottom Line:
This is getting into the good stuff when it. comes to Weller. This is a really tasty whiskey overall with a deep flavor profile and enough depth to keep you coming back for more. Moreover, the higher proof allows you to add a little water or ice to bring it down to a proof you like to sip. And that addition of water allows the whiskey to bloom in the glass, leading to more flavor notes and depth. It’s a win-win.
As a side note, this is what you’ll most likely see as a barrel pick at stores, bars, and restaurants. In that case, the profile might be slightly different. I’ve picked a barrel of this in the past that tasted exactly like WL Weller BTAC (more on that below). Either way, this is going to be a great pour of bourbon.
3. Weller The Original Wheated Bourbon Antique 107 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
This is a non-age-statement bourbon that’s called “Old Weller Antique” (OWA) by those who love the old-school vibes of the expression’s previous iteration. The ripple with this expression is the higher proof. The barrels are vatted and barely proofed down to 107-proof before bottling (the entry proof is 114).
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with a lovely sense of vanilla pods and orange blossom with a hint of old saddle leather and cedar bark next to wild sage, cinnamon and caramel apple fritters, and salted black licorice with a bundle of holiday spices and barks tied up with burnt orange and pine.
Palate: The palate is lush with a cream soda float with malted vanilla ice cream cut with cherries, dark chocolate chips, and espresso flakes next to cinnamon cherry bark tobacco on the mid-palate.
Finish: The end dives toward a thick braid of cedar bark, sage, and blackberry tobacco with a thin line of sweetgrass and vanilla pods woven in there.
Bottom Line:
This is the best cocktail base bourbon on the list. It makes a killer Manhattan, old fashioned, or Sazerac. I also dig it over a rock or two or neat. It’s a great workhorse that you can actually still kind of find at MSRP or near to.
2. Weller The Original Wheated Bourbon Aged 12 Years Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
This is the expression that’s theoretically the closest to Pappy. The whiskey rests in the warehouse for 12 long years, in the same barrels and warehouses as Pappy. The difference between this and Pappy 12 — good ol’ “Lot B” — is pretty simple actually. If the barrel doesn’t hit the exact flavor profile needed for a Pappy, it’s sent to the blending house to become a Weller (as long as it hits Weller’s flavor profile, of course). So, yes, this could have been a Pappy 12 had the flavor profile been slightly different in the barrel.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose hits softly with bruised peaches and old pears next to fresh wool sweaters, vanilla pancake batter, and moist marzipan next to orange oils, worn-out wicker deck furniture, and old Buffalo Trace leather with a faint hint of dried roses.
Palate: The palate kicks around cherry bark and apple-cider-soaked cinnamon sticks with spiced cranberry sauce over buttermilk biscuits and gingerbread.
Finish: The end leans into the sharp brown spices with a mild sense of vanilla cake with apple cider and cinnamon frosting, a touch of burnt orange, and more of that moist marzipan covered in salted dark chocolate.
Bottom Line:
This is a really tasty whiskey. It’s great for a neat pour thanks to that low ABV. But this one doesn’t wash out like the single barrel. There’s more depth at play in this pour that keeps pulling you back in for more. Then when you do add water, this really blooms in the glass and gets super creamy and nutty with a deep Black Forest cake vibe. It’s great.
Distilled back in the spring of 2010, this whiskey was made with a mix of Kentucky corn and wheat and barley from North Dakota with that Kentucky limestone water. The distillate was filled into new white oak from Independent Stave from Missouri with a #4 char level (55 seconds) and stored in warehouses C, K, and N on floors 2, 3, and 4 for 12 long years. During that time, 64% of the whiskey was lost to hungry angels. Those barrels were then batched and this whiskey was bottled as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this one is surprisingly sweet with a big slice of coconut cream pie (with a lard crust) next to your grandma’s butterscotch candies straight from an old leather handbag that’s held menthol cigarettes for decades and maybe some old Mon Cheri bonbons.
Palate: The palate opens with a lush eggnog full of nutmeg, allspice, and vanilla that leads to a white pound cake with a hint of poppy seed next to old leather tobacco pouches with a hot cinnamon spiciness on the mid-palate with light cedar woodiness.
Finish: The end layers that white cake into the tobacco while packing it all into an old leather handbag with whispers of mint chocolate chip, Halloween-sized Mounds bars, and old lawn furniture that’s been left out too many seasons.
Bottom Line:
This is the best Weller expression by a country mile. This with a few drops of water or a single rock is bliss. Those heavier proof notes melt away, leaving you with a creamy glass of deep cherry and vanilla desserts cut with creamy nuttiness and old rickhouses on a cool fall morning. It’s just f*cking delicious.
That begs the question: Would I pay the markup for this one? Yes. This is one of those rare whiskeys that’s actually worth paying $100 a pour at a whiskey bar or $2,000 to actually own, even though the MSPR is $99 (for now). Think of it like finally getting a Rolex Cosmograph Daytona or pair of OG Air Jordan 1s. It’s rare but lives up to the hype when it comes to quality.
So far, all accounts of what happened with Madonna’s recent ICU visit have come from third parties. Now, Madonna has shared her own statement.
The statement reads:
“Thank you for your positive energy, Prayers and words of healing and encouragement. I have felt your love. I’m on the road to recovery and incredibly grateful for all the blessings in my life.
My first thought when I woke up in the hospital was my children. My second thought was that I did not want to disappoint anyone who bought tickets for my tour. I also didn’t want to let down the people who worked tirelessly with me over the last few months to create my show. I hate to disappoint anyone.
My focus now is my health and getting stronger and I assure you, I’ll be back with you as soon as I can!
The current plan is to reschedule the North American leg of the tour and to begin in October in Europe.
I couldn’t be more grateful for your care and support.
The first reactions to Barbie are pouring in, and to the surprise of no one, the Greta Gerwig film is racking up rave reviews. Starring Margot Robbie as the iconic fashion doll and Ryan Gosling as her requisite arm-candy Ken, Barbie was already been a social media hit ever since the first trailer hit. However, based on the reactions from critics, the film not only lives up to the hype, but manages to exceed thanks to a bombastic yet smart approach by Gerwig.
“#Barbie is perfection,” Katcy Stephen tweeted. “Greta Gerwig delivers a nuanced commentary on what it means to be a woman in a whimsical, wonderful and laugh-out-loud funny romp. The entire cast shines, especially Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling in roles they were clearly born to play.
#Barbie is perfection. Greta Gerwig delivers a nuanced commentary on what it means to be a woman in a whimsical, wonderful and laugh-out-loud funny romp. The entire cast shines, especially Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling in roles they were clearly born to play.
“#Barbie caught me off guard & I mean that in the best way possible,” Joseph Deckelmeier wrote. “It’s funny, bombastic, & very smart. Greta Gerwig aims for the fences & hits a home-run. Margot Robbie’s performance is great & @RyanGosling & @SimuLiu are pure entertainment! The whole cast is brilliant!”
#Barbie caught me off guard & I mean that in the best way possible. It’s funny, bombastic, & very smart. Greta Gerwig aims for the fences & hits a home-run. Margot Robbie’s performance is great & @RyanGosling & @SimuLiu are pure entertainment! The whole cast is brilliant! pic.twitter.com/oXH965aUIF
— Joseph Deckelmeier (@joedeckelmeier) July 10, 2023
“Just went to the #Barbie premiere. Fav movie of the year,” Roxy Striar tweeted. “I can’t believe how high my expectations were & how this @Barbie went leaps and bounds beyond them. I belly laughed. I melted. Greta made a masterpiece & I legit think it should be nominated for an Oscar.”
Hi Barbie!
Just went to the #Barbie premiere. Fav movie of the year. I can’t believe how high my expectations were & how this @Barbie went leaps and bounds beyond them.
I belly laughed. I melted. Greta made a masterpiece & I legit think it should be nominated for an Oscar.
“I loved #Barbie, Margot Robbie is especially committed to sensitively selling a full arch,” Matt Donnelly wrote. “Wait until you see the Kensurrection.”
I loved #Barbie, Margot Robbie is especially committed to sensitively selling a full arch. Wait until you see the Kensurrection.
“I can’t officially quit Twitter before telling you all that #Barbie is currently my favorite film of the year,” Jamie Jirak tweeted. “Greta Gerwig somehow exceeded my expectations. She tackles the positives and negatives of Barbie so beautifully. Give Ryan Gosling an Oscar nomination, I’m dead serious!”
I can’t officially quit Twitter before telling you all that #Barbie is currently my favorite film of the year. Greta Gerwig somehow exceeded my expectations. She tackles the positives and negatives of Barbie so beautifully. Give Ryan Gosling an Oscar nomination, I’m dead serious!
I have seen #Barbie! The craftsmanship is incredible. In particular the costume & production design includes next-level work that heavily contributes to creating the feeling that these truly are Barbies, their dream houses, and their worlds come to life.
#Barbie is a cinematic triumph. Gerwig is at the top of her game here, she’s crafted a film that’s not only gorgeous to look at, but poignant, clever and hilarious. Margot Robbie delivers an endearing and memorable performance, though it’s Gosling who stole every scene he was in pic.twitter.com/IU9ZrbKlnq
#Barbie is a dazzling movie that honors the bombastic nature of the 50s movie musical while maintaining masterful contemporary commentary on America’s plastic It Girl. This film dares to re-contextualize who Barbie is or isn’t and manages to nail it w/humor and heart. A triumph. pic.twitter.com/aJEvUBpPJz
— this barbie hosts The Afternoon Special (@hiimbobbi) July 10, 2023
#Barbie is one of the best films I’ve seen this year. The screenplay features the highs and lows of the existentialism of Barbie and Ken’s lives. It’s a masterclass in world-building through its production design, in addition to the stellar performance by Ryan Gosling.
#Barbie is a triumph. A pitch-perfect script backed by great performances — particularly from Ryan Gosling — turns what could be a simple studio comedy into a sharp commentary on our society that makes its nuance palatable for those that may not take it at face value. GG is 3/3. pic.twitter.com/MIVRtkmtbd
Last month, The Boys and Call of Duty teased a collaboration between the two powerhouse franchises, and today, a surprising character from the show has announced details of the upcoming crossover.
In a new video posted by Vought International, the fictional corporation behind The Seven, the twisted superhero team featured in The Boys, Black Noir holds a press conference where he confirms that he’ll be appearing in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 along with Homelander (Antony Starr) and Starlight (Erin Moriarty). And by confirm we mean that Black Noir simply nods “yes” or “no” when asked questions being that he’s mute.
The announcement video also reveals that a “hero who shall not be named” will also appear in the crossover, and according to Comic Book, fans are convinced that “operator” will be none other than Karl Urban’s Butcher. While Homelander, Starlight, and possibly Butcher’s presence makes sense, Black Noir showing up gets a little tricky.
Spoilers for The Boys below:
Black Noir died in the final moments of Season 3, which makes his inclusion in the game and the press conference a bit odd. However, The Boys figured out a fix for that problem. Before the video begins, the screen text reads, “The following press conference was filmed last year prior to Black Noir’s secret mission and Starlight’s betrayal of The Seven.” We’re guessing the “secret mission” is how the show will explain his absence for the time being.
Of course, Black Noir is the source of a major twist in the comics, which we won’t spoil here. So don’t be surprised if his death (or sudden reemergence) isn’t all that it seems when The Boys returns for Season 4.
The Boys Seasons 1-3 are available for streaming on Amazon.
When the tracklist for the Barbie movie soundtrack was revealed in May, the impressive roster included Ava Max, Charli XCX, Dominic Fike, Dua Lipa, Fifty Fifty, Gayle, Haim, Ice Spice, Kali, Karol G, Khalid, The Kid Laroi, Lizzo, Nicki Minaj, PinkPantheress, and Tame Impala. Interestingly, also on the list was Ryan Gosling, who stars in the film as Ken. Now we have our first taste of the Gosling track, “I’m Just Ken.”
Gosling previously said of approaching the role of Ken, “Up until this point, I only knew Ken from afar. I didn’t know Ken from within. I doubted my Ken-ergy. I didn’t see it. But Margot and Greta conjured this out of me.”
Check out the “I’m Just Ken” video above.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
This post is being updated.
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