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Southern rap legend Bun B joined People’s Party with Talib Kweli last week as the first solo returning guest outside of Yasiin Bey. The conversation spanned rap music, Pimp C, hip-hop’s therapeutic elements, and his new hamburger concept. Plus there was talk of a Kweli-Bun full-length album:

Bun B has paved his own path as an entrepreneur, college professor at Rice University, and a respected thinker in the culture of hip-hop. The music he made as half of the duo UGK altered hip-hop’s understanding of the power, scope, and potential of Southern rap. But even as UGK’s renown grew they needed a little extra light shone on them with bi-coastal audiences. Kweli noted that few people know that Jay-Z did exactly that — sourcing the opening four bars of the third verse of “99 Problems” from a Bun verse.

“People be like ‘Yo, Jay-Z took a piece of your rhyme. I didn’t know that was your sh*t,’” Bun recalls. “I’m like dope, it’s all good bro!”

Bun B then discussed how many artists display lyrical admiration and tribute by dropping these lines. Sometimes, it is taken as it is meant. Other times, an artist may have to compensate the person who was quoted. Bun stresses he never pursues cash from rappers who have quoted him.

“Hov has shown love,” he noted. “So much love to UGK. ‘Big Pimpin’’ is my international calling card. This is a record that is 22 years old. We can go to any country on the planet where people go to a club and dance. You can play that record and everybody that came to party will party to that record.”

To check out more of this incredible conversation about music, culture and art watch People’s Party with Talib Kweli and co-host Jasmin Leigh.

We are just weeks away from Super Bowl LVII, and while the game is a thrill in and of itself, fans look equally forward to the star-studded commercials. Over the past few weeks Doritos has teased a scandalous love triangle-themed spot with Jack Harlow. Now, it seems like hip-hop icon Missy Elliott is joining in on the fun.

In the clip, Elliott answers a phone call from the “First Class” hitmaker himself.

“What’s up? Collab? You know I’ve been waiting to collab,” she says on the phone.

Shortly after, Elliott looks puzzled.

“A love triangle?” Elliott says. “I don’t know about that.”

Though Harlow himself is neither seen nor heard during the sneak preview, Elliott’s reactions say it all. At the end of the clip, the screen reads “2.12.2023,” suggesting that both stars will appear in the Doritos ad set to air during the Super Bowl.

Super Bowl LVII will take place on February 12 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Kick-off will begin at 6:30 EST and the game will broadcast on Fox.

You can check out the sneak peek of the Doritos spot above.

Jack Harlow and Missy Elliott are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Well, one film is already blowing up social media heading into this year’s Oscars. You ready for it? My Year of Dicks. The title, which we swear to God is real, was nominated for Best Animated Short Film, and presenter Riz Ahmed had the room in stitches when he announced it. Of course, it probably didn’t help that the actor put a little extra mustard on the word “dick” while reading the list, and you can hear laughter all throughout the production.

Check it out below:

Once he finished the list of Animated Short Films, Ahmed was still giggling as co-presenter Allison Williams tried to keep it together and joked “No comment” before they moved onto the next category. However, Twitter was not ready to let go of the hilarious ordeal. Ahmed’s reaction quickly went viral as tweet after tweet poured in of people loving that we’re all just a bunch of schoolchildren, even the prestigious Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Science.

You can see some of the reactions below:

Directed by Sara Gunnarsdottir, My Year of Dicks is about “a young girl on a mission to lose her virginity in the early ‘90s” and is adapted from the book Notes to Boys: And Other Things I Shouldn’t Share in Public by Pamela Ribon. Via Variety:

A fictionalized version of Ribon (the prolific film and TV writer) is the protagonist who chases a series of conquests — from an actual vampire to harrowing frat boys — in hopes of sexual awakening in a podunk town outside of Houston. Upon release, her uniquely etched characters drew comparison to those of “Superbad” and “Dazed and Confused.”

You can see the full list of nominees for Best Animated Short Film below:

(Via Variety)

When it comes to cheap(er) but still great Scotch whisky, you really start to hit a stride around $50 to $60 per bottle. Though, to be completely fair, we’re still mostly talking about whiskies that you’d largely use for mixing up a killer cocktail or highball. Let’s not fool ourselves into thinking that you’re going to see the clouds part and the sun shine through like a revelation at this price point. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t good-tasting whisky to be had either — there certainly is.

For this list, I pulled 10 bottles of really good Scotch whisky that you can buy for just south of $60. These are all good whiskies, sure, but some do have that little something special about them. So I’ve also ranked these entries, according to how tasty they are.

Lastly, these bottles are all priced according to either Total Wine or Reservar Bar delivery in Kentucky. Your local prices may vary depending on a laundry list of factors. Let’s dive in and find you a great Scotch whisky to stock on your bar cart right now!

• Johnnie Walker Vs. Chivas: Which Scotch Whisky Brand Will Win Our Blind Test?
• The 50 Best Scotch Whiskies Of 2022, Ranked
• The Best Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whiskies Under $100, Ranked
• World Class ‘Sipping’ Single Malt Whiskies Under $100, Ranked
• The Best Peated Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Blind Tasted And Ranked

10. Glenrothes Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky 12 Years Old

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $58

The Whisky:

This Speyside whisky is all about Spanish wood and Scottish malts. The whisky is matured exclusively in sherry casks for 12 years before vatting and proofing without any additives or coloring.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a soft sense of blackened bananas next to vanilla beans, a hint of lemon oils, and a whisper of dried roses on the nose.

Palate: The palate marries that lemon and banana into a banana bread with plenty of cinnamon and nutmeg with a touch of vanilla next to a savory melon vibe.

Finish: That savory fruit drives the mid-palate towards a finish with almost a lemon cream pie feel next to a hint more of spice and soft vanilla rounding things out.

Bottom Line:

This is a solid unpeated malt that really leans into citrus and sweet baked goods with a fruity vibe. I like this nice highball with good fizzy water and a twist of orange or grapefruit peel.

9. Glengoyne Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 10 Years

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $56

The Whisky:

Glengoyne uses unpeated Highland barley that they airdry themselves before fermentation. The uniqueness of this whisky doesn’t end there. They also season their own American and European oak barrels with sherry for six years before filling them with their juice. After ten years of maturation, those barrels are vatted, proofed, and bottled for this expression.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This starts off fairly familiar for a sweet Highland malt with notes of apple candies, butter toffee, and a few chocolate-covered almonds.

Palate: The taste leans back into the apple but it’s more tart and juicy now as minor notes of anise and wet cedar bark lead to a little bit of warm cream sitting on top of a shot of espresso and a hint more of those almonds.

Finish: The finish lets the malts sweeten with a hint of orange marmalade on toast rounding things out.

Bottom Line:

This is another unpeated whisky that’s really going to make your highball shine. It works well in a Scotch old fashioned too.

8. Laphroaig Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky Select

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $56

The Whisky:

Master Distiller John Campbell created this whisky to highlight the diversity of the casking process behind Laphroaig’s classic expressions. The juice is a blend of four casks. Their quarter, Pedro Ximénez, triple wood, and ten-year-old casks are married to create a deeply satisfying bottle of whisky.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The whisky draws you in with hints of red fruit, plums, nuts, and a bit of peated maltiness.

Palate: The fruit leads the way on the palate while the wood leans mildly spicy with a bit of alcohol warmth, Ace bandages, smoked salts, and more of that malt.

Finish: The end lingers as the fruit and wood come together with an ever-so-distant wisp of smoke and Band-Aid.

Bottom Line:

This is an acquired taste that really grew on me. I tend to like this in a penicillin or highball, but it does work as an on the rocks sipper too.

7. Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch Whisky 12

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $52

The Whisky:

This is an entry whisky to Speyside and single malts in general. The juice is aged in a combination of used American and European oak before it’s married, rested, proofed with Speyside’s iconic water, and bottled.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This dram is creamy like a vanilla pudding with a bright pear orchard vibe, some mild toffee, and hints of sweetgrass next to mild oak.

Palate: That leads towards a very easy and soft woodiness with a touch of candied pear and more vanilla cream before hints of soft cinnamon spice poke up in the background with those soft malts.

Finish: By the end, it’s clear how light and approachable this whisky is as that pear, vanilla cream, and mild spice slowly fade away, leaving you with a silken mouthfeel and just enough malts and toffee.

Bottom Line:

This is purely quintessential Speyside unpeated malt. The fruit orchards, honey, and vanilla all combine to make a very classic albeit light sip of whisky. Since it is so light, use it to build a great cocktail or highball.

6. Arran Single Malt Scotch Whisky Barrel Reserve

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $58

The Whisky:

This Island’s whisky is all about reaching over the pond. The 100% malted barley juice is aged exclusively in ex-bourbon barrels (for an undisclosed amount of time) before it’s vatted, proofed, and bottled as-is to highlight that barrel.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This has a nose full of ripe apples and pears with stems and cores alongside soft and damp cedar and chewy vanilla-laced toffee.

Palate: The palate counters with grapefruit pith, silken vanilla cream, and apple butter brimming with dark spice.

Finish: The finish comes about with a singed cedar bark feel next to soft powdery spices, orange oils, and a very light vanilla ice cream scoop.

Bottom Line:

This is the bottle you want to buy if you’re looking for a bourbon bridge to Scotland. It works nicely as a sipper over some rocks or in an old fashioned cocktail.

5. Bruichladdich The Classic Laddie Scottish Barley Unpeated Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $56

The Whisky:

Bruichladdich’s philosophy on whisky making is pretty unique. Each batch highlights local, unpeated Scottish barley that’s fermented and distilled. That juice then goes into some combination of ex-bourbon, ex-sherry, and ex-wine casks for a varied amount of time. That means each batch is unique. Bruichladdich then provides a code on their bottles so that you can go to their website and find out what makes the bottle in your hand special.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Wildflowers and granola bars draw you in on the nose as a hint of brine and salted caramel linger on the back end with orange oils and softwood.

Palate: That brine becomes a full rush of seaspray as tart apples lead towards a Caro syrup mid-palate sweetness.

Finish: That sweetness fades into a spicy malt as sea salt and sweet oak dominated the finish.

Bottom Line:

This is a nice seaside unpeated malt. That salinity makes this a great candidate for simple whisky cockatiels or highballs, but it’s also perfectly suited to easy sipping over a glass full of ice.

4. Compass Box Orchard House Blended Malt Scotch Whisky

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $59

The Whisky:

The blended malt leans into apples as a predominant flavor note of sweet Scotch whisky. The whisky in the bottle is a blend of 39% Linkwood single malt that aged in ex-bourbon barrels, 20% Clynelish single malt also aged in ex-bourbon barrels, and Benrinnes single malt from ex-bourbon barrels. The next 8% is a single malt from a distillery in the town of Aberlour (not the distillery) that is aged in ex-sherry butts with 2% from a Highland malt blend that is aged in custom-built and toasted French oak barrels, and the final 2% from a peated malt from Caol Ila that matured in ex-bourbon casks.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Naturally, apples burst forth on the nose with tart, sweet, and juicy notes next to a soft pear vibe, lemon and lime zest, a touch of sweet pineapple, and a soft echo of dry but fragrant Earl Grey tea leaves.

Palate: The palate leans into fresh ginger soaking in a pot of floral honey next to minor notes of fresh strawberry shortcake with a soft vanilla sponge cake, fresh berries, and a dollop of vanilla-laced whipped cream.

Finish: The finish leans into a light white floral note while the pear and apple return with a ripeness that feels like they’re fresh off the vine and a final note of lightly spiced malts with a whisper of applewood smoke.

Bottom Line:

This is just good, especially if you’re looking for a very fruit-forward whisky for highballs, cocktails, or your rocks glass.

3. Glenfarclas Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 12 Years

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $54

The Whisky:

Glenfarclas is a bit of an outlier. The whisky is distilled with old-school fire-heated stills (most stills use steam) to this day, imbuing a hint of smokiness to the juice. The whisky is then aged exclusively in ex-sherry casks for 12 long years.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a rumminess to the nose that touches on molasses, prunes, nuts, and jam that’s all just touched with a thin line of smoke, kind of like an old sweater after a backyard campfire.

Palate: The taste holds onto that vibe to the point of having an almost spiced rum sweetness and clear notes of holiday spices, plenty of dried fruit, and a roasted almond element.

Finish: The end is long and spicy, leaving you with a warming Speyside hug that hints at smoked plums and apricots with a dash of old honey sweetness.

Bottom Line:

This is a nice and very subtle whisky. It’s deep though, which makes it a fun sipper over some rocks or to play with in a cocktail.

2. Mortlach Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 12 Years

ABV: 43.4%

Average Price: $52

The Whisky:

This single malt hails from a tiny yet beloved Speyside distillery. The actual whisky is also made on their smallest still, nicknamed “Wee Witchie.” That juice then goes into ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks for 12 years. Finally, those whiskies are married, proofed, and bottled.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This is subtle yet engaging, with a nose of almost burnt toffee next to bright red berries, mild spice, hints of oak, and a bit of cedar.

Palate: The palate leans into the berries by becoming jammy with more of that toffee and a mild sense of spicy tobacco arriving late.

Finish: The end is long-ish with a plummy chew next to that tobacco and malty spice.

Bottom Line:

This is a damn fine whisky. I like it over some rocks but also put it into very simple whisky cocktails from time to time.

1. Ardbeg Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky Ten

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $56

The Whisky:

This is Ardbeg’s signature bottle and a true gateway to the peaty style of single malt scotches. The real highlight of this expression is the peat smokiness filtered through sherry casking. The phenol count tends to be on the higher end with this expression, so you’ll know you’re drinking a smoky whisky from the first nose. But it won’t absolutely floor you.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose is classic Ardbeg with hints of BBQ smoker ash full of fat, tart red berries, lemon pepper, and a touch of creamy dark chocolate.

Palate: The palate follows the nose’s lead while layering in sea-salt brined pork fat, hints of bourbon vanilla, and an echo of Nutella.

Finish: The finish has that deep salted black licorice vibe leading to a slow fade through the peppery smoked fat, charcoal ash, chocolate nuttiness, and finally smoked red berries with a sweet/tart edge.

Bottom Line:

This is bold and fun whisky that’s perfect served over a single large rock in a big ol’ rocks glass. That said, it also works nicely in a cocktail. But if you want to get the full thrust of the Islay peatiness with that seaside smoker vibe, then stick with the big cube of ice.

Last year, indie rock icons Le Tigre shocked fans with their first group performance in over a decade at the This Ain’t No Picnic festival. While singer Kathleen Hanna has lent her vocals to Marvel’s show WandaVision, fans of the band are still craving more. Now, the Le Tigre is obliging their supporters with an international tour kicking off this spring.

For the first time in nearly two decades, all members (Kathleen Hanna, Johanna Fateman, and JD Samson) will embark on a 24-city tour. The tour will feature stops at music festivals Primavera Sound Barcelona, Primavera Sound Madrid, Nos Primavera Sound Porto, and Mosswood Meltdown Festival, as well as solo shows in several major cities.

The tour will begin in Philadelphia on Memorial Day weekend and end in Brooklyn in late July. View the full tour schedule below.

05/27 — Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
06/01 — Barcelona, Spain @ Primavera Sound Barcelona 2023
06/03 — London, UK @ Troxy
06/05 — Manchester, UK @ Albert Hall
06/06 — Glasgow, Scotland @ Barrowland Ballroom
06/08 — Madrid, Spain @ Primavera Sound Madrid 2023
06/09 — Porto, Portugal @ Nos Primavera Sound Porto 2023
06/11 — Paris, France @ Le Trianon
06/14 — Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Paradiso
06/16 — Berlin, Germany @ Huxleys Neue Welt
06/17 — Hamburg, Germany @ Markthalle
07/01 — Oakland, CA @ Mosswood Meltdown Festival
07/03 — Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
07/06 — Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theatre
07/07 — Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
07/09 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Greek Theatre
07/15 — Chicago, IL @ The Salt Shed
07/17 — Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theatre
07/18 — Millvale, PA @ Mr. Smalls Theatre
07/19 — Baltimore, MD @ Baltimore Soundstage
07/21 — Toronto, ON @ History
07/22 — Montreal, QC @ L’Olympia
07/24 — Boston, MA @ Royale
07/28 — Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel

Tickets go on sale Friday, January 27th. To grab your tickets for one of the tour stops listed above, click here.

Today (January 24), the nominees for the 95th Annual Academy Awards were unveiled live, and there were a ton of surprises. For the category of Best Original Song, there were five total nominations.

Most notably, Rihanna’s “Lift Me Up” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever earned Rihanna her first ever nod for an Oscar. The music was done by her, Tems, Ryan Coogler, and Ludwig Goransson.

“It’s her experience with loss in there, and her being a mother. She’s a new person now,” Coogler revealed to Collider about Rihanna’s impact on the song. “I hear it in her voice. It’s her, but it’s a new her.”

Lady Gaga also was a big-name nominee, as her “Hold My Hand” collaboration with Bloodpop from the Top Gun: Maverick soundtrack earned the Academy’s attention.

Rounding out the category, Diane Warren’s “Applause” from Tell It Like A Woman; M.M. Keeravaani and Chandrabose’s “Naatu Naatu” from RRR; and Ryan Lott, David Byrne, and Mitski’s “This Is A Life” from Everything Everywhere All At Once were nominated, too.

Just a few weeks ago, “Naatu Naatu” won a Golden Globe for Best Original Song, making it the possible frontrunner for the Oscars race as well. Fans in the Academy’s replies also seem intensely happy that the song got a nod.

The Oscars ceremony will be held on March 12 at 8 p.m. ET, where the winners — including for this category — are revealed live.

Continue scrolling for some fan reactions to the 2023 Best Original Song Oscar nominees.

Today (January 24), Panic! At The Disco vocalist Brendon Urie has announced that the once-band, now-solo pop-rock act will close the door on this chapter. But before then, he will embark on a European tour.

Urie revealed the news on Panic! At The Disco’s social media pages this morning.

“Growing up in Vegas I could’ve never imagined where this life would take me,” said Urie. “So many places all over the world, and all the friends we’ve made along the way.”

Now, Urie has other exciting milestones underway. In his post, he revealed that he and his wife, Sarah, are expecting a baby, and therefore, his family will now take priority over music.

“The prospect of being a father and getting to watch my wife become a mother is both humbling and exciting. I look forward to this next adventure,” he said. “That said, I am going to bring this chapter of my life to an end and put my focus and energy on my family, and with that Panic! At The Disco will be no more.”

Urie thanked fans for their boundless support over the course of nearly two decades, as well as those who only recently became fans.

“I love you. I appreciate you. Thank you for existing,” he said.

Find the full post below.

“Well, it’s been a hell of a journey…

Growing up in Vegas I could’ve never imagined where this life would take me. So many places all over the world, and all the friends we’ve made along the way.

But sometimes a journey must end for a new one to begin. We’ve been trying to keep it to ourselves, though some of you may have heard.. Sarah and I are expecting a baby very soon! The prospect of being a father and getting to watch my wife become a mother is both humbling and exciting. I look forward to this next adventure.

That said, I am going to bring this chapter of my life to an end and put my focus and energy on my family, and with that Panic! At The Disco will be no more.

Thank you all for your immense support over the years. I’ve sat here trying to come up with the perfect way to say this and I truly can’t put into words how much it has meant to us. Whether you’ve been here since the beginning or are just finding us, it has been a pleasure to not only share the stage with so many talented people but also share our time with you. I am looking forward to seeing everyone in Europe and the UK for one last run together.

I love you. I appreciate you. Thank you for existing.

Brendon.”

Panic! At The Disco is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Jordan Peele‘s first movie, Get Out, was nominated for multiple Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay, which he won. Since then, however, Peele has been shut out of the Oscar race entirely: Us failed to receive a single nomination, despite an outstanding lead performance from Lupita Nyong’o, and history repeated itself this morning with Nope. Did one of the most acclaimed movies of 2022 get a well-deserved sound or cinematography nomination? Nope.

And people are not happy:

The Academy really has it out for horror, huh? Anyway: Justice for Chris Kattan.

“Look, all of my movies, I’m trying to give you something for whatever mood you’re in,” Peele told Uproxx when Nope came out. “So I think that there is a way to watch this movie in a way that you’re going to come armed for that conversation afterward. There’s also a way to watch this movie where you say, ‘Look, I’ve been working all day, all week. I want to shut off and see some wild stuff.’ Then I want that to be there for you as well, and if you want it all, I want to give the audience that, too.”

For the complete list of 2023 Oscar nominations, head here.

Now that the 95th Academy Awards nominations have been revealed, it’s time to catch up on everything you’ve missed. OK, maybe not everything (there is no need to watch Bardo… believe me), but at least the 10 films nominated for Best Picture.

You’ve probably seen at least two of them, considering Avatar: The Way of Water and Top Gun: Maverick made over $1 billion at the worldwide box office (or in the case of the Avatar sequel, $2 billion), and maybe the indie hit of the year, A24’s Everything Everywhere All at Once. But for everything else, and/or if you want to re-watch the beach football scene, here’s where you can find all the Best Picture nominees.

All Quiet on the Western Front (Netflix)

Our review:

If 1917 (and to some extent, War Horse) were stories of survival, gussied up with big technical gimmicks, All Quiet on the Western Front is an even more visually beautiful film that never lets you forget the main point about The Great War: it was A Bad Idea That Ended Badly. Edward Berger drives this point home studiously, meticulously, poetically, and by the end, a little repetitively.

Avatar: The Way of Water (it’s still in theaters)

Our review:

Going into Avatar: The Way of Water, I’d say I was Avatar-neutral. I was looking somewhat forward to this new movie because I love James Cameron movies and they are so far and few between, but on the other hand I don’t have strong feelings about Avatar one way or another and probably would have been even more excited if this were True Lies 2 instead. But, like the first movie, the technical wizardry won me over and the story is deeper and richer.

The Banshees of Inisherin (HBO Max)

Our review:

Like In Bruges, The Banshees of Inisherin is a dark movie that is often downright hilarious… It’s quite remarkable that a movie that plays as a giant metaphor also works so well as its own story. And that has a lot to do with Farrell and Gleeson settling back into their comedy routine they perfected 14 years ago in In Bruges.

Elvis (HBO Max)

Our review:

Baz Luhrmann is a lot like any other director, only more so. Likewise, Elvis has a lot of the scenes and conflicts we’ve come to expect after 20 years with the musical biopic format, only in this case with the volume cranked to 11 and the saturation pinned at 100; sameness to the point that it starts to become hallucinatory and inspired.

Everything Everywhere All at Once (Showtime)

Our review:

What makes Everything Everywhere work is not that it’s zany, it’s that it actually finds a purpose for its zaniness, or least tries to. The Daniels are provocateurs, brilliant technical filmmakers. More importantly, they strive not to be full of sh*t. God bless them.

The Fabelmans (Amazon Prime Video)

Our review:

While only a man as hopelessly corny as Steven Spielberg would dare to name his own origin story “The Fabelmans,” only as competent a filmmaker as Spielberg could actually make it work. And The Fabelmans is miles better than Spielberg’s last few (West Side Story, Ready Player One, The Post…). It’s at its best when it dares to be what Spielberg movies so rarely are: weird.

Tár (Peacock)

Our review:

Todd Field’s Tár is fantastic. It’s one of those movies that’s so good, it makes you a little angry that it’s been 16 years since Field’s last movie, Little Children. Then it might even make you more angry that this is only Field’s third movie since his debut with 2001’s In the Bedroom. With Tár, he’s three for three.

Top Gun: Maverick (Paramount+)

Our review:

It’s been 36 years since Top Gun. Top Gun: Maverick feels like a movie that is looking back on its younger self, noticing how brash and cocky it is. There’s some regret in those eyes about some of the choices made. But, also, yeah, that movie was also pretty cool. What if we take what we know now, and use that reflection on the past to make something even better? But, also, keep a good helping of all that cool? That’s Top Gun: Maverick. A movie that totally didn’t need to exist, but my goodness I’m glad it does. This is how “blockbuster” movies should be done.

Triangle of Sadness (Amazon Prime Video)

Our review:

At its best, Triangle of Sadness looks something like Below Decks meets Parasite, where the social mores of the yachting class are more deeply delved into than on Bravo, combining highbrow class comedy with universal puke and poop jokes (yes, there is sea sickness). Östlund’s scenes are always memorably shot and staged (which is probably what helped win him his second straight Palme D’or at Cannes — Force Majeure won a jury prize) but it’s also hard not to notice that his skewering stick often doesn’t seem all that sharp, especially compared to the aforementioned Bong Joon-ho.

Women Talking (it’s still in theaters)

Our review:

Sarah Polley has done justice to the book alongside a powerhouse cast that includes Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley, Frances McDormand, and more. The film has earned a spot in the early Oscar conversation, and it’s very, very easy to see why.

NBA All-World is out as of today, and for everyone who was curious what the NBA and Niantic’s answer to Pokemon Go was going to be they can download it on pretty much any phone with an app store and give it a try. How much you will enjoy the game however will likely depend on how deep you ask a basketball game to be.

I downloaded NBA All-World and gave it a go, because as someone who played and thoroughly enjoyed Pokemon Go for years, I thought there could be some potential in NBA All-World. Maybe if Pokémon GO was able to capture my childhood dream of exploring the world and catching Pokémon, this could fulfill another dream of being one of those dudes who just shows up at random courts, wins a bunch of games, and then disappears to wherever the next run is. Of course, I could attempt to do that in real life too but who has the time for such things?

So how did NBA All-World fare? Well, if you have played Pokémon GO before then you have played a lot of what it offers. Players go around in real life, going to actual locations, and collecting resources from those locations. Along the way, you can take on virtual versions of actual NBA players and add them to your team. The tutorial started me off with Darius Bazley and Jordan Poole, but you can add ne wplayers to your roster by defeating them in 1-on-1 challenges, like taking them on in a shooting contest or beating them in an actual game of 1-on-1.

The gameplay of these challenges is very simple. Swipe one way, press the button on screen to shoot, block, or steal, and do it with the correct timing and you’ll win. The shot timer itself is rather simple and most players will likely have it mastered no time, although it wouldn’t be surprising if better players had more difficult timing to make adding them harder.

The simplicity of NBA All-World and the familiarity with Pokémon GO is going to be what makes or breaks the experience for most players. If you can get past the simplicity and enjoy it for what it is, an NBA clone of Pokémon GO, then you can have a fun time with it. Just don’t expect an in-depth basketball experience. That’s not what it’s trying to be and that’s okay.