Maren Morris is not letting any hate get to her. Back in September, the country music star was labeled a “Lunatic Country Music Person” by Fox News after she called out Jason Aldean’s wife, Brittany, over transphobic comments she made on Instagram. More than a month later, Morris has found herself in a meme.
In the latest of several Spirit Halloween costume parody images trending online, a costume called “Lunatic Country Music Person” features Morris at the center. The costume comes with some nifty accessories, including a tambourine, inclusive fans, a pickleball paddle, a wig, and beef with transphobes. Note: a tall guy is not included with the costume.
Morris caught wind of the meme and took time to wish her fans a happy spooky season.
“I didn’t commission this but I do acknowledge it,” she said in a tweet. “Happy Halloween, lunatics.”
Morris has long been outspoken in her support of the LGBTQ+ community, and this isn’t the first time Morris has acknowledged the “Lunatic Country Music Person” label. When Fox News first called her this, she took a screenshot of the news frame with “Lunatic Country Music Person” on the ticker, and changed her default picture on some of her social media channels.
There’s something about baby animals that makes you want to pick them up and squeeze them, and Nibi is no different. She’s a 5-month-old baby beaver who seems to have a bit of a sore spot for her roommate Ziibi, according to the Newhouse Wildlife Rescue. The two beavers share an area in the rescue and Nibi was getting free time outside of her enclosure after displaying “good behavior” toward her roommate.
Turns out having two beavers is similar to having two children that share a room, someone always wants the other out so they can have the room to themselves. While Nibi was waddling around the room at the wildlife rescue, Ziibi was enjoying her time at the semi-aquatic enclosure unaware that her sassy roommate had devised a devious plan.
Nibi got to work as soon as the coast was clear and started piling sticks up in front of the door that Ziibi just left to ensure the equally adorable roommate couldn’t get back in. The chubby little beaver was extremely proud of herself when she managed to get the last stick in place after she dropped it on her way to build the dam of solitude.
Beavers can hop when they’re excited because that’s exactly what this furry girl did, and people on the internet cannot get enough of her scheming shenanigans.
The video has racked up more than 9.5 million views on the Newhouse Wildlife Rescue’s Facebook page and 16,000 comments. So many commenters could not get over the little hop she does at the end. Newhouse Wildlife Rescue explained to CNN that beavers build dams instinctively, but I have a feeling they don’t normally build them to “lock out” their foster sisters.
The video is adorable and you get to see Nibi in all of her sassy glory during the interview. Check it out below.
Saving the best for last, Bernard the Elf pops up in the closing moments of this charming trailer for the new Disney+ series extending the Santaverse. Breathe easy, Bernard stans. The Santa Clauses has you covered.
Tim Allen once again stars as jolly ol’ Saint Nick, having taken over for the Big Man all those years ago when he fell off a roof. He’s now firmly ensconced in North Pole life with a Mrs. Claus (Elizabeth Mitchell) and two children, but he’s facing a Boomer crisis. Here’s the official synopsis:
“Scott Calvin is back! After being Santa Claus for nearly thirty years, he’s as jolly as ever. But as Christmas declines in popularity, so does his Santa magic. Scott struggles to keep up with the demands of the job, as well as being there for his family. Upon discovering there is a way to retire from his post, Scott considers stepping down as Santa Claus and finding a worthy successor so that he can become a better father and husband.”
As we learn through the trailer, he’s picked the wrong replacement, and now Christmas itself is threatened. Just when he thinks he’s out…
Elves are disappearing? Belief in Christmas magic is on the decline? Cribbing ideas from Elfisn’t a big deal anymore? This is truly chaos.
The first two episodes of the series hit Disney+ November 16th and will simultaneously disprove the theory that there’s a War on Christmas and that Tim Allen was canceled by Disney. That’s a ton of heavy topical lifting for a feel-good Christmas show rebooting a 1994 family film about North Pole bureaucracy. Thank Nicholas we’ve got Bernard on our side.
It certainly feels like heavy-duty stout season, as the leaves crunch under feet and frost glistens in the mornings. While standard dry stout is all about that spring rebirth (and St. Partick’s Day), imperial stouts tend to lean more into fall and winter vibes, thanks to a flavor profile bursting with dark spices, marzipan, bitter dark chocolate, toasted coconut, and meaty dried fruits (amongst tons of other flavor notes). And there’s really no better example of that than Goose Island’s yearly and highly coveted Bourbon County Stout series.
Below, I’m going to rank all seven bottles of the 2022 Bourbon County Stout lineup. I was lucky enough to taste these with the Goose Island team this year. It was a great source of insight into this very special lineup of beers that carry serious bourbon whiskey notes. Incidentally, this year’s lineup also celebrates the 30th anniversary of Bourbon County Stout.
Beyond the tasting notes provided below, I’ll also be ranking these expressions according to what tastes the best. Spoiler alert: These are all pretty great, especially if you’re looking for a bourbon-forward stout experience. Look at it this way, this ranking is more to guide your hand when you’re in the beer store and actually come across one of these bottles, which admittedly are often rare finds. That also means the price of each of these bottles is going to vary pretty wildly since Goose Island doesn’t suggest a retail price. So you might be able to find them from anywhere between $11 and $30 a bottle this year and into the hundreds of dollars for the same bottles by 2023.
I will warn you, as well, that if you’re not an avid whiskey or bourbon drinker, then some of these might hit a little hard on the palate. Each one has a high ABV (above a standard bottle of wine) and often is best enjoyed shared with a friend next to a nice backyard fire under some flannel with some hot dogs and marshmallows roasting on the end of sticks. Let’s dive in.
Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Bourbon Posts Of The Last Six Months
This brew integrates Intelligentsia’s Turihamwe (which means “together”) coffee blend from Burundi. The coffee has a clean and sweet edge that imbues itself into the stout as it ages in the bourbon barrels.
Tasting Notes:
Dark chocolate-covered coffee beans lead to creamy espresso and a hint of drip filter coffee on the nose next to rich caramel maltiness with a hint of spicy nuttiness. There’s a clear sense of freshly brewed coffee throughout the palate that leans toward mocha lattes and creamy dark chocolate bars just touched with cinnamon and clove. The end is full of more bitter coffee and chocolate with hints of spices, nuts, and vanilla pods.
Bottom Line:
This is probably the most one-note of the bunch. It’s great if you’re looking for a coffee boost but that’s about it. Look, it’s well-made and drinkable but unless you really want a coffee-bomb stout, it’s a bit monotone.
This beer is a nod to Chicago’s cocktail scene. The idea was to mimic the flavor notes in a Jungle Bird Cocktail — a 1970s tropical shaker with blackstrap rum, Campari, pineapple juice, lime juice, and demerara syrup. To do that, the brewers added banana, coconut, lime, and pineapple into the bourbon barrels before aging.
Tasting Notes:
The tropical fruits really pop on the nose with a clear sense of grilled pineapple next to Almond Joy candy bars, banana bread with walnuts and cinnamon, and a hint of fresh citrus next to dried florals and woody dark spices. The palate leans into the Almond Joy vibe with rich dark chocolate next to peach skins and lime leaves with a subtle hint of nutmeg and cherry/vanilla tobacco. The end fades through those acidic fruits towards a soft vanilla-laden finish.
Bottom Line:
This was nice but very fruity. It kind of feels like some of the bourbon-y notes were drowned out. That said, this was a bright and fruity spot amongst some very dark beers. It just wasn’t my cup of tea.
This beer was devised as a nod to Fig Newtons. The brew was aged with 10,000 pounds of Black Mission figs, Graham Crackers, and natural flavors to achieve that flavor profile.
Tasting Notes:
This pops with Fig Newton energy on the nose with a clear sense of the cookie’s jammy interior and honey-laced cookie exterior next to a hint of orange oils and light molasses. The palate leans into spiced fig pudding with a hint of creamy brandy butter, soft nutmeg, and a hint of sour cherry next to malted vanilla, pipe tobacco, and rum raisin. The end really circles back around to the Fig Newton vibe while adding in more honey and spice with a vanilla lusciousness.
Bottom Line:
This is pretty damn good and really delivers on what’s promised on the label. It’s balanced and not overdone with a serious imperial stout depth and a hint of bourbon still in the mix. That said, if you’re not into Fig Newtons, this might not be your jam.
This stout came about trying to recreate almond biscotti dipped in dark chocolate sauce. To achieve this, the brewers at Goose Island added cocoa nibs, toasted almonds, anise seed, and natural flavors to the bourbon barrels while the stout aged.
Tasting Notes:
That anise really kicks on the nose with a slight salted black licorice essence next to moist marzipan covered in dark chocolate and a good dose of salted toffee sauce cut with bourbon. The palate leans into the almond vibes while adding a cinnamon toast feel next to spiced Christmas cake, dried red berries, candied citrus, and plenty of fatty nuts. The end has a very waffle feel to it with cinnamon syrup and roasted almonds mixing with a lush vanilla base.
Bottom Line:
I really like this (I’m a sucker for a lot of almond flavor notes). That said, this was a tad one-note on that almond front. I don’t say that as a slight to this beer because I really like it, but it’s definitely not a universal crowd-pleaser (for bourbon stout drinkers) like the next few on this list.
This is the classic and original imperial stout from the Goose Island Bourbon County line. The brew is aged in freshly emptied bourbon barrels from Heaven Hill, Four Roses, Wild Turkey, and Buffalo Trace. Those barrels are then blended into this dark and thick elixir before bottling.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is just classic imperial stout with big notes of salted chocolate bars, creamy vanilla malts, and tons of nutmeg next to a hint of sour cherry and canned brown bread. The palate leans into that deep and malty vanilla with a swirl of dark chocolate sauce next to some blackstrap molasses, Almond Joy, and rum-raisin with a dash of sweet cinnamon, allspice, and mild anise. The end lingers with a lush finish full of almond shells, stewed pear, and woody cinnamon next to that smooth vanilla maltiness.
Bottom Line:
This is the quintessential imperial stout. It’s deep, viscous, and full of big flavor notes that really lean into classic bourbon notes.
2. Goose Island Bourbon County Two-Year Barleywine Reserve
This blend of imperial stouts is made from wildly rare bourbon barrels. Goose Island was able to secure Heaven Hill’s Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond barrels for this expression. The barrels held Old Fitz’s 14-year, 16-year, and 17-year-old bourbon expressions. Goose Island’s stout was filled into those freshly emptied barrels and left to rest for two long years before blending and bottling for this year’s run.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a deep sense of burnt caramel malts (they almost spell out “Malliard” to the senses as you inhale this one) with dark chocolate powder mixed with buttery toffee cut with dark sour mash bourbon notes, sour cherries tossed in kosher salt, and a hint of figgy jam pies dusted with powdered sugar. There’s a sense of rich and moist marzipan on the palate with a hint of orange oils and a wink of dried roses next to creamy dark chocolate and a whisper more of sour cherry. The end layers the vanilla into the dark caramelized malts and dips it all in that dark chocolate with woody anise, clove, and cinnamon adding a moment of warmth.
Bottom Line:
This is just phenomenal. It’s kind of funky and sour while delivering seriously thick bourbon vibes.
1. Goose Island Bourbon County 30th Anniversary Reserve Stout
This expression celebrates the original collaboration between Goose Island’s Gregory Hall and Beam’s Booker Noe (both legends in their fields) all that way back 30 years ago when they first started Bourbon County Stout together in 1992. This beer is aged in Beam barrels from the Small Batch Bourbon Collection. The end result is a blend of beers aged in 36% Booker’s, 33% Knob Creek, 17% Basil Hayden, and 14% Baker’s barrels.
Tasting Notes:
That Beam-iness comes through straight away on the nose with an old-fashioned sourdough doughnut vibe next to a sour cherry compote, vanilla malt, and hefty dark chocolate with a hint of milkiness and espresso bean roast qualities. The palate pops with cinnamon candy and eggnog creaminess and nutmeg next to dark chocolate brownies bespeckled with dried sour cherries and just kissed with finishing salt. The end has a fancy Mounds bar vibe next to shredded toasted coconut and rich marzipan cut with burnt orange and dark cherry bark tobacco.
There are few whiskey releases every year more anticipated than the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection — or “BTAC” if you’re all cool about it. Last year’s collection stirred some serious controversy and about a million hours of material for whiskey podcasts, thanks to the lack of one of the greats being absent, George T. Stagg Bourbon. Well, Stagg is back in the mix this year and it has a higher ABV than ever.
Yes, friends, it’s time to review the 2022 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection.
A word of very serious warning first. Each of these bottles is marked for retail at the low-low price of $99. Cards on the table, it’ll be a miracle if you can find them for that price outside of a local state ABC (Alcoholic Beverage Control) lottery. Generally speaking, these bottles hit retail shelves at prices at a minimum of about ten times the suggested retail price and up to $5k and maybe beyond. It’s dire out there.
That’s kind of a tragedy as well, as these whiskeys truly live up to the hype. Moreover, there’s something for everyone in this year’s Collection. There’s a near-Hazmat bourbon that’ll satisfy the barrel-proof snobs. There’s also a funky and fresh rye whiskey with a big proof, a smaller but older rye with a very accessible proof, and two bourbons that are just freakin’ quintessential.
I was lucky enough to get these bottles early, so I’ll give you my professional opinion on the nose and taste. I’ll also rank these according to which ones I think you should run out and try right now. Hopefully, your favorite local whiskey bar will get a couple of these bottles so you can do just that. Otherwise, if you’re looking to buy these elite whiskeys, I wish you the best of luck on your odyssey.
Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Bourbon Posts Of The Last Six Months
This year’s Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Rye was distilled back in the spring of 2016 with a mix of Minnesota rye, Kentucky corn, and North Dakota malted barley with some of the iconic Kentucky limestone water. The hot juice went into new white oak from Independent Stave from Missouri with a #4 char level (55 seconds). Those barrels were racked in warehouses I, L, and M on floors 2, 4, 5, and 6. After six years and four months, 31% of the whiskey was lost to the angel’s share before these barrels were batched and bottled as-is.
Tasting Notes:
That high proof comes through on the nose with a hint of orange marmalade next to buttery southern biscuits, a hint of old saddle leather, star anise-heavy mulled wine with a whisper of cranberry, lemon meringue pie (or maybe Key Lime), and a flourish of dried flowers that edges on potpourri. The palate leans into the orange with a candied orange peel note layered into a spiced winter cake layered with dark chocolate ganache, Saigon cinnamon powder, and peanut brittle. The end has a woody floral spicy vibe kind of like a bunch of dried pine, roses, dried orange wheels, and cinnamon sticks wrapped up with old twine and dipped in a chocolate sauce with more dried rose lingering behind it.
Bottom Line:
This is a hell of a whiskey that simply doesn’t rock my world. I can’t get behind the floral notes in this one. That said, I can see why people line up for this as that flavor profile is so distinct and unique. To each their own.
This year’s return of the Stagg is hewn from whiskey distilled all the way back in 2007 with Kentucky corn, Minnesota rye, and North Dakota barley. The juice was filled into new white oak from Independent Stave from Missouri with a #4 char level (55 seconds). Those barrels were then stored in the famed Warehouse K on the first and fifth floors over 15 years, wherein 75% of the liquid was lost to the angels. Finally, the barrels were batched and bottled as-is.
Tasting Notes:
This whiskey is hot. Your nose is met with buttery pecan waffles loaded with dark salted chocolate chips and dripping with maple syrup that feels expensive next to darkly roasted espresso beans, singed vanilla husks, and dried sour cherries next to a medley of holiday spices. The palate leans into those spices with a clear sense of sharp cinnamon, old clove buds, allspice berries, and whole nutmeg bulbs next to a hint of star anise and maybe some cardamom before that darkly roasted coffee jumps back in with a deeply stewed cherry in a dark treacle syrup before the ABVs buzz hard on the mid-palate. The end amps up the woodiness with the spices and adds in a sense of old cedar bark, dark chocolate nibs, and a cherry-tobacco buzziness.
Bottom Line:
This needed a rock. There’s a lot to plumb from the depths of this one, but you’re just not going to do that neat. On this list, I’m looking for perfection as-is and this needs a little massaging to find that perfect moment.
All of that said, this is a massive, smack-you-in-the-face, water-bucket-to-the-head-while-sleeping, take-no-prisoners whiskey. You just have to get past those ABVs to find the hidden gem hiding behind that proof.
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:
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. 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 a light cedar woodiness. 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:
Look, these top three are basically tied for first place. Going microscopic to try and rank these, I backed away a tad from the mid-palate heat on this one. It wasn’t overpowering but it didn’t provide as effortless an experience as the next two. But again, that’s me reaching hard for something to pick at.
This whiskey started its journey back in 2003 and 2004 when the original juice was distilled with Minnesota rye, Kentucky corn, and North Dakota barley. The hot juice was loaded into new white oak from Independent Stave from Missouri with a #4 char level (55 seconds) and left to rest in warehouses K, M, and P on the second, third, and fourth floors. Overly nearly two decades, an average of 74% of the juice was lost to the angels before proofing and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
This one opens with a pile of candied and burnt orange peels next to a rich lemon bread with plenty of rich vanilla and poppy next to sweet layers of molasses, old leather tobacco pouches, and an old set of lawn furniture that’s spent too much time under and an old oak tree. The palate swells with a deep molasses sweetness next to a dash of freshly cracked black pepper countered by musty cumin, dried red chili pepper flakes, and a whisper of fresh bay leaf that leads to singed wild sage, rye bread crusts covered in coriander seeds, and a touch of maple syrup cut butter with a hint of cinnamon. The end slowly descends into a creamy mint chocolate chip tobacco vibe next to flaked cherry bark ready for a smoker and old oak leaves resting in dead sweetgrass.
Bottom Line:
This is just phenomenal. It’s so clearly a classic rye that goes above and beyond on the flavor profile to take you on a true sensory journey. This is also the most accessible sip that feels pretty much perfect poured neat. It beckons you back for more to dig deeper into the flavor profile’s depths.
Back in the spring of 2005, a humble bourbon was made with Kentucky distiller’s corn, Minnesota rye, and North Dakota barley. That hot juice was then filled into new white oak from Independent Stave from Missouri with a #4 char level (55 seconds) and stacked in Buffalo Trace’s warehouses H, K, and L on floors one and four. It was left alone for 17 years, which allowed 70% of the juice to be lost to the angels. In 2022, the barrels were batched and the whiskey was proofed down to 101 proof, and this whiskey was bottled otherwise as-is.
Tasting Notes:
The nose subtly draws you in with soft pipe tobacco that feels fresh and vibrant next to dried sour cherries dipped in salted dark chocolate and rolled in vanilla seeds and vanilla-laced streusel with a good dose of woody maple syrup with this fleeting hint of red brick, moldy cellar beams, and soft and sandy cellar dirt floor. Old maple trees dripping with sap lead to a rich salted caramel candy vibe next to rich vanilla pound cake topped with a creamy dark chocolate frosting and bespeckled with orange zest, dried cranberries bits, and crushed espresso beans. The mid-palate takes on a woody spiciness with a whisper of apple bark that informs a spiced Christmas cake full of soft cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, mace, and maybe some anise and dried dark fruits with creamy eggnog baseline next to old Whether’s Originals wrapped up in dry tobacco leaves and stacked in a musty pine box for safekeeping.
Each week our staff of film and TV experts surveys the entertainment landscape to select the ten best new/newish shows available for you to stream at home. We put a lot of thought into our selections, and our debates on what to include and what not to include can sometimes get a little heated and feelings may get hurt, but so be it, this is an important service for you, our readers. With that said, here are our selections for this week.
A comedy all-star team of Judy Greer, Keegan Michael Key, Johnny Knoxville, Rachel Bloom, and Paul Reiser come together to gently mock the reboot gold rush and the entertainment industry, providing a Larry Sanders-y kind of inside baseball show that benefits from the presence of Modern Family co-creator Steven Levitan and Party Down mastermind John Enbom. Did we mention Judy Greer? The legend that is Judy Greer grows as she totally steals these early episodes as an actress turned duchess turned actress trying to stave off Hollywood irrelevancy, which is something that could never happen to the real Judy Greer because she is an American treasure. But acting! Watch it on Hulu.
Charlie Hunnam and Shubham Saraf told us how chaos fueled this odyssey, and they aren’t messing around. Hunnam, as well, is a world away from Sons of Anarchy‘s Charming, California setting here. He’s semi-similarly an outlaw, though, in this adaptation of Gregory David Roberts’ same-named book, which details the life of an Australian convict who flees from prison for a new life in India. This may or may not be a semi-autobiographical turn from Roberts himself, whose life experiences are incredibly similar. Hunnam’s character finds himself both enthralled and struggling to avoid the trouble that got him into prison in the first place. Then he meets an enigmatic woman, and life grows even more complicated. It happens! Watch it on Apple TV Plus.
When should you check out the new season of Documentary Now!? NOW. Or whenever. Sorry for rushing you, but we wouldn’t want you to forget to watch Alexander Skarsgård as “Werner Herzog,” or the loving parodies of My Octopus Teacher and When We Were Kings (which have been remade as “My Monkey Grifter” and “How They Threw Rocks”), or Cate Blanchett once again proving she’s equally fantastic in searing dramas and ridiculous comedies. Actually, let’s take that back: watch Documentary Now NOW. Watch it on IFC.
George Lucas has frequently insisted that, like Wu-Tang Clan, Star Wars is for the children. But Andor sure looks like it’s geared more towards adults. The Rogue One prequel starring Diego Luna, reprising his role as Cassian Andor, is gritty, mature, and other words you use to describe movies and TV shows that aren’t messing around. And with this being the first Disney-era Star Wars show to be filmed in real-life locations, Andor isn’t messing around. Watch it on Disney Plus.
Big Mouth is back. This is good news for fans of filthy animated shows about teenagers figuring out their hormone-ravaged bodies. And fans of shows that are just, like, good. You probably know what you’re getting here at this point. Get in there if you’ve enjoyed being in there through the first few seasons. This isn’t hard. Watch it on Netflix.
Fresh off his Dahmer success, Ryan Murphy is here to freak people out again with this true-crime miniseries about the Broaddus family, who thought they found the greatest home ever, but it’s haunted. Not literally, but it’s being stalked by somehow who actually calls himself “The Watcher” and claims a deep attachment to the home, and god, this sounds horrific. Naomi Watts and Bobby Cannavale portray the terrorized leads, but rest assured, some light moments will exist because Jennifer Coolidge portrays the house’s realtor. Sold! Watch it on Netflix.
Atlanta is back — and back in Atlanta — for one last ride after a season-long jaunt to Europe. It’s kind of remarkable that this show has even existed. In a good way. It’s strange and silly, thoughtful and artistic, and not really like anything else out there. Donald Glover was a star before any of this got underway, but it’s made the rest of the main cast stars, too. That’s kind of cool. Get in there and appreciate this show while we still have it. You could be waiting a long time for anything even remotely similar. Watch it on FX/Hulu.
4. Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities (Netflix)
NETFLIX
The horror maestro unleashes an anthology series full of sinister tales, helmed by seasoned directors including Jennifer Kent (The Babadook). Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke adapts a story from H.P. Lovecraft, and other directors include Ana Lily Amirpour, Panos Cosmatos, Guillermo Navarro, David Prior, Vincenzo Natali, and Keith Thomas. It’s a fitting way to wrap up the witching season, so make it last forever. Watch it on Netflix.
You’ve surely seen the 1990s movie starring Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, and Kirsten Dunst, and now, Anne Rice’s most popular gothic novel gets the small-screen adaptation. Great news: this version is better than the film for several reasons. Jacob Anderson of Game of Thrones gives us a very different Louis while Sam Reid swaggers about as Lestat de Lioncourt, and Claudia’s story gets expanded with Bailey Bass giving us a brazen and tragic performance and a secondary narrative framing device. The leading duo takes their sexual tension out of the closet, too, which adds a lot of layers (and fun) to this update. Watch it on AMC Plus.
The first season of Abbott Elementary was a feel-good network sitcom that caught a massive wave of popularity and won a bunch of Emmys in a time when feel-good network sitcoms are kind of not supposed to do that. Credit for this goes to creator and star Quinta Brunson, who realized that an underfunded inner-city public school was exactly the right place to show us people with good hearts working inside a system that can be cold. Kind of like Parks and Recreation but in Philadelphia. The second season is underway and does not appear to be missing a beat. This is basically a miracle, all around. Watch it on Hulu.
The first season of The White Lotus took the world and the internet by storm with its combination of misery and drama and beautiful Hawaiian scenery. Season two takes the action to a new resort in the White Lotus chain, this one in Italy, and replaces almost the entire cast. “Almost” being the key word here because Jennifer Coolidge is back as Tanya. Which is good. More shows should be about Jennifer Coolidge going to fancy hotels around the world. This is a nice start. Watch it on HBO Max.
Each week our staff of film and TV experts surveys the entertainment landscape to select the ten best new/newish movies available for you to stream at home. We put a lot of thought into our selections, and our debates on what to include and what not to include can sometimes get a little heated and feelings may get hurt, but so be it, this is an important service for you, our readers. With that said, here are our selections for this week.
To many, Barney The Dinosaur was a foundational and positive part of their childhood, filling their days with song and love, but the icon also found himself caught in the middle of a still-raging war between snark and sentimentality, sparking hate from hate groups of the early internet era that, in I Love You, You Hate Me, get credit for helping to unlock the culture of grievance and rage that feels more prevalent and caustic now. Throw in side stories about a tantric sex guru, a shooting, and some Blues Clues Steve wisdom on the uncomplicated positivity of Barney and you get a pretty rich and compelling 2-part docuseries. Watch it on Peacock.
Baz Lurhman’s Elvis biopic is trash. Beautiful, glorious trash. The kind you leave out on your front porch for your neighbors to marvel at in grotesque disbelief. It’s hip-gyrating, finger-thrusting, sweat-pouring theatrics packaged in lush cinematography, contained in a classic underdog story that reaffirms everything you thought you knew about the King of Rock and Roll, and then adds some weird personal fodder that makes you question everything you thought you knew about the King of Rock and Roll. Austin Butler is mesmerizing, and so is whatever the hell Tom Hanks is doing in this thing. Enjoy it for what it is – a beautifully-shot fever dream filled with some great tunes. Watch it on HBO Max.
Thor is back once again and he brought some new friends with him. Natalie Portman, to be specific. Which is fun. This follow-up to the also-fun Ragnarok has made the move from theaters to streaming and into your living rooms. That’s another fun thing. It is almost unreasonable how good Chris Hemsworth is in these movies. You should not be allowed to look like that and be that funny. Someone should make a rule about it. Until then… watch it on Disney Plus.
Oh look! Another glorious sequel. Fans have been clamoring for a followup to this spooky childhood classic for so long that, now that it’s finally here, there’s some understandable apprehension. Can it capture the magic (pun intended) of its predecessor? Will the surprise musical numbers go as hard? Will Disney allow more tongue-in-cheek one liners about Satanic worship and child cannibalism to flourish (because we really need to hear Sarah Jessica Parker confirm she smells children, just one more time)? We don’t have all the answers but it’s never a bad thing when Bette Midler, Parker, and Kathy Najimy get together on screen. And we wouldn’t be caught dead talking smack about the Sanderson sisters. Watch it on Disney Plus.
A revenge fantasy set in an impossibly luxurious school where impossibly rich kids trade impossibly sharp and smart barbs, Do Revenge is not to be believed as a real slice of teenage life, but it is to be enjoyed. A lot. Led by Maya Hawke and Camila Mendes, Do Revenge is the perfect mean-teen movie, giving us all the fun and fierce cross of Mean Girls, Clueless, Heathers, 10 Things I Hate About You, Cruel Intentions, and Throw Momma From The Train (!?) that we didn’t know we needed, but we so, so did. Watch it on Netflix.
So here’s what happened. The Dream Team took the world by storm at the 1992 Olympics, with Magic and Michael and Larry and a slew of other Hall of Famers coming together to win gold in almost hilariously dominant fashion. Then, over the next 15 years, playing for USA Basketball became less appealing and things all got weird. Until, that is, 2008, when everyone from LeBron James to Dwyane Wade to Kobe Bryant had enough and got the band together for what became known as The Redeem Team. Now, 14 years after that, there’s a documentary about it. Feels like a must-watch for hoops fans. At least a should-watch. So… watch it on Netflix.
You are probably at least a little familiar with Hellraiser, the 1987 horror classic directed by Clive Barker. It’s been depicted on the screen in one way or another 11 times now, so that feels like a pretty safe assumption. The 11th and most recent version comes to Hulu and stars Odessa A’zion and Jamie Clayton. The official description goes something like this: “A young woman struggling with addiction comes into possession of an ancient puzzle box, unaware that its purpose is to summon the Cenobites, a group of sadistic supernatural beings from another dimension.” It is always a bummer when that happens. Watch it on Hulu.
Hulu is continuing its tradition of taking dusty old romance classics and reimagining them for our more modern, thumb-swiping times (see Fire Island) by tackling, who else, Shakespeare. If you’ve ever heard the tale of two teenagers from warring families who off-ed themselves instead of, I don’t know, giving group therapy a try and thought to yourself, “Huh, this is really messed up,” then this rom-com is for you. Booksmart’s Kaitlyn Dever plays Rosaline, the girl Romeo drops like a hot potato soon after meeting his Juliet. Jilted and craving revenge, she enacts a plan to keep the lovers apart and … well, you know how things go. Sharply smart and wickedly funny, it’s the kind of Shakespeare re-telling no one knew to ask for but you’ll be happy it exists anyway. Watch it on Hulu.
Lot going on here. Let’s start at the beginning. Paul Feig directs a cinematic take on a book of the same name about two kids who get swept away to an enchanted school where students learn to be heroes and villains in an attempt to keep the universe in balance. This is why “the school for good and evil” is right there in the title. We’ve got magic and teen angst and a heck of a cast that includes everyone from Charlize Theron to Kerry Washington to Laurence Fishburne to Michelle Yeoh. Again, a lot going on here. Most of it promising or at least interesting. Worth a shot, probably. Watch it on Netflix.
If you’re missing Key & Peele, we have some good news for you. Multiple seasons of the Comedy Central series will arrive on Netflix in November, so you can get your Hingle McCringleberry on, right from the comfort of your living room. In the meantime, you can enjoy Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele’s voices (along with that of Angela Bassett) as they play plotting demons who tangle with a teen who digs punk rock. Watch it on Netflix.
Jessica Chastain and Eddie Redmayne star in a mostly fictionalized account of Charlie Cullen, a New Jersey nurse who was found responsible for dozens of murders of patients over a 16-year period. The star power is here and everyone seems to love semi-true stories about serial killers lately so there’s at least even money odds that this sucker takes off. Just don’t watch it before you have a doctor appointment. That would not be fun. Watch it on Netflix.
The Halloween franchise is back for one last ride. Probably. The word “ends” is right there in the title so it’s a decent assumption, at least. For now. Jamie Lee Curtis is running around with a gun and there will be spooky music and ominous shots of Michael Myers and tons of callbacks to all the previous installments in the series. The bigger issue here is that Michael Myers has been terrorizing these poor people for almost 50 years now. Leave it alone, buddy. Move on. Watch it on Peacock.
Much has been made about The Watcher and for solid reason. The limited series has cemented Ryan Murphy’s place as a Netflix force, given that he held tight with two shows atop the Netflix charts at the same time. In addition, plenty of people who would have preferred a definitive ending expressed disappointment at the lack of a concrete conclusion. I still maintain that the show is worth watching despite complaints, but who does The Watcher end up being on the TV show?
As you’re likely aware by now, The Watcher is inspired by the real-life ordeal of the Broaddus family. They purchased what they believed to be their dream home in New Jersey and soon began to receive threatening letters from a mysterious person who raved about “young blood” while stalking the home and family. No one ever figured out who this real-life Watcher is, and the Broadduses moved out without further incident to the next owner. The same thing happens on the show but with a twist.
No character ends up pinpointed as The Watcher. However, multiple characters take credit, either in a joking way or otherwise:
– Theodora Birch: The private detective hired by Dean Brannock delivers a deathbed confession that she is The Watcher and had been jealous that the Bannocks owned the home. Yet as Theodora’s daughter later reveals, that this was a falsehood, and her mom only meant to make it appear as though her final case wouldn’t go unsolved.
– Roger Kaplan: After Dean and Nora confronted this high school teacher about a letter-writing exercise he had once conducted, they accused him of being their stalker. Subsequently, Roger’s wife was so freaked out that she separated from him. In retaliation, he mockingly stood near the problematic house and declared, “I’m The Watcher!” But no, it ain’t him, either.
– Nora Brannock: When Jennifer Coolidge’s real estate agent ended up buying the problematic house, Nora surfaced inside to deliver a piece of her mind. She menacingly signed off with an “I’ll be watching.” And then someone with a male-looking stature appeared inside the home and sent the realtor running for the hills but not before killing her dog. Not cool! However, this was clearly not Nora.
In summary, no one is The Watcher, but that might make everyone The Watcher.
The Portland Trail Blazers finally had their scalding hot start to the season come to an end in Miami on Wednesday night as the Heat handed them their first loss of the season, but more important to the Blazers’ long-term hopes of being a playoff contender again was seeing their star leave the game early.
Damian Lillard came up limping in the fourth quarter and left the game with a calf strain, but said afterwards that he would’ve played through the pain had it been a playoff situation. However, despite the star’s insistence it wasn’t serious enough to warrant real concern, word broke on Thursday afternoon that Lillard would be “re-evaluated” in 1-2 weeks, meaning he will miss at least a few games and the team wants to make sure a calf strain doesn’t become a bigger problem.
Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard will be re-evaluated in 1-to-2 weeks with a calf strain, sources tell @TheAthletic@Stadium.
There is always some concern when it comes to soft tissue injuries, as there’s no way to know exactly how they will heal and react to treatment. The Blazers clearly don’t want to put early season success ahead of their long-term aspirations, and sitting Dame now to try and get his calf back to full strength before he plays again is certainly the long play, even if Lillard probably isn’t thrilled to be sitting.
In the meantime, Anfernee Simons becomes the star in the backcourt for Portland, and will have a chance to show what he can do as a leading man with a playoff-caliber roster around him (sans an All-NBA guard). If there is a bit of consolation, it’s that the Blazers are about to have four days off after playing Houston on Friday night, meaning they can rest Lillard for a full week and, potentially, only have him miss two games — but that is followed by a stretch of five games in seven days.
When you’ve been around long enough, you start to see the cycle of life for what it is. You stop worrying that “hip-hop is dead” because you realize that all things go through highs and lows. Of course, when Nas first coined that phrase for the title of his 2006 album, he was still in the process of learning this. He was still mature enough, though, to be able to handle the incendiary reactions to it with grace — which, in turn, helped the generation who felt more incensed by it to handle their own volatile situations in the future.
As Jeezy told Billboard in a recent interview about his new Gangsta Grillz mixtape Snofall, Nas’ laid-back reaction to him flipping out over Hip-Hop Is Dead, helped him to keep his own cool when Freddie Gibbs blew up their partnership in 2012. “What I have learned is the same when Nas did Hip-Hop Is Dead and I reacted,” he explained. “I was kinda spazzing out on the radio, if you remember. I’ll never forget when I got in the car from the radio station, somebody from Def Jam was like, ‘Nas wanna holla at you. He’s on the phone.’”
While he anticipated a confrontation, Nas instead wanted to simply explain his position. “I’m ready for whatever he’s gonna say — I’m all for it,” Jeezy joked. “We can fight dogs, race cars, shoot guns or whatever he wanna do. He asked how I’m feeling, and he was like, ‘I can understand your frustration, but let me explain what I’m saying, and how it has nothing to do with you.’ He was so calm — and I always remembered that. When me and Freddie [Gibbs] had our thing, that was one of the reasons I remained calm — because I’ve been on the other side of that. So I’m hearing his frustration, and I get it, because we’re doing business and not everybody’s gonna be happy. It’s like being married, you gotta communicate. You can’t be like, ‘I’m gonna blow the whole house up.’”
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