The late Anthony Bourdain recently made headlines for his resurfaced view on the British monarchy, and he also nailed it (in a resurfaced clip) after he was asked for his perception of what’s going on with Vladimir Putin. That clip’s making the rounds in light of Putin’s latest chaotic move, which is to send 300,000 reservists into the Ukraine battlefield. Not only that, but his regime is reportedly even drafting protesters after arresting them. That’ll teach people to resist, right? This will not turn out well, and Bourdain (to some degree) saw this sort of thing coming.
A 2014 Parts Unknown episode, “Russia,” didn’t mince words from the very beginning. An opening montage of protests led to Bourdain’s opening take in a voiceover, in which (via The Daily Beast) he described Putin as “transparently autocratic, vengeful, oblivious to even a thin veneer of democracy.” At the time, civilians’ Russian opinion of Putin (despite his obvious shortcomings) still wasn’t what it is today, and Bourdain described the situation as how New Yorkers once felt about Rudy Giuliani: “he may be a sonofabitch, but he’s our sonofabitch.”
Well, New Yorkers undoubtedly feel differently about Borat 2 star Rudy these days, and the same goes for Putin in Russia. In this episode, Bourdain met with Russian TV producer Zamir Gotta in Moscow, where they did what Russians do and threw back some vodka. As Gotta coughed at choice moments and couldn’t suppress a smile, Bourdain answered the question of what he thought of Putin:
“My perception, do you really want to hear it? … A former mid-level manager in a large corporation. Short. I think that’s very important — short. Who has found himself master of the universe. And like a lot of short people, if you piss them off, bad things happen to you. He likes to take his shirt off a lot. He strikes me as a businessman, a businessman with an ego.”
Then came this: “Okay, but he’s like Donald Trump, but shorter.” Yep, he nailed it, and here’s yet another reason why the world misses Anthony Bourdain.
After winning both an Oscar and Peabody Award for his Summer Of Soul documentary, Questlove is ready to embark on new filmmaking projects. Today, The Roots drummer has been announced as an executive producer for Dilla Time, a documentary about the life and times of hip-hop producer J Dilla. The documentary is based on the book Dilla Time: The Life And Afterlife Of J Dilla, The Hip-Hop Producer Who Reinvented Rhythm, by Dan Charnas. Charnas is also a producer on the project, along with Questlove’s Summer Of Soul partner Joseph Patel. Questlove’s Two One Five Entertainment will helm the project along with Cinetic Media, Scenario Media, and The Estate Of James Dewitt Yancey (J Dilla).
“Explaining musical genius is my mission,” Questlove said in a statement. “To be able to tell the world about the musician that had the most influence on me is a dream come true. Not just on me, but on an entire generation of musicians that everyone knows and loves. J Dilla was our teacher. And what he taught us was how to feel rhythm in a way we had ever felt before. I’m so honored to be a part of bringing his story to the world through this documentary.”
Dilla passed away in 2006, but his influence in hip-hop has only grown since then. The documentary will look at his legacy as it continues to be shaped, and lives on in the music of past collaborators like Erykah Badu, Common, A Tribe Called Quest, Busta Rhymes, Slum Village, and so many more.
This will serve as the first and only documentary of J Dilla. His estate added, “We trust the judgment of Ahmir, Joseph, Dan, and Scenario to elevate Dilla’s life, music, and legacy to their rightful place in the canon of music’s great innovators; and their film is the only documentary project we have endorsed.”
Week 2 of the 2022 NFL season featured a number of wild results, including one that went against us when the Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins got into a full-blown shootout. However, things swung back in our favor when the Arizona Cardinals managed to emerge from the dead to cover (and somehow win!) and that capped a highly productive 4-1 week in this space.
Week 3 brings another slate of opportunities but, before we get to the five-pack of selections, let’s check on the overall progress.
Week 2: 4-1
2022 Season: 7-3
Come get these winners.
Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns UNDER 38 points
This is incredibly gross, but there is a reason the total is so low. Even with the Browns melting down against the Jets last week, that is a talented defense, and the Steelers are still frisky on that side of the ball in the absence of TJ Watt. Cleveland also runs the ball with authority, keeps the clock moving, and Pittsburgh’s offense is ugly right now. Throw in the presence of a million trends in favor of the Under (including a 18-3-1 mark on Thursday night Unders with totals between 37 and 40) and we land here.
Indianapolis Colts (+6.5) over Kansas City Chiefs
Indianapolis is a pick that no one wants to make this week. The Colts were horrendous last week while the Chiefs are the Chiefs. Kansas City has 71 points in two games and Patrick Mahomes is terrifying. I do think this number is a touch high with Indianapolis playing at home, and we’ll do our best to get it to the window.
Minnesota Vikings (-5.5) over Detroit Lions
Favorites aren’t usually in the mix too often in this space, but this is a juicy spot. Detroit has been a public darling to this point and, to be fair, they got us home last week in this space. Minnesota flopped on national television with the offense cratering, and the Vikings haven’t been able to get the running game going. This is a friendly matchup for Minnesota’s offense, and this number should be seven or more.
Washington Commanders (+6.5) over Philadelphia Eagles
This is another buy-low spot in the same mold as the Colts. Philadelphia is rolling to begin the season and the bandwagon is full. Washington’s defense looks pretty bad, and the Eagles are obviously the better team. This is still a number that was in the pick’em range a couple of weeks ago, and it’s a gigantic reaction to get this near a touchdown. We’ll snag the extra cushion.
Jacksonville Jaguars and Los Angeles Chargers UNDER 24 points in the first half
Justin Herbert is on track to play, but all indications are that he isn’t going to be 100 percent. The Chargers are also flying around on defense to begin the season, and Jacksonville isn’t exactly in juggernaut mode on offense just yet. I like the first half more than the full game to guard against Herbert uncorking some madness in the fourth quarter, but the Under is the side.
Today, it’s time to rank some of the best bottles of the good stuff. This is a list of the best Speyside single malt Scotch whiskies that are worth their hefty price tags. But before we dive in, let’s get a little refresher. Speyside is a region completely within Scotland’s Highland whisky region. The regions are so attached that distilleries within Speyside are legally allowed to call themselves either “Speyside” or “Highland” whisky. The most obvious example of this grey area is The Macallan which is next to a dozen or so Speyside distilleries but is labeled as a “Highland” malt.
Beyond legal semantics, we’re talking about a whisky from a region that ranges from barley fields to mineral-rich rivers cascading off craggy mountains to the mid-Northern Scottish coastline. The region is pretty tiny but dynamic and that variation shines though in whiskies from the area. One last quick note: All of these bottles are standards and not investment unicorns — with a little sleuthing, you should be able to find them all (start by clicking on those price links).
Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Scotch Whisky Posts of The Last Six Months
This unpeated Speyside single malt is a classic. The whisky ages first in ex-bourbon and then ex-sherry casks for 18 years before a lot of proofing and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
The nose opens with a rush of burnt tropical fruits drizzled with cinnamon syrup and a touch of almond, white pepper, and vanilla. The palate builds on that with orange and lemon oils next to a mix of winter spices — cinnamon, clove, anise — before a leathery vanilla pod kicks in. The finish dries out with almond shells and hard raisins before the vanilla attaches to a spicy tobacco leaf on the slow fade.
Bottom Line:
This is the perfect place to start. This whisky is amazingly easy to drink but has a little too much proofing (for me). That said, if you want an easy drinker that’ll actually deliver a nice and fruity flavor profile, this is going to be your jam.
It’s all in the name of this yearly special release from Glenfiddich. The whisky matures for over 23 years in both ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks before it’s vatted and then filled into French Cuvée casks that held Champagne. That whisky is then cut down to proof and bottled just in time for the holiday season.
Tasting Notes:
More apples, tart, sweet, bruised, stewed, drive the nose with a gentle floral edge next to buttered brioche with a dollop of marmalade served on an old maple plank. The palate has a lush vanilla feeling to it as pear candy and dried roses lead to floral yet creamy honey. The sweetness lingers from the mid-palate to the finish as apple and pear skins and cores melt into a pot of that floral honey.
Bottom Line:
This has a nice hint of bourbon vanilla to it that helps bridge Kentucky and Scotland on the palate. Overall, if you’re already a bourbon drinker, give this a try to dip your toes in the regional style. I ranked it a little lower here thanks to those ABVs but it still has a nice, deep flavor profile despite that proofing water.
The expression from Speyside’s Aberlour also uses old bourbon for its primary maturation and ex-sherry for its finishing maturation. Finally, it’s proofed down with soft Speyside water and bottled as-is.
Tasting Notes:
You’re drawn in with a note of hard butterscotch candies next to a touch of chinotto (bittersweet Italian orange), butter toffee, and the slightest wisp of peach pits. The taste builds out from that peach pit layer with a note of ripe peach flesh and fuzzy skin while jammy blackberry leads towards a soft cedar. The finish really takes its time and leaves you with a silken texture next to a honeyed sweetness and a final roundness of vanilla cream.
Bottom Line:
There’s a deeply rooted dark fruitiness to this that’s very enticing. This also gets pretty damn creamy when poured over a rock or two, which is a nice touch.
Craigellachie is the other whisky that helps make Dewar’s (the other base spirit being Aberfeldy). This expression is made with old-school stills and stored in old-school warehouses. The juice is aged in ex-bourbon casks for 17 years and vatted to highlight the uniqueness of the brand.
Tasting Notes:
You’re drawn in by that familiar and deep vanilla note with some apple pie in there next to a dried and salted pineapple candy, a touch of smoked oats, and a savory fruit (almost a honeydew melon). That pineapple note holds on and intensifies to a pineapple and vanilla pudding on the palate as dry and woody spices arrive next to a hint of dry tobacco, cedar, and a billow of dry smoke. The end embraces the smoke through the filter of that pineapple pudding as it slowly fades out.
Bottom Line:
Deep fruit and vanilla drive the palate, which is reminiscent of light and fruity bourbon. Overall, I love this in an old-fashioned more than a sipper but it 100 percent works in both applications.
This whisky from BenRiach is a combination of peated and unpeated malts. The whiskies are then aged for 21 years in ex-bourbon barrels, ex-sherry casks, virgin oak casks, and former Bordeaux red wine casks. Those are then blended after their two-decade rest and proofed with that soft Speyside water.
Tasting Notes:
This bursts with fresh Band-Aids from afar. Those fresh and plasticky bandages are supported by cream soda, a hint of rum-raisin, slight nuttiness, and a dash of old potpourri. The palate carries on through the drug store with that Band-Aid vibe as creamy vanilla and soft chocolate malts interact with spicy minced meat pies, walnut coffee cake, and a hint of floral candle wax. The finish drops off pretty quickly, leaving you with old Band-Aids, burnt vanilla pods, and a touch more of that cream soda.
Bottom Line:
I had to call out at least one peaty whisky. This is aged enough that the peat is drawn back and not overly tannic or ashy (there’s no sense of licking out a BBQ here). I really dig this over a single rock that mutes the Band-Aid and amps up the smoked dried fruits and creamy vanilla.
This masterfully crafted expression from The Balvenie takes some serious time. The whisky is initially aged for 21 years in ex-bourbon casks. That whisky is then transferred to small port pipes, which held port in Portugal for 30 long years. That’s a long, long time, creating some very rare and well-seasoned oak. The effect is singular and distinct.
Tasting Notes:
You’re pulled in by a gentle sense of ripe yet soft peaches next to wet rose petals and a small billow of cherry tobacco smoke from a pipe. The palate, again, is gentle and carries notes of red, sweet, and tart berries, stewed plums, and tiny moments of velvety and buttery pain au chocolat. The finish holds onto that chocolate as it slowly meanders through your senses, leaving you with dark fruits, a whisper more of that cherry tobacco, and a pure silk mouthfeel.
Bottom Line:
This is where we get into the beautifully delicious pours. Any of these top five could be number one depending on the day and mood you are pouring with.
4. Cardhu Aged 14 Years The Scarlet Blossoms of Black Rock
This year’s Cardhu is a subtle malt that’s just touched with wine casks after spending a dozen years mellowing in refill bourbon barrels. Those wine casks are dumped into a vat and then this is, again, bottled at barrel strength.
Tasting Notes:
This feels like a layered fruit tart that starts with almost sour apples and grapes that’s topped with a layer of buttery pastry topped with red berries and pear that’s topped with another layer of buttery pastry that’s then topped with savory lychee that’s then topped with dried orange zest, dried lavender petals, and a drizzle of cinnamon-spiced honey. The palate adds a creamy dollop of vanilla-laced whipped cream with a few lines of buttery toffee and more of those florals. Then the taste veers into a tannic, vinous red wine vibe with a touch of wet cedar and a hint of black peppercorn. The finish arrives quickly as that pepper smooths out into a powdery white pepper and the apple and pear return to softly bring about the short end.
Bottom Line:
This is a lovely limited edition bottle of a brand that rarely gets the love it deserves in the U.S. If you do chase one down, pour it over a single rock amps up the creaminess of the spiced honey and the brightness of the fruitiness with an added buttery base.
Glenallachie’s Master Distiller Billy Walker hand-selected just five casks for this release. The barrels were ex-Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso sherry puncheons (a large barrel that’s around 100 gallons, give or take). Those whiskies were vatted and bottled as-is.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a note of grapefruit pith when you nose this dram that leads towards honeyed chocolate truffles with a touch of cinnamon and orange. The palate goes full Christmas cake with plenty of dried nuts, candied and dried fruits, rich wintry spice, and a touch of chocolate maltiness next to candied ginger, more orange, and a note of golden corn syrup. That sweetness attaches to the fruit and spice to create a stewed plum vibe on the finish that luxuriates in mild spice, sweet and meaty stone fruit, and a touch more of that chocolate.
The Bottom Line:
Honey, chocolate, orange, and cinnamon go together so well, especially in this whisky. Overall, this whisky does benefit from taking your time on the nose and taste and adding in water to let it bloom toward those Christmas cake vibes.
Benrinnes is that other distillery in Aberlour up in Speyside. The distillery is also one of the only malts that are triple distilled (like Irish whiskey). The juice in this bottle goes back to that era of distillation with a focus on sherry cask maturation over two decades before bottling as-is.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is full of peanut brittle touched with finishing salts, match flints, brewer’s yeast, Milk Duds, and sticky toffee pudding. The palate leans into the date cake and adds bold eggnog spices next to a bowl full of dried fruits soaking in brandy next to a savory fruit that’s halfway between a cucumber and winter squash. The finish lingers for a while and leaves you with an almost burnt chocolate maltiness, salt flakes, and more of those dates.
Bottom Line:
The chocolate maltiness and spiced holiday cake are can’t-miss notes in this one, which makes it hard not to love. Overall, you do want to pour this over a single rock or add a little water to get to the deeper notes and calm those ABVs down a tad.
Dufftown’s Mortlach is one of those distilleries that may just make you fall in love with scotch. The mash is distilled 2.81 times, according to Mortlach’s unique distilling methods. That juice is then loaded in sherry casks and left to do its thing for 20 long years. The results are vatted, brought down to proof with that soft Speyside water, and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
There’s an apple pie feel that pulls you in with stewed and spicy apples, black raisins, and walnuts next to a hint of caramelized pineapple and a whisper of sea salt. That apple pie filling kicks up a notch as a savory buttery pie crust comes into play, while hints of mint, figs, vanilla, oak, and dark cacao mingle on the tongue. The end comes along very slowly with more walnuts and raisins leading towards a final savory note that’s almost … extra virgin olive oil?
Ever since Desus and Mero parted ways and effectively ended their acclaimed Showtime series, fans have been asking questions. The comedy duo started working together in 2013 before landing a series on Vice three years later, then moved to Showtime in 2019. After four seasons, the pair decided to end their partnership, though it doesn’t seem like there is a ton of bad blood between them (probably).
Mero stopped by the Dan Le Batard show, where he addressed the rumors as to why the Showtime show ended. “It was more produced [than Vice] but at the same time, this is a show that doesn’t need that much. The heart and soul of the show is the banter and the POV, the back and forth.”
Over the summer, Desus and Mero made headlines when they announced that they would be embarking on other projects. Many thought that this was because of personal beef between the two, but Mero says it was because of the studio.
“It was more produced but at the same time, this is a show that doesn’t need that much. The heart and soul of the show is the banter and the POV.” – @THEKIDMERO on the differences between his old show – Desus and Mero – at Showtime, compared to Vice and why it felt different. pic.twitter.com/TKn11BHFHT
“Vice was like Sarah Lawrence compared to some ivy league school,” Mero said that the two companies were so drastically different, that it was harder to control where their show was going. “Vice was a very small crew. If I had any issues, I could go, literally, it was three floors. Vice was a totally different kind of setup and workflow. When you get to the big machine, people wanna put their fingerprints on stuff.”
This is the explanation that we could expect coming from two former best friends who seemingly had a falling out. At the end of the day, Mero said the direction of the show was just out of their hands. “It’s above me. I was just the guy on the show.” Still, it’s a shame we won’t get any more videos of Mero crushing apples with his bare hands.
Here’s an inspiring story for the masses: scandal-plagued actress Lori Loughlin got a job. Loughlin, who broke out in the 1990s on the family sitcom Full House was sentenced to two months in prison back in 2020 as a result of the 2019 college admissions scandal. In 2020, Loughlin pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud. But against all odds, she’s acting again. Deadlinereports that Loughlin has been cast as the lead in Fall Into Winter, a romantic comedy for Great American Family. The film starts shooting next month and is expected to come out in January 2023, which is depressingly soon.
Here’s a description of Fall Into Winter, in case you are curious but not curious enough to sit through the motion picture: Loughlin plays Keely, a woman who is floored when her brother sells her family-owned candy shop to her nemesis. Now entwined, the two have to adjust to change and work out their differences. Fall Into Winter isn’t Loughlin’s first acting gig since coming out of prison. She reprised the role of Abigail Stanton in a Christmas special for the series When Hope Calls for the Hallmark Channel last year.
“Lori is a genre-defining star that I have had the honor to call a close friend and collaborator for more than 15 years,” said Bill Abbott, President and CEO of Great American Media, per Deadline. “We have a shared vision for creating meaningful and memorable movies that resonate with our passionate fans, and I look forward to welcoming her back to Great American Family to anchor our 2023 winter programming slate.”
It’s unclear why or how Loughlin is genre-defying, except maybe the fact that she is the only known Hallmark star who conspired to get her daughters into college using illegal tactics and served time in prison for it.
Alex Jones is back in court for yet another defamation lawsuit from Sandy Hook parents, and as before, he’s proving to be his own worst enemy. On Thursday, Jones was grilled by the plaintiff’s team for calling the judge a “tyrant” and giving her laser eyes in a recent video. Keep in mind, the judge in question was sitting directly next to Jones, who went back and forth between being smugly proud of himself and blaming others for the video.
“Ever since this trial started, you’ve been calling it a kangaroo court yourself, right? And you’ve called this judge a tyrant, correct?” the plaintiff’s attorney asked Jones who responded, “Only when they act like it.” However, the InfoWars host was not willing to take the fall for the laser eyes image that ran on his show. Apparently, mock images is where Jones draws the line?
“One way that you’ve been conveying to your audience that Judge Bellis has been acting like a tyrant is by showing her with lasers coming out of her eyes, right? You know you did that?” asked Mattei.
“I didn’t direct that, the first time I saw it was in court,” said Jones.
Jones’ case was not helped when the image was shown to the entire courtroom baring the InfoWars logo. But at this point, the conspiracy monger is fully committed to turning the entire trial into a circus. Previously, Jones appeared outside the courtroom and screamed at reporters by accusing them of being part of a corporatist media plot to make it look he profited off from his Sandy Hook theories more than he did. Perhaps, later, Jones can give them all laser eyes.
Hollywood likes to think that it has moved past treating women terribly since the MeToo movement in 2017, but that continues to be far from the truth. It turns out that one movement did not stop all men from being a bit gross. Actor and director Bryce Dallas Howard revealed in an interview with Metrothat she was asked to lose weight for her role in Jurassic World: Dominion.Howard told Metro that her weight was a topic of discussion amongst studio executives, but that director Colin Trevorrow stepped in and shut down the conversation over whether or not a person should lose weight for a dumb dinosaur movie.
“What being in this third film allowed, how do I say this, how do I say this, how do I say this…[I’ve] been asked to not use my natural body in cinema,” Howard told Metro. “On the third movie, it was actually because there were so many women cast, it was something that Colin felt very strongly about in terms of protecting me…because the conversation came up again, ‘We need to ask Bryce to lose weight.’”
“[Trevorrow] was like, ‘There are lots of different kinds of women on this planet and there are lots of different kinds of women in our film,’” Howard said. “I got to do so many stunts that wouldn’t have been possible if I had been dieting. I’m really thrilled [at] all the action I got to do, and I got to do it with my body, she was at her maximum strength, and I hope it is just yet another indication of what’s possible.”
Now, you’d think an advertisement for Confess, Fletch would write itself. Something along the lines of, “From the director who brought you Superbad and Adventureland, and Jon Hamm, the co-star of the biggest movie of the year, comes … Fletch!” But, no, there’s been almost no marketing for Confess, Fletch at all. Which is surprising for a few reasons. But, mostly, because Fletch is a character that filmmakers have been trying to get back into theaters for over 30 years, and until now, failing. And, also, this is a movie that critics love, currently sitting at 85 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Yet, I still see an occasional tweet like, “Wait, there’s a new Fletch movie out?” (Look, this is my job and even I didn’t realize until right before this interview with Mottola that Confess, Fletch was actually in movie theaters and not only a digital download.) So, what gives?
As you’ll read ahead, Greg Mottola pulled off somewhat of a miracle to get Confess, Fletch even made. But even he doesn’t quite understand what’s going on right now with the lack of marketing. Even more frustrating, this was exactly the movie he wanted to make and the reviews are great … yet people don’t even seem to realize they can go to a movie theater right now and watch it. Anyway, he hopes you, somehow, get the word that it’s out there and, the people who have seen it seem to be enjoying it.
So what is going on here?
You didn’t notice the zero marketing?
Oh, I did notice the zero marketing. Coupled with all the positive reviews, I don’t understand.
It’s weird.
Yes, it is.
I’m not going to lie. It’s pretty weird. I’ll try and explain from my side of things, what’s going on: Basically, the project started with Jon Hamm coming to me and saying Miramax has the rights to all the books except the first one. Unbeknownst to Miramax, Jon, when he saw the first one back in the day, he went to read the book it was based on because he loved it so much and then found out, oh, there’s more than one. And he, according to him, stole them – whatever copies there were from a Walden Books at a mall. A shoplifter.
In the meantime, even before Jon had approached me, a writer, Zev Borow, had been hired to adapt Confess, Fletch, which Jon thought was the most interesting one to try and crack. So I said, I’m into it – then turned in a script that felt like a really, really great, funny script for Chevy Chase, but not for Jon. Zev loves the original Fletch and he really just, I think, wrote his fan fiction of the Fletch script. And while it had a lot of really good stuff in it, it didn’t really have the tone that Jon and I had been talking about. So I took over the script, and brought in characters and elements from the book, and tried to turn it more into this kind of comedy of manners – very talky, verbal comedy – as opposed to the more straightforward slapstick comedy and all the other things. I was very intentionally not putting in the things that I see a lot of in comedy today, which is a lot of pop culture references.
So, I finished a draft, and Bill Block at Miramax has been the champion of this project since the beginning. I don’t blame anything about the release of this movie on him. He’s tried everything he could try. Basically, he said, “Up to a certain amount of money, I can fully finance this film,” but it was the kind of amount of money that would mean 27 days of shooting, which seemed especially challenging. So we looked for partners on the movie, and everyone passed. Everyone said, “I don’t know that this kind of comedy works in this day and age.” They just had a kind of like, “Who’s Fletch? I don’t think anyone cares anymore.”
So, basically, what we did is John gave back 60 percent of his salary to the budget. I gave back some of my salary, not as much as Jon because he’s richer than me and I’ve got three kids. And we bought three more days of shooting. We got it up to 30 days in Boston and one day in Rome. And we said, fuck it, we’re insane, we’re dumb. We’re going to make this movie. And then Miramax really supported us, creatively. They didn’t fight us on people we wanted to cast.
It seems like you made the movie you wanted to make, too.
I really did make the movie I wanted to make. Basically, Bill Block was like, “If you can get in for this number, I’m going to let you guys do your thing.” So, we finished it and Bill shopped it around to a lot of different people, studios, and streamers … and nobody wanted it.
There’s so much stuff out there, yet no one would want the movie people have been trying to get made for 25 years?
It was depressing.
And now no one wants it. How is this possible?
It was really depressing. I was kind of like, yeah, I think we actually cracked it. I wanted it to feel a little more adult and a little more character dialogue driven, which is just something I love. And I see a lot of things that make me laugh, but often take place purely in comedy worlds. And I thought, well, let’s do the thing that movies institute, which is to straddle a genre…and try and find an interesting tone for it.
I spent a lot of time wondering, should I approach Chevy Chase to be in it? I spent time with Chevy, we did a table read. This is logically the time to ask the man to show up. And then talking about it with Jon, we just felt, ultimately, it just seemed like it was going to make it harder for it to be its own thing. If there are too many Easter eggs, if there are too many links? And I’m also personally a little tired of movies that rely too heavily on nostalgia. Plus, there wasn’t a great role for him. We didn’t want to just walk through the movie and distract everyone. If I wanted him to be in it, I wanted to give him something really good to do. And the only other challenge, which you may or may not know of, is that the beloved character of Flynn who’s in the novel? The rights were separated by the estate. Miramax would have had to pay more money for us to have included the Flynn character because he’s in a series of other books.
What a wild web you’ve got yourself involved in, just trying to make a nice Fletch movie.
I really feel like, yeah, it was really threading the needle, trying to make this thing work. And yeah, Jon and I were like, I think there’s an audience for this. And then we were told no, we don’t think so. We got a lot of, yeah, in a different time, a couple of years ago we would’ve bought this, but we’re making our own stuff and we don’t need it. And believe me, I’m glad Paramount’s doing something with the movie, because I really didn’t know what was going to happen. And I thought most likely we would go straight to streaming no matter what, because there are so few movies, like medium small comedies in theaters anyway.
Still, you’d think maybe a couple of commercials might help.
I have encountered millennials and younger who don’t know what Fletch is.
They didn’t know Maverick (from Top Gun) before this year either.
Our aerial photography wasn’t quite as impressive. We did make the film for a number, and all in, it was a $20 million film. Enough money that Miramax obviously wanted to make it back, but there was a road they could have taken of going to selling rights around the world, and letting a smaller company distribute it. And it turned into this sort of hybrid token theatrical distribution with no real support. And on demand at the same time. And I don’t know yet, but I think on-demand is going okay, and then it will be on Showtime. So I really feel like this is a product of: nobody knows what works at the moment and they’re trying stuff out, but it is very weird for me.
In about a year everyone will have seen this movie. It’s getting word of mouth.
Yeah. My wife, she’s been keeping me from Twitter because she doesn’t want me to get obsessed, but she’s looking and she keeps sending me the nice ones. And she’s getting the same way as you’re saying. She’s like, “What the hell is going on?” Yeah, it makes me sad. It makes me sad about what we’re going to get to see in movie theaters. Because I have nothing against superhero movies, tent-pole films. They’re great. They’re fucking great. I just want the rest of the stuff we use to have, too. And that’s my frustration as a movie lover. And I love art house films probably more than anything. If I could get someone to give me money for one I wrote that I’d love to make, hopefully, I’ll get that distributed by an A24. But it’s just … it’s weird. It’s sort of the middle ground of Hollywood. When the blockbuster was sold out, you’d go to another screen at the multiplex and see this and go, “Oh, I’m glad I saw that.”
It’s really interesting to hear you talk about this because you always hear that they don’t make movies for this budget anymore. And it’s like, well, what if they did? And you’re kind of telling the experience of, okay, we did and here’s how it works and it’s not pleasant.
Yeah, it’s not. I really don’t have any issue with my distributor. I think they can’t see a way around how to make that profitable as a theatrical experience, without just spending more money to buy it to box office. That doesn’t make sense.
But there haven’t really been movies. So, Confess, Fletch coming out in mid-August would’ve been perfect with the campaign to be like, “Hey, from the director of Adventureland and Superbad, and one of the stars of the biggest movie of the year… now he’s Fletch!” I don’t understand why that’s so hard.
Yeah. I can’t really argue with that. It felt a little, at the various junctures we were trying to show in the script or the movie, it was kind of like, yeah, too late. The window for that is closed. And it was like, yeah, but the window for entertainment hasn’t closed. Is that not still a thing?
So what happens now?
Yeah. I don’t either. Bill Block, once again, he’s been really loyal to this. He’s actually hired me to write a sequel. Will it ever get made? I’m not sure.
Okay, that’s a positive sign that, at least in the early stages, he’s interested.
He loves the movie and he’s the one who said, from the beginning, people will want this. And then he was in the same boat as the rest of us. Why don’t they seem to agree with us?
With the positive reviews for this one, maybe the next one will get some promotion?
Yeah, I know. Or maybe it will end up on a streamer, but at least promoted on a streamer with publicity.
Which one are you writing next?
Fletch’s Fortune. And Fletch’s Fortune all takes place at a journalism conference, so I’ve got lots of ideas how to bring that into all the insane worlds of today.
Well, I’m glad you’re not the only one baffled by what’s going on here. I have no stake in this, and I’m like, what is going on here?
Well, so you’re the first person I talked to since it was “released.” I was told I bet you’re going to get questions about this, about how it got released. I’m like, yeah, I’m going to tell the truth.
You are test subject A on how to release a mid-budget, IP-driven movie in 2022, and it’s hard.
Yeah. Or how not to do it.
‘Confess, Fletch’ is currently in theaters and streaming via VOD. You can contact Mike Ryan directly on Twitter.
Sauvignon Blanc may not have been the first wine you ever tried but it’s likely one of your go-to grapes now – and it’s not really surprising as to why. Crisp, refreshing, and — let’s face it — extremely fun to say, this native French variety plays a massive role in a handful of regions’ white wine productions, from the Loire Valley to New Zealand and beyond. And really, what’s not to love? Known for its bright, fruit-driven flavor profiles laden with zippy acidity, Sauvignon Blanc is the perfect pick for pairing with fresh salads, cheeses, and a variety of happy hour snacks (yes, even those “hard to pair” vegetables everyone talks about).
However, in the world of affordable Sauvignon Blanc—and really affordable wine in general—not all wines are created equal. Many affordable wines, particularly those beneath the $12-$15 price point, are crafted using mass-produced winemaking techniques and subpar fruit, both of which seriously impact the final quality in the bottle. On the bright side, there are plenty of delicious, hidden value gems to be found.
Ready to up your game without breaking the bank? Dive into our list of the 10 best Sauvignon Blancs under $20 right now. All options below are available in retail shops across the United States, as well as via major online retailers (think Wine.com) for delivery. Your palate (and wallet) will thank us later.
Never had a Chilean Sauvignon Blanc before? Truthfully, there aren’t a ton that we’d recommend, though Lapostolle is a pleasant exception. Founded in 1994 by Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle (yes, of the same family behind Grand Marnier) and her husband, this pioneering estate has paved the way for organic, site-specific farming in Chile’s Apalta Valley.
Clearly, the founder’s family is no stranger to the fine wine and booze biz, though this South American venture is their first in the southern hemisphere.
Tasting Notes:
Two words: savory and citrus. A pale yellow-green in the glass, this highly aromatic wine bursts with flavors of lemon, grapefruit, and hints of savory spice (tarragon, oregano) and a touch of grass – the blend here is technically Sauvignon Blanc dominant at 85%, with Sémillon and Sauvignon Gris rounding out the last 15%.
Bottom Line:
In a sea of mass-produced Chilean Sauvignon Blanc, this value-driven bottle absolutely shines – and female winemaker Andrea León is a total badass.
Sauvignon Blanc lovers are likely no strangers to the Loire Valley. Home to some of the world’s most prestigious and age-worthy expressions of the grape (hello, Sancerre), this northwesterly French wine region is beloved by long-standing critics and novice consumers alike Domaine de la Chaise’s Touraine-based roots date back to 1850. Today, the estate is spearheaded by Christophe Davault, who manages the property’s 57 hectares of vines. The estate is best known for its affordable, vibrant wines that seriously deliver on the quality-to-price spectrum.
Tasting Notes:
Contrary to the grassy notes commonly found in Sauvignon Blanc, this fruit-driven expression from Domaine de la Chaise is all things passion fruit, apricot, white peach, and hints of apricot. Sip with white fish or poultry for a tasty dinnertime pairing.
Bottom Line:
While you’re not going to find Sancerre at the sub-$20 price point, looking to well-made expressions of Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley—specifically Touraine—offer a great alternative.
New Zealand and Sauvignon Blanc go hand in hand. Based in Marlborough, Mohua was founded in 2009 and remains owned and operated by the same family today. All wines are produced on the country’s South Island from sustainably-farmed fruit. The project is named for New Zealand’s beloved Mohua bird, which is only found in remote areas of the country’s rainforests; the winery prides itself on its role in aiding the species’ conservation.
Tasting Notes:
If tropical and juicy AF is your vibe, then this affordable Sauvignon Blanc is for you. The wine is all things pineapple, dried mango, and guava, with hints of lemon-lime and grass streaking through on the finish.
Bottom Line:
New Zealand’s reputation for cheap, mass-produced Sauvignon Blanc isn’t entirely inaccurate – though the country is peppered with hidden gems (like this one from Mohua) that are worth seeking out.
Located not too far from Domaine de la Chaise, the Domaine de la Rochette winery is a fourth-generation winery focused on sustainably-farmed wines from local Loire Valley varieties. Now spearheaded by Vincent Leclair, the estate comprises 50 hectares of vineyards and has completely eschewed the use of insecticides (some of the plots are organically farmed). The winery was one of the first twelve in the region to bottle under the recently added Chenonceaux appellation (established in 2011) and is known for its fresh, steel-vinified wines that overdeliver for the price point.
Tasting Notes:
Prefer your Sauvignon Blanc on the more herbaceous side of things? Then this ripe and floral-tinged expression from Touraine is for you. Expect flavors of tropical fruits, pithy citrus, and freshly cut grass to lead to a lingering, acid-forward finish.
Bottom Line:
Leclair explained to his distributor, David Bowler, that Sauvignon Blanc from Touraine can actually be more approachable than that of Sancerre, as the climate is warmer and yields are generally lower. We say taste and see for yourself!
Domaine Tariquet is located in Gascony, otherwise known as the capital of Cognac and Armagnac. Founded in 1912, the estate has been in the Grassa family for over 20 years, who sustainably manage their vineyards and produce wines exclusively from estate-grown fruit. The winery’s ideal location benefits from an oceanic climate and well-draining soils, which provide an optimal home for cultivating Sauvignon Blanc. Additionally, the estate rarely bottles their wines over a 12% ABV mark, and closes all wines with easy–to-open screwcap closures.
Tasting Notes:
Herbal, herbal, herbal. This savory, food-friendly Sauvignon Blanc is perfect for those seeking a food-friendly, saline-tinged expression of the grape. Expect flavors of green apple, underripe melon, and a hint of crushed stones to lead to a briny, palate-cleansing finish.
Bottom Line:
France’s South West area is generally regarded for its Cognac and Armagnac productions, though its frequently overlooked wine scene is definitely worth discovering – especially if zesty Sauvignon Blanc or boisterous red blends are your vibe.
Delicious, well-made natural wine for under $20? Sign us up. Founded by Iowa native Chris Christiansen, this Sebastopol-based project produces wines from sustainably-farmed fruit across northern California. Winemaking is minimal intervention, with only native yeasts and minimal SO2 used.
As an African American vintner, in addition to making world-class wine, Chris works tirelessly to promote inclusion and diversity throughout the wine industry. He also offers mentorship opportunities at his winery. Fun fact: Chris’ overarching brand, called Bodkin Wines, is named after a battle from the Hundred Years War.
Tasting Notes:
Honeyed and smooth is the name of the game here. Flavors of tropical fruits, guava, grilled peaches, and a hint of banana lead to a soft-yet-thirst-quneching finish.
Bottom Line:
Natural wine is a whole beast to break down, but in short, finding one of this quality at such a price point is a serious win-win. We wouldn’t be surprised if this wine jumps in price soon – justifiably so, given the juice inside the bottle.
Born at the Serestin Estate in Marlborough, New Zealand, MOMO is all about making personality-forward wines that are bright, vibrant, and crafted with minimal intervention. Winemaker Tamra Kelly-Washington has been at the helm of production since 2018 and continues to carry on the tradition and sustainability-focused mentality of founder Michael Seresin.
All fruit at MOMO is cultivated under organic and biodynamic farming principles.
Tasting Notes:
Think of MOMO Sauvignon Blanc as the Goldilocks expression of the grape, it strikes the perfect balance between juicy, herbaceous, and fruit-forward. Exotic fruit flavors coupled with notes of kiwi, lemongrass, and savory herbs lead to a ripe and punchy finish.
In short, it’s just right.
Bottom Line:
Seresin is one of the most highly regarded producers in all of New Zealand. Momo means “offspring” in the local Maori language, hence the name behind this second-label project from this top-notch New Zealand based winery. The wine is bright, zesty, and incredibly easy to drink.
Based in—you guessed it, Marlborough, New Zealand—Nautilus has been pioneering the country’s quality-focused wine scene since 1985. At the time, only about 80 wineries existed in the country – a number which has since grown by nearly tenfold today. All fruit at Nautilus comes from sun-drenched vineyards on the country’s South Island, which are rooted in alluvial soils along the Wairau River.
Winemaker Clive Jones has been spearheading winemaking since 1998, with the country’s signature Sauvignon Blanc at the foundation of the winery’s production.
Tasting Notes:
Grapefruit, smoke, and fleshy stone fruit collide in this concentrated, mouth-watering wine from Nautilus. Unlike the expressions above, the smoky undertones found in this wine give it a savory push, which finishes long and strong thanks to the wine’s ample amounts of acidity.
Bottom Line:
Leave all of the “Bays” (Oyster, Cloudy, etc.) behind and stick with Nautilus’ Sauvignon Blanc. It’s way cheaper, tastier, and provides 1,000 times more quality for the price.
Francois Chidaine is undeniably one of the most talented white wine producers in all of France. Although generally better known for his Chenin-based wines from Montlouis and Vouvray, this Loire-based vigneron’s Sauvignon Blanc is equally worth discovering. Chidaine’s Sauvignon Blanc comes from the low-yielding vines in Chissay-en-Touraine and Saint-Julien-de-Chédon, two villages located less than seven miles away from the estate’s home in Montlouis, as well as purchased fruit from other trusted growers.
Chidaine uses native yeasts for fermentation and fully embraces lees aging, which adds texture and weight to the wine’s body.
Tasting Notes:
Forget the grass. This Sauvignon Blanc is ripe, concentrated, and all about the fruit. Flavors of stone fruit, citrus, grapefruit rind, and crushed rocks lead to an impressively long and zingy finish. Sip it with goat cheese for an out-of-this-world pairing.
Bottom Line:
We said it before and we’ll say it again – you won’t find Sancerre for less than 20 bucks, though well-made wines from Touraine are a seriously value-driven alternative. Blind taste your Sancerre-loving friends on this entry-level bottle from Chidaine; we guarantee at least a few will be convinced.
Elizabeth Spencer is the brainchild of Elizabeth Pressler and Spencer Graham, two California-based wine industry employees whose passion dates back to the early 90s. After enjoying wine together for a number of years, the pair finally began crafting their own bottles in 1998, founded the brand the following year, and started selling to the masses in 2000. Self-proclaimed “partners in life and partners in wine,” this dynamic duo produces pure and precise wines rooted in balance. Best of all, between the two of them, the pair has produced wines from every AVA in Napa Valley, rendering them experts in northern California viticulture.
Tasting Notes:
Vibrant, tangy, and unbelievably balanced – no wonder this wine scored our top spot! Expect flavors of grapefruit, gooseberry, peach skin, passionfruit, and a hint of white flowers to lead to a complex and satisfying finish. Fruit comes from three organically-farmed vineyard sites and is vinified entirely in steel so as to preserve freshness, then lees aged to add texture to the wine’s final body.
Bottom Line:
Elizabeth Spencer is nothing short of brilliant. Old vines, lees aging, and meticulous attention to vinification are just a few reasons that this wine garnered our number 1 spot.
Oh, and did we mention the actually-in-balance alcohol level? This is a true gem and an absolute diamond for the price.
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