GoneTrending

After nearly two decades away from the American film industry, legendary Chinese director John Woo is returning to Hollywood. Famous for his work on classic action films and thrillers like Hard Target, Broken Arrow, Face/Off, and Mission: Impossible 2 — as well as for pioneering both heroic bloodshed films and the “gun-fu” genre in Hong Kong — the director left America following the release of his film Paycheck back in 2003. However, after 18 years of working in Hong Kong, Deadline reports that Woo is returning to direct the zero-dialogue action film Silent Night.

Featuring star Joel Kinnaman (Altered Carbon, The Killing, Suicide Squad), Silent Night tells the story of a father who must go to the underworld to avenge his young son’s death. While the premise is admittedly pretty straightforward, what’s truly interesting about the action film is that it will not contain a single line of dialogue.

The film is currently in negotiations to be financed by Capstone, with John Wick’s Basil Iwanyk, Erica Lee, Christian Mercuri and Lori Tilkin all on board to produce. Aside from Kinnaman, no other cast members have been announced, though Deadline reports additional casting is currently underway.

No word currently on when, if ever, John Woo will direct a Fast and Furious movie.

Yung Miami’s new song “Rap Freaks” has become the hot topic on the internet’s water cooler, Twitter, thanks to its salacious subject matter and Miami’s raunchy rhymes. Taking a similar tack to previous rabble-rousers like Lil Kim and Nicki Minaj, Miami’s new song sees her sharing her industry crushes, which include Diddy, Moneybagg Yo, and even Megan Thee Stallion. The latter was as tickled as anyone upon hearing the track, and a clip of Megan responding to it on an Instagram Live stream has gone viral for her over-the-top reaction to the song’s final line.

At the end of the one-verse song, Miami delivers a snarky come-on to rumored paramour Puff Daddy with a slick call back to Diddy’s viral tale of his rough upbringing. “Diddy, let me put it in your face like them roaches,” she taunts. “And put your rich ass to sleep, buenas noches.” Her bilingual bedroom flex sent Meg into peals of hysterical laughter as the Houston rapper tried to wrap her head around the use of Spanish. “Why would she say that?” Meg cracked up. “This bitch Miami rhymed ‘roaches’ with ‘buenas noches.’”

Obviously, she’s more amused at her friend’s wordplay than anything. The two have shared a number of viral moments over the past year, including Meg and City Girls getting into it with Asian Doll over a verse on Megan’s debut album that got swapped out last minute and Miami telling Megan about the duo’s early days in Miami and the struggle to stay relevant while rhyme partner JT was locked up for credit card fraud.

You can watch the raunchy “Rap Freaks” video above.

I’m a big fan of swanky hotels that scream sexiness from the lobby to the “too comfortable to get out of” beds. On the flip side, the late-night bars and lively atmosphere at stylish city hotels can make it hard to relax. Sometimes I crave a more low-key stay. A rejuvenating getaway that combines nature, light exercise, downtime, and chilling out with good friends.

That’s why I was excited to stay at Huttopia Paradise Springs. Tucked in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, just two hours outside of Los Angeles, Huttopia provides a “glamping” experience for anyone eager to escape the city. It’s not a radical concept — you get all the wonders of the wilderness without sacrificing the convenience of comfortable accommodations — but as with any property, the devil is in the details and that’s where Huttopia excels.

The individual accommodations feel like a hybrid of tent and cabin with fire pits, barbecues, games, and a pool on site. For the stylish-minded (or clean-freaks) among us, I was thrilled that everything felt new — as the property just opened this past summer.

As you’ve likely noticed, glamping has become one of Instagram’s hottest travel trends. As I drove to Huttopia, I had to question if the whole scene was more about capturing the perfectly earthy aesthetic or the actual experience itself. As you’ll see below, I was relieved to find plenty of substance to go with the style.

WHY IT’S AWESOME:

Look, I love nature and spending quality time in the great outdoors. But I also love my bed, shower, and having a place to plug my phone in at night. Huttopia Paradise Springs packs the best of both worlds into one place. I particularly love its proximity to LA. Whether you’re a SoCal local or flying in from out of town, you don’t need to go far to feel like you’re hundreds of miles away.

It’s like a quiet mountain haven in the midst of an otherwise bustling area. Trust me, anyone who deals with LA traffic needs that.

Aside from the convenient location, what truly makes Huttopia awesome is the effortless mix of modern and rustic. Most tents, crafted from wooden beams and tarps, come with full beds, a bathroom, shower, kitchenette, barbecue, and private deck. Although the tents provide solid privacy, there’s also a sense of community within the campgrounds thanks to central lounging areas, like the pool and large grass fields, a café where breakfast and dinner are served each day, and plenty of gaming areas.

IN-HOUSE FOOD + DRINK:

If you want a classic camping experience, I’d recommend packing your own food for at least one barbecue dinner. Each room has its own cooler, so you don’t need to worry about food going bad throughout your trip. Whether you choose to pair your baked beans and potato salad with steak or you opt for vegan burgers, the quality equipment makes grilling your favorite entrées easy.

If you’re not in the mood to cook, head to the campground’s café. It offers continental breakfast every morning and a rotating menu of all your favorite comfort foods each night. We’re talkin’ pizza, burgers, tacos, with all the classic camping fixin’s.

Plus, there’s a cooler with free kombucha to drink throughout the day. So you can balance your gut health between greasy meals.

AMENITIES:

• Full shower & bathroom
• Kitchenette & barbecue
• Free WiFi
• Swimming pool
• Access to field games and firepits
• Breakfast included
• Private deck & lounge chairs
• Pets are welcome

ROOM TYPES:

Huttopia Paradise Springs offers two different room types. The first is the Trappeur Pacific, which is 425 square feet and fits up to five people. This tent option comes with a kitchenette, two bedrooms, electricity, a bathroom, barbecue, and an outdoor sink.

The other choice is the Canadienne, a 350 square-foot tent that also fits up to 5 people. It comes with a kitchenette, two bedrooms, electricity, a barbecue, and a shared campground bathroom.

THE BEST THING TO DO WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE:

Being that Huttopia is tucked away in its own little corner of the woods, you honestly won’t find too much within walking distance. However, the campground is stocked with plenty of activities and games to keep you entertained. If you stay at Huttopia during the summertime, then the best way to spend your days is to take a dip in the property’s swimming pool. It’s got the boho umbrellas of your Insta-worthy dreams, lounge chairs, and plenty of room to swim even when kids are splashing around in the deep end.

In addition to the pool area, there is also a foosball table, pétanque (French-style bocce ball), cornhole, board games, and ping-pong.

THE BEST THING TO DO WITHIN A SHORT DRIVE:

The San Gabriel Mountains are within the Angeles National Forest, and there are a plethora of hiking trails you can find within a short drive from Huttopia Paradise Springs. A few nearby trails include the Holcomb Canyon Loop (moderate difficulty), South Fork Campground Trail (moderate difficulty), or the Pinyon Ridge Trail (Difficult). Unfortunately, these trails are currently closed due to the damages from the Bobcat Fire. But you’ll have something to look forward to on your trip when they open again next year!

If you’re feeling adventurous, venture out a little farther (about 30 minutes) to Big Pines to walk a portion of the Pacific Crest Trail or check out Mount Baden-Powell for a more strenuous hike and beautiful mountainous views. These trails are still open because they are outside of the Bobcat Fire burn areas.

BED GAME:

You’re not going to get a luxury king-sized bed with 10 different ultra-fluffy pillows like you would in an actual hotel suite. But considering that you’re staying in a tent on a campground, the Huttopia beds do you well. It can get chilly at night, and Huttopia goes the extra mile by providing extra down comforters for every guest. After a day spent outdoors and hiking in the sun, I passed right out the second I went horizontal into my cozy bunk.

The best part is that you don’t have to worry about street lights or noisy traffic keeping you awake.

Rating: 7/10

SEXINESS RATING:

A weekend in the woods isn’t typically what I’d classify as “sexy,” considering it involves itchy bug bites, layers of bulky clothing, and sh*tting in a muddy hole behind a tree (no, thank you). But the Huttopia glamping experience comes complete with a shower and toiletries to keep you feeling fresh. There’s definitely something to say about the sex appeal of a rugged night or two away with little to no service. Plus, the secluded property makes for excellent stargazing conditions once the sun goes down.

That combined with the privacy of your own tent and balcony is pretty romantic. And romance is still sexy if you ask me.

Rating: 6/10

THE VIEWS AND PHOTO SPOTS:

As I said, glamping is one of social media’s latest crazes. And for good reason – it makes camping cute! The string lights hanging across the top of each tent, the rustic wooden aesthetic, and the stunning backdrop of hundred-foot tall evergreens look just as good on your Instagram feed as they do IRL.

Rating: 9/10

BEST SEASON TO VISIT:

I’d say the best time to visit is probably late spring. You’ll get sunshine and high temperatures during the day, so you can make use of the pool and hiking trails nearby. It’ll also be a little less cold in the evenings, so you can have your barbecue cookout without having to layer up until it’s later into the night.

IF I HAD TO COMPLAIN ABOUT ONE THING:

Don’t get me wrong, I love kids. However, if you’re looking to party with your friends in the woods, Huttopia’s family-friendly environment makes it a tad more difficult. The little ones running around the property definitely kept me from sipping one too many beers.

The young spirit of the campgrounds definitely keeps things lighthearted and fun, but if you want an all-night bonfire rager you might want to buy out the whole property with your crew for a weekend.

BOOK HERE:

Prices in 2021 ranged from $210 to $450, depending on the time of year and room type. The prices for the 2022 season have not yet been determined.

Click here to check availability for 2022.

INSTAGRAM IMAGES TAKEN AT HUTTOPIA PARADISE SPRINGS:

Jason Sudeikis isn’t much of a tweeter, but he is a prolific Liker on Twitter, and thanks to that fact we now have a pretty good idea of what he thought about Mitt Romney dressing up as Ted Lasso for Halloween. On Thursday morning, the Utah senator blanketed his Twitter account with some super cringe-worthy pics of his costume, including one where he brings biscuits to Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema dressed as Hannah Waddingham’s character, Rebecca. It was pretty bad.

Naturally, Romney’s costume inspired an avalanche of reactions, and one of them clearly caught Sudeikis eye. Buried deep in his Likes (seriously, the guy likes a lot of tweets) is a tweet from former SNL writer Alex Baze, who dunked on Romney by noting, “The scariest thing he could think of was kindness.”

You can see a screencap of the tweet pulled from Sudeikis’ Likes below:

It would surely seem that Sudeikis didn’t care for Romney’s costume and the weird, a-little-too Hitler-esque mustache. (Nobody paused for a minute after seeing that?)

As noted by Mashable earlier in the month, Sudeikis never tweets, but he is definitely aware of all the Ted Lasso activity bouncing around Twitter and will reportedly like random tweets, including ones dunking on the show. As of this writing, Sudeikis is currently in the middle of a white-hot Liking streak where he’s Liking just about every single Ted Lasso costume shared on Twitter. We had to sift through a small mountain of them just to find the Romney tweet. The man’s a machine.

(Via Jason Sudeikis on Twitter)

Eighth-generation distiller Freddie Noe is working hard to change everything you think you know about the world’s number one selling bourbon brand. A big part of that shift comes down to how Noe — from Kentucky’s whiskey royal family — has leaned into smaller crafted whiskeys. Don’t get us wrong, he’s still putting out an incredible amount of rye and bourbon at rock bottom prices under the Jim Beam umbrella. But he’s also built an actual craft distillery (and whiskey education center) in the middle of the company campus at Clermont, specifically to make smaller whiskeys that feel a little more personal.

Each year, Noe puts together a whiskey that reflects his experience and life as the soon-to-be-head of Beam, his history with his dad, Fred Noe, and grandfather, Booker Noe (both legends), and his unique perspective as a distiller and blender. The “book” theme is not just marketing, the line itself tells quite a story. As mentioned above, the juice for these whiskeys is distilled in the new Fred B. Noe Distillery — a small craft distillery operating independently at Beam’s sprawling main campus.

You can literally sense that history and sense of craft among the industrial massiveness of Beam’s size in this bottle. It’s deeply familiar while still feeling new, small, and unique. It’s not a magic trick. There’s nowhere for Freddie Noe to hide in this whiskey. It’s a simple example of a well-built expression made by someone who cares deeply about his place in Kentucky whiskey. Check our full review of the expression below.

Little Book Chapter 5: “The Invitation”

ABV: 58.4%

Average Price: $125 MSRP ($175)

The Whiskey:

The juice is a blend of four whiskeys — three straight bourbons and one straight rye. The rye is a 100 percent malted rye that’s three years old. The bourbons are two, five, and 15 years old.

Tasting Notes:

The nose opens with a Pecan Sandie vibe with a flake of salt, spiciness derived from fresh ginger juice, and dark chocolate laced with raw sugar and apple-soaked cinnamon sticks that have been ground to a fine powder. The palate builds on that cinnamon spice with a touch of nutmeg and clove that ties to a vanilla pudding-esque svelte body next to little pops of dried pecan shells, faux maple syrup, cinnamon toast with plenty of butter, more of that ginger, and a touch of subtle red fruit. The mid-palate leans creamy with light milk chocolate that leads back to the warmth with a dried red peppercorn pepperiness next to a rush of cedar boxes full of vanilla tobacco leaves with the slightest echo of menthol and dried reeds on the very deep back end.

The Bottle:

The classic wine bottle look of these with thick black wax is always worth the price of admission. The wooden box with a plexiglass cover helps this look like something truly special on your shelf, though is a bit superfluous, especially if you’re buying this to drink it (instead of as an investment bottle).

Bottom Line:

While blending ryes and bourbons isn’t revolutionary, this mingling of whiskeys makes for one of the more interesting entries in the American whiskey scene in 2021. The bourbon-heavy vibe is super familiar while offering something a lot more nuanced and unique than your average premium whiskey.

As for the price, if you’re looking for a single premium bottle of American whiskey to buy this year, you can’t go wrong here. We get it, $125 (if you’re lucky) is a lot to ask for whiskey. You can get two bottles of perfectly great Knob Creek for that price. But this is special and feels like the mountaintop of Beam’s (and Noe’s) work.

Ranking:

100/100 — If there is a single notch in the armor of this whiskey, we can’t find it. It’s the perfect sipper and is in contention to be our favorite American whiskey pour of 2021.

Cardi B is pumping out new episodes of her Cardi Tries web series, and today’s installment sees Cardi facing her fears (just in time for Halloween). Well, it’s one fear specifically that she confronts: heights.

Cardi explained her fear of heights, saying, “I’m scared to fall and tumble and break my leg, or break my teeth, or I get hit. I don’t like to get hit. I don’t like to get bruised up anymore. I just don’t like it. Even sometimes when I be trying to climb the pole, I’ll be like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m too high.’ That’s crazy because I wasn’t like that before. I feel like getting money makes you sensitive.”

To confront those fears, Cardi faced a series of challenges, administered by Denzel Dion, host of the We Said What We Said podcast. For one, Cardi, along with Dion’s co-host Rickey Thompson, put on a VR headset and rode up a virtual elevator until she found herself high up in a building. The elevator opened up to just a plank hanging over a city, which she walked while freaking out all the while. Things then got a little more real when she and Thompson hopped in a construction vehicle and were lifted 30 feet in the air, a situation that she handled without issue.

For the finale, Cardi and Thompson got in a box and were lifted high in the air by a crane. During the ascent, Thompson was not thriving, so when they got up to 80 feet (20 feet short of their 100-foot target), he insisted that the pair be lowered.

Watch the new Cardi Tries episode here.

Cardi B is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Sometimes, Representative Lauren Boebert just makes dragging her too easy.

Case in point: in a recent filing with the Federal Election Commission to amend her quarterly earnings, Boebert’s staff listed Utah as the gun-loving GOP member’s home state. And that’s news to all of us because Boebert currently represents the state of Colorado.

Forbes first caught the error Friday morning and reached out to the Congresswoman’s team. Boebert’s spokesperson Jake Settle responded, thanking the news outlet for making them aware of the error and promising he had “flagged it” for Team Boebert. A short time later, Boebert’s office filed another amendment to her Q3 report where her district was back in Colorado. This gaffe marks the latest embarrassing headline for the young Congresswoman who’s been fielding allegations regarding misuse of campaign funds — she reportedly used campaign donations to pay for her business’ rent and utilities back home — and accusations that she, along with Marjorie Taylor Greene and other Republican dissenters, helped plan the Jan. 6th insurrection, working with organizers to map out their assault on the Capitol building days before.

Obviously, fudging which state you’re representing on some FEC documents pales in comparison to possibly backing a treasonous insurrection meant to thwart our democratic process, but we have to think it’s just as embarrassing. In fact, the only people we feel sorry for more than whichever intern inevitably gets blamed for this elementary mistake are Boebert’s constituents in Colorado. If she can’t remember which district in which state she serves, that doesn’t give us much hope she’s actually doing anything for the people who elected her.

There’s a lot of things I would do for $9 million. I would walk a mile with a rock in my shoe, even though that’s really annoying. I would watch the complete Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer filmography. I would even order french fries and a Frosty from Wendy’s, but not dip the former into the latter. Want to know another thing I would do for $9 million? Get vaccinated. Heck, I did it for free. This is where Ice Cube and I differ.

Ice Cube has exited the comedy Oh Hell No “after declining a request from producers to get vaccinated,” according to the Hollywood Reporter. “The studio is looking to find a replacement as Ice Cube walked from a $9 million payday.”

The rapper and actor was set to co-star with Jack Black (the premise: Black’s character falls in love with Cube’s character’s mom), but now the production start date — originally set for this winter in Hawaii, which also sounds nice — has been pushed back due to his departure and Black recovering from an injury he suffered for the final episode of Conan.

Throughout the pandemic, Ice Cube has promoted mask wearing. In August, Bacone College in Oklahoma thanked the star and others for a donation of 2,000 face masks to use as personal protective equipment. In April 2020, amid COVID-19 lockdowns, he unveiled “Check Yo Self Before You Wreck Yo Self” branded T-shirts, featuring the star in a mask, in partnership with the manufacturer Black Out, with proceeds to benefit frontline health workers.

If someone offered me nine million smackers to star in a movie with Jack Black, you know what I wouldn’t say? Oh hell no.

(Via the Hollywood Reporter)

Well, friends, you should probably just throw out our definitive fast food chicken sandwich ranking now. Because Popeyes just changed the game. Again. In a major way.

Lately, the fast food space has been in a weird place. Ever since McDonald’s dropped its Travis Scott meal we’ve been treated — no, tortured — with cash grab after cash grab, a cavalcade of celebrity-branded meals that amount to little more than remixes of what the stock menu already offers. Even Burger King is wasting our time with this sh*t. A couple of months back they gave us a Nelly meal. Nelly. In 2021.

It’s a cheap, lazy, but ultimately profitable way to get customers hyped for the same old food. So of course the fast food brands are *badap-ba-ba-da!* loving it. This isn’t going to stop until we demand ideas that are a more imaginative.

Enter Hot Girl Meg and the Popeyes Megan Thee Stallion Hottie Sauce Chicken Sandwich, here to save us all. Thanks Meg — the food scene needed this.

When Popeyes dropped their chicken sandwich almost three years back, they single-handedly shifted the fast food landscape. Since that sandwich, almost every fast food brand has re-formulated their fried chicken recipes in an attempt to step up to the new GOAT. Leave it to Popeyes to be the only one who can improve upon the original. While its Megan Thee Stallion branded merch collection would lead you to believe this is just another celebrity cash grab, the flavors themselves prove that there was some actual effort put into this collaboration.

Not only did Megan Thee Stallion meet with the Popeyes culinary team to develop a brand new hot sauce for the collaboration — dubbed “Hottie Sauce” — they also approved Megan to become a Popeyes franchise restaurant owner. That shows Popeyes is putting a lot more faith in Megan Thee Stallion than just cashing in on her famous name and face.

For a limited time, the Megan Thee Stallion Hottie Sauce will be available at all Popeyes nationwide as both a dipping sauce and a new sauce topping for the Popeyes Chicken Sandwich, which means this marks the first official variation on the Popeyes Chicken Sandwich since its launch. There are now three Popeyes Chicken Sandwiches: Original, Spicy, And Hottie Sauce.

We sampled the new Hottie to see how it compares to the OG and if it’s worth ditching your current favorite chicken sandwich for.

Megan Thee Stallion Hottie Sauce Chicken Sandwich

First things first, we have to talk about expectations. I understand why fast food companies take picture-perfect versions of their food for advertisement purposes, but I don’t think they understand just how crushing it is for the customer to see the advertisement and then get… this. No matter how you cut it, this is a sad-looking sandwich, I don’t care how delicious it smells! If In-N-Out, Shake Shack, and Chick-fil-A are all capable of making their food look just as delicious in real life as it looks advertised, I don’t know why Popeyes can’t at least try to make their sandwich look like it wasn’t assembled in the dark.

The advertisement shows a plump sandwich with sauce pouring all over the sides, what I actually got doesn’t give the fried filet as much coverage. Removing the bun proved me wrong, it’s definitely a lot of sauce. A scary amount.

The Hottie sauce gives off a sort of a sweet and sour smell, if you were expecting buffalo or your average wing sauce, this isn’t that. It’s made from a blend of hot sauce, aged cayenne pepper, sugar, and honey and features a way sweeter taste to it than I expected. Tangy sweetness greets the palate and a very gentle dose of heat hovers between bites, but ultimately I wouldn’t even categorize this as even mildly spicey.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing. The Popeyes Chicken Sandwich has never been the spiciest sandwich (even the spicy version). Instead of battering the chicken in its spicy breading, Popeyes works solely with the mild batter for its chicken breast filet and the Hottie Sauce works to accentuate that chicken’s already subtly sweet taste, but not in a way that makes it taste grossly candied. It makes the sandwich overall a little more decadent, but each bite is savory, delicious, and tender — with complementary flavors that actually taste like an improvement over the sandwich’s stock sauce.

For as long as this version is available, I don’t see why you’d opt for the original over this. Is it so overwhelming that you’re not going to want to hit it up as a once-a-week meal? That’s probably true. But it’s also overall a better sandwich because the Hottie Sauce is Popeyes’ best sauce, period. We just wish it was spicier.

The Bottom Line:

The Megan Thee Stallion Hottie Sauce Chicken Sandwich is an improvement on an already delicious fried chicken sandwich. This is Popeyes definitive chicken sandwich sauce and although it’s only available for a limited time, something tells me this will end up a permanent menu fixture — it makes an already great sandwich even better.

If you’ve ever wondered why we can’t have good things, blame it all on Mitt Romney and denim vest stan Kyrsten Sinema. On Wednesday, the Utah senator ruined the one thing most of us seem to agree on: Ted Lasso. Romney shared some footage of himself as Lasso for Halloween, with Sinema filling the role of Hannah Waddingham’s character, Rebecca. First of all: How dare they!? Needless to say, the photos have tainted Ted’s pureness, and Seth Meyers isn’t happy about it.

On Thursday night, Meyers dedicated his “A Closer Look” segment to the many things that are happening in Washington politics at the moment. And the first thing he wanted to talk about was Romney and Sinema’s disturbing photo shoot:

“To give you an idea of how things are going in congress right now, here’s a photo Utah senator Mitt Romney posted today of himself dressed up as Ted Lasso serving biscuits to Democratic senator Kyrsten Sinema. Man, you know you’re unpopular when you can single-handedly ruin one of America’s favorite TV shows. This is like when Rudy Giuliani ran out of the White House bathroom with his pants around his ankles, George Costanza-style. Or like when Nixon showed up to a press conference dressed as Radar O’Reilly… But this just proves once again that we desperately need Roy Kent in congress, because that picture makes me want to f***ing puke.

You can watch the full clip above.