Despite the Warriors getting a win on opening night in L.A. over the Lakers, Stephen Curry said he played terribly. While he recorded a triple-double with 21 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, he was a very un-Steph-like 5-of-21 from the field to get there.
On Thursday night, the Warriors played host to the other L.A. squad in the Clippers and this time, Curry decided to shake off that bad night immediately, erupting for 25 points on 9-of-9 shooting in the first quarter to bring the Chase Center crowd to an early frenzy.
Curry’s barrage made it look like we were headed to a third straight blowout on Thursday night after the Hawks and Heat dominated the early window. However, in the second quarter Paul George came alive to pull the Clippers all the way back from 17 down to take a 67-66 lead into the halftime break with his own incredible individual scoring effort.
The second half saw both teams trade leads and go back and forth well into the fourth quarter, where, eventually, the Steph show proved to be just a bit more than the Clippers could handle. Down two with under two minutes to go, Curry got tired of being doubled and faceguarded and took matters into his own hands, rising and firing from way outside to give Golden State a one-point lead.
After an Eric Bledsoe layup pushed L.A. back in front, Curry came down and again fired from well beyond the arc, this time fading right on the wing to find nothing but the bottom of the net again.
The Warriors were able to get a stop on the next possession and, eventually, got the ball to Draymond Green for a layup to go up four with 11 seconds to play, but George wouldn’t go down without a fight, drilling a quick three to keep the Clippers attached.
After Curry hit a pair of free throws to go back up three, Ivica Zubac got fouled immediately off the long inbound from L.A., and executed his end of the bargain, making the first and missing the second at the line to give the Clippers a chance. But they could never corral the ball and the buzzer sounded to give the Warriors the honor of being the league’s first team to 2-0, with two impressive wins over the L.A. squads to open the season.
Curry finished with 45 points (16-of-25 shooting) and 10 rebounds, aided by a 17-point night from Andrew Wiggins, 11 bench points from Damion Lee, and 10 points, seven assists, and six rebounds from Draymond Green. On the other side, George had 29 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists, with Eric Bledsoe chipping in 22 points in his re-debut for the Clippers, as all five starters hit double figures. It was an encouraging performance, first quarter aside, for their season opener, but they simply couldn’t withstand the Curry onslaught and the Warriors sit atop the West after their first week.
Fast food salads don’t have to be some sort of compromise. Sure, the average salad isn’t as food coma-inducing and glorious to behold as a juicy, decadent cheeseburger — with its tower-like construction, fried onion rings, and strips of fatty bacon — but a good salad can still be satisfying. Plus it’s healthier than chomping on a fried chicken and bacon sandwich. Even when salads go the decadent route, which they sometimes do, they’re usually built in a way that’s balanced. You’ve got your protein, ample veggies, and a good amount of fiber to help it all digest.
Seriously, a quality salad can be just as good as anything else on the fast food menu. Trust us, we’re no strangers to the genre.
But alas, “a quality salad” is increasingly rare these days. After various health crazes demanded salads, most fast food establishments seem to have accepted that people come for the nuggets, fries, and double cheeseburgers — not limp lettuce. When I set out on this ranking, I found that many restaurants have either dropped salads from their menu entirely (McDonald’s) or are putting in so little effort they might as well drop them (Burger King, who else?).
A lot of fast food salads are bad, but I tried as many as I could lay hands on anyway. Please note: this won’t be a ranking of fast food’s healthiest salads (for the healthiest fast food meals, click here). Instead, I focused on each establishment’s best tasting salad, regardless of calorie count, and used whatever stock dressing came with the salad, no exceptions.
Ready to see the ranking? Great! But first…
What Makes A Fast Food Salad Good?
The biggest factor is the lettuce. A great salad isn’t just lettuce, but leafy greens are the foundation of salad, so if you build on a bad foundation your house will collapse onto itself and kill you. I mean, the salad will. Okay, a bad salad won’t kill you, but you’ll wish it did.
Then there is balance, the ratio of lettuce to toppings, and the quality of the toppings themselves. Finally, construction, in which we’ll answer the simple question: Is this well put together? Dressing, while essential, will have little effect on our overall ranking because ultimately you’re going to pick whatever dressing appeals to you most or whatever comes stock with the salad.
Okay, let’s get to eating some leaves.
12. Burger King — Side Garden Salad
Burger King
Calories: 322 (without dressing)
The Salad:
To be fair to Burger King, until recently they had a pretty decent salad called the Chicken Garden Salad. For whatever reason, it’s not available anymore but if it was we wouldn’t be giving Burger King the bottom spot — that would’ve gone to Dairy Queen. Having said that, what is available, BK’s Side Garden Salad, is easily the worst tasting, most low effort salad in all of fast food. ‘
Think about what stocking a salad means for a fast food restaurant: they have to have fresh ingredients on hand. The sort of fresh ingredients you need to put together a salad are perishable, which means every week Burger Kings across the country are throwing away salads, because no one is ordering them. Just ditch the salad completely BK, who do you think you’re attracting with this thing, the health-conscious?
Burger King describes its salad as having a “blend of premium lettuces garnished with juicy tomatoes, home-style croutons, a three-cheese medley, and your choice of KEN’s salad dressing,” and everything about that statement is a lie, except for the dressing part.
This is by no means a premium blend of anything, it’s just iceberg lettuce. The tomatoes are a pale shade of orange, and the amount of cheese is so minuscule that it looks like Burger King is rationing cheese for the apocalypse. All the calories from this thing come from the croutons, and if you have this salad, they’re the only thing you’ll want to finish.
If you order this salad you’re given the choice of Ranch, Italian, or Lite Honey Balsamic Dressing. I opted for the Honey Balsamic, but no amount of Ranch or Italian could have fixed this thing. It has absolutely nothing going for it.
The Bottom Line:
The best thing about this salad is the croutons (which are average, for croutons) so you’re better off throwing away the lettuce and just eating those. Does that feel wasteful? Imagine being Burger King. Imagining all the landfills they must be filling up with discarded side salads makes our brain hurt.
Make no mistake, Dairy Queen’s salad is just as bad as Burger King’s side salad, it just has more stuff in it, so we can’t deny that it’s a better meal all around. This salad features a mix of almost flavorless iceberg and romaine lettuce, the lettuce bed serves as mostly texture in the mouth. Some red cabbage, carrots, and the occasional diced tomato supply some subtle sweetness, but all of the real flavor comes from the chunks of fried chicken strips and the smokey bacon bits.
As far as the protein goes, it’s pretty bland. The salt and black pepper-flavored fried chicken feels out of place on this salad, the seasoning on the batter doesn’t really compliment the salad, the flavors clash. The Crispy Strips Salad comes with Ranch dressing but Dairy Queen also offers Honey Mustard and Blue Cheese. I went with the Ranch because it seemed like it would pair the best with bacon.
It’s Hidden Valley. It’s good, but it can’t save this salad.
The Bottom Line:
Might as well be last. Don’t order this, it has nothing going for it, just get that soft serve instead. Fun fact about Dairy Queen’s website, it says the salad “pairs great with…” and this isn’t a joke: An Oreo cookie Blizzard. A Coke. A Vanilla Shake and a Hot Fudge Sundae.
Eating any of those might be enough to erase the memory of eating this awful salad, so I guess Dairy Queen is right!
This salad almost works. Carl’s Jr at the least tried when they put together this salad, they just didn’t try very hard. Iceberg lettuce makes up the bulk of this salad, and it’s not even crisp, it’s limp and leafy, giving the salad a sort of dirt taste to it. For the toppings, Carl’s Jr went with red onions, which add a nice spicy bite to the salad, croutons for texture, a cheese blend (not enough of it), tomato, and charbroiled chicken.
The chicken is good, more often than not it’ll be dry but it has a nice charred flavor that pairs well with the balsamic vinaigrette, which also helps with the dryness. A better blend of lettuce and another veggie in there would do a lot to make this salad more palatable.
For now, it’s just okay.
The Bottom Line:
If someone offers you a free one, go for it, it hits a spot. Not the spot, but a spot.
We’ve finally come to our first decent salad. Carl’s Jr. almost had us but… didn’t stick the landing. This one surpasses it, handily.
Arby’s Crispy Chicken Entrée Salad earns its name — this is a meal, not just a side order. Arby’s went with an iceberg and leaf lettuce blend here, it’s not a spring mix like what we’re always secretly hoping for, but at least it’s decent lettuce. The lettuce is crispy with a nice texture that convinces us it hasn’t been sitting in a cold case for as long as legally possible.
Strips of diced bacon and chicken tenders give us our protein, and they’re both pretty good. The chicken retains its crispiness and features a tender bite and the bacon is crunchy and smokey, altogether they combine for a great mouthfeel. Rounding things out are some diced tomatoes and shredded cheddar. Just add one more vegetable in there Arby’s and you’ll really have something that can be described as good, not just decent.
The dressing Arby’s offers here is a Marzetti Buttermilk Ranch, it’s heavy and, honestly, I think the salad is better without it or with one of Arby’s other dressings like Dijon Honey Mustard, or Balsamic Vinaigrette.
The Bottom Line:
Ironic that the place that boasts so much about having “the meats” also has a pretty decent salad. Sorry Arby’s, secret is out.
A couple of years back, Jack in the Box replaced their chicken tenders with a new recipe and it’s the worst move the chain could’ve ever made. Those old chicken strips were delicious and they doubled as the centerpiece of each of Jack in the Box’s handful of salads. That means that now Jack in the Box’s salads all come with the new fried chicken, which definitely makes them taste worse than they did before.
We also have the option of grilled chicken. Sorry, but it’s not better.
The grilled chicken tastes like your typical pre-grilled frozen chicken. When it’s not dry, it’s rubbery and has very little flavor. It’s just a protein to make your meal more substantial, might as well be tofu.
Things aren’t all bad with this salad though. It comes with a serving of very juicy and flavorful grape tomatoes, thick-grate shredded cheddar which supplies some sharpness, a serving of black beans, and my favorite bit, the roasted corn. To top it all off, we’re giving a packet of creamy southwest dressing (think a sweet slightly zesty ranch) and some corn chip-like croutons, which taste like stale Fritos, served on a bed of romaine and iceberg lettuce. The lettuce suffers from a limp texture, but the flavor is negligible enough for it to not really be an issue, and the corn, beans, tomato, chicken, and chips provide all the texture you need.
The Bottom Line:
This used to be better, these days it’s a mere shadow of what it once was.
7. Del Taco — Signature Taco Salad With Fresh Guac
Del Taco
Calories: 510
The Salad:
When you hear “Taco Salad,” it’s fair to think you’re going to be eating your salad out of a bowl made from an oversized fried tortilla. The kind you can break pieces off of and use as a makeshift spoon to eat your salad with. This isn’t really that. Del Taco just served their salad with a side of salsa and threw some tortilla chips in it and called it a day.
We’d knock them down the ranking for that low effort if everything else here didn’t work. Luckily, it does. The tortilla chips feel half-assed, but they’re appreciated, and perfect for utilizing to scoop up some guacamole and black beans from the bed of iceberg and romaine. Sour Cream acts as a dressing here, but I think it’s not needed with the serving of guacamole and salsa they give you.
Instead of throwing tomatoes into this salad, Del Taco did one better and included Pico de Gallo as well as some fresh cilantro weaved in with the iceberg and romaine, giving the salad a fresh aftertaste. The shredded cheddar acts as a nice bit of garnish and the beef crumbles would be better swapped for chicken, but at the very least they add an interesting flavor to the whole thing.
If Del Taco had some roasted corn in here, this thing would be so much better.
The Bottom Line:
Pretty good, a few ingredients and substitutions away from being great.
This salad is a significant step up from Del Taco. The Double Chicken Avocado Salad doesn’t have a single weak component. A heavy double serving of chicken breast sits on top of a lettuce blend that features iceberg, romaine, cilantro, the occasional spinach leaf, cilantro, and a few other lettuce fillings. It’s the first salad we’ve hit with an adequate mix of greenery and, if that wasn’t enough to impress us, the chicken is perfectly juicy thanks to a marinade that includes paprika, citrus, pepper, and salt.
Roasted corn, a few slices of ripe avocado, cotija cheese, and pico de gallo join the juicy chicken to complete the salad which is served with your choice of creamy cilantro dressing or a Mexican vinaigrette. I’ve only had the cilantro dressing, which tastes to me like a simple cilantro-based cream sauce. It’s good, but I prefer El Pollo Loco’s avocado salsa. The inclusion of fresh avocado is great, it adds to the heartiness of the salad, ensuring a single order with no additional sides is enough to have you full and satisfied.
The Bottom Line:
Overall this is a great option, health and flavor-wise. There isn’t a lot El Pollo Loco could do to make this better than it already is.
Chipotle doesn’t rank highly for us in any category, even “Mexican” style fast food, but it’s hard to deny that they make a pretty great salad. Or rather, we should say, you make a really great salad because you’re in charge of putting this thing together. Because of that, this entry will be less of a review of the actual salad and more a suggestion for how I think you should build one out.
Doing it right is simple: you start with a bed of romaine — unfortunate, but that’s what Chipotle gives you (and it’s mostly the spines). From there, things look up with your choice of black or pinto beans (for a salad I like black, you do you), and then fajitas, which you should definitely get.
Add your protein of choice to that (check our Chipotle protein ranking here), and you’re already looking at a pretty decent salad. But you’re going to take it to the next level by adding corn, guacamole, a light spoonful of the salsa of your choice, and of course, cheese. This is hands down the best cheese you’re going to find on any salad in fast food, period. It’s freshly grated Monterey jack — sweet, salty, and a little nutty. The cheese beats every salad ranked ahead of this one, but unfortunately for Chipotle, this isn’t a cheese ranking.
The salad is served alongside a honey vinaigrette. It’s sweet with a nice subtle tang. The only thing really holding this salad back is the romaine. Yes, we know we’ve been beating this drum and we admit romaine is better than iceberg lettuce, but on its own… it still sucks.
The Bottom Line:
If you like hot ingredients on top of your salad, this is one of the very best you’ll find in the fast food universe. You’ll just have to settle for some lackluster lettuce.
I think all of Wendy’s salads are pretty solid, none of them feel like after thoughts, they each really taste like Wendy’s actually tried to formulate a flavorful salad. My favorite is easily the Apple Pecan, which features chopped red and green apples alongside dried cranberries, pecans, blue cheese crumbles and a serving of your pick of Wendy’s chicken, homestyle, spicy, or grilled.
I almost always go with the spicy, even though it totally clashes with the sweet mix of crisp apples (Fuji and Granny Smith) and tart deeply sweet cranberries. The lettuce blend is a spring mix, though there isn’t much variety’s it’s mostly romaine, green leaf, and I think some chard, but my favorite inclusion is the Pomegranate Vinaigrette dressing. It’s sweet, slightly sour, with a depth of flavor that really works harmoniously with the cranberries and apples.
The Bottom Line
A great fast food salad. It’s just not as premium in its execution as the salads that will follow, but Wendy’s does not disappoint. The salads earn their place amongst Wendy’s equally stellar burgers and chicken sandwiches, making the choice to go green never feel like a compromise.
Panera currently has eight very delicious and well constructed salads. Choosing just one was admittedly pretty tough, especially because recently Panera ditched my favorite, the Thai Spicy Salad. For this ranking I went with the Fuji Apple Salad. It features tender slices of roasted chicken, sweet grape tomatoes, dried apple, red onions, pecans in place of croutons (genius) and Gorgonzola cheese atop a bed of arugula, romaine, baby kale, and red lettuce leaves. You have no idea how happy it makes me to list all of those different lettuces, which provide a blend of earthy green flavors and the right balance of sweet and bitter.
Each forkful is so damn flavorful and has an amazing texture thanks to the dried apple, which is simultaneously crunchy and sweet, and the toasted pecans, and that’s without using the sweetened white balsamic vinegar that comes stock with this salad.
I have no criticism about this one, even the chicken manages to be flavorful and not dry. It’s just a great salad through and through.
The Bottom Line
Packed with natural sweetness and a phenomenal texture. This is a near perfect salad in the fast food space.
Until Popeyes came around, people wouldn’t shut up about how good Chick-fil-A’s chicken sandwiches are. They’re still great, and so are the nuggets, but not enough people talk about how well executed their salads are, particularly the Cobb. It’s hard to make a salad with fried chicken nuggets on top of it bad, but the chicken doesn’t deserve all of the credit, it’s joined by roasted corn, bacon bits, grape tomatoes, Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese, and a sliced hard-boiled egg.
The salad sits on a bed of mixed greens, they’re okay, I would’ve preferred more arugula and spinach but I’ll take what I can get considering everything else in the salad is good.
I have no idea what schedule Chick-fil-A prepares their hard-boiled eggs, but everything tastes really fresh here, from the chicken that tops your salad, to the egg, corn, and even the crumbled bacon. Instead of croutons, Chick-fil-A supplies you with a packet of what they call charred tomato and crispy red bell peppers, they taste kind of like Chex Mix to me, I usually ditch them.
Chipotle suggests you top this salad with Avocado Lime Ranch Dressing, it’s good, a little tangy but very hearty and while I don’t usually like Ranch on a salad, it feels appropriate. If you don’t want fried chicken you can opt for grilled nuggets, a cold or warm grilled filet, a spicy filet, or chicken strips. I’ve never felt a reason to choose anything other than nuggets, call me crazy.
The Bottom Line
If you’ve only had Chick-fil-A’s famous sandwich, give the salad a try, it really holds its own against the entire menu, and you still get nuggets in the process.
Wow, I mean, where do I even begin, this salad is fantastic. It’s built on a base of garden salad mix, which includes romaine (of course), baby kale, red and green leaf lettuce, and other assorted greens, topped with dried cranberries, quinoa, cucumbers, and julienned carrots. Let’s just talk about that gathering of flavors — the lettuce blend leans on the more bitter and earthy side but its counterbalanced with the intense tart sweetness of the cranberries while the cucumbers add a nice refreshing crispness to each bite and the quinoa and carrots give you something more textured to chew on.
All of those combine to deliver a great mouthfeel that when coupled with the dressing (it’s tossed unless you ask otherwise) is capable of making your mouth water.
Those qualities alone make it better than so many of the salads on this list, but to top it off the Habit adds freshly grilled chicken breast to the salad, and it’s easily its best feature. It’s tender, full of charred citrus flavor, and the Habit gives you a lot of it. The salad is tossed in a kale pesto vinaigrette which makes the whole thing taste incredibly fresh and healthy, and adds a lot of depth to this already flavorful salad. And then The Habit goes ahead and throws feta on the thing. It’s perfect.
The Super Food salad is hearty enough to split in two with a friend or save the rest for later if you’re looking for a lighter meal and more than enough if you’re looking to leave the table feeling full.
The Bottom Line
Probably the only salad that I’ve ever craved. This is actually a reason to go to the Habit, and I think it easily beats out their burgers. Which is something I’ve never said about a single salad until now.
Are we done with the spookiest month, even though it’s not even Halloween yet? Perhaps. Fortunately, the streaming services are diversifying options, so that the holiday-related content does not need to dominate all choices. This, of course, presents quite a conundrum when picking the streaming service that gives you the most for your money in mid-October, but there’s also a very predominant factor at work. A highly-anticipated, A-list-filled blockbuster movie, Dune, is hitting HBO Max, which means that you can watch Zendaya and Jason Momoa and Oscar Isaac in the hottest movie of the week without even leaving your living room. HBO Max has several other options for the taking as well, so easily, they’re winning this competition.
Coming in with second place would be Netflix. They’ve got party-hopping vampires, a new adult-animated series, and so much more. Apple TV+ comes in hot with a new alien-invasion series, and do not neglect Peacock and Discovery+, which are bringing you the coolest Halloween content available: another Snoop and Martha adventure and some Eli Roth/Osbourne content, respectively. Amazon Prime and Hulu also bring new selections, so here’s the best of the new streaming selections for this weekend.
Dune (Warner Bros. film on HBO Max) — Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Jason Momoa, Oscar Isaac, Jessica Chastain, and Stellan Skarsgård playing a 300-pound villain. Oh, and sandworms and spice, too. What more could you possibly want? Well, how about an interpretation of Frank Herbert’s classic from director Denis Villeneuve? That’s more like it, especially because David Lynch would love to pretend that his version never existed. Expect a mythic and epic and world-building journey of a hero, Paul Atreides (Chalamet), who must live up to his incredible destiny. No pressure, of course.
Women is Losers (HBO Max film) — If you loved Shang Chi and the Legend of the Seven Rings, then be sure to check out Simu Liu’s newest movie, which debuted at this year’s SXSW festival. This 1960s-set drama costars Lorenza Izzo and revolves around Izzo’s former Catholic schoolgirl, who attempts to rise beyond stereotypes and oppression and poverty and really, you know, go somewhere. If the title sounds familiar, that’s because the movie’s named after Janis Joplin’s song of the same name.
We’re Here (HBO series on HBO Max) — Nope, you’re not looking at a photo of Beyoncé. This ^^ would be the fabulous Shangela (of RuPaul’s Drag Race fame), who’s back with the rest of the Queens (including Bob and Eureka) in Spartanburg, South Carolina after COVID interrupted the first round. In Season 2, the trio will continue to recruit small-town residents (in this case, that would be Noah, Faith, and Olin) and train them for onstage moments that they never dreamed possible.
Aquaman: King of Atlantis: Season 1 (HBO Max) — While DC fans sit in the limbo in between live-action Jason Momoa movies, this three-part animated miniseries from James Wan could tide things over a bit. This week’s installment involves the Dead Sea with Aquaman learning that he’s still got a lot of learning to do upon becoming king. The voice cast includes Cooper Andrews, Gillian Jacobs, Dana Snyder, and Thomas Lennon.
Doom Patrol: Season 3 (HBO Max series) — DC’s struggling misfit superheroes are back for another round. Brendan Fraser has received plenty of raves for his fury-filled Cliff Steele/Robotman, but don’t count out the rest of the crew. There’s Matt Bomer as the bandage-wrapped Negative Man and Diane Guerrero as Crazy Jane, which is actually a role that requires Diane to play dozens of incarnations, including a very timely take on a Karen. This season, the sh*t hits the fan with a time machine.
Netflix
Netflix
Night Teeth (Netflix film) — Debby Ryan and Lucy Fry play the lead-character vampires of this film, but there are also vampires played by Megan Fox and Sydney Sweeney, so you know what that means: any human in their sights are in big trouble. That includes a college-student-turned-chauffeur, Benny (Jorge Lendeborg, Jr.), who’s tasked with driving the two primary vamps around to parties, where they can get their thirst on. Can Benny stay alive, can he save Los Angeles, and can he possibly do both things? Talk about a guilty pleasure of a movie.
Inside Job (Netflix series) — Lizzy Caplan and Christian Slater star in this adult animated comedy show that revolves around a shadow government that’s all up in global conspiracies. There are secret societies and orgies and shapeshifters and psychic mushrooms, along with an idealistic agent who hopes that she can make a difference in a world filled with unhinged characters.
Locke & Key: Season 2 (Netflix series) — Joe Hill’s horror comic continues on the adaptation train after the Locke siblings (and mother) attempted to make a new start after their father’s mysterious murder. Naturally, one should expect to see more uncovered keys this season and even darker forces that are attempting to trick everyone into doing their bidding. Still, this show remains a coming-of-age mystery that stresses family bonds above all else, including the entire spiritual realm.
Found (Netflix film) — This documentary follows teen American girls who somehow discover that they’re cousins by blood. This leads to an online-meeting that turns into a real-life journey, wherein the teens travel to China for answers and adventure. It’s an emotional journey but a rewarding one.
You: Season 3 (Netflix series) — Nothing says (twisted) family bonding like two parents digging a grave for their murder victims while an infant sits in his car seat and does his best to amuse himself. Yikes. Fortunately for all of us, however, the show about Stalker Joe manages to sustain its gimmick and volley the nutso-factor into the stratosphere. It’s a lot like Mr. & Mrs. Smith but with serial killers. Joe (or “Will”) can’t give up his ways (including his roaming eyes), Love refuses to give up hers, and their sleepy little suburb is about to get rocked into oblivion.
Apple TV+
Apple TV+
Invasion: Season 1 (Apple TV+ series) — Apple TV+ has been crushing the outer-space game with All For Mankind, and with this Simon Kinberg sci-fi show, they’re bringing the (dubious) party to planet Earth. Kinberg, of course, has plenty of producing clout under his belt (The Martian, the Deadpool movies, Logan) and he’s teaming up here with procedural-minded director Jakob Verbruggen (The Alienist, The Fall) to focus on individual stories around the globe during the fallout of an alien invasion. There’s some Sam Neill flavor up in here, too, and if there’s a god, he’ll be wearing a hat in this show. Yes, it’s intense-looking show, and the fate of humanity hangs in the balance.
The Velvet Underground (Apple TV+ film) — Acclaimed filmmaker Todd Haynes directs this documentary, which is no ordinary rock ‘n’ roll movie. Instead, this reintroduces fans to the game-changing qualities of this band that made them an enduring cultural touchstone, including all of their inherent contradictions, which will be put on display in never-before-seen lie performance moments and plenty of recordings, interviews, and experimental art. Expect a fully immersive experience (not to mention iconic tunes).
The Problem With Jon Stewart (Apple TV+ series) — Jon Stewart’s return to TV fast approaches, and it could be argued that he’s never been needed more on TV than this particular moment. The former The Daily Show host will be doing the current-events thing with an episode every two weeks, which isn’t as frequent as fans might prefer, but we’ll trust the process. According to Apple TV+, viewers can expect Stewart to go deep on a single subject per episode with a “solutionary” approach, and yes, there are jokes.
Acapulco: Season 1 (Apple TV+ series) — Vacation-based shows are all the rage following The White Lotus and Nine Perfect Strangers, so get your next fix here with the story of a 20-something cabana boy in Acapulco’s most in-demand resort. Naturally, he discovers that the job is not all fun and games, given the demanding clientele and other demanding professional and personal circumstances. Get ready for a bilingual focus, too, with both Spanish and English coming in hot while the main character, Máximo Gallardo, also attempts to avoid temptations.
Peacock
Peacock
Snoop and Martha’s Very Tasty Halloween (Peacock special) — The dynamic duo re-teams again, this time to host a baking competition that’s geared toward the spookiest holiday of all. Expect to see giant chocolate spiders and cotton-candy cobwebs, all packed into room-sized, edible creations. These two have been tight since their inaugural recipe, mashed potatoes, so there’s simply no turning back, ever.
Halloween Kills (Universal movie on Peacock) — A horror blockbuster is here to spook you in your living rooms, y’all. Michael Myers survives that damn fire, which leads to a fully-had-it-up-to-here mindset of Jamie Lee Curtis’ Laurie Strode, who’s mad as hell at firefighters and vowing that Michael Myers is going down. If it was a matter of wills and badassery, she could make it happen, but that’s not how things usually roll out in this franchise. David Gordon Green directs again here, and he’ll be back for Halloween Ends, so good luck, Laurie.
One of Us Is Lying — The New York Times bestselling novel comes to life when a group of give teens (the brain, the beauty, the jock, the criminal, yes, this sounds like a John Hughes imitation) go to detention, and one of them (the outcast) does not emerge. Hey, it happens. Was the death an accident? Not likely. Naturally, the four remaining students all become suspects, and all of them are looking sketchy. Again, it happens!
Hulu
Hulu
Dopesick: Season 1 (Hulu series) — Michael Keaton (who is still the greatest Batman in history, so don’t mess with him in any role) finally comes to TV beyond cameo mode. Here, he takes on Big Pharma as a physician whose patients are dying off amid an opioid epidemic, and Rosario Dawson portrays one of the heroes who want to take the makers of Oxycontin down. The title of the source material (Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors and the Drug Company that Addicted America, the book by Beth Macy) tells you a lot, and the cast includes Michael Stuhlbarg and Kaitlyn Dever, who’s all over TV now and making Justified‘s Loretta proud here.
The Next Thing You Eat: Season 1 (Hulu series) — Chef David Chang teams up with director Morgan Nevill for six episodes that follow seismic changes in the way we eat. There’s a global perspective, and expect to see robots and lab-grown food and all manner of other surprises.
Jacinta (Hulu documentary) — Intergenerational trauma is real in this real-life story of what happens when a mother and daughter both end up in prison. This is no Orange Is The New Black take, and both women are attempting to battle their own addictions and other demons while doing time at the Maine Correctional Center. It’s bleak, but it’s a valuable watch with director Jessica Earnshaw shooting with a verité approach.
Disney+
Disney+
Just Beyond: Season 1 (Disney+ series) — This horror-comedy anthology bases itself on R.L. Stine’s BOOM! Studios comic book series of the same name. Expect plenty of supernatural journeys (with a personally affecting touch) through alternate dimensions with witches, aliens, and ghosts onboard.
Muppets Haunted Mansion (Disney+ special) — After several Muppets-themed Christmas offerings, it’s about time that we’ve received a spooky installment, and let’s face it, more Miss Piggy is always a good thing. Gonzo takes center stage here while attempting to survive the evening in (according to the synopsis) “in the most grim grinning place on Earth.” The special’s actually inspired by all four of the Disney Haunted Mansion attractions that are scattered around the globe, and three original songs (“Rest In Peace,” “Life Hereafter” and “Tie The Knot Tango”) will surface, along with plenty of celebrity cameos along with the all-star Muppets cast.
Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime+
I Know What You Did Last Summer: Season 1 (Amazon Prime series) — Sure, you remember the 1997 film and perhaps you’re aware that that was based upon the 1973 novel by Lois Duncan, but this Amazon Studios collaboration with Sony Pictures Television wants you to relive the nightmare once more. Obviously, this version doesn’t have Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, or Freddie Prinze, but these teens seem more twisted by nature than the O.G. bunch, so perhaps that will add some shading to justify reviving their shared dark secret as they aim to survive.
Welcome to the Blumhouse: Madres/The Manor (Blumhouse films on Amazon Prime) — This week’s Halloween-themed double dose follows a Mexican-American couple (in 1970s California) who are weathering a troubled pregnancy while being besieged by horrific visions, which might be part of a legendary curse. Then, a woman moves into a famous nursing home, where a supernatural force might be controlling all residents. She’s unable to escape her confines, and no one believes her. Sounds like hell.
Discovery+
Discovery+
Introducing, Selma Blair (Discovery+ film) — As the title indicates, this feature follows Selma Blair’s perspective, and it’s a very serious one, given that she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and keeps on maintaining a Hollywood career. There’s no telling how she does it until you watch, but she’s one tough lady.
Jack and Kelly Osbourne: Night Of Terror (Discovery+ special) — The famed RMS Queen Mary becomes ground central for these two siblings (and kids of Ozzy and Sharon) as they journey into the unknown. Given that the ghost-filled ship shut down for the COVID pandemic, things are even spookier as filmed for this series because no one is (officially) touring, and they’re all alone. So, good luck to both the formerly skeptical Kelly and the true-believing Jack as they make their ways down this famed Long Island haunting venue.
Eli Roth Presents: A Ghost Ruined My Life: Season 1 (Discovery+ series) — Eli Roth has so much going on over at Discovery+ this month (following his recent real-life horror/Shark-Week film on the streamer) that one has to wonder… is he running the joint? It’s a valid question, but more to the point, this series present personal accounts on those who have survived feeling like they’re been dragged through hell and fought their way back.
The Haunted Museum: Season 1 (Discovery+ series) — More Eli Roth stuff. Here, he’s teaming up with Ghost Adventures host Zak Bagans for this scripted anthology series, in which they illuminate nine of the world’s most cursed artifacts. These relics are actually in display in Bagans’ Vegas museum, but here, you’ll get the historic commentary in addition to having the pants scared off of you.
Paramount+
Paramount+
Guilty Party: Season 1 (Paramount+ series) — Kate Beckinsale stars in this charming-looking dramedy series about a disgraced (and opportunistic) journalist who works to redeem herself by digging for the real story on a young mother who was convicted of murdering her husband, a crime that the mother insists that she did not commit. Expect (strangely enough) some whimsy amid this seemingly serious premise, including some adversaries that are a real pain in the butt.
Madame X (Paramount+ movie) — In this concert documentary, Madonna takes viewers on tour with her (from way back in January 2020, so pre-pandemic, obviously) all the way to Lisbon, Portugal. Her set included 48 onstage performers, including other musicians and dancers, and she’s here to share her vision with the rest of the world. Her statement on the film points towards reaching out to fans “at a time when music is so deeply needed to remind us of the sacred bond of our shared humanity.”
Billions: Season 5, Part 2 (Showtime series on Paramount+) — There ain’t no drama quite like hedge-fund-king drama, and it remains to be seen whether Bobby Axelrod and Chuck Rhoades will ever decide to stop wasting so much time hating the hell out of each other. Probably not? Yeah, that’d be no fun at all, and everyone on this show ends up getting yanked into the beef that may very well destroy them all. Everyone’s got a reason to love this show, and mine just happens to be watching Maggie Siff and Asia Kate Dillon, rather than the warring dudes. (Also, Axe is done after this season!)
Interest in retail stocks have had a fascinating impact on the rest of the stock market in 2021. A company like AMC, for example, saw itself saved from potential bankruptcy as retail traders embraced the theater chain along with embattled companies like GameStop. Cryptocurrency and other fad trading trends have seen boom and bust cycles that have befuddled more traditional players in the market and caused unease, and it appears that Donald Trump hopes similar interest can help his social media startup.
Trump is apparently making good on his promise to start a social media company of his own, known as Truth Social. And while the groundswell of stock price for that company made headlines on Thursday, skeptics of the company behind the platform noted that the out-of-nowhere news that Trump Media and Technology Group even existed came from some sketchy deals. As the Wall Street Journal detailed on Thursday, the sudden emergence of a Trump property on the trading markets is a result of a special-purpose acquisition company, or SPCD.
Also called a blank-check company, a SPAC such as Digital World Acquisition is a shell company that raises money and trades on a stock exchange to merge with a private firm such as Mr. Trump’s and take it public. The private company then replaces the SPAC in the stock market. SPAC mergers have become popular alternatives to traditional initial public offerings, especially for startups that can make business projections. Those aren’t allowed in typical IPOs.
The SPAC move is technically legal, but seen by some as a bait-and-switch of sorts. And certainly one Trump used to his advantage to get investors in a company that only exists because more traditional platforms like Facebook and Twitter have deemed him too dangerous to use their platforms.
As the New York Times reported on Thursday, Trump managed to use a SPAC to bankroll TMTG in a climate where Wall Street and investors have generally considered the twice-impeached former president toxic in the wake of the January 6 riot in Washington. The use of a SPAC meant that some investors didn’t even know Trump’s company was the recipient of their money.
Mr. Trump’s new company, Trump Media and Technology Group — incorporated in Delaware in February with little fanfare, and with no revenue or tested business plan — reached a deal to merge with Digital World on Wednesday.
Digital World, which was set up shortly after Mr. Trump lost the 2020 election, last month raised nearly $300 million, largely from big investors. Assuming the merger is consummated, that money will soon be bankrolling the Trump media venture, which plans early next year to offer a Twitter-like social media app.
Shares of the newly merged company soared on Thursday, rising more than 300 percent to close at $45.50 a share and partly reflecting expectations that the former president’s media company could be very profitable.
Halloween movies are certainly getting their shine these days as the annual fall holiday approaches, but the owners of a particular piece of scary movie real estate certainly hope to cash in on the timing and a hot market these days. That’s right: the million-dollar home where the original A Nightmare On Elm Street is for sale and, no, the street isn’t actually called Elm.
But 1428 N Genesee Ave is for sale, and it’s the original home where the 1984 Halloween classic was shown. The Dutch Colonial, built in 1919, officially went on the market and was spotted by the Los Angeles Times this week. The home, billed as 1428 Elm St. in the movie, features three bedrooms and five baths in the real world. And as the Times detailed, its current owner has a bit of Hollywood history of her own.
It’s the first time the home has listed for sale since Lorene Scafaria — director of films such as “Seeking a Friend for the End of the World” and 2019’s “Hustlers” — bought it for $2.1 million in 2013. Surprisingly, the façade still looks similar to how it did in the movie; green shingles still top the portico entry, but the bright-red front door has since been painted black.
You can find the home’s listing on Zillow, so you know it’s real. And despite the film taking place in Ohio, the LA location turned out to be a perfect filming location on the West Coast due to a lack of palm trees and other California giveaways its Spaulding Square neighborhood lacks. Just don’t expect the home to go unnoticed if you’re interested in making an offer.
“The whole neighborhood gets the tour bus treatment. People always get tickled when they see it,” said Heather T. Roy of Douglas Elliman, who holds the listing with Learka Bosnak. Bosnak said the house is the perfect example of movie magic.
“The façade is iconic, but the ties to the movie stop as soon as you walk through the front door. Inside, it’s a beautiful traditional-style space with a modern twist,” she said.
The listing isn’t exactly hiding the fact that it’s the Elm Street home, though it does make it clear the interior isn’t what you’d think it may be from the movie.
“This elegant traditional was reimagined by an English designer in the mid-2000s, lovingly lived in by the current owner, and a location for some of Hollywood’s favorite films, commercials and print,” the listing on Zillow said. “Cinephiles will immediately recognize Wes Craven’s iconic Elm Street facade.”
At 6,751 square feet any potential buyer is certainly getting a whole lot of house. But hopefully they are heavy sleepers, too.
Alec Baldwin has reportedly been involved in a deadly accident while filming his newest movie. According to reports on Thursday, Baldwin fired a prop weapon in an incident that resulted in the death of a cinematographer while on the set of the film, Rust.
According to Variety, Baldwin was handling a weapon on set in New Mexico when the gun was fired, killing killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza in what has initially been deemed an accident.
The incident occurred on the set of “Rust,” an independent feature that was filming at the Bonanza Creek Ranch, a popular production location south of Santa Fe.
Hutchins, 42, was transported by helicopter to University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque, where she died. Souza, 48, was taken by ambulance to Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center in Santa Fe, where he was receiving emergency care.
As Deadline reported on Thursday, no one was arrested after the tragic incident, though the local sheriff’s department is reportedly interviewing witnesses. The report deemed it an “open and active” investigation, as of Thursday night. But the incident reportedly resulted from using ammunition inside what was supposed to be a prop gun.
Deadline earlier reported that Criminal Investigators were called to the scene with sources informing us that a principal castmember cocked a gun, hitting a man, 42 and woman, 42, on set. The castmember we’re told was unaware about the type of ammunition in the gun. A rep from the production said that “Production has been halted for the time being” on Rust and that “the safety of our cast and crew remains our top priority.”
Traditionally the prop master or armorer is responsible for fire arms and fire arms safety on a set such as Rust.
The reports were later confirmed by the local sheriff department, who also confirmed their investigation continues.
Santa Fe County New Mexico Sheriff confirms tonight actor Alec Baldwin shot two people today on a movie set with a prop firearm that would normally be loaded with blanks. A 42 yr old woman, the director of photography – is dead. The film’s director is hospitalized #alecbaldwinpic.twitter.com/JbwNw9nZJP
Last month, thanks to the premiere of the King Richard biopic at the Telluride Film Festival, Beyonce fans learned that the singer would soon be releasing new music. One of her upcoming songs, titled “Be Alive,” will appear in the movie and a quick preview of the track can be heard in the newest trailer for King Richard. The track is a moving ballad with a heavy piano presence that focuses on overcoming tough battles.
“Can’t nobody knock it if they try,” Beyonce sings on the song, later adding, “Do you know how much we have pride? / How hard we have to try?”
The upcoming King Richard film is executive produced by tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams as it follows the siblings from their youth to adulthood as they overcome numerous hardships to be the legendary tennis players we know them as today. Will Smith plays the role of their father while Saniyya Sidney and Demi Singleton play Venus and Serena respectively. This film will arrive in both theaters and on HBO Max next on November 19.
The preview of Beyonce’s upcoming song comes after she praised Balmain’s creative director during the brand’s spring/summer 2022 fashion show in Paris. She also shared a touching note to fans thanking them for their wishes after she turned 40.
You can watch the trailer and hear Beyonce’s “Be Alive” in the video above.
Earlier this week, Big Sean stopped by Power 106’s LA Leakers show to lay down a blistering freestyle. The Detroit native rapped over Kanye West’s “Hurricane,” on which he originally had a verse, Drake and Jay-Z’s “Love All,” Jay-Z and Memphis Bleek’s “Dear Summer,” and Nardo Wick’s “Who Want Smoke??” for nearly nine minutes. He tackled a number of topics throughout the freestyle from NBA players sliding into his girlfriend’s DMs and spending time with Kobe Bryant on New Year’s Day in 2020 to his days before signing to GOOD Music.
I take pride in being versatile but I can also see how’s its helped and hurt me in my career. Cause some people hear a song n think I’m just that, or a certain type of artist when I actually have many sides. I can Out rap anyone, but sometimes I just wanna jus vibe or have fun
Just a day after that freestyle was released, Sean returned to Twitter to share some more thoughts and get a few more things off his chest with fans.
“I take pride in being versatile but I can also see how’s its helped and hurt me in my career,” he wrote. “Cause some people hear a song n think I’m just that, or a certain type of artist when I actually have many sides. I can Out rap anyone, but sometimes I just wanna jus vibe or have fun.”
He added in another tweet, “So I’m a just get back to having fun, cause trying to please everybody ain’t it! If you rock wit me, you rock wit me n if you don’t then… you just don’t have good taste.”
Nas just txt me saying “you murdered these freestyles thanks for pushing us all” that’s crazy AF to me when I really thought about Nas txt’n me that, I’m at the crib right now in Detroit n I’m just feeling grateful I actually am doing what I said I would. Shit feel like a dream
He also revealed comments Nas shared with him after he heard the freestyle. “Nas just txt me saying ‘you murdered these freestyles thanks for pushing us all,’” he tweeted. “That’s crazy AF to me when I really thought about Nas txt’n me that, I’m at the crib right now in Detroit n I’m just feeling grateful I actually am doing what I said I would. Sh*t feel like a dream.”
The rapper also admitted to being offended by some comments from fans that claim he “can’t rap.”
I do get tired of being judged n take personal offense when someone thinks I can’t rap . I literally have proven myself over and over and over, but maybe I should just stop caring so much what people think and stop taking things personal and just get back to having fun…
I also really miss the brotherhood I use to have with GOOD music, I don’t know what happened. Guess those the GOOD ol days. It’s all love, but we use to really be clique’d up
“I do get tired of being judged n take personal offense when someone thinks I can’t rap,” he wrote. “I literally have proven myself over and over and over, but maybe I should just stop caring so much what people think and stop taking things personal and just get back to having fun…” Sean also reflected on his pat “brotherhood” with his GOOD Music team. “I also really miss the brotherhood I use to have with GOOD music, I don’t know what happened,” he tweeted. “Guess those the GOOD ol days. It’s all love, but we use to really be clique’d up.”
You can view more tweets from Big Sean below, including one that teased an upcoming single laced with an SWV sample.
Aye never cheat yourself, that might be GOD testing you…
I’ll do a hype song, a conscious song, a love song or strip club song and will hop on a song with anybody and hold my own. That’s why I rapped on 4 different styles of beats on the LA Leakers cause I embrace being versatile, love to everybody who listened as well and sharing
Next month, Megan Thee Stallion will celebrate the one-year anniversary of her debut album Good News. It’s a project that was received well by fans and critics and that eventually attained Platinum-selling status as well. The rapper is actively working on her next body of work, but before that’s delivered to the world Megan announced Something For Thee Hotties. In a post to her social media pages, the rapper revealed that the upcoming release is comprised of “freestyles thee hotties have been asking for and a few unreleased songs from THEE ARCHIVES.”
10/29 freestyles thee hotties have been asking for and a few unreleased songs from THEE ARCHIVES pic.twitter.com/UQhAmz7Pm9
The Houston native also confirmed the project would arrive next week on October 29. Some of the freestyles that could appear on the project include those that she’s released this year. “Tuned In,” “Out Of Town,” and “Southside Forever” are just some that fans expect to hear on the project.
The announcement comes after Megan and her boyfriend Pardison Fontaine shared adorable pictures and videos on social media to celebrate one year of dating. She also teamed up with Popeyes to release her own Hottie Sauce as we all some merchandise for her supporters.
You can view her announcement in the tweet above.
Something For Thee Hotties is out 10/29 via 1501 Certified Entertainment / 300 Entertainment. Pre-order it here.
Megan Thee Stallion is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
The NBA released the final segment of its Top 75 player list on Thursday evening, commemorating the league’s 75th anniversary by honoring all-time greats. Inevitably, the discourse would quickly shift to which players may have been snubbed from the final collection, even as players like Reggie Miller and Dominique Wilkins expressed real gratitude for making the cut. As with any list, there are selections that are more questionable than others but, in the moments after the grand reveal, Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson seemingly became the first current All-Star to express frustration about not making the list.
Thompson, who has been sidelined for more than two years with injury, is a five-time All-Star and three-time NBA champion. He is regarded as one of the best three-point shooters of all-time, knocking down 41.9 percent of his career attempts from beyond the arc and ranking in the top 20 all-time in three-pointers at the age of 31.
With Thompson’s positive defensive contributions and overall profile, he certainly may have been on various ballots, and it is possible he was on the short list of “others receiving votes.” It will be interesting to see if Thompson elaborates on this apparent social media frustration but, in the coming hours, other players could join him, and the discourse will continue.
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. I literally have proven myself over and over and over, but maybe I should just stop caring so much what people think and stop taking things personal and just get back to having fun…
freestyles thee hotties have been asking for and a few unreleased songs from THEE ARCHIVES 