Before starring in The Whale,it had been quite some time since Brendan Fraser had been a leading man in Hollywood. We all remember his rise to fame, which was boosted by his role in Encino Man and as the titular George in George of the Jungle, but in the mid-2000s, Fraser was a lot more selective about his roles before taking a few years off from acting. Though he was still going strong in the “voicing cute animated creatures” department.
The actor played a handful of some minor (but still well-loved) roles over the years before landing on Charlie in The Whale, a 600-lb high school teacher who is trying to mend his bond with his daughter. Fraser’s portrayal of Charlie has earned him several monumental nominations, including one for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, and, the most prestigious of all, the Philadelphia Film Critics award for best actor (which he won).
Even though he was missed from the spotlight, Fraser recently opened up about how he didn’t feel like he could take on a role like this until now. The actor recently told Deadline, “I didn’t have the life experience or the heartache. I hadn’t been a father long enough 10 years ago to appreciate what it means to have a young person in your life.” Fraser has three kids who are all teenagers, so they have probably seen Airheads by now. But still, he felt like he needed more time to be a dad before actually playing one.
Fraser also addressed the backlash surrounding being cast as a 600 lb man who needed a ton of prosthetics. “When this film was over, I had an unexpected reaction to taking off Charlie’s body the last time; I was really emotionally moved,” he explained before adding that he understood why it might have been off-putting. “I felt a strange sense of survivor’s guilt because I could take him off at the end of the day, and I’ve met people who live like that until they didn’t live anymore. I’ve had to take a page of my own sermon and rethink if I’ve been culpable or demeaning and overlooked them. Even if I did accidentally, I don’t ever want to do that again going forward.”
Next up, Fraser will go against several of his Hollywood peers in the Best Actor category at the Oscars, but he’s already won in everyone’s hearts, so they should just call the whole thing off anyway and replace the ceremony with a screening of Journey To The Center Of The Earth. It’s what everyone really wants, anyway! Get Josh Hutcherson back on the big screen!
For those unaware, an apéritif is an alcoholic drink or cocktail that is served prior to a meal with the goal of stimulating your appetite and preparing your belly for the food journey to come. Its counterpart comes after dinner: the digestif — a drink imbibed after a meal to help aid in digestion. You’ve surely seen sophisticates drinking them slowly while relaxing after a nice meal in a movie somewhere. In some parts of the world, this is a common practice and if you ask us, it should be common everywhere. (Similar to bidets — everyone should have bidets.)
When we talk about digestifs, we’re talking about amaro, port, calvados, sambuca, Italian bitters, and other drinks specifically created to be enjoyed after a meal at the end of a long, likely tiring day.
“European bitters and amaro have gained popularity in the past couple of years in America,” says Rene Voteller, food and beverage director at Wequassett Resort and Golf Club in Harwich, Massachusetts. “While most bartenders use them in various craft cocktails, the proper application in Europe, where they have been consumed for centuries, is as a digestif to aid digestion.”
Since we can’t think of a better way to end a day, we figured it was important to actually help you find some of these flavorful after-dinner drinks. To do that, we went to the professionals for help. We asked a handful of well-known bartenders to tell us the best digestifs to imbibe after a heavy meal. Keep scrolling to see them all.
Molinari Sambuca
Molinari
Gary Mennie, food and beverage director at The Mills House Hotel in Charleston, South Carolina
My go-to digestif has always been Sambuca, specifically Molinari Sambuca. It’s an Italian anise-flavored liquor that really deserves more attention than it gets.
Tasting Notes:
The licorice flavor profile combines the spirit of youth and the adult punch of health, happiness, and prosperity.
Cynar
Cynar
Jonathan Cano, lead bartender at Amara in Paraiso in Miami, Florida
Cynar has been my go-to for years now in the amaro category. Years ago, when I used to drink behind the bar, Cynar was kept at arm’s reach. I’ve always been a light drinker, so this was a way for me to hang with my colleagues and guests.
Tasting Notes:
I find it to be the perfect balance of bitterness and sweetness, not overly viscous, with light vegetal notes. It’s absolutely perfect for after-dinner.
Meletti Amaro
Meletti
Greg Coll, food and beverage director at Dawn Ranch in Guerneville, California
For those of us who like to drink our dessert, Meletti Amaro is an easy choice. If you prefer it bitter this may not be for you, as it is sweeter with a mild bitterness.
Tasting Notes:
Full-bodied with floral, fruity notes, and a rich flavor profile of anise, saffron, and caramelized sugar.
I recommend the Taylor Fladgate 30-Year Port. This memorable, warming port is a great way to end dinner. Unless there is a Souffle available, then I prefer both.
Tasting Notes:
It is made out of butterscotch and caramel and packs a nutty, custardy, lush flavor profile. It’s underrated, yet over-delivers.
Averna Amaro
Averna
Colin Berger, bar manager at Rare Society in San Diego, California
My first question to almost every server as the dinner plates are cleared is always, ‘Do you have Averna?’ I worked for a restaurateur for several years who was famously in love with Averna. It was our company’s Kool-Aid, and I drank enough to fall in love.
Tasting Notes:
I was asked to describe the flavor of Averna to someone who had never had amaro before, and the best I could do was, ‘It tastes like flat Coke if it were delicious. And had a lemon twist in it.’
Cannella Amaro
Cannella
Kirk Paganelli, taproom mixologist at The Clancy in San Francisco
A go-to digestif is one San Francisco’s very own, Cannella Amaro. The digestif was inspired by the founder’s voyage through Sicily. This Amaro is best enjoyed when mixed with Pellegrino sparkling water and a splash of flavored soda water.
Tasting Notes:
Its flavors are balanced with spices such as anise and coriander, followed by light citrus notes and a variety of herbs and botanicals.
Amaro Nonino is always my favorite. It is barrel-aged grappa infused with a magical blend of herbs and spices. It has a nice mix of sweet and bitter on the palate.
Tasting Notes:
It’s not as bitter as other amaro out there but is balanced with sweet, candied orange peel, thyme, and menthol.
Arak Touma
Arak Touma
Josh “Yoshi” Lee, lead bartender at YumCha in Denver
Arak Touma is my favorite. Named after the king of Arak, this fragrant liquor can be served both as apéritif and digestif. Ask for a short rocks glass with ice and a small amount of water. Drop in a shot of Arak and you’ll be surprised to find that it changes colors.
Tasting Notes:
The anise seed flavor and the minty after taste make it a very delightful finish to your meal.
Sfumato Rabarbaro
Sfumato
Nick Akira Amano Dolan, general manager at Trick Dog in San Francisco, California
Lately, I’ve been loving the categories of Rabarbaros for digestifs. Bitter amaro incorporates rhubarb as one of its primary flavoring agents. I think Sfumato, in particular, is absolutely fantastic.
Tasting Notes:
Some smoke on the nose, some alpine herbaceousness, and generally a bit of a softer amaro that still packs a ton of flavor.
Campari
Campari
Erica Dimmig, lead mixologist at Hotel Pendry in Chicago
The world of amaro and Italian bitters is extensive and my favorite group of spirits to drink and play with. While there’s an impressive list of new and innovative bottles to choose from, Campari will always be my go-to.
Tasting Notes:
Campari is a versatile digestif that has the unique quality to shine its bitter notes while also using those same complex flavors to balance sweeter ingredients. No matter the day or occasion, a Campari soda will always be my go-to drink.
Boulard VSOP Calvados. The less-aged calvados distinguishes itself with its fresh apple and pear aromas. The longer the calvados is aged (like in the case of Boulard VSOP), the more the taste resembles that of any other aged brandy.
Tasting Notes:
As calvados ages, it may become golden or darker brown with orange elements and red mahogany. The nose and palate are delicate with a concentration of aged apples and dried apricots balanced with butterscotch, nut, and chocolate aromas.
I’ve been playing with 50 / 50 Manhattans at home using Ramazotti Amaro. Bumping the amaro up in lieu of whiskey means I can enjoy two or three of these without ending up on the floor.
Tasting Notes:
Silky smooth with cola notes it goes very well with a high rye whiskey. It’s definitely a unique flavor that propels a Manhattan to new heights. It’s also pretty great on its own.
Braulio
Braulio
Linda Garcia, bartender at Tiki Chick in New York City
Braulio is an alpine amaro from Italy and I love to sip it on the rocks. I do not see this amaro often enough. It’s definitely one worth seeking out.
Tasting Notes:
To me, it tastes like a cross between Fernet and Montenegro. It has a menthol character that softens once mixed with ice along with notes of clove, orange, caramel, wormwood.
I have an affinity for a Swiss bitter called Appenzeller Alpen Bitter. Part of Swiss German tradition since the early 1900s, it is consumed after a heavy meal and is made with up to 42 alpine herbs.
Tasting Notes:
It is not as bitter as other popular digestifs like Fernet Branca or Jagermeister. It has a natural sweetness that makes it very enjoyable after a great meal.
The final Succession season will soon be upon us. How many episodes remain until the Roy family’s story ends?
Sadly, not enough episodes shall happen, but there’s something to be said for the show coming to an end while it’s on top. However, HBO has dropped the final trailer, which of course points towards more turmoil after Tom’s betrayal of Shiv in the third season finale. It’s like a reverse coup happened with Logan circling wagons to stay in power, but maintaining that power won’t be easy. As the trailer suggests, he may be attempting to divide the Roy siblings by wooing Roman to the dark side.
Heck, all sides are dark when it comes to Waystar Royco, which has kind-of been in the can for awhile, and maybe Alexander Skarsgard’s character will rule the world in the series finale. But again, how many more episodes will this take?
Ten. That means we have about two-and-a-half months of weekly event TV when the tinkling opening notes of the theme song might cause chills to run down your spine in the best way. Event TV has been back for awhile (starting with House of the Dragon), but it’s staying strong this month with the returns of not only Succession but also Yellowjackets and Ted Lasso. We live in highly entertaining times.
Succession returns for its fourth and final season on March 26.
But the critical response to Blonde was polarizing, and it was only (“only”) nominated for one Academy Award. What a nomination, though! First time Best Actress nominee Ana de Armas is magnificent as Marilyn Monroe, and ahead of the 2023 Oscars, she spoke to the Hollywood Reporter about the reaction to the film.
“Of course, the reaction that gets the most attention is the one in the U.S., but that wasn’t the whole experience. It’s hard to hear these reactions, but you can always go back to what you experienced, and why you did it, and the reasons why you were attracted to the project. That is not going to change,” she said. de Armas called Blonde “not a movie that was made to please people or to make people like it.” In that sense, it was an unmitigated success.
She continued:
“I feel like the movie also makes the audience feel like participants. We contributed at the time, and we still contribute, in the exploitation of actors, people in the public eye. We, the audience, do this. And I feel like it’s possible that some people have felt like [someone] pointed a finger at [them].”
Blonde didn’t get the Best Picture nomination, but it did make history as the first NC-17-rated film to be released by a streaming service. Take that, CODA.
Kevin Durant made his debut for the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night. Phoenix acquired Durant ahead of the NBA trade deadline from the Brooklyn Nets in an overnight swap that immediately positioned the team to be one of the favorites to win the Western Conference and compete for a title.
It was the second gigantic move the Nets pulled that week in response to a player wanting a change in scenery, as the team sent Kyrie Irving to Dallas on the heels of a trade request. But despite that, Durant could have decided to stay in Brooklyn and, once he got healthy, play in a familiar place. That didn’t happen, and now, he’s in Phoenix.
Prior to his debut, Durant sat down with Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo and laid out why he felt he needed to go somewhere new. As he tells it, while he was used to playing in Brooklyn, the sheer amount of roster turnover was a concern.
“I was thinking about who’s in the building, then when s*** started happening. We’re not playing well. KI requested a trade. It felt like a lot of s*** wasn’t happening for us. But I was locked in. I felt like my play showed people that I was really committed to the organization.
“I looked up, like what am I gonna do? I don’t know who’s gonna be my teammates, so I was a little nervous with that happening. And we were able to work something out.”
Durant’s debut with the Suns went rather well, as the team picked up a 105-91 win over the Hornets in Charlotte. Durant scored 23 points on 10-for-15 shooting in 27 minutes of work.
The inspirational sports movie format is so firmly ingrained at this point that studios can pump them out in their sleep. What makes one special is a filmmaker who isn’t sleepwalking, and it seems like MGM found one right under their noses. Creed star Michael B. Jordan directs Creed III, this latest installment of the Rocky spinoff (the ninth Rocky movie, for those keeping track) in his directorial debut, and makes it feel like fresh eyes were just what it needed.
Jordan doesn’t reinvent the format, but like any good sports movie protagonist, he gives the impression that he was hungry; that he’d had been sitting on a few ideas for how to make one of these movies for the past eight years. There are a few charming videos going around, with Jordan’s co-star, Jonathan Majors, talking about how Jordan had made him prep for the role by watching a bunch of anime. I’m not enough of an anime guy to point out every anime touchstone in Creed III, but it was palpable that Jordan had a vision. Michael B. Jordan feels like he’s making his movie, rather than “a Rocky movie,” and that’s a crucial distinction.
Speaking of Jonathan Majors, whose career has taken him from The Last Black Man In San Francisco to Kang in the last Ant-Man movie (which he was the best part of even though it mostly sucked), he’s a luminescent presence, with one of those effortlessly expressive faces that you can’t help constantly searching for hidden meaning like a renaissance painting.
One of Creed III‘s obvious strengths is that stars a bunch of people who are interesting to look at, even when they aren’t doing much. Majors joins Tessa Thompson and Michael B. Jordan, and with Stallone gone (his absence neither addressed nor explained in the film) there’s room for even more Wood Harris — as Creed’s trainer, Duke. “More Wood Harris” is a good rule of thumb just generally, one of the most underrated, thoroughly watchable dudes around since he was playing Avon Barksdale on The Wire. I would watch him paint a house.
Which also goes for Majors, who clearly wasn’t cast because he looked good throwing a punch. At least, that is, if I’m to judge by how seldom Creed III actually shows his character throwing a punch with his face in the same frame (virtually never). For Majors, it’s a sacrifice worth making.
Majors plays “Diamond” Damian Anderson, who was once like a brother to Michael B. Jordan’s Adonis “Donnie” Creed. They grew up together in a violent group home (shades of the Shamrock boys), and I admit I was struggling a bit to remember the Creed lore — that Adonis was the son of world-famous boxing champion Apollo Creed, but importantly, a bastard son, not acknowledged by Apollo’s widow, Mary Anne, played by Phylicia Rashad, until she adopted him as a teen. Creed III doesn’t waste any time rehashing these facts and I probably should’ve studied up a little beforehand, which is probably more a criticism of the previous two Creed movies for not being more memorable than this one for not holding our hand.
Anyway, before Donnie was adopted by Mama Creed and became a securities broker and then retired to become a boxer and subsequently became a champion (phew!), we learn that he was in a group home with this dude Damian, who was a little older, Donnie’s mentor in both boxing and life. Then Damian got locked up for 18 years, presumably shadow-boxing cinder block walls and cursing his bad luck while Donnie was out becoming champion. But now Damian’s out, trying to make up for lost time. At first Donnie helps him, out of a sense of guilt, whose origins will become clear only later — but there’s always a sense of ungratefulness and an undercurrent of menace with which Damian accepts Donnie’s help.
Some of the best villains are the ones who kind of have a point. Michael B. Jordan played one himself in Black Panther, and Majors nails it here, embodying the classic tension between the striver whose crass (but maybe necessary) grasping rubs the now-complacent overachiever the wrong way. Jordan, meanwhile, does a solid job conveying the tension of his character trying not to be the selfish dick he worries he is, to the point that he’s maaaaybe ignoring his correct instincts. As Wood Harris tells him (in a great line made even greater coming from Wood Harris), “This guy already showed you who is, Donnie. Believe him.”
The personal drama between Damian and Donnie is the heart of the film, so well written and surprisingly nuanced (with a script by Keenan Coogler and Zach Baylin) that it could’ve worked as a story arc on premium cable. If there’s a big drawback to Creed III, it’s the actual boxing (which the format requires make up a decent portion of the film). It’s not terrible, just a little anticlimactic by comparison.
Movie boxing doesn’t look nearly so fake and stagey as it did in the 70s (even the actual boxing in Raging Bull looks pretty bad), but the relative seamlessness with which they can stage it now might not be such a good thing. Filmmakers can make punches look and sound more realistic than ever before, such that they don’t have to compensate with as many art tricks and stylization.
What this review presupposes is… maybe they should? The artsy stylization of Raging Bull or the exaggerated fight choreography of Rocky IV might not have been realistic, but it was an effective way to communicate emotion. A lot of modern boxing scenes to me are like the fight equivalent of that Carl’s Jr. ad where Todd Gurley eats a CGI burger. It looks okay enough to fool you in a two-second shot, which is actually a pretty incredible technological advancement, but it doesn’t stand up to further scrutiny. It conveys “realism” only in the most cursory sense and little else.
Jordan does utilize a degree of stylization in Creed III’s fights, probably more than his predecessors, Ryan Coogler and Steven Caple Jr., but still not enough. It feels like Jordan is holding onto the fights themselves as climactic moments because that’s true for past movies, though it applies more awkwardly to this one.
In its character development, Creed III actually accomplishes what so many Marvel movies lately have attempted and failed: creating compelling lore and characters who could (and surely will) exist beyond the ending of this movie. It would be nice to see the Creed franchise go the way of early Game Of Thrones and have more of the actual battles take place offscreen or only briefly; the buildup, the characters, and the larger lore are much more interesting than the actual fights.
But look at me, playing fantasy studio exec when I’m on record calling that a terrible way to watch movies (and experience life). Maybe that’s because while Creed III is satisfying enough as a movie (definitely better than Creed II, and probably comparable to Creed) it feels like there were more viable storylines here than it could tie up.
‘Creed III’ opens in theaters nationwide March 3rd. Vince Mancini is on Twitter. You can read more of his reviews here.
.@phoebe_bridgers‘ songs speak to universal feelings—but they are also deeply personal. Her writing process involves mining the secrets she keeps from even herself.
In Bridgers’ accompanying Time capsule, she recounted a concert of hers in Florida last year where a kid and their parents left after she’d stopped mid-show to advocate for abortion rights. “I hope it makes a difference,” Bridgers told the publication of that moment. “I hope those parents are going to lose the battle with that kid’s opinions and belief systems.”
Bridgers will have plenty more opportunities to use her platform for more than just setlists while opening for a portion of Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour. “I try not to think about it that hard or I’ll freak out,” Bridgers told Time about opening for Swift.
The Eras Tour is slated to kick off March 17 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Bridgers will join on May 5 at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium and stay on as an opener for 12 shows through May 28, finishing off with three-straight nights at MetLife Stadium.
The Record is out 3/31 via Interscope Records. Find more information here.
Jenna Ortega stopped by the latest episode of Hot Ones where the Wednesday star got very serious about guacamole, which is definitely one of the most delicious dips known to man. However, despite its simplicity, the recipe is very easy to botch, and Ortega shared her thoughts on making the perfect guac while powering through a mouth full of spicy wings with host Sean Evans.
“Whole lotta lime. You need so much lime in there and jalapeños,” Ortega said. “Just choose good avocados, but lime, yeah, lime is the answer. I hate it when they throw pico de gallo just on top like very casually, just a couple of tomatoes. It doesn’t do anything for me. Either fully submerged, really mix it in there. Do it the right way. If I don’t see any cilantro in there, disappointing instantly. And, yeah, if the avocados are too white, then you know that it’s going to be hard and they’re just not ready.”
However, things got fiery when Evans brought up one of the greatest culinary crimes in recent history, the infamous “peas in the guacamole” recipe, which Ortega was not having.
EVANS: In 2015, The New York Times published a controversial guacamole recipe. They called for a ratio of 2 to 3 cups of fresh green peas to every three avocados-
ORTEGA: F*ck that. It’s like not even controversial. That’s obviously incorrect.
Ortega’s pointed delivery of “F*ck that,” which she delivered while her mouth was on fire, is the stuff of memes. Expect to see lots of videos like the one below bouncing around in the days, and possibly years, ahead.
Boygenius — the supergroup of Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, and Julien Baker — are getting ready to release their highly anticipated debut full-length The Record later this month. So far, singles “$20,” “Emily I’m Sorry,” “True Blue,” and “Not Strong Enough” are making the wait even harder, but luckily they’ve given fans another preview.
They debuted an unreleased track, “Cool About It,” last night (March 1) at the annual Tibet House US benefit show in New York City after being added last-minute. The performance is haunting and beautiful. Watch a clip below. They also played “Not Strong Enough.”
The Record is sure to be an emotional experience, especially considering the chaotic writing of the LP. “Lucy first sang ‘We’re In Love’ a cappella to Phoebe, in Phoebe’s bed, on New Years Day in 2022,” the press release explained. “They were holding each other’s faces: a function of totally legal drugs. Lucy was weeping and did not blink. Later, in the studio, Julien thought the song was too… long. In retrospect, Julien hadn’t been ready to engage. When the truth sank in, the truth of a love song, she went away for six hours. (Julien: ‘It’s still a learning process to know the difference between being scrutinized and being seen.’) Then she came back. She was ready.”
Watch their performance of “Not Strong Enough” above.
The Record is out 3/31 via Interscope Records. Find more information here.
The Los Angeles Lakers won’t have the services of LeBron James for an indefinite period of time. James went down with a foot injury during the third quarter of L.A.’s comeback win over the Dallas Mavericks earlier this week, saying that he heard something pop. While he finished out the game, the expectation is now that James will miss multiple weeks with the injury.
It’s the worst possible thing that could happen to a Lakers team with aspirations of making a push during the stretch run of the regular season. But if there is a silver lining, it’s that James won’t need to go under the knife to remedy the situation. According to Chris Haynes on the #thisleague UNCUT podcast, James’ injury won’t require surgery, and if need be, he could “probably” play right now, even if he would be in considerable pain.
“So what I can say on LeBron is that sources did inform me that he will not require surgery, that’s good news,” Haynes said at the 32:02 mark of the pod. “And so, that’s good news for the Lakers. Right now, it’s all about time and the rehabbing process. This is why it’s a crucial period: The Lakers have to really do what they can to buy him some time. What I mean by that is they gotta win, they gotta win a chunk of games, move up these standings to keep buying LeBron some time. That’s what it’s gonna take during this process.
“Could LeBron get out there and play right now? It’d be a risk, but I think he probably could, if he necessarily had to,” he continued. “But it’s too much of a risk, it’s too much pain right now. The plan right now is to give him as much time as heal for this rehab process, but the Lakers gotta win.”
Los Angeles is 30-33 and sit in 13th place in the Western Conference, a full game back of the New Orleans Pelicans for the 12-seed and the final play-in spot.
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